This Wild Wanting

by Sophie Gonzales

Introducing Sophie Gonzales' sensational fantasy debut, where a magical potion comes at a terrible price to a noble's son —and the potion maker's daughter who is determined to rescue him.

Everybody knows about the faerie market that borders the crumbling edges of the mortal world. It is a place where almost anything can be bought . . . by those willing to pay terrible prices. Skills, memories, years of your life—even the freedom of one’s own mind are the currency of choice.

Declan Bonfeld, the only son of a noble house, has never encountered a price he cannot afford to pay. Until the day he attempts to bargain with a ruthless potion merchant for the a way to bring back someone he loves. When Declan dares to steal from the tyrant’s shelves with the help of the merchant’s captive daughter, Calla, the two discover a horrifying truth. Once a stolen potion is consumed, the thief pays the price, no matter who drinks it.

With Declan’s mind and body unravelling piece by piece, Calla must help him outwit her father, the man she has spent a lifetime fearing, before Declan is stripped of everything he is, and she loses the only person who has ever truly seen her.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic, Ebooks, Fiction, Fae

352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication November 17, 2026

About the author

Sophie Gonzales writes young adult queer contemporary fiction with memorable characters, biting wit and endless heart.

She is the author of THE LAW OF INERTIA, ONLY MOSTLY DEVASTATED and PERFECT ON PAPER. IF THIS GETS (co-written with Cale Dietrich) is forthcoming in Fall 2021 from Wednesday Books / Macmillan.

When she isn’t writing, Sophie can be found ice skating, performing in musical theatre, and practicing the piano. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia where she works as a psychologist.

She is represented by Jessica Mileo of Inkwell Management.

Reviews

[melodie | readingwithmelodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

y’all are not ready for this masterpiece i DEVOURED this omg

[Starr ❇✌❇]

NEW SOPHIE GONZALES AND IT'S FAERIE BASED?

[Mariana ✨]

mother sophie is stepping into fantasy ohhhh i'm sat 🙂‍↕️

[Katie Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to try reading something different than what I typically read and I am SO GLAD I DID.

I devoured this book!


I couldn’t get enough of Calla and Declan and their friendship.

[BookishKB]

🧚‍♀️🖤 This Wild Wanting 🖤🧚‍♀️

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• YA Fantasy
• Faerie Market
• Forbidden Romance
• Magical Bargains
• Found Family
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: November 17, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Vhairi Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Wild Wanting, fae and mortal worlds collide when Declan crosses the Haze hoping to make peace with the past, only to find himself pulled deeper into a dangerous and captivating world. Sophie Gonzales delivers an atmospheric fantasy built around impossible choices and characters who often place others’ safety above their own.
What stood out most was how the characters were always willing to accept their fate if it meant saving the other from harm, giving their connection a quiet weight throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shame to see high prices affecting both the real and fictional world these days…

Stolen from her crib , Calla has worked with her birth father selling potions to other fae across the haze and when new customer Declan arrives looking to bring someone back from the dead he bites off a bit more than he can chew. Working together she agrees to help him get the right potion for the resurrection but when their plan goes awry, Calla must work through the curse that binds her to her father before Declan succumbs to the high cost of each stolen good.

This was a fun idea I really liked the costs for each skill and they weren’t kidding with their warnings. The temptation to have something, even if it meant losing more in the exchange was fascinating as it had its hook in nearly all of our characters and what they most desired. As each new transaction took a bit more from Declan, Calla was forced to step out of the confines of her prison and confront a long history of deals and I loved seeing that growth from her.

I did wish for more from the characters overall, this book is a fast read so it is something that you don’t spend too much time on but they felt very flat for the most part with the villain being sort of one note himself. I would have loved to know more about his descent into greed and how it cost him everything but also that turn to take those who loved him and abuse them in such a way. Yes there’s evil for the sake of it but there was a brief moment that I thought was going to give us more layers only for it to fizzle out just as quickly.

A quick read thats lots of fun and poses the great question of how much are you willing to pay in order to get what you want?

