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 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 treasure hunt of a lifetime.

This page-turning adventure full of second chances, complicated relationships, and the breathtaking beauty of the American Southwest will take you on one wild ride.

My Review

This book begins in Wyoming with Lily. She is inheriting her family’s ranch in Laramie, Wilder Ranch. She is young and in love with Leo, a temporary ranch hand who is now staying. They are super cute and sweet together.

We then jump to Utah, where Lily is leading a desert adventure on horseback. There is mention of heartbreak and her family’s ranch, but we don’t know the gritty details yet.

Leo is going on vacation from his job with his best friend Bradley, his oldest friend Walter, and Terry—the one person they definitely don’t want around. Nothing says vacation quite like dirt, tumbleweeds, and no cell service. Their adventure just got rustic in Utah. I love that Leo already has some inclination as to who may be behind this vacation.

The plot thickens as we get forced proximity and maybe a second chance, but honestly, the adventure is what intrigues me most. This book is giving me Blazing Saddles vibes with the FMC from Sweet Home Alabama. I’m enjoying the banter, the history, and even the many side characters.

The dangers are real out in the Utah backcountry, where they are truly roughing it. I love how well-planned the adventure is until one loose cannon comes along and throws everything off course. Some of the characters are absolutely lovable, while there is definitely that one person you just want to leave behind.

The western lore, treasure hunt, and general rustic style of this story are completely different from most of what I read, but this one is SO good. I’m really enjoying both the story and the location. The action ramps up with some unexpected surprises, and suddenly, instead of a cowboy-style ride through the desert, we are treasure hunting with clues left behind by Lily’s late uncle.

Not only is it becoming more precarious with slot canyons and all manner of trails, but we also get even closer forced proximity between Leo and Lily—and only one sleeping bag, which I am totally counting as the only-one-bed trope. The side characters have fallen away, and now we have our main characters left fighting their attraction and feelings while also fighting Mother Nature.

This story comes a long way and shifts and moves like the desert sand. I love that Leo and Lily grow and change throughout the story. What begins as an adventure with an adventure guide turns into treasure hunting and clue solving, and by the end, it has a little bit of a Western-meets-Indiana-Jones vibe. But OMG, this story was AMAZING. And that ending? Just WOW.

If you love a second-chance romance with lots of only-one-sleeping-bag and forced-proximity goodness, a side of action and adventure, a little Western flair, and a whole lot of treasure hunting, you will adore this story. The way the author shifts the story from one focus to another while adding suspense, a treasure hunt with a Western vibe, and a quiet but steamy romance between mature characters will sweep you right off your feet.

This story is a keeper to be reread and enjoyed again and again. And to think I originally grabbed this book because I found it on a deal and it checked off Utah for my 50 States challenge—and then I completely fell in love with the characters and the story. Sometimes those random book deals really do turn into the best surprises yeah not ashamed to admit I grabbed this book on WhatNot cause cover was pretty and fell in love with the story.

If you would like to read Something Wilder by Christina Lauren  you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn on qualifying purchases. 

If you like this book you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories: Cowboy, Opposites and Midlife.