Sweet Wild of Mine is a very cute read. I love the energy that June brings to the pages. She sure knows how to heal the grumpy Scot Magnus. She is sweet and caring and I love her connection with not only the animals but her grandma as well. Magnus is a little rough around the edges but you get it when you find out more about him. His bound when it comes to the animals at the zoo is amazing. I love Magnus even in his grumpy ways. You can't help but smile as June and her grandma break down Magnus's walls. Lets not forget the Honey badgers that are still up to thier mischiefs ways. This book is full of love, cute animals, some giggles, family and healing. I love what Laurel Kerr brings with this one. Go read this one today.

Tons of cute and cuddle worthy moments await. Sweet Child of Mine seems to thrive on the premise that less is more. Kerr goes for romantically sweet more sensually hot. Not only is there a chance to fall in love with a falling in love, but there is also an eye opening message behind the romance. Getting to know some adorable animals and making a point about protecting the vulnerable. Laughter, love and insight await in an adorably fun package.

It is rare that I do not finish a book but, I went back to this book 5 times and I had to make myself finish the third chapter. I could not make myself read anymore. I don't want to discourage anyone from reading this book. I am sure some readers will love it. I am just not one of them. I loved the premise but, I could not connect with the characters and I did not think that there was a connection between them. There was definitely no chemistry between them. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book. It was just not for me.

What could be more fun than a honey badger matchmaker and a small zoo out in the country full of exotic and sometimes eccentric animals? How about adding a second more tenacious honey badger, a cuddly polar bear cub, a curmudgeonly Scottish writer, and an overly friendly woman with a Southern drawl. The Sagebrush Flats Zoo might just never survive this opposites attract romance pair or Honey’s matchmaking antics.
Review

Sweet Wild of Mine is book two in this delightful series of standalone romances set against the backdrop of a small town zoo. I enjoyed getting the check in with Katie and Bowie with their family so I would definitely recommend starting with book one when these folks and the zoo with its animals are all introduced along with the current heroine, June.

Ever want to tell a pushy, in your face cheerful chatterer to bug off? Big, rough Scotsman, Magnus Gray has no problem delivering the brush off to local woman, June Winters, when she invades his space, ignores the signals and his pointed silence. Magnus just wants to be left alone so he can do this assignment volunteering at the zoo around the animals, writing of his experiences, and getting back in touch with the type of stories that made him appeal to readers. His publisher even wants him to start vlogging his experiences with the animals particularly the new polar bear cub to let his readers get to know him better and increase his readership. The trouble is, his stutter is at its worst for things like this. Now, he has to strike a deal with the friendly busybody who pops up nearby all the time. If he’s honest, he’s attracted to June and starts to resent her presence less and less as time goes on.

Honey understands the big human just fine. He’s got a lot of Honey Badger in him. But, she can’t let Fluffy have all the bragging rights so she’ll have to get the Big One and the Pretty One together even if they aren’t making their match easy.

It takes a rude brush off and a few encounters where she sent the man fleeing her very presence for Sagebrush Flat sweetheart June to figure out that she doesn’t actually have universal appeal to men and, wouldn’t you know it, this is the one who makes her want to make him interested. June’s not a bad person- she’s generous and kind, bubbly and sweet, but she’s used to having it her own way until now. The doctors have no answers for what is ailing her nan beyond old age, but something isn’t quite right as far as June’s concerned. The only time her nan perks up is when she reads the books by Magnus about his growing up in the Orkneys and his work with animals or when nan is reminiscing about meeting her husband during the war years. June will do what she has to do to get Magnus to talk with her nan even if it means helping him vlog his zoo experiences and work through his severe stutter problems. And, if she can’t get enough of the big, surly Scot? Bonus.

Sweet Wild of Mine takes a different tone than the first book and I appreciated seeing this fresh approach since this book tells the story of very different people and different situations. But, this second book brought back all the joy of spending time at the zoo and with those adorable animals including a new cutie cub. It had a gentle even pace through the whole book and took a slow approach to the romance and peeling back layers of Magnus and June’s characters which was good because they were both abrupt and startling in their first meet-ups.

Now, I feel the need to pull over and park on something.

June means well, but she keeps coming on strong with each encounter, not taking no for an answer when he told her to leave him be, and even telling him to change his look and then pestering until he does it. Even Katie applies some pressure for him to just let June have her way because she knows best and please be kind because June has tender feelings. What about Magnus’ feelings and choices here?

On one level, I know these antics were meant to be funny and I did find them so, but I also felt resentful on the part of all the quiet people in the world who aren’t made wrong and don’t need outgoing people changing them. It’s ironic to me that she calls him rude after that first encounter when she wouldn’t leave him alone until he exploded or was forced to vacate the vicinity because she wouldn’t stop prodding him.

