Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni is a book that sits somewhere between engaging and forgettable. The premise shows promise, with mysterious secrets and a journey of self-discovery, but overall the execution feels a bit uneven.

Noni’s writing is clean and accessible, which makes it an easy read, but at times it lacks the emotional depth or vividness that could have made the world and characters more memorable. Charlie has her moments, but her development feels a little rushed or surface-level. She stayed stubborn for too long for me!

The pacing moves along steadily, if a bit predictably. A few plot twists are thrown in which kept the plot interesting - I very much appreciated the twists!

I enjoyed Zanders character development and growth. I felt like I wanted more from the romance, but what we actually got is two characters who are simultaneously dealing with their own heavy stuff, and the bond between them was a pleasure to watch.

Overall, Wandering Wild is good. It’s a perfect YA teen story with a sprinkle of romance. Fans of Noni’s previous work might find enough to enjoy here, but for others, it might not leave much of a lasting impression. Ultimately, I don’t think this was for me, but I would 100% recommend it to others.

3.75 ⭐️

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early copy of this book. This is so cute and I loved the premise of this book. The characters were so good too. I've loved every book that Lynette Noni has written yet so this one didn't disappoint at all

Thank you Bonnier Books UK and Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Because life isn’t about survival - life is beautiful, and it’s meant to be lived.” (Ember)

Zander is an A-list young actor who has ruined his reputation in one night. In an urge to keep his leading role in the latest blockbuster, he agrees to a survival reality show with a super fan to reshape his image. Charlie is a normal girl who hates Zander for his actions due to her personal circumstances. Her best friend Ember wins the reality show competition but is unable to take part for health reasons and convinces Charlie to take her place. Cue 4 days of tension, survival skills, thrilling incidents and revelations that everything is not quite as it seems!

I’m a big fan of Lynette Noni’s The Prison Healer trilogy so I was excited to receive a copy of her YA contemporary romance debut. Wandering Wild is fast paced with high stakes action and likeable characters. I adore Noni’s writing style and how she creates characters with complex backgrounds. I felt the emotions the characters were feeling (trigger warning for grief and off page parental death) and it was lovely seeing Charlie remember life’s purpose and being excited for her future again. The book really started to pick up once the adventure started and I thought the beautiful descriptions of the Australian wilderness helped reinforce Charlie and Zander’s isolation from the wider world. I will say that romance is not the focal point of the book which I didn’t mind as I liked how Noni depicted friendship and the importance of close relationships with friends in times of trouble.

I enjoyed this book, it was really nostalgic. I use to watch Bear Grylls when I was younger, and this was reminiscent of that. Anyone who likes nature programs and competitions would definitely enjoy this. I like how we weren't just thrown into the story with the leads encountering the problem straight away. Was sitting there wondering when it's going to happen.

What really bugs me, is when the characters are telling eachother their past, because everyone two seconds they go I’m sorry, I'm so sorry. It just so annoying. It's not your fault, you don't need to say your sorry EVERY SINGLE TIME. It's too much.

Near the end when Hawke says ''Can you honestly tell me you regret it? Any of it?" How manipulative was that. How does anyone think what they did is ok. While I did see this coming from a mile away, I still felt all the emotions. I was angry and upset with the leads. All the adults brushed it aside, after a few pages there wasn't a problem anymore. That's not okay.

Most of the interactions between Zander and Charlie felt forced. While I enjoyed the book, for the most part, nothing felt genuine between the two (except the ending). Everything went way to fast. Or maybe I was just reading quickly.

Thanks Netgalley and the author for the ARC🏜️💃🏽🫂

“Because life isn't about survival-life is beautiful, and it's meant to be lived."

Thank you to Bonnier Books UK for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Zander Rune was the darling of Hollywood until he fell from glory and was labelled a problematic bad boy. His public image needs fixing—fast—or he’ll lose the role of a lifetime, and all his dreams with it. Charlie Hart is a regular teenage girl who despises everything Zander represents. But thanks to her scheming best friend and an ill-timed social media competition, Charlie finds herself pretending to be Zander’s biggest fan on a four-day reality TV adventure led by renowned survivalist Rykon Hawke. When their trip goes horribly wrong, Charlie and Zander are left stranded in the wilderness. No Rykon, no film crew, no rescue. The only way they’ll survive is if they trust each other. But in order to do so, both will have to let go of the ghosts of their pasts, and just maybe find themselves—and one another—in the process.

Zander wants nothing more than to have his unfairly tarnished reputation improve. His career, his life, is on the line until it does. The way he is so closed off doesn’t help matters, he needs to be more relatable. I won’t lie, I had some reservations about Zander in the beginning. Could he open up? Could he prove the world wrong? I clearly didn’t need to worry because the way Noni writes her characters, you just know they are going to take you on a whirlwind adventure. Zander is a great example of someone having to pretend everything is far better than it is. Bottling everything up to protect others, but mainly protect himself from any potential backlash. I absolutely loved seeing the softer exterior underneath, especially when they were out in the wilderness. There is this element of rawness to Zander than was so great and captured my attention every time without fail. What a brilliant MMC!
I just wanted to reach inside the book multiple times and give Charlie a massive hug. She has an absolute heart of gold and would do anything for anyone, even if to her own detriment. Her relationship with her best friend Ember was amazing and you could see how much they meant to one another. And Charlie loves her so much, she’ll willingly go into the wilderness with someone she dislikes massively. The way Charlie opened up over the course of the book was so good to see. It wasn’t an instant thing, nor was it something that suddenly happened along the way. It was rough, with a lot of stops and starts but I loved it that way. It made Charlie more human, more relatable. The fact she was able to keep up with the banter despite everything going on was brilliant but there is this innate goodness, innate sunshine within her chest that shines through constantly. What a brilliantly complex character she is.