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc for a fair and honest review**

[Jennah Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review: 4.5 ⭐️

The Wild Wanting pulls you in immediately with a shocking child swap. We meet Declan, who is grieving someone he’s lost and becomes desperate enough to try to bring them back. His desperation leads him to a mysterious potion shop, where he meets Calla, who warns him about the dangers of making deals with The Ledger. Every potion comes with a price - and the cost is never small.
Despite her warning, Calla helps Declan steal a resurrection potion. But what she doesn’t realize is that’s not all he stole, setting off a chain of consequences neither of them can fully control.
As the story unfolds, it explores how power and greed can consume people, especially when they’re vulnerable. It asks a powerful question: if you could have anything you wanted, would you really stop yourself?
Calla and Declan feel like outsiders in their own lives, and their growing friendship gradually turns into something deeper. Along the way, there’s adventure, found family, and strong reminder that nothing comes without a cost - and that nothing should be taken for granted

[Marybeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I really wanted to like this more. I liked the multiple POV, the shortish chapters and loved the concept. Mortal meets fae and befriends her while unknowingly making deals. Super fun!

But parts of this book seemed to drag on while the ending seemed a little rushed. I enjoyed and quickly read the first 40% or so, but struggled to get through the next 40%.

[Nicole B · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an easy fun read. I was hooked immediately. I loved the plot twists. The dual POV was great and I thought all the side characters had a good backstory. I would have liked more world building & more on the magic system…

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity.

[Megan Arning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so sweet! The plot was so well-paced, I was constantly wanting to know what happened next. The relationship between Calla and Declan was precious. I just wish there had been more of an epilogue!

[Candy Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC Review ✨
This was such a cute, fun read! Mortals? Fae? Bargains?? What could possibly go wrong? The characters were easily lovable, the chemistry was great, and the magical world was so much fun to explore. I couldn't put it down!

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This premise had so much potential for everything I enjoy bargaining fae, changelings, a little romance. But unfortunately this YA was very poorly written. I found myself cringing at the dialogue. Even for YA, the conversations felt disjointed and fake somehow. The characters weee extremely shallow and the plot kept changing course in a way like the author was attempted to be clever, but in reality it just felt nonsensical.

To be fair, I did love that the book is truly YA with no unnecessary spice. But also every character seemed to be bisexual which is weird. What are the odds of that?

Declan was constantly making absurd choices and was quite witless and it made no sense to me why Calla would be interested in him except that he noticed she was in pain and wanted to help. Declan’s relationship with Eaving had potential to make the story great, and then it was just forgot about a third of the way through. Only using it as a catalyst to get him into the fae world. Also I fear that a governess to an 18 year old was a bit juvenile as well. These characters could have been 13 and it would have made the book much more enjoyable and believable.

Feels like a rough draft with potential, but needs cleaning up.

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This was fun but fantasy is bit too much for this author. The world building was lacking and pacing was slow.

[Carissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This YA fantasy follows an impulsive mortal boy in the search of necromancy magic (Declan) and a lonely fae girl (Calla) who is trapped under the control of her cruel father (The Ledger). They cross paths after Declan visits The Ledger’s potion shop and makes a risky decision in order to avoid paying the high, life-altering cost of obtaining a potion. Declan quickly faces the consequences of his actions, and Calla unravels the truth of her past as their bond grows stronger.

The best thing I could say about this book was the prose, in and of itself, was good. Calla and Declan were decently developed characters, but as far as characters go they were nothing special. Unfortunately, overall this story was bland, and I had issues with several elements.

1. World building—The book gave no context whatsoever about the history or politics of the mortal side of this world and little about the fae realm. Declan’s parents are diplomats and travel frequently, apparently negotiating with other nations and whatnot, but I had no context for what the relationship was between their country and others. It also didn’t make any sense to me that Declan goes to a school for gentry children, and it was commented twice that they don’t teach any kind of politics at this school, and yet the book also mentions how important diplomats are to the country!? Just speaking from how these things usually work in other pieces of fiction and reality, aren’t members of the noble class more often than not involved in diplomatic matters? So why not teach about politics at this school!?

