I decided to try reading something different than what I typically read and I am SO GLAD I DID.

I devoured this book!


I couldn’t get enough of Calla and Declan and their friendship.

This was a really well written book about absolute chaos and a total family mess, 10/10

I see why all the Goodreads were obsessed with this author herself

Thank you so much to Sophie Gonzales, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.

I have to say that Sophie really did her thing with this one! We love a good slow burn and I really liked the uniqueness of the potions.

I found myself really putting myself in the character's shoes and thinking through what I would have done in these situations (which I feel like I rarely get the chance to do). There was even a plot twist that I never saw coming.

This was my first Sophie Gonzales book and I would not hesitate to pick up another in a heartbeat. 👏

This Wild Wanting completely swept me away. The thing that made this book special for me was the relationship between Calla and Declan. They aren't perfect heroes, they make mistakes, they frustrate each other, they’re impulsive (mostly Declan) and yet they keep choosing one another again and again even in the face of the most horrible consequences.

The bargain magic was one of my favorite fantasy elements I've read in a long time. The bargains create tension throughout the story and constantly force the characters to weigh what they're willing to sacrifice for the people they love.

I also loved the character growth. Both Calla and Declan’s journeys felt earned, and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way. The emotional stakes hit just as hard as the fantasy stakes, which is something I always hope for in a romantasy.

This is the kind of book that reminds me why I love fantasy in the first place.

"Loving someone is like placing a knife in their hands, guiding the top to rest just above your heart, and trusting - praying - that they won't drive it in."

What an amazing, fast-paced, beautifully written story. I loved loved loved the friendship between the characters, the prices Declan paid throughout the story, and the many plot twists. I'm not surprised to see people are loving this.

I absolutely adored this book!!! I was utterly surprised by how invested I became in Calla and Declan, both starting the story carrying so much hurt, fear and stubbornness. Watching their growth from start to finish was extremely rewarding, and I loved them fiercely by the end.

The prose was absolutely stunning. I have read Gonzales in the past and I could still recognize her voice but I think it lends itself especially well to romantasy. There were so many quotes I went back to reread because they felt like she had seen into my soul.

The stakes of this book were so incredibly high, and I was genuinely afraid for the characters at several points. I think that’s why the romance worked so well for me as well. Watching Declan and Calla sacrifice for each other again and again was so beautiful. The YEARNING!!!!

And the magic system with the bargains and consequences was so fun to read!!! And came with real consequences!

I do think the strength of this story was in the characters. Both of our leads felt so real to me and I wish we had a sequel to follow them into.

This Wild Wanting by Sophie Gonzales is an emotional and beautifully written story that captures longing, connection, and personal growth with warmth and authenticity. Gonzales creates characters that feel vivid and relatable, making every interaction feel meaningful and engaging. The writing is immersive and heartfelt, balancing tender moments with strong emotional momentum throughout. A captivating and memorable read that leaves a lasting impression.

"I am filled with a grief I'm certain will accompany me as long as I have a heart to be heavy with it."

I could not have loved this more and I'm so glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone with this!!!!!

This had a fairytale quality where the world felt both beautiful and dangerous, the characters were forced to pay the price for every choice they made. Missteps were not allowed to slide, and Calla and Declan weren’t allowed to be perfect stand ins the plot happened to. The characterization and the exploration of what would happen if a naïve boy raised in sheltered privilege went too far to save a loved one was very well done.

Declan in particular felt extremely real to me. Flawed but also well-intentioned, and kind, and intensely loyal, and hard on himself. Living in his head, it's easy to focus on his many flaws, and I appreciated how differently he appeared through Calla's perspective. Just as we are harder on ourselves than our loved ones are.

The fae realm felt genuinely otherworldly here, like a dream that could turn into a nightmare in a second. Strange creatures and double-speak and some of the best food descriptions I’ve seen. But what really made the book special for me was the relationship between Declan and Calla, because their romance develops so naturally and patiently. They become important to each other emotionally long before everything turns romantic, which is difficult to do in a standalone book given the limited page time, and I was impressed how invested I was in them as individuals and as a couple by the end.

I especially loved Declan. He was kind, impulsive, emotionally open, and recklessly willing to put himself in danger for the people he loves, especially at the start of the story where he’s well out of his depth. Watching him grow throughout the story was really incredible, and I appreciated how his risks gradually shifted from stupid to calculated, though he never lost his impulsivity completely. Calla was equally compelling. She’s sharp and guarded and seeing her slowly let herself trust and care for someone was genuinely moving.

I wish I could spend more time in this world and I’m hoping there’s a sequel on the horizon.

This was absolutely amazing! I was riveted the entire time. Calla and Declan were both such wonderful characters, the premise was interesting, the plot delivered, it was fast-paced and surprising and really had me thinking about what I would trade for some of the potions (I still think I would do a LOT for invisibility).

Highly highly recommend!!!!!

Extremely enjoyable book! The magic system was well thought and interesting. I find “the fae” is being overused to cover everything magical in so many novels, but in this book it made sense with a fair base in lore, as well as adding a unique system with its consequences. As an aside, I really enjoyed a modern day dating approach being applied in a historic, yet magical, manner. It is well written and I am surprised that this appears to be the author’s first foray into fantasy. Highly recommend for those who like a moderate fantasy (not high fantasy but also not low) that has some darkness and tiny bit of teen angst.

This Wild Wanting is a well paced YA fantasy that manages to accomplish a lot in around 250 pages. The story explores themes of identity, self-worth, and loneliness through two main characters each struggling with their own personal challenges. The story follows Calla, a changeling kidnapped by her fae father and forced to work as a slave in his potions shop, and Declan, a child of wealthy diplomats he struggles to connect with, who is grieving the death of his beloved governess. When Declan travels to the fae realm in a desperate act to speak with his governess again, Calla is forced to help extricate him from her father’s dangerous bargaining.

