Any enjoyable romance and something different from this author duo. I am not sure if the mystery thriller plot is their jam but I appreciated the effort to try something new.

WOW! What a fun and exciting read! Something Wilder has hit the trifecta: adventure, suspense, and most importantly, romance. ;-)

Lily Wilder is begrudgingly following her famous dad's footsteps by leading treasure-hunting groups through the Utah desert. The last thing she expects is Leo Grady, the man who broke her heart years ago, to somehow find his way as a guest on one of her retreats. Something Wilder is an amazing second-chance romance that has many exciting (and dark!) twists and turns. Some events are a little over-the-top, but that really made it the fun read that it is. I love the duel-perspective story telling, loveable side characters, and wonderful imagery. This is definitely book I will read again and constantly recommend! 5 stars!

Christina Lauren did it again! Such a wonderful, feel-good story and the characters stay with you long after you finish the book. Highly recommend!!

Christina Lauren is the pen name for authors Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. As some of my favorite writers, I was incredibly excited to receive this ARC! In "Something Wilder", Lily Wilder is the daughter of notorious fortune hunter Duke Wilder. While his constant absences and frequent treasure hunts caused turmoil for Lily as she was growing up, she has now become a trail guide for those who are looking for treasure themselves. However, her company is all about fun trips that combine challenges, competitions, and fake treasure.

One day, she is shocked to come face to face with the man who broke her heart: Leo Grady. After taking off more than a decade ago, he has a lot of apologizing to do to win her back over. However, they both can't deny the attraction they feel. And when the treasure hunt Leo and Lily is on becomes dangerous and life-threatening, they finally give into their feelings. This was a cute romance, and I really enjoyed it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

"I love you," he said in her dream. "I don't think I ever stopped."

Something Wilder has that unique vibe only CLo provides, but is topped with all these adventurous layers.

From the start, you automatically love Lily and Leo. Feel the undeniable connection between them. And then we flash forward to a time where life has shifted for them.

Lily and Nicole, her best friend, offer guided adventure tours, something Lily never pictured herself doing. Adventures were left to Duke, her father, until life threw obstacles her way.
Leo has a secure, well-paying job in New York and, after a decade, is able to breathe a little easier. He and his friends go on annual adventures and explore the world to getaway from the city. This year, his friend chooses Wilder Adventures, unbeknownst to Leo.

The adventure through the desert, the treasure hunt, the twists and turns, and the slow way Lily and Leo fall back into each other is perfection. Something Wilder was exciting and dangerous and addictive. Lily and Leo coming back together was sweet and swoon-worthy and rocky, but perfect. I loved the mystery and games and codes. The outdoors on horseback and wild chases.

First, thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ARC of Something Wilder by Christina Lauren.

Something Wilder was a perfect lost love, slow burn romance, but honestly, the adventurous nature of the book made it stand out for me. I am a huge fan of Christina Lauren's The Soulmate Equation, and Something Wilder definitely had the same sort of vibe to it, but was filled with more excitement, and was just so funny despite some of the serious subjects and events that took place. I enjoyed getting to know Lily and Leo, and the flashbacks of their previous relationship and how its implosion affected them. Overall a great read. Fans of the author will not be disappointed by this one.

I have no idea HOW CHRISTINA AND LAUREN DO THIS!!!!!! Seriously. I read a ton of authors and NONE of them can come up with completely different topics and situations in each and every book like Christina & Lauren can. With a ton of authors, I start reading and I'm like "okay, this is similar to X book or Y book...I know this book will follow Z storyline." And I enjoy those books, don't get me wrong! BUT----There is something about Christina Lauren's books and writing style that I fell in love with long ago and haven't been able to stop reading every new release.

The Soulmate Equation was my absolute favorite of all their books, but I'd say this one was equally good, if not better!

This book is completely different than anything I expected and I liked it. It gave off National Treasure vibes. Lily and Leo are just the sweetest and I love a good second-chance romance.

When Lily’s treasure hunting retreat business takes her back to her previous flame Leo, these two have to handle suspense, action, and adventure to get their happily ever after. Their chemistry is off the charts and grows throughout the story.

This book is in a category of its own. I haven’t read anything like it, and I love that it goes so off the normal romance course to bring us something new and exciting.

ove Christina Lauren's books in theory, but because they write in so-many subgenres of romance, I should maybe stop reading things just because they've written them. I hate Westerns and I'm picky about romantic suspense, so this was kinda flat for me. I like Lily and Leo but I found the adventure parts lacking and the mystery didn't interest me.

Christina Lauren never disappoints! Something Wilder was completely different from any romance book I have ever read. Lily and Leo were a great couple, and Lily was the ultimate badass woman who don't need no man. I loved the aspect of treasure hunting and scavenger hunting, really a new take on romance. However, this one fell a little short for me.
We know that in the before, Lily and Leo have only known each other for something like five months. Ten years go by before they see each other again. TEN YEARS. And while I love a second chance romance, this one felt a liiiitttlllee stretched. The crossing and double crossing was not much of a surprise, and I know that it is about the adventure rather than the prize, but I felt the end wrapped up a little too nicely. I deeply wish there were more riddles to be solved in the book, rather than just the three at the end. I do love that this book was probably based loosely on the Forrest Fenn hunt!
All of that being said, it was a great romance book that had plenty of adventure love! Small on the spice. Over all, I wanted to keep picking it up, but it wasn't my fav from them.