Now, in this story, Magnus isn’t shy, but he hides a stutter and a childhood of emotional neglect and some abuse. I get that he might be a more outgoing type if circumstances had been different, but June did not know all this when she started her campaign to force him out of his shell and force him to accept her society. Fortunately, my issues with this grew less and less as the series progressed and Magnus wasn’t backpedaling to get away from her and she settled down once he reciprocated her interest.

One more bit of nitpicking. I love the occasional use of regional slang as much as the next gal. I find it amusing and fun, but I felt like the author emptied the slang dictionaries for Scotland and the American South and had this pair spout it constantly. People, no matter where they are from, do not talk that way so it got distracting rather quickly.

But, before you think I hated this book, let me disabuse you of that thought. It had a few bits that got on my nerves, but overall, I had a great deal of fun with the overall story, the circle of characters including the animal characters, and the romance as this pair got to know one another and appreciated each other. Magnus was good with people even though he says he’s not and June was the first person to really try to help Magnus with his speech impediment. I enjoyed seeing them working together with the animals, the vlog, and her nan, and growing more and more attracted as friendship moved into love. I’m really hoping Katie’s certain bestie guy friend stars in his own book soon.

All in all, it was heartwarming and adorable for this opposites attract romance. Animal lovers and slow-burn contemporary romance fans this is the contemporary series for you.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This review was originally posted on <a href="http://booksofmyheart.net/2019/05/22/sweet-wild-of-mine-by-laurel-kerr/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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I have a thing for zoos.  I was thrilled to find the first book, <strong>Wild on My Mind</strong> at the library.  I am continuing on with the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/236021-where-the-wild-hearts-are" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Where the Wild Hearts Are series</strong></em></a>.

Well I didn't feel the first book was very realistic and neither is the next one.  The characters emotions and issues and feelings are quite real but the overall set up in the small town is a bit too much, a town this small probably wouldn't have a zoo.   Magnus has a difficult history and coming here to volunteer at the zoo seems probable. Unlikely, he would be from the same small place as June's grandmother but possible I guess.

Certainly, Magnus could get involved with a sweet woman like June.  June is a whirlwind but it hides her own issues and feelings.   Her courage and honesty were so inspiring.  She really cares for others and tries to help them.  I loved it when Magnus helped her.

The animals in the zoo are also big characters in the story and it is a big win for me.   <strong>Sweet Wild of Mine</strong> is a fun, sexy book but also tackles some issues of the aging, and learning to take care and have confidence in yourself.

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The honey badgers are at it again; creating mischief in Sweet Wild of Mine. This is the second book set at the Sagebrush Flats Zoo by Laurel Kerr, I will admit that the two opposites characters that are chosen are quite the challenge. It’s not that one is an extrovert while the other is an introvert, it’s that they are so extremes in these areas.
Loner writer Magnus Gray is at the zoo under protest when he meets June Winters who is an extrovert extraordinaire. Zoo gate problems, small town drama and plenty of animals keep bringing these two together. Their relationship development is a hard sale but it does work in this story.
The writing is interesting with the animals often stealing the show. No double Magnus Gray would have more than enough material for his next ten books from their antics. They were my favorite show stealers but the romance between Magnus and June was supposed to be the focus of the story. Still a delightful read with a grumpy man and a over the top positive woman.
The publisher/author gave me a complimentary ARC of the book which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF at 43%

So - starting with what drew me in. This is a romance where our hero Magnus is a grumpy Scot (two things I love in a romance hero) who TAKES CARE OF BABY POLAR BEARS. I read that and immediately said “sign me up!!!!”

However - after getting almost halfway through in over a week of reading, I am accepting that I’m not the right reader for this book and setting it aside.

I don’t love the heroine June - she is the type of person who is always so convinced she’s right that she just runs right over what other people want, starting right at the beginning when she rudely interrupts Magnus as he tries to eat alone and won’t take no for an answer or let him leave. If that scene was gender swapped, I don’t think we would be expected to find it endearing. She hasn’t grown on me much with time either.

