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Wilder Adventures #1
Make Me Wilder
She’s high heels. I’m hiking boots. And she’s about to turn my outdoor adventuring business into a recipe for romance.
I’ve spent my life doing two things: exploring these mountains and running the business that supports my big family. But now everything’s changed, and if I want to save our livelihood, I have to man up. Even if it means taking advice from a city-girl consultant who thinks hiking gear means flats instead of heels—and who wants to turn Wilder Adventures into Wilder Romantic Adventures.
It’s my job to introduce Lucy to our hunting, fishing, camping, and rafting trips. At first she’s a total fish out of water, but before too long, we’re laughing with instead of at each other. And while Lucy may not appreciate the finer points of building a shelter from scratch or starting a fire with sticks, it turns out she knows a whole lot about getting dirty. She’s also smart, capable, and unbelievably beautiful.
But Lucy’s time in Rush Creek is running out, and my past has taught me that you can’t take the city out of the girl or the girl out of the city. So why am I still trying to make her fall in love with small town life—and me?
A steamy, opposites-attract, grumpy-sunshine, city girl-mountain man small-town rom com.
I’ve spent my life doing two things: exploring these mountains and running the business that supports my big family. But now everything’s changed, and if I want to save our livelihood, I have to man up. Even if it means taking advice from a city-girl consultant who thinks hiking gear means flats instead of heels—and who wants to turn Wilder Adventures into Wilder Romantic Adventures.
It’s my job to introduce Lucy to our hunting, fishing, camping, and rafting trips. At first she’s a total fish out of water, but before too long, we’re laughing with instead of at each other. And while Lucy may not appreciate the finer points of building a shelter from scratch or starting a fire with sticks, it turns out she knows a whole lot about getting dirty. She’s also smart, capable, and unbelievably beautiful.
But Lucy’s time in Rush Creek is running out, and my past has taught me that you can’t take the city out of the girl or the girl out of the city. So why am I still trying to make her fall in love with small town life—and me?
A steamy, opposites-attract, grumpy-sunshine, city girl-mountain man small-town rom com.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2021
933 people are currently reading
5998 people want to read
About the author
Serena Bell
54 books748 followersNewest Release!
USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.
Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.
When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.
Sign up for new release updates here! http://www.serenabell.com/newsletter
USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.
Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.
When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.
Sign up for new release updates here! http://www.serenabell.com/newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
April 3, 2024
Serena Bell has made a big splash in the world of romance with her novel Make Me Wilder. Lucy is big city career woman not comfortable with getting to know her coworkers outside of the office. It’s never been her style and so far it’s worked out just fine. Her hesitancy in engaging with her colleagues leads her to mistakingly hook up with her boss’ on again off again boyfriend because - How could she know who he was? This in turn leads to an uncomfortable and quick exit from the office and the need to take her business skills on the road. Enter Wilder Adventures - a family run business in an economic dry spell in need of a special woman’s marketing genius. Lucy makes a deal with Mrs. Wilder not knowing her tall, ruggedly handsome and exceptionally stubborn eldest son is actually the front man and would take issue with a stranger trying to change the way the business is run. This hilarious and romantically heartfelt book is just what you need to make you feel reengaged with the genre. The characters are quick witted, exceptionally kind and super engaging with backstories that make their connections that much more satisfying to read. This was a wonderful read and little did I know there’s four more books! My leaning TBR pile is going to have to wait a while longer.
December 1, 2023
Real quick: there's several reasons why I've cut way back on reading romance by white authors. One of them is the need to fall back on damaging eurocentric beauty ideals such as heroines having super fair skin and big blue eyes as symbols of their ultra femininity and beauty and innocence. Please understand: it's not a mere description of looks (which is common in romance), it's the SIGNALING of WHAT THEY MEAN. I double dog dare these authors to write a white man with translucent skin, or is that not "manly" enough?
Another thing: this book had some of the most archaic cliched ideas of what constitutes a city/small town person...like, the outfits that Lucy is out here wearing to go camping etc because she's from NEW YORK had me rolling my eyes nonstop.
I keep coming back to Serena cuz I think she does a great job of writing intensity and passion and sexy times. But ugh. This book irritated me.
P.S. Shannon's delusional comment reminded me of this incredible article by Tressie McMillan Cottom (And the response to it! White blonde women really don't like it when we talk openly about what it actually *means* to be a blonde white woman): https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/op...
Another thing: this book had some of the most archaic cliched ideas of what constitutes a city/small town person...like, the outfits that Lucy is out here wearing to go camping etc because she's from NEW YORK had me rolling my eyes nonstop.
I keep coming back to Serena cuz I think she does a great job of writing intensity and passion and sexy times. But ugh. This book irritated me.
P.S. Shannon's delusional comment reminded me of this incredible article by Tressie McMillan Cottom (And the response to it! White blonde women really don't like it when we talk openly about what it actually *means* to be a blonde white woman): https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/op...
August 23, 2022
I’m creating a new shelf for this - Hallmark Horny’ness.
Take a Hallmark movie set up but make the MCs super horny et voila, we have this book with a fish out of water big city h crossing paths with a small town grumpy’ish H and their working together to boost the family business.
Add in an awks af opening scene, a rainy meet cute to save some ducklings and off you go to meet the fam in what’s set up to be a steamy series featuring 5 sexy bros...as an aside howcome the sis is already married off?! She totes deserves her own book!
Not my fav romcom type read as it tends to stay pretty surface level, altho I will say this one brings the 🌶️ 🔥 & ticked the box for a quick + easy read that I needed during a busy week – lowkey wish I could unread some of that tent scene…it might just be my tastes but sometimes we don’t need to spell certain things out 🤷♀️
I may or may not already have book2 borrowed from my library, will see how this week goes whether I *need* to pick it up. Brody is the tattoo’d “bad boy” bro and enough breadcrumbs have been sprinkled in this intro book to make me just the right amount of curious to potentially pick it up altho I can already guess what kind of parties Rachel's mom is hosting 🤭
Take a Hallmark movie set up but make the MCs super horny et voila, we have this book with a fish out of water big city h crossing paths with a small town grumpy’ish H and their working together to boost the family business.
Add in an awks af opening scene, a rainy meet cute to save some ducklings and off you go to meet the fam in what’s set up to be a steamy series featuring 5 sexy bros...as an aside howcome the sis is already married off?! She totes deserves her own book!
Not my fav romcom type read as it tends to stay pretty surface level, altho I will say this one brings the 🌶️ 🔥 & ticked the box for a quick + easy read that I needed during a busy week – lowkey wish I could unread some of that tent scene…it might just be my tastes but sometimes we don’t need to spell certain things out 🤷♀️
I may or may not already have book2 borrowed from my library, will see how this week goes whether I *need* to pick it up. Brody is the tattoo’d “bad boy” bro and enough breadcrumbs have been sprinkled in this intro book to make me just the right amount of curious to potentially pick it up altho I can already guess what kind of parties Rachel's mom is hosting 🤭
November 13, 2025
I might be getting tired of grumpy heroes, sigh…
What’s hot about a guy who only scowls and growls? He can be as handsome as he wants, and “kind underneath it all,” too, but I have no patience for that. I don’t mind an introverted hero, but I can’t deal with guys who can’t manage their emotions anymore. It’s not hot if someone is constantly angry and mean. I liked Lucy, and there were sweet moments in this book, but I’m not in love.
Another issue is that it looks like this author applies the same template to all her books: one party stays in the small town, and the other leaves. It inevitably leads to more or less contrived drama in the third act, which gets slightly annoying when you’ve read it three times already.
So it was still a fun read, and I might come back and finish this series, but for now, I’m going to read something else.
What’s hot about a guy who only scowls and growls? He can be as handsome as he wants, and “kind underneath it all,” too, but I have no patience for that. I don’t mind an introverted hero, but I can’t deal with guys who can’t manage their emotions anymore. It’s not hot if someone is constantly angry and mean. I liked Lucy, and there were sweet moments in this book, but I’m not in love.
Another issue is that it looks like this author applies the same template to all her books: one party stays in the small town, and the other leaves. It inevitably leads to more or less contrived drama in the third act, which gets slightly annoying when you’ve read it three times already.
