Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill is a captivating wildlife adventure full of romance, exploration, and self-discovery. It is an engaging read of a grumpy-sunshine romance with lots of drama and romance. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Natalie Hart is adept at sporting a positive demeanor even when circumstances around her are less than ideal, like they have been lately. That is why, when she is offered a place on a reality challenge called Wild Co-Edventures, she jumps at the chance to compete for the $100,000 grand prize. Unfortunately, the show requires more than just survival in the wilds of the Appalachian Trail; Natalie must also learn to collaborate with her surly partner, Finn. When the cameras are turned off, however, their real personalities come to the surface, and the two unlikely teammates find more than friendship on their journey.

This enjoyable, fast-paced new adult novel is a charming blend of quirky personalities and safe levels of danger. The slow-burning enemies to lovers romance component is expertly paced, as well, and though it is obvious from the beginning what will happen, the journey getting there is a delight. While the story is told in the first person from Natalie’s perspective, readers are still surprised at points when her inner feelings become more obvious, and these revelations endear readers to her and her experience. Likewise, details about Finn’s backstory appear at appropriate moments and permit readers to further connect with him, as well.

As this is a new adult novel, there are occasions of strong language, romance, and mental health challenges found within the narrative. Though these are lighter than some other stories for this age group, it is worth noting that this novel is best suited to mature readers. It is these inclusions that help the novel feel authentic in its representation of college students who are struggling to embrace their individual identities, and for that reason this book is both a pleasure read and a cathartic investigation of the experience of entering adulthood. Well-designed, enjoyable, and filled with charming characters, this is an excellent addition to contemporary fiction collections for new adult readers.

”I feel lucky that by random chance, I could do this with him by my side. Falling for Finn was the easiest part of wild adventures. I didn’t even have to try, and I couldn’t have stopped if I wanted to.”
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Natalie Hart is a college freshman who has recently been diagnosed with anxiety as well as lost her merit scholarship. In an attempt to get back the recently lost money, she applies for Wild Adventures, an outdoor survival reality TV show with scholarship money being the prize. Although Natalie doesn't have much experience with the outdoors she is excited for the adventure! When she gets paired up with the very outdoorsy and experienced but grumpy Finn Markum they have to learn to navigate their differences to reach their end goal and get the scholarship money.
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This cover is everything and made me so excited to read this book. I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately so I was ecstatic when I loved this one as much as I did. This book was so sweet and perfect for summer. I loved both of our main characters their chemistry was so well done and although the grumpy/sunshine did switch pretty early on that did not bother me at all. I loved the anxiety representation in Natalie and how quickly Finn became accustomed and in tune with her.
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Overall this book was too freaking cute and I am begging you all to pick it up once it is released on May 21st.
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Tropes
grumpy/sunshine
forced proximity
reality TV

All the giggles and smiles over this story! This was such a cute book!
Fans of Survivors Amber and Rob might just die over this one:)
The banter between Natalie and Finn was so perfect and felt so real! I found myself smiling throughout my whole time reading it!
The way that heavier topics like grief and anxiety was handled with so much care just shows how much the author cares about her characters🫶🏼
Natalie is such a girls girl, I just know we would be besties :) she’s so relatable!
I was so surprised at myself, but I did tear up during a couple specific parts:’)
You’ll have to read it and find out why…
I will definitely be rereading asap!
I already pre-ordered a physical copy:)
Highly, highly recommend!!!

Kaitlyn Hill once again slams home an absolute gem of a romance! I don’t think anyone else could make being outdoors seem somehow both fun and romantic. A true grumpy/sunshine masterpiece. I am a Finnatalic for life!!

The writing style had me hooked on Nat and Finn. The banter and the Adventure contest was so fun. I liked how the author tackled anxiety issues, which reflects feelings of how many of us feel daily.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. A big thank you to NetGalley and
Random House Children's for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I spent the afternoon/early evening focusing on finishing my ARC of Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill and I really really enjoyed it! I love that all of Kaitlyn Hill’s books have centered around some sort of competition show or reality show. I definitely think it’s a fun little niche that she’s created for herself and she does it very well.

Based on Hill’s previous books, I expected a funny and enjoyable YA contemporary romance, which is what I got, but I also loved how much of the characters' journeys were in processing and coping with their respective anxiety and grief. I love stories where characters have close relationships with their grandparents, and I loved reading about the bond that Natalie had with Granny Star and I could really relate to the grief she was experiencing after her grandmother’s death. Especially since her grandma was the only person in her family who supported her. That really broke my heart because like Natalie, I was heavily involved with theatre in high school (I still am as it’s literally my job) but unlike Natalie, I had/have incredibly supportive parents who proudly and loudly encouraged me to pursue my passion and I found it so disheartening that Natalie’s parents completely rejected her theatrical pursuits. Natalie actually reminded me a lot of Elle Woods in the sense that almost everyone around her underestimated her and believed her to be less capable than she was simply because she was pretty and enjoyed wearing makeup/putting effort into her appearance.

