This book is truly a 5 star read! Definitely pick it up if you haven't done so yet!

I absolutely loved this follow up to Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly! Such a beautiful love story between Alexei and Ben. Two very different people, yet connected almost instantly. I love the challenges and struggles each of them has, and the way they talk through things. The scene where Lex leads Ben by talking to him and reshifting his focus one step at a time is my favorite. The patience and understanding they show each other; it's such a beautiful connection and I couldn't get enough of it! Alos, the birds and the landscape descriptions in this book made me fall in love with the PNW, without having ever been there myself. It's on my to-do list now! Thank you, Anita Kelly for such a beautiful story and for sharing your gift with all of us.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

5 STARS!!!

Two men who set out to hike the PCT to find themselves end up finding each other. This was a really sweet romance, and I loved the descriptions of what they witnessed on their hikes. *Almost* makes me want to do it (who am I kidding, that would never happen. I would die.). I was so happy at the mere mention of London and Dahlia from Love and Other Disasters, but then when they actually interacted with them?! I love them so much. I’m so glad the two books are in the same universe.

This book has all the steamy romance, flirtation, and yearning you want in the genre, but also has so much heart and authentic conflict. Ben and Alexei aren’t exactly “opposites attract,” but they’re just different enough to be complementary. Ben, an aspiring nurse, comes from a huge loving and accepting family, is outgoing, and loves people. Alexei is much more reserved, nervous around people, but kind beyond measure. Readers will fall in love with both characters as they fall in love with each other.

SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL by Anita Kelly tells the story of two gay men as they set out on a journey along the Pacific Crest Trail in order to escape and heal from the traumas of their past.

One of the things that I particularly appreciated about this book was the way that it tackled complex and sensitive issues such as autism, religious trauma, and abusive relationships. The depiction of one character’s autism (although undiagnosed until the end), as well as the discussions of faith and religious trauma, were nuanced and authentic. Similarly, the exploration of abusive relationships in another character’s life was handled with sensitivity and care, and it was touching to see him work through his past and learn to trust and love again.

In addition to tackling these important themes, the book is also an engaging and well-written, soft adventure story. The descriptions of the Pacific Crest Trail and the challenges that Alex and Ben face as they make their way along it are vivid and evocative, and I found myself fully immersed in their journey from start to finish. The relationship between the two men is beautifully written, and it was heartwarming to see them support and encourage each other as they worked through their own personal issues.

Overall, SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL is an exceptional and deeply moving read that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys outdoor adventures, love stories, or simply a well-written and thought-provoking book.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book broke through to be one of the runner-ups for my favorite books of 2022. I loved the relationship in this novel, dare I say even more so than Love and Other Disasters (!!!). It was so fascinating learning about the Pacific Crest Trail (and figuratively tagging along with Alexei and Ben for the journey). Speaking of the dynamic duo, I couldn't tell who of the two had a bigger heart. Yes, they both have their quirks and the story does have the classic romance 3rd act breakup with all the angst that comes with that.

Yet, the author did a wonderful job at portraying the communication (or lack thereof) between the two main characters. I also loved seeing the individual growth of the two characters on and off the trail. Their relationship blossomed but their individual growth was so good for the character development of the story.

Anyways, I'm off to preorder this lovely novel with its gorgeous cover.

Hope to read more from this author in the future.

This was a delightful book. Alexei and Ben are such sweethearts, and each felt uniquely themselves. I liked that their friendship and growth had balance - each had to come to terms with truths about themselves, the world, and their place in it (and, of course, how well they complemented each other in those ways!). Having read other memoirs about the PCT I was really looking forward to some of that rich vivid description that the author employed so well in their debut novel when talking about food, but some of those pieces fell a little flat for me. But overall, a sweet story, highly readable, and hit all the right notes.

4 stars

This was such a unique book!! I adored it for it's uniqueness and the complex characters that were Alexei and Ben. I already knew Anita Kelly was talented from Love & Other Disasters, but this book cemented it!

