Something Wilder
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.
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That was ridiculous, insane, incredibly far fetched, and I loved every minute of it
Also like holy shit imagine if someone said to you: “missing you was physically debilitating”
0This was like National Treasure in book form and I loved every second of it. I had some predictions partway through that wound up being false, so the twists and turns I didn’t see coming were a ton of fun. I wish there had been a little more tension between Lily and Leo toward the beginning of the trek and I could have done with some more witty banter. They seemed to slip back into friend/lover mode really fast. I’m all for healthy communication, but a little more drama would have been cool. Overall this was a really fun and sweet read!
0Lily Wilder’s dad, Duke, was a treasure hunter. He loved his life in pursuit of something yet unknown and traveled the world. Unfortunately, after his death, Lily isn’t left with much. Her father sold their ranch before he died and now she’s working as an adventure guide in the Canyonlands. Using her father’s old treasure hunting journal, she takes tourist groups on a hunt for Buddy Cassidy’s stolen money in the wild west.
Where’s the romance, you ask? Well one day, Lily’s ex boyfriend shows up for the adventure. Leo and a group of his friends are ready to do something different. They want an escape from their polished jobs in New York City. If they find some treasure, that would be great, too. Leo and Lily haven’t spoken since Leo left the ranch ten years ago. Is this adventure going to be an awkward mistake or will they end up finding more than treasure along the way?
I really enjoyed this one because there was a lot of action and mystery to it as well as romance. The romance was cute, but the treasure hunt and suspense were better. The twists kept coming and there was a very shocking event right about a third of the way through that made my jaw drop! It was kind of predictable, but also really enjoyable. As always, Christina Lauren did a fantastic job writing realistic and witty dialogue. The romance as believable and sweet. I absolutely loved the Western atmosphere and I felt like I was really there in the Canyonlands. While the riddles went over my head, they were a really fun to read. This romance was definitely different from any others in the genre, and I was really glad!
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