I have heard so many good things about Lynette Noni’s fantasy series so was excited to get a first look at this genre shift. I like the problematic nature of each of our main characters and feel the story will appeal heavily to the YA audience! I enjoyed there still being some high stakes in this contemporary romance book which you don’t always see! Overall I feel this is great for the target audience but can read slightly immature and chaotic at times. Great read!

3.5💫

thank you blackstone publishing & netgalley for this arc!!!

REVIEW (no spoilers!!!):

i don’t want this review to sound too negative bc it was suuuuuper cute. the characters were so sweet & it was a very wholesome plot w an endearing ending!!

there def were some things i didn’t like tho & the biggest thing was that the plot was so painfully unrealistic... it was about a famous actor who goes on a survival show.. w a fan…. to boost his image ...

i just rlly couldn't get over it bc every detail after that just added to the ridiculousness of the main plot...

i still did honestly enjoy it but i was also kinda rolling my eyes the whole time. ESPECIALLY the ending

Wandering Wild follows Charlie and Zander. Charlie is your everyday average teenage girl coping with the recent loss of her mother. Zander is a teenage heartthrob with an iffy reputation. In an effort to rescue his floundering public image, Zander’s agent sends him on a wilderness excursion with one lucky fan…. That lucky fan? You guessed it, it’s Charlie! Only she’s not exactly a fan of his at the moment due to his recent behavior. Charlie will do absolutely anything for her best friend Ember and what Ember wants is for Charlie to go on the adventure of a lifetime. So Charlie goes with (almost) no complaint. Their adventure turns out to be anything but safe and tame when an unfortunate accident forces them to separate from their survivalist host and his cameraman husband to continue on alone. Well…. Together but alone together. Anyway… Along the way, they learn so much about each other and realize that assumptions and first impressions are not always correct. The best part of these kinds of adventures is that the characters always learn a lot about each other but also about themselves and what they are made of.

Ok. I must start by saying that I have read and loved Lynette Noni’s work before. When I was offered this ARC, I was immediately sold! Noni has a way of writing her characters and their past trauma that makes them so relatable. I was rooting for these two kiddos before they even met. This story was told in alternating perspectives of the main characters and I don’t always love that. That said, it really worked for me in this story. It helped me empathize with both of them in a way I don’t think I could have if it had been written in only one perspective.

I was prepared for this to be cute and sweet and it definitely delivered on that front but it also gave me a good amount of personal growth for all characters and an ending to the adventure that I didn’t actually see coming. Definitely one of my favorite YA romance books in recent memory. Give me anything this woman writes, immediately please.

Huge thank you to Blackstone Publishing for offering this title for review via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited to read this new story from the incredible mind of Lynette Noni. After falling head over heels for her Prison Healer series, I will consume anything that she deigns to write. The idea of a movie star on a survival show with a fan sounded like the perfect mix of lighthearted fun and nail-biting adventure. Right out of the gate, it was evident that there was more to the characters than met the eye. I was immediately drawn in by Charlie and Zander and the things they left unspoken. Despite their reservations toward each other, the chemistry between them leapt off the page. Throughout the ordeals that they faced, I couldn't help but be charmed by their undeniable attraction toward each other and the lengths that they, especially Charlie, went through to resist it. While I felt that the pacing moved a bit too slow in the middle, the action picked up substantially around the 60% mark and didn't let up all the way through the end. With the knowledge that Charlie and Zander were going to find themselves alone in the wilderness literally being part of the blurb for the story, I expected things to go haywire for them much more quickly than they did. I kept thinking, "this is it!" only for everything to work out. Once the shoe dropped however, I was glued to the edge of my seat. "Zarlie" won my heart along the way and I rooted for them with my whole soul, both before and after their return to civilization. The trauma and emotional representation were extremely well written and I loved that each of the characters needs were addressed so thoroughly. The way that Noni brought everything together so beautifully at the end was perfect and oh so satisfying. I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion.

The Prison Healer series is one of my favorites so I was excited to see a new book from Lynette Noni. Wandering Wild isn’t fantasy, but I still really enjoyed the story.

