Wild About You

by Kaitlyn Hill

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...

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Young Adult Romance, Audiobook, Mental Health, Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2024

About the author

Kaitlyn Hill is a writer who lives to tell love stories and make people laugh. While books make up most of her personality, Kaitlyn also enjoys messy reality TV, has never met a tea she didn't like, and thrives on overly ambitious home improvement projects. She resides in Kentucky with her real life romance hero. Find her on Instagram and TikTok @thekaitlynhill and at thekaitlynhill.com.

Reviews

[hannah ꣑ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭑ ˖ 4 stars .ᐟ ⋆౨ৎ˚˖
⤿ such a cute romance and my first 4 star arc!

— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ "we won long before we got to the finish line." ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

⊹ ₊ »- thoughts ⟢
i really did not expect to love this as much as i did. i've been having some bad luck with arcs lately, so this was such a pleasant surprise. 🩷 it was fun, sweet, and had lovable characters. this is also such a good read for the spring/summer and i definitely recommend it if you want something quick and lighthearted! the only thing that threw me off was how this is a grumpy-sunshine romance and while the male mc was grumpy in the beginning, it felt he just completely switched to being friendly overnight (not literally, don't worry this isn't insta love). it was bound to happen eventually, but i thought the transition could have been smoother. regardless, i'm still completely in love with him, so i'm not complaining too much. 🤭

— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ "i feel lucky that by random chance, i could do this with him by my side." ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

⊹ ₊ »- plot ⟢
natalie hart, a college freshman with a recently diagnosed anxiety disorder, just lost her merit scholarship. in an effort to get the money she needs, she applies to wild adventures, an outdoors reality show, for a chance to win scholarship money. natalie doesn't have much experience when it comes to the great outdoors, so when she gets partnered up with her outdoorsy, grumpy partner finn markum, the two must sort their differences and work together to hike their way to the grand prize. what they don't expect is the connection they start to form, becoming more than just teammates.

— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ "he has me on my toes, off my game, giving me butterflies like no one else has since my first middle school crush. and he makes it look so effortless." ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

⊹ ₊ »- characters ⟢

꒰ ⁺˖ natalie hart ۫ ‧💄₊˚. ꒱
my girl natalie, i loved her. 🤭 she was so real and i loved how she was unapologetically herself. she was funny, relatable, and so cute. usually in a young adult romance, especially with a "sunshine" character, i feel like they can come off as too quirky and slightly annoying, but she wasn't like that at all. she had her moments, but nothing too unbearable. she has such a fun personality and she's a romance reader, so we love that. 🫶 she also has anxiety which i thought was represented really well and i was definitely able to relate and sympathize with her after seeing her overthinking and struggles with loss.

— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ "then i'm upset with myself for being so afraid of everything all the time, for being so tangled up in my own mind that i destroy anything good in my life. then i'm despairing because even when i don't mess things up myself, everything can still go wrong." ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ "he still cares about me, even knowing all he knows. i've let him in on thoughts and feelings i've kept from every other person in my life, and instead of my messiness putting him off, it seems to have drawn him in even closer. he wants to be with me, walk with me, help each other carry the heaviest, hardest stuff together." ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

꒰ ⁺˖ finn markum ۫ ‧🏕₊˚. ꒱
FINN THE MAN THAT YOU ARE. i could have gone without the constant growling in the beginning of the book, but it's finn so i can forgive him. anyways, he's so bf, i'm in love. the things he does, the things he says, i need him he's so cute. ☹🩷 once he got out of that beginning grumpy stage, he was so sweet, reassuring, funny, and protective. also, he blushes easily and i love that so much. just like natalie, he was also dealing with loss and the vulnerable moments between the two had me seriously tearing up. 😭

— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ "the more i learn about you, the more i find myself wanting to know everything." ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ "can you believe me when i tell you how great you are and how lucky i am to be with you? i'm already begging on my knees, but i can lie flat on the ground if i need to." ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

꒰ ⁺˖ finnatalie ۫ ‧💐₊˚. ꒱
they were so cute, omg i loved them. 😭 i don't think anyone understands how happy i was to see that this wasn't insta love. they had such great relationship development and i loved how it wasn't rushed. they had a lot of cute and vulnerable moments that brought them closer together and smoothly transitioned into something more. their banter had me giggling so much AND THEIR FIRST KISS. 🤭

— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ "it's the things he knows about me now, let alone the things he doesn't - how aware i am of him, body and heart and soul, and how much i've grown to want it all." ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ "it means my teammate is strong, brilliant, big-hearted, and beautiful from the inside out. and i really, really want to kiss her." ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ "i chose to stay with you as my partner and i want to stay with you as more. i want us to get to the end of this thing and win it all. then i want to keep getting to know you and building on what we have because i think it could go far past this trail, our tent, and a double sleeping bag. i know i want it to." ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

⊹ ₊ »- final thoughts ⟢
i'm so glad i was able to read this arc and i'm even more glad i finally got an arc that was 4 stars! i 100% recommend this for the spring/summer time and i hope you all love it when it comes out. 🫶

— ⊹ ࣪ ˖ "i hope it's not over for a long time." ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

thank you netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

happy reading!
love, hannah 💚

[sama ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

wild about you 🍃
⟶ 3.80 stars ✮

that is a really specific rating I know but i felt like 3.75 was too low and 4 was just too high so here we are.

🌷”I feel lucky that by random chance, I could do this with him by my side. 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.”🌷

they’re just so adorable I love them <33

🌸 plot 🌸
natalie hart is not an outdoorsy girl. she hates hiking, she doesn’t enjoy sleeping in a tent. but when she loses her college scholarship and sees the prize money for the wild adventures reality show, it seems she has no other choice.

that’s where she meets finn, the quiet, shy, nature-obsessed boy. her COMPLETE OPPOSITE. she’s loud and bubbly and he.. well he growls and grunts a lot 🙂 they become teammates, he doesn’t like her very much but they develop a sweet friendship and.. surprise surprise, they fall in love.

🏕️ tropes

➵ grumpy x sunshine
➵ reality show
➵ one tent trope
➵ anxiety representation
➵ (kinda) friends to lovers

🫶🏼 what i liked 🫶🏼

જ⁀➴ NATALIE 💗

she was super cute and likeable. she kinda reminds me of Indy from the right move who is literally my fav fmc ever 🥹 despite finn’s rudeness at first, she still tried to befriend him and make peace with him even though he was being so shitty to her for no reason 🙁 she was also the most relatable queen ever like girl same i’d also rather be at home with an iced latte and my skincare rather than hiking and camping for a gazillion hours. the author also did the anxiety rep so well and i like that we got to see beyond the sunshine exterior of hers <3

❤️‍🩹 ”maybe I never get others’ affirmation or pride because I don’t actually deserve it” ❤️‍🩹

I hated that she kept feeling like she wasn’t enough bc I truly do adore her so much. but also I get it bc probably everyone’s had these thoughts once in their life, I know I do.

🌵what I didn’t love 🌵

જ⁀➴ FINN (AT THE START)

someone tell me why was this man SO RUDE!?!? im not kidding he needs to learn manners bc why are you shouting at a girl you’ve known 2 days 🤨 why are you telling her that she messes up everything and she shouldn’t even be here.. sir do you know this woman!? NO. SO SHUT UP.

ok this looks like I really hate him but he was so mean. even when she did things right he never showed her any validation (at the start) and that just kinda annoyed me. ALSO. THE GROWLING went crazy. is this man a wolf? is he a bear? why does he keep making animal noises.

the character development came and then i fell in love with him <33 so all is right in the world again. they’re so cutesie 🙈

🪷 the end 🪷
sorry for the short-ish review but im kinda sleepy heheh. overall, this was fun and cute. took me wayyy too long to finish but i blame school HAHAH. I recommend (sort of) <3

HAPPY READING POOKIES, AND GOODNIGHT 🌻

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

[mimi (depression slump) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I beg you to stop what you're doing and add this book to your TBR for your sake, for my sake, for everyone’s sake so you'll have a free therapy session directly from your bed’s bedroom.

I know I should focus on the grumpy-sunshine trope and all the reasons why it's so well done it can make you rethink your idea of love, but what really stuck with me - aside from that monster of mushroom carbonara - is the portrayal of generalized anxiety.

I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I do feel like I'm crazy. Need-to-be-hospitalized kinda crazy. I mean, sometimes I feel like I'm the worst person alive and the moment after I'm thinking that I can't do anything about it anyway.
The most difficult part is explaining myself to people who just don't get it because their minds are healthy and don't make them think they are useless and unworthy of love and that they didn't deserve their trauma. I sound crazy just writing it, can you imagine trying to tell that face-to-face?!

