Full disclosure: I LOVE hiking!! So, this absolutely spoke to me, I loved this setting, this premise, these characters! I was absolutely swept up in their adventure hiking the PCT. It was such a unique way to highlight their strengths and weaknesses as characters and as a couple. I found Ben to be absolutely endearing, and his family and friends so charming. I struggled a bit with Alexei. He read just a tiny bit young to me--but the fact that he had arrested development was also part of his storyline, so it absolutely makes sense. Overall their growth in their relationship and as people was inspiring and lovely to be a part of. Highly recommend!!!

This book was just lovely. I think I even liked it more than Love & Other Disasters!
Alexei and Ben's journey (literally and figuratively) is emotional, messy, and heartwarming. Alexei is on the Pacific Coast Trail as a way to heal from his toxic parents rejecting him after he came out to them. He's unsure about his new worldview, and how he connects to the LGBTQ+ community. Ben has also had toxicity in his life, but in the form of a string of terrible partners. He wants to pull himself away from the 'scene' and take a break from men... and he promptly runs into Alexei on the trail (or rather, Alexei runs into him). The two bump into each other a number of times before agreeing to travel together... and after a while a beautiful romance starts to develop. But can that relationship last in the 'real' world?

Alexei felt very much coded as neurodivergent, although I don't think that was explicitly stated. Having non-neurotypicals as positive protagonists is one of my favorite things in modern romance, so that was definitely a bonus!

“Like I didn’t know how stiff and uncomfortable I had been before, until I started walking with him. Like I had been clenching my jaw for so long and never fully knew until I met Ben, until I discovered the relief of my muscles starting to let go.”

My toxic trait is thinking I could ever hike this trail. This isn’t the first book I’ve read about it but it just seems marvelous and horrible to actually do.

I liked that this wasn’t filled with near death encounters for plot or whatever. It was two people who desperately needed to get their heads on straight going for a really long walk. They figured things out about each other and themselves and it was lovely.

Dahlia and London from Love & Other Disasters make a cameo so it was nice to get to see what they are up to now.

Thank you to Netgalley, Anita Kelly, and Forever for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL is an absolute masterpiece. With stunning pacing, setting, prose, and character development, this is, in my opinion, as close as you can get to a perfect romance novel. Anita Kelly’s work is a masterclass in storytelling. Ben and Lex were incredible, three-dimensional characters and their dual POV was executed flawlessly.

SW&W is ultimately a love letter to queerness, community, and finding your own path. I devoured every word of it. I will be thinking about this story for a long, long time.

Following LOVE & OTHER DISASTERS, I knew I was going to love anything that Anita Kelly writes. And oh boy, I was not wrong: SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL is an absolute masterpiece. With stunning pacing, setting, prose, and character development, this is, in my opinion, as close as you can get to a perfect romance novel. Anita Kelly’s work is a masterclass in storytelling. Ben and Lex were incredible, three-dimensional characters and their dual POV was executed flawlessly.

SW&W is ultimately a love letter to queerness, community, and finding your own path. I devoured every single word of it. I will be thinking about this story for a long, long time.

I just love Anita Kelly and the amazing queer representation they wrote. This one follows two very different men who find each other and a lot more while hiking the PCT. I adored the back and forth of their story, from Alexei’s quiet yet capable nature to Ben’s boisterous yet anxious demeanor. I shed a few tears while reading their letters…truly a great story about finding your people and loving them hard.

Why is it that the more you love a book the harder it is to review? Gosh...this book. This was such an incredibly beautiful and emotional journey. So soft and tender, yet also bursting with joy and adventure. It was cathartic. I just loved it so much. Thank you, Anita Kelly, for allowing me to walk with your boys for awhile. 🧡 I have no doubt I will be thinking of them, and their stories, for a long, long time.

Thank you so much for the ARC!