It was also too much for me that some parts are narrated by the animals - particularly the honey badger.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

I made it as far as chapter 4 before giving up. Magnus is a grumpy cantankerous hero with a stutter. June is a former stutterer who is rude, presumptuous, often thoughtless, and doesn't understand why he objects to her constant manhandling of him (she's always grabbing him, without his permission). For a full list of my problems with this book, see my Twitter thread as I read the first 4 chapters: https://twitter.com/BeasBookNook/status/1129925925443911682

Rating: 4.5 Stars

With sales of his books looking dismal, Magnus' publisher suggested he get back to his roots. His success was found in sharing tales about life in a small town caring for animals, and they thought this bit of inspiration could be found in Sagebrush Falls. What Magus wasn't anticipating was June Winters, the eternally chipper business owner and busy body. At first, he rebuffed all her attempts of friendship, but when his publisher suggested he create a vlog of his experiences, he realized he needed help, and that help came in the form of June. It seemed as though Magnus had met his match, but perhaps, so had June.

From the very first page, I was excited and happy to be back in Sagebrush Falls. All the charm and warmth of the first installment immediately flooded my senses, and this book delivered everything I hoped it would. Though this book dealt with topics that were a bit heavier than its predecessor, the story was still predominated by the lightness and joy I loved so much in Wild On My Mind.

Magnus was a fantastic grumpy hero. His outward appearance, as well as his behaviors, scared off most people, and allowed him to maintain his personal isolation, but June was not having that. She was determined to win him over, and of course, she did, but not before we learned the various reasons for why Magnus wanted to be left on his own.

My heart broke, when I learned about his childhood, his parents, and one of the major reasons he kept to himself. His memories were quite painful, but I was glad he had the June there to help him unpack it all. It was quite a journey for him, and I was elated, when he made that choice, to get closure with his past, and allow himself some joy.

June was also dealing with some issues. Front and center was her grandmother's failing health. June was one to always do it all by herself. She had to learn how to relinquish some control, and to allow people to help her in the same way that she was always helping them. Again, I was so happy she had Magnus by her side during this ordeal. It was beautiful seeing their affection grow as he supported her and helped ease her pain.

I just made this book sound so sad, but it wasn't! Most of the book was filled with fun banter and lots, and lots of animal antics. I was so excited when Fluffy made an appearance again, and loved that Kerr gave him a storyline that paralleled that of June and Magnus. So fun. There were also fantastic moments with the goats, the polar bear cub, the camels, and Frida, the grizzly bear. I adored the way Kerr wove the animals into the story, and had fun learning so much about them.

Overall: I had a great time watching this grumpy highlander fall in love with the resident southern belle. The story was fun, emotional, and utterly heartwarming.

I made it 31% through before I dnf'd it for now. I enjoy the characters, but I was way too distracted by all the Scottish terms or slang that I just couldn't stay in the story. I was also annoyed by so many unnecessary similes (like 3 on a single page). And I enjoy the zoo/animal facts but at points even that seemed to become way more info than I wanted in a fiction, romance story. I started feeling like I was reading a non-fiction book.

Since I enjoyed this author's first book so much, the characters in Sweet Wild of Mine & the growing relationship between June & Mangus, I may at some point give it another try.

Sweet Wild of Mine is the second book in Laurel Kerr's Where the Wild Hearts Are series. This story follows June, an outgoing tea shop owner, and Magnus, a reserved author. We met June in the first book (Wild on My Mind) and see some of those characters in this book as well.

I enjoyed the opposites attract aspect of the story. June and Magnus's personalities could not have been more different. I liked that they both helped each other - Magnus helped with June's Nan and June helped Magnus manage his stutter. I also enjoyed reading both main characters' points of view. June was definitely frustrating at times. I got annoyed that she didn't realize her pushiness sooner.

Overall I thought this was a good second book in the series. I love Laurel's writing style and will continue to read her books! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Magnus Gray is a reclusive type author who finds himself in the middle of nowhere at a zoo to volunteer and help appease his agent and publisher in trying to get back more to his roots in order to gain back the enthusiasm that rocked his readers with his first book. The Scot doesn't take kindly to small towns and the way everyone needs to be in everyone's business. And he especially is taken aback by the pushy June Winters.

Although the book was full of strong writing and characters (the animals were funny and loved that aspect of the book) I just had a hard time with both June and Magnus. June was overly in your face and Magnus was grumpy and hard to understand at times what exactly he was saying with all his brogue. They were just an unlikely pair and never really connected with them as the hero and heroine.

That being said. The book was still a good read with the secondary characters and animals lending the pull to get me through the book. I'll definitely be checking out the other book in the series to see Bowie and Katie's story and I'll read any future books in the series too. For me, this one just fell a bit flat.

My Review.....

Sounded a fun read.....
This is the second book in the series, I haven’t read the first in this series, but I don’t think it really matters.

Magnus is a best selling author, but he’s hit a block, so in an attempt to appease his publisher and maybe to inspire a new book. He’s helping in a zoo, writing a piece on a rescued orphaned baby polar bear.
He’s not a people person, he doesn’t do feelings, he’s a loner and likes it that way. So when a bossy woman at the zoo starts to talk to him, at first he isn’t bothered, nor is he interested. But there is something about her, and the more time he spends with her, the more he begins to like her.

