Was sooo excited for this as someone who loved the prison healer and was so curious where she would take a romance, but this one fell a bit flat for me. 3.5 ⭐️

Although, I did enjoy this and would still recommend. I just found it a bit hard to care for the characters, I think there might have been something missing that caused an early emotional attachment, which I really look for in books. I still love this author, and will read whatever she puts out!

Diaclosure: I was sent a free audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

Wandering Wild was an easy read and kept me interested until the very last page. The characters are relatable, the storyline is compelling, and the narrator for the audiobook does a wonderful job. If you love stories with heart and adventure, Wandering Wild is a solid choice. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on what Lynette Noni writes next!

This is a wonderful YA romance, filled with deep and relatable themes, as well as a fun movie star/fan dynamic. Everyone loves Hollywood adjacent books and a reality show in Australia? Sign me up!

The audiobook is so well done, with an Australian character, American, Canadian—the accents were very impressive and consistent.

I think with YA books you do have to suspend disbelief - i don’t think the adults were thinking in this book lol - but a great time nonetheless. Perfect for YA category. And honestly, for me, was a lighthearted time with just enough realism and depth that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Lynette Noni has done it again with Wandering Wild—a heartfelt, immersive fantasy that blends magic, mystery, and emotional depth into a truly unforgettable journey.

From the first page, I was hooked by the atmospheric writing and the vivid worldbuilding. Noni’s prose is effortlessly engaging, painting a landscape that feels both hauntingly beautiful and brimming with secrets. The pacing strikes a perfect balance between quiet introspection and high-stakes tension, pulling you deeper with every chapter.

The protagonist is compelling—flawed, fierce, and utterly relatable. Her growth throughout the story is both realistic and satisfying, and the relationships she forms (especially the slow-burn romance and the found family dynamics) add so much heart to the narrative. Noni excels at crafting characters you root for, and Wandering Wild is no exception.

Without giving away spoilers, the plot twists were clever and unexpected, keeping me guessing until the very end. There's a perfect blend of emotional resonance and magical intrigue, making this a standout in the YA fantasy space.

Overall, Wandering Wild is a beautifully written, soul-stirring adventure that lingers with you long after the final page. Whether you're a longtime fan of Lynette Noni or new to her work, this book is must-read. Highly recommended!

After seeing Wandering Wild’s US cover, there was this pull to read this book as I felt it was going to be a wild adventure. And wild it was. I was impressed by the character development and the amount of peril that our cast is put in.

We follow both Zander, a young Hollywood star that has fallen from grace due to a DUI, and Charlie, one of his former fans that hates him now, but dealing with her own issues. In a way to save his reputation in time to keep his starring role, he agrees to join a made for TV wilderness adventure led by survivalist star Reckon Hawke. Destination: the Blue Mountains in NSW, Australia. And he’s going with a random fan… which winds up being Charlie, putting the two together with cameras for four long days.

Zander was probably my favorite character. As described by Charlie, he looks like the main protagonist of JJK (which I did promptly look up while listening to the early chapters), and is a teen prodigy actor on the cusp of gaining his first major adult role, but about to lose it due to said DUI. On the surface, he appears to be a bad boy to outsiders, but it’s clear early on that he’s very caring and had a tough past, and not in the stereotypical “bad boy with a heart” often seen in Fantasy and Romantasy. He’s much closer to a cinnamon roll, especially once we found out how much he helped his friends, Summer and Maddox, through their own turmoil.

A close second has to be Charlie. She’s been through a lot, her friend’s finally healthy after a long illness, but she’s dealing with another set of losses that have derailed her future plans. While she’s mentally strong and does as much as she can to get through life, it’s clear that all of the negatives have worn her spirit down, that one more bad thing might break her altogether. Thanks to her friend Ember, she ends up on this adventure, which will either break her or flick a switch for tremendous growth. I did like that she didn’t have to sacrifice her femininity for the adventure or her growth.