Long story short, when you feel represented by a piece of literature, I believe you should scream at the top of your lungs its title.
So, anxious people from around the globe, I don't know how your love life is, how your family situation is, in which bad place you might end up after a sleepless night. What I do know is that Kaitlyn Hill nailed our situation.

↠ 4 stars

Thanks to Random House Children's and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill is a young adult contemporary romance novel with a side of adventure to it. The story in Wild About You is one that involves the old opposites attract and a grumpy/sunshine romance.

Natalie Hart has hit a rough patch in her freshman year of college while mourning the loss of her grandmother who she always felt closest to. Stress has caused anxiety and losing her scholarship has caused more stress so Natalie needs a way out without a lifetime of debt.

The popular reality television show Wild Adventures is filming near to Natalie and with a chance at a huge scholarship Natalie thinks why not sign up. Being tossed directly into the wilderness isn’t exactly Natalie’s strength but she’ll do whatever she can to win this competition and that includes thawing out Finn Markum, her randomly assigned partner’s icy exterior.

It’s no secret that I enjoy a good virtual travel adventure here and there and I also consider myself a reality TV addict so how could I pass by Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill? This one takes place along the Appalachian Trail which made for a fun setting and with the characters jumping through reality tv hoops in the competitions it had plenty of fun antics to enjoy. The story does get a little heavier with the lead suffering from anxiety and both characters dealing with loss but it kept a good balance of the light heartedness and the deeper material and when finished it’s definitely one I’d recommend checking out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Kaitlyn Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my book and I like it very much, not least because Natalie Hart was thinking about the man vs bear dilemma long before it was a meme 🐻

[Anita Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Kaitlyn Hill yet!! (And yes, I realize that the hiking bit does make me a bit biased towards it, but STILL.) Funnier and swoonier than ever. I truly loved it.

[Transparency: Kaitlyn and I are friends.]

[ß · Rating 3 out of 5]

we need more heroines who are into skincare and can blab on about hyaluronic acid serum

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, dual POV, YA reality tv show story that sees two college students paired up to compete in a competition race to hike the Appalachian Trail. The mental health rep in this book was outstanding! I

loved how much focus was spent on FMC, Natalie' anxiety disorder as she learns how to deal with negative thoughts, panic attacks and more. The chemistry between her and partner Finn was top notch and I loved that Finn was a nerdy, book-loving grump who does his best to encourage and build Natalie up once he realizes there's more to her than the superficial blonde Southern persona she projects.

Great on audio narrated by Amanda Stribling and perfect for fans of books like Grandma Gatewood's walk, Anita Kelly's Something wild & wonderful or Katherine Center's Happiness for beginners. Many thanks to NetGalley and @prhaudio for a complimentary digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Elevetha · Rating 2 out of 5]

*An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

What should have been a fun trope-filled camping adventure romance, complete with mental health talks and learning to love yourself while competing in a reality tv show was indeed that, but it also featured, for me anyways, a rather annoying MC. Natalie is a potty-mouthed obnoxious and childish (she refers to a competitor on the show as "Enemi" the entire book) character for most of the book, and I just didn't really like her all that much. She could be genuinely funny or clever sometimes, which was nice, but overall I didn't like her vibe. Finn is an angsty mean guy for no good reason at the beginning, and I really struggled to like him until his character vastly improved, and he became the best part. I'm solidly in the "Natalie doesn't deserve him" camp. There was a spot just past the halfway mark where I was really enjoying the story, and even the two characters together, but it was short-lived. The back half was still markedly better than the first half, but there was a lot of predictable annoyances in the back half.

Okay, have I ever read a reality tv competition book where I liked that aspect of the story?? Even when it's objectively well-done and I don't have any complaints about it? I don't think so, so probably time to steer away from those.

[nat!! · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was pretty good!!

i loved the plot aspect of the reality show and the challenges out in the woods, and i think that that is what kept me hooked on this book. it was really interesting, and i enjoyed getting to see all of the challenges that natalie and finn had to do!! (especially the horse one because i ride horses)

on top of me and the natalie in the book both riding horses, we have the same name and are from the same state. crazy right? it was a little weird to hear my name being said in a romance novel, but i mean i was here for it i guess. good thing it’s spelled differently!

i feel like the reason i gave this 3 stars is because it was just lacking… something but i don’t know what. maybe more emphasis on their life after the show? i don’t know. it was good but it wasn’t great!!

