Summary (from the publisher): 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 f,ocus 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 Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
My Thoughts:
In a moment of insane luck, I was fortunate enough back in December to win a personalized signed advance copy of Christina Lauren’s Something Wilder! I typically try to save advance copies closer to release date, but back in March, I was craving a romance read and sunk my teeth right into this adventure romance.
Something Wilder follows Lily Wilder, daughter of notorious treasure hunter Duke Wilder who didn’t leave much for Lily aside from his hand-written maps and cryptic notes before he died years ago. Lily dreams of buying back her father’s beloved ranch, the place where she fell in love with a man named Leo years ago before he left for NYC and never came back, but she’s stuck running adventure tours in the red rock canyons of Utah to make ends meet. Leo comes back into Lily’s life in the form of his annual vacation with his best friends, until a horrible event on the tour forces Lily and Leo to work together & confront their past.
Something Wilder wasn’t exactly a home run read for me. I do admit that I was a bit hesitant about this one because of the adventure side of the rom com, but having love CLo’s recent releases, I knew this was still going to be a must-read. I did get confused regarding some of the details regarding the treasure hunt and found myself not so invested in the action (which was my biggest fear going into the book). The book had a really strong start, including the ‘twist’ that really throws Lily and Leo together, but the middle of this book didn’t really have my attention whatsoever as Lily & Leo work together to solve her father’s clues. Instead, I was invested in Lilly and Leo’s personal moments together where they reflected on their past and present. The classic Christian Lauren elements are still present, including hilarious & supportive minor characters (aside from the worst guy ever), banter, and yes, steam.
Overall, I don’t think this was the Christina Lauren book for more, but if you’re someone looking for a fresh take on contemporary romance, I recommend checking Something Wilder out.
I received this advance reader’s copy from the author. By no means did receiving this ARC affect my thoughts or opinions.
Is Something Wilder on your TBR? Are you a Christina Lauren fan? What is your favorite book from the author duo? Share in the comments!
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