The bonding between Zander and Charlie was well done and I felt for both of them as more is revealed as their trip becomes more perilous and trusting each other is vital to their survival. Sure, the hate-to-love did feel like it was going a little fast, but it felt like it was the start of a relationship more than anything. Plus, it didn’t feel like the reveals were held back just to provoke a shock, but were timed for maximum emotional impact, especially since much of it dealt with darker topics, like suicide, drunk driving, parental death, illness, and some minor swearing. And I’m happy it was treated with the proper care.

The rest of the cast was fleshed out as well, and all felt like they were real people. The prose was easy to understand and vivid, picturing the Blue Mountains rather well. The plot was fast pace, and I loved the clever twist near the end.

Nikki Thomas as Charlie and Heath Miller as Zander were great, their voices contrasted well enough to pick each other’s chapters up without fail. Nikki’s Australian accent was perfect, and Zander spoke much like a budding Hollywood star.

As far as I know, this is Lynette Noni’s first published contemporary book, having published multiple fantasy series. As of this review, I have not read any of those books, but she did a great job in building a high stakes slice of life adventure with a sweet romance. But after this, I will be looking into her backlog.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me--I really wanted to like the story and was intrigued by the setup and the Australian setting. However, neither the characters nor the plot were enough to draw me in. The movie star character was very one note and the female lead didn't feel relatable or compelling to me either. I was bored and couldn't continue.

DNF at 50%—I loved Lynette Noni’s Prison Healer series so I was excited to try and contemporary but I was so bored I kept zoning out 🤠

One thing about me, I love the outdoors! hiking camping & the wilderness survival? Yes please! So when I see a YA contemporary romance with that setting I was like yep that would be the perfect fun easy read for the summer. And I was correct. It gave exactly what it needed to.
Thank you NetGalley for the ALC, the audiobook was great and I loved the FMC's aussie accent!

I loved the outdoor aspect of this book so much! Hiking and being out in nature are some of my favorite things but I love it more when I have pretty views and that’s what this book gave me. Even though there was a lot of challenges in the story - I still found myself imagining beautiful scenery and that made it so amazing!

The friendship / romance was sweet and very YA - which I loved.

Lynette Noni solidified an automatic read / purchase author after devouring her Prison Healer trilogy. While this is nothing like that trilogy, it is still full of Noni’s fun writing style, light (YA level) spice, fun banter, and unique voice. The audiobook was enjoyable with two voice actors and helped to keep the story flowing. The adventure was scary and the twists were definitely ones that kept the story flowing quickly.

If you enjoy adventure, enemies to lovers, and drama, this is the perfect read for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

A solid 3 star listen. The VAs did a great job which helped a ton. It’s a YA romance so I didn’t expect too much but I do feel there was a lack of chemistry. Also the competition? Someone’s getting sued IRL lmao. It was a pretty fun easy listen!

This book has easily one of the prettiest covers I’ve seen.

Side note: I’d have WORDS with my bsf if they did something like this to me knowing why I “hated” the other person.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing- Audiobooks & NetGalley for an ALC! Review & opinions are honest & my own!

I read this book a few weeks ago and only received the audio version now. I wish I had the audio all along because the narrators are so good, they have a little extra to the story, including the Australian accent. The Audiobook is very good.

There was a lot I enjoyed about this book. I liked the Main characters, Charlie and Xander. I liked the way their relationship progressed and developed. I liked the survival in the wild storyline. I also found it got to be a bit too much and too intense, and a little too unbelievable in the second half. I was disappointed in a twist at the end and I felt like the end was rushed a little. I really like the way Lynette Noni writes a story, the style but just how it’s developed as well.

With notes of realistic fiction, romance, and survival, this fills a need for a variety of teen readers. There are the classic enemies-to-lovers and stuck-together tropes. The premise is interesting enough to hook readers from the beginning, and the tension between the characters is palpable. The main character can be a bit frustrating at times with her single-minded beliefs and inability to hear others perspectives, but that is typical of this enemies-to-lovers theme.

