REVIEW: The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker

The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker: Calla is definitely a city girl. She’s grown up in Toronto after her mom couldn’t take the lifestyle of living in Alaska. She’s smart and feisty, but at a crossroads in her life. There was always a piece missing for the father she never really got a chance to know. One phone call changes everything as Calla learns that her dad, Wren, is sick.

Calla never expected to travel to Alaska and has no idea of what to expect outside of her mom’s stories. There’s a lot riding on this trip as Wren might not be around for much longer. Everything is different from what she expected to find, from the family business, to the size of the community, options for shopping, and the burly bush pilot who is Wren’s right hand man.

Jonah loves Alaska and working as a bush pilot. He loves every aspect of flying and the challenges that Alaska’s landscape brings. He’s the best pilot at Wren’s company, is a risk-taker, and doesn’t respond well to authority. He’s also very well-known and well-liked even though he enjoys playing pranks on others.

“Where’s the fun in that?” He opens my door and holds it for me.
“So you do have manners,” I murmur, climbing into my seat.
“I usually reserve them for the ladies, but I’ll make an exception in this case,” he throws back without missing a beat, slamming my door shut before I have a chance to retort.

Jonah and Calla very definitely get off on the wrong foot. She is the exact opposite of the very simple life that he and the others lead. She’s high maintenance and prefers pretty over functional and practical. They are thrown together time after time, which gives them plenty of opportunities to correct their first impressions of each other. Jonah challenges her at every turn, and she gives as good as she gets. He’s blunt and outspoken and forces her to reconsider everything. They get under each other’s skin until they finally act on their growing attraction. It seems like history just might repeat itself as they grow closer the longer she stays.

“I don’t know…How to Skin a Squirrel in Four Steps? 101 Ways to Cook Beaver? What Happens When Your Parents Are Related?” I mock.
He chuckles darkly.
There must be over two hundred books crammed in here. “You’ve read all these?”
“That’s what you do with books, Barbie.”

The Simple Wild is an engrossing, emotional, and heartfelt story that I couldn’t put down. K.A. Tucker pulls you into this captivating story with vivid descriptions, entertaining characters, family, friendships, angst, and plenty of heat. Ms. Tucker created strong and engaging characters you can’t help but fall for. Fans of Sawyer Bennett, Christina Lauren, Melanie Harlow, and Nicole Jacquelyn will love The Simple Wild.
 

Book Info:

Publication: August 7th 2018 | Atria Books |

Calla Fletcher wasn’t even two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when Calla learns that Wren’s days may be numbered, she knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this rugged environment, Jonah—the unkempt, obnoxious, and proud Alaskan pilot who helps keep her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. Soon, she finds herself forming an unexpected bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago. It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.