Thank you @readforeverpub for a copy of Something Wild And Wonderful by Anita Kelly which publishes today.

Alexei and Ben both start hiking the Pacific Crest Trail for different reasons, but when they meet along the way and start hiking a portion together, the romance blossoms. This one was highly anticipated for me because I really liked Love And Other Disasters and it definitely lived up to the hype. Completely different couple and setting but the same adoration develops between the two main characters as they help each other through tough times.
Definitely read the content warnings or DM if you have any questions but I think this is a great read, indoor person or not!

A lovely, empathetic and tender love story, with a great sense of atmosphere and setting. Even though I would never hike, I really enjoyed how descriptive the writing was. I felt like I was there on that trail with the characters, who were both so instantly likable and kind of wounded that you couldn’t help but root for them.

After being disowned by his family for being gay Alexei is trying to work out what it means to live without his family and how to reconcile his personal faith with a church that no longer welcomes him.
Ben is on the trail trying to get his life together. He’s been falling for all the wrong guys and struggling to decide what he wants out of life other than trying to help other people keep it together. He’s determined to swear off guys and learn more about himself first. Easier said than done when he meets Alexei and the attraction is immediate.
They strike up a deal to hike part of the trail together and we get to watch as they begin to bring out the best in each other and find out how they fit together and how they don’t. I really appreciated Ben’s patience with Alexei’s quiet moments as he processed the situations. I’ve never been a church person, but it was so good to see Alexei reflecting over his faith and making choices that respected himself as he processed his trauma and decided that the god he knew was not what he’d always been taught.
I do wish we’d gotten to see Ben’s internal world a little bit more too, I think there could have been some good growth I wanted to see more of.
Loved the ending with the scene on the bridge :) Made me really happy.

Anita Kelly did a wonderful job portraying these two characters who have both had life mold them in different ways. It was fun how they kept running into each other even though Alexei wanted to do the trail alone.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

TW// homophobia, family estrangement, mentions of death, brief underage drinking scene, brief mention of fatphobia, brief mentions of racism, social anxiety, brief mention of sexism, f-slur

Something Wild & Wonderful follows a passionate romance that sparks between two men as they are walking the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s filled with cute romantic moments, deep discussions of family estrangement, and lots of steamy scenes.

I really enjoyed my time with Something Wild & Wonderful. I loved Ben and Alexei as a couple. Ben was so patient and understanding with Alexei. It was really sweet to see. Alexei was a little more quiet on their adventures, but seeing him opening up about his family was really rewarding and I loved how he was there for Ben whenever Ben got scared. I also really connected with Alexei. I’m a part of the LGBTQ+ community and I’m religious. The way that Alexei’s sexuality intersected with his religion was extremely relatable for me. This was the first book that has ever made me feel like it’s okay for me to both be queer and religious.

The pacing in this story was wonderful. It flowed really smoothly and each chapter left me eager to find out where the story would venture next.

The ending of this book was one of my favorite romance novel endings of all time. The characters were able to resolve their problems smoothly and the actions that they took to show each other that they truly love each other were amazing.

I only had one issue with this book. There is a section of this book that contains letters written by Alexei and Ben. I wasn’t a huge fan of that section. The shift from normal prose to the letters was a little jarring. Most of the letters didn’t even hold my attention. Only the two letters to Alexei’s parents felt really meaningful and impactful to me personally.

Overall I really liked this book despite my issue with the letters section. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique queer romance that involves lots of nature.

Something Wild & Wonderful was a cute MM romance between strangers. You learn about Ben & Alexei as they hike 2,000+ miles.

Ben coming from an accepting, loving family - but struggling with grief of a loved one passing. Alexei trying to figure himself out after he came out to his religious family. It was super sweet to see them grow close, going from one word conversations to more in depth ones. The steam was steaming, it'll have you blushing and kicking your feet, giddy for them to be happy.

Obviously, there is some conflict, but I'm happy with how Anita Kelly handles it, because normally I despise third act break up type of deals. But, I think this was done well and I didn't get aggravated for the conflict.

If nothing else, I know I can count on Anita Kelly for contemporary romances from now on since this is the second book I've loved from them!! <3

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly follows Alexei and Ben, who meet by chance on the Pacific Crest Trail and begin to hike the trail together. While doing one of these long-distance trails sounds like an absolute nightmare to me, I loved this book! Something Wild & Wonderful has officially placed Anita Kelly on my auto-buy author list.

This is a very sweet grumpy/sunshine romance. Alexei is from a religious family and still practices his religion, but he has been ostracized from his family for being gay. If those topics are difficult for you, please read with care (although I thought they were handled beautifully). I can't wait to see what Anita Kelly does next. They haven't let me down yet!

Wow wow wow! This stunning romance left me feeling tender and filled with wanderlust. Set against the backdrop of the gorgeous pacific northwest trail, it was a JOY to read as these characters discovered themselves, healed from past traumas and gently fell in love with each other and their futures.

Thank you Forever Pub and Netgalley for my copy.

