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kelly_e's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Title: Something Wild & Wonderful
Author: Anita Kelly
Series: Love & Other Disaster #2
Genre: Romance
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: March 7, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Untamed • Affectionate •
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Alexei Lebedev’s journey on the Pacific Crest Trail begins with a single snake. And it is angling for the hot stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Lex is prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he isn’t prepared for is Ben Caravalho. But somehow—on a 2,500-mile trail—Alexei keeps running into the outgoing and charismatic hiker with golden-brown eyes, again and again.
Ben has made his fair share of bad decisions, and almost all of them involved beautiful men. And yet there’s something about the gorgeous and quietly nerdy Alexei that Ben can’t just walk away from. Surely a bad decision can’t be this cute and smart.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When a trusted book friend described and raved about this book, I instantly added it to my TBR and placed a hold through my library. When my hold finally came through I dropped everything to jump in. At the time, I was in quite a reading slump and Something Wild & Wonderful definitely changed that. I could not put this book down and fell absolutely in love with this story!
As an outdoor enthusiast myself, the Western wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail was immediately transporting. The imagery - from the desert to the mountains, from the trees to the birds - all of it came to life. At times I even felt like I was taking the journey alongside Alexei. And as other readers have said, it certainly made me want to go hiking and see parts of the PCT.
But it is the characters that truly make this book shine! While I can safely say Alexei and Ben are opposites, they both are facing their respective life challenges. The heartbreaking reality of Alexei's reason for embarking on the journey evoked great emotion and I just felt an instant connection to his quiet, introverted character. The two men come together to help each other in ways they weren't even aware of and in the process being to heal. Ben's family and friends were also just wonderful.
The writing comes together in a tender and compassionate manner creating a purely magical story. The plot just made me heart happy. And even though the romance does happen fairly quick, yet it felt believable and sincere. There's no doubt Something Wild & Wonderful will be on my 2023 favourites list. It took me by utter surprise just how much I adored this book and it definitely made me was to explore more of Anita Kelly's work. I'd also be completely okay if Alexei and Ben got a sequel at some point.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• M/M romance enthusiast
• fans of Allison Cochrun
• readers who likes adventure
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Being still was powerful."
"There will also never be anyone else to take the place of my parents. Some parts of myself will always be missing. But you taught me I can find people. That there will be other people I meet in my life who will understand me. Who will love me. Who will show me how wonderful and surprising the world can be."
"Moving forward was different from running away."
Author: Anita Kelly
Series: Love & Other Disaster #2
Genre: Romance
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: March 7, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Untamed • Affectionate •
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Alexei Lebedev’s journey on the Pacific Crest Trail begins with a single snake. And it is angling for the hot stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Lex is prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he isn’t prepared for is Ben Caravalho. But somehow—on a 2,500-mile trail—Alexei keeps running into the outgoing and charismatic hiker with golden-brown eyes, again and again.
Ben has made his fair share of bad decisions, and almost all of them involved beautiful men. And yet there’s something about the gorgeous and quietly nerdy Alexei that Ben can’t just walk away from. Surely a bad decision can’t be this cute and smart.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When a trusted book friend described and raved about this book, I instantly added it to my TBR and placed a hold through my library. When my hold finally came through I dropped everything to jump in. At the time, I was in quite a reading slump and Something Wild & Wonderful definitely changed that. I could not put this book down and fell absolutely in love with this story!
As an outdoor enthusiast myself, the Western wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail was immediately transporting. The imagery - from the desert to the mountains, from the trees to the birds - all of it came to life. At times I even felt like I was taking the journey alongside Alexei. And as other readers have said, it certainly made me want to go hiking and see parts of the PCT.
But it is the characters that truly make this book shine! While I can safely say Alexei and Ben are opposites, they both are facing their respective life challenges. The heartbreaking reality of Alexei's reason for embarking on the journey evoked great emotion and I just felt an instant connection to his quiet, introverted character. The two men come together to help each other in ways they weren't even aware of and in the process being to heal. Ben's family and friends were also just wonderful.
