The Simple Wild has left me breathless. This superbly-written story is quite possibly K.A. Tucker's most moving book to date as it is much more than just your typical romance. It is truly a soul-searching journey for Calla Fletcher and both the man she is about to lose and the man she has just found.
What I find so damn extraordinary time and again is how the Author masterfully eases me into her words right from the start. With a heartbreaking prologue, I was beyond intrigued to see how the actions of Susan and Wren Fletcher would affect their daughter 24 years in the future. Calla is a feisty if albeit a bit spoiled 26 year old, and her decision about visiting her absent father in the wilds of Alaska is quite a shock to both her and those who love her. But her mother Susan and the ever-patient stepfather in Simon provide our heroine with the guidance and support she needs to face her past in order to realize her future.
The sky cowboy and the fashion instagrammer. Oh my. Despite their very rocky first impressions of one another, there was this definitive spark between Calla and Jonah, her father's right-hand man. You could just tell something was there between them despite his penchant for calling her Barbie and she referring to him as a Yeti. Talk about a fish out of water. Calla was not in her element being in the oft-times barren part of Alaska. But I admired her willingness to try for Wren. To 'suffer' through being without the comforts of her life back in Toronto. Despite it being tough for her, she proved she truly was her father's daughter and could handle most that came her way.
The Author gives us a birds-eye view of a part of the world we don't often see. Getting to witness through Calla's eyes, the beauty that is Alaska was a true added bonus for me. The wilderness backdrop to both Wren's deterioration and the burgeoning romance between Calla and Jonah could not have been more perfect. Calla was truly reborn in her native land in spite of herself and as she flew in the small planes that are part of her father's company, Alaska Wild, you could feel her spirit soar just as high.
This glorious story took me through a myriad of emotions. The wickedly subtle humor that is evident on almost every page was sharp and kept me smiling through the tougher scenes. The heart-wrenching last quarter of the book had me in tears more than once as realizations come to the forefront and old wounds are finally healed. My soul was full, though, as secondary characters, particularly Aggie and Mabel and the always caring Simon, continued to be the strength Calla needed as Wren continued to fade. The people of these small villages in 'the middle of the middle of nowhere' showed such hope in the face of adversity I couldn't help but admire them. Much like Calla finally realized after her time there.
K.A. Tucker continues to give us stories that are unique, well-researched and full of heart. The road to one's happiness is never what one might seem and with The Simple Wild, Calla proves that time and again. Her desire for happy in the world she left looks much different in the world she discovers and I'm quite pleased at how it all concluded. Her journey to self-discovery is quite simply beautiful and I am over the moon at having the chance to experience it.
The Simple Wild is a jewel of a read and one I will happily recommend. This is a definitely a 5+ star book and a story I will revisit often.
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Popular Highlights in this book
I’ve just kept on giving this man parts of me, not realizing that I was losing myself in the process.Highlighted by 518 Kindle readers- “By being in his favorite place, high up in the sky, getting away from everything he’d lost down on the ground.”Highlighted by 393 Kindle readers
- I’ve spent the last twelve years dwelling on all the things Wren Fletcher isn’t. I should have had the guts to come and find out all the things he is.Highlighted by 375 Kindle readers
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Customer reviews
So, what can I say, I teared up!!My first book by KA Tucker and she made my cry. My thoughts are honestly all over the place. And I think my hands are actually shaking while writing this review down.So here we go:I knew, according to other reviews, that this book was something special. Since I never read anything by this author before, I didn’t know how this book would affect me. Suffice to say it affected me a great deal.And ultimately it was a great deal more than a romance.It had everything from loss to love, regret and heartache, to forgiveness. The Simple Wild was an emotional and tender story that perfectly blended all of these emotions into a brilliantly written story.Throughout the first third of the story, the author slowly introduced the reader to the characters, their relationships, and the reality that was Bangor, Alaska. The way the author described this at times desolate and for many people depressing place felt utterly authentic