So it was still a fun read, and I might come back and finish this series, but for now, I’m going to read something else.
February 2, 2023
This was a cute adventure. I loved Gabe in so many aspects. The main characters were great, however, some bits were quite slow. I did overall enjoy this one. So many fun laughs and aww moments.
July 1, 2022
Wilder Adventures series
>>Make Me Wilder - 4-4.25 stars
Walk On The Wilder Side - tbr
Wilder With Me - tbr
A Little Wilder - tbr/July 2022
Wilder At Last - tbr/June 2023(I really hope this gets bumped up like 6 months, cause even though I intend to space the next 3 out a bit, I know I’ll be ready & waiting for Easton’s book well before next June 🤦🏻♀️ lol)
Most original? Eh, probably not. Nonetheless, that’s not always a bad thing (at least in this case). SB still does well putting her own spin on things (& nice pacing the writing, not rushing through too fast) & MMW is a satisfying, fun & steamy kick-off to the Wilder Adventures family series with a good dose of feels in the mix.
If you pick this up, don’t miss out on the downloadable bonus scene after the epilogue. Gabe’s such a sweet wiseass. Sounds like an oxymoron, but no less true 🥰.
>>Make Me Wilder - 4-4.25 stars
Walk On The Wilder Side - tbr
Wilder With Me - tbr
A Little Wilder - tbr/July 2022
Wilder At Last - tbr/June 2023(I really hope this gets bumped up like 6 months, cause even though I intend to space the next 3 out a bit, I know I’ll be ready & waiting for Easton’s book well before next June 🤦🏻♀️ lol)
Most original? Eh, probably not. Nonetheless, that’s not always a bad thing (at least in this case). SB still does well putting her own spin on things (& nice pacing the writing, not rushing through too fast) & MMW is a satisfying, fun & steamy kick-off to the Wilder Adventures family series with a good dose of feels in the mix.
If you pick this up, don’t miss out on the downloadable bonus scene after the epilogue. Gabe’s such a sweet wiseass. Sounds like an oxymoron, but no less true 🥰.
July 15, 2021
Blog Review: https://trishadoeseverythingbutstudy2...
I received a free e-ARC form Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
Edit 15/07/21: I can't believe I forgot to add a conclusionary paragraph for this, and then spent the better part of half an hour searching for proof this was some glitch, but apparently I just forgot. So it's been added now.
This is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.
I really enjoyed it!
Let me start out by saying that the line which sold me this book, the first line of the synopsis:
But, moving on, I actually ended up enjoying this!
The sex and the inclination for this and literally thinking about sex for a lot of time in this book did put me off a bit (which is where some of the 0.5 stars I cut off went), but the emotions? God the emotions were amazing.
Heartbreaking angst and then ending with tooth rotting fluff; Serena Bell knows how to write a good romance. I just couldn't stop reading this once I started, finishing it in one day! It was so addicting, the way I like my romances written.
It was so good, in fact, that even though these two fell in love in under three weeks, it felt authentic and not insta-love. Which if you know me even a little, is one of my pet peeves. I could believe these two actually knew and loved each other.
And the final cherry on the top was their willingness to let each other go in order for the other to live their life as they wanted (for some reason I'm tearing up as I write this); that is one of my absolute favourite tropes when it comes to a romance: the fact that you love the other person so much, that you're willing to let them go in order to not pull them back. It really dials up the angst and makes for an even better ending when executed properly, which Serena Bell did!
That love declaration at the end really brought tears to my eyes, and while I didn't expect that surprise, and I also really wanted him to beg, like Amanda did (I really want to read Amanda's love story, because I think there's potential for a second chance romance there), but in the end it was just so sweet I let it go.
I also really loved the Wilder gang, and I'm pretty excited to read their stories as well. There was an excerpt for the next one, which is about Brody and Rachel from this book, who were behaving very puzzlingly, but seem to have an interesting explanation for all of it.
I also really enjoyed seeing the way Lucy worked on the marketing; I never really considered how important it is that brands advertise themselves to women for better sales, but I guess a lot of stuff makes more sense now. I also really enjoyed her way of working on details, the author did a really good job exploring her job.
On the whole, an amazing romance with the perfect angst to fluff ratio. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romances with forced proximity, great angst, would not mind slightly sex heavy books (thankfully here lust did not try to pass off as love), and just a very enjoyable romance that ticked nearly all of my boxes.
I received a free e-ARC form Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
Edit 15/07/21: I can't believe I forgot to add a conclusionary paragraph for this, and then spent the better part of half an hour searching for proof this was some glitch, but apparently I just forgot. So it's been added now.
This is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.
I really enjoyed it!
Let me start out by saying that the line which sold me this book, the first line of the synopsis:
This tent is too small for the both of us. And I like it that way.was nowhere in this book. I checked. they were never even in a tent, though they were in a shelter made form sticks, but this line was not there and that was so disappointing.
But, moving on, I actually ended up enjoying this!
The sex and the inclination for this and literally thinking about sex for a lot of time in this book did put me off a bit (which is where some of the 0.5 stars I cut off went), but the emotions? God the emotions were amazing.
Heartbreaking angst and then ending with tooth rotting fluff; Serena Bell knows how to write a good romance. I just couldn't stop reading this once I started, finishing it in one day! It was so addicting, the way I like my romances written.
It was so good, in fact, that even though these two fell in love in under three weeks, it felt authentic and not insta-love. Which if you know me even a little, is one of my pet peeves. I could believe these two actually knew and loved each other.
And the final cherry on the top was their willingness to let each other go in order for the other to live their life as they wanted (for some reason I'm tearing up as I write this); that is one of my absolute favourite tropes when it comes to a romance: the fact that you love the other person so much, that you're willing to let them go in order to not pull them back. It really dials up the angst and makes for an even better ending when executed properly, which Serena Bell did!
That love declaration at the end really brought tears to my eyes, and while I didn't expect that surprise, and I also really wanted him to beg, like Amanda did (I really want to read Amanda's love story, because I think there's potential for a second chance romance there), but in the end it was just so sweet I let it go.
I also really loved the Wilder gang, and I'm pretty excited to read their stories as well. There was an excerpt for the next one, which is about Brody and Rachel from this book, who were behaving very puzzlingly, but seem to have an interesting explanation for all of it.
I also really enjoyed seeing the way Lucy worked on the marketing; I never really considered how important it is that brands advertise themselves to women for better sales, but I guess a lot of stuff makes more sense now. I also really enjoyed her way of working on details, the author did a really good job exploring her job.
On the whole, an amazing romance with the perfect angst to fluff ratio. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romances with forced proximity, great angst, would not mind slightly sex heavy books (thankfully here lust did not try to pass off as love), and just a very enjoyable romance that ticked nearly all of my boxes.
April 15, 2024
I'm pretty sad that I didn't enjoy this more since I really liked the first book in the second series of this area a lot. It may be because I'm slumpy/grumpy but umpiness aside, I don't think this flowed as well as Hott Shot (the other book) did.
Lucy (h) has a pretty awful and embarrassing introduction to start the book where it's found out that she inadvertently had a ONS with her boss's on and off boyfriend. Suspending the HR questions I have in terms of her boss's reaction, Lucy goes on a leave of absence and trucks it from NYC to the Pacific Northwest to be with her mom and do some marketing for an adventure company that's struggling with a change in their small town's focus. Gabe (H) and Lucy meet rescuing ducklings (awwww), have excellent chemistry, and then realize that Gabe runs the company Lucy's there to help and he has no idea who she is because his mom set it up behind his back. Cue lots of opposites attracting (burly and rough small town outdoorsman paired with big city and fancy dressing fish out of water marketer), outdoor activities, and small town moments. Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and neither are virgins (H had ONS and FWB that weren't serious because his last serious relationship wrecked him and h was engaged but holds herself apart from others because of trauma from her father).
