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.

Thank you Blackstone publishing and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review

3.5⭐️

Let me preface by saying I enjoyed this book. For me to finish a book in 2 days it has to be engaging, and this had me hooked and wanting to know more through every page.

I really loved the beginning of this book. It had such a good premise and I liked the dynamic between the characters along with the build up to their mis-adventure.

For me, the part where this book went down hill was towards the end. Anyone who reads this book will get to the ‘huh?!’ moment. And some might like it, but for me it unfortunately didn’t land.

I also must admit that my expectations for this book were unfairly high😅 (I feel like the parent that puts pressure on their kid to get an A and the kid comes back with a B)

That being said, there’s still a lot of fun to be had with this book, along with some really beautiful emotional scenes. I think it also reads better for the intended target audience (YA) which sadly I am no longer not😩

The ending was also a little rushed. Ultimately I would have loved this book more if had gone in the direction I thought it would. But I still love Lynette’s writing and the banter was so cute🥰

This was not my cup of tea unfortunately but I did enjoy the storyline. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

This was absolutely adorable and so so much fun!!! Wholesome, sweet, funny banter and exciting adventure, 💯 recommend.

I loved The Prison Healer series and am fully willing to follow Lynette Noni blindly after it, even into a genre shift.

This YA contemporary wilderness romance was a fun and fast read that managed to tackle some heavier themes (loss, grief, etc.) while remaining mostly upbeat and endearing.

I really enjoyed both Charlie and Zander, their own individual journeys, the developing relationship between them, as well as the glimpses we got into their friendships with Ember, Summer and Maddox.

I liked the ending, but I also wanted more! All in all, a very cute book that I’d recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the eARC.

I don’t say this often, but wow this book was perfect. It is now 2am after I was unable to do anything other than read this book in a single sitting. It really was just that good. I loved the premise—a bad boy actor and a girl who does not like him end up on a reality tv survival show.

Quite honestly, everytime I read a book with reality tv as a main element, I learn to dislike reality tv and what it stands for just a little more (despite growing up watching survivor and amazing race), and that really held true in this book, especially with the ending. The author did a great job with that.

I also loved Charlie and Zander—the chemistry was so strong as soon as they met and I just loved all the forced proximity in this book. The tension between them was perfect, and I loved seeing them slowly let down their walls with each other as the book went on.

The survival aspect of this book felt just fantastical enough to keep reminding me that it was reality tv, which was a great addition. Until of course, the whole thing goes off the rails about halfway through. Would any of this have actually happened to people all at once and they somehow live? No, definitely not. But, that’s the beauty of a book like this—you go on an adventure that’s wild but still ultimately things that could hypothetically happen to people. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

PS: (kinda spoilers??) I need to talk about the twist at like 90% because that was crazy and messed me up (and really reminds me of the end of the first hunger games book in ways I cannot explain but it’s scaring me quite a bit).

thank you to Blackstone Publishing for the e-ARC<3
3.75⭐️
i am a huge fan of the prison healer series so i was excited to receive a copy of Lynette Noni’s newest book & she did not disappoint :) this was such a cute, fun read, and very YA. kind of a palate cleanser book & felt like a wattpad fanfic (in a good way). the characters go on a “man vs wild” like adventure and i enjoyed the way their relationship developed!
however i would sue hawke if i was charlie lol

"Life isn't about survival -- life is beautiful, and it's meant to be lived."

Lynette Noni has done it again.

The Prison Healer is my top favorite trilogy, and I was so excited to receive an e-arc of Wandering Wild.

In Noni's YA contemporary romance, we follow a teen movie heartthrob, Zander, and small-town quirky Charlie, as they are thrown together in a four-day survival TV show to repair Zander's broken public image. This story is full of heartbreak, grief, trauma, and growth between the two main characters. The topics are heavy, and at times, hard to read. Noni is, as always, an expert at weaving together a plot while also propelling character growth and relationships.

While not my normal genre, I will read whatever Noni writes. This is a standout YA and is sure to be a success.

I would recommend checking trigger warnings prior to reading, as this contains heavy material and is, at its core, a story of dealing with grief and loss.

4/5 ⭐️
A fun, bingeable ya romcom that will get your heart racing.

I liked this book, it was fun, though I don’t think it will be one of my favorites by this author. I love this author, but there were aspects about this story that annoyed me. Though I wonder if I would’ve liked it better as an audiobook. I’ve only physically read her Prison Healer series and listened to her Medornan Chronicles and Whisper Duology. And this book felt like it fits in with the vibes and tone of the latter two more. But my main issue was with the constant teasing of backstory but then cutting off right before telling us. And at least with Charlie I was able to guess what happened. The tease is good to intrigue the reader. But to have the set up with no pay off happening a thousand times, I wanted to throw my kindle.

However, this was very enjoyable. And I agree with another reviewer, the latter half was excellent. It was so cute and I was on the edge of my seat. Though I think the pacing and tension could’ve been executed a little better. Maybe have extended scenes more? Made this longer?