and real. Alaska is by no means an easy place to live in, but the author researched the area so well that the way of living came across as authentic and as true as possible, which was greatly appreciated.While reading The Simple Wild, I fell in love with Calla, her parents at home in Toronto, with her biological dad in Alaska, and with the annoyingly but handsome bush pilot Jonah. Everyone of these characters was endearing, smart and genuinely likable. Each was fleshed out with personalities that were charming, relatable, and unique.The dialogues, which were funny, heartfelt, and genuine, literally jumped off the pages. Each character had a distinctive voice, and I must admit, one of my most favorite characters of all was Calla’s stepdad Simon. Any child should be lucky to have a dad like him, and any woman blessed to call him hers. He was AMAZING!!! But that’s beside the point.:DCalla and Jonah’s story was beautiful, touching but also a lot of fun. Enemies to lovers, their animosity was hilarious and their back and forth exceptionally well done. They didn’t change just because they slept together, they kept true to themselves and I adored them even more because of it. There were some incredibly tender moments in this book that took my breath away, especially between Calla and Jonah.This book worked!!!There was nothing I didn’t like about this story. The story flowed, and made me smile, laugh and in the end tear up. The author took an idea and wove it beautifully into a story that carried a message that is important to all of us. Life is short!! Don’t wait too long. Love, forgive, appreciate family, and enjoy the short life we were given.This author made it on my short lists of authors to pay attention to. I’m really looking forward to her next release, and hopefully if my tbr permits, I will be checking out some of her earlier releases as well.
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Top reviews from other countries
Lea M
The character development is just perfect, the romance is beautiful and setting is stunning
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2020
sybil_ann79
City Girl Barbie meets Bush Pilot Yeti
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2021
sybil_ann79
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2021
This story is visual as it is emotional, I felt like I was transported to the fictional Alaskan wilderness town of Bangor, I understood their ways and customs.
The Simple Wild wasn’t a full-on hot and heavy romance, and honestly, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting as this is the first read by this author. I did buy the paperbacks in this series with every intention of it being a top favourite read… the Barbie City Girl and Sky Cowboy Yeti stole my heart, but the most profound part of this story was Calla’s relationship with her dad, that is what hit me with the biggest gut punch, I lived for every interaction they had. I got into calla’s head from the very start- I understood her way of thinking- but I saw her character development from the reader PoV too.
This is a super slow burn, and I’ll admit it took me a while to fully immerse myself in reading- but that’s because I was distracted by life around me. Calla and Jonah had me in stitches- city girl in the Alaskan wilderness with a bush pilot- it was either going to be all-out cheesy and/or predictable, or written with depth and authenticity to make the story believable- it was the latter.
Enemies to Lovers has the best kind of banter and I loved that Jonah brought out the fiery side of an otherwise non-confrontational Calla and that despite his gruff ways Jonah was a sweetheart to the core. The beard grooming was one of the highlights of this story, I might’ve peed a little laughing at the aftermath.
I found myself was so invested in all secondary characters, from Simon (bless his heart, this man is pure GOLD!); Agnes, what a beautiful soul, Susan, okay I wanted her to not carry a flame for her ex even after she remarried- but I got it, even if I didn’t like it; Mabel, okay, so like Calla I got super jealous of her too; and Wren- I don’t feel he was as a much a secondary character- he was a main character by all accounts- I would’ve loved a small epilogue POV from him, a letter to Calla- something a little more. I wanted to resent him for not fighting for love or his family and later his relationship with his daughter but I understood his actions, and more importantly that they reconciled.
What I got from this story:
Love is forgiveness and understanding. Life is short, and we never truly know what lies ahead…
Live in the moments.
Family are the people who live in your heart, and home is the place where you belong…
Raccoons are not pet material, but they sure moved up my cute pet meter- shout out to Tim and Sid, and Bandit
In the end, I’m unsure if this is a standalone or a TBC but all in all I have high hopes for Calla and Jonah’s future, and that they are living their HEA, not repeating her parents’ past.
4.999999 CITY GIRL MEETS YETI STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨💫
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Dini
A heartwarming and beautiful romance set in the Alaskan wild!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2019
Anika May
The Simple Wild is a picturesque tale of heartbreak, family and unexpected love.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2020
Anika May
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2020
Jonah is a pilot, and who is very close to Wren and the small community in the remote but friendly territory. He lives a simple life, and has a deep love for his planes and Alaska Wild. He’s a little too honest from time to time, and likes to play tricks, but has a good heart.
The minute I met Jonah I didn’t like him. While he is described as a “teddy bear” by Agnes, I thought he was unnecessarily rude to Calla and went out of his way to be awkward. But my dislike for him faded away very quickly. He is actually a humble, genuine and warm-hearted man, it’s just hidden beneath a yeti-esque beard and an intimidating exterior. He cares deeply for people, and is adored by almost everyone in Bangor and the neighbouring villages. So while he does have a mischievous streak, his is a gentle giant.
Jonah calls Calla “shallow, self-absorbed and entitled” early on, and he was right. Calla is someone who doesn’t acknowledge or appreciate her privilege. So the moment she’s in a new place, with a new culture of people, and a new lifestyle, she’s in complete shock and sees it as something beneath her standard of living. I understood some of her reactions but occasionally did find them annoying. She is 26, but acts immaturely because almost everything in her life has been done for her. From getting a job to the weekly food shop, Calla isn’t used to hard work and doesn’t have a grasp on the reality of independence.
In the beginning, instead of taking in the breath-taking landscapes and marvelling at this untouched area of the world, all she could think of were the negatives. The only thing going through Calla’s mind is Calla. But as she spends more time with Jonah, begins to see more of the beauty that Alaska has to offer and meets more native and local people, her eyes begin to open and hard truths hit home. Sure, her thinking frustrated me in the beginning, but that faded as she developed and matured. Calla became a likeable character as soon as she stopped being closed-minded.
Enemies-to-lovers relationships are always fun to read about, and Jonah and Calla’s banter was no different. They absolutely despised one another in the beginning, and their back and forth was gripping. As both Calla and Jonah are quick-witted, there were plenty of laugh out loud moments during their slow-burning romance. The tension between them became obvious as they were forced into more situations together, and began to tolerate and then enjoy each other’s company. They are complete opposites in every way, but fit so perfectly together.
The father-daughter relationship between Calla and Wren is heart-wrenching and highly emotional. Calla understandably feels abandoned by her father; Wren avoids confrontation like the plague, even if it means avoiding his daughter. But they love each other, even if they don’t scream it from the mountaintops. There’s a lot of pain and regret that has built up over the years, but as the walls begin to come down and they start to actually speak to one another, they realise just how special their bond is. From the moment Calla landed in Alaska, I was wishing for her connection with her father to grow before time ran out.
Agnes, Mabel and Simon were radiantly written secondary characters, each with their own distinctive voice and personalities. A backstory on them wasn’t necessary for you to grasp what kind of people they are, and I love how they were involved in grounding Calla. These characters, along with the community-like feel Alaska gave throughout the book, Bangor began to feel like home to Calla and to me as a reader. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of rural parts of Alaska, and how the author made each corner of the small town feel like a scenic landscape. Just reading about places with endless expanses of deep blue and rich green makes me want to grab a camera and head there myself.
I didn’t expect The Simple Wild to be as emotional as it was, but the author packs plenty of heart-wrenching moments into the ending of the book before a beautiful and satisfying ending. This is my first K.A. Tucker book, but definitely not my last.
Anika | chaptersofmay.com
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Thereisalwaystimeforbooks
Grumpy/Sunshine goodness!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2022
Thereisalwaystimeforbooks
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2022
This slow burn romance set in the Alaska wilds is emotional and raw dealing with love and loss. The chemistry between Calla and Jonah fizzles in my favourite grumpy/sunshine trope 💜
I love the parallel between her Mum and Dad’s romance and her and Jonah. Wondering if they are destined to follow in her parents footsteps or can they make it work?
I can’t wait to start book 2, I ordered a copy as soon as I finished this one. If you are a fan of books by Mariana Zapata like me then this one is for you 😄
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