I did think it was completely bonkers to send two 18 year-olds off to navigate the wilderness alone, but it’s fiction and needed for the plot, so it’s fine. I’m trying to escape reality when I read so I’m not judging anything too harshly on being realistic. Although, for the characters sake, what the producers did to them was so dirty.

Sometimes I have a hard time reading YA because the characters can seem really childish, but that wasn’t the case with this book. I really enjoyed Zander and Charlie and their growth throughout the story. And because this is YA, the main sexual tension was just when will they finally kiss (cut to me screaming JUST KISS ALREADY)!

ANYWAY, this book covers a lot of heavy topics (death of parent(s), cancer, suicide, DUI and probably others I’m forgetting), but it was really well done and still felt like a light read. I’m adding Lynette Noni to my auto-read author list after this one! She definitely proved she can do both fantasy AND contemporary romance!

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC.

Rating: 4 Stars
Spice Rating: 0 - YA
Publish Date: May 20th 2025
Will I purchase a physical copy? Yes! Once it’s released in paperback.

I went into Wandering Wild completely blind knowing who Lynette Noni was through the Prison Healer series so I was expecting an alien fantasy YA romance by cover alone (think Treasure Planet cuteness). So I was very surprised that it was a Bear Grylls x Emotionally Impactful contemporary YA. With that being said I think that this book is far better than my version of the story.

The book was so well written and it had me on the edge of my seat several times reading as fast as I could to see what would happen. At the same time emotion was so easily intertwined into the thrills that you feel like you are also walking and talking with Zander and Charlie (although I would have been able to accomplish anything they did)

Noni being able to switch genres so seamlessly is impressive and I am excited to see more books!

I actually don't know how to write a review for this book without spoiling it 😅 it is a young adult romance but it's more like trauma bonding. What the survival show directors did to them was really shitty. These poor teens had to endure so much 😭 I'm just satisfied with how it all worked out for them


⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

My request has finally been approved 🥹♥️ tysm Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing. I'm so excited for this book 💕💕

3.5 ⭐️

Wandering Wild is a cute, adventure rom com that definitely showcases some of the usual strengths in Lynette Noni’s writing. The eventual bond we see between our two main characters Charlie and Zander is adorable and Noni is very good at writing believable romantic chemistry. Another thing she does well is write exciting action sequences and this book has quite a few of those. The action is pretty nonstop once the book hits a certain point.

I did have some issues with the pacing in this book. The synopsis mentions that Zander and Charlie will get lost together with no cameras and crew. While I was reading I kept waiting for this to happen, and it didn’t occur until more than halfway through the book. I wish it had happened sooner because I feel like Zander and Charlie’s connection didn’t begin to develop until they were alone, and I would have loved to see more time for that to happen. This made the first half of the book really slow because it felt like I was still waiting for the promised book to start.

Once we do get to the two characters being alone and having to survive together, it’s very easy to read and cute and just a good experience. I’d love to read some more straight up romance books from Lynette Noni because she truly does always deliver something adorable!

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again—I love a good YA. And Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni reminded me exactly why. I finished this book in a single day!

Set against a high-stakes wilderness survival backdrop, this story is packed with tension, heart, and wholesome romance that had me rooting for Charlie and Zander from the beginning. Some moments had my heart racing and I was holding my breath right along with them.

Noni’s writing is beautiful, with touching reflections on grief, friendship, and healing. I loved it so much I immediately ordered The Prison Healer—I needed more of her words in my life.

Wandering Wild arrives in the US and Canada on May 20th! Huge thanks to @blackstonepublishing, @lynettenoni, and @netgalley for the ARC.

I hope you enjoy Charlie and Zander’s story as much as I did!

3.4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

It started off kind of rough, but it definitely got better as it went along.
I thought the plot was a little bit manufactured, and the character descriptions themselves had me rolling their eyes ("Zander Rune" has white hair and blue eyes and Charlie Hart has galaxy hair and violet eyes 😭).
At first, the book seemed to take itself a bit too seriously for my liking, and with the goofy characters and contrived plot, that didn't really warm me up to it. But when the characters finally started talking like actual human beings (i.e. when the stuff in the blurb actually came to pass), it was funny and charming.
I definitely wouldn't call it enemies to lovers though, the attraction was still definitely there from the very beginning.
Slight tangent, but the amount of times that their eyes were mentioned was actually kind of infuriating. It might just be me, but I don't stare into people's eyes to the extent that romance book characters seem to. And when I do, I don't notice sparks or feelings or hidden grief or whatever. To be honest, I hardly even notice the color.
And what was with all of the death-defying stuff??? Like don't get me wrong I enjoyed it, but it was definitely more intense than what I'm used to for a romcom lol
Judging from the beginning, I thought I wouldn't like this very much, but the book definitely turned it around in my view. I'm excited to (finally) read Prison Healer!