2. Declan's decision-making—Yes, he is an 18-year-old boy, a group of people not known for making well-thought-out choices, but throughout most of the book his behaviors are ridiculous! He buys a low-cost potion from The Ledger that allows him to walk through walls and, shortly thereafter, robs that very same man of a high-cost potion located in an otherwise secure building. So would that not make it obvious who stole from this (very dangerous) man!? And it does not stop there! Once he’s inside the building, he steals not one potion but 10 potions from Calla’s father! A man who he knows is powerful and vengeful and also would not hesitate to punish Calla if he were to find out she was an accomplice in the heist.

3. Declan’s absentee parents—a big conflict in the book is that Declan wants to join the King’s Guard (that fact that there is a king is maybe the only thing I know about this country), while his parents make it apparent that they want him to follow in their footsteps and become a diplomat. Declan’s parents are always away from home, which makes him feel like they don’t care about him, and when they are around, they are constantly judging him on his ability to answer pop quiz-type questions about diplomacy. Turns out it’s all a completely asinine miscommunication where Declan’s parents are avoiding him because they believe he is mad at them for a reason I don’t feel like explaining. Umm, y’all are adults; actually have a conversation with your son instead of avoiding him and only criticizing him when you are around!!!

4. Lottie—Okay, this is maybe a bit too nit-picky, but at one point Calla goes into a jealousy thought spiral when Declan mentions he is worried about his friend Lottie. But earlier in the book Declan told her about Lottie and her infatuation with a girl from their town. Just seems weird that she would forget that Lottie was very taken by another and was only friends with Declan.

There are many more small things that bothered me, and I hate to say it, but this is the worst fae book I’ve ever read (even ACOTAR is better…). Overall, this book had potential, but it needs stronger world-building and more explanations for actions other than making the characters stupid.

[delaney :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of this one is… rough. Almost enough so that I didn’t want to finish it at all. The prologue is especially trying. I’m surprised it even made its way past editing. There’s a bit right at the beginning that seems to jump from one thought to another without any context at all. “Calla didn’t cry. If only she’d cried. Only there were many things Calla didn’t like lately.” Where did that come from?
There’s another loose end established by this prologue but I’m going to choose to ignore it for my own sanity. There were a few instances throughout This Wild Wanting, actually, that had me raising my eyebrows and wondering if this was, indeed, fully written by a human being. The cadences of some of the sentences were mildly suspicious. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt

As the book went on, the quality improved a good amount and I found myself tearing through the chapters.

The premise of the story was interesting. The magic mechanics were decently interesting, if a bit predictable when it came to the consequences of our MMC’s actions. I found that I didn’t know much about the characters beyond how foolish Declan seems to be, and his strained relationship with his parents. Calla was interesting, but I would’ve liked to understand her more beyond her enjoyment of books and her adverse experiences with her father. Eaving was reduced to a dead-end plot device, which is a shame because I would’ve liked to understand Declan’s grief over her more.

At the end of the day, everything that happens is the MMC’s fault. Yes, things are better off for it in the end, but by george there was a LOT of unnecessary suffering.

Kudos to the author, because writing does take a lot of work and I acknowledge that perhaps I am being a bit jugemental by saying this, but…I think this is great for a rough draft. The beginning is written in a way that makes Declan almost feel haughty, with the use of a good amount of high or mid tier vocabulary words and a tone that feels more scholarly. By the end of the book, it feels like your typical YA novel and loses most of those initial vibes. It could use some refining in a handful of places, and I think if it went through another round of edits to tie up some loose ends it could be closer to a five-star read.