This definitely felt more like a case of lust than based on love for the majority of the book. The progression from a desire for a physical relationship to something more emotional didn't feel as well built either since it took forever for them to open about vulnerabilities and past hurts. And they looked at each other and practically drooled lol. Some of their negative thoughts also became repetitive, like Lucy's thoughts about the issues with small towns or what had happened in NYC or Gabe's about Lucy being a city girl or being dismissive of the changes in his small town because of an influx of non-outdoors people. I enjoyed their chemistry but this missed the mark for me in places. The spicy times were good though and they did have cute moments together. Gabe has some jealous moments "protecting" Lucy from his manwhore brother (who has a book later in the series). Lots of time spent together as Lucy goes on outdoor adventures and Gabe insists on going along too, plus Lucy has to borrow his shower.
All of the Wilder family is introduced in this book with some hints at who might also be in future books. I loved Gabe's sister and how she warmly embraced Lucy. I also liked Lucy's mom a lot, though I wish that she had addressed Lucy's dislike of small towns (which she instilled in her) earlier. Gabe's dog is adorable and deserved more page time.
There is a third act separation but you know it's coming. The grand gesture was pretty grand though, thankfully. The epilogue is "many weeks later" and is cute with a lead-in apparently to the next book. I know there are cameos of past main characters as side characters to come and this group also appear in the connected series that I also read the first book for so this isn't the last time the couple are on page I'm sure.
Lucy (h) has a pretty awful and embarrassing introduction to start the book where it's found out that she inadvertently had a ONS with her boss's on and off boyfriend. Suspending the HR questions I have in terms of her boss's reaction, Lucy goes on a leave of absence and trucks it from NYC to the Pacific Northwest to be with her mom and do some marketing for an adventure company that's struggling with a change in their small town's focus. Gabe (H) and Lucy meet rescuing ducklings (awwww), have excellent chemistry, and then realize that Gabe runs the company Lucy's there to help and he has no idea who she is because his mom set it up behind his back. Cue lots of opposites attracting (burly and rough small town outdoorsman paired with big city and fancy dressing fish out of water marketer), outdoor activities, and small town moments. Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and neither are virgins (H had ONS and FWB that weren't serious because his last serious relationship wrecked him and h was engaged but holds herself apart from others because of trauma from her father).
This definitely felt more like a case of lust than based on love for the majority of the book. The progression from a desire for a physical relationship to something more emotional didn't feel as well built either since it took forever for them to open about vulnerabilities and past hurts. And they looked at each other and practically drooled lol. Some of their negative thoughts also became repetitive, like Lucy's thoughts about the issues with small towns or what had happened in NYC or Gabe's about Lucy being a city girl or being dismissive of the changes in his small town because of an influx of non-outdoors people. I enjoyed their chemistry but this missed the mark for me in places. The spicy times were good though and they did have cute moments together. Gabe has some jealous moments "protecting" Lucy from his manwhore brother (who has a book later in the series). Lots of time spent together as Lucy goes on outdoor adventures and Gabe insists on going along too, plus Lucy has to borrow his shower.
All of the Wilder family is introduced in this book with some hints at who might also be in future books. I loved Gabe's sister and how she warmly embraced Lucy. I also liked Lucy's mom a lot, though I wish that she had addressed Lucy's dislike of small towns (which she instilled in her) earlier. Gabe's dog is adorable and deserved more page time.
There is a third act separation but you know it's coming. The grand gesture was pretty grand though, thankfully. The epilogue is "many weeks later" and is cute with a lead-in apparently to the next book. I know there are cameos of past main characters as side characters to come and this group also appear in the connected series that I also read the first book for so this isn't the last time the couple are on page I'm sure.
May 9, 2023
I’m throwing in the towel at 55% because I just can’t anymore with this book. There haven’t even been any sex scenes yet and I’m feeling queasy at just the thoughts these MCs are having. I’m actually quite amazed at the high ratings of this book. This is supposed to be a romcom and I didn’t laugh once. That disappointed me because I really like small town romcoms. There is no witty banter or anything to give me even a little chuckle.
These characters were so two dimensional. Lucy was a prissy, suck up NYC girl with a stick up her ass about small towns. She accidentally slept with her boss’s boyfriend and they decide she needs a 3 week vacation so they can both get over the situation. Lucy wants to quit, but her boss knows Lucy works really hard for the company. The thing is, for being such a city girl, she’s really quite an introvert. She doesn’t go to any office parties or functions, and she hasn’t made any friends among her coworkers. Had she done that, she would have known who her boss’s boyfriend was. 🙄
So Lucy sets off for a 3 week getaway to visit her mother in Oregon. Her mother recommends Lucy to one of her friends so Lucy can help with the marketing of this woman’s family business. It’s called Wilder Adventures. But the night before the meeting, she runs into this hot guy in town (Gabe) who helps her rescue some ducklings 🐥 from a storm drain. They meet for drinks once the ducklings are saved as a precursor to a hook up, but while talking they realize that Lucy is there to help Gabe’s family business. So they both decide the hook up is a bad idea.
The set up to the story seemed fine. But the execution was dismal. I was so bored and I hated Lucy. I really wish that authors would research the area they’re writing about. Either that or just make up all the town’s names. I had to roll my eyes about what this author was trying to sell. Lucy was staying in a small town in western Oregon. Yay! I live in western Oregon! The hotel Lucy was staying at only had her booked for 3 nights instead of 3 weeks and was all booked for a spring festival, so they couldn’t accommodate her for the time after the 3 nights. Lucy checked all the hotels in the area and “hotels as far as Bend were full.” Really? Bend is in central Oregon. From what I could deduce from things in the book, Bend is about 4 hours away from where this fictional little town is located. (See highlights/notes for quotes from the book.)
The stuff that was supposed to be sexy made me uncomfortable. I made highlights if anyone is interested because I don’t feel like cutting and pasting all that into my review. Part of me is glad that I’m giving up because I’m frightened of what a full on sex scene would be like with this author. 🤢🤮
I was looking forward to settling into a new series/author and this book completely turned me off. I’m thankful this was free when I got it. This author is going on my “authors to avoid” list.
These characters were so two dimensional. Lucy was a prissy, suck up NYC girl with a stick up her ass about small towns. She accidentally slept with her boss’s boyfriend and they decide she needs a 3 week vacation so they can both get over the situation. Lucy wants to quit, but her boss knows Lucy works really hard for the company. The thing is, for being such a city girl, she’s really quite an introvert. She doesn’t go to any office parties or functions, and she hasn’t made any friends among her coworkers. Had she done that, she would have known who her boss’s boyfriend was. 🙄
So Lucy sets off for a 3 week getaway to visit her mother in Oregon. Her mother recommends Lucy to one of her friends so Lucy can help with the marketing of this woman’s family business. It’s called Wilder Adventures. But the night before the meeting, she runs into this hot guy in town (Gabe) who helps her rescue some ducklings 🐥 from a storm drain. They meet for drinks once the ducklings are saved as a precursor to a hook up, but while talking they realize that Lucy is there to help Gabe’s family business. So they both decide the hook up is a bad idea.
The set up to the story seemed fine. But the execution was dismal. I was so bored and I hated Lucy. I really wish that authors would research the area they’re writing about. Either that or just make up all the town’s names. I had to roll my eyes about what this author was trying to sell. Lucy was staying in a small town in western Oregon. Yay! I live in western Oregon! The hotel Lucy was staying at only had her booked for 3 nights instead of 3 weeks and was all booked for a spring festival, so they couldn’t accommodate her for the time after the 3 nights. Lucy checked all the hotels in the area and “hotels as far as Bend were full.” Really? Bend is in central Oregon. From what I could deduce from things in the book, Bend is about 4 hours away from where this fictional little town is located. (See highlights/notes for quotes from the book.)
The stuff that was supposed to be sexy made me uncomfortable. I made highlights if anyone is interested because I don’t feel like cutting and pasting all that into my review. Part of me is glad that I’m giving up because I’m frightened of what a full on sex scene would be like with this author. 🤢🤮
I was looking forward to settling into a new series/author and this book completely turned me off. I’m thankful this was free when I got it. This author is going on my “authors to avoid” list.
February 24, 2024
3.5 stars!
I'm on my small town, mountain man romance kick at the moment and this fit the bill nicely.
It was fluffy, quick, cheesy and kind of Hallmark-y (in all the best ways of course). It was also really easy to follow and keep up with, meaning you can read it almost mindlessly which is exactly what you need sometimes honestly. It wasn't revolutionary or ground-breaking, but it was a solidly good time and you get pretty much everything you think you're going to get from it.