I loved the development of Natalie and Finn’s friendship and relationship. They were a very fun grumpy x sunshine pair, and their interactions early on made me laugh and were definitely a little awkward and stilled, which then made it so much sweeter once they started to open up to one another. They had some wonderful open and honest discussions about grief and how grief, once you experience it with the loss of a family member especially, is a lifelong process that ebbs and flows. As fun and funny as this book was, there were also some really beautiful moments and that made it a very enjoyable read.

It's not secret that I completely and utterly adore Kaitlyn Hill books. After reading this one, I'm proud to say that I completely and utterly adore them even more ferally.

With outdoor shenanigans, unhinged humor, and a portrayal of anxiety that I felt so deeply, of someone loving you through all your messiest parts, but also finding the ability to find yourself amongst the angst inside your own head. I cannot overstate how much love this book filled me with.

Kaitlyn Hill has done it again. I have loved all her other books, and this one was no different. When I saw that the book was on NetGalley I jumped at the opportunity to read it. So thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sticking with her theme of writing about young adults in reality tv, Hill tackled an amazing race style game show. Random strangers teamed up to hike part of the Appalachian Trail and complete tasks along the way. All for the prize of a $100,000 scholarship. Enter Natalie, a girl who desperately needs the scholarship money. She’s bubbly, talkative, and recently was diagnosed with anxiety. She got paired up with Finn, a broody grumpy teen. Cue the adversaries to lovers montage of fights, disagreements, and unexpected moments of sweetness. Sharing a tent because someone was scared? Yes please!

I truly loved this book, in fact, I loved it so much that I was dreading finishing it. I didn’t want the story to end. I was giggling at times and leaning into the emotional aspects at other times. This was definitely a well rounded book.

This book surprised me in the best way. I don't usually read romances with narrators this age but I really liked the way the adventure played into these characters falling in love. Really good read!

wild about you 🍃
⟶ 3.80 stars ✮

that is a really specific rating I know but i felt like 3.75 was too low and 4 was just too high so here we are.

🌷”I feel lucky that by random chance, I could do this with him by my side. Falling for Finn was the easiest part of wild adventures. I didn’t even have to try, and I couldn’t have stopped if I wanted to.”🌷

they’re just so adorable I love them <33

🌸 plot 🌸
natalie hart is not an outdoorsy girl. she hates hiking, she doesn’t enjoy sleeping in a tent. but when she loses her college scholarship and sees the prize money for the wild adventures reality show, it seems she has no other choice.

that’s where she meets finn. the quiet, shy, nature-obsessed boy. her COMPLETE OPPOSITE. she’s loud and bubbly and he.. well he growls and grunts a lot 🙂 they become teammates, he doesn’t like her very much but they develop a sweet friendship and.. surprise surprise, they fall in love.

🏕️ tropes

➵ grumpy x sunshine
➵ reality show
➵ one tent trope
➵ anxiety representation
➵ (kinda) friends to lovers

🫶🏼 what i liked 🫶🏼

જ⁀➴ NATALIE 💗

she was super cute and likeable. she kinda reminds me of Indy from the right move who is literally my fav fmc ever 🥹 despite finn’s rudeness at first, she still tried to befriend him and make peace with him even though he was being so shitty to her for no reason 🙁 she was also the most relatable queen ever like girl same i’d also rather be at home with an iced latte and my skincare rather than hiking and camping for a gazillion hours. the author also did the anxiety rep so well and i like that we got to see beyond the sunshine exterior of hers <3

❤️‍🩹 ”maybe I never get others’ affirmation or pride because I don’t actually deserve it” ❤️‍🩹

I hated that she kept feeling like she wasn’t enough bc I truly do adore her so much. but also I get it bc probably everyone’s had these thoughts once in their life, I know I do.

🌵what I didn’t love 🌵

જ⁀➴ FINN (AT THE START)

someone tell me why was this man SO RUDE!?!? im not kidding he needs to learn manners bc why are you shouting at a girl you’ve known 2 days 🤨 why are you telling her that she messes up everything and she shouldn’t even be here.. sir do you know this woman!? NO. SO SHUT UP.

ok this looks like I really hate him but he was so mean. even when she did things right he never showed her any validation (at the start) and that just kinda annoyed me. ALSO. THE GROWLING went crazy. is this man a wolf? is he a bear? why does he keep making animal noises.

the character development came and then i fell in love with him <33 so all is right in the world again. they’re so cutesie 🙈

<b><u> 🪷 the end 🪷</u></b>
sorry for the short-ish review but im kinda sleepy heheh. overall, this was fun and cute. took me wayyy too long to finish but i blame school HAHAH. I recommend <3

HAPPY READING POOKIES, AND GOODNIGHT 🌻

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

I loved this book! The writing style had me hooked on Nat and Finn. The banter was outstanding and the Adventure contest was so fun. I also loved how the author tackled anxiety issues, it reflected feelings a lot of us feel daily. Great book!!

