Review: Something Wilder

Title: Something Wilder 

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: 24th May 2022 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 360 pages

Genre: contemporary, romance, women’s fiction, adventure

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession…or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.

Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.

But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.

My Thoughts

Something Wilder is a second chance romance with a wild west element thrown in. This involves an adventure based treasure hunting tour where the two leads come together for some rollicking good double crossing escapades and it is enormously fun to read. 

‘Maybe it wouldn’t hurt her to try to enjoy the adventure rather than quietly burning up over the possibility that her father hid treasure from her. She couldn’t change the past, after all.’

I have read other Christina Lauren books (Love and Other Words a firm favourite) and this one certainly hit the mark for me - just good fun escapism. What I truly liked about it was that there were definite layers that gave it more depth. Yes, it is over the top but it is the action and adventure mixed with the romance that make it a more well rounded story. There is mystery and real suspense at times with a somewhat darker theme which was unexpected. 

‘Holy crap. Suddenly, his life in Manhattan felt remote to the point of fiction. His days spent at a desk, sitting down every morning to create a new unhackable algorithm, home every evening to his little apartment, the constant rumble and hum of a city beneath his feet - all of it could not feel more foreign.’

With a narrative alternating between Lily and Leo, the reader is aware of all aspects and points of view. The cast of supporting characters are solid and I just loved Nicole! I was also totally onboard with the setting. I am not sure if that had anything to do with me just finishing the show 1883 (which I just adored and highly recommend) but I was so enraptured with the desert wilds and large open spaces - Christina Lauren captured all of this so beautifully. 

‘She loved this wild country, but she wanted a real house with kids and land for horses to run. She wanted to put down roots, but growing roots wasn’t easy in the desert.’

This is a wonderful tale of treasure hunting with laughs, mysteries and romance all mixed to provide a great fun read. There is much to enjoy in Something Wilder and I definitely recommend reading it. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.