The writing comes together in a tender and compassionate manner creating a purely magical story. The plot just made me heart happy. And even though the romance does happen fairly quick, yet it felt believable and sincere. There's no doubt Something Wild & Wonderful will be on my 2023 favourites list. It took me by utter surprise just how much I adored this book and it definitely made me was to explore more of Anita Kelly's work. I'd also be completely okay if Alexei and Ben got a sequel at some point.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• M/M romance enthusiast
• fans of Allison Cochrun
• readers who likes adventure
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Being still was powerful."
"There will also never be anyone else to take the place of my parents. Some parts of myself will always be missing. But you taught me I can find people. That there will be other people I meet in my life who will understand me. Who will love me. Who will show me how wonderful and surprising the world can be."
"Moving forward was different from running away."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Homophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, Religious bigotry, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Dementia, Gaslighting, Death, and Sexual assault
familial estrangementsophieamreacher's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I read this in one sitting and stayed up till 4am to finish this. Absolutely beautiful book that made me smile, laugh, and cry. There’s just such a sense of joy, sadness, and healing. I loved the characters and I respected their decisions which ultimately just made them a healthier couple. Amazing book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Homophobia
Minor: Toxic relationship, Death, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Medical content, Grief, Dementia, and Religious bigotry
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was a more difficult romance to read since it dealt with some tough topics. But I did enjoy it. The narrator was pretty good. However, I got annoyed at the MCs at some points when they did things that frustrated me. I did like the fact it has a neurodivergent MC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, Grief, and Homophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Toxic relationship and Ableism
thefatpaperback's review against another edition
5.0
“I know you always talked about how I saved your life. But I really think, Ben, that you were the one who saved mine.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL is such a magical, magnetic, and a beautiful story of finding love in unexpected places. I started giggling on page two and I knew I was a GONER for Alexei and Ben. This book checks every box I want in a contemporary romance: fun concept (hiking PCT trail), diverse cast, multifaceted intimacy, humor, and emotional depth in characters.
Alexei is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to find out who the new version of himself, Alexei 2.0, could be. Ben Caravalho is hiking to take a break from men and get away from making bad decisions. A rattlesnake on the trail brings them together the first time, and as they make their separate treks through the 2,500 mile trail, their journeys intertwine. But maybe this is just the trail. Maybe none of it’s real outside this grand adventure. Or maybe they’ve found exactly what they need while trying to get lost.
🏕️ Queer Romance
🏕️ Portuguese and Russian MCs
🏕️ Autistic MC
🏕️ A BLUSHING NERD
🏕️ Introvert x Extrovert
🏕️ Strangers to lovers
🏕️ Forced Proximity
🏕️ FOUND FAMILY
🏕️ They write letters to each other 🥹
⚠️CW: familial estrangement due to queer identity, homophobic language, religion and strict religious upbringing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, Grief, and Religious bigotry
juffnstuff's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing
tcull3n's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
meganpbennett's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I picked up a copy of Something Wild & Wonderful at the Hachette table at a library conference. I'd read a few reviews of it in librarian trade journals, and thought it would be an interesting read. It was. It was a very good trail log, making me wonder how many of the situations within the story happened to the author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Cursing, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Grief
shelvesofivy's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
From the moment I saw that one of the main characters was autistic, grew up in a homophobic environment, and left the religion that controlled his childhood, I knew that this book would throw a mirror at my face and punch me in the gut. And I was right! It did so in a way that was simultaneously beautiful and heartwrenching. I still don't truly have the words to describe how much of myself I saw in Alexei. Even though this was a romance, it felt like so much more. Even though this won't be the case for everyone who reads it, this story felt like healing, in a roundabout way.
But of course, the romance itself was also lovely!! Whenever characters start falling for each other and mutually pining while being either oblivious and/or stubborn about it, I eat it up! And this delivered that in spades in at least the first half-ish of the book.
I do have way more thoughts on this, but don't know how to articulate them. All I can really say is that this book has easily become one of my favorites ♡
But of course, the romance itself was also lovely!! Whenever characters start falling for each other and mutually pining while being either oblivious and/or stubborn about it, I eat it up! And this delivered that in spades in at least the first half-ish of the book.
I do have way more thoughts on this, but don't know how to articulate them. All I can really say is that this book has easily become one of my favorites ♡
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Cursing, Alcohol, and Grief
Minor: Dementia, Medical content, Blood, and Toxic relationship
on page f slurshamelesslyash's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia
evelynyle_88's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death and Dementia