I'm on my small town, mountain man romance kick at the moment and this fit the bill nicely.
It was fluffy, quick, cheesy and kind of Hallmark-y (in all the best ways of course). It was also really easy to follow and keep up with, meaning you can read it almost mindlessly which is exactly what you need sometimes honestly. It wasn't revolutionary or ground-breaking, but it was a solidly good time and you get pretty much everything you think you're going to get from it.
May 23, 2021
4.5 stars
Smut level: 3/5
After reading the first two books in the Tierney Bay series by Serena Bell, I knew I just had to read "Make Me Wilder" and it definitely did not disappoint!
The story is about Lucy and Gabe. Lucy is a marketing specialist from New York and Gabe is an wilderness expert who lives in a small town. They could not be more different and I love that about them. Lucy is intelligent and confident but also closed off and insecure. She has so much to give and I loved seeing her let loose through the book. Gabe is a self titled "fixer" who has looked after his 6 other siblings since the age of 15 when his father passed. I love Gabe, he is so serious but also incredibly loyal and loving. I love how Lucy and Gabe help each other change for the better.
The romance is really great and the chemistry between the two characters is hot right from the first meet. The smut is decent although I could have done with just a little more. I actually wish there had been more Lucy and Gabe sceness where they are getting to know each other as I really enjoyed those.
The side characters are brilliant with Gabe's family being the majority. They are all very different personalities and back stories so I cannot wait for the rest of the series! I love romance series that are based on a big family.
The storyline is simple but really well done with some fantastic humour. The writing is great and I couldn't put the book down!
I highly recommend this book to all romance lovers, it is such a great start to the series and I cannot wait for the next book!
Please note that I was gifted this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Smut level: 3/5
After reading the first two books in the Tierney Bay series by Serena Bell, I knew I just had to read "Make Me Wilder" and it definitely did not disappoint!
The story is about Lucy and Gabe. Lucy is a marketing specialist from New York and Gabe is an wilderness expert who lives in a small town. They could not be more different and I love that about them. Lucy is intelligent and confident but also closed off and insecure. She has so much to give and I loved seeing her let loose through the book. Gabe is a self titled "fixer" who has looked after his 6 other siblings since the age of 15 when his father passed. I love Gabe, he is so serious but also incredibly loyal and loving. I love how Lucy and Gabe help each other change for the better.
The romance is really great and the chemistry between the two characters is hot right from the first meet. The smut is decent although I could have done with just a little more. I actually wish there had been more Lucy and Gabe sceness where they are getting to know each other as I really enjoyed those.
The side characters are brilliant with Gabe's family being the majority. They are all very different personalities and back stories so I cannot wait for the rest of the series! I love romance series that are based on a big family.
The storyline is simple but really well done with some fantastic humour. The writing is great and I couldn't put the book down!
I highly recommend this book to all romance lovers, it is such a great start to the series and I cannot wait for the next book!
Please note that I was gifted this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
May 5, 2021
Make Me Wilder is a great light, summer read with the perfect amount of steam and wit.
This contemporary romance is a complete opposites attract. Lucy is a ‘city girl’ hired to help the Wilder business. Gabe is the opposite, naturally, as the Wilder’s own an outdoor adventure business. As the two get to know each other better, walls begin to break and feelings start.
I really enjoyed the character development from both of the main characters. Lucy is cast as a city girl that won’t be able to handle the wilderness. Lucy surprises Gabe when she shows her resilience and takes her adventure in stride and with wit. Gabe is closed off to the idea of any type of romance to a city girl but soon learns that she is much more than that and he may have misjudged.
Make Me Wilder is a quick read and has wonderful pacing. The story has the perfect amount of tension and wit that kept me from putting it down. It is a dual perspective which I enjoy. It is also the first in the Wilder Adventures and I can only hope that we get to see more of the Wilder family brothers. I would recommend this to any contemporary romance reader.
Publication Date: May 20, 2021
Thanks to Author Collective 20 and Netgalley for providing the arc for me to give an honest review.
This contemporary romance is a complete opposites attract. Lucy is a ‘city girl’ hired to help the Wilder business. Gabe is the opposite, naturally, as the Wilder’s own an outdoor adventure business. As the two get to know each other better, walls begin to break and feelings start.
I really enjoyed the character development from both of the main characters. Lucy is cast as a city girl that won’t be able to handle the wilderness. Lucy surprises Gabe when she shows her resilience and takes her adventure in stride and with wit. Gabe is closed off to the idea of any type of romance to a city girl but soon learns that she is much more than that and he may have misjudged.
Make Me Wilder is a quick read and has wonderful pacing. The story has the perfect amount of tension and wit that kept me from putting it down. It is a dual perspective which I enjoy. It is also the first in the Wilder Adventures and I can only hope that we get to see more of the Wilder family brothers. I would recommend this to any contemporary romance reader.
Publication Date: May 20, 2021
Thanks to Author Collective 20 and Netgalley for providing the arc for me to give an honest review.
August 12, 2021
Make Me Wilder is the first book of the Wilder Adventures by Serena Bell. The author does a good job introducing the main characters, secondary characters and telling their story along with their background that could be used for others in the series.
Gabe is running the family business however it isn’t as successful as it used to be. Times are changing in the area and he needs a little help to freshen up the business. Lucy is the city girl that is ready to take on this country adventure. She bright, cheerful and willing to take on this surly country guy.
While these two weren’t exactly enemies they weren’t friends either. They did have a underlying chemistry that kept this adventure moving forward.
They soon get over their issues and focus on making his family business a success while making their relationship work.
There was minimal drama throughout the book. The storyline kept me entertained and the characters were well written.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
Gabe is running the family business however it isn’t as successful as it used to be. Times are changing in the area and he needs a little help to freshen up the business. Lucy is the city girl that is ready to take on this country adventure. She bright, cheerful and willing to take on this surly country guy.
While these two weren’t exactly enemies they weren’t friends either. They did have a underlying chemistry that kept this adventure moving forward.
They soon get over their issues and focus on making his family business a success while making their relationship work.
There was minimal drama throughout the book. The storyline kept me entertained and the characters were well written.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
May 14, 2023
Sometimes you just need an easy, mindless romance read. This is the first in a series and I will probably read the next one. Also, I won this book in a giveaway and it’s *~signed by the author~* with my name and everything so you know, that’s always cool and elevates the reading experience.
August 6, 2022
This was book 1 in the
"Wilder Adventures"
series. This was a pretty good first book in a new series to me this was also my first time reading this author. Lucy Spiro is hired by Gabe Wilder's mother to help the business that she owns to transition to keep up with the times and the town. Gabe is hot sexy and grumpy. These two are like totally opposites and they had some hot chemistry going on. These two meet when Gabe help Lucy save some ducks. I really liked the secondary characters in this book as well Gabe has some hot brothers that I can't wait to read about. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
May 23, 2021
I really enjoyed Make Me Wilder. It's a strong start to a new series by Serena Bell. The main characters, Gabe and Lucy have great chemistry. Of course, they both also have their own complicated baggage which makes it difficult for them to find an HEA. Of course, the best things are worth fighting for.
I also have to say that the side characters are easy to connect with and I see great potential for the subsequent stories within this series. I'm already very attached to the Wilder family and look forward to getting to know them even better.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review this book and the opinions contained within are my own.
I also have to say that the side characters are easy to connect with and I see great potential for the subsequent stories within this series. I'm already very attached to the Wilder family and look forward to getting to know them even better.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review this book and the opinions contained within are my own.
May 20, 2021
4 stars
May 17, 2021
•Amazing Chemistry!•
I LOVED this book!!! This is my first book by Serena Bell and she had me from the baby ducks.
Really enjoying watching the progression between Gabe and Lucy, especially the way they saw what others didn’t without having to say much.
The brothers were such a fantastic aspect as well as the interactions between them and Gabe, as they all are quite different from each other. I really look forward to seeing the interactions from different perspectives in each book.
I am VERY excited for Brody’s book. There is some great setup for his story in this book that has left an air of mystery surrounding him that I am dying to find out more about.
I LOVED this book!!! This is my first book by Serena Bell and she had me from the baby ducks.
