From Powells.com
Our booksellers' favorite books of the year!
Staff Pick
This is one of those books that feel like it's giving your soul a hug. Anita Kelly crafts such wonderful and healthy romances and this one, set on the Pacific Crest Trail, is no different! Alexei and Ben have my heart and I know that this book is one that I'll enjoy reading over and over again. Recommended By Jessica M., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
From the author of Love & Other Disasters, named a "must-read" by USA Today, PopSugar, SheReads, and Harper Bazaar, comes a sparkling grumpy-meets-sunshine romance featuring two men's sweeping journey across the Western wilderness.
Alexei Lebedev's journey on the Pacific Crest Trail begins with a single snake. And it is angling for the hot stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Lex is prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he isn't prepared for is Ben Caravalho. But somehow — on a 2,500-mile trail — Alexei keeps running into the outgoing and charismatic hiker with golden-brown eyes, again and again. It might be coincidence. Then again, maybe there's a reason the trail keeps bringing them together...
Ben has made his fair share of bad decisions, and almost all of them involved beautiful men. And yet there's something about the gorgeous and quietly nerdy Alexei that Ben can't just walk away from. Surely a bad decision can't be this cute and smart. And there are worse things than falling in love during the biggest adventure of your life. But when their plans for the future are turned upside down, Ben and Alexei begin to wonder if it's possible to hold on to something this wild and wonderful.
Review
“This steamy opposites-attract m/m romance from Kelly (Love & Other Disasters) is impossible to put down. Highly recommended.” Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
“The leisurely pace and heartfelt bond between the guys makes for pleasant, swoony reading. Kelly should win some new fans with this one.” Publishers Weekly
Review
"A gorgeous, curative read….A deeply satisfying, romantic story worth getting lost in."
Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Something Wild & Wonderful is my favorite kind of romance, a tender, achingly beautiful journey of love and healing — harrowing passages through grief, thrilling ascents of growth, that glorious vista of recognition that these two people are exactly where they're supposed to be, exactly as they are, learning to love themselves, to love another, to let themselves be loved, too." Chloe Liese, author of Two Wrongs Make a Right
Review
"A heart-tugging triumph! Every step Ben and Alexei take on the Pacific Coast Trail reverberates with vulnerability, adventure, and sweaty, crackling tension. Something Wild & Wonderful is the rare romance where the characters feel like new friends and also kindred souls you've known your whole life. Kelly never fails to bring the perfect combination of humor, swoons, and grounded emotion." Timothy Janovsky, author of Never Been Kissed
Review
"I can't get enough of Anita Kelly's writing. As I followed Ben and Alexei on their journey, I was enthralled by the palpable care and tenderness that went into both the tiniest details and the most sweeping emotions, creating a stunning romance that feels epic and intimate all at once. Something Wild & Wonderful made my heart ache in the best way possible." Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake it in Hollywood
Review
"Filled with unforgettable and shimmering moments of hope, bravery, and the reminder to live life as authentically as possible, Anita Kelly's Something Wild & Wonderful overflows with a soft but undeniably sexy tenderness — one that shines with the magic of falling in love on your own terms."
Chip Pons
About the Author
Originally from a small town in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, Anita Kelly now lives in the Pacific Northwest with their family. A teen librarian by day, they write romance that celebrates queer love in all its infinite possibilities. Whenever not reading or writing, they're drinking too much tea, taking pictures, and dreaming of their next walk in the woods. They hope you get to pet a dog today.
To learn more, visit:
AnitaKellyWrites.com
Twitter @daffodilly
Instagram @AnitaKellywrites