If you're a fan of the wild and discovery, this book is for you! I really enjoyed the PCT setting and actually learned so much about it from this book, it's an interesting concept that I never would have learned about otherwise, and that's why I love reading!

This book comes out in March!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Pub for the earc in return for an honest review

Something Wild & Wonderful is the story of Alexei and Ben, two men who separately, and then together, hike the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,600 mile trail that spans the west coast of the U.S. from Mexico to Canada. Both men are at starting points in their lives, and hope to find closure and clarity on the grueling trek.

Writing about a journey is one of the oldest forms of storytelling. When your characters are literally moving from one point to another, you need to make the emotional payoff of the metaphor especially poignant, and Alexei and Ben’s character growth is deep and compelling. They are very different characters, who come from very different backgrounds and are traveling the trail for very different reasons; yet the way their relationship grows as they respond to the challenges and discomforts is realistic and exciting.

It’s wonderful to see Ben, who you meet in Kelly’s first novel Love & Other Disasters, as a fully fleshed-out character. His personality, his joy, as well as his struggles with self-worth and a path forward. So much of Ben is told between the lines — you get his story, and his past, and the reasons he wants to hike the trail, but his true character is in between all those things. He is a slightly unreliable narrator, particularly about himself. There’s a difference between the story he tells himself about who he is, his strengths and flaws, and who he actually seems to be. Ben’s journey through the book is to start to see clearly that he doesn’t necessarily have the truest picture of himself, and bringing those images of himself closer together.

It’s kind of rare to read about a queer character who experiences religious trauma and still feels connected to God and to faith, and for that I’m so grateful for Alexei. His family’s rejection is so closely tied to their religious upbringing, and yet his ability to recognize that those are their choices and not the heart of faith is deeply profound, and I think relatable for more queer people than some may think. I ached for him so much throughout the story, his longing and his grief, and the way those things interacted with this desire for change and how he learns to love Ben. I can’t remember the last time I felt so moved by a character’s sheer and palpable desire to be loved and cared for, and how joyous I felt for him as he finds love and clarity on the PCT.

The structure and pacing of the book changes part-way through, and while at first it seemed like a way to quickly get through the back end of the story, I see now why the change happened, both for the reader and the characters, and it made me really appreciate how Kelly tells that part of the story.

I honestly can’t find much fault at all in the novel — it gives incredible emotional heft and handles extremely sensitive topics with such thoughtfulness and care while still being funny and joyful and utterly swoony. I feel lucky to have read it and I know I’ll be returning to it again.

My favorite romance ALL year, Ben and Alex are the stuff of queer love story dreams. Something Wild and Wonderful is emotionally raw, real, funny, and all set against the backdrop of hiking the PCT. As a backpacker with a longing to complete this thru-hike someday I freaking loved the setting down to my nature loving toes. @anitakellywrites blew me away with her debut earlier this year, and this my friends knocked it out of the park.

An adventurous romance I didn't know I needed, but so happy I got the chance to read!

After a tumultuous coming out and bad news after bad news, Alexei Lebedev has just started his more than 2,000 mile journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. He is ready for months of bird watching, blistering feet, and solitude, but then enters fellow hiker, Ben Caravalho, who seems to show up at the worst times along the trail...or the best?

When I read the synopsis, I expected a snoozefest. A romance along a hiking trail? Meh.

But what I got was a truly beautiful tale of two men trying to find themselves in nature but finding each other as a result. The realistic hikers they pass along the way. The many close calls to death. And just the pure randomness of it all was so fun. I loved the vulnerability, candor, and humor of these characters. This story bursts with heart, but also is grounded in a reality where characters face depression, homophobia, abusive relationships, alienation from religion, etc. I couldn't put this one down.

Similar to that of The Charm Offensive and Boyfriend Material, readers won't be able to put this swoon worthy and heartwarming book down!

