The Simple Wild

4.5/5 stars

Calla was only 2 when her mom took her and moved to Toronto. Alaska was far too isolating. Calla got the occasional phone call from her father, Wren, but eventually the two became estranged. When Calla learns that Wren may not be around much longer, she decides it’s time to take the trip to Alaska and repair her relationship with her father. There, she meets Jonah, a pilot at Wren’s company. The two are polar opposites and can’t seem to get along under any circumstances. Slowly, they go from tolerating each other to friendship to maybe something more. But does Calla want to make the same mistakes her parents did? Like her mother, she can’t picture herself living in Alaska, but with Jonah in the picture, her decision may not be so simple. 

This was an enthralling contemporary romance that I devoured in a few hours. I loved Tucker’s writing. Her descriptions immersed me into Alaska. I felt like i was in the small community figuring out how to live simply right next to Calla. The characters were great. All had their own quirks and personalities. Agnes, a supporting character, may have been my favorite. her demeanor and interactions with other characters always made me feel warm inside. Calla and Jonah’s interactions and developments felt natural. Nothing felt rushed. 

In fact, the pacing of the entire book was well done. I was very satisfied by the story arc and didn’t feel like anything was missing. The complex issues were tackled wonderfully and realistically. After seeing so many reviews saying the book would make me cry, I was expecting to be devastated. The end is sad, but did not make me cry. Instead, I had a heavy heart and acceptance that life can really suck some times. 

I can definitely see why so many people rave about this book. It kept me interested and was truly hard to put down. Like stated above, I was really satisfied by the story arc to the point where I felt a bit wary that a sequel is being released. I’ll be reading the second book regardless because I think Tucker will only make the story better.