This book was entirely OK. If you are looking for a sweet rom-com with a fun meet-cute then you will enjoy this one. It definitely didn't draw me in enough to read in one sitting, but I kept pushing through and mostly enjoyed it. I am a local to the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area so it was enjoyable to read that setting for sure. Natalie was a fun "sunshine" character, but I thought Finn was too nice to be labeled "grumpy" for most of the book. I did love Harper and wouldn't mind actually reading more about Alli/Enemi - perhaps she will turn over a new leaf (pun intended - IYKYK).

***Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publishing in exchange for my honest review!

This was a sweet take on the grumpy/sunshine trope, set during a reality show on the Appalachian Trail (think “The Amazing Race” College Edition). Finn and Natalie (and some of their fellow competitors) on Wild Adventures were well-rounded characters, and I particularly liked how the author handled the focus on Natalie coming to terms with her anxiety diagnosis. It was also interesting to get different takes, though both are from Natalie’s POV, on how both Finn and Natalie processed their grief over the death of a family member (parent and grandparent, respectively). And the humor is great, the banter between competitors had me laughing embarrassingly loud! It was also sweet to see Natalie developing a lasting friendship with Harper alongside her romantic relationship with Finn.

I did find all the competitors to read a bit young for 19-year-olds, and Natalie’s about-face from “Finn is annoying” to “Finn is hot once he takes his shirt off, let’s make out” a bit jarring. Although I loved the depiction of Natalie’s relationship with Granny Star, I also found myself wishing that her parents’ benign neglect would have been expanded on more rather than described offscreen to make some of their reactions (and non-actions) a bit more believable. But overall a funny, sweet, one-afternoon light romcom—go Team Finnatalie! 4.5/5 stars

Absolutely loved this!! It was cute and original with a fun plot and characters. I was also happy to find that it was clean, so that I can share it with my daughter!!

THis was really cute, but definitely for YA readers and I think I was just the wrong audience for it.

I love a good grumpy/sunshine and found the premise, the challenges, the story, everything to be cute, but just a smidge too young for me.

I cannot resist a good reality show story! This book is a fun trip (a wild ride, pun intended).

I think, though, what I liked most is that the characters experienced a depth of emotions. It wasn't only a simple romcom. The characters struggle with anxiety and grief, and the author treats these hard topics with sensitivity - and humor!

I also liked the Kentucky Appalachian setting! If you haven't been, you're missing such a unique part of the US. (Although maybe not the survival part!)

Natalie is just such a refreshing and relatable character. I adore her.

Definitely check out this book!

I've loved this author's other two novels and couldn't wait to dive into this one.

Natalie and Finn are partners on a scholarship competition show, hiking apportionment of the AT. And as someone who is not outdoorsy (I love a hammock by the lake for the day but that's the extent 🤣 or a drink on the patio!!) But who also grew up watching survivor from the beginning (like season 1 beginning) this was such a fun read! I loved the challenges, I loved how the plot felt realistic for possible sophomores in college, the musical theater references were right up.my alley, and I loved watching sparks fly and chemistry build. There was some tougher subjects but I think they were handled appropriately for a YA novel. There were some laugh out loud moments and amazing conversations as Finn and Natalie's friendship grew into more and some very sweet gestures worthy of your fav romcom.



Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Romance for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Loved the storyline and it will make you laugh along the way but I didn't care much about the writing style. Too me, it sounded more like a diary instead of a novel.
It is a YA novel and I will recommend this one for others.
I'm sorry but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
The cover was cute too. Makes you want to jump in with the two characters and stay there.
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Now this was grumpy sunshine done RIGHT! 😍
Finn was such a JERK at the beginning. Natalie wasn't much of an outdoors girl, but she had a lot to offer and no matter how badly Finn treated her, she didn't let up or give up. Eventually her personality wore him down and he finally got to know her and appreciate her as a teammate, as well as making up for how he treated her ☺️
It was a slow burn, with instant attraction on her side, but they became friends first before starting to fall for each other.
Just when things were getting good and cute moments began to happen.....Then Natalie started getting in her head. I get she had anxiety to deal with, but what others told her weren't wrong either. It was annoying but.....I get it. Now Finn had work to be the one to get Natalie to think more positively and I LOVED how Hill went about writing that.
It was all so real, organic, beautiful and sweet. My idea of a romance 🥰
100% need to buy this!
Loved the contest challenges, the slow burn, the friendships forms and support each character got. It was all just so well written and I felt like I was really watching them film bts! Haha Such a fun read! 🤩