Thank you Forever Publishing (Grand Central Publishing) for an advance reader's e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Queer MCs + hiking the PCT + dual POV + forced proximity! 🫶🏼

Alexei was prepared for snakes, blisters and solitude as he hiked the PCT. But he wasn’t prepared for Ben. A fellow thru-hiker he keeps running into.

Most of Ben’s bad decisions have involved beautiful men. Ben is incapable of walking away from quiet & nerdy Alexei.

They make a pact to survive the desert together.
But then their plans are turned upside down. And they have to decide if what they found on the trail is worth holding onto.

Read if you love…
- hiking (PCT)
- forced proximity
- queer MCs
- found family
🫶🏼- dual POV
- cameos from previous characters
- letters on page
- therapy positive
- birds

I will never stop screaming about this book! I also don’t know if I’ll ever have cohesive thoughts for it.

This book needs to be at the top of your TBR come March because this one is going to be relatable, emotional af, & healing for anyone who grew up in the church and/or experienced religious oppression due to be queer.

I cried, I laughed, I swooned! I fell in love with Alexei and Ben’s story. And I want to hike the PCT immediately.

I loved that this one is dual perspective because it gave insight to what both characters were feeling, their messy & hard pasts, and the growth both of them needed to be together. Also, watching them fall for each other and the things they thought about the other… just swooning.

Without any spoilers, my absolute favorite part of the book are the letters on page. They had me a complete mess of emotions and tears.

Thank you Forever / Grand Central Publishing & Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

PUB day: March 7, 2023!

Trigger warnings: homophobia; homophobic slurs on page (ch 16); family estrangement due to queer identity; religion & strict religious upbringing; reference to past toxic relationships

How did I get so lucky to get two five star reads in a row? Wow what a beautiful, captivating story. The author does a great job of really transporting you to the Wild West Coast and I could actually picture myself there. Ben and Alexei are truly phenomenal and I will miss reading about them like they are old friends. Be prepared to fall in love with this book and feel alllll the feels. Grab yours March 7th 2023 and thank me later!

Anita Kelly is such a talented writer. I loved their debut, Love and Other Disasters, and this book is loosely connected to that one. It’s a beautiful, lovely, and emotional story. I’ll admit I was a little skeptical going in because I have no desire to ever go hiking or camping (I’m an indoor person), but this story set on the Pacific Crest Trail really worked for me.

Ben and Alexei meet while hiking the trail and become hiking partners. They’re on the trail for different reasons, but they both hope this hike will help them heal from their pasts and move forward. Both characters felt like real people to me, which is something I also felt in Kelly’s debut about London and Dahlia. I loved reading about Ben and Alexei’s journey together and watching them fall in love. The setting and nature descriptions were fantastic, too. Even I, a noted non-nature lover, found myself appreciating nature because of this book!

And those letters… oh man. I love anything with an epistolary element, and the letters were beautiful and such a wonderful narrative choice on the part of the author.

This is a tender romance with a lot of heart. You’ll swoon and you’ll cry and then you’ll swoon again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC.

There is not much more I can say that hasn’t been said about this book. The characters, imagery created, and story are wonderfully written. Ben and Alexei’s journey was poignant… but did not inspire me to want to go on a hike.

Anyone else keep thinking about David and Patrick from “Schitt’s Creek” while reading?

Once again, Kelly has done something truly special with this (very loose) follow-up to Love & Other Disasters. This book feels like a love letter to not only the wilderness and hiking, but also the pursuit of finding one's self in tandem with exploring something new, unfamiliar, and maybe a little terrifying with someone who's absolutely worth it. And the way Kelly WRITES, my gosh; there were sentences that I just wanted to roll around in for days at a time. The type of book that will break your heart open before tenderly, gently piecing it back together and leaving you better for the experience.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Anita Kelly's debut was one of my favorite reads of 2022 so I was so excited to get my hands on Something Wild & Wonderful and it did not disappoint. The care that was clearly taken in Ben and Alexei's journeys -- both on the trail itself and their personal journeys -- was clear and tangible. The setting was lush and as someone who never in a million years would willingly walk thousands of miles for months at a time, I did feel like I was there on the PCT with Ben and Alexei. This was such a soft, hopeful love story about two people learning to love themselves and each other set against a vivid backdrop with a delightful cast of side characters. Absolutely a must read.