Really enjoying watching the progression between Gabe and Lucy, especially the way they saw what others didn’t without having to say much.
The brothers were such a fantastic aspect as well as the interactions between them and Gabe, as they all are quite different from each other. I really look forward to seeing the interactions from different perspectives in each book.
I am VERY excited for Brody’s book. There is some great setup for his story in this book that has left an air of mystery surrounding him that I am dying to find out more about.
March 22, 2023
This was slightly better than I was anticipating, but there was a lot of gendered language that I felt didn't age well (lots of emphasis on the heroine being womanly, the hero being gruff and manly, etc). Serena Bell writes sexual tension and sex very well, and her stories always zip along at a great pace, but there's not a ton of depth, which I feel could really bump these books up to be even better contemporaries.
May 11, 2022
“i love you, i love you, i love you”
July 31, 2022
city girl x small town boy trope is my drug
September 12, 2021
I feel like Ms. Bell's novels always leave me wanting more sexy-times, and I approached this one with a bit of trepidation because the last two novels I've read (not Bell books) needed more - LOTS MORE - steam, and a better romantic pairing. So imagine my surprise when the steam level hits a boil almost from the get-go AND the romantic leads have chemistry for days from the moment they meet. HAPPY DANCE.
Couple of take-aways: I'm clearly not remembering my Bell books correctly, or she has seriously upped her naughtiness game (me LIKEY LONG TIME), and chemistry can cover a lot of flaws in a not-so-groundbreaking story.
Anyway, Lucy is a marketing badass living the big life in NYC. Terrific at her job, flawless in her appearance and social media personae, but a hot mess when it comes to relationships/her personal life. Her dad was a total douche who screwed her and her mother over BIG TIME when she was a young girl, and the small town they lived in failed to support them when they needed it most. Lucy learned not to rely or trust on others - except her amazing mom, and has been keeping people (read: possible friends and boyfriends) at a distance ever since. She also dislikes small towns.
After the super awkward discovery that she slept with her boss's boyfriend (THEY WERE ON A BREAK) - [cue author admiration pause: this scenario is painful and plausible and cringe-inducing and brilliantly awful, but also absolutely perfectly rendered in this story] - she decides to flee her coworkers and career and start her own business instead. As one does.
Lucy winds up in rural, small town (omigod) Oregon after she's hired by the matriarch of the Wilder family to help turn their failing adventure business around. Also, conveniently, Lucy's mom lives in town with her new boyfriend. (she gave Lucy the hook-up with the Wilder's!) Only Lucy doesn't know that widowed Mama Wilder failed to mention her turn-around plan to the other business owners (her children!), and most significantly, to Gabe, the oldest son and the guy who keeps the lights on at Wilder Adventures. Oops?
Gabe discovers Lucy’s identity shortly after a meet cute over baby ducks. He spotted the beautiful stranger mid-failed-ducky-rescue, and started lusting after her based on her looks. Again, as one does. After convincing her to meet for a drink later that night, he starts putting his signature hot and handsome and capable and good smelling moves on her. She’s smart and fun and sexy and he’s feeling her. IN A BIG WAY. Lucy, his stranger lady, is into him, too. Obv. And since Gabe doesn’t do relationships (OF COURSE NOT!) and hot lady visitors are totally his jam, this night is going right in all the sexy-times ways. Until he asks her why she’s in town. Oh snap. She’s there to turn his business around. Surprise?!
Awkward.
Gabe’s pissed, his mom is stubborn, the other super hot Wilder brothers are not amused but are only bit players in this story (so they don’t do much), Amanda - the lone sister - is super friendly and helpful and open-minded, and Lucy is determined and not about to fail at the job that will allow her to start her own business. So Gabe and Lucy become frenemies/co-workers who not so secretly think lustful thoughts about each other non-stop. Full stop.
Look, here's my takeaway (and Lucy's too BTW): the Wilder’s are pathetically clinging to the “deserving” dudes that patronized their business (which includes rafting, hunting, survival skills living, skiing, AND MORE!) in the past, and aren’t so crazy about the new influx of visitors/tourists in Rush Creek that arrived after the discovery of a local hot spring. Lots of ladies, and apparently, dudes who don’t want to hire the Wilder’s and/or aren’t the kinds of dudes the Gabe targets as clients. Yep, I think we’re supposed to ignore Gabe’s casual misogyny because HE HAS A BADASS WOMAN WORKING FOR HIM, too, and he does love women. But I couldn’t. So, there’s that.
Unfortunately for Gabe, his deserving dudes/hardcore ladies aren't paying all the bills these days. The business might go under IF they can't pivot and engage all these new Rush Creek visitors. Bright and beautiful Lucy to the rescue. Because she's as smart and clever as she is lovely and fashionable, she recognizes that she has to learn the business to help save the business, and she takes the slow and steady approach. She agrees to sample all the adventures Wilder Adventures has to offer, and then make suggestions to help them grow their client base. Gabe is impressed. A woman with good looks and a big brain? A woman with a talent for helping failing businesses LIKE HIS succeed? A shark/sexpot who is TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS without a man second-guessing, mansplaining her job to her? WTF. Who is this unicorn? J/k. But for real. There are lots of us Gabe.
Anywho, moving on, small but pivotal plot detail: at the meeting, its REVEALED that Lucy is on the verge of homelessness - long story, you’ll have to read it to understand it - and she conveniently ends up neighbors/shower roomies with Gabe. OMIGOD #2. Fortunately, the lust is out of control. Also, Gabe’s possessiveness. Also, the chemistry between formerly unlucky in love Gabe and Lucy. Also, their pleasure in each other’s company.
Also, my genuine enjoyment of this story.
Look, Make Me Wilder has problems. Gabe’s misogyny is a big one. I'm also not into fantasy village/small towns where everyone knows everyone's business and loves it. But this is an easy, breezy contemporary romance that is entertaining, fun and filled with steamy loved up feelings, and this EXHAUSTED WITH MEH BOOKS AND SLIGHTLY BITTER AND RECOVERING FROM BRONCHITIS reader was here for it. All of it.
Hijinks and hang-ups from childhood and former failed relationships almost sabotage this love story, but they don’t. SPOILER ALERT.
It’s fiction. It’s romantic. It’s fun. It baits the hook for future stories. And I binged it hard.
Recommended.
Couple of take-aways: I'm clearly not remembering my Bell books correctly, or she has seriously upped her naughtiness game (me LIKEY LONG TIME), and chemistry can cover a lot of flaws in a not-so-groundbreaking story.
Anyway, Lucy is a marketing badass living the big life in NYC. Terrific at her job, flawless in her appearance and social media personae, but a hot mess when it comes to relationships/her personal life. Her dad was a total douche who screwed her and her mother over BIG TIME when she was a young girl, and the small town they lived in failed to support them when they needed it most. Lucy learned not to rely or trust on others - except her amazing mom, and has been keeping people (read: possible friends and boyfriends) at a distance ever since. She also dislikes small towns.
After the super awkward discovery that she slept with her boss's boyfriend (THEY WERE ON A BREAK) - [cue author admiration pause: this scenario is painful and plausible and cringe-inducing and brilliantly awful, but also absolutely perfectly rendered in this story] - she decides to flee her coworkers and career and start her own business instead. As one does.
Lucy winds up in rural, small town (omigod) Oregon after she's hired by the matriarch of the Wilder family to help turn their failing adventure business around. Also, conveniently, Lucy's mom lives in town with her new boyfriend. (she gave Lucy the hook-up with the Wilder's!) Only Lucy doesn't know that widowed Mama Wilder failed to mention her turn-around plan to the other business owners (her children!), and most significantly, to Gabe, the oldest son and the guy who keeps the lights on at Wilder Adventures. Oops?
Gabe discovers Lucy’s identity shortly after a meet cute over baby ducks. He spotted the beautiful stranger mid-failed-ducky-rescue, and started lusting after her based on her looks. Again, as one does. After convincing her to meet for a drink later that night, he starts putting his signature hot and handsome and capable and good smelling moves on her. She’s smart and fun and sexy and he’s feeling her. IN A BIG WAY. Lucy, his stranger lady, is into him, too. Obv. And since Gabe doesn’t do relationships (OF COURSE NOT!) and hot lady visitors are totally his jam, this night is going right in all the sexy-times ways. Until he asks her why she’s in town. Oh snap. She’s there to turn his business around. Surprise?!