(sorry if this is gibberish i’m writing it late at night and i’m tired)

[Miri James Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25🌟 Me encanta cuando me sumerjo en un libro sin saber qué esperar y acabo sorprendiéndome para bien☺️
Me he enamorado completamente de Finn 😍 y el humor de Natalie le ha dado un toque muy divertido al libro. Además, la amistad que forma con Harper ha sido un plus en la historia💕👯‍♀️. Por último, el toque del reality show le dio un giro muy original y fresco 🎥🌳
Una lectura muy recomendable.

[Tasha Metzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was basically kind of what I expected it to be. Which I needed. A rom com with a grumpy ass dude with a sunshine girl that fall over the cliff together in what we call love. However, I really enjoyed the anxiety parts of the story because it made it so so relatable.

[Kylie ve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m giving this a 4.25
This was such a fun and cute book. I really liked that this book was a mix between survivor and the amazing race tv shows! It was such a fun game and genuinely a good read. I loved all of the challenges they did and honestly wouldn’t mind if this was an actual tv show!
Natalie was such a fun and interesting character I loved her character development and how she grew real confidence instead of faking it throughout the challenges!
Finn was such a cute grumpy man, I loved getting to know him and what his reasoning for being on the show was! Such a cute book and I would definitely read it again!

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book just not as much as I'd hoped that I would. Wilderness setting was fun and characters are believable. I just wanted more sparks between the two main characters.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (less)

[ava | reading slump · Rating 4 out of 5]

ꨄ𝒲𝒾𝓁𝒹 𝒶𝒷ℴ𝓊𝓉 𝓎ℴ𝓊ꨄ
❥𝒦𝒶𝒾𝓉𝓁𝓎𝓃 ℋ𝒾𝓁𝓁
❥13+ （𝒶 𝒷𝒾𝓉 ℴ𝒻 𝓈ℯ𝓍𝓊𝒶𝓁 𝒸ℴ𝓃𝓉ℯ𝓃𝓉）
☆★★★★
4．50 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓈

꧂𝐼 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑏𝑜𝑥 “𝑂𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑏“！ 𝑖 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑖 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑠𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒！ 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑖 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑓 𝑏𝑢𝑦 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛꧁

OH MY GOD! I absolutely loved this book! It was so cute with the perfect amount of swoon worthy romance and action. I WAS HOOKED!

✩𝒫𝓁ℴ𝓉✩
Natalie the mc is an aspiring college student with anxiety. In order to be able to go to college she needs to get an impossible amount of money.
She decides to sign up for Wild Adventures where a bunch of people her age will compete for 100,000 dollars.
There she meets Finn, the grumpy male mc who growls. They start off on the wrong foot but eventually find themselves falling for eachother.

✩𝒩𝒶𝓉𝒶𝓁𝒾ℯ✩
Ugh I loved her so much! From her twenty step skin care routine to her bubbly energy she was just perfect.
She was the straight up definition of a sunshine character and I adore that!
She was a definite girls girl and her humor! I caught myself
Laughing out loud a couple time.
Can me and Natalie be friends irl?

✩ℱ𝒾𝓃𝓃✩
I felt like he was being extremely rude in the beginning for no reason. Like he literally just met Natalie and he started yelling and growling at her almost immedietly.
But once the character development happened I fell in love…

Overall i def recommend this book!!

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild about you (5/21/24)
If you're looking for a sweet YA book about camping, falling in love, forced proximity, and grumpy/sunshine, this is a good choice for you. I am a huge fan of YA novels, and this one dealt with some heavy topics, like grief and anxiety, all while having humorous moments.
Natalie has always felt like an outcast from her parents, and the only person who ever made her feel accepted was her grandmother, who has passed away. Since then, she has struggled with anxiety, which is only multiplied by the amount of stress she has trying to pay for college. This is why she decides to apply for the adventure competition, which has a grand prize of a scholarship.
When she gets to the competition, she is paired with Finn, who is also struggling with grief from the loss of his father. This makes him come across as a grumpy, no-nonsense partner. Slowly, Natalie and Finn form a bond, then become friends, and then eventually more than friends.
This book made me feel so many emotions, and I loved reading about the evolution of the relationship between Finn and Natalie. There was real chemistry, and it showed the importance of being open and honest with someone, because you never know what they are feeling or going through.