4.5 stars

I throughly enjoyed this book! An outlandish celebrity romance with a beautiful Australian setting that Lynette Noni does justice was a truly wonderful read. It was fast paced, engaging, swoon worthy, and perfect for a YA audience. Will definitely be recommending to my students.

Finally a new book from Lynette Noni! 👏🏻

Was this completely unrealistic? Absolutely. Did I eat this up anyway? 100%. I am a sucker for a celebrity romance. Add in the fact that she hates him at first and they go on a wilderness adventure where they narrowly avoid deadly consequences? Well sign me up!

I loved Charlie and Zander and even though they are teenagers who fell in love in 4 days, I just thoroughly enjoyed this crazy ride.

Content: kissing

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and Lynette Noni for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this book! The Australian setting made it even dreamier. I loved all of the adventures and thrills, even if sometimes they were a little unrealistic (that’s the fun of reading!) This book was super fun and quick to read. I loved the main characters.

I didn’t predict the exact twist at the end but had a feeling something was “off”! I was really happy with how the story finished off! Great book I’d recommend to others.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up..

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC! I’ve been a big fan of Lynette Noni’s for years now and was thrilled to see a new book of hers coming out!

I loved the unique setting and vibes of this book! It was definitely “out there” at times but that’s what books are for. I had a great time reading about the characters’ adventures and how they bonded throughout the story!

This book was fantastic and a very seamless transition for Lynette Noni from fantasy to contemporary. Very appropriate for YA audience. Have to suspend a lot of disbelief and the proofreading has not been done and will need to be substantial, but overall a great story that's different than the usual!

This was the PERFECT palette cleanser in between fantasy series and I loved every minute of the adventure! I am a big fan of the Prison Healer series and was ecstatic upon receiving my ARC approval. The stakes were way higher than I expected and once I started reading I could not put it down!
I loved the adventure! The drama! The main characters! And the romance was just so sweet and swoony!
Can you tell I really loved it?

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this arc opportunity!

I had high hopes for this book as I love stories about:

— two characters having to rely on each other to survive
— celebrities having relationships with non celebrities

That’s this book in a nutshell so I was definitely excited for it.

However, I just didn’t feel a romantic connection between the two characters. There’s a lot of soul searching and intimate details that each of them reveal to the other, but they didn’t have much chemistry or tension, despite Charlie supposedly “hating” Zander.

Also just a warning but there is a plot point that happens past the halfway point of the book that is revealed on the back cover. That’s a big pet peeve of mine, so if you’re at all interested in this book you’d be better off going in blind.

I also did not like the twist at the end. It kind of gave me the ick.

Overall this was an enjoyable YA contemporary. I loved the Australian setting!

Wow! I enjoyed this book so much! I thought it was super cute and fun. I loved Zander and Charlie and their character development. So excited for this to come out so everyone can read.

Thank you so much to the author, Netgalley, and the publisher for providing this ARC.

Being my first book by Lynette Noni and her first try at YA contemporary fiction, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had such a fun time reading this one, I loved it. There was high stakes action, suspense, and some cute romance throughout.

Actor turned Hollywood bad boy Zander Rune needs to fix his public image. Regular, small-town teen Charlie Hart cannot stand him, but ends up getting roped into going on a survival reality TV show pretending to be his biggest fan. When the trip goes awry, they are stranded in the Australian wilderness together, with no cameras or crews. They must work together and use their skills to survive the wild.

I could relate to Charlie's character so much, she was cracking me up sometimes. And Zander, he was lovable yet complicated. I really loved reading about their crazy adventures and how determined they were to help each other survive. Although I was older than the targeted audience, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

This was my first book my Lynette and it won't be my last!

The way she blended everything so well and conveyed emotions was masterfully done.