If you liked this one, I would check out the Market of Monsters series, as they are relatively similar in plot.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sophie Gonzales for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[The Little Black Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC Review:

This Wild Wanting is a well paced YA fantasy that manages to accomplish a lot in around 250 pages. The story explores themes of identity, self-worth, and loneliness through two main characters each struggling with their own personal challenges. The story follows Calla, a changeling kidnapped by her fae father and forced to work as a slave in his potions shop, and Declan, a child of wealthy diplomats he struggles to connect with, who is grieving the death of his beloved governess. When Declan travels to the fae realm in a desperate act to speak with his governess again, Calla is forced to help extricate him from her father’s dangerous bargaining.

The novel incorporates some interesting magical elements. I’ve always enjoyed stories where the fae cannot directly lie, and that concept is used well here. The potions and bargains are also interesting and remain an important element throughout the entire story. I especially liked that the potions came with severe consequences. For instance, a potion would grant invisibility for twelve hours, but at the cost of permanently halving a person’s dexterity. These tradeoffs maintained tension throughout the story as every magical solution came with a high cost.

The romance between the characters was sweet. I liked the long-distance conversations they had through their lockets. It ventures a bit into insta-love territory, but given the age of the characters and the length of the story, it didn’t bother me much. Some of the choices the characters made were frustrating, but also believable for 18 year olds.

The writing itself was strong, with several impactful quotes. One of my favorite was “My whole life, I’ve been afraid that not only does no one love me, but that nobody ever will. That I exist to be the set decoration for the lives of the people who truly matter. That one day, I will die, and the sun will rise, and the dew will settle on still leaves, and the earth won’t even catch its breath. And it will be as though I was never here.”

I was glad to find the ending reaches a satisfying conclusion and ties up all the major loose ends. Overall, this is a well-written YA novel with interesting magical elements, deep themes, and a surprisingly complete story wrapped up in a relatively short page count.

[Ava D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had a fairytale quality where the world felt both beautiful and dangerous, the characters were forced to pay the price for every choice they made. Missteps were not allowed to slide, and Calla and Declan weren’t allowed to be perfect stand ins the plot happened to. The characterization and the exploration of what would happen if a naïve boy raised in sheltered privilege went too far to save a loved one was very well done.

Declan in particular felt extremely real to me. Flawed but also well-intentioned, and kind, and intensely loyal, and hard on himself. Living in his head, it's easy to focus on his many flaws, and I appreciated how differently he appeared through Calla's perspective. Just as we are harder on ourselves than our loved ones are.

The fae realm felt genuinely otherworldly here, like a dream that could turn into a nightmare in a second. Strange creatures and double-speak and some of the best food descriptions I’ve seen. But what really made the book special for me was the relationship between Declan and Calla, because their romance develops so naturally and patiently. They become important to each other emotionally long before everything turns romantic, which is difficult to do in a standalone book given the limited page time, and I was impressed how invested I was in them as individuals and as a couple by the end.

I especially loved Declan. He was kind, impulsive, emotionally open, and recklessly willing to put himself in danger for the people he loves, especially at the start of the story where he’s well out of his depth. Watching him grow throughout the story was really incredible, and I appreciated how his risks gradually shifted from stupid to calculated, though he never lost his impulsivity completely. Calla was equally compelling. She’s sharp and guarded and seeing her slowly let herself trust and care for someone was genuinely moving.

I wish I could spend more time in this world.

[Lily Smol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of an Advance Reader's Copy from NetGalley

Thank you so much to Sophie Gonzales, Wednesday Books, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for sending me this ARC to review!

This Wild Wanting is a captivating story about how far people are willing to go for love, set in a magical fae world akin to the world of The Cruel Prince. This story centers on Calla and Declan, who come from completely different worlds - one fae and the other human - and who grew up in completely different circumstances, yet they meet and strike up an unlikely alliance, which blossoms into somethign more. It was wonderful to see these two grow closer as they learn more about each other's worlds and share their burdens with the other. It was so heartwarming to see how pure and authentic their feelings towards each other were! And one of my favourite scenes from the book has to be when they spent an entire night just talking to each other through the pendants. They were so cute together and hard not to root for.

