The Simple Wild
By: K.A. Tucker
"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.
"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."
I went into this book thinking it would be a light read about an Alexis Rose (Schitt's Creek) type character roughing it in Alaska and falling in love along the way. I mentally lumped it in the same genre as "It Happened One Summer" by Tessa Bailey (which I really enjoyed too), but I was wrong. Yes, Calla is kind of a stereotypical city girl and there are some blunders along the way, but this story ended up being quite a bit deeper and more emotional than I anticipated.
~ The Pairing ~
Calla hit the jackpot with her stepfather, Simon. Despite being a side character, he worked his way into my heart. Simon whips up a soy milk latte for Calla every morning. "To keep the Kraken at bay, he claims, though I’m pretty sure it has more to do with his secret fascination with the frother."
"It’s a good thing I’m not hungry. What I am, though, is desperate for one of Simon’s frothy soy milk lattes. I don’t have a lot of vices, but my regular dose of caffeine in the morning is number one on a short list."
I used this Vanilla Soy Latte recipe from Coffee Affection. I like that it gave an option for using a standard coffee maker instead of an espresso machine and also gave me a chance to use my mini frother.
There were lots of foods mentioned in the The Simple Wild. Homemade chicken and creamy mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and even red seaweed which piqued my interest, but ultimately I decided to go with something simple - jerky.
“'Did you pack any snacks?' I reach across to smooth a hand over his shoulder, an excuse to touch him. 'Maybe some of that beef jerky from Ethel?'
'Beef jerky?' Mabel frowns with confusion. 'Nobody dries beef in the villages. There aren’t any cows!'
I catch my dad’s cringe and my stomach clenches as it dawns on me. 'What the hell did you feed me, Jonah?'
'Beef jerky?' Mabel frowns with confusion. 'Nobody dries beef in the villages. There aren’t any cows!'
I catch my dad’s cringe and my stomach clenches as it dawns on me. 'What the hell did you feed me, Jonah?'
There's a wide variety of jerky to choose from in most grocery stores, you could grab an assortment or stick to the book and grab salmon and... "beef". If you feel up for spending a bit of time in the kitchen you could make your own jerky. This recipe for Salmon Jerky by Alaska From Scratch sounds good and it doesn't seem hard just time consuming given the marinading and dehydrating.
~ The Review ~
The Simple Wild: ★★★★★
It's funny starting a book off and not really liking any of the characters and somehow falling in love with all of them by the end. In the beginning Calla comes off as vain and maybe even a bit immature and don't even get me started on Jonah! I knew it was a hate to love story, but he was such a jerk right off the bat. The author certainly has a way of helping the reader understand each character as the story flows and while we don't necessarily agree with all of their choices, we understand their usually altruistic motivations and slowly start to accept them flaws and all.
I also really enjoyed the atmosphere. I felt like I was in Alaska and I not only enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery, but I loved learning about the lifestyle in the small town. The astronomical prices of basic goods due to shipping costs, the need to have water for showers and other household uses delivered, and even some stuff about planes are now stuck in my head because I was learning right along with Calla as she figured out this new place.
The Simple Wild has it all - humor, intricate romantic and familial relationships, a bit of spice, and a picturesque setting. If you need any more of a reason to pick it up, then you should know that it is the first book in a series. I'm looking forward to picking up the next one, Wild at Heart.
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