Something Wild & Wonderful and Flirting With Love

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly
Narrator: Mark Sanderlin
Published by Forever, Hachette Audio on March 7, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Length: 10 hours 34 minutes
Pages: 384
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Publisher, Purchased
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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.

I thought that this was really good! This is the first time I have read any of Anita Kelly’s work and I was impressed. Alexei and Ben were fantastic characters and I really enjoyed watching them open up to one another. They seemed perfect together even if they each had a few issues they needed to work through independently. I had a great time watching them find a future together.

Alexei and Ben were wonderful together. They meet on the Pacific Coast Trail and eventually decide to walk together. Alexei is a bit of a loner so this is a big deal for him to agree to walk with Ben. I liked watching these two get to know each other and I thought it was interesting that they were both at a crossroads in their lives. I felt that the descriptions of life on the Pacific Coast Trail were wonderful and almost made me want to pack up and take the journey myself (but then I remembered how much I like sleeping in beds and air-conditioning).

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Mark Sanderlin did an excellent job with the narration. I liked the way that he was able to bring each of the characters to life and added just the right amount of emotion to his reading. I found his voice to be very pleasant and had no problem listening to the book for hours at a time. I am certain that his narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a wonderful romance featuring two characters that were easy to root for. I hope to read more of this author’s work very soon.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Forever and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Flirting With Love by Melissa Foster
Narrator: B. J. Harrison
Series: Love in Bloom #19
Published by Melissa Foster on March 22, 2016
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Length: 9 hours 42 minutes
Pages: 300
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publicist
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Elisabeth Nash has spent years dreaming of returning to the small town of Trusty, Colorado, where she spent summers with her favorite aunt. When she inherits her aunt's farmette, she closes her Los Angeles pet bakery and pampering business, sure that life in Trusty will be as peaceful and as welcoming as she remembers. But being an outsider in the close-knit town proves to be very different from the happy summers she remembers from her childhood - and falling for Trusty's hot, wealthy, and sinfully irresistible veterinarian, Ross Braden, sends the rumor mill into a frenzy.

Ross Braden learned long ago that gossip spreads faster than weeds in his small hometown, and Ross loves nothing more than his privacy. For that reason, he doesn't date women who live in Trusty. But that was before blond, beautiful, and refreshingly honest Elisabeth Nash flew into his vet clinic seeking help for her panicked piglet and turned his comfortable life - and his heart - inside out.

Despite rumors about Elisabeth's motives toward her aunt's property, passion brews between Elisabeth and Ross. Every steamy kiss and every sensual touch brings the pair closer together, and when Ross helps Elisabeth try to fit into the town he adores, it makes their bond even stronger. But even Elisabeth's efforts toward reaching the community, and the love she and Ross so desperately believe in, might not be enough for the protective small town to offer them a future.

This was a nice romance without any unnecessary drama. Elisabeth and Ross were great characters and I thought that they worked well together. I loved the chemistry between the pair and couldn’t wait to see them find their happily ever after together. This book reads perfectly well as a stand-alone but I did appreciate checking in with some of the characters from earlier books.

Elisabeth is new in town. She just inherited her aunt’s farm and wants to make Trusty her new home since she always loved it as a child. It did seem a little odd to me that the town wasn’t more welcoming to Elisabeth but she ended up fitting in quite nicely in the end. Her love of animals makes her the perfect match for the town veterinarian.

I listened to the audiobook and B.J. Harrison did a great job with this story. I think that he does a great job with all of the male and female voices and is able to add just the right amount of emotion to his reading. He has such a pleasant voice that I ended up listening to the book in a single day.

I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. I found this to be a touching romance featuring characters that were easy to love. I cannot wait to read more of this author’s work.

I received a digital review copy of this audiobook from the author/publicist.

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