Something Wilder

Something Wilder

By: Christina Lauren

"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."

I feel like this can be said for all of the Christina Lauren books I've read so far, but Something Wilder was such a fun read!  For the last couple months I've been trying to capture the atmosphere of summer.  I have had some success in the movie department (The Great Outdoors, The Sandlot), but this was the first novel I've read recently that really captured the feeling of summer for me.  I loved the description of the desert and the mention of blistering hot days and chilly nights, but also the adventure.  Summertime seems to bring out more possibilities for adventure and I'm happy I got to go on a treasure hunt from the comfort of my shady patio.

~ The Pairing ~

The food pairing for Something Wilder was inspired by the hearty breakfast Lily and Nicole whipped up over an open fire.

"Nicole growled, taking her frustrations out on the potatoes in front of her. 'This is why people in movies do stupid sh*t for money. Maybe Cassidy had it right, and we should just rob a bank.'

'Didn't work out so well for him,' Lily reminded her.

'Because he wasn't a woman. Men are idiots." Lily laughed, dropping a handful of chopped onions into the hot cast-iron skillet."

I used this recipe from Spend With Pennies as the base recipe, but I added about a quarter of a diced onion because that's what the characters had and let's be honest charred crispy bits of onions sticking to the roasted potatoes is flat out delicious!

With our food pairing settled, it's time for our beverage.  Coffee and hot chocolate were both mentioned, but something about sipping on a hot beverage in the desert did not appeal to me so I knew the beverage pairing had to be a beer.  

Lily Wilder set up a friendly competition for the treasure hunters involving lock-picking, code-breaking, lassoing, and archery.  The prize: bragging rights and an ice-cold beer.

" 'What do we get if we win?' Terry asked.
Nicole grinned around a toothpick. 'A chance to die like a man.'
'An extra clue," Lily corrected. 'And an extra beer tonight.' "

~ The Review ~

Something Wilder: ★★★★☆

This second chance romance combined with a treasure hunting adventure was a lot of fun!  Most of the Christina Lauren books I've read have been fun and flirty, but this one went a bit heavier on the plot and it turned out to be a pretty epic adventure.  The setting of the Utah desert with towering red rocks, scorching heat, and treacherous canyons was perfect and really captured the summer vibes I was looking for.  
I feel like I've watched (and loved) a lot of adventure movies like Indiana Jones, National Treasurer, and City Slickers, but I haven't found the same niche in the book world.  Something Wilder has ignited the desire to track down some more treasure hunting adventure books.  Of course, a side of romance would be nice too!

Do you have a favorite adventure book or one that screams summer to you?  Reach out and let me know!

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