Wild at Heart: A Novel (The Simple Wild, Book 2)

There’s a line in this book that says something along the lines of, one day your relationship can seem perfect and then in one second it’s the most vulnerable. I loved that and it was perfect for this.I know Calla was going to struggle living in Alaska again. And I know she was going to compare her situation with her moms. But Jonah gave her so much more than her dad gave her mom, that she should have realized she needed to try harder.I love how self aware Jonah was. He’s rational and he analyzes things to benefit his life with Calla. Even the situation with Marie. Ugh I love him.I didn’t expect to love this series so much but I did.

In July of 2018, I read a book about a twenty-something risk analyst from Canada who picked up and went to Alaska to mend fences with her estranged father. There she met a wildly attractive bush pilot who turned out to be the biggest risk of her life. That book, The Simple Wild, immediately became my TOP FAVORITE READ of the year and one of my all-time favorite novels ever. It ended perfectly and beautifully but with so much possibility for where Jonah and Calla's story could go. I didn't know it then that KA Tucker would return to Alaska to bring us more of their love story, bring us on a new adventure with this couple and all the risks they'd yet to gamble on together. I didn't know it then but their story was far from over and this follow-up, Wild at Heart, would immediately become my new favorite of 2020 and another top favorite read EVER!!I haven't read a book that gave me such wanderlust in quite some time. I haven't read a book in ages that had me setting it down just so I could talk about it with anyone who'd listen. I'm an indoor girl with a major aversion to winter and nature and I admittedly have zero survival skills. (Camping gives me hives.)  But this story, Calla's story, made me want to be brave and wild and fearless and I completely immersed myself in every bit of this adventurous risk right along with her. Her fears, her reluctance, her jealousy, her devotion, her loyalty, her kindness, her perseverance, her determination, her friendships, her romance, her longing... I WAS HERE FOR ALL OF IT.  I felt every bit of this journey right along with her, all the uncertainty and the solitude and the insecurity and the strength of will she exhibited, I felt it all and it made for the most PHENOMENAL reading experience. The chemistry and raw devotion between Calla and Jonah is next level. To this day I tell everyone I know that The Simple Wild is one of the best books I've ever read. But still, I somehow forgot just how much these characters had woven themselves under my skin. As soon as I opened the first page, I was reminded of precisely why I was so desperate for more of their story and if I thought I loved them then, my love for them NOW is exponentially more profound. Their journey in this book is PERFECTION. I couldn't have dreamed up a better sequel, I couldn't have envisioned a more exciting, riveting, emotional romance than what KA Tucker delivers in Wild at Heart. This story is beyond anything I can even say about it. There just aren't words. I loved every character, every bit of dialogue, every ounce of tension and strife and unspoken word. I loved getting lost in the Alaskan wild, in a cabin in the forest with a curmudgeon of a neighbor and a pushy, bullheaded local woman making demands. I loved the heartwrenching memories of another time, in another house that came full circle in this story. I loved the perfect amount of steam and the perfectly potent amount of angst that Tucker wove through such a blissfully romantic happily ever after. I loved the danger of Alaska and the danger of the skies and the palpable fear that gnawed at my insides through all of it. I loved the strangers who became friends and the friends who became family and the goat. I loved the goat. I loved every single thing on every single page of this book. The timing and pacing of this story, the dialogue and the sexy banter, the insecurities and the sheer romance set against such a wildly unforgiving backdrop. All of it was SUPERB. The Simple Wild was too good to be followed up by anything less that PERFECTION and KA Tucker KILLED it with Wild at Heart. If I read nothing else this year, I'll feel content because I had THIS story, I experienced THIS adventure. Wild at Heart is breathtakingly  remarkable and I will never, ever get over it.

I really enjoyed continuing on with Calla and Jonah’s love story. There were a few points where I was furious with them for their lack of communication with each other, but in the end it was amazing to see the growth in their relationship. I also loved all the side characters and how everyone is there for each other, no questions asked. Can’t wait to keep reading on to see how Christmas plays out. I also don’t love Marie at this point but I look forward to reading her story as well.