Being as obsessed as I am with The Prison Healer trilogy, I will immediately snatch up anything and everything by Noni. So, of course, I see the eARC for her newest release available and I practically ran to request it. The squeal I let out when I was approved… I’m not sorry. This plot is just outstanding from start to finish. It’s fast paced, filled with danger and angst and so much emotion. I could scarcely stop myself from reading this as quickly as I could. There is something so wonderful and lyrical about Noni’s writing that sucks me in. She has this brilliant ability to create a story so poignant and realistic, that I feel as if I’m there with the characters in that moment. The inclusion of so much mental health rep and grief was perfection. It was handled with such care, yet clearly wasn’t tip-toed around which I so appreciate. Nothing worse than making these every day things taboo. Noni had no need to worry about going from fantasy to this contemporary setting because she KNOCKED IT OUT THE PARK! The characters are brilliant too. I loved that we got to know the best friends of each lead through their anecdotes because when they had their “screen time”, I felt as if I knew them as well as Charlie or Zander did! They felt so well crafted and had so much depth to them. Cannot fault the characters at all. The romance, of course, was utterly swoon worthy. We love the hint of enemies to lovers, the reluctant partners, the need for the other to survive so you aren’t alone. Oh, it was utter brilliance. I could feel every ounce of yearning, of frustration, of admiration coming from both leads. Who would want anything else? That ending had my jaw dropping. The plot twist?! Noni, you sneaky devil. It was everything I could have hoped for and more. What a conclusion to a book I had high hopes for - hopes that were met and more!

Overall, Wandering Wild is an absolutely stunning book from Lynette Noni that everyone needs to read immediately.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to Bonnier Books UK for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on 30th May due to scheduling. Available now on Goodreads.

What a wonderful read!Wandering Wild is a gentle, emotional story about a girl trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Lynette Noni’s writing is easy to read and pulls you into the world she’s created.
The story isn’t fast-paced or action-packed, but that’s what makes it special. It takes its time to show the main character’s journey, with a bit of mystery and magic along the way. The characters feel real and relatable, especially the main girl, who is thoughtful, brave in quiet ways, and easy to care about.
There’s a small romance in the story too, but it doesn’t take over—it just adds a soft, sweet layer to the plot. If you enjoy books about self-discovery, emotions, and quiet adventure, Wandering Wild is a lovely and comforting read.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Wandering Wild is a sweet, fast paced, YA romance that follows Charlie and Zander on a wilderness expedition which is being filmed for reality television. The story follows their adventure and the obstacles they face but also delves into the characters pasts, their relationships and how trip is providing each of them with an opportunity to confront their problems and change their lives for the better.

I liked both Charlie and Zander a lot, they were smart, mature and felt very real. Despite the trip taking place over only a few days, the characters connection doesn’t feel rushed or surface level. The situations they face together and their similar past experiences create a valid reason for them to connect so quickly and I really enjoyed how supportive of each other they were.

The plot kept me engaged and had lots of tense moments. The author handled serious topics sensitively and balanced them out with the characters’ sense of humour and positive outlook, so while there were emotional moments it never felt heavy or depressing. The ending was sweet and satisfying while still feeling realistic and relevant to the character ages.

I read the book in less than 24 hours and although it’s aimed and an audience younger than me, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can see it being something I’d recommend to my daughter in the future.

This was a cute, fun read. Not anything ground breaking, but it had its moments.

What I really liked more than anything was the in-depth discussions about mental health, particularly grief. Both Charlie and Zander deal with their fair share of it throughout the story, and when they did finally start opening about that to each other over halfway through the book, I was starting to feel a lot more for them. I also love that they're die-hard for their respective best friends, considering the lengths both leads go through for their loved one.

Heavy wilderness action/adventure typically isn't my thing, but Noni managed to make it interesting. I really liked Hawke's informative monologues about Australia and all its places and creatures. The research Noni put into making this story shines through the brightest in these rants, as well as the various survive-or-we-die scenes littered heavily in the second half of the book.

Despite my praises, the story does follow what you'd expect beat-by-beat. I found myself skimming near the end because I wasn't too emotionally invested in the leads when I knew what awaited them once they got out of the wild. Though I was still a bit touched when they reunited with their friends.

All in all, a fine read, but not something that elicited much investment from me.

I live a good Hollywood tale! This book is absolutely gorgeous from cover to what’s inside. I love the story of how two YA characters form a bond in the most unexpected and challenging ways finding that while we differ in many ways at our core we are all wanting the same things..