3.5 Stars. I enjoyed this book - especially the relationship between the hero and heroine. The adventure story seemed a bit far fetched to me, and took away from the book.

Can I let you in on a secret??

I have never read a Christina Lauren book and I am so ashamed of myself. I was #gifted an ARC of Something Wilder from @netgalley and @gallerybooks in exchange for an honest review.

Let me just say - this will not be my only book by Christina Lauren. This was so good! I loved the friendship of Dub and Nic, the history embedded within the book, and the perfect combination of suspense and romance.

This book was full of twists and turns, codes and puzzles, and Wild West references.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Will be posted on Instagram www.Instagram,com/Christinasreadingadventure on 6/15

What a wild and fun read. Perfect for adventurers and adventure seeking readers. A story filled with lots of surprises with great descriptions that I could easily picture the scenery and people so vividly. It’s like the goodies but a little steamy and older characters. The story kept you on your toes in a fun and can’t put the book down kind of way. I learned so much about that part of the country and the events of treasure hunting. Also the gamut of coding and styles of communication was so cool and awesome to learn about. I only wish Wilder Ranch and Excursions was a real place. Thanks for a fun summer read!

Took me a while to finish this one. Overall a good read, but didn't really keep my attention. I wasn't ever really excited to pick it back up. Normally I love a Christina Lauren book, and devour it in a couple sittings.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

4 STARS

This one was highly entertaining. Think romcom CL but with a National Treasure movie type adventure.

What I loved:
1. I really loved how the hero and heroine got back together and had to work together to solve the clues for the treasure hunt.
2. I love a smart hero. There is just something about it.
3. The heroine is the rugged outdoor one, and I loved that she was (along with her friend).
4. The adventure aspect and the topics of seeing the world and traveling before settling down rang so true for me.
5. The ending was so cute.
6. I loved the narrators. It was read very well.

What I needed more of:
1. The steam is pretty minimal, but CL fans will expect this. I personally prefer a bit more steam in my books
2. I’m not a huge fan of second chance and I hate miscommunication, but it was done well and the miscommunication happens in youth so I was okay with it ultimately.

***note this is an adventure romance so there is danger and good guys and bad guys

Overall, it was a great listen. Kept me entertained, and it was fun.

Lily and Nicole run a Wild West Adventure Expedition company. Their next group is a bunch of city slickers from NYC. Lily recognizes one of the guys as her summer love from a decade earlier. As they set off on their adventure, the trip surprisingly turns into hunting for a hidden treasure.

What I loved:
✨Adventure and Treasure Hunting
✨Wild West vibe
✨Second Chance Romance
✨Adding in a bit of Forced Proximity/One Bed (Sleeping Bag) Tropes
✨Lovable Characters - both MCs and side characters

For me, the plot felt a bit over the top and far-fetched at times, especially with some of the characters’ reactions. But the adventure and treasure hunting added mystery, depth, and some surprising turns to your typical rom-com, making Something Wilder an easy beach read!

If you enjoy movies such as Indian Jones, National Treasure, or Romancing The Stone, you’ll enjoy Something Wilder!

This book was a bit of a bumpy ride for me - some parts I enjoyed, others, not so much. There were some ups and downs and I was not sure I was going to finish it, but then another storyline kicked in and I was happy I powered through. It’s about modern day treasure hunters out west, and there’s a love story woven in true Christina Lauren fashion. If you’re looking for a quick beach read, give it a shot. Not my favorite book by them but has some enjoyable parts.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!

I went into this thinking it would be another rom con, but this book was so different, and it blew my mind. I have been a fan of Christina Lauren for a long time, and this might be my favorite book of theirs. If you are looking for an adventure-seeking story with a cute second-chance romance, this might be your newest favorite too. I loved Lily and Leo’s connection and loved watching them rekindle their romance. I also loved the treasure hunt plot. It was fun figuring out the secret codes and riddles alongside them. The book did not have a lot of fun banter that their other books have, but the packed action was a nice change. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in second chance romance and some adventure with the great outdoors without leaving the couch,

Thank you to NetGallery and Gallery Books for giving me a copy for.a honest review.

I wasn't expecting an adventure story full of puzzles, clues, maps and treasure hunting in this new release from Christina Lauren, but I enjoyed it.

Leo and Lily fell in love and planned to live out their love story while running her family's ranch. But it only lasted for 5 months before tragedy hit Leo's family, sending him back to New York. Fast forward ten years and we discover Lily is running group trips as a tour guide through the west for "treasure" hunts on horseback. Leo's group of guy friends embark on their annual trip and happen to end up at Lily's outfit.

Reunited under less than ideal circumstances, the hope to make the best of it, but Lily's father has a huge reputation in the treasure hunting world and the group soon ends up on what they think might be a real treasure hunt with clues left behind by THE Duke Wilder.