Both audiobook narrators were wonderful and I really enjoyed the dual point of view.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Charlie reluctantly agrees to go on wilderness survival camping trip with movie star Zander—only for their lives to actually be placed in peril due to unexpected events.

I loved Lynette Noni’s fantasy books when I read them earlier this year, so I was excited for her latest release. This one is a very different vibe (YA contemporary romance), but it had the same well-written characters and unique premise. I also really enjoyed the audio production and thought both narrators were great.

Overall, this was a fun and cute YA novel, and I think readers who read more YA contemporaries will probably really enjoy this one. For me, this is not quite my genre, and I thought it was a bit forgettable and required a LOT of suspension of disbelief toward the end. It also felt like it was trying to do too much and address multiple deep/difficult topics at once, which was a bit overwhelming.

On the whole, I would lean more to recommending this than not…but probably only if you know you enjoy this genre/style.

CW: Death of parent; car accident; alcohol/drug use; suicide attempt; sexual harassment

Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni took me by surprise—in the best way. I never expected her to step away from fantasy and dive into the world of contemporary romance, but she did... and she nailed it. This book was such a heartfelt, wilderness-wrapped surprise—full of vulnerability, growth, and the kind of connection that sneaks up on you.

Charlie

Charlie stole my heart.
Not in the loud, flashy way. But in the quiet, steady kind of way that makes you root for someone’s happiness like it’s your own. Watching her chase her dreams—actually find her dreams—was something special. There’s something really moving about a character realizing they deserve more, that they’re allowed to want things just for themselves.

And her galaxy hair? Absolute perfection. I adored that she always let Ember choose the style—those little details really brought her personality to life. Charlie was brave in all the ways that matter. Even when she was terrified, she kept going. Skydiving, rappelling down cliffs, fighting panic and pushing forward. Her courage wasn’t loud—it was real.

Zander

Zander. Oh, Zander.
The charming, broody actor trying to outrun a messy past and a media storm he never asked for. At first glance, he’s the classic heartthrob—tall, magnetic, a little closed off. But the more we learned about him, the more layers peeled back to show a boy who had been burned, blamed, and misunderstood.

His journey wasn’t just about cleaning up a public image—it was about healing. About rebuilding trust, both in himself and in someone else. Watching him and Charlie slowly find comfort in each other, piece by piece, was honestly beautiful.

The forced proximity trope worked so well here. There’s something about two people stuck together in unpredictable wilderness, facing fear and fatigue, that just builds something raw and honest between them. They clung to each other—sometimes literally—and I believed every bit of their bond. I loved how they became teammates before they became lovers. How they fought for each other before they even realized they were falling.

Charlie and Ember? Soul sisters. Ride or die. Their friendship was fierce, loyal, and grounded in love—and I just wish we got more of it. Ember’s presence was short-lived in the actual storyline, and I missed her spark.

Same goes for Zander’s group—there was potential there to dig deeper into the messy, tangled friendships and betrayals, but the story didn’t linger long enough to unpack it all.



There were moments where the pacing dragged, and a few of the challenge scenes started to feel repetitive. I also felt the ending didn’t get the space it deserved—some character arcs were tied up a little too quickly, and it really could’ve used an epilogue. I wanted to see Zander and Charlie beyond the adrenaline and survival, in the stillness that comes after. They earned that.

The narration was fantastic. The voices, the emotional beats, the rhythm of it—it all worked. It added another layer of emotion that made the experience even more immersive.

While not without its flaws, Wandering Wild was a compelling, emotional journey. A mix of survival, self-discovery, and sweet, slow-burning romance. It made me feel—hopeful, giddy, heart-squeezed—and that’s more than enough reason for me to recommend it.

If you're looking for something tender yet adventurous, with just the right amount of swoon, this book might just be your next favorite escape.

Wandering Wild is a fun, quick enemies-to-lovers romance set against a backdrop of adventure and celebrity drama, with a hint of mystery that kept me intrigued.