[Madisyn Lowe · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
i’m not going to go into a ton of detail about why i didn’t love this book.. i feel bad..
here’s some things i did like:
-the anxiety representation was really well done and i related to a lot of what nat experienced/thought/felt as it pertained to her anxiety.
-the scene where they’re star gazing was so pure and sweet and i loved the discussion of grief they had at that part.
-the whole scene at the mini golf course was super cute. their first kiss was adorable. finn is adorable!!
but there was quite i bit about this book i couldn’t get on board with. the fmc was trying a little too hard to be quirky and i found myself annoyed by her very often.
there were also lot of comments/things in this book that just really didn’t sit right with me🥴 one thing i will mention is that there blatant racist remarks against white people in this multiple times. “angry white men are the scariest predators out there”- just an example, i don’t remember the others word for word but you get the gist.
truly, i just think this book wasn’t for me and that’s okay!
i would love to discuss this one further if anyone has read it!
🔥NO SPICE🔥 just kissing
🤐LANGUAGE🤐about 10 uses of the F word and occasional use of other swear words

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one I was excited to read, I had wanted to read another book by this author, and this was perfect with some of the other “survivor” type of books I’d been reading at this same time. When I started, at first I was unsure if I would be able to connect to Natalie as she talked about bringing all her makeup with her. However her insecurities and the way she kind of babbled when she was nervous at times did remind me so much of myself that I quickly connected with the rest of her. Also Finn at first seemed like someone I might not be able to get to like as his dislike of her seemed a little over the top at first.

The author turned it all around though as the two of them had such hilarious banter and we were soon given a new enemy named Alli, or Enemi as Natalie called her in her head. As the adventure progressed along the Appalachian Trail, we got to know more and more about both Natalie and Finn, and the enemies to lovers romance trope was completely perfectly done. The different tasks they had to compete in were so much fun, so original at times, and some so hard I know I could not have done them! The other contestants also either grew on me as I read, or the enemy status was cemented again and again.

I love how the author showed the growth of Natalie through the trip, and how her growth not only affected Finn, but how he was a big part of her learning more about herself and being able to accept things she’d panicked over before. The relationship between the two and how it developed was so realistic in my opinion. Not just perfect all of a sudden everything is okay. So many more awkward moments, I mean they’re hiking in the wilderness for goodness sake. But also a lot of sweet moments that totally won me completely over to Finn by the end. I mean at one point he had one of the best lines: “I accept your lack of apology.” He knew how to deal with Natalie’s dramatic personality, and give the sarcasm and snark right back, in a good way!

The ending of the competition was so satisfying, even with its ups and downs. And I like that while some problems may have been solved or at least figured out how to deal with, it wasn’t like all of a sudden Natalie’s whole life was perfect. Her anxiety was still there, she’d just learned that she had to deal with it and ask for help. She still didn’t have the perfect parents. And she had to figure out a long distance relationship. But hey, she did figure out how to handle a black bear, and oh my gosh, that was one of my favorite parts of the story!

I hope to read more by this author in the future, and really hope I get a chance to go back and at least read the one I wanted to before, Love From Scratch.

Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Cute summer romance featuring a teen wilderness challenge. I liked the pairing of Natalie and Finn, they're a grump/sunshine couple forced to work together and overcome obstacles to win scholarship money. The story is well paced and jumps right into the woods and the friendships Natalie made throughout were super cute.

Another hit YA romance from Hill!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy.

[Ayushi (bookwormbullet) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can always count on Kaitlyn Hill to write a swoonworthy romance 😌

[Millie]

I’ve officially given up on this book 🤠

[olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ☆ | coarse language | ♥︎♡♡♡♡
↳ 15 +

The concept of this book was fun! I am kinda tired of the brooding, grumpy, mmc thing 🫣 Finn & Natalie were really cute together though!




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[Kaylee Gwyn (literarypengwyns) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This book was so fun and the perfect summer read!

Not sure if it is technically categorized as YA, but our main characters are in college and are embarking on a Survivor meets Amazing Race style reality series set in the Appalachian mountains to earn scholarship money, and it was such a unique storyline and I am obsessed.

