Something Wilder | Book Review | Christina Lauren | Book Quotes
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren is a women’s fiction featuring a strong heroine, a math genius hero, and a lost bounty. So, read the book summary, publication date, genre, age rating, similar book recommendations, Book quotes, and book review of Something Wilder by Christina Lauren in this post below.
About Something Wilder by Christina Lauren:
No. of Pages: 384
Publication Date: May 17th 2022 by Gallery Books
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction, Adventure, Action Adventure, Chick Lit, Second Chance Romance
Reading Age: 18 years and above
Can be read as a standalone? YES
Buy From: AMAZON
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren Book Summary:
Lily Wilder has always come second to everyone she loves. Her mother left her to pursue her own happiness. And her father left her to pursue his passion for adventure. Then her boyfriend left her for the life in the city. So, now a little cynical and a lot more jaded, Lily runs her own adventure trails hiking business and doesn’t believe in love. But everything changes when her first love comes back, and they are thrown in a treasure hunt with do or die danger!
Will she open her heart to love again?
Is there really a map to a hidden treasure in her father’s diary?
Follow Lily and Leo as they go on a treasure hunt. fall in love again, and find their happily-ever-after in this charming, exciting and heartfelt novel filled with adventure, treasure, and, of course, love.
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren Book Review:
Things I Liked:
I love Christina Lauren’s books and so when I heard about their new book, Something Wilder, I jumped at the chance to read it.
Book Cover, Title, and Blurb:
As usual, the cover and blurb are intriguing, and will convince you to read this book. Then the title raises our interest too.
World Building and Storytelling:
Right from the start, the authors managed to create a vivid, and realistic picture of the world where Lily lives on a ranch, loves horses, and dreams of raising them on her own ranch one day. The emotional connect is instant, and felt one with Lily’s life’s challenges. How she is a simple girl who lives a boy, dreams of owning her own ranch, is content with the simple things, and despite her father’s abandonment is still happy with her current stock in life.
So, the world building and narration is engrossing, and create a vivid mental image, even as they suck the readers inside the story.
Characterisation:
Protagonists:
I adored the scene descriptions, Lily, and felt kinship with her right from the start. Then when her life was thrown in chaos, her strength had me respecting her even more.
The truth about tragedy was that once it struck, nothing on this wide green earth could make it better.”
Despite her broken heart, she doesn’t give up on her dream, and manages to build a business on her own. A strong heroine, Lily is one of the best book heroines I have read about. She is a fighter, a dreamer, and a nurturer. Her loyalty and friendship with her business partner Nicole is so beautifully done. I love their comaraderie so much. Both are strong women and so inspiring.
Leo had been her spark, had brought a glimpse of love and laughter and security into her life, but his departure had only proven what she’d already known: good things don’t stick around.”
Leo is a beta hero and a character confident in his own right. A man who is calm, composed under duress, he is a numbers genius, and a family man. Initially I hated him but when everything came out I fell in love with him.
This quote where he realises he only loves Lily had me going misty eyed.
He’d loved Lily so deeply that it changed his biology. Standing here now, it seemed his love for her hadn’t gone away, it had just been vacuum-sealed and stored. Back in her presence, the physical memory of his infatuation was released in a deluge, gasping to life, and adrenaline flooded his bloodstream.”
His quiet support to Lily, and desperate yearning for a second chance had me teary eyed.
With a startling slap of clarity, he decided right in the middle of a nothing bar in a nowhere town that he would not let go of her so easily this time. If there was a one percent chance she would take him back, he would try.”
When Leo tells Lily he is never letting her go, I literally swooned!
I had to let you go once,” he told her.
You think I’m letting that happen again?”
The romance is secondary to the adventure part of this book but still it manages to engage. And there are several quotes that won my heart and are so worth quoting!
This quote where Lily realises the depth of Leo’s devotion to her is epic!
He wondered if, looking down, the stars ever felt like falling, lovesick, onto the planets. The instinct was in him when he was over her, moving, unable to believe that she was real and her quiet sounds were real and the way she looked up at him was real. Just fall. It’s okay. She had to see the truth tattooed in his eyes and scrawled across every feature: that he had always loved her, was loving her still. Leo would love Lily Wilder forever.”
Lily has trust issues and she tests Leo in every way. But this quote aptly sums how far he is willing to go to for her.
I need you to understand that I can’t shape my life around someone else ever again. Every day has been dictated by another person’s shitty choices, or my own circumstances resulting from another person’s shitty choices. I realize I’m being rigid here, but I have to be. I can’t bend to suit what works for you.”
Then let me bend,” he told her.
What does that mean?”
It means you figure out exactly what you want your life to look like, and I find a way to fit into it.”
Treasure hunting is exciting, thrilling, and I love cracking the codes with the protagonists. You will feel like you are on a hunt as you follow the clues.
Secondary Characters:
Then the secondary characters are also well sketched. I loved fiery, badass Nicole who is strong, independent, and fiercely loyal to Lily. Her friendship, and witty banter is a highlight of this book.
Then Leo’s friends are a mixed bunch and entertaining in their own way.
Lily’s father is a prominent figure in this book even if he is mostly in the background. All his actions have played an important role in making Lily the way she is. And the best part is when we get his perspective to things, and his actions. Loved every second of it and cried a lot too!
Things that could be better:
While promoted as a romantic comedy, I think this book is more of a women’s fiction than a rom com. There aren’t many comic moments in this book.
Then while this book is engaging, I missed the romance and emotional development between Lily and Leo. Their romance is like an after thought. We aren’t shown enough of their relationship prior to their fallout to connect with the way they still so easily came together even after a ten year separation. So, I couldn’t engage with their relationship because the things just moved too fast between them with no development.
Also while I enjoyed the treasure hunt and some of the unexpected turns, I also skipped several scenes because the story got boring with no plot development, and even felt over-the-top at places.
So, overall this book is a one time read and if you are looking for a feel good romantic comedy with the thrill of a treasure hunt in the canyons then it isn’t upto the mark.
Conclusion:
All in all, Something Wilder by Christina Lauren is an easy read with an exciting treasure hunt, and several memorable quotes. But it isn’t a rom com, and the romance part is also not developed to its true potential. So, you will enjoy it if you are looking for a heartfelt story with a thrilling adventure. However, if you are looking for a rom com then you will be disappointed.
I give this chick lit 3.5 out of 5 stars, and Njkinny recommends it to all adventure book lovers.
Buy From:
Also Read:
- The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren Book Review
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry Book Review
- Princess & Prejudice by Alisha Kay Book Review
- Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle Book Review
- Lion Most Wanted by Douglas Misquita Book Review
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