BOOK REVIEW: Wild at Heart

Wild at Heart by K.A. Tucker
Publication Date: February 18, 2020 (out now)

The Simple Wild was one of my favorite books of 2019. Check out my review here. When I figured out there was going to be a sequel I was HYPED. So when I was given the chance to read an ARC of this one, I jumped at that chance.

~SPOILERS FOR THE SIMPLE WILD AHEAD!~
This is a true sequel and picks up right where The Simple Wild ends and I mean right after. Make sure to read that one first!

However, I was a bit scared to pick this one up. I am very apprehensive about sequels and even though I was SO EXCITED that K.A. Tucker was releasing another book with Calla and Jonah I was still scared. I was worried I was going to be disappointed and it would impact how I looked at The Simple Wild. But, I am happy to report that I really enjoyed this one and could not put it down.

SYNOPSIS: From the internationally best-selling author of The Simple Wild comes the continuation of a woman’s journey to Alaska and a life she never imagined for herself.

Wild at Heart, book two in the Simple Wild series by USA Today bestselling author, K.A. Tucker, is live!

Calla Fletcher returns to Toronto a different person, struggling to find direction and still very much in love with the rugged bush pilot she left behind. When Jonah arrives on her doorstep with a proposition she can’t dismiss, she takes the leap and rushes back to Alaska to begin their exciting future together.

But Calla soon learns that even the best intentions can lead to broken promises, and that compromise comes with a hefty price—a log cabin in interior rural Alaska that feels as isolating as the western tundra.

With Jonah gone more than he’s home, one neighbor who insists on transforming her into a true Alaskan, and another who seems more likely to shoot her than come to her aid, Calla grapples with forging her own path. In a world with roaming wildlife that has her constantly watching over her shoulder and harsh conditions that stretch far beyond the cold, dark, winter months, just stepping outside her front door can be daunting.

This is not the future Calla had in mind, leaving her to fear that perhaps she is doomed to follow in her mother’s fleeing footsteps after all.

REVIEW:

WHAT I LOVED: 

• As you may know, I love when I am able to just get sucked into a book and not want to put it down. That is what happened with TSW and the same thing with this one. I really did not want to put this one down once I started it.
  • I actually skim reread TSW before I read this one which was an excellent idea
    • I cried lol
• I love Calla & Jonah and loved seeing them as a couple. It is flawed, messy, and real.
  • I also loved how Calla acknowledged in the beginning that maybe they were so drawn to each other because of their connection to her dad and that maybe what they felt would fade.
  • I rarely like seeing couples in books after they get together because so much of the tension is gone and it gets boring, but I really enjoyed seeing Calla and Jonah make a new life together.
  • The fact that I love these two characters so much is honestly what carried this novel for me (Even though they both do stupid things so prepare yourself!)
• The new side characters are great!
• I love experiencing Alaska this way, it makes me want to visit again and become more outdoorsy (HA)
  • There are some funny moments too!
• I loved seeing Calla carve out a life for herself in Alaska and bringing her talents to the town

 

WHAT I DID NOT LOVE:

• I felt like Calla had to change to adapt into this world. Which is fine if she wanted to, but I still don’t feel like Jonah would move to a city if Calla needed him to.
• I did not like all the callbacks to Wren and The Simple Wild. Every time Calla saw something of Wren’s she had to call attention to it. I do understand that through her grieving she would naturally do this, but I felt like we got highlights of all the moments from The Simple Wild between her and Wren rather than her just remembering him.
  • For example: When Calla sees the coffee maker from Wren’s house she reminisces about how she made coffee for Wren and it was terrible, but how he drank it anyways because she made it. Now repeat this sentiment for every Wren/Calla moment from when she made him a salad to when they went fishing.
    • It was cute the first time, but I would have liked to see less direct callbacks to The Simple Wild. I mean we all have read it if were reading the sequel (at least you better!).
• I wanted to see Calla’s family visit!! and meet Jonah’s parents!!

 

Overall, I had such a wonderful experience reading this one. I do wish some things had been done a bit differently, but I was not disappointed by this sequel which I was so worried would happen. Now I need to go buy myself a physical copy of this one so I can reread it! Honestly if there was a book three I would not be mad.

*Thanks so much to K.A. Tucker & Social Butterfly PR for an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

4/5 stars

Goodreads Link: Wild at Heart 

xoxo, Tree