Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren – 384 pages

Book Blurb:

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren: 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 Review: 3.5 stars (Guest Fairy Review)

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Something Wilder by Christina Lauren will be a surprise and somewhat of a departure from what readers expect from a Christina Lauren book. It is not primarily a love story, but is more of a cross between an action-packed western adventure story and a mystery with some angsty romance sprinkled in. The second chance romance part is secondary to a wild west treasure hunt with the tour guide (Lily), and the man who broke her heart ten years ago (Leo) and reappears in her life. It was a fast, fun, enjoyable, immersive read, and was entertaining escapism, even though some of the plot’s twists and turns seemed implausible and over the top at times. 

The story was told from both Lily’s and Leo’s points of view. The characters were well defined. Lily was a tough, independent, stubborn, and inspiring heroine who did not want any emotional entanglements. She wasn’t always the most sympathetic character, even though she was likable. I adored Leo, who was charming, romantic, and endlessly loyal. Although I felt the tension, I didn’t feel much chemistry or passion between the two main characters. There was humor and wit during the first part of the book, which wasn’t consistent throughout the story. Some parts of the story were suspenseful and exciting, and other parts seemed more predictable and contrived. While it was fun reading about these characters roughing it up and facing the elements in the wild, I can’t envision anyone dealing with the danger that they faced. Even though there was mystery and suspense, I found the code breaking part of the story to be confusing and a bit hard to follow at times. 

The authors really transported me to the setting from their fabulous description of the terrain. The author’s note talked about all of the intensive research that went into their depiction of the setting. There have been comparisons of this story to “Romancing the Stone”, and “Indiana Jones.” The authors also said that they wrote this book during the pandemic, and their goal was for it to be a fun escape from the realities of our world today. They definitely succeeded in doing that, and I commend them for stepping away from the genre that they have been known for. This book was definitely not formulaic. I didn’t love this book as much as some of the authors’ previous books. There have been mostly wonderful reviews and it was a fun read. Fans of Christina Lauren will be delighted and will enjoy escaping into the world of these characters’ adventure. Review thanks to Guest Fairy Ronna.