I love Anita Kelly and this is no different. Absolutely amazing and a 10/10 read. They make their characters so relatable and I love how easily you can jump into their novels.

This book was a warm hug - I have no words for how happy it made me. Ben and Lex are two sweet angel babies that I just want to keep safe forever. This book even got me mildly interested in hiking, which is an enormous feat. Absolutely 100% recommend this book.

Anita Kelly is remarkably talented at getting me invested in things that I otherwise do not care about, like, for example, hiking. Genuinely, the idea of someone wanting to hike 2000 miles in one go is... beyond baffling to me. I'm lucky when I can convince myself to go on a walk (paved) around the lake I live near. It's only two miles. Four if you add in an extra part. But Kelly sucked me in with Alexei and Ben. There's something about the way their interactions start and it's all one word things back and forth to the way Lex slowly begins to open up. Plus the way that Ben starts to feel settled that just really worked for me. I loved both character ARCs and I loved the secondary characters we got to meet and interact with along the way. I even loved the description of the landscape and the joy of eating at McDonalds. As a person who is delighted by air conditioning if I've been outside for a mere twelve minutes, the simple joy the men took in modern conveniences was somehow alarmingly relatable given that I am never very far from things like running water and they were going for days on end without.

If you've not read the book yet, basically, Alexei has been recently laid off from his job and while he is sorting out his next step, he decides to set out on hiking the Pacific Coast Trail thinking he can figure out Alexei 2.0 on the way. He needs to figure out how to let go of his parents who disowned him for being gay and sort through the way they used religion against him. Alexei understands that God does not share the values his parents say they're living by, but that is quite a lot to process. Fortunately, he has like 2000 miles to do so. But he doesn't factor Ben into his plans. Ben, who is funny and handsome and charming. Ben who is on the PCT because he wants time to explore before he returns home to Nashville to begin his career as a nurse in the geriatric field. He doesn't seem to see himself the way Alexei sees him, but they've got a whole lot of miles to work through that too.

Their chemistry is electric from the first moment they meet, in my opinion, but in a very... natural feeling way. The way that when you meet certain people you wonder about them for a while even if you don't spend all that much time together. There's a spark that could become nothing, but obviously, given this is a romance novel, that's not what happens and that spark turns into a whole lot more. I just absolutely adored the way Kelly wrote this book and I loved every bit of it. A million stars from me!

Drop everyting and add Something Wild & Wonderful to your TBR. Better yet, just find the book and read it.

Alexei is determined to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Having recently come out to his parents without acceptance, he is ready for a fresh start.

Ben is also determined to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. He's studying to become a nurse and is ready for an adventure in the mean time. He's used to people accepting that he is gay.

Both meet on the Pacific Crest Trail and what happens next is something both wild and wonderful.

I highly recommend Something Wild & Wonderful, Anita Kelly's sophomore novel. Kelly has a wonderful way with words that had me hooked and not wanting to put the book down. I enjoyed the little tidbits about the trail and felt both character's points of view. Both Ben and Alexei had journeys to go on and each were heartwarming. The content warnings at the beginning of this novel were appreciated. I cannot wait to read what Anita Kelly puts out next.

Thank you Forever publishing and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This book is a wonderfully sweet story of learning to love yourself before you can love someone else. The backdrop of the hiking trail was fascinating and so well done. The author's knowledge of what it was like to be part of that environment was amazingly well researched. Everything about this book pulled me in and charmed me. The two leads were very distinct and well-matched, and I loved seeing their journey evolve. This book is warm and comforting. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author. This book was an amazing find. As always, thanks to NetGally for the ARC copy!

Anita Kelly always writes with this distinctive tenderness that always makes my heart full. They know how to express human emotions that makes their characters endearing, relatable (even if our shared experiences aren't the same), and unforgettable. Add the backdrop of the Pacific Crest Trail and the experience of reading this is as breathtaking as the reviews. Kelly shows us yet again that among your people you can find your full truth and be loved as you deserve to be.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to! If I didn’t have the audiobook, I don’t know if I would’ve gotten as into it as I did. I found the beginning a little slow and boring. But the single word exclamations that Alexei and Ben shared kept me going. So charming.

