Title: Wild About YouAuthor: Kaitlyn Hill
Publication Date: May 21, 2024
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Synopsis:
Two total opposites. One race through the Great Outdoors. In this grumpy-sunshine teen romance from the author of Love from Scratch and Not Here to Stay Friends , the trail to true love doesn’t always come with a map.
Natalie Hart has always been loud, unfiltered, and unapologetically herself. But then comes her freshman year of college, when she loses her merit scholarship and gains one pesky little anxiety diagnosis.
Hesitant to take out more student loans, Natalie decides to shoot her shot and applies to Wild Adventures , a popular outdoorsy reality show. Sure, Natalie prefers her twelve-step skincare routine to roughing it on the Appalachian Trail while competing in challenges against other college kids, but that scholarship prize money is calling her name. High risk, high reward, right?
Enter Finn Markum, her randomly assigned, capital- O Outdoorsy teammate whose growl could rival a black bear. These partners have more friction than a pair of new hiking boots. Or is it flirtation? Turns out falling in love might be the wildest adventure of all…
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I’m so happy to be on the book tour today for Wild About You, an entertaining and emotional YA romance by Caitlyn Hill. This fun opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine love story takes place on the Appalachian Trail, which is such a fantastic backdrop for the story. Natalie, desperate for the prize money but not experienced in the wilderness, is a contestant on a reality show and is partnered with Finn, a grumpy but more experienced player.
Natalie and Finn are opposites in many ways, but they work together so well. I love how both characters learn so much about themselves and each other on the trip and how their physical journey parallels their emotional journeys. I thought Natalie was a great protagonist, and so easy to like. She’s bubbly, chatty, and funny, and she’s totally clueless about camping, which is comical since she’s on a reality show that takes place outdoors. Finn is great, too. The grump to Natalie’s sunshine, Finn is much more experienced with camping, and though the pair is initially unhappy to be put together, they slowly begin to break down walls.
Natalie and Finn have such a sweet love story, and I think they grow closer because of their forced proximity. Added to that, both are grieving the loss of loved ones. I like how they open up to each other and grow closer and how their relationship grows into friendship and then something more. Their story is sweet and funny and emotional, and the banter between them was so fun!
Something else I really like is the realistic and relatable portrayal of the physical and emotional struggles Natalie goes through. Though she is the sunshine to Finn’s grump, we learn quickly that the sunshine and grumpiness mask deeper feelings, and Natalie is struggling with a recent anxiety diagnosis. I totally related to her feelings and the obstacles she faced, especially as she dealt with the loss of a loved one. Both characters have suffered significant losses, and that, combined with other obstacles, makes them easy to relate to.
I would definitely recommend this read to people who like fun and emotional YA contemporary romance with quirky characters and an awe-inspiring setting. Special thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours for having me on the tour today. All thoughts are my own.
The more I learn about you, the more I find myself wanting to know everything.
So much for shutting the inner voice down. That bitch is noisy.
Falling for Finn was the easiest part of wild adventures. I didn’t even have to try, and I couldn’t have stopped if I wanted to.
Kaitlyn Hill is a writer, reader, and sweet tea enthusiast who believes that all the world is not, in fact, a stage, but a romance novel waiting to happen. She is the author of Love from Scratch and Not Here to Stay Friends.
Kaitlyn has a BA in Sociology/Anthropology and German Studies, which means that she can tell you way too much about the Communist Manifesto in Karl Marx’s mother tongue. Before landing on writing, she worked in roles from city government intern in a small German town to Haunted Mansion Maid at Walt Disney World, and most recently, at her hometown public library.
Aside from books, Kaitlyn’s favorite things are giraffes, ABBA, and excessively long naps. She lives with her real life romance hero in Lexington, Kentucky.
Author Links:
- Website: https://thekaitlynhill.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thekaitlynhill
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekaitlynhill/
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20525224
Tour Schedule:
Oh I cannot wait to get my hands on this one! That cover 😍
Right! It’s so pretty. 🙂