Awkward.
Gabe’s pissed, his mom is stubborn, the other super hot Wilder brothers are not amused but are only bit players in this story (so they don’t do much), Amanda - the lone sister - is super friendly and helpful and open-minded, and Lucy is determined and not about to fail at the job that will allow her to start her own business. So Gabe and Lucy become frenemies/co-workers who not so secretly think lustful thoughts about each other non-stop. Full stop.
Look, here's my takeaway (and Lucy's too BTW): the Wilder’s are pathetically clinging to the “deserving” dudes that patronized their business (which includes rafting, hunting, survival skills living, skiing, AND MORE!) in the past, and aren’t so crazy about the new influx of visitors/tourists in Rush Creek that arrived after the discovery of a local hot spring. Lots of ladies, and apparently, dudes who don’t want to hire the Wilder’s and/or aren’t the kinds of dudes the Gabe targets as clients. Yep, I think we’re supposed to ignore Gabe’s casual misogyny because HE HAS A BADASS WOMAN WORKING FOR HIM, too, and he does love women. But I couldn’t. So, there’s that.
Unfortunately for Gabe, his deserving dudes/hardcore ladies aren't paying all the bills these days. The business might go under IF they can't pivot and engage all these new Rush Creek visitors. Bright and beautiful Lucy to the rescue. Because she's as smart and clever as she is lovely and fashionable, she recognizes that she has to learn the business to help save the business, and she takes the slow and steady approach. She agrees to sample all the adventures Wilder Adventures has to offer, and then make suggestions to help them grow their client base. Gabe is impressed. A woman with good looks and a big brain? A woman with a talent for helping failing businesses LIKE HIS succeed? A shark/sexpot who is TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS without a man second-guessing, mansplaining her job to her? WTF. Who is this unicorn? J/k. But for real. There are lots of us Gabe.
Anywho, moving on, small but pivotal plot detail: at the meeting, its REVEALED that Lucy is on the verge of homelessness - long story, you’ll have to read it to understand it - and she conveniently ends up neighbors/shower roomies with Gabe. OMIGOD #2. Fortunately, the lust is out of control. Also, Gabe’s possessiveness. Also, the chemistry between formerly unlucky in love Gabe and Lucy. Also, their pleasure in each other’s company.
Also, my genuine enjoyment of this story.
Look, Make Me Wilder has problems. Gabe’s misogyny is a big one. I'm also not into fantasy village/small towns where everyone knows everyone's business and loves it. But this is an easy, breezy contemporary romance that is entertaining, fun and filled with steamy loved up feelings, and this EXHAUSTED WITH MEH BOOKS AND SLIGHTLY BITTER AND RECOVERING FROM BRONCHITIS reader was here for it. All of it.
Hijinks and hang-ups from childhood and former failed relationships almost sabotage this love story, but they don’t. SPOILER ALERT.
It’s fiction. It’s romantic. It’s fun. It baits the hook for future stories. And I binged it hard.
Recommended.
July 15, 2021
3.5 Stars!
This was cute, and if you’re looking for a very light easy romance series to get into, this one might be for you!
Most romance books I read get around a 3.5- 4 star rating, and this one is right there with all the other ones I enjoyed. For romance books to get a 5-star rating from me, I have to be incredibly attached to the characters as a couple, and it has to have a pretty emotional or deeper plot that pulls at my heart. I enjoyed a lot of this book, but I didn't love it, and it won’t be one of my favorites of the year. It was right there in the middle of "good" for me.
Make me Wilder follows alternating points of view between Lucy and Gabe. Lucy is a city girl from New York City that has been hired by Wilder Adventures to help market their outdoor adventures to couples and women. Wilder Adventures is a family-owned business with a mom and her four sons, and while mom has hired Lucy to help the business expand and grown, the brothers are dragging their feet when it comes to making the necessary changes. The oldest brother, Gabe starts to fall for Lucy, but she is only in the area for three weeks, and he’s already had his heart broken before. Plus, Lucy isn’t looking for anything serious now either, but that doesn’t stop them from getting to know each other in and out of the office for the time she is in Rush Creek.
The characters in this book were pretty well done, and I appreciate the opposites attract trope quite a bit. For me personally, I felt like I didn’t really know the characters too well and I didn’t quite believe the romance by the end of the book. Sometimes when I’m really loving a book, I feel like it could be completely real, and the characters are alive and could be my friends. With this book, I liked the characters, and I was rooting for them to be together, but I felt like I was just reading about them on the page. I never got attached enough for them to feel real. They were both a little “vanilla” for me.
That could be because parts of the book felt a little choppy. There were moments that I was grooving along and loved the scenes where we were getting to see the characters getting to know each other, but then my head was whipped around with a weird comment, dialog, or sex scene. It also could be because it felt like the author was introducing so many of the siblings because those will be the future books in the series, but we would jump from one brother scene to the next, and they never felt connected. It was nice to read about the brothers and how different they each were, but I wanted more quiet moments between Lucy and Gabe because I didn’t believe they could fall in love in three weeks with the scenes and dialoged I read from in this book. The last 25% of the book really did pick up the pace for me, and I liked how this wrapped up!
Overall, this was cute, and I really did enjoy Lucy and Gabe. I would be interested in checking out the next book in the series.
This was cute, and if you’re looking for a very light easy romance series to get into, this one might be for you!
Most romance books I read get around a 3.5- 4 star rating, and this one is right there with all the other ones I enjoyed. For romance books to get a 5-star rating from me, I have to be incredibly attached to the characters as a couple, and it has to have a pretty emotional or deeper plot that pulls at my heart. I enjoyed a lot of this book, but I didn't love it, and it won’t be one of my favorites of the year. It was right there in the middle of "good" for me.
Make me Wilder follows alternating points of view between Lucy and Gabe. Lucy is a city girl from New York City that has been hired by Wilder Adventures to help market their outdoor adventures to couples and women. Wilder Adventures is a family-owned business with a mom and her four sons, and while mom has hired Lucy to help the business expand and grown, the brothers are dragging their feet when it comes to making the necessary changes. The oldest brother, Gabe starts to fall for Lucy, but she is only in the area for three weeks, and he’s already had his heart broken before. Plus, Lucy isn’t looking for anything serious now either, but that doesn’t stop them from getting to know each other in and out of the office for the time she is in Rush Creek.
The characters in this book were pretty well done, and I appreciate the opposites attract trope quite a bit. For me personally, I felt like I didn’t really know the characters too well and I didn’t quite believe the romance by the end of the book. Sometimes when I’m really loving a book, I feel like it could be completely real, and the characters are alive and could be my friends. With this book, I liked the characters, and I was rooting for them to be together, but I felt like I was just reading about them on the page. I never got attached enough for them to feel real. They were both a little “vanilla” for me.
That could be because parts of the book felt a little choppy. There were moments that I was grooving along and loved the scenes where we were getting to see the characters getting to know each other, but then my head was whipped around with a weird comment, dialog, or sex scene. It also could be because it felt like the author was introducing so many of the siblings because those will be the future books in the series, but we would jump from one brother scene to the next, and they never felt connected. It was nice to read about the brothers and how different they each were, but I wanted more quiet moments between Lucy and Gabe because I didn’t believe they could fall in love in three weeks with the scenes and dialoged I read from in this book. The last 25% of the book really did pick up the pace for me, and I liked how this wrapped up!
Overall, this was cute, and I really did enjoy Lucy and Gabe. I would be interested in checking out the next book in the series.
May 12, 2021
This is a fun, straightforward romance novel about a family who run a wilderness adventure company in Oregon and the consultant the matriarch brings in to rebrand their company for a female market. It never strays anywhere unexpected (which isn’t a bad thing), and is very steamy.
Pros:
The family! I am a total sucker for a book that clearly sets up a series exploring a HEA for all the sibilings in a series (a la Bergman brothers and Winston brothers). This first book didn’t have the heart or depth of those series, but I have hope for more.
Our MCs have incredible sexual tension and chemistry, from their meet cute saving ducklings in a rain storm, all the way through the end.
