Name: Lover of Romance 's review of Wild At Heart: A Novel by K.A. Tucker
Item: Wild At Heart: A Novel
Rating: 5
Author: Lover of Romance

K.A. Tucker

From the internationally bestselling author of The Simple Wild comes the continuation of a woman’s journey to the Alaskan wild and a life she never imagined for herself. 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. So, 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 of intentions don’t always lead to the intended outcomes, and that compromise comes with a hefty price tag—and a log cabin in 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 where with roaming wildlife and harsh environmental challenges, just stepping foot outside her front door becomes daunting some days. Leaving her to wonder if perhaps she is doomed to follow in her mother’s fleeing footsteps after all.

Wild At Heart: A Novel

Lover of Romance 

aleksandra

4/5

What drugs did she put in this series?


  
    “I need you in my life like I need to fly. Like I need this Alaskan air. More than I need this air.”

🧸

so she decided to leave everything behind only for him to put work before her? (he said he doesn't but I still think he, in fact, does prefer flying than being with her, and his actions are the biggest proof for that)
I was gonna give it 2 stars (the unnecessary details were making me seriously ill) but I changed my mind because I love calla and jonah too much to do them dirty. Anyways, this book was kind of a disappointment maybe because I had so much expectations to read them slowly build their home in Alaska but got unnecessary drama instead. So for now, I'm giving it 3 stars.

laura

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
 


  
    “I can’t remember what it feels like not being in love with you, Calla.
  




  First Impressions

This is the second book in the Wild series and its a story that sets off shortly after the end of book one. I will be honest, I had no shame in jumping right into this one.. I had such a blast with Jonah and Calla. And I just had to see how they would build a life in Alaska. I was so intrigued to see where K.A Tucker would lead this story and I also wanted so much for our pair to reach their HEA. There was so much depth that we received from their characters, so I didn’t know how “Wild At Heart” could live up to the hype of the story. But I can honestly say that this story definitely lived up to my expectations and more. This review won’t be super long but I did want to showcase my love for this book and the beautiful continuation of Calla and Jonah.


  
    I can’t remember what it’s like to wake up and not have you be the first thing I think about. Every morning, I roll over in bed to check for a message from you. Every night, I go to bed annoyed because you’re not beside me. Because you’re so far away. I need you in my life like I need to fly. Like I need this Alaskan air. More than I need this air.
  



  Summary

Calla Fletcher decided that a life with Jonah is worth fighting for and that her soul aches for the wilds of Alaska, So she immediately grabs up on the chance to build a plane business with him and forge a new chapter together, But Calla soon begins to realize that just jumping on the train to move to Alaska and embracing her life with Jonah won’t be as easy as she expects. The chapters ahead of Jonah will be ones of sacrifice, compromise, healing and growth. It won’t be an easy journey and Jonah and Calla will have to learn to adapt to new changing circumstances and learnt he power of relying on each other’s strengths and the love they hold for each other….


  
    Find your place here. Something that’s going to give you—Calla Fletcher—purpose. Something that feels like you.” She nods slowly, as if agreeing with her own answer. “Find that, and then give it your all.”
  



  What I Loved

I will admit that I didn’t know what to expect from Wild At Heart, I just knew that it would be a wild ride. And it definitely emulated all the beauty of book one but offered such deeply faceted layers that I just couldn’t contain my excitement with this read. I adored being able to see the way that both Jonah and Calla grow as individuals. Forging a new life together isn’t easy and I desperately wanted them to find their way. Its not easy because they are having to find a new home, establish a life there and build a business together. You see the new friendships that they forge in their new home, some hidden surprises and hidden strengths they will find in their relationship. This couple just tore at my emotions both the poignant and the joys, it brings a witty balance of laughter and a bit of sexy spice. Its a beautiful mix of delights, Alaskan wild charm and so much heart it will endear you to this couple forever.


  
    Now … He still steals my breath and my every thought, but he’s all mine.
  



  What I Struggled With

NOTHiNG!!!


  Overall View

I found Wild AT Heart to be a wild and charming romance that will make you soar into new delights, it will encourage you to cheer Jonah and Calla on, and guaranteed to bring a smile on your face from beginning to end!


  
    He’ll always be wild at heart, and there is no way to tame or change him. Not that I would ever want to. I smile. And I hold on tight.

Cecilia

I was so bored. I even skipped a few chapters to get to the end and I couldn’t finish

to me, this was good but not great. i honestly just felt a little bit sad the whole time and felt like the magic of their relationship in the first one was gone. i still thought the story was really interesting and i really enjoyed getting to know the newer characters 

Lindsey Davis Blanchard 

Nikki

i loved this one but it lacked so much jonah u___u i didn't mind all the solo calla stuff but i wish we had gotten more jonahcalla especially because this was supposed to be filled with their loveydovey moment!