I found this to be a beautiful story of growth for both Ben and Alexei. I learned a lot about hiking the PCT and loved the autism representation.

My favorite part? When Alexei pulls out Alanna: The First Adventure. My Tamora Pierce loving heart lost it.

The audiobook was done really well. The voice actors did a great job! It was easy to understand and the pace was done well.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Anita Kelly is an auto read author for me now after reading both of their books!

I really enjoyed the strangers to lovers trope in this book. There was queer love, self exceptance, and just a great time hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

There was this amazing soft kind of love blossoming in this while Ben and Alexei were getting to know each other disowned. He meets Ben and they go on this journey together.

I felt so much for these guys and their journey while hiking 2,000+ miles. Alexei goes on the PCT to figure things out and have a spirtual journey after being disowned from his parents. At times I wanted more about the actual trail, but I think this had great descriptions of that.

I have just recently gotten into hiking and wanting to hike so this book was very timely for me on that front. I highly recommend this to fans of Love and Other Disasters, hiking, and queer romances!
4 stars

Both main characters are fleshed out well, and that each comes from different backgrounds (e.g., geographic, familial relationships, ethnicities) helps define them as individuals and how they navigate their budding relationship. There were no real moments that felt “out of character” just for the sake of drama, which I find is often the case in romance novels. The setting of the PCT trail helps provide adventure and plot outside of just romantic, and the descriptions of the trail life felt authentic and beautiful. I also appreciated the care given to rendering an autistic character alongside a neurotypical one.

My heart! If I didn't LOVE the hiking details and nature descriptions, I still would have fallen in love with Ben and Alexei and their sweet souls.

This was an adorably cute queer love story set against a gorgeous setting with some deep backstories.

Alexei and Ben and their love story had me giggling one minute and crying the next. These two leads were the shining stars of this book.

Sadly, I felt like the main plot of this story dragged a bit and was kind of boring which is why I dropped the rating down to three stars.

It is so hard to rate this book honestly. I loved so much of it. It is heartbreaking and hopeful. And also super slow. I understand the reason for the pace, but I found myself not super invested in the slower hiking parts. But about 50% in this book takes a shift and then I flew through it.

I loved Alexei so much. His quiet demeanor. His inner strength but also just being so adrift. The last 50 pages or so were extremely emotional and beautiful. As a parent, this feels like a PSA for how to love your children, and how not to. And the ways we don’t or won’t accept our kids can have devastating consequences.

“You raised me to believe that family and faith were everything. How can you take that away from me and not expect me to crumble”

I’ve never read an LGBTQIA+ book with some much faith but I actually loved how Alexei grappled with his understanding of faith and god and how to reconcile what he was raised to believe with what he needed.

Overall, this book is one you won’t get through without crying. And I think you should definitely read it.

I just don't think this author's works are for me. This is the second book I've read by Anita Kelly, and both didn't work for me and I can't properly pinpoint why. I wasn't really invested in the romance and didn't find myself actively rooting for them, although I can't tell you why it didn't work. Yes, it's a bit insta-lovey but considering the circumstances these two meet that is kind of understandable. They do form a really strong emotional bond as well, besides just having an almost instant attraction to each other, and quite a lot of cute moments together. So technically this romance should have worked for me. It just didn't. I think it might be because both leads have A LOT going on personally and I think they needed a lot more work done personally before I could see them in a relationship. Sadly enough, this book kind of cuts of right after both have had their personal journeys. I would have liked seeing more of them after the trial and getting to know each other in the "real world". I think I might have been more on board then, but I can't be too fully sure of that. I really like the setting of the trial though. It was a great setting for this novel and a great way to frame these characters' journeys as well. I don't think I will ever pick up another book by this author because their books just aren't for me, but I definitely would never recommend anyone against reading them.

(4.5 stars)
I was lucky to read an excerpt several months ago of Something Wild and Wonderful and I loved it. I later got access to the full novel and somehow didn’t make the time to read it until just now. Bad move - this was a great book.

Something Wild and Wonderful is a sensitive look at two young men who meet while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). They are both there for different but similar reasons; they both have emotional issues to come to terms with. Alexei was raised in a very conservative, religious home and his parents basically disowned him when he came out as gay. Ben has been trying to get his life together, after drifting from one job to another, and has recently gotten his nursing degree. They meet by chance and the results are simply magic. They become friends before they become lovers. While there are definitely some detailed steamy scenes, I felt the emphasis on the book was on the emotional journey of these two young men.

In addition to dealing with the feelings of Alexei and Ben, the author brings to life the beauty of the PCT, from the desert to the mountains and the woods. I could really feel Alexei’s love of the outdoors (especially loved his knowledge of birds!) and sympathized with his need for trees!

This is my first book by Anita Kelly and it won’t be the last.

"Because maybe, You're gonna be the one that saves me, And after all, You're my wonderwall" (OASIS)

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I was a bit late to it. I bounced between the ARC and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The narrator, Mark Sanderlin, did a great job with the various voices. All opinions are my own.

Anita Kelly is one of my new absolute favorite authors I love her queer representation in books. Reading about the Pacific Northwest made me wish I was there. I loved this book so much and have recommended it to everyone I know!

Kelly once again blows me away with this 2SLGBTQIA+ romance; it’s the perfect melding of romance, self-discovery and a love letter to the great outdoors. Kelly's characters are complex and incredibly likable. Alexei and Ben's journeys aren't just physical, they're each looking for something along the trail but unexpectedly find each other. Oh and the OPS scenes are deliciously spicy. Additionally, it was great seeing Dahlia & London from Love & Other Disasters. I've never hiked or been to the West Coast but Kelly's descriptions of the sights and sounds of the PCT made me feel like I was there. While there are plenty of sweet and humorous moments, Kelly deftly tackles some heavier topics, so be sure check the CWs. And be sure to have some Kleenex when you read the epistolary section, so good! If this book isn’t on your TBR, then you need to add it now. Highly Recommend!


I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

This was an enjoyable romance that I didn't want to put down. I loved the main characters and the story was well developed.

From its opening scene, Something Wild and Wonderful reeled me in. Alexei Lebedev is just starting out in a brand new life chapter–emotionally and physically–as he sets off to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Despite his quiet and reserved nature, he steps in to save a fellow hiker from crossing paths with a rattlesnake.

From there, Alexei and Ben Caravalho seemed to be destined to run into each other again. They decide to hike together, learning more about each other and themselves as they trek hundreds of miles. It’s a soft, tender book that also tackles tough issues with such care.

This entire reading experience was a peaceful, immersive, brain-tickling hug of a journey. It’s like a hike you know is going to be kind of tough but you know it’ll be worth it. You’ll get breathless. You’ll probably cry. (If you cry over basically everything.) You might have to take a break bc you just feel… so much. But you push through. And you get to the end. The endorphins kick in. It kinda hurts but in the best possible way. It’s so freaking exhilarating. Yeah. I guess the book is kinda like that. It’s an emotional read that will make your feelings feel feelings, and the hard-fought HEA will make your heart burst. The setting is spectacular–vivid detail that makes it easy to visualize every scene but doesn't take away from the plot or character journeys. Epistolary elements are my absolute jam, and the way it’s executed here… it’s just… it’s just perfection.

That authors are taking time to write us the ND experiences and main characters we (might not know we) need is validating at the least and life-changing at the most. So a million thank-yous to Anita for gifting us with this treasure. Not just a 2023 favorite but a forever favorite. Thanks to Forever for the digital review copy.

OH, MAN! I honestly didn’t really expect to be interested in this book. I loved the authors previous work, so I was willing to give it a shot, but absolutely NOTHING about hiking is interesting to me.
…or so I thought!
That’s the power of great fiction, though. Even an unappealing setting can be the basis for a story that stirs depth and even brings the reader to tears (multiple times. Me, I’m the reader!). And the spice! Wooh!
Overall, this was a classic story about two men who came to the same place to find themselves, and found each other instead. What sets this apart, in my mind, was the ways the author chose to still bring the characters to their OWN forward journey, also. Definitely a must-read, and I hope they keep expanding this universe.

This is a lovely book about two men finding love in an unexpected place: while hiking together. I liked learning about the two characters' histories and the difficult things in their past (particularly Alexei). I enjoyed the chemistry between them. And I enjoyed the way the relationship grew. I think this book was one I liked even more than Anita Kelly's previous book.