9/10

Over the past year, Anita Kelly became one of my favorite romance authors. I have read everything they have published, and I can confidently say their writing gets better with every new work.

Something Wild & Wonderful revisits the world of Love & Other Disasters, following a new cast of characters.

Alexei is hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, trying to find meaning in his life after his coming out had unwarranted consequences. There, he meets the carefree and charismatic Ben, who is trying to escape a string of bad decisions and figure out what his next steps in life could be. The two men embark on an emotional journey and just happen to find love along the way.

This book hit so close to home in ways I can’t explain without spoiling it. It handled sensitive topics and bigotry queer people face every day (this is not a spoiler, it is in the author’s note at the beginning of the novel). Kelly consistently writes nuanced familial relationships and queer found family in the best possible ways. This book is so heartwarming and filled me with hope as I read it.

It is a fairly low-stakes romance (which is my favorite kind of romance), focusing more on the individual character’s journey of self-discovery. The romance is built around a message of self-love and that is something we need more of in the romance genre.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alexei and Ben are both hiking the PCT when they meet somewhere in the desert. Alexei is on a journey to find the new him--the person he wants to be now that his parents have disowned him for being gay. When he runs into Ben, who is also on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, for the second time, they decide to hike together for a while. Ben, though much more extroverted than Alexei, is calming, and gentle, and one of the first people Alexei comes out to. Ben, meanwhile, is keeping his feelings for Alexei secret; he thinks the last thing Alexei needs, while coming to terms with everything that's happened to him recently, is a relationship, or a fling.

Both Alexei and Ben create safe spaces for the other to do some much needed self-exploration, and the result is a beautiful friendship that turns into something confusing and surprising and altogether right when they finally act on their feelings for each other.

I loved Love and Other Disasters, and Something Wild & Wonderful definitely lived up to the first book. Ben is London's twin's best friend, so there's a connection between the two books that does come up a bit, which is always fun. I loved everything about this book--the humor, the characters, how perfectly it dropped me into the setting and reminded me of my own backpacking days (though nothing nearly as ambitious as what Ben and Alexei do), and the fact that it didn't shy away from addressing the homophobia while allowing for so much joy to exist alongside and despite it.

There is an author's note with content warnings at the front that says this, but there is usage of a homophobic slur in one of the chapters, as well as Alexei's POV focusing a lot on the grief of having his parents disown him over his sexuality. Overall it is a very sweet and funny read, but these things are definitely present.

A friend of mine had read this book and told me I had to read it, so I requested it and I'm so glad I did.

This book is very well written. The author definitely knows how to paint a picture. I've lived in California my whole life, but if you've never been here, you'll definitely get a good visual of where they go. I'm not much of a hiker, but friends have done this trail and I've heard stories, and I knew bits and pieces of where the two MCs were going, so it was fun for place I've been to pop up.

The journey the MCs, Ben and Alexei, take is both physical and emotional. They're both dealing with things and are on this trail for different reasons, but it helps bring them together and understand each other. The pacing of their relationship growth from strangers to friends to lovers was perfect.

Most of the book is told in 3rd person, from both perspectives, but it turns into a epistolary for a section of it. Normally it would feel out of place, but it really works here. Much of what they write to each other is unsent, but it feels very poignant to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. This was the first book I've read of Anita Kelly's and I'll gladly read more.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Anita Kelly’s books are so wonderful! I loved her first novel. It was so exciting to read another book by her. It was so well written and enjoyable.