I still love this author and she continues to create engaging characters. I always love them with all my heart. I just wish this was a smidge better. It was good, better than plenty of other books I’ve read recently, but I wished for more. However, that being said, she’s still an insta-buy author for me and I look forward to whatever she puts out next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

I was not expecting a genre shift from Lynette Noni, but her contemporary romance Wandering Wild is just as good as her fantasy books.

I really liked how the relationship developed between Charlie and Zander. The forced proximity worked very well to bring these two together. They comforted and protected each other while they were in the wilderness. They became allies against all the crazy things the show was making them do and learned to trust and open up their hearts again. I couldn’t get enough of them.

I also adored the friendship between Ember and Charlie. They were each other’s ride or die and I wished we got to see more of Ember in the book. She really only appears at the start and end of the book. Same thing with Zander’s friends as well.

I had a few issues with the book though. There were some slow sections and a few of the tasks felt a bit repetitive. The ending was also rushed and I would have wanted more pages to resolve certain character arcs. And where is my epilogue!? I wanted to see Zander and Charlie happy together as a couple after surviving in the wild and I didn’t get that.

But overall, I had a fun time reading this book and I would recommend if you’re looking for an adventure-filled romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a wonderful read!Wandering Wild is a gentle, emotional story about a girl trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Lynette Noni’s writing is easy to read and pulls you into the world she’s created.
The story isn’t fast-paced or action-packed, but that’s what makes it special. It takes its time to show the main character’s journey, with a bit of mystery and magic along the way. The characters feel real and relatable, especially the main girl, who is thoughtful, brave in quiet ways, and easy to care about.
There’s a small romance in the story too, but it doesn’t take over—it just adds a soft, sweet layer to the plot. If you enjoy books about self-discovery, emotions, and quiet adventure, Wandering Wild is a lovely and comforting read.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Swoony, funny, twisty…absolutely no criticism from me!

These characters tugged at my heart strings in so many ways. They’re emotions and stories felt real, and their many moments of impending danger had be actually worried for the well-being of fictional people. 😅

I loved the plot and the setting. Survival stories are some of my faves to read and the sweet romance added in just made this such a special book to me!

Thank you to Netgalley; the publisher, and the author for this book. All opinions are my own!

This was such a fun, high stakes, young adult adventure book. The characters were sweet. The plot was intriguing, continually moving in a forward direction.
This was perfect for the young adult crowd, in my opinion, with appropriate content.
It was also enjoyable for me, as an adult.

I’m a huge fan of Lynette Noni’s prison healer series I was super excited when she revealed she was writing a YA contemporary novel. One thing I love about her books whether it’s set in a fantasy world or the Australian wilderness, her characters have so much heart and there’s always so much beneath the surface.
While the twists in this one weren’t that hard to figure out, it was still so nice when Zander and Charlie let their walls down and were truly honest with each other. Charlie finds herself in a Bear Grylls like tv show with the newest celebrity bad boy Zander Rune. This wouldn’t be so bad except she can’t stand him. Think if Josh Hutcherson got jnto legal trouble before Mockingjay and had to renew his public image to keep the role of Peeta 😂
Needless to say I loved Charlie and Zander. I thought it was really creative how the stakes were higher in the second half of the book and like Katniss and Peeta everyone loves a good h/c cave scene. I also want to thank Lynette for no encounters with spiders because my arachnophobia couldn’t have handled it.

Thanks to Netgalley for this arc.

YA contemporary romance that touches on deeper topics than most others I've read. An easy, addictive read with heart-pounding adventure and hard, emotional topics. The twist at the end felt so predictable and also WOW if this was real that TV production company would get into so much trouble because of all the life-threatening horrors and dangers they faced. The chemistry between the two MCs was very sweet but left me wanting. Overall, a good read! Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I absolutely devoured Wandering Wild! Noni seamlessly transition from fantasy to contemporary romance.

I am a huge fan of dual POV in romance novels. I feel like it ups the stakes when you have insight into all the love interests’ thoughts and motivations. Both Charlie and Zander were well-developed characters, and I especially loved how well fleshed out their friendships were with the many side characters.

Although many moments in this story require some suspension of belief, the cinematic timing was flawless. Noni excels at knowing exactly when to drop a reveal or twist to give it the largest emotional impact. In Wandering Wild, her skills were on full display - I was left shocked, sobbing, and grinning in turn. Although there’s a lot of humor and swoonworthy moments infused in the plot, it does contain some heavy themes including mental illness, grief, and death. These are themes Noni has explored in her previous novels, and she always handles them sensitively and with care.

I loved everything about this survival romance. If you’re looking for an adventure to lose yourself in, this story is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this! It's filled with suspense, excitement and a slow burn romance. It was a quick, fun YA read. The characters were well-developed and felt very mature despite being teenagers. There were a few moments that require some suspension of disbelief but nothing that took away from the enjoyments. The romance doesn't feel very prominent until the end but the moments they do have throughout the story are sweet. The story does touch on grief and anxiety in a way that feels real.

I didn't want to put this down! Her The Prison Healer series has been on my TBR for awhile and I've just moved it closer to the top of the list. Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the chance to read this early!