The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker (Atria Books)
January 10, 2021
Dear Mr. Hemingway,
Between the fishing, hunting and the massive overdose of nature, I would imagine Alaska would not only have been the ultimate adventure land for you, but probably the star of a short story or novel. Though I have never been myself, it is on my wicked long bucket list of places to go. Let’s face it, for those of us in the lower 48, there is something captivating about this off the grid state where the wilderness is your backyard and mother nature rules the roost. In the meantime, I love reading books while I relax in my cozy chair (during a pandemic) with this majestic state as the backdrop. K.A. Tucker’s, The Simple Wild fulfilled my Alaskan dreams. Not only did I get to experience Alaska’s beauty between the pages of her book, but I got to meet some pretty wonderful characters along the way. Let’s take a look, shall we!
Calla Fletcher was born in Alaska to Wren and Susan Fletcher. After two years of living with a small child in Alaska, Susan couldn’t take it anymore. With her husband gone all the time as an Alaskan Pilot (he owned his own charter plane company) and his priority remaining in the sky instead of with his family, Susan moved to Toronto with Calla to start again. Fast forward 24 years and Calla is now 26, running a lifestyle blog with her friend in Canada. Through the years she has had minimal contact with her father making him pretty much a complete stranger. One night a friend of her father’s in Alaska calls alerting Calla that he is sick and may not have much time left. Calla doesn’t take the decision to go see her father lightly, but in the end books a week long trip to see him one last time. Her instagram loving days and fashion flare are rudely interrupted when the Alaskan elements do not mix well with her platform sandals and connecting to the internet is virtually impossible. Not to mention the rude Alaskan pilot who flies her alone on the last leg of her trip in a puddle jumper of a plane. Let me backup for one quick moment. The pilot she meets is named Jonah and he works for her father. He is a rugged, badass Alaskan pilot who gets a high from flying in the most dangerous conditions (Think Tom Cruise with a beard and a baseball cap flying around mountains and glaciers… Top Gun style).. Did I mention….drop dead, flannel wearing gorgeous. Sorry, I digress. As Calla gets settled in her Dad’s house and works on getting to know the man that is her biological father, she slowly discovers the complexities of his life. While she detests living in close proximity to Jonah, their rocky start relationship begins to bloom into something very unexpected. The more time Calla spends in Alaska with her Dad and his right hand man, Jonah, the more she realizes how difficult it is going to be to go back to Toronto. The clock is ticking on not only her plane ticket back home, but on her father’s life.
Let me just say this…I LOVED THIS BOOK! Tucker did a beautiful job creating an Alaskan atmosphere that I could experience through words from the comfort of my own home (with high speed internet). I am a huge fan of the enemies to lovers trope and Calla and Jonah’s ever evolving relationship took the prize for me. The banter between them was sharp and hysterical. And while yes, there was a burning romance slowly developing throughout the story that I so deeply desired, there was also so much more. Tucker knows how to tap into relationships with her writing. Whether it’s Calla and her father, Calla and Jonah, or even Calla’s mom and her new husband, the emotional baggage is heavy and runs deep with this crew of characters. This book definitely stayed with me until the very end. I found myself constantly dreaming of Calla and Jonah! Sorry… that is a flat out lie. I really only dreamed of Jonah. There! I said it! Moving on now. So here is the scoop…when The Simple Wild ended, I yearned for more. And guess what??? There is a sequel called Wild at Heart that I can’t wait to dive into.
That’s all I’ve got for today my friend!
Until next time…
Your Biggest Fan,
Kelly
P.S. I am secretly hoping that you have not read this book yet because if not, I am officially the last person on earth to have read it. Talk about late to the party! Gotta love these backlist beauties!
