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hazelgirl21's review against another edition
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content, Dementia, and Homophobia
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
wilybooklover's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Such a soft, quietly romantic book. Alexei and Ben were so lovely together with almost a hurt/comfort sort of vibe. The balance of lightheartedness, emotional moments, and interesting nature facts was spot on. Very much a no-plot-just-vibes type of romance novel.
I loved that Alexei remained estranged from his parents by the end of the book. So many times in romance I feel like authors force a familial reconciliation where it isn't warranted or deserved, and I'm glad that didn't happen here.
My only negative point is that I was not a fan of the third-act breakup here nor the length of it, but that's really the story of my life when reading romance. It was relatively understandable, as far as third-act breakups go. Their letters and reunion were just gorgeous and almost worth the angst.
I loved that Alexei remained estranged from his parents by the end of the book. So many times in romance I feel like authors force a familial reconciliation where it isn't warranted or deserved, and I'm glad that didn't happen here.
My only negative point is that I was not a fan of the third-act breakup here nor the length of it, but that's really the story of my life when reading romance. It was relatively understandable, as far as third-act breakups go. Their letters and reunion were just gorgeous and almost worth the angst.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Homophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Toxic relationship
Minor: Dementia, Death, Fatphobia, and Racism
louisekf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Homophobia
annjulia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
analenegrace's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
I read Kelly's other book last year, and I was super excited for this one, not even realizing it was in the same universe (which I didn't realize until Chef's Special was mentioned lol).
Alexei and Ben's relationship was beautiful. They were both well-written characters with complicated stories that made them feel so real. Alexei's coming out journey and his complicated relationship with faith were so important and relatable. Ben's journey to realize he was deserving of good love was also beautiful, although this book definitely felt like Alexei's story. My only thing is that I wish Alexei's autism and diagnosis had been a little more than a mention at the end of the epilogue.
The descriptions of the trail and the adventure Alexei and Ben went on were so well-written, as were the letters they wrote to each other and that Alexei wrote to his family in the middle. The side characters felt full and like real people, something that is a sign of a fantastic author to me!
I loved the little bit of the characters of the last book being featured in this one and I look forward to rereading Love & Other Disasters soon because it's the June pick for my book club!
Alexei and Ben's relationship was beautiful. They were both well-written characters with complicated stories that made them feel so real. Alexei's coming out journey and his complicated relationship with faith were so important and relatable. Ben's journey to realize he was deserving of good love was also beautiful, although this book definitely felt like Alexei's story. My only thing is that I wish Alexei's autism and diagnosis had been a little more than a mention at the end of the epilogue.
The descriptions of the trail and the adventure Alexei and Ben went on were so well-written, as were the letters they wrote to each other and that Alexei wrote to his family in the middle. The side characters felt full and like real people, something that is a sign of a fantastic author to me!
I loved the little bit of the characters of the last book being featured in this one and I look forward to rereading Love & Other Disasters soon because it's the June pick for my book club!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical content
winds0fchange19's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
This was my first book of Anita Kelly’s and honestly, they’ve blown me away and I will read every book they ever write from now on.
This book was captivating from the very beginning. Being told from both Alexei and Ben’s POV was definitely a good decision and I’m glad we got to see this story told from both of their perspectives. It was beautiful and thoughtful and I absolutely fell in love with both. At this point, I don’t know which character I love more! They’re both unique, have their own voices, and have well fleshed out personalities. I loved that they’ve included cultural references for both of their respective cultures as well as the inclusion of both Russian and Portuguese language that feels immersive and doesn’t break up the text. It does not feel as if it were included for the sake of diversity, but that the author truly took the time to get to know their own characters and share them with the reader in ways that makes you easily fall in love with them.
Another thing I absolutely loved was how well Alexei was written especially. I was not shocked at all to find out about theautism diagnosis. The way the author has taken the time to lovingly craft this character, to understand how his mind works, and show us who he is was beautiful. Waiting until the very end of the book to reveal this to us, and to Alexei, was a decision I can fully stand behind. I am so happy to have been able to learn and love Alexei as he is and understand exactly who he is without it being explicitly stated right away. As someone with similar diagnosis's, it means the world.
On top of it all, Anita’s love for nature and hiking was so obvious throughout. This was so beautifully written, so inspiring, and you can tell they’ve got the knowledge to back up the story. It’s real, they’ve not made it out to be an easy walk in the park, but instead a challenge. The way these characters have grown both together and apart during their respective journeys was inspiring to read and honestly, it left me wanting to hike the PCT myself. I loved this book and I can’t wait to pick it back up for a reread already.
This book was captivating from the very beginning. Being told from both Alexei and Ben’s POV was definitely a good decision and I’m glad we got to see this story told from both of their perspectives. It was beautiful and thoughtful and I absolutely fell in love with both. At this point, I don’t know which character I love more! They’re both unique, have their own voices, and have well fleshed out personalities. I loved that they’ve included cultural references for both of their respective cultures as well as the inclusion of both Russian and Portuguese language that feels immersive and doesn’t break up the text. It does not feel as if it were included for the sake of diversity, but that the author truly took the time to get to know their own characters and share them with the reader in ways that makes you easily fall in love with them.