I found that the book had good pacing and kept me very engaged throughout. Despite there being some chapters without a lot of action, they still felt very necessary and allowed us to learn more crucial information about the characters, which ultimately did not mess up the pacing at all. I also liked how there were several side plots going on apart from the main plot with the stolen potions, like Declan's nonexistent relationship with his parents, and Calla having been stolen as a baby. It was great to see all of these storylines given their time and properly explored within the book, which made the characters' lives feel more real.

Overall, this is a very strong book that I would definitely recommend to those looking for more fae stories! I will also be on the lookout for Sophie Gonzales' other works as this was a great first venture into her writing!

[Jessica Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed This Wild Wanting as a whimsical, cozy fantasy with just enough darkness underneath to keep the stakes interesting. It gave me strong Half a Soul vibes with its charming writing style, magical bargains, and romantic atmosphere.

Calla was such an easy heroine to root for. Kidnapped as a baby and taken across the Haze into the fae lands, she’s spent her entire life trapped under the control of her cruel adoptive father, whose eerie, bargain-making presence reminded me so much of Rumpelstiltskin. Every potion and deal in his shop comes with a devastating price, and watching Declan stumble into that world completely out of his depth made the story incredibly compelling.

Declan’s desperation to save Eaving by stealing one of the enchanted potions sets everything in motion, and I loved the journey Calla and Declan go on together afterward. The romance is sweet and tender, especially because Calla falls first, but I do wish there had been a little more romantic tension overall. At times, Declan felt slightly restrained emotionally, and I wanted him to be more expressive about his feelings toward Calla. Still, it worked well within the YA tone of the story.

What really stood out to me was how approachable the plot felt despite all the fantasy elements. The world-building is intricate without ever becoming confusing, and the pacing keeps things engaging throughout. Sophie Gonzales’ writing style is charming without feeling overly cheesy, and the balance between fantasy, danger, and romance made this such a delightful read.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of This Wild Wanting.

This is a YA story of Calla, a half fae, and Declan, a mortal, whose lives become intertwined due to a desire to bring back a loved one.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters of Calla and Declan. Calla is a sweet fae girl who is imprisoned by her father through a magical band that is permanently attached to her arm. She is forced to basically be a servant. Declan is a mortal boy, who feels his parents don’t like or understand him and is missing his recently deceased governess. Declan meets Calla, when he travels to the fae realm looking for a way to bring back his governess, who was the only person to ever really show him love and affection.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. Although the first half of the book was a little slow paced, I feel like the second half moved a little too fast. Some of the surprise elements at the end were explained in a rush manner, unlike the thorough explanation of things in the beginning. Calla’s character is my favorite. Even being treated poorly her whole life, she is very caring and sweet. Declan’s impulsiveness made me so frustrated at times. I feel like he made rash decisions that were beyond what he would have/should have normally. In the end, I did enjoy the story and how it wrapped up in the end. Although I enjoy series, it was refreshing to have a standalone story to read. I also think the spice level for a YA book was perfect.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be honest, I had set my expectations somewhere on the ground floor after realizing this was marketed as YA. I have been humbled. My preconceived notions that I need something spicy and traumatic to entertain myself these days (and honestly I'll still lean that way but I digress) was incorrect because this book had me enthralled.

The book explores the idea of what we would be willing to sacrifice to gain what we desire, from vanity to time with a deceased loved one. Our main characters Calla and Declan were so charming and relatable, and in spite of their youth they are very self aware. Their epiphanies are profound and easily translate to real life .

Declan: "I'm not sure I'm the sort of person who can be content if I know something better is within my reach." He is guided by guilt to seek out the Fae and gain time with a lost loved one, and yet he is drawn to ALL of the possibilities their magic can offer.

Calla's " Loving someone is like placing a knife in their hands, guiding the top to rest just above your heart, and trusting- praying- that they won't drive it in."

Her story is tragic. Having been taken as a child, Calla is forced by her seemingly unfeeling father known as "The Ledger" to remain close via a magical bracelet. Their relationship starts out as friendship and grows to both being willing to make incredible sacrifices for one another.


