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lauraelovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-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
5.0
This is not usually the type of book I like: a domestic story where the couple is already established. But every time I read it I find myself captivated by Calla’s journey to adjust to life in Alaska. I also love the side characters (particularly everyone’s favourite curmudgeon Roy)
I will say that I did find myself irritated with Jonah a few times in this book. It felt like Calla was doing all the sacrificing and he wasn’t as sensitive as he could be about it. And his approach to Marie? Not a fan of how that was handled (colour me appropriately shocked that I ended up also loving Marie’s book. I was very convinced I would not after finishing this book). Jonah was also absent a lot here and I would have liked to see more scenes with them together
All in all, though, I really love this book and getting to see what a quiet life in Alaska could look like
I will say that I did find myself irritated with Jonah a few times in this book. It felt like Calla was doing all the sacrificing and he wasn’t as sensitive as he could be about it. And his approach to Marie? Not a fan of how that was handled (colour me appropriately shocked that I ended up also loving Marie’s book. I was very convinced I would not after finishing this book). Jonah was also absent a lot here and I would have liked to see more scenes with them together
All in all, though, I really love this book and getting to see what a quiet life in Alaska could look like
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Cancer, and Animal death
cass_ev's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a great follow-up to the Simple Wild! At first I felt it dragged and we were just going through the motions of Calla renovating the house and being annoyed at various Alaska-isms. It wasn’t until halfway through that the tensions and stakes started to mount up that I got really into it. It’s a given, of course, that Calla and Jonah end up together, it’s a romance novel lol, but what is really at the centre of the book is how they stay together despite their challenges and differences.
I really enjoyed Calla’s growth, again, in this book. It seems with both books I start off disliking her because she’s being judgemental and, to be honest, annoying but again, I started rooting for her. Calla has to grow through life in Alaska being more challenging than she signed up for, especially when her and Jonah’s original plans that helped entice her to move don’t pan out. Seeing Calla eventually realize that even though she moved for Jonah, she still has to create a life for herself that is solely hers was really well done and progressed very naturally. In the end it was heartwarming to see how she carves out a life for herself despite living in an isolated, rural area that she otherwise wouldn’t have found herself in.
The tensions between Jonah and Calla felt real and had me questioning how exactly they could come back from the struggles they were facing. I really liked that at the heart of everything are two people who need to figure out how to have a life together while also creating separate, fulfilling lives for themselves.
And there’s the fun parts of the book that kept me reading—the descriptions of the wild beauty of Alaska, Calla’s sarcastic humour, the quirky community and characters, and the various mishaps that come with having a goat and a raccoon as pets (lol).
A feel-good, heartwarming read coupled with the adventures of living in Alaska but with deep character and relationship growth at the centre!
I really enjoyed Calla’s growth, again, in this book. It seems with both books I start off disliking her because she’s being judgemental and, to be honest, annoying but again, I started rooting for her. Calla has to grow through life in Alaska being more challenging than she signed up for, especially when her and Jonah’s original plans that helped entice her to move don’t pan out. Seeing Calla eventually realize that even though she moved for Jonah, she still has to create a life for herself that is solely hers was really well done and progressed very naturally. In the end it was heartwarming to see how she carves out a life for herself despite living in an isolated, rural area that she otherwise wouldn’t have found herself in.
The tensions between Jonah and Calla felt real and had me questioning how exactly they could come back from the struggles they were facing. I really liked that at the heart of everything are two people who need to figure out how to have a life together while also creating separate, fulfilling lives for themselves.
And there’s the fun parts of the book that kept me reading—the descriptions of the wild beauty of Alaska, Calla’s sarcastic humour, the quirky community and characters, and the various mishaps that come with having a goat and a raccoon as pets (lol).
A feel-good, heartwarming read coupled with the adventures of living in Alaska but with deep character and relationship growth at the centre!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
jackyinreadingland's review against another edition
4.5
“𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝓉𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊.”
𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Wild at Heart starts right where The Simple Wild ends. Calla and Jonah have found their way to each other. After so much change in their lives, will they stay true to each other?
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄:
Wild in my Heart!
I loved going back to Alaska and getting to see the impact that events from The Simple Wild had on each character. Picking up with Calla and Jonah in Toronto, it was great to see them in a different setting even for a brief moment. I did think Calla's character took three steps back at the beginning of this novel, reminded me of her older self which kind of caught me by surprise. However, I did love seeing her character growth once again. Miscommunication between her and Jonah led to lots of self-discovery and I enjoyed seeing such a real relationship. We often get the HEA but not the struggles that come with it. In this case we see a couple coming to terms with their new lives, trying to be there for each other and encourage each other to be better. As always the side characters were fantastic and the new additions were carefully woven into the story, making it seem like they had always been a part of the novel. I cannot get enough of this series and he writing style continues to be a beautiful as ever, pulling me in further with each ending!
𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀:
- Slow Burn
- Found Family
- Finding Oneself
- Fish Out of Water
- Small Town Romance
𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔
- The Simple Wild
- Wild At Heart
- Forever Wild
- Running Wild
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
marybsimp's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness
theoceanrose's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I didn't like how slow it was, but I could relate to Calla, and the ending raised my rating for sure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Child death, and Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse and Alcoholism
kenzreadsalot's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Child death
pat_anne's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Colonisation, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide
thefatpaperback's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.75
This was everything I wanted in a sequel to The Simple Wild. It isn’t as great as book 1, that I love and cherish that book so much I think there’s no topping it in this series. But it’s incredible as a sequel and I’m just as eager to continue reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Addiction and Pregnancy
shaunashares's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death
marcelas_'s review
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Calla wasn't very likable and jonah was very absent
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy