An absolutely gorgeous slow-burn romance that touches on some very deep emotional themes, Something Wild & Wonderful made me laugh, cry, clutch at my heart and get literally nothing else done until I'd reached the final page. Anita Kelly really has a gift for writing queer love stories that explore serious emotional issues while simultaneously displaying the deep love and joy available when a person wholeheartedly accepts and embraces who they are and opens themselves up to the possibility that they could have everything they ever dreamed of. I can't wait for their next sweet, sexy, incredibly touching love story. What a true joy this book was to read.

AMAZING
BEAUTIFUL
LOVELY
WILD
WONDERFUL
ok so this was one of the best books I’ve ever read. I was told it would be, but somehow it still surprised me. my heart literally feels bigger after finishing this, if you can believe that. alexei and ben are just perfection and this story was so so wonderful.
I would absolutely never hike even a few miles, let alone 2K+ but this somehow made me want to forget my whole life and trek through deserts and coastlines and mountains and lakes to fall in love with the world and myself the way these two got to.

PLEASE pick this one up, you absolutely will love it. ALSO an extra little perk if you’ve read Anita’s Love & Other Disasters you’ll get a little taste of Dahlia and London and where they are now.

This story absolutely stole my heart. I savored every page and teared up so many times. Anita Kelly’s writing in this book is so tender, so lovely and soft, you just cannot help but lap it up.

Ben and Alexei are perfect characters individually and absolutely beautiful together. I loved that we get to see them in so many different scenarios even as most of their journey is literally just the two of them. Watching them fall in love and bring out the best in each other was awesome. I felt a bit like their friends, watching them interact and sighing and thinking “you deserve this”.

One of the highlights of this book for me was Alexei’s exploitation of his faith in light of his upbringing and his parent’s rejection. When Kelly writes “See? This is love. Like I love you. Do you understand?” I cried my eyes out. Because it’s true - every experience of love here is a reflection of God in us. I hope Alexei found that church.

Content warnings: Alexei’s parents reject him after he comes out; there’s a scene where Ben and Alexei encounter folks on the trail who use homophobic language and slurs

I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book. All opinions are my

This book was wonderful! So much more than I expected and a real page turner for me. The setting and hiking was really well illustrated in the writing. I loved reading about hiking the PCT and just enjoying the great outdoors while it's currently so cold and windy where I am. Had me dreaming of summer and sunshine.

The main characters in this book are easy to fall for and they have great chemistry. I was rooting for them to figure it out, and eager to know how it would all pan out. I usually struggle with the third act conflict in romance novels, this one made sense for the characters and I really enjoyed how the novel pivoted in it's storytelling at that point. There were also great side characters in here.

The book touched on some heavier themes, but doesn't let itself get bogged down by them. It really takes care to approach the subjects with dignity and not play them up for too much melodrama.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this, and will recommend to people.

This book really got to the heart of me, particularly with Alexei's story. Reading it felt both affirming and healing and I loved every single page! First of all, I adore hiking and being out in nature so reading about Ben and Alexei hiking the PCT was everything I could have wanted and more! I loved Alexei's birding knowledge, Ben's expert first aid/nursing skills, the tent sharing, the other thru-hikers, and the mixture of misadventures, danger, and tedium/pain that accompanies a long hike. Throughout it all are the deeply resonate stories of two men from very different backgrounds slowly falling in love. Anita Kelly fully fleshes out the characters, giving them rich interior lives, histories of both joy and pain, relatable struggles, and a complex yet easy to follow web of friends and family. There's so much truth and beauty in this book, and I especially liked the letter writing. For those who read Love & Other Disasters, Dahlia and London do make an appearance, and Julie's a big supporting character! This book is now one of my top favorite reads and I can't wait to buy a copy!

Alexei and Ben are both hiking the Pacific Coast Trail (PCT), but they are hiking for their own reasons. Alexei was rejected by his family and his faith after he came out. It has led him to questions himself and want to reinvent the person he is. He didn't expect to meet Ben walking the trail. Ben is hiking the trail after a string of bad relationships to find himself. Neither expected to have a connection with each other while on the trail. Their plans for the future are turned upside down and they have to decide if they are ready for something wild and wonderful to happen.

I have a soft spot for long trek hiking books. I have no idea why, I think it has something to do with you against nature and learning how to survive with nature, rather than trying to compete against it.

This book is a love story, but it is so much more. It is about processing trauma and pain, while finding yourself on the PCT. It is about discovery. It is about loving yourself and not being ashamed. It is about self worth. It is amazing. This book was such a beautiful, emotional journey and I was there for all of it. Alexei and Ben are two both wonderful people, trying to pick up the pieces of their lives and make sense of themselves and they find healing in each other and apart.

I loved that though this wasn't a sequel to Love & Other Disasters we got a cameo appearances by London and Dahlia.

Be aware that some of the content in this story can be tough, please be mindful if you need to. If you like books about love, acceptance and some long trek hiking, this is the book for you! Thank you to NetGalley and Forever publishing for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

Alexei is not expecting his hike on the PCT to start with a rattle snake. That’s exactly how it starts though. That and stopping another hiking for unknowingly stepping on said snake. While he isn’t expecting that, he for sure wasn’t expecting Ben. As the two begin to hike the trail together, things get a bit more complicated…for both of them.

I absolutely loved both Ben and Alexei! My heart just broke for Alexei and the way his family reacted when he came out to them. I thought the way he reacted to Ben was so understandable. After growing up in such a strict environment, I can only imagine how it would feel to actually fall for someone, while still struggling with everything you were taught growing up. I greatly enjoyed their adventures on the trail, their relationship, and how things fell apart and/or came back together.

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.