Gabe, our hero, resents his attraction to Lucy as soon as he realizes she was brought in by his mother to change the family business behind his back, which of course happens after they almost hookup. Constantly fighting attraction is close enough to enemies to lovers to scratch that itch in my brain.
Cons:
A very feminine heroine and very masculine hero, never really challenging stereotypes that make stories like this kind of basic. It’s a bit lazy, and I would have loved a more realistic look at the complexity that people have.
City girl in the wilderness/small town isn’t my favorite, though at least this city girl is never shown as weak or morally bankrupt as I have seen in other romances (mostly movies).
The small town the book is set in is gentrifying, though that is never called out specifically, and is becoming a tourist town that caters to weddings, bachelorette parties, etc. The brothers don’t want to change the way they do things, but it felt like a missed opportunity to talk about how money and shifting markets pushes communities, displaces businesses and residents, and generally takes agency away from people. Instead the story just focuses on how the business doesn’t want to change because they don’t like girly things.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and it made me miss traveling. It was relatively simple, both in terms of plot and character, but sometimes that’s what you want. It was so steamy, and it was nice to see Gabe and Lucy grow closer despite themselves, and then give in to their attraction knowing that they have a time limit. Just don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
Pros:
The family! I am a total sucker for a book that clearly sets up a series exploring a HEA for all the sibilings in a series (a la Bergman brothers and Winston brothers). This first book didn’t have the heart or depth of those series, but I have hope for more.
Our MCs have incredible sexual tension and chemistry, from their meet cute saving ducklings in a rain storm, all the way through the end.
Gabe, our hero, resents his attraction to Lucy as soon as he realizes she was brought in by his mother to change the family business behind his back, which of course happens after they almost hookup. Constantly fighting attraction is close enough to enemies to lovers to scratch that itch in my brain.
Cons:
A very feminine heroine and very masculine hero, never really challenging stereotypes that make stories like this kind of basic. It’s a bit lazy, and I would have loved a more realistic look at the complexity that people have.
City girl in the wilderness/small town isn’t my favorite, though at least this city girl is never shown as weak or morally bankrupt as I have seen in other romances (mostly movies).
The small town the book is set in is gentrifying, though that is never called out specifically, and is becoming a tourist town that caters to weddings, bachelorette parties, etc. The brothers don’t want to change the way they do things, but it felt like a missed opportunity to talk about how money and shifting markets pushes communities, displaces businesses and residents, and generally takes agency away from people. Instead the story just focuses on how the business doesn’t want to change because they don’t like girly things.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and it made me miss traveling. It was relatively simple, both in terms of plot and character, but sometimes that’s what you want. It was so steamy, and it was nice to see Gabe and Lucy grow closer despite themselves, and then give in to their attraction knowing that they have a time limit. Just don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
December 29, 2022
So I thought it would take me longer to read this, but I was really enjoying it and hardly stopped once I started! lol
Gabe and Lucy meet when Lucy comes into town and finds herself trying to save some ducklings that have fallen into a drain. Gabe comes to the rescue and there was sparks on both ends right from the start. Come to find out Lucy is in town to help out Gabe's business, which he is NOT happy about. But he gives her a chance and woah did his business and life change forever.
This book was a quick read, but I didn't feel like it was missing anything. It was smooth ride from beginning to end. I like how I got to see Lucy experience the outdoors to get a feel of the Wilde's business. She showed how serious she takes her marketing. I love how Gabe didn't completely bash her ideas once he saw how amazing she was doing on their adventures.
And then when it came to them as a potential couple, I liked how they went off their initial feelings of one another right off the bat. Even when Gabe found out who she was, he still couldn't stray his feelings towards her. I also really liked how Lucy was shy at times with Gabe and then this sensual women with him.
I loved the plot concept, I thought it was a good way to marry all the characters together. Since this one is the first of the Wilde Adventures series. It gave me a glimpse of each brother and made me excited to see what happens!
I really didn't see any cons except, to some, it probably is an insta-love trope. But that trope doesn't bother me.
There are some spicy scenes, but I feel like it wasn't too spicy! I'd say 2.5-3/5 spice! I feel like the chemistry between the two made it more spicy lol
And I feel like there were a ton of pros for me, so I won't go into many of them. I liked how Lucy found some girls to confide in while she was in town and she was able to build a good friendship with them. And, most importantly to me, they got to see how amazing she was as a person!
Gabriel Wilder, you are so, so screwed.
Her hair is a total disaster, a messy bun gone completely to seed. Wet, muddy. I tug the elastic out and her hair spills down her shoulder. "You're so beautiful."
Gabe and Lucy meet when Lucy comes into town and finds herself trying to save some ducklings that have fallen into a drain. Gabe comes to the rescue and there was sparks on both ends right from the start. Come to find out Lucy is in town to help out Gabe's business, which he is NOT happy about. But he gives her a chance and woah did his business and life change forever.
This book was a quick read, but I didn't feel like it was missing anything. It was smooth ride from beginning to end. I like how I got to see Lucy experience the outdoors to get a feel of the Wilde's business. She showed how serious she takes her marketing. I love how Gabe didn't completely bash her ideas once he saw how amazing she was doing on their adventures.
And then when it came to them as a potential couple, I liked how they went off their initial feelings of one another right off the bat. Even when Gabe found out who she was, he still couldn't stray his feelings towards her. I also really liked how Lucy was shy at times with Gabe and then this sensual women with him.
I loved the plot concept, I thought it was a good way to marry all the characters together. Since this one is the first of the Wilde Adventures series. It gave me a glimpse of each brother and made me excited to see what happens!
I really didn't see any cons except, to some, it probably is an insta-love trope. But that trope doesn't bother me.
There are some spicy scenes, but I feel like it wasn't too spicy! I'd say 2.5-3/5 spice! I feel like the chemistry between the two made it more spicy lol
And I feel like there were a ton of pros for me, so I won't go into many of them. I liked how Lucy found some girls to confide in while she was in town and she was able to build a good friendship with them. And, most importantly to me, they got to see how amazing she was as a person!
Gabriel Wilder, you are so, so screwed.
Her hair is a total disaster, a messy bun gone completely to seed. Wet, muddy. I tug the elastic out and her hair spills down her shoulder. "You're so beautiful."
August 9, 2021
I NEED THE NEXT BOOK ALREADY!
Make Me Wilder is everything I love in a romcom.
Grump small town man who's a sercet teddybear? - check.
Polished New Yorker kickarse female lead? - check.
Nature, small town vibes that you next full in love with? - check.
Dual POV from the main characters - check.
This book reminder me of a perfect Hallmark film, but better and with a lot more spice... yes we got some serious spice! This is the first book in what I assume will be a good 5-6 book series centring around all the Wilder silbings, from second chance romances, friends to lovers etc which I am BEYOND excited to read.
This novel centres around Lucy and Gabe. Lucy is a killer marketing pro from New York who has some *serious* trust issues, after a very unforunet incident at work, Lucy heads Rush Creek to visit her mom and work on a marketing project with Wilder Adventures that could mean enough money to open her own marketing firm!
Gabe promised his dad he would take care not just of their family business, Wilder Adventures, but also to look after his mom, sister, and all his brothers (and also co-workers!!!). Gabe has the weight of his family on his shoulders, and isn't keen on the idea of change, espcially if it means cratering to the new tourists that are flocking into the tour for the hot springs, spa days and weddings.
Lucy and Gabe have INSTANT insane chemisty, but when Gabe finds out who Lucy is and that she is there to help his family business, he is less then impressed.
This book is a must for any romance fan.
Make Me Wilder is everything I love in a romcom.
Grump small town man who's a sercet teddybear? - check.
Polished New Yorker kickarse female lead? - check.
Nature, small town vibes that you next full in love with? - check.
Dual POV from the main characters - check.
This book reminder me of a perfect Hallmark film, but better and with a lot more spice... yes we got some serious spice! This is the first book in what I assume will be a good 5-6 book series centring around all the Wilder silbings, from second chance romances, friends to lovers etc which I am BEYOND excited to read.
