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Something Wilder
The "reigning romance queens" (PