Series: The Simple Wild #1
Also in this series: Wild at Heart (The Simple Wild, #2), Forever Wild
Published by Atria an Imprint of Simon & Schuster on August 7, 2018
Pages: 400
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Review Copy Provided By: Atria
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City girl Calla Fletcher attempts to reconnect with her estranged father in rural Alaska, and unwittingly finds herself torn between her desire to return to the bustle of Toronto and a budding relationship with a rugged pilot in this masterful new romance from acclaimed author 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.
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 was provided a review copy; this did not influence my opinion of the book.
My tears cried tears, my heart exploded, and my laughter rang loud. The Simple Wild was anything but simple.
City girl Calla leaves her upper-class home in Toronto to travel to Bangor, Alaska, to visit her ailing father. While Calla was uneasy about seeing her father for the first time in 24 years, experiencing the rugged wild her mother spoke so often about was equally as daunting. She didn’t anticipate though, that her biggest challenge would be from the man she nicknamed the Yeti. Jonah challenges her beliefs about herself, her dad and her life. He forces her to reevaluate what’s important and to take in the beauty around her.
Jonah and Calla were night and day. They were oil and vinegar. Where he was used to the relaxing calm of the wild, she was a city girl at heart, with places to go and people to see. She dressed up in two hundred dollar sweaters and he wore relaxed shirts and jeans bought at the local mart. She learned to see through his grumpiness and he appreciated her sass and backbone. By the time Calla is to return to Toronto, neither want to imagine life without the other person in it, but the city girl needs her city and the Yeti, won’t leave his wild .
❝I did warn you about falling in love with one of those sky cowboys, didn’t I?❞
I’m not sure how to express all of the overwhelming feelings swirling in my head right now. Wren, Calla and Jonah’s story touched me profoundly and viscerally. I lost my dad to cancer almost 5 years ago, July 13, 2013. It was devastating and heartbreaking. Reading the story of these three brought all those feelings back. My heart broke for them. It broke for me. Between the physical decline, to hospice, to the anger, fear, and regret these characters experienced, Tucker’s portrayal of an ailing parent was honest and real. It could have been my family she was writing about.
Yet, while there were tear-inducing moments, there were also many funny, light-hearted and heart-warming moments, too.
❝You asked why I kissed you.❞
I hazard a glance upward, to find his piercing blue eyes alight with heat. ❝And you said it’s because you wanted to.❞
❝That wasn’t the right answer.❞ He reaches up to smooth the wet strands of clingy hair off my forehead, his gaze wild as it skitters across my features. ❝You have been driving me f*cking insane for days and I couldn’t hold myself back for one more second.❞
I was so caught up in this story that when the end came, I felt an indescribable sadness. The story was consuming. The characters felt real. The writing was impeccable. This is my favorite K.A. Tucker book to date!
THE SIMPLE WILD is a beautiful slow-burn romance about family, forgiveness, and second chances.
Yay!! Awesome review! I loved this one too!??
Thank you, Susan! It was fabulous, wasn’t it? Glad you loved it, too!!