The novel incorporates some interesting magical elements. I’ve always enjoyed stories where the fae cannot directly lie, and that concept is used well here. The potions and bargains are also interesting and remain an important element throughout the entire story. I especially liked that the potions came with severe consequences. For instance, a potion would grant invisibility for twelve hours, but at the cost of permanently halving a person’s dexterity. These tradeoffs maintained tension throughout the story as every magical solution came with a high cost.

The romance between the characters was sweet. I liked the long-distance conversations they had through their lockets. It ventures a bit into insta-love territory, but given the age of the characters and the length of the story, it didn’t bother me much. Some of the choices the characters made were frustrating, but also believable for 18 year olds.

The writing itself was strong, with several impactful quotes. One of my favorite was “My whole life, I’ve been afraid that not only does no one love me, but that nobody ever will. That I exist to be the set decoration for the lives of the people who truly matter. That one day, I will die, and the sun will rise, and the dew will settle on still leaves, and the earth won’t even catch its breath. And it will be as though I was never here.”

I was glad to find the ending reaches a satisfying conclusion and ties up all the major loose ends. Overall, this is a well-written YA novel with interesting magical elements, deep themes, and a surprisingly complete story wrapped up in a relatively short page count.

This has a classic slow burn quality that steadily builds until you don't even realize you are fully emersed.There is not a single bad thing I could say about this book.I definitely recommend checking this one out.

The Wild Wanting was my first introduction to Sophie Gonzales and I was decently surprised to learn this was her first foray into the fantasy genre because, as an avid fantasy reader, it didn’t feel like it. The story had a lot of heart and felt reminiscent of fairy tales—cautionary, but with a less darker ending. The writing was pure magic, the world was fascinating enough to draw me in, the main characters were acting exactly like their age, and the romance was refreshingly sweet. It leans towards a more younger audience than I initially expected. I had very few issues with the book like the pacing being inconsistent at times, and the fact that it's only a standalone (not even plans for an interconnected series?? What do I have to give up for this to happen??). I wished we saw more of the world this story was set in because that can’t be it—I refuse to believe there’s nothing more. If there’s a sequel or spinoff in the works, I am eagerly waiting for it. For now, I can’t wait for everyone to discover this book come publication day!

I loved the high stakes of this dark faerie market romance. Watching Declan's mind and body unravel after a stolen potion went wrong, and seeing captive Calla help him outwit her tyrannical father, made for a beautifully tense, desperate story.

This was so fun and interesting. I love the overall vibes of this book, and it was so fun and unique. Overall I really want to read more from this author I liked the writing

A beautiful story that shows the value in things we often take for granted. People, qualities within ourselves, lifestyles, and even our own mortality.

From the first chapter this book has you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what’s next. How could he possibly get himself out of this completely mortal problem in a completely fae world. The intricate working of the potions and their worth had me noticing small details in her writing I would have skipped over in other books. The love story was woven into the twists and turns of this book so well that it brought out stronger passions and darker consequences. Our main characters are both raw and charming, I’m left rooting for them both individually and as a highly complementary pair. This book incites fear, caring, admittance of flaws, major happiness, and heartfelt love.

Definitely pick this up if you want something to turn you into a page turning, heart pounding, magic potions addict!

The concept behind this story immediately drew me in. A faerie market where memories, years of your life, and even pieces of yourself can be traded is exactly the kind of magic I love. It was also a surprisingly fast read. I kept telling myself, "Just one more chapter," and ended up finishing it much sooner than I expected.
What really stood out to me was how every bargain had weight. Nothing came easily, and every choice carried consequences that made the stakes feel real. I found myself completely invested in Calla and Declan, hoping they could find a way through impossible circumstances while knowing every decision came at a cost.
The world was immersive without feeling overwhelming, and the magic felt both beautiful and unsettling. I also appreciated that the romance added to the story instead of taking it over. The emotional moments felt just as important as the fantasy, and I was rooting for the characters until the very end.
This was an incredibly strong debut, and I'll definitely be picking up whatever Sophie Gonzales writes next. If you enjoy faerie bargains, unique magic, emotional stakes, and character-driven fantasy, I highly recommend adding this one to your TBR.

It’s such a magical book! There’s so much going on at once and I love it.

If you’re looking for drama, romance, and fantasy all mixed in one place this is it! This right here will keep you entertained and hooked wanting more just like me.

Be prepared to jump into a world of magic
and alliances mixed adventures. I enjoyed this more then i except to and loved almost every character too! I would recommend this to anyone who loves and enjoys fantasy books especially if you’re just getting into fantasy this is a great place to start.

The author did a great job of creating a world and giving us an amazing story packed with adventure and making us love not only the story but the characters. I loved the way it’s written there’s so much growth by the end of the story that it’ll have you saying “I want more”

Add it to your TBR and read it!

As always this is my honest thoughts for my review. Thank you NetGalley and to the author/publisher for my ARC copy!

What an excellent read! I would not really call it romantasy, since that was very minimal (no spice!), but just more of a young love type situation. The world building was phenomenal, and the characters were easy to like and want to follow through this adventure. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

Holy guacamole, you are now by far one of my favorite authors.
The strength of the story line and plot is sensational and truly rare in the fantasy category.
I immensely enjoyed the strong vocabulary and the strength of each word, sentence and paragraph. Your ability to feel and relate to what the MMC and FMC felt was heart pounding, crippling, and heart warming all together.
You couldn't read a better written book!

This book had me tearing up. Its so refreshing to find a book that isn't about fae royalty and that isn't centered around figuring out your powers.
I loved this book. It was hard to put down.