June is the best friend of Katie (the heroine in book 1, Wild on my mind) June runs her nana's tea shop in the small town of Sagebrush Flats, she makes jams, and is also dealing with her nan's mental deterioration. June is used to being in charge, she manages everyone and everything around her. She's doesn’t take no for an answer, and she assumes she’s always right.

It was an ok read. For me, I didn’t really get the connection between Magnus and June.


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I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. Sweet Wild of Mine is the second book in the Where the Wild Hearts Are series and I just fell in love with this story. I just had so much fun reading this story. I just didn’t want it to end.

There are so so many reasons this book should have worked for me. The hero was practically tailored to my tastes. Surly, and sharp - but "flawed" and "wounded". I actually really liked him a lot. And I think I would have liked the chemistry he had with June, but it was so slow and so buried under so many other storylines.

The first book in this series skirted the edge of my reader tastes, but I found it charming and wanted to see what came next. Unfortunately it didn't connect with me this time around and I DNFd at 50%. I think there's so much potential here, but I didn't have the patience to sift through to get to the stuff that really hooked my heart.

What an amazing book and addition to the series. Laurel has such a talent for writing. She creates lovable and interesting characters. This book like the first in the series made me fall in love with the characters and story. I will be reading this book over and over.

I loved the first book in this series, and this one is as good if not better. The zoo setting is absolutely not just window dressing in this series which is one reason I love it so much. Between the Sorcha, the polar cub foster, Frida, the old grizzly who "adopts" her, Sylvia, the capybara who is a substitute mother to all of the orphans, the honey badger antics, and more on Lulubelle the lovelorn camel (you'll have to read the first book for that), there's plenty of animal action.

The heroine is June, the best friend of the heroine in book 1. June is a statuesque, put-together blonde bombshell who single handedly runs her beloved nana's English tea shop in the small town of Sagebrush Flats, invents and markets amazing jams, and is also dealing with her nan's mental deterioration from unknown causes. June is used to managing everyone and everything around her. She's a friendly force of nature who refuses to take "no" for an answer and is sure that she knows best for everyone (often because she does).

The hero of this book is Magnus, a reclusive, grumpy, Scottish author who wrote 2 amazing books, one about his childhood on an isolated croft in the Orkneys, the second about his "adoption" of 2 polar bear cubs while working as a roughneck on a North Sea oil rig. He then moved to London, got snarky and sarcastic and his writing career fell apart, so at his agent's suggestion, he's volunteering at the zoo at Sagebrush Flats to help raise a polar bear cub that they've gotten a grant to foster. His father was abusive and he has a strong stutter that he was never treated for, so he hardly talks and pushes everyone away.

June's nana spent the war years on the island next to where Magnus grew up so June is desperate to get him to talk to with her nan although he hates remembering his childhood. They also get off totally on the wrong foot when June tries to introduce herself at the local bar while Magnus just wants to be left in peace on his first night in town. Slowly, as June starts helping Magnus manage his stutter (both she and her brother also stuttered) and Magnus agrees in return to spend time with her nana, their best sides are revealed to each.

Under the grumpy exterior, Magnus was such a caring person who'd had very little love and affection in his life and was starved for it. June was a person who honestly wanted the best for everyone, but just didn't understand when to step back and let them solve their own problems. I think that some readers are going to have real problems with June, but I thought she was wonderful. Did she sometimes push things too far? Yes, but she did it out of genuine love and caring. Watching Magnus slowly blossom and come alive under her unstinting affection was sweet and beautiful. I hope there will be more books in this series (and lots more animal adventures at the zoo) and I can't wait to get my hands on them.

Friendly woman, isn't she.

Aw, he's a sweet anti-social grump.

To be fair, Honey is not a very creative name either.

She is really full of herself.

I kind of hate his dad.

The animals are the best part.

I liked the description of this book and thought it would be a wonderful read. Well, I was wrong. This book hit a few pet peeves for me. Most notably the Scottish slang was to say the least jarring. Most modern people do not speak this way. The same goes for June and her southern like colloquialisms, which by the way miss the mark entirely. I found her personality very abrasive to me and did not buy into the romance between them. I would suggest the author do more research into the type of people she is writing about and not stereo type them.


I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It had interesting characters, who you could relate to , Magnus with his stutter an kind caring June. The book has a good storyline. I enjoyed Honeys antics, it was unusual to read about an animal and ts thoughts, also the baby polar bear with the old grizzly. I would recommend this book to read.