This book was so incredible. I could not put it down! I have to first talk about how well the scenery is described! I am not really into hiking (at all lol) and this book made me want to get a pair of hiking boots on and set out on trails. Alexei was so wonderful and my heart hurt for him and he also gave my heart a big hug. Ben was also the sunshine alexei needed in parts of the book! I adored how parts were told through letters. It was such an interesting way to advance the story. This book was so great and I couldn’t put it down! I can’t wait for others to get hands on this book.

Something Wild & Wonderful ~
Publication date: MARCH 7th 2023
(Thank you @netgalley and @anitakellywrites for the ARC)

Anita Kelly is fast becoming one of my favourite writers. They create books full of kind, compassionate, and interesting characters. And boy did they deliver that with this story.

“Something Wild & Wonderful” introduces us to Alexei and Ben, two strangers both hiking the PCT. They meet and decided to become a trail family ~ hiking together through the desert.

What results is a beautiful friendship that becomes more. But the true beauty of the story is that each guy is kind and supportive, they see the absolute best in the other, even as they individually struggle with their own issues.

I loved them both - their dynamic, their adventures on the PCT, the ups and downs… I adore the Caravalho family. And as a bonus, if you read last years “Love & Other Disasters” - you’ll get to see what Dahlia and London are up to as well!

This spicy little romance felt like a warm hug. The journey to the HEA is well worth the read. I definitely recommend this book.

There was something very magical about this book. I love when books take readers through new experiences and landscapes. The author did such an amazing job giving us rich settings and descriptions I felt like I could be walking right with Alexei and Ben.

This book is definitely an journey. A physical one and an emotional one. My heart just broke for Alexei. I just wanted to protect him at all costs.

The author did such an amazing job at evoking the emotions that Alexei and Ben felt, readers will effortlessly fall in love with them.

Their letters, even though unsent were so insightful and powerful for these characters.

Please make sure to read the authors note at the beginning of the book and on the authors website for content warnings.

I was so excited for Kelly’s sophomore novel after really enjoying Lover & Other Disasters last year. I’m also a sucker for a queer romance book which is no surprise to anyone.

I thought the premise of this book was really unique! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the main characters meet on trail. The meet cute was quite funny and I loved how quickly the relationship between Ben and Lex developed. I really enjoyed the alternating POVs as well.

Unfortunately, this story left me wanting more. I found the pace of their relationship to be a bit unbelievable. I found the author sometimes skipped large chunks of time and then drew out others that felt less valuable. I struggled with some of the dialogue, especially when the characters use the other person’s name so often in sentences. It just took away from the authenticity.

I found Lex’s background story to be really well done. I appreciated how the author handled that serious topic as well as the outcome at the end.

Overall, this was a touching and fun queer romance for fans of the outdoors and hiking!

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Forever/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC.

I requested this on a whim because of the hiking content (the author called this "Wild but make it gay," and that is a pretty good summary), but I really loved it. Fans of Roan Parrish will really get into this (though she's more cozy cabins and this is more two people in a tent built for one). This was such a satisfying journey, and I'll be checking out Anita Kelly's other titles!

What I liked: Any book that has a Tamora Pierce reference has my heart. I love love love that they bonded over Alanna. I think the setting -- the Pacific Crest Trail -- is super cool and unique. As per usual for Anita Kelly the book is full of diverse multi-dimensional characters. This book is really great about centering themes of consent in really empowering ways. And I was so thrilled when Dahlia and London showed back up bc I love them deeply.

What I didn't like: I'm not a huge fan of the insta-love trope -- they go from 0 to 60 emotionally so so fast. The conflict at the end felt a little out of left field and the resolution felt a bit neat. And while I thought the PCT setting was really unique, it also meant that... not all that much actually HAPPENED in the book.

Still a huge Anita Kelly fan but this one didn't replace Love & Other Disasters in my heart.