I enjoyed the fictional celebrity plot, even though I don’t quite get the obsession with idolizing celebrities. The adventure elements were fun, and the friendship theme felt meaningful. It was a quick, easy read that kept me entertained.

I appreciated the subtle messages about women’s struggles in Hollywood and how Hollywood’s control of the narrative affects them, plus the important reminder about the consequences of drunk driving and how it impacts family and friends.

Zander’s secretive past added an intriguing layer of mystery. I liked both main characters—they thought they knew each other, but really didn’t. Their misunderstandings felt so real, like in many real-life relationships where you assume you know someone based on gossip but only truly understand them by spending time together.

The forced proximity trope worked well here, adding tension and humor. It reminded me a bit of the YouTube series I watch called Outdoor Disasters.

That said, it was a little hard to suspend disbelief with all the tribulations they faced, but the twist at the end totally caught me off guard!

This book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute survival romance LOL. I honestly wouldn’t have made it, but I love that what they went through was genuine. And JUJUTSU KAISEN MENTION? Oh, I live lol.
Idk about Charlie, but I would’ve caved so fast if mans looked like Gojo 😔😔😔
I am weak lmfao.

The story was cute, the trials, the openness about past traumas & lost. I also liked that she didn’t instantly blame him for the reveal… Usually the FMC does blame him & then the MMC does XYZ to make it right, but the energy was just so genuine. She just knew fr 🫶🏽 I thought it was gonna be a bitter one, but I’m glad we got the ending we got.
May everyone never stop living life the way life is supposed to be lived, not just surviving 🥹🤍
Nikki Thomas & Heath Miller did great!!

This book was a wild read! I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure parts of this story, but I wanted to see more chemistry between the two main love interests. By the end of the book I felt I needed just one scene of them in love and not actively experiencing trauma to really believe their love was permanent and not a trauma-response.

ALC Book Review—Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni—Spoiler Free

Zander is Hollywood’s current “badboy”, but his future contracts in movies are dependent upon him turning that around. His team comes up with the idea of a fan contest where they do a little reality show of him and the fan on a wilderness adventure.

The winner of the contest couldn’t go for health reasons, but she had her best friend go in her place, the problem is, Charlie hates Zander. Zander makes a deal that if Charlie plays nice with him on camera, he will help her best friend get contacts in the acting world which is her lifelong dream. Charlie agrees and they go off on an adventure though Australia. As they spend time together, they’re able to understand each other more and learn more about the other that draws them together.

This was such a great YA read. Both main characters had heart tugging backstories that made you care about both of them and see things from their perspectives. While this was YA, it dealt with a lot of traumatic experiences that these two dealt with both during the story and them just explaining their lives prior to meeting each other. Their relationship was very sweet and so heartfelt. I think this would be a great read for anyone looking for a stand alone YA romance.

The audiobook was great to listen to. I enjoyed the male and female narrators voices. Very pleasant to listen to while still being clear to understand.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🫑 YA

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Libro.FM for the ALC of Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni. All opinions are my own.

After reading and loving the Prison Healer series by this author, I knew that I wanted to read her newest book. I was not however expecting to be so obsessed with this story that I would read it all in one day.

Wandering Wild is an emotional and adventurous story about two teens that are grieving but also learning to live again.

As someone who is currently grieving, I related a lot to the characters in this story. While my circumstances aren’t the same, I could really understand the feelings of helplessness and loss of purpose.

Zander and Charlie came from different backgrounds, but I loved how they learned over time that they actually had a lot in common. It was nice to see them bond during their emotional conversations and during moments of peril.

The adventure aspect of this book was so well done. It had me anxious and fearful for what the characters would face next, but it was also exciting and reminded me of watching Romancing the Stone.

The romance in this story was so sweet, and I enjoyed seeing the characters slowly fall for each other over the course of their time together. I felt that the emotional intimacy was well done.

I listened to the audiobook for this story, and I loved both narrators. Charlie was from Australia, so I was happy that the narrator also had an Australian accent.

Overall, I loved this book and will definitely be re-reading it in the future.