It felt like this was less of a romance and more of A book about Calla finding her place in Alaska. There was a ton of back and forth between her and Jonah - when he was actually present. But I enjoyed reading about her finding her footing and creating a home.

Wild at Heart by K.A TuckerBook 2 of 4 in series4.5⭐️Contemporary RomanceFormat: PaperbackBook 31 of 2022📚📚📚📚I am loving this series! I will admit the beginning of book 2 was slow and a bit boring thus, its half star from perfection. However, it picked up. Again it was funny, and endering. Sad at times and had some definite nail biting moments. It was also steamy and sexy. I like that the romance in this was detailed enough but not graphic and left some to the imagination. I love this world and the characters. I really like the new characters this book introduced us, especially Roy. This book has also opened my eyes to Alaska. I always joke that I'm too hot and I need to move to Alaska. After reading these books yeah, probably not. 🤣📖📖📖📖Calla Fletcher returns to Toronto a different person, struggling to find direction and still very much in love with the rugged bush pilot she left behind. When Jonah arrives on her doorstep with a proposition she can’t dismiss, she takes the leap and rushes back to Alaska to begin their exciting future together.But Calla soon learns that even the best intentions can lead to broken promises, and that compromise comes with a hefty price—a log cabin in interior rural Alaska that feels as isolating as the western tundra.With Jonah gone more than he’s home, one neighbor who insists on transforming her into a true Alaskan, and another who seems more likely to shoot her than come to her aid, Calla grapples with forging her own path. In a world with roaming wildlife that has her constantly watching over her shoulder and harsh conditions that stretch far beyond the cold, dark, winter months, just stepping outside her front door can be daunting.This is not the future Calla had in mind, leaving her to fear that perhaps she is doomed to follow in her mother’s fleeing footsteps after all.#books #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookworm #reading #katucker #romance #contemporaryromance #Alaska #bookstagram

The book takes place four days after the end of The Simple Wild, as Calla and Jonah decide to pack up and move to Wasilla, Alaska. At this point, the new couple are totally and completely besotted with each other, and plan to spend the rest of their lives together in an adorable log cabin with a breath-taking view. Jonah resumes his sky cowboy ways, flying almost every day. While Calla struggles to adjust to her secluded life in an unfamiliar place.Calla in Wild at Heart is a new and improved woman. I really enjoyed her development as a character in the first book and this continues in the second. She’s mature, open-minded, adventurous and kind, all traits she cultivated spending the first summer in Alaska.Jonah’s a dream anyway, but we get to see more of his personality in this book. He’s still as stubborn as ever, while I didn’t love him in the beginning of The Simple Wild, he eventually became my favourite character. He has a good sense of humour, as well as a generous spirit above all his flaws.A large portion of the book concentrates on Calla’s personal character growth since the events of the first book. She’s adapting to huge life changes, while still trying to find her identity and her place in a new place. She was constantly worried about following in her mother’s footsteps, and learned the importance of being honest with yourself and finding something you really love. Her voice felt consistent and familiar from the first book, but it was clear she was a new person. I absolutely adored the way Calla handled her obstacles and fears, and found her to be very inspiring.The hopeless romantic in me was on a high from start to finish. Jonah and Calla are two people who are made for each other. Although they started off as enemies, they have a natural banter between them, which makes them work so perfectly. As a new couple, they face a lot of big decisions when it comes to the future, and fought against doubt, trust and self-esteem – natural hurdles in a relationship. While not all of their conversations went smoothly, I loved their candid and authentic interactions with one another. I loved the fluff, the angst and everything in between.Sadly, I wasn’t as interested in the sub-plots from Wild at Heart as I was with The Simple Wild. And I didn’t care for the secondary characters as much. Roy was OK, and I grew to like him as the author developed his character. I wanted to like Muriel but I just didn’t! I know Calla struggled to like the pushy neighbour, constantly feeling the need to please or gratify her. And I tried to have the same sympathies, but I wasn’t warming to her.However, I really like that Calla found a friend in Toby. Before starting this book, one of my biggest worries was that Calla would be alone in Alaska, thousands of miles from her best friend, and desperate to speak to someone while Jonah was in the air. There was also a subtle mention of Mabel and her rebellious ways but it wasn’t explored as much as I would have liked.One of my favourite things about this book, and The Simple Wild series, is the atmosphere Tucker builds. The characters are living in these idyllic, rural towns that are picturesque in natural simplicity. There’s a beautiful sense of community, and the descriptions of the tranquil but scenic landscapes were enjoyable to read. From the lakes, to the mountains, the town centres and the wildlife, it all sounds like a fantasy. As a reader, you get a genuine sense of life in Alaska from these books, even though it isn’t the main focus of the story.Wild at Heart is a journey, but a charming one. It’s humorous, heart-warming, and enchanting. If there’s a third book in the series, I don’t think I’ll be able to resist buying that plane ticket to Trapper’s Crossing. Compared to The Simple Wild, this book feels longer and slower. The pacing slows in some places, but is perfect in others. Understandably, it’s not as emotional, but twice as romantic. But overall, Wild at Heart is a delightful read.Anika | chaptersofmay.com

