Book Review: The Simple Wild by KA Tucker

The Simple Wild

by KA Tucker

Release Date: August 7, 2018

Source: Publisher

Goodreads

Calla Fletcher wasn't even 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 Calla learns that Wren’s days may be numbered, she 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 rugged environment, Jonah—the unkempt, obnoxious, and proud Alaskan pilot who helps keep 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. Soon, she finds herself forming an unexpected 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. 

I really love KA Tucker's contemporary romances and one look at this cover and I knew I had to read it. Throw in the fact that this takes place in Alaska and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! 

When Calla was a little girl, her mother left her father in Alaska, along with a life that she knew she could never live. Now, Calla is twenty-six and learns that her estranged father who she hasn't spoken to in almost 10 years has cancer. Calla decides to go to Alaska to spend time with her father before it's too late. When Calla arrives, she runs into Jonah, the infuriating pilot who lives next door to her father and who seems determined to get on her last nerve. Jonah knows Calla doesn't belong and isn't afraid to tell her, but Calla is determined to brave the Alaskan wild (and an infuriatingly gorgeous pilot) to get to her know her father and understand the quiet man her mother loved so long ago. 

When I started this book, I fell head first into Calla's adventure to Alaska and into a world that her mother gave up on so long ago. I thought Calla was so relatable in how she had no idea how she would survive in Alaska, especially when her luggage didn't make it there with her. She was so vulnerable when it came to getting to know her father, especially considering he hasn't tried to contact her ever since he betrayed her trust when she was in middle school. I absolutely loved the father-daughter bond that formed in this book and how important family was to all of the characters. 

But let's be honest, we all know the real reason I loved this book was the romance. I love a good hate to love romance and Jonah was definitely on the hate side when this book started. Jonah was so hard on Calla when she first arrived and wasn't afraid to tell her what he thought of her. I loved how they slowly grew closer and opened up to one another until they formed a bond they never knew they could have. 

The Simple Wild by KA Tucker is an Alaskan romance that you definitely do not want to miss. I loved the familial relationships that are developed and explored and I was obsessed with the romance between two unlikely people. Now I am dying to fly off to the Alaskan wild and find a rugged pilot of my own!