Leah | @LeahsLittlePleasures

I must say this one had me a bit stressed, but I felt so at home reading this book. It was an easy read after a series of YA books and new worlds! 😊
⁣
I was definitely on the edge of my seat for a good chunk of it — with my heart literally about to beat out of my chest because I was so nervous about how things were going to turn out 😂 Tucker does it again, though — an amazing continuation of The Simple Wild story! 🙌🏻 There’s so much else I want to say but I don't want to even remotely give anything away for those who haven't read it yet!⁣
⁣
Let's just say — I REALLY hope there’s a book 3 😭

Kayla 

.
Have you ever loved a sequel more than the first book? I can definitely say I have lol! I loved The Simple Wild but Wild at Heart is for sure my favourite! I really loved seeing Calla and Jonah grow and go through the issues all couples face when they take the next step in life. .
.
Calla has moved to Alaska! Her and Jonah have found a new town, a new home and a new airplane company. Calla obviously has some issues she is trying to work out with her new, sometimes lonely, life in the Alaskan Wild. This book has all the moment you want! Oh the romantic, sexy lines! I was swooning so much lol! I really enjoyed seeing them work through their problems, communicate their issues and come together as one in the end. Calla has many face to face instances with the Wild, including a goat, a wolf dog and a bear! .
.
About two chapters towards the end I was on the edge of my seat and hoping that it was not going to be a cliff hanger ending! I needed a romantic, sweet ending to this book lol! .

Heather Heaton

Ok if we cut the middle third of this book down in content I would have made this a 5 star, but as it is it made me dislike Calla and made the book drag a little during that part. The first third and last third were so much more of the Jalla (Jonah and Calla) I wanted. I enjoyed seeing a relationship that was established and trying to grow together and seeing the characters try and make a life in Alaska. K.A. Tucker does such great character work which is why I love this series and why I didn't love Calla for a chunk of this book. She seemed so shallow and materialistic and as though that was all that she was. It was frustrating after getting to know her in the Simple Wild and I was excited when we got to see the real Calla come out in the end. Otherwise I love and adore all the characters within Jalla's family and I loved ROY!!!! Roy might be my favorite part of this book. He is Jalla's cranky, rude neighbor, but we get to see his soft side and a real friendship form between Calla and him.

Shanna Simpkins

** spoiler alert **
           This book WRECKED me in the best way. I love Jonah and Calla so much. 

Talk about learning to love YOURSELF!!! I love love love that although Calla moves there for him, she learns to love it for herself and live there FOR HER. At one point she talks about how our lives are completely different from what we post, and I was bawling. It’s so true. The happiest posts on social media don’t show the ugly side that is real life. 

This series is such a realistic take on a happily ever after - that it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows and real life is hard and takes an unbelievable amount of work. 

Standing ovation. Well done.

Anika | @chaptersofmay

Check out my review of The Simple Wild here. 

There could be 100 books about the Barbie and the Yeti, and I know I’d read every single one of them. I’m a point in my life where I have to accept that I’m so obsessed with their relationship, and the idea of moving to rural Alaska, that I’ll just immediately admire anything K.A. Tucker writes. I love the location, I love the characters, and (most importantly) I love the romance. 

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. 

I wasn’t as interested in the sub-plots from Wild at Heart as I was with The Simple Wild. 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. 

This book 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. 

For more book reviews and blog posts, check out my blog https://chaptersofmay.com or follow along at instagram.com/chaptersofmay 📚✨

Sali Nim

This was actually such a cute read with just the right amount of angst. Also my favourite thing about this book might just have been Roy, because I have a pretty big soft spot for grumpy old men.

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads.


If you saw my review for The Simple Wild back in August 2018, you know how much I loved it. I fell hard for both Calla and Jonah during that book, but I was also happy with how it all wrapped up. Sure, I can always use more of my favorite couples, but I didn't pine away for another book. Until that is, Kathleen announced she was writing a sequel. I guess I didn't realize just how much I missed them. I immediately started waiting impatiently with all the grabby hands, so I'm thrilled she released it early. I'm not kidding when I say I dropped everything to start reading it. I'm so glad I did. 

One of my favorite things about The Simple Wild was Calla's personal growth. She wasn't super likable early on in that book, but before it was all said and done I loved her. Wild at Heart brings a continuation of that growth. I have to admire someone who packs up their life to move to the middle of nowhere in Alaska because it's what is best for their significant other. But I'd say the sacrifice is worth it. What Calla and Jonah have is special and, well, sometimes you have to work hard to keep a relationship like that. It was never going to be easy, but it was worth the effort. 

Wild at Heart is a quiet romance with a couple that's very much in love. There aren't a lot of big, loud moments to prove that love. It's really a look at a relationship from day to day (or month to month) and the ups and downs that come with it. It is real. It's not all rosy. I mean, don't get me wrong, the love is there. That's never a question. It's just that Calla struggles to find her place and build a life not solely based around Jonah. If she's going to be happy in Alaska and feel like she fits in there, she needed more than just Jonah. It was admirable. 

My love for Jonah was also reinforced while reading Wild at Heart. I mean, how can I NOT love a grumpy Alaskan pilot who is sweet as can be underneath? *heart eyes* But mostly I realized how much I love this couple and just how perfect they are for each other, despite all their differences. Or maybe because of them, I suppose. Not only do they balance each other out well, but they have amazing chemistry. The feels I got from this book are a little different than those in The Simple Wild, which were mostly based on Calla and Wren, but they were still strong. Wild at Heart was everything I didn't even know I needed. It was absolute perfection. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Favorite Quotes:

"You were made for me. I am madly in love with you, Calla Fletcher."