Book one left me with a book funk, no new books would do, so I had to resort to rereading old favorites. I feared the same would happen with this one and I think I'm psychic because it did.Please don't read this review - or book - if you haven't read The Simple Wild yet. This is a sequel with what became my favorite couple, Calla and Jonah, but yet again, much more.So Calla made all the necessary arrangements to move to Alaska, live with her beau, Jonah. See, he couldn't stand being without her, so he flew all the way to Canada and asked her to take that step with him. Even if Calla feared she'd turn into her mom, start hating Alaska, she still did it. And she did it with her chin high.I swear, she changed so much from the obnoxious girl I encountered at the beginning of book one, I can barely recognize her. I applaud the author for this amazing character development and growth. Same goes for Jonah. From the grumpy a-hole he became this giant teddy bear who'd move mountains for Calla.So, a story about their life as a couple. If Calla went to Alaska for the first time, to find parts of herself she didn't know she was missing, in this one, she needs to do her best not to lose those parts and Jonah. Which is a bit hard, when there are certain external factors seeing to it and when Jonah's kind of an idiot - in certain cases. I would be pissed too, if I were Calla.Whirlwind of feels in this one, as well. While I didn't cry, my heart did ache for these two and I'll miss them terribly. Luckily, I love rereading favorites.5 stars.

Let me start off by saying I am usually not the biggest fan of sequels, but I believe this one was definitely needed after how The Simple Wild ended! When I found out that Tucker was writing this novel I screamed with happiness. Calla and Jonah have become my favourite literary couple ever and the idea of reading about the story of some of the challenges they faced later on in their relationship was very enticing!Wild At Heart follows the next steps Calla and Jonah took in order to stay together. If you’ve read The Simple Wild, you know how it ended, and we just needed answers! I’m glad we found out that Calla moved all the way to Alaska in order to stay with Jonah and I appreciated her dedication to living in the land of cold and grim. It was a lot of fun reading about her hilarious encounters with the locals in Trapper’s Crossing and following her on an epic adventure in Alaska. I loved how Jonah took care of her while also dedicating his time to work.But aside from physical characters, the one thing I enjoyed the most in the book was Alaska itself. I have always been interested in the Last Frontier and life over there and this series has portrayed it perfectly. I almost wish there were more descriptions of the landscape as I am absolutely in love with it.

Ah I love this series! Calla and Jonah are one of my favourite book couples! I loved diving back in to their world and learning more about Alaskan living.The author really makes you feel like you are there, and has made me desperate to go to Alaska and experience the world she describes!

An amazing book.Sequels have a reputation of not living up to the first book, however this one continues the appeal, such great writing, fully emerges you into the world