This novel centres around Lucy and Gabe. Lucy is a killer marketing pro from New York who has some *serious* trust issues, after a very unforunet incident at work, Lucy heads Rush Creek to visit her mom and work on a marketing project with Wilder Adventures that could mean enough money to open her own marketing firm!
Gabe promised his dad he would take care not just of their family business, Wilder Adventures, but also to look after his mom, sister, and all his brothers (and also co-workers!!!). Gabe has the weight of his family on his shoulders, and isn't keen on the idea of change, espcially if it means cratering to the new tourists that are flocking into the tour for the hot springs, spa days and weddings.
Lucy and Gabe have INSTANT insane chemisty, but when Gabe finds out who Lucy is and that she is there to help his family business, he is less then impressed.
This book is a must for any romance fan.
June 5, 2021
I'm awed. After reading this book I'm gonna try to get my hands on every story by Serena Bell that appeals to me - and if I'm being honest even those that don't.
This romance story was amazing. Everything about Lucy and Gabe are feels and vibes. Just gah!
I can't even how they were so damn cute and the chemistry? Yes, sir, please more of that.
And how this set up is amazing and original and sweet? I dig small town romances - even if I'm a city girl myself - but it's fair to say that I never pay that much attention to the scenery.
But here I was captivated and actually liked the place.
Now I want to unravel every and each one of the Wilder's brothers love story.
Two things that I'd like to see: maybe Clark and Lucy's friends, Annie. She's just mentioned but yeah know, curvy redhead is my type and so is silent, strong and brooding like Clark.
Let's not even talk how I want a Heath and Amanda love story or how they're gonna fix what's going down in their marriage.
And I really would like if Hannah's story was apart from Kane's one. I'm not into friends to lover even less when one or both of them are pinning for each other. Can we just have friends of opposite sex that aren't madly in love? It's just me.
But really if the quality of this book right here happens in any of the other stories I'd eat it up.
Anyway, I'm with my fingers crossed that this book gets more ratings and reviews cause this right here is a romance book done right!
This romance story was amazing. Everything about Lucy and Gabe are feels and vibes. Just gah!
I can't even how they were so damn cute and the chemistry? Yes, sir, please more of that.
And how this set up is amazing and original and sweet? I dig small town romances - even if I'm a city girl myself - but it's fair to say that I never pay that much attention to the scenery.
But here I was captivated and actually liked the place.
Now I want to unravel every and each one of the Wilder's brothers love story.
Two things that I'd like to see: maybe Clark and Lucy's friends, Annie. She's just mentioned but yeah know, curvy redhead is my type and so is silent, strong and brooding like Clark.
Let's not even talk how I want a Heath and Amanda love story or how they're gonna fix what's going down in their marriage.
And I really would like if Hannah's story was apart from Kane's one. I'm not into friends to lover even less when one or both of them are pinning for each other. Can we just have friends of opposite sex that aren't madly in love? It's just me.
But really if the quality of this book right here happens in any of the other stories I'd eat it up.
Anyway, I'm with my fingers crossed that this book gets more ratings and reviews cause this right here is a romance book done right!
October 4, 2023
I read a review here that said that this was Hallmark Horniness and I couldn’t get it out of my head. Now, I generally think that Hallmark movies are pretty darn bad, but I still enjoy watching them because you know what you get when you start watching. I do think that this was a fairly bad book, mostly because of the cheesiness of it all, but with that said I still - sort of - enjoyed it. It’s not like it’s something I want to reread, but it was an okay way to make my time pass.
August 7, 2024
small town romance!!!!!!! give me more!!!
May 20, 2021
"Gah, look at him. Gabe is as competent at survival as he is at everything else he does. I stop behind a tree and watch, hoping I don’t get caught shamelessly engaging in outdoor adventure porn."
Lucy needs change, after having a major mix up with her bosses boyfriend and a dressing down by said boss Lucy is determined to do things differently. This is exactly how she finds herself in Rush Creek, thanks to her mum Lucy has a job lined up to help an adventure company break into the female audience. However Lucy did not expect her new client to be the hot lumberjack looking guy that helped her save a bunch of ducklings, or for him to be so anti-change.
••
“How can it be that the future of my outdoor adventuring business is in the hands of a woman who doesn’t know how to go outside?"
Gabe will do just about anything to help keep his family business alive and thriving, everything except turn their Wilder Adventures into glamping and spa days, but with the major influx or weddings and girls weekends to Rush Creek Gabe has no choice but give Lucy a hearing. He just never expected to fall so hopelessly in love with the city loving, high heel wearing city girl.
••
With each adventure Lucy finds herself falling more and more in love with Rush Creek, the Wilder siblings and especially life with Gabe. But with her time in the cute small town fast coming to an end will Lucy and Gabe be able to figure things out?
"He was feeling it, too. He might have been pretending to be all business, but he was torn. He wanted me as much as I wanted him. I shouldn’t be so glad, but my drunken tingly bits are ready to celebrate with confetti."
••
Perfection! This book was EVERYTHING and more I would hope for in a sweet small town romance. I absolutely fell in love with both Rush Creek, Lucy, Gabe and the rest of the Wilder family. I loved that family played such a big role throughout the novel. It was really cute getting to see the Wilder clan welcome Lucy into their little group even though she was so different to them.
••
"Gabe without a shirt on is… Pretty sure I counted at least an eight pack before I realized that I was edging over into gaping , and raised my gaze back to eye level. But it took me a minute to get there because between the eight pack and his oh-so-serious, intense face were these gorgeous, golden just-right pecs, with a perfect smattering of hair. I wanted to look back down, to check out the matching trail to paradise, but I got stuck again on his dark gaze, which was… Hungry."
Lucy was amazing, I loved her never give up attitude and that she tried each of the activities offered even when they didn't go to plan. I really liked Gabe and that he slowly opened up to Lucy and opened up his heart to love again. He really was the perfect protective hero with a soft heart.
••
This has to be one of my new all time favorite romcom reads to date. I would highly recommend reading this small town, opposites attract romcom. I can not wait for the next book in this series!
Lucy needs change, after having a major mix up with her bosses boyfriend and a dressing down by said boss Lucy is determined to do things differently. This is exactly how she finds herself in Rush Creek, thanks to her mum Lucy has a job lined up to help an adventure company break into the female audience. However Lucy did not expect her new client to be the hot lumberjack looking guy that helped her save a bunch of ducklings, or for him to be so anti-change.
••
“How can it be that the future of my outdoor adventuring business is in the hands of a woman who doesn’t know how to go outside?"
Gabe will do just about anything to help keep his family business alive and thriving, everything except turn their Wilder Adventures into glamping and spa days, but with the major influx or weddings and girls weekends to Rush Creek Gabe has no choice but give Lucy a hearing. He just never expected to fall so hopelessly in love with the city loving, high heel wearing city girl.
••
With each adventure Lucy finds herself falling more and more in love with Rush Creek, the Wilder siblings and especially life with Gabe. But with her time in the cute small town fast coming to an end will Lucy and Gabe be able to figure things out?
"He was feeling it, too. He might have been pretending to be all business, but he was torn. He wanted me as much as I wanted him. I shouldn’t be so glad, but my drunken tingly bits are ready to celebrate with confetti."
••
Perfection! This book was EVERYTHING and more I would hope for in a sweet small town romance. I absolutely fell in love with both Rush Creek, Lucy, Gabe and the rest of the Wilder family. I loved that family played such a big role throughout the novel. It was really cute getting to see the Wilder clan welcome Lucy into their little group even though she was so different to them.
••
"Gabe without a shirt on is… Pretty sure I counted at least an eight pack before I realized that I was edging over into gaping , and raised my gaze back to eye level. But it took me a minute to get there because between the eight pack and his oh-so-serious, intense face were these gorgeous, golden just-right pecs, with a perfect smattering of hair. I wanted to look back down, to check out the matching trail to paradise, but I got stuck again on his dark gaze, which was… Hungry."
Lucy was amazing, I loved her never give up attitude and that she tried each of the activities offered even when they didn't go to plan. I really liked Gabe and that he slowly opened up to Lucy and opened up his heart to love again. He really was the perfect protective hero with a soft heart.
••
This has to be one of my new all time favorite romcom reads to date. I would highly recommend reading this small town, opposites attract romcom. I can not wait for the next book in this series!
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