I LOVE ANITA KELLY. nobody writes romance like anita. a backpacking trip??? like who else can make that so emotional and romantic. NOBODY. i loved this if you all can't tell. read it in one sitting and was crying by the end; the story was that beautiful. READ THIS BOOK.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy. all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Two men meet up on the PCT, but their decision to merely tolerate each other for the sake of not going alone turns into so much more. SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL is indeed wonderful in having deep characters, an intersting setting, and love at the center of it all. The issues both men are dealing with by walking the PCT comes out organically and really feeds into the fact that they fall for each other. A perfect romcom! Anita Kelly is an always-read for me.

Anita Kelly does it again! This story was everything I have ever wanted. Characters that you easily fall for and a plot that captivates you. It is the perfect queer rom-com for anytime of the year but especially for pride month !

GIRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL I AM UNWELL I have so many thoughts that I'm too blubbery to put together right now, but this book changed my brain chemistry. It gave me so much romance and joy but mostly it gave me a HEALING JOURNEY, easily one of the best I've ever read. For all the parts where the romance and Ben's journey are given space to take center stage, this is a book about the summer where Alexei learned to heal from the betrayal of his parents unwillingness to love him for who he is. And it was handled with such nuance and comfort that let the jagged edges show, didn't openly vilify anything while still showing a clear and correct point of view. This book is important and incredible.

For as many books as I both read and recommend to people, there honestly aren't many that I think are compulsory reads for anyone who wants to understand my tastes and desires in books/media/stories. This probably just made that list.

4.5

It took me longer than I expected to get into this book, but once I did I was sold. Don't let the cute cartoon cover fool you, this is a sweet romance but it's even more so about accepting and loving yourself. Alexei and Ben are both on the PCT in an attempt to better themselves. Alexei because he recently came out to his very religious parents and was disowned, and Ben as a way to feel more settled before starting his nursing career. They are so sweet and I loved watching their relationship grow, and I loved their personal journeys. The letters from the third act breakup section had me actually crying, and reading them was so cathartic.

I also loved that we got to see London and Dahlia from [book:Love & Other Disasters|55297669]. It would be fun if Anita Kelly continued threading characters through their books- I would love to see a Ruby book next!

If you're a fan of the outdoors and cute queer romances that also dive into very real and vulnerable themes, then PLEASE pick up Something Wild & Wonderful!

While I really enjoyed Anita Kelly's book Love & Other Disasters, Something Wild & Wonderful blew me out of the water. It made me laugh, tear up, get frustrated alongside the characters, and just overall left me feeling so happy. I'm not a big fan of hiking and camping, but it was so fun following Alexei and Ben's journey on the trail and watching their relationship grow and develop. Both characters struggled internally, and it was honestly beautiful to watch them grow together as they navigated their pasts, beliefs, and feelings for the other person while living isolated. Ugh, this book was just so fun and is definitely a favorite of 2023 so far!

CW for sexual content, homophobia, separation from religious family because of queer identity, toxic manipulation (in past).

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC of Something Wild & Wonderful!

This is my first book by Anita Kelly, but I'm so excited to read more! I loved this book so much! The slow burn romance was well developed, with lots of great banter between the characters. While I liked both leads, I especially loved Alexai as I too am a a spreadsheet nerd who doesn't make connections with that many people.

I'd recommend this to anyone who loves queer love stories, anyone looking for neurodivergent rep in romance, and anyone who loves a good slow burn romance.

I loved Anita Kelly's first book, and this one lives in the same world but works as a stand alone.

Alexei and Ben meet while hiking the Pacific Coast Trail and their journey is both literal and figurative as they come to terms with what being queer means for them as people and as an eventual couple. They truly compliment each other and Kelly so beautifully weaves in the experience of life on the trail that I felt like I was there. It's a truly mature romance in that the characters communicate and share and the ending was sweet perfection. I can't wait to read what Kelly writes next!

4.5 stars

Thanks to Forever for the copy to review.

Never have I ever thought... hmmm maybe I could hike the PCT, until I read this gem of a book (spoiler alert - I can't hike the PCT with my bum knees)

No surprise to me that Anita Kelly wrote another really great book with dreamy love interests who were forced together in literal close proximity that could not fight their attraction to each other!

I completely forgot this was a second book to Love & Other Disasters until I picked it up and in popped London as a side character!

This was such a delight. First of all, I loved the setting: getting a taste of the PCT was a great addition to this romance. I also loved how the romance developed between Lex and Ben. The third act conflict didn't feel as forced as in some other romances and I loved the grand gesture at the end. Overall, this was a really fun romance.

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly could NOT put this book down. It’s adventurous, romantic, sweet, has beautifully written characters, and constantly had me rooting for the main character, Alexei and Ben. As someone who has backpacked before it took me back to that nostalgic place. I love that the romantic and intimate scenes put a strong focus on consent. The story is witty and charming and I’m so happy I read this. Easily one of my favorite stories.

Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly is a wonderful representation of queer love. Alexei and Ben meet on the PCT unexpectedly and what follows is a tender love story. Highly recommend this read! Anita Kelly is bringing a new voice and perspective to the romance genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC - Something Wild and Wonderful is our now!