The Simple Wild (Wild, #1) By K.A. Tucker
City girl Calla Fletcher attempts to reconnect with her estranged father, and unwittingly finds herself torn between her desire to return to the bustle of Toronto and a budding relationship with a rugged Alaskan pilot in this masterful new romance from acclaimed author K.A. Tucker.
Calla Fletcher was two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when her father reaches out to inform her that his days are numbered, Calla knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.
She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this new subarctic environment, Jonah—the quiet, brooding, and proud Alaskan pilot who keeps her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.
Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. As time passes, she unexpectedly finds herself forming a bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago.
It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all. The Simple Wild (Wild, #1)
For the hundredth time, I wonder if I'm being the selfish one. If I should grit my teeth and bare the misery, the isolation of Alaska. After all, I made the bed I'm running from now.
My initial reaction to opening The Simple Wild when it arrived in the mail was pure excitement, yet this book turned out to be so much more than my expectations were initially prepared for. Of course its Kathleen's latest book and it's set mostly in Alaska and it's packaged with a breathtaking cover, all things that I love, but those reasons are secondary to the real draw in why you should pick this one up. This is technically a contemporary romance, but it featured a very different vibe than my past KA Tucker reading experiences. Part heart warming romance, part domestic reconciliation, I found The Simple Wild to be 100% what I've been searching for in NA fiction.
But I don't feel like a twenty-six year old woman right now. Right now, I feel like an angry and hurt fourteen year old girl, brimming with insecurity and doubt, acknowledging that this man-the one not moving a muscle to close this last bit of distance-made a conscious decision to not be in my life.
This story was so easily devoured, and it's compulsive readability was conveniently balanced with a complex plot and an atmospheric setting. Even though this novel is technically a slow burn, I was never bored and battled between not being able to turn the pages fast enough and forcing myself to slow down and relish each delicious description. The townsfolk of Bangor, a fictional town that felt so real, were beautifully portrayed, and I loved the tidbits of history that the author included about the native Alaskan people and all of the hardships they go through just to acquire the everyday basics that you and I take for granted. Bangor was truly a village; when one person is hurting all the rest band together and do what needs to be done to get them through the rough patch, and it was a well needed reminder on how important relationships are in comparison to material things.
I'm torn between wanting to write a novel length exposition on this book and not saying anything else, because it was SO meaningful and I happened to pick it up and JUST the right time, but I also don't want to do other readers a disservice in spoiling a single moment of this beautiful narrative. I'll just end with this- The Simple Wild is a bittersweet love story that expands beyond the barriers of time and circumstance. I feel like this book will really touch the soul of those readers who enjoy their romance to contain an intimacy that is more than just sex-focused. Highly, HIGHLY recommended for those who enjoy reading books set in Alaska!
*I received a review copy via the publisher. 1501133438 5 stars!!!
The Simple Wild is KA Tucker at her best. I've read a lot of this authors work, most of her books, actually. And this book one is tied as my favorite of hers (Ten Tiny Breaths is hard to top). It had romance, adventure, and was a story about finding yourself. A perfect combination. I loved everything about it!
Calla Fletcher was born in the Alaskan wild, but was moved to Canada with her mother when she was only 2. She hasn't been back since. She's 26 now, living in Toronto and life is good. Until things start to fall apart. On top of that, she finds out that her father is unwell. Even though she hasn't seen or spoken to him in a while, she knows the right thing to do is to see him, so to Alaska she goes.
Calla can't begin to imagine what life is like in rural Alaska. She's heard stories from her mother, but it's nothing like living it. Calla's father, Wren, owns a line of airplanes that transports goods, people, etc around Alaska and has quite a few pilots that work for him. The one that picks Calla up is Jonah. Jonah and Calla seem like the most unlikely pair. And in a lot of ways, they are.
I love the way these two bicker and banter. Enemies to lovers story-lines really work for me. Jonah and Calla's relationship made me laugh, smile, and swoon. They are the epitome of opposites attract, because under all that bickering, there is some serious chemistry between them.But how could things work out when they're from opposite ends?