When a routine trail ride goes horribly wrong, Lily decides to risk it all to chase after a fortune that could allow her to buy back the ranch her father abruptly sold out from under her. She also has a chance at love again, when Leo, a long, lost love, shows up with his bros for the weekend cowboy experience she offers at Wilder Adventures.

Lily always felt if was fool’s gold her father spent his life chasing. His life’s work always took time and attention away from her when she was young and ultimately drove her mother away. The puzzles and codes that were so important to him were a constant annoyance to her.

Leo is on a guys trip with college friends. He never expected for Lily to be their trail boss. Spending time with Lily again after ten years apart and being outside with the otherworldly landscape of Utah has him feeling alive for the first time in years. With his obligation to raise his sister in the past, he is thinking about making some big life changes.

In the extreme remoteness of the Canyonlands of Utah, double crosses and betrayals meet up with Lily and Leo at every turn. This is an treasure hunting adventure book with romance at its core.

Something Wilder is so well written with detailed descriptions of the terrain and the romantic language you would expect from Christina Lauren’s books. An example is how they describe a man’s voice warming up in the morning, going from rocks to gravel to a smooth polished stone. (chef’s kiss)

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book, but I didn't. I'm a huge fan of Christina Lauren and the premise of the story was spot on. I thought, "Here's 'Romancing the Stone' in print!" And, it started out pretty good. However, some of the scenes were unbelievable in a bad way. I won't go into detail as this is my opinion only, but a lot wasn't plausible at all and it made it seem manufactured in an unrealistic way. Our fans will still read and probably love it, but I was disappointed...

This departure from Christina Lauren's romantic comedy oeuvre is an unputdownable adrenaline-fueled rush. In typical fashion, a past flame reappears and the passion is reignited. Lily Wilder, daughter of a famous rancher, expedition leader and amateur treasure hunter, lacks the funds to buy back the old homestead. She was in love once, for five months, with a sweet city boy who returned home to care for his injured mother and never called, wrote, or returned. She fills her time with horses and hookups. Leo Grady, love of her life, shows up with three friends for a canyon trip she and her friend Nichole are leading, and both are utterly shocked. Lily puts on a good (staged) show, following in the footsteps of the infamous bank and train robber Butch Cassidy, with her clients solving puzzles and ciphers as part of the service. Things go wrong when one of the party reveals he want to treasure hunt the missing fortune for real.

"I feel like we're in The Goonies," says one of the characters about halfway through. It's an apt comparison: there is a property to be saved, a pivotal map, puzzles to be solved, a budding romance, two groups of loyal friends, Reddit-fueled incels instead of the Fratellis, a high speed chase, and a kidnapping and escape. The sparks between Leo and Lily are palpable, and the romantic bits will speed up your pulse as well. The canyons of Wyoming are rendered in wonderful sensory details and the ending is satisfying, if predictable.

This book was such an exciting surprise! I was expecting another cute contemporary romance, but instead I found myself reading an adventurous, mysterious, thrilling second chance romance. The characters felt so authentic and I really enjoyed reading this book. I did not see all the twists coming at all. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a fast-paced and dynamic read.

I don't know what kind of addictive magic Christina Lauren puts in her books, but I am ALWAYS hooked! The romance in this book was so sweet and the adventure aspect of the plot was amazing! I always love myself a good treasure hunt story with a dash of romance. If you love this too in a solid read, then this book is for you!

Christina Wilder is always an automatic buy for me. What I didn't expect was the adventure this book would take me on. It was completely different than anything they have written. A great book that took me back to when I was a kid and would watch The Goonies.

Something wilder by Christina Lauren released may 2022. Ranch girl falls in love with nerdy city boy Boy breaks her heart. Ten years later broke lost ranch woman meets rich city guy again. This book gave me the vibe of an old Danielle stelle harlequin book. I never became immersed in this book. I stayed on the edge of the campsite ring., watching

Something Wilder indeed -- this is a wilder ride from Christina Lauren then I'm used to. I've read and loved every one of their books -- this being no exception but I was surprised by the "thriller" aspects of this novel. THere's all the delicious love story I wanted, but the twists and turns and landscape were so unexpected. Well done, ladies. I couldn't stop reading. You had my heart beating on this one for very different reasons than usual.

If you are looking for a wild west action packed romance then this is for you! I loved the setting. The authors did a wonderful job portraying the beauty of the west. There was so much description and detailing of the mystery portion of the book that I think the romance was overlooked. Overall, the book was entertaining and enjoyable.

Classic CLo with an action/adventure twist! Second chance romance, diverse characters, a laugh out loud funny best friend, and few steamy scenes along the way. These ladies have written some of my favorite romcoms so I felt like I knew what was in store for me when I opened Something Wilder. & was I ever wrong!!
Lily and Leo once shared a summer of young love, but life and loss broke them apart. With a second chance at love and the possibility of a hidden treasure within their grasp nothing seems impossible. That is until we get about 30% into the book. I gasped, I shook my head in disbelief, and had to comprehend what I'd just read. Just when I was all geared up for a possible tent action, I was instead blindsided with some Wild West action!! Although this book has classic CLo elements and moments of romcom vibes, I'd definitely categorize this as a full on action adventure!! This book will keep you cheering them on as they go on an adventure of a lifetime, and the letter at the end will leave you with ALL the emotions. A must read for Christina Lauren fans and anyone looking for a feel good, original, action packed shot at second love and redemption. Thank you so much to Gallery Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Four stars.