Reviews - Burn the Wild | The StoryGraph

351 reviews for:

Burn the Wild

Ava Hunter

4.2 AVERAGE

hjb_128's review

4.25

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-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

Content Warnings

kparadise's review

3.25

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I see what this book was trying to do but, to me, it was mostly unsuccessful. Reese had all these gotcha lines in the middle of the book about opening up to people and “do[ing] something” about being sad, yet her actions were the exact opposite. It was a huge disconnect for me and ended up being utterly infuriating. I didn’t care enough about her in the end to be rooting for this relationship or to understand why Ford held on so tight.

Also, no one cared near enough about Mouse being missing until it was convenient for the plot.

katiefridayx's review

4.0

Did anybody else think at the end ‘well the lake is ruined’
They can never swim in it again.

romance_book_obsessed's review

5.0

My first infinity star read of 2025! You do not want to miss out on this one! Officially my favorite Ava Hunter book! Thank you Ava for having me on your ARC team. The Runaway Ranch series keeps getting better!

A grumpy cowboy and a country singer on the run are the main characters of Burn the Wild. Reese Austin is exhausted and not happy with her life. Her overbearing manager has all the control. Her friend recommends she go to Runaway Ranch to get away for a while.

Ford Montgomery gets a call from his brother putting him on babysitting duty of a country princess. At first, he’s judgemental of Reese and a little mean toward her. But they form an unlikely friendship through past traumas and friendship. Reese has many demons to fight and Ford is her number one protector. The way Ford loves Reese is so pure. He calls her his dream girl. Always puts her first. There is a ton of healing in this book, so check trigger warnings!

There’s plenty of spice and if you like a “F*ck it” moment, then this is the book for you!

I’ll share some of my favorite highlights that made me swoon

tinycyclops's review

4.5

dark emotional hopeful tense medium-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

_speedereader_'s review

4.5

Ford & Reese

readmorelovestories's review

4.0

emotional inspiring reflective 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: Complicated

stephdaydreams's review

4.5

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Burn the Wild is deeply emotional read that finds two broken souls on a journey of healing once their paths intertwine.

I have long loved Ava Hunter's works, and one of the big reasons is how every couple she writes about stands out. They never feel like copies of one another, rather each lead, each couple, is multi-faceted, complex beings that come to life off the page. They feel real, and their vulnerabilities, fallibilities, and strife always resonate. Every character is always more than they appear, because Ava Hunter ensures they are three dimensional. And if very much the case with the leads in this story, Reese and Ford.

Even with her messy introduction, Reese is a character that immediately elicits sympathy. Her struggles made me instantly care for her, it's easy to spot right away she's far more than a troubled pop star. Then there's Ford, who is more than the typical grumpy male lead. He hides his pain just as Reese does, he hides his insecurities and his hesitation in reaching for what is his real dream. Both Reese and Ford are well versed in hiding their true selves, which is why once they meet and get to know each other, we see them blossom into their true selves. We see Reese encourage Ford to try for his dreams, and we see Ford acknowledge the true Reese and encourage her to embrace herself and reclaim her own agency.

Together, they fit so beautifully. And as swoony as all their spice scenes were, it was the scenes of emotional connection that stood out most for me. Reese and Ford brought the best out of each other, and it made rooting for their love effortless. This is is a couple you want to see make it to their happily ever after-- because it's well earned and well deserved.

I had the best time reading Burn the Wild, it's an honor to have met Reese and Ford.

Thank you kindly to Valentine PR for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily. 4.5✨