REVIEW: Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

In Something Wilder by Christina Lauren, Back when Lily Wilder was around twenty years old and head over heels in love with Leo Grady, she saw her future as being the owner of her family’s ranch in Wyoming with the love of her life faithfully by her side. The reality now that she’s nearing thirty is much more bleak. Lily runs Wilder Adventures in Utah where she takes vacationers on trails through the desert and canyons looking for (fake) treasure using her famous adventurer father’s maps. And as for her love life? As non-existent as her bank account. At a decidedly low point–right after Lily finds out she likely won’t be able to buy back the family ranch her father sold years ago–she runs into Leo. Yes, *that* Leo.

‘She wanted to hate him. She wanted to resent this man forever. But how could she? Whether he was aware of it or not, he was looking at her like she was the prize at the end.’

Lily definitely doesn’t want to take Leo and his city friends on their adventure. Especially since she can feel that same attraction pulling her towards him all over again. But Leo, after the initial shock of coming face-to-face with Lily for the first time in a decade, becomes determined to make things work this time around. As they chase after a possible hidden fortune that could change their lives forever, Leo, Lily, and the rest of their group will encounter unseen dangers and have to use all of their wits and skills to stay alive. All while Lily and Leo contemplate what the future could possibly hold for them after all.

‘His entire life he’d wanted nothing the way he wanted her, and the feel of her wild kiss dissolved any restraint he had.’

Something Wilder was a crazy-cool adventure-slash-romance from my favorite author duo, Christina Lauren. A pleasing mashup of Indiana Jones meets the Wild West meets City Slickers, this still had the lively banter and all the feels I expect from CLo.

“How many times in our lives will we be able to say we did something like this? Something daring and risky with a mega potential payoff? …This is it, you guys, our big adventure. We can’t turn back now.”

If Christina Lauren writes it then I’ll read it. Simple as that. So of course I was more than happy to go on a new type of reading journey with them in Something Wilder. And it didn’t disappoint in the least. It did take a couple of chapters to get a feel for the characters and the situation(s) they were dealing with before I started flying through the pages. After that, I couldn’t get enough of the rag-tag team while they set off on a treasure hunt. How fun, right? Just that premise alone–searching for Butch Cassidy’s long-lost riches hidden along the Outlaw Trail–was enough. But adding in a second chance romance full of miscommunication and missed opportunities? Even better.

Lily and Leo made wonderful main characters. Both were steady and sure (about most things), had heaps of responsibility loaded on them at a young age, and took their promises to friends and loved ones very seriously. But the way their relationship ended when they were around twenty years old…ugh. That was sad as well as somewhat avoidable. The hurt Leo and Lily both felt because of it shaped their adult lives.

It felt like they were each at a crossroads when, serendipitously, Lily and Leo saw each other again ten years later. I loved Leo’s quiet strength and the way he thought everything out. Talk about a swoon-worthy hero! *sigh* And Lily stole my heart right away with her blend of feisty sass and the longing to be able to live her life as she wanted to. What a pair they made on the trails, hunting down treasure. And their soul-deep love for each other felt oh so right when Lily and Leo finally gave in–again.

I do want to mention that as with all of CLo’s books, the secondary cast was amazing! From Lily’s best friend Nicole to Leo’s group of friends: Bradley, Walter, and Terry, to all the locals they met on their trip, they were all woven into the storyline with huge–sometimes surprising–roles to play.

QOTD: Have you ever been on an adventure-style vacation before or plan to go on one? If so, we’d love to know!

Book Info:

Publication: Expected publication: May 17th 2022 | Gallery Books |

Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession…or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.

Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.

But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.