Meanwhile, will Leo and Lily be able to survive being in such close proximity to each other and not fall back in love?

A fun, adventurous story. It's equal parts treasure hunt and romance. A little steam, but a lot more flirting than action.

I have read several books by Christina Lauren, and this one was different than the others. Different in writing style and quality. I think the ladies should stick to their regular type of stories.

I’m not sure why I write individual reviews for Christina Lauren books anymore. From now on they will all be “I loved it! Read it immediately! When is their next book coming out?”

Something Wilder is exactly what I’ve been looking for as we transition out of being stuck not traveling. Good old-fashioned adventure with a love story! It’s a perfect summer read. :Chef’s Kiss:

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Second chance romance and a fun adventure with treasure hunt - a perfect summer read! This wasn't my favorite CLo book (I've loved so many) but this was a really fun read. Lily is the daughter of a famous treasure hunter and she has dreams of buying her family ranch that's no longer in the family. She leads expeditions to try and save up money. When her latest group joins her, she realizes that one member of the group was her first love.

I liked the second chance romance and I enjoyed how they seemed to communicate well and resolve issues earlier than later. This book had a couple of twists that I wasn't expecting and the adventure was fun and unexpected (I went into the book blind!). If you are looking for a fun summer read, I'd recommend this one.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

I love Christina Lauren's books and I loved the idea of this one but this one just didn't give me the same feels as most of their books. It was still an excellent book, it just didn't resonate with me the way their other books have, If you are a fan of Christina Lauren, I definitely recommend picking this one up, but if this is your first time reading from them, don't make this one your first book!

I’ve read nearly all of the Christine LUden books. I was late to the party, having found them with the release of Soul Exchange. The cleverness and sultry levels had me working backwards through all of their books. I loved that 2 strong women characters were leading “treasure hunts” through mountains and woods. And it has my favorite romance trope, second chances. The build up was long and the story was a bit overly contrived. There were so many twists that the romance was off and not satisfying. I was left feeling meh. Hopefully the next book will be better. I’ll recommend it to customers looking for puzzles with a touch of romance

Review of Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everyone who knows me by now knows thrillers are my jam. That being said, I will always read Christina Lauren books. I always enjoy them and they never let me down. While this one wasn’t my absolute favorite of theirs, I really enjoyed it. I loved one of the main characters Leo so much and it was a fun story with love but also some action and adventure packed in.

Quick synopsis: Lily has loved her life in the ranch forever. Her father Duke is a notorious treasure hunter and sells their family ranch. Duke passes away and Lily is now leading adventure hikes/treasure hunts with her best friend but something is missing in her life. Enter Leo. Leo was Lily’s true love from when she was 19 before he fled back to NYC and basically never spoke to him again. Then Leo and his friends show up for their booked tour with Lily. And his friends are determined to find some buried treasure while Lily is just trying to survive being in close quarters with her ex.

Thank you so much to @netgalley for the advanced copy

Books by these authors are always a fun time! This time we're in Utah looking for treasures and love. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

As always, Christina Lauren delivered a relatable and funny rom-com that I could not wait to finish! Lily Wilder is scraping her way through life showing city folks their way through the rugged land in Utah. She follows maps and routes that her well know dad made when he was alive. But she is not going to make it much longer with out more money much less her desire to buy her childhood ranch back. Then her new group arrives and she realizes that one of the group members is her long lost love, the one she has never gotten over. As the trip turn dangerous and deadly, she and Leo need to reconcile and work together to get everyone out of this adventure.

Readers will definitely find themselves rooting for Lily and Leo and hoping that they can outwit the bad guys who are trying to stop them. There is high adventure, romance, and some laughs. Classic Christina Lauren!

This reminded me a little of The Simple Wild + Yellowstone + Outer Banks + Indianan Jones all rolled into one amazing story 🤣 The writing duo that is Christina Lauren is so skilled at crafting unique stories. They have written a lot of books over the years, and NONE of them are similar, which can be a hard task in the romance genre. Something Wilder combines romance with action and adventure and it works so well! 4.5 stars from me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I liked the characters and the storyline around a hidden treasure, but I think the book was lacking in the romance/chemistry between the main characters. If we had been given more of Lily and Leo's backstory and the extent of their love for each other and how their seperation hurt both of them so much, I think as a reader I would have been way more invested when they found each other again.

Something Wilder takes you on a trip in the old west. It gave me City Slicker vibes. Lilly Wilder is struggling to make ends meet and trying to find a way back to Wilder Ranch where she grew up. Luke found and lost love with Lilly Wilder at Wilder Ranch. When a annual boy's trip brings him back he has the opportunity to make things right with her again. The dialog is wonderful in this novel and I loved all the twists and turns this story took me on.