Another thing I absolutely loved was how well Alexei was written especially. I was not shocked at all to find out about the
On top of it all, Anita’s love for nature and hiking was so obvious throughout. This was so beautifully written, so inspiring, and you can tell they’ve got the knowledge to back up the story. It’s real, they’ve not made it out to be an easy walk in the park, but instead a challenge. The way these characters have grown both together and apart during their respective journeys was inspiring to read and honestly, it left me wanting to hike the PCT myself. I loved this book and I can’t wait to pick it back up for a reread already.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia
spaghettireads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Grief, and Dementia
Minor: Toxic relationship
dearbookboyfriend's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Toxic relationship
hannahmichele5's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
THIS. BOOK. Y'all. I am almost speechless (jk I'm never speechless). The romance god's have really blessed me recently because this is another absolutely incredible book in a string of amazing romance novels.
In SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL, Ben and Alexei meet while hiking the 2500 mile long Pacific Crest Trail. The backdrop of nature and hiking was something I have never read in a romance before and I adored every second of it. Ben and Alexei had me hooked immediately. They are sweet and thoughtful and funny and HOT. The way that the used nature and hiking to bond and heal from some pretty serious trauma in their past was so beautiful.
I honestly could write about this book for way too long so instead I will just say - YOU SHOULD READ THIS. It is March but I already know this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year.
CW: homophobia, religious bigotry. Alexei was recently disowned by his religious family after coming out. Take care of yourself, readers. <3 (StoryGraph is a wonderful resource for content warnings!)
In SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL, Ben and Alexei meet while hiking the 2500 mile long Pacific Crest Trail. The backdrop of nature and hiking was something I have never read in a romance before and I adored every second of it. Ben and Alexei had me hooked immediately. They are sweet and thoughtful and funny and HOT. The way that the used nature and hiking to bond and heal from some pretty serious trauma in their past was so beautiful.
I honestly could write about this book for way too long so instead I will just say - YOU SHOULD READ THIS. It is March but I already know this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year.
CW: homophobia, religious bigotry. Alexei was recently disowned by his religious family after coming out. Take care of yourself, readers. <3 (StoryGraph is a wonderful resource for content warnings!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Grief
ashleystory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Something Wild & Wonderful was a beautiful, emotional story about finding love - both the love from another and the love for your queer self.
Alexei is a recently out gay man who is determined to create Alexei 2.0, to be better, bigger, and experience more. I loved him so much, his special interest in birds and their calls, his spreadsheets and GPS tracker. I loved seeing him literally navigate the Pacific Crest Trail and his relationship with Ben and others that he meets on the trail.
Ben is a whirlwind of energy and had the biggest open heart and I want all the good things for him always. I love how he found peace and quiet with Alexei, how he was vulnerable and strong. I loved seeing him realize his dreams and his decision to put himself out there over and over.
There are a lot of ups and down for my sweet babies. I cried several times, this is marketed as rom-com and there are so many comedic moments, and it's one of the most sincere and emotional rom-coms. Is rom-dram-com a genre? This might be more a contemporary romance with comedic moments.
This is the second book in Anita Kelly's Love & Other Disasters series and even though I haven't read the first one yet, it didn't take away anything from the story. You do meet the two MCs from Love & Other Disasters, but you do not need to know anything to enjoy the banter and the friendship.
If you enjoy the grumpy and sunshine trope, gays on a hiking trail, family hurt/comfort, found family, and lots of emotional vulnerability and pining, I do recommend this one.
Alexei is a recently out gay man who is determined to create Alexei 2.0, to be better, bigger, and experience more. I loved him so much, his special interest in birds and their calls, his spreadsheets and GPS tracker. I loved seeing him literally navigate the Pacific Crest Trail and his relationship with Ben and others that he meets on the trail.
Ben is a whirlwind of energy and had the biggest open heart and I want all the good things for him always. I love how he found peace and quiet with Alexei, how he was vulnerable and strong. I loved seeing him realize his dreams and his decision to put himself out there over and over.
There are a lot of ups and down for my sweet babies. I cried several times, this is marketed as rom-com and there are so many comedic moments, and it's one of the most sincere and emotional rom-coms. Is rom-dram-com a genre? This might be more a contemporary romance with comedic moments.
This is the second book in Anita Kelly's Love & Other Disasters series and even though I haven't read the first one yet, it didn't take away anything from the story. You do meet the two MCs from Love & Other Disasters, but you do not need to know anything to enjoy the banter and the friendship.
If you enjoy the grumpy and sunshine trope, gays on a hiking trail, family hurt/comfort, found family, and lots of emotional vulnerability and pining, I do recommend this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Blood
Minor: Domestic abuse