This wasn't a pretty little fairytale, it was dark and twisted with the cost of the potions to achieve one's goal being even more than you are lead to believe. I loved the writing style, the pace of the story and will be eager to read more works by Sophie Gonzales.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this amazing book before the release date.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Wild Wanting by Sophie Gonzales

This was such a refreshing change of pace from what I usually pick up, and I’m honestly glad I took the chance on it.

The concept hooked me immediately—especially the idea of The Ledger, where every deal comes with a cost that slowly chips away at something important. That element alone made the story feel tense in a really interesting way, because nothing is ever truly “free” in this world.

Calla and Declan were easy to root for, especially as their dynamic shifted from reluctant allies into something softer and more emotionally layered. I really enjoyed watching Calla start to push against the boundaries of her life and question everything she’s been raised to accept.

There’s a strong thread here about desire, greed, and how far people will go when they think they’ve already lost everything. The potion deals and consequences give the story a constant sense of risk, and I liked how that pressure builds as Declan keeps paying more and more for what he wants.

The pacing is a bit uneven at times, with a slower middle stretch, but the overall idea and worldbuilding kept me engaged enough to keep turning pages. I do wish some of the character arcs and the antagonist were explored with a bit more depth, because there were moments where it felt like there was more potential being left on the table.

Still, it’s a quick, intriguing read with a really strong magical concept and a relationship dynamic that grows in a satisfying way.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

[Jaici Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a really fun time with this it’s a great YA option and a relatively short read that was just fun and yet a little stressful! The two main characters Calla and Declan are teenagers and they definitely act their age through this book with the naive and rash decisions they made, they had this mom stressing! It was so refreshing to have a book come out that shows the fae in this light again as tricksters and deceiving and always trying to suck you into a deal, I feel that is how they had always been betrayed to us in stories before they became just strong, beautiful and everlasting so I appreciated that side of it for sure!

Calla is taken in the night as a baby by a man she knows as her father who switches her with another lookalike baby and immediately places a magical band on her wrist that can keep her at his service whenever he needs. She’s witness to him making cruel deals with people her entire life and one day Declan comes in to make a deal and they end up making some plans together that throw them both into chaos and a battle to outwit her awful fathers tricks. I enjoyed the side characters in the book and found the story to be interesting and fast moving and I was rooting for them to get answers and outsmart the Ledger and the end was satisfying and the setting kind of reminded me of old Halloween movies so I’m excited this is a fall release it’s perfect for that setting! Thank you St Martins Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this early!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The concept behind this story immediately drew me in. A faerie market where memories, years of your life, and even pieces of yourself can be traded is exactly the kind of magic I love. It was also a surprisingly fast read. I kept telling myself, "Just one more chapter," and ended up finishing it much sooner than I expected.
What really stood out to me was how every bargain had weight. Nothing came easily, and every choice carried consequences that made the stakes feel real. I found myself completely invested in Calla and Declan, hoping they could find a way through impossible circumstances while knowing every decision came at a cost.
The world was immersive without feeling overwhelming, and the magic felt both beautiful and unsettling. I also appreciated that the romance added to the story instead of taking it over. The emotional moments felt just as important as the fantasy, and I was rooting for the characters until the very end.
This was an incredibly strong debut, and I'll definitely be picking up whatever Sophie Gonzales writes next. If you enjoy faerie bargains, unique magic, emotional stakes, and character-driven fantasy, I highly recommend adding this one to your TBR.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
To say this was a wild ride is an understatement! I don't often read books about fae, but I absolutely devoured This Wild Wanting. I loved how it was a good mesh of eerie and cozy. The world of the fae is clearly terrifying, especially the antagonist of the story, but it was also whimsical? It's quite hard to explain. Both Calla and Declan were super compelling characters on their own and together. I love how they developed a quick bond and trust that just grew with the things they've gone through together during the story. I did question a little bit though how they could feel so strongly about each other that they made the choices they did, but I feel like with how neither of them really had that kind of bond with someone before I decided it felt earned to me, in the end. It was hard to read at times though with just how much everything seemed to go wrong! It was so tense and action packed which was bad for my heart! But it was also super compelling how the writing didn't skimp out on showing the consequences for each action, how things spiraled. But in the end, how things turned out made me really happy. As much as I enjoyed Calla and Declan's relationship, I also enjoyed the other characters like Lottie. And I enjoyed Calla finding out more about her family.
This was such a lovely charming read, thank you to Netgalley!

