Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
For those who have been waiting for a National Treasure or an Indiana Jones-style mystery nestled within a romantic comedy, wait no longer! Something Wilder (Gallery Books) by Christina Lauren will satisfy all your nerdy, puzzle-craving desires. (It did mine.)
I’ve been a fan of Christina Lauren’s since I read My Favorite Half-Night Stand. I love the way they develop characters in an ensemble romance. I especially love that, with each novel, they flirt with the line between romance and romantic women’s fiction, producing a great story with depth rather than trying to meet genre criteria. With a built-in HEA, Something Wilder lands solidly in the romance genre, but its intricate plot offers a depth that is signature Christina Lauren.
CANYONLANDS EXCURSION LEADS TO AN UNEXPECTED REUNION
Something Wilder begins with heroine Liliana Wilder — everyone calls her Lily — in a financial bind, struggling to keep her business as an Outlaw Trail adventure guide afloat. At least, until she can get enough money to buy back the ranch where she grew up. Hero Leo Grady has just been wrestled away from his office desk where he creates unhackable algorithms to take part in a bros’ annual vacation — the bros being his friends: Bradley, his best bud; Walter, the emotional softie; and Terry, the sort-of, not-really friend who’s a jerk and a half.
Because it’s Bradley’s turn to plan the trip this year, Leo has no idea where they are going. Even when they arrive in nowhere, Utah (actually, the town’s name is Hester), he’s unsure what they’ve signed up for until a woman named Nicole tells them they are about to be cowboys on an adventure for the week, searching for Butch Cassidy’s famous stash of gold from his various bank robberies.
But what really throws him for a loop is what, or rather whom, he sees the morning of their adventure. It’s none other than Lily Wilder — his ex-girlfriend, whom he hasn’t seen in 10 years. She was supposed to be on Wilder Ranch in Laramie, WY, with her famous father, Duke Wilder, an archeologist and treasure hunter (cue the Indiana Jones theme). Instead, she’s here with business partner Nicole and Duke’s journal, leading tours into the mountains of Utah. When Leo and Lily meet again they realize two things: they’re still very much attracted to each other, and they have a lot of ground to cover (pun intended) in the coming week.
SECOND-CHANCE ROMANCE MEETS ACTION-ADVENTURE PLOT
My first attraction to Something Wilder is that it’s a romance, and on that front, Christina Lauren doesn’t disappoint. The tension between Leo and Lily is palpable, but the author doesn’t draw it out or rely on miscommunication (probably because there is so much good story). In fact, Leo and Lily revisit their 10 years apart, exploring why they stopped talking early in the book. With things out in the open, they use the rest of the novel to rebuild their relationship … and things get a little steamy while doing so. So, if the awesome action-adventure plot doesn’t have you hooked, the second-chance romance will.
While an undercurrent of adventure runs throughout Something Wilder, a story twist halfway through the novel propels the action-adventure mystery plot to the forefront. I found that, even though I was rooting for Leo and Lily to be together, I was invested in trying to solve the mystery that unfolding around them. Riddles, twists and puzzles abound, making you feel like you’re in the red rock canyon version of National Treasure. The dangerous terrain of the Utah Canyonlands, paired with the myriad treacherous situations that befall this motley group of mostly novice explorers, would fit right into the next blockbuster action-adventure film.
The nerdy fun abounds in this novel (code-cracking, puzzle-solving math-genius Leo could easily be related to Reid from My Favorite Half-Night Stand). By the final pages, I was left feeling both satisfied with the ending and wanting more from these ball-of-fun characters.