First off, thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. THIS. BOOK. I have a serious book hangover from this one. Just writing this review has me misty eyed. I read Love and Other Disasters last year and really enjoyed it, so was looking forward to Kelly’s second novel. This one far surpassed my expectations! Also, if you read the previous novel, you will encounter some beloved characters! This is one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. The characters were so wonderfully written and so real and raw. This book for me was like if Happiness for Beginners and The Charm Offensive had the most perfect love child. There are alternating POVs from both Alexei and Ben and it was perfect for this story. Also, the addition of one part being solely written in letter form was, for me, perfection. This book does deal with homophobia, religion and mental health but they are done is such an authentic way. This story and characters will stay with me for a long time. Not sure if there are any plans for these characters to make a return in the next novel, but I certainly wouldn’t be mad about it!

Well if this wasn't the cutest book ever.

I'm such a sucker for books set on the Pacific Crest Trail and the fact that it was also a romance, sealed the deal. Both MCs were amazing, and their back stories gave the book a whole lot of heart. I'd say to tread lightly considering the themes of disowning a son after coming out, etc. This is very prevalent in the story but is not without redemption from the MC and his sister. This book also has some pacing issues, but nothing that really made me like it less. I really enjoyed!! I might need to pick up Anita Kelly's book, Love and Other Disasters, next!

Something Wild and Wonderful is truly exactly as the title has stated. Being from Tennessee, I loved reading Ben and Alexei's escapades in the Volunteer State, even though they were brief.
This book is a huge step in the right direction of queer literature for me. Diverse characters with realistic grips on what gay culture can be and what finding yourself can do for your confidence.
Everyone involved in this story travels on a journey of self-discovery
Ben and Alexei's relationship blossoms beautifully with spice throughout. This truly is something wild and wonderful.
Thank you Netgalley, Anita Kelly, and ReadForeverPub for this lovely ARC!

I love Anita Kelly's writing, and this book is no different than their others with that. The writing is beautiful and I was interested throughout. However, this book is very quiet, very internal, which I guess is also typical with Kelly's writing, especially the Moonlighter books. SW&W however is set on a hiking trail, focused on two main characters and almost no other people. So the book is heavy on their shoulders. For the most part, it worked and they captured my attention throughout. But their are a few stutters where the pace lagged and my attention wandered a bit. I feel that just making the book a bit shorter could have solved this issue. Regardless of that. the book is beautiful and I loved the couple.

I gave this four ⭐️s because of the writing and character development. The storyline of two people having a cute-meet while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail was what led me to read a romance novel that I normally wouldn’t. The first third to half of the book featured the PCT almost like a character, as well as the people they meet along the way. I missed the PCT once the storyline turned from it, it returns to PCT but not in the same way. This is a love story between two men and so if that bothers you, don’t read it and don’t be homophobic about it. Alexei is the son of 2nd generation Russian parents that have disowned him and he is on the trail to reinvent himself. Ben is the son of 2nd generation Portuguese parents with a loving and accepting family, but troubled relationships in his past. I struggled with the Alexei character, as I am sure was intended, because he is mostly likable but often I found him self-involved and selfish, as well as emotionally absent and clueless. SPOILER: I found the counseling and autistic diagnosis in the “sum it up” happy ending derivative.

I adored this story! Ben and Lex are just so well written and you can almost feel like you are hiking right along with them on the Pacific Coast Trail. And while I initially thought the inevitable argument/issue/thing the couple works through to find their HEA was ridiculous when I read it, by the end of the story it sat right with me. Like, at first it didn't seem to fit well, but then it suddenly did.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes queer romance, or hiking, or nature.

And as I sit here gushing about this book I keep coming up with new things I loved about it.

Something Wild & Wonderful is a grumpy meets sunshine queer romcom set on the Pacific Crest Trail. Alexei and Ben have their own reasons for doing a months-long solo hike, none of which was to fall in love.

But they keep encountering each other (some life-saving is involved) on the trail and their connection is clear.

Their love scenes are explicit and sweet.

There is some difficult subject matter (one of the characters is estranged from his family after coming out, and homophobic language is used in one scene) but it’s handled well and is key to the story.

Have recommended to my audience!