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review:

4/5 stars

Calla is a half mortal fae forced to work in her cruel father's magical potion shop. Declan is a mortal boy desperate for a way to resurrect a loved one. When Declan steals multiple potions, he's cursed by Calla's father to pay the price for each potion when it's consumed, even if he's not the one to consume it.

I thought Declan and Calla were both very likable characters. Declan's naivety was almost endearing, even though it got him into a lot of danger that Calla had to then get him out of. Calla was very resourceful and strong. I really identified with Calla's loneliness and how that shaped her independence.

I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 for a few reasons. The book ended on a good note, but it felt a little unfinished to me. I wanted more story at the end. I felt a character appeared a little abruptly across the haze toward the end. It didn't really make sense for them to be there. I also was still confused about Calla's parentage at the end. I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and will read more from this author in the future.

Spice Level: 0/5 🌶️ - nothing more than a few kisses.

I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I appreciated the more traditional story of the fae. I think in a lot of romantasy fae are more like elves, but in this story we see the fairytale version of the fae who live in a realm just out of site that steal babies in the night and use trickery since they cannot tell lies.

The world was mostly unexplored and we spent most of the time where the characters lived and in a potion shop.

I enjoyed the POV from both main characters. I appreciated that they had different strengths and weaknesses. They complimented each other and they acted their age (late teens). They were overconfident in the way that teenagers are, they were naive, and had to pay for their mistakes. They were strong in their beliefs and motivations, but were not too powerful in terms of magic or abilities which was very realistic to me. I was frustrated by their decisions at times but I did appreciate that they had to pay the consequences.

The only unrealistic part to me was one character not sleeping for a period of time and still being able to function. I think he would have died by the lack of sleep he faced. I let that go because it is a fantasy after all and if I can believe in magic I can believe in his ability to live without sleep.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! This has in no way influenced my reading experience or opinions.

The Wild Wanting was my first introduction to Sophie Gonzales and I was decently surprised to learn this was her first foray into the fantasy genre because, as an avid fantasy reader, it didn’t feel like it. The story had a lot of heart and felt reminiscent of fairy tales—cautionary, but with a less darker ending. The writing was pure magic, the world was fascinating enough to draw me in, the main characters were acting exactly like their age, and the romance was refreshingly sweet. It leans towards a more younger audience than I initially expected. I had very few issues with the book like the pacing being inconsistent at times, and the fact that it's only a standalone (not even plans for an interconnected series?? What do I have to give up for this to happen??). I wished we saw more of the world this story was set in because that can’t be it—I refuse to believe there’s nothing more. If there’s a sequel or spinoff in the works, I am eagerly waiting for it. For now, I can’t wait for everyone to discover this book come publication day!

Full review to come hopefully.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This read took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting much because I've been in a fantasy slump lately but I ended up finishing this in only two sittings. I loved the fast pace, the worldbuilding which was both familiar and unique without being dense, and the wonderful characters. I resonated with the themes of trauma and grief, and really adored Declan and Calla and the sacrifices each were happy to make for one another. The Ledger wasn't an especially complex villain but I actually appreciate that in a standalone read. Series lend themselves well to villains with tragic backstories, but I appreciate a villain who is ruthless and cruel (and it's in line with the classic take on the fae anyway, with cruelty and manipulation toward humans so it really worked for me).

The prose was lovely, beautiful but also accessible. I could picture everything without ever feeling like we lingered on the way a forest looked for pages on pages. There were some gory scenes at one point that had my heart racing! It might be a little too much for very young readers, but it was appropriate for YA. I don't have anything bad to say about this. I will be getting a copy of my own so my daughter can read it too.