It's strange how your relationship can feel impenetrable one day and vulnerable the next—with a misunderstanding, a few words, and a mountain of repressed worries that finally swell to the surface.

He'll always be wild at heart, and there is no way to tame or change him. Not that I would ever want to.

Krystal Pollock

I loved revisiting Alaska with Calla and Jonah! With the old characters and the new this story was woven beautifully and loved seeing Jonah and Calla grow together and watching there life and love bloom more and more each page!

Kaele Perkins 

This book was AMAZING. Like most sequels there were a few things I would have wanted differently, but the overall story was beautiful. Like she said in the acknowledgments, this wasn’t a normal sequel, this was needed. It was a progression of characters. A needed story to see them grow. I loved seeing Calla grow as a person, she embraced her new life in ways that her mother couldn’t. She actually thrived once she followed Agnes’s advice and found her own passion here. She could just be here for Jonah, she need her own roots. Jonah made a lot of progress as well. Seeing him rely on someone else when at the beginning he never would have thought to even tell someone where he was when flying. I loved their pet Raccoon and Goat, I loved that Oscar the wolf dog protects her. I love Roy Donovan. I love characters that we don’t like at the beginning, but by the end we can’t imagine the story without them. Even with his past, I agree with Calla, he isn’t a bad person and he lives in solitude as punishment because he’s afraid of hurting people he loves. I loved that he made her the table. And that she asked him to work on the cabin and had their family on the sign for it. I knew that bear would be back. I can’t believe she did that. I’m glad Diana and Aaron are getting married. I’m so glad she could surprise visit her. I loved the actual proposal in the cabin. Simon with the stash of mashed potatoes was hilarious 😆. Jonah has me so scared when he crashed. I’m so glad that he was ok. I’m sad we didn’t get to see the whole family gather for dinner, or their wedding, but I’m hoping for an epilogue in the future. I need to see those 12 kids running around by their lake. Calla is great at naming things, I loved The Yeti Airline Service and The Curmudgeon Carvings. Loved this story and Calla and Jonah as characters. I feel like it stopped at a good place, but I would always read more of their story.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

Another fantastic read by the amazing KA Tucker!! Wild at Heart is book two in the Wild series. It was so great to get back to the gorgeous Alaskan setting! And getting to see more of Calla and Jonah was an added plus! I love this entire group of characters. As with all of KA Tucker’s characters, they’re all so unique and real. I feel like I know them all personally. Calla and Jonah’s romance was so fun too. Johan is rough and tough and always says it like it is. To see the chemistry and adorable banter between him and Calla was so fun!! I’m really hoping there’s more to this series!!

Vanessa Bintou

Lacey

I have been SO freaking excited for the sequel to The Simple Wild, one of my favorite books of 2018, ever since K.A. Tucker announced she would be writing more of Calla and Jonah. TSW ended on a bit of an HFN, so it made sense that there would be more of their story to tell. I adored their romance and was a little nervous going into Wild at Heart – obviously, there is the question that goes with any sequel: will I love it as much as the first? While this sequel wasn’t quite the 5-star read that the first book was, I still loved being back with Calla and Jonah again and enjoyed this further glimpse into their lives in Alaska together! If you loved TSW, I highly recommend you give this sequel a try – Calla and Jonah are still very much together and in love, but they have plenty of new struggles to overcome.

Wild at Heart picks up fairly soon after the end of The Simple Wild – Calla has agreed to be with and move to Alaska with Jonah, but only if they move to a town that’s closer to a big city. So even though Jonah is ‘home’ in Alaska, they both have to deal with moving to a new town, finding and building a home, and making new friends and connections. Jonah is just as focused on planes as he was in the first book. He’s honestly the sexiest pilot I’ve ever read! Calla is determined to make Alaska her new home, because that’s where Jonah is. But when Jonah spends more time away in order to make enough money to build a life for the two of them, Calla needs to find herself not just a job, but a passion to dedicate her life while in this new environment.

There’s not a lot of drama when it comes to Wild at Heart, and I actually liked that. It’s not as thrilling or exciting as the first book, which felt like “OMG, ALASKA!!” but that doesn’t necessarily make it worse. This sequel is more of a “let’s build a new life here, together” type of story, with Jonah and Calla creating a home for themselves and settling down. I really enjoyed the new people Calla meets in town, though Agnes, Mabel, and Wren will always be my favorites. The story is sweet and heartwarming, with K.A. Tucker’s talented writing that will suck you right back into Alaska and remind you just why you love Jonah and Calla so much. Jonah still has the ability to make me swoon, though I did want to smack him a few times when he got frustrating. So if you’ve been missing these two and/or Alaska, you definitely need to read Wild at Heart.

Amazon ebook: https://amzn.to/32mJPCK
Amazon paperback: https://amzn.to/2VkrGnx

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Wild At Heart: A Novel by K.A. Tucker