I'm a sucker for camping romances or even ones set in National Parks (I have very unique trope interests apparently) so when I read the synopsis, I had to read it. Wild About You absolutely delivered on everything I could want in an outdoorsy romance: just-one-tent, omg-you-almost-died, long-conversations-on-the-trail, and your-pheromones-drive-me-wild.

Natalie and Finn could not be more opposite, yet they work well together in the most extreme of circumstances and watching them both open up to each other, while bonding over similar traumas, was beautiful. Watching them navigate the odd world of outdoor adventure filming for a reality show was so fun, and getting to see the secondary characters compete made it feel like you were truly immersed in this reality show.

The audio was also incredible, so if you are into that, I highly recommend. The narration was wonderful and the voice acting was so easy to listen to.

*Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and PRH Audio for the free eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.*

[Starr ❇✌❇]

" In this grumpy-sunshine YA romance, indoorsy theater girl Natalie must team up with surly nature-lover Finn in an Amazing Race-style reality competition show set in the Appalachian wilderness that could earn them a huge college scholarship—if they don’t kill (or kiss) each other first."

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a story that definitely grew on me as I continued reading. Initially, I was turned off by his rudeness, which came with instantaneous judging on his part. While I don't relate to Natalie's need for make-up and "looking good" (I'm more of a comfort gal), I do relate to her desire to want to be friends with everyone, especially a teammate you have to work with. I also loved the special relationship she had with her grandmother, and her need to be validated for choosing a path that may have been considered impractical.

I also really liked how the author dealt with Natalie's anxiety/panic attacks as well as the trauma from her loss of what was her only cheerleader in what she wanted to do with her life. I enjoyed the tropes of found family, one bed/room/tent, grumpy vs. smiley (even with her anxiety, she was clearly the sunshine of the two), and as I said, I thought the author did a good job of representing what anxiety might look like in someone's life. As Natalie and the rest of us started learning more about Finn, I realized that while her way of dealing with anxiety and grief was to put on a happy face, his way of dealing with grief was to close himself off, both normal ways of dealing with grief. Because the fact is, there is no right way of dealing with grief.

In the end, this was a feelgood romance with the expected HEA with some complexity to it. I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting and would recommend this for a summer beach read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Lindsay♫SingerOfStories♫ · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for Finn, 2 stars for Natalie, averaging the overall book to about a 3. Plus the cover is a GEM! All that being said I had high hopes for this one because I love hiking and adventure stories, plus the idea that its set on the AT and within a reality "survivor" kind of show just sounded so fun! It ended up being a let down. I applaud the author for incorporating mental health and anxiety--I, too, was someone whose grades dropped in college because of anxiety much like the MC--but I didn't care for how it was written in this book. Maybe there are others out there who will relate better than I did but it wasn't for me. And I'll say again--Finn for the absolute win in this book!

[Mylissa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy Survivor or Alone television shows then you will fly through "Wild About You" by Kaitlyn Hill. Natalie is hoping to fund her acting dreams by agreeing to appear on "Wild Adventures" as a contestant but in her pack she has dozens of bottles of skincare products instead of survival gear (& I can related 🤣🧖‍♀️). She is thrown together with survivalist Finn as her partner and the two couldn't be more opposite.

I loved their witty banter, hilarious missteps and honest conversations about grief/loss in this cute grumpy/sunshine YA romance. The two main characters are in their early 20s so some of the conflicts felt immature but appropriate for the age of the main characters. I loved the entire cast and the light energy of this book, it was the perfect read for a cold MN winter weekend.

[hannah! (lowkey gone) · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘it’s a kiss that shows everyone else what we already knew-that we won long before the finish line.’

AGGHHHHH THIS WAS SO GOOD (i think i even maybe liked it more than love from scratch and that’s saying something)

nat was such a good mc and FINN? HE WAS THE BESTTTTTT

i see people all going ‘finn sucks he was such a grouch’ NOO. HE WAS MISUNDERSTOOF AND MOODY AND I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

also i live for the reese x benny cameos I LOVE YOU NORBERTO <3

[Lynette Baumgardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok I actually couldn’t put this book down, even if it meant staying up all night to finish it (oops…) I absolutely loved reading this and enjoyed all the little trials they had to face and all the tension between Natalie and Finn. And i just overall loved them together and really enjoyed this book!! I would definitely recommend!!