It can’t lead anywhere, so what’s the point? I’m going back to Toronto, where I belong, and he’s staying here in Alaska, where he belongs.
Jonah is a fantastic hero. He's rugged, alpha (but not in a jerky or over the top way) and an all around good guy. And I really loved Calla's character as well. The romance in this story was fantastic. I loved watching in build and watching things change and grow between the two of them, but this book isn't just a romance. It's SO MUCH MORE than a romance. This is a story about family ties. It's a story about growth, about learning who you are, and about discovering what life is really all about.
I am in love with this book. The writing is stunning, the story is character driven in the best way, and the plot was original and kept me captivated from the start. I loved so many of the characters, aside from Calla and Jonah. Simon and Wren were both especially fantastic. The Simple Wild goes beyond the surface. It's a profound story and one I will carry with me. It will definitely make my top favorites list of 2018 and it's a book I highly recommend!
1501133438 Just finished my reread of this book! It was just as great the second time around and I very much agree with my original review. Jonah still drove me nuts at the beginning of this book and I'm still not a fan of the 'barbie' nickname, but all the characters won me over in the end. I adore this book so much and it makes me want to visit Alaska so bad.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Holy fuck I loved this. So I went into this book with pretty low expectations. He Will be My Ruin is one of my all time favorite books, but then the next two or three books I read from K.A. Tucker really disappointed me and ended up on my worst of the year lists. But this book, oh my gosh this book. There's so much to love about it - I didn't want to it end. It was nearly 400 pages and I flew through it in two days and now I'm so sad that it's over.
This book follows a twenty-six year old girl named Calla who was born in Alaska but moved to Toronto with her Mom when she was two. Her Father Wren stayed in Alaska and runs a plane business called Wild. Calla gets an unexpected phone call saying her Dad has lung cancer, and she feels like if she doesn't go to Alaska now and meet him, she'll never have the chance. This story is a romance, but it's also so much more than that. This story is about a father/daughter relationship that is complicated. This story is about her parents romance and how they just couldn't get it right. This is a coming of age story for Calla, discovering who she is and what she's made of. This is a tribute to Alaska and their people and how strong they are. I have a wild fascination with Alaska and this book was absolutely atmospheric. I felt like I was there, the descriptions were so vivid. I loved it because of that.
Jonah is Calla's love interest and he's a hot-headed pilot who works for her Dad. At first I couldn't stand him,. not going to lie. he was driving me fucking nuts, but then he grew on me like a fungus. They both did really. Calla is the stereotypical city girl and Jonah is the stereotypical manly man but yet I felt so much for both of them. They have this amazing hate-to-love thing going on and their banter was so great. It had me grinning and giggling like an idiot throughout the whole book. AND this is a slow-as-hell slow burn romance, which I LOVED. There's nothing I can't stand more than when a couple gets together right away. Random side note: I also liked the fact that Calla still lived at home at twenty-six because it's so rare to see that in books and I think it's so relatable for me to see someone in their twenties still living at home and I just really enjoyed seeing that.
I love that at the center of this story, it's not really a romance. It's a gorgeous story about Calla's family and how Alaska is such a huge part of her Father's life and about the dangers of being a pilot and how Alaska is a completely different world. It's gorgeously written, it made me cry and it made me laugh.
I am SO GLAD I gave this book a chance. I just found a new favorite book of all time. These characters and Alaska will be on my mind for a very long time. This is definitely my favorite book from K.A. Tucker by far! I'll definitely check out whatever book she comes out with next!
Huge thank you to Atria Books for sending me a copy of this book! 1501133438 WOW I’M EMO THIS WAS SO GREAT I JUST 😭😭😭 I’m rating this 5/5 from a purely emotional standpoint, but it’s probs more of a 4 or 4.5 bc I was really annoyed of the love interest pulling some “🥴 girls look better without make-up 🤪” bullshit but the rest of this was perfection and I’m crying in the club 1501133438 Re-read#2 (2/14/2020) rereading this because the anticipation is killing me! I need the sequel like yesterday! I freakin love this book and I’m both nervous and excited for the rest of Jonah and Calla’s story!
5 ‘Sky cowboys’ stars
What hold does Alaksa have on them? What makes this place worth giving everything else up?
A nice heartwarming story about love and forgiveness. This was my first K.A Tucker’s book, and I loved it.
Calla Fletcher was born in Alaska but she left with her mother when she was nearly two years old. She hasn’t been back since then. Now, at the age of 26, she got a call that her dad who she hasn’t seen since she was 2 is dying. Calla decided to go and visit him and maybe get the closure she wants. Being a city girl, she find it really hard to adapt in Alaska, and Jonah isn’t making it any easier.
It’s not the same.”
“What’s not?”
“Alaska. You’ve ruined Alaska for me.”
I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers romance, and these two were so great. I loved the way they bicker and banter. Those two got me grinning like an idiot. Jonah is the best! He’s such a swoon worthy hero. He says what’s on his mind, doesn’t have a filter, and appear to be simply rude. But oh he is so good!!! Calla appear to be a spoiled city girl who kind of irritated me at first, but that was the point. I loved the wild setting, Calla and her father relation, how everyone in the book seem to be a part of a one big family, and the romance was so good. Also can I just say that Simon deserves better? He’s such a great person and I didn’t like that way Susan treated him. Overall, this was such a lovely heartwarming story.
I’m saying that I might take risks, but they’re always worth it. Got it?”
Song recommendation:
Wildest dreams by Taylor Swift
Like I’m gonna lose you by Megan Trainor ft. John legend 1501133438
Do you ever read a book and absolutely love it and then reach out to the author and she's a total dick to you and then your hatred for the author seeps into how you feel about the book and then you realize you can never, ever read that book or recommend it again because the author pretended to be your friend, slept with your husband, stole your favorite shirt and had the audacity to wear the same wedding dress to her wedding where she married your husband two years after you read her book and she ruined your life and now you can't read at all?
Cuz that would suck.
Luckily, that didn't happen with me and KA Tucker's book, The Simple Wild. I read it and no drama followed. She didn't steal my husband or my shirt. Just my biblioheart.
She's consistent and dependable as an author. This book was my favorite of hers and I've read them all.
As a friend...hmmm. That will be in the review for the next book she writes. 1501133438
ARC provided by Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.
Is it bad etiquette to start a review with a quote by another author? Because while reading this book, I couldn’t stop thinking about Tarryn Fisher’s quote in one of my favorite books of all-time, Mud Vein, “What’s the difference?” I asked him. “Between the love of your life, and your soulmate?” “One is a choice, and one is not.” And I know I haven’t been on this Earth for that long, but that quote is the one of the truest things I’ve ever read in literature. And it really encompasses the theme of The Simple Wild. And sometimes, when you’re lucky enough, and are able to do everything in your power, you are able to have them both.
Let me also start this review off by saying that I feel like this book was very catered to my personal tastes, and I’ll go into that more in the review, but The Simple Wild is currently my favorite romance of 2018. The writing, the setting, the messages, the romance? It was all perfect in my eyes. This was also my first KA Tucker book, but I promise that it won’t be my last.
“What hold does Alaska have on them? What makes this place worth giving everything else up?”
The Simple Wild centers around a twenty-six-year-old named Calla, who has lived twenty-four years in Toronto with her mother. And both Calla and her mother, Susan, have spent most of those years wishing that the man they left in a very remote part of Alaska would come back for them. Calla’s father took over his father’s aviation business, that delivers supplies, food, and medical treatment all over the native towns around this rural part of Alaska. But they’ve both moved on; Susan married an amazing new man, Simon, and Calla just gave up the hope that her father would ever be more than distant heartache. That is, until a woman calls Calla and urges her to finally meet her father, after all these years, before it’s too late and she is never given the chance again. Calla, with the help and support of a few amazing people, decides to fly out and stay for a while in the remote village in Alaska that her father has always chosen over her and her mother.
“I’d always ask him to fly out to visit me. I mean, he had all these planes to choose from, so why couldn’t he just hop in one of them and come?”
KA Tucker says that Bangor is a made-up place in Alaska, but oh my gosh did I fall in love with this fictional community. And Calla gets to meet the people who have been her father’s family for his entire life. And I’ll never make excuses for a parent not wanting to be a bigger part of their child’s life, but I actually felt so much empathy for Calla’s dad, Wren, too. After twenty-four year, he has never given up the love he has for Susan. And even though Calla’s romance is the focus of this book, Wren’s really got to me. Like, this book is easily the book that made me cry the most in 2018. Without question. Happy tears, sad tears, I never want this book to end tears.
And you all know this is a romance book, so obviously Wren had to take a hot, thirty-one-year-old, pilot under his wing. And Calla and him start out with such an enemies to lovers plotline as soon as he picks her up to fly her to her father. And he obviously lives next-door to her father. And their paths are forced to cross constantly throughout Calla’s visit while she gets to finally know her father. And you all, I was weak for it. Also, this has the “trapped in the cabin in the woods” trope and I was screaming with heart eyes.
“Just don’t make the same mistake I did and fall in love with one of those pilots.”
Good Lord, I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but Jonah is honestly the type of guy that I personally like and am attracted to. And I feel kind of gross saying it, because he’s very much a “manly man” but not in a toxic masculine way, but in a “let me chop wood and put it on the fire we have going so I can cook for you” type way. I don’t know. I’m such a hot mess over this book. But I’m just saying that I’ve read 110 books this year, and Jonah is the only fictional dude character that I would personally let get it. Goodbye.
But there is so much to love about Calla, too! Not only does she have empathy, and the courage to let a man who she has felt abandoned by her entire life in, but she’s also sure of herself and her worth. Also, she and her best friend run a lifestyle blog, and I loved every mention of it. From adding hyperlinks last minute, to finding deals every holiday season, to trying your hardest to take the perfect picture for Instagram. Like, it was all so relatable and it truly was the cherry on this already amazing sundae. And I feel like in general, I personally just had a lot of similarities to Calla. Also, just because I’m apparently an open book in this review, my dad is the same age as Wren. So, all the extra feels.
And the overall message of this book is so important and so beautiful. We have to let people live the life that they want to live. We don’t have to agree, but we can always be supportive and try to be empathetic. I try not to talk about my personal life too much, but a lot of you know that cancer is something that I’ve chosen to center my life around, and it’s so important to let the person that is diagnosed choose what is best for them. And, this book is just so heartbreakingly beautiful. Because that’s really all life is; choice after choice after choice. And each and every single one completely alters our life’s path. But controlling our feelings is something entirely different. And the connections we choose to make, too early or too late, is everything.
“You should have called him. He should have called you. Your mom should never have left. Wren should have left Alaska for you. Who the hell knows what’s right, and what it would have led to, but it doesn’t matter because you can’t change any of that.”
This book also shines a spotlight on found families and platonic love, too. This book really is just all about the different kinds of love in the world, really. The love between family, between friends, and between communities. I feel so sappy, but this book just really blew me and my expectations away.
And even though this book was close to perfect in my eyes, it did have two elements that I didn’t enjoy. The first being just the general talk about beauty and what it means to be society’s standard of beauty. Calla gets a lot of shit from Jonah about the way she looks, and that’s something that has happened to me my entire life. And I get it from both sides of the spectrum: From dudes quizzing me with basic biology 101 questions because they can’t believe the degree I have, to my ex giving me shit because I can’t just roll out of bed and feel comfortable going places around town with them. We want girls to look a certain way, but we also want to make them feel bad for putting the time into looking that way. I don’t know. I’m getting so off topic but basically, I’m saying people have treated me the way Jonah treated Calla’s beauty in this book, and I don’t like it. And good Lord, did I hate the nickname “Barbie” so much. But I was living for Jonah constantly being proven wrong on his assumptions and prejudices. Girls are beautiful with no makeup or with a full face of makeup, one doesn’t erase the other. The only thing that matters is what the girl feels comfortable with, and what makes them happy. Also, make up can be really expensive, so show some damn respect.
My only other complaint is Calla’s mother, Susan, and her treatment of Simon. Susan does a lot of hurtful things in this book. And Simon is like the best character in all of literature, so it feels extra bad. Like, who paints someone’s bookshelves when they aren’t home? Like, I don’t know. I really liked Wren, but I honestly disliked Susan, which I feel like will be an unpopular opinion, but it’s honestly how I felt. Also, Simon deserves the entire galaxy and all the stars within it!
Overall, I just loved this. The setting was absolutely perfect and so very atmospheric. I loved the romance more than any word combination I could come up with. I loved the message of living your life to the fullest, and the theme of found families always being better than family of origin. I just loved The Simple Wild and I believe with my whole heart that it will make my best of 2018 list come this December. And again, this book felt very personal to me, but I recommend it to everyone with my entire soul. And, friends, don’t waste your life on wishes; if you want something – go for it, always. Life is short, but it’s never too late to go after your dreams and fight for something you love. Love can be so messy and so complicated, but it’s always worth it.
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Trigger and content warnings for abandonment, terminal disease, talk of cancer, some weird comments about body and weight that made me a little uncomfortable, and loss of a loved one.
The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. 1501133438 3.75* 1501133438 cute.... but if a man told me i looked better without makeup and prevented me from having my luggage he'd get a swift kick to the 'nads 1501133438 2.75 stars
tw: cancer; dying parent
I really wanted to enjoy this. It's a hate-to-love romance featuring a city girl who goes to Alaska after getting a call that her estranged father is ill, and she ends up falling for a bush pilot.
The main problem I ran into here was the hate-to-love aspect. I enjoy hate-to love-romances HOWEVER, I think contemporary fiction sometimes struggles with how to do this trope effectively without making me hate the love interest in the meantime. Jonah is an absolute asshole from the beginning. He judges Calla without knowing her, verbally belittles her, shames her for what she wears and wearing makeup as fake, makes fun of her using soy milk (when she has a dairy allergy!), and lays a lot of the blame on her for the estranged relationship with her dad instead of, ya know, making the actual parent be accountable?? This all meant that by time they started warming up to each other, I could not root for him fully. His behavior is attempted to be explained away by his own family history, but it's no excuse. He's a grown man, not a child. Also, I found myself caring about and being emotional over her parent's failed relationship more than her situation with Jonah.
Also, Calla seems to morph into what Alaska and the people there want her to be very easily. This would make sense if the book set it up at the beginning that she was tired of the city or her life. Although she's hit some road bumps back home, the impression isn't given that she hates it there. But quickly into being in Alaska, she is giving up a lot of her identity.
Jonah isn't the only one who critiques Calla's love of makeup or fashion. The characters around her compliment her only when she's not wearing makeup and when she starts to change her style. Jonah also only compliments her when not wearing makeup -- which is supposed to be seen as cute but a real man would love her appearance regardless of what she is wearing, imo. The narrative very much paints female hobbies as vain and it irritated me.
A lot of the responsibility is also removed from Calla's dad in the situation. As soon as she gets there, he's depicted as just being quiet and caring for his community, which is why he didn't fight for a relationship with her. By the end, they do come to an understanding about this but ultimately, more of the responsibility is placed on Calla, who was the CHILD, then her father, who was the PARENT, by all of the characters around her including herself and it was so frustrating to read.
This book was still easy to read and I didn't completely hate my experience, but I expected so much more. 1501133438