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!

Anita Kelly's Love & Other Disasters was one of my favorite romances I read in 2022, so I was very excited to read their new novel and it definitely did not disappoint. This book was such a sweet and unique romance. I absolutely loved the setting on the Pacific Crest Trail and how it was used as a way to bring together different people that had their own very different reasons for wanting to endure this hike. It was hard to put this one down once I started and it only faltered a little bit for me when the characters left the trail.

Heads up that this book does deal a lot with homophobia and the grief that comes with being disowned by one's family. It was all treated so well and it was rewarding to see so much character growth over the course of the book from both main characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing access to this ARC.

Something Wild & Wonderful is the story of Alexei and Ben, two men seeking a transformational experience while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Both men seek to leave behind their troubled pasts and find a new version of themselves in the wild isolation of the PCT, but after a chance encounter with a rattlesnake makes their paths cross, their plans for solitude are abandoned. What follows is a heartbreaking and beautiful story about two men who see each other in ways they cannot see themselves. This book is my favorite romance I have read so far and I can't wait for it to be released so everyone can experience the joy I felt reading it. Ultimately it's about finding home in the least likely place.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary ARC of this book through NetGalley. My review is my honest opinion.

CW: Homophobic language used briefly

Something Wild & Wonderful follows Alexei ( Lex) and Ben who are hiking the Pacific Coast Trail. Lex and Ben meet when Lex warns him about a rattlesnake. They end up going their own way. But Lex and Ben keep running into each other, so they decide to hike together. They end up learning a lot about each other and realize they might have feelings for each other. Sometimes you just find love when you least expect it.

This was such a cute romance book. It was similar to Christiana Lauren's book Something Wilder. However, this book dealt with both characters coming to terms with who they are. You saw their love story develop from strangers to lovers. I really enjoyed that because I haven't read a lot of romance books where that is the case. I thought this book was beautifully written. I love how in both of the Anita Kelly books I've read she focuses on queer experiences. This book was so beautiful and I highly recommend it. I also suggest Love & Other Disasters ( which was the first book I read in 2022). I can not wait to read more books by her.

Thank you Anita Kelly, Forever Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thanks you Forever Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Such a charming and romantic book! Alexei is hiking the PCT because he’s recently lost his family had he figures he can use the time to begin to reinvent himself. Ben’s been through bad relationships ships and struggled with where he wants to go in like. He figures he can do the PCT and then get back to a more serious life. When the two meet on the trail sparks fly and when they keep meeting they decide they need to hike together for a while. Can they hike without deeper feelings growing? What about the pieces of themselves they were trying to connect with on the hike? I liked that both Alexei’s and Ben’s struggles and difficulties were real and relatable! I connected a lot with Alexei and his feelings of loneliness and the idea of throwing yourself into something to try and keep from feeling it, though we do it in very different ways! I loved the supporting characters both on and off the trail! I like the idea that because of the length of the trail and the isolation you could meet a stranger and really get to know them! I love that even in that isolation they have their ups and downs! I loved this book and can’t recommend it enough! Can’t wait to read it again!

Wow! It might still be early January, but I'm sure this will be one of the best books I read this year!

Alexei was so strong with everything he was dealing with, having his parents disown him and taking to the PCT to find himself and learn who he wanted to be on his own. I don't see Alexei as being a 'grumpy' person, he was just very reserved due to his upbringing and later diagnosis. Ben was so wonderful with Alexei, allowing him to have the quiet space he needed to just think and process his changes.

I thought that Alexei and Ben balanced each other well, and there were times that one of them was strong and supportive for the other just like a well balanced couple should be.

There were so many point in this book that had me in tears because Alexei was so damn relatable for me, and while he and Ben had a vastly different experience in being gay, both were accurate to what it's really like to be queer.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my opinion.

Something Wild & Wonderful is a soft, sweet story that feels like a cozy blanket on a mild summer day.

I thoroughly enjoyed Alexei and Ben's stories. Their story in finding one another. Tagging along as they not only made their way through the PCT but through their own personal journeys was such a joy. And while not every part of their journey was easy, they stayed so honest with themselves and with one another. I remain completely entranced by Anita Kelly's ability to craft such beautiful characters who compliment one another so well. Who make me swoon and giggle and wish I could meet them in real life.

SW&W contains mental health rep, queer rep, a diverse cast, inclusive language, beautiful and descriptive scenery, and a careful handling of important topics in our daily lives.

4.5⭐️
2.5🌶

Thank you NetGalley, Anita Kelly, and Hachette Book Group for an ARC of Something Wild & Wonderful in exchange for my honest review!

Ohmygoodness.
This book was absolutely devastatingly beautiful. I loved that the majority of the story takes place on the PCT, and the author did an amazing job establishing the setting and painting pictures of the trails and locations the MCs hiked. I honestly felt like I was there.

This was, at its core, a story of discovery. Both MCs make their journey on PCT for different goals, and end up discovering so many things about themselves, about life, about love, and about their pasts. I loved the strong undertone of hope woven throughout this book, and despite the challenges they faced, I never stopped rooting for Ben and Alexei.

Ugh! I don’t even know what else to say about this book other than I really really loved it. This book was just overall really fucking beautiful, and will live in my head for quite a while.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Forever. All opinions are my own.

Positives:

- Snake. “Snake.”
- We love a bird nerd
- I enjoyed their silence
- Alexei has mom friend energy
Really sweet that he helped Ben with snow anxiety
- NICKNAME ALERT pls stop
- Yeahh once you notice someone’s back-of-the-neck muscles, it’s game over
- Big boo to Alexei’s parents
- Ben is clearly upset about Alex’s parents
- I want to wrap Lex in blankets & protect him at all costs
- LEX READ TO BEN OUT LOUD HELP
- Yes to weird sad dinosaurs & Burger King
- I think an imminent coyote threat is one of the most original one bed scenes
- Their zero day date 🥹🥹
- Alexei JUST TALK ABOUT YOUR DAMN FEELINGS
- The cutest reunion (I really need to read Tamora Pierce)
- A+ smut
- Meeting the fam 🥹🥹
- I could feel Alexei’s anxiety spiral after he left puzzling with Luis & it broke my heart
- Alexei you absolute walnut you CANT JUST LEAVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
- Ben’s anger is justified
- ALEXEI YOU ARE NOT BROKEN
- These letters are gut-wrenching, Anita Kelly. How dare you.
- Alina 5ever
- THE TATTOO THIS BOOK IS TRYING TO KILL ME

Negative:
- switch to written correspondence was a bit jarring
- Didn’t love keeping track of what was actually sent vs not sent

Anita Kelly has really created a special story here. Two men are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail for their own reasons and end up sparking a friendship that turns into one of the healthiest relationships I've ever encountered in fiction. The self reflection, (mostly) open communication, consideration for each other's experiences, space, journaling, consent, support, and references to therapy made this counselor's heart so happy. This book is easy to read and made me miss my hard core hiking days.

Anita Kelly roped me in with their novel Love & Other Disasters. So much so, I read the book twice in a year, something unheard of for me. I was really excited to get my hands on an arc copy of Something Wild & Wonderful and did not disappoint. Just like with L&OD, I really enjoyed the alternation narrations each chapter, it gave me insight into who Ben and Alexei were. As far as queer romance goes, Kelly has it down and I can't wait to see what they do next.

What a beautifully gay way to start the year. I love Anita Kelly's writing, and this story was everything I could have hoped for. The writing made me feel like I was on the trail with them at many points, and I loved getting to read through this journey with Ben and Alexei. Seeing them both learn to trust themselves and to communicate with each other in a healthy and kind way was really lovely. I didn't know I needed a love story set on the PCT, but wow, I really did. Thank you, Netgalley and Read Forever for the chance to read this one early!

We don’t deserve Anita’s beautiful stories… this was so emotional. After reading the synopsis, I knew my feelings were going to end up very raw with this book, and it happened. I loved it so much.

I wanted to hug Alexei for a hundred days. As someone who, personally, strongly rejects the idea of any religion (no shade to people who believe, of course), I wanted to (physically) fight his parents. My heart hurts so much for all the queer people that have been disowned by their families because of a religion. I really cannot comprehend. Anyway, this book, the romance… it was Alexei’s catharsis. Ben also got to get over terrible stuff thanks to the hike and meeting Alexei, but for me, the biggest protagonist of this story was Lex and I loved seeing himself living the life he deserved free of guilt and hate.

I would say this book is not a light romance, but one that everyone needs to read (if you’re not triggered). I adored Ben and Lex together, they were so perfect for each other. Everything that happens in this book needed to happen, and it has one of the most satisfying HEAs in the world.

TW: Homophobia, religious trauma, past abusive relationship

Rating: 4/5
Steam level: Open door, 3-4 scenes, medium level of detail

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for my ARC. Opinions are my own!

I’m not a romance fan at all, but when Love and Other Disasters was an option on Book of the Month, I decided to give it a go. I absolutely loved that book, so when I heard Anita had another book coming out, I just had to read it. Huge thank you to NetGalley for making that happen in exchange for an open and honest review.

This book definitely has a slow pace, going over the boys’ hiking for quite some time. It took me a while to get into it. What made it interesting though for me was the depth of the characters: how both Alexie and Ben are on their journey to finding and becoming what they hope to be better versions of themselves. Then, on their journey to do that, they find love in each other. It’s a very beautiful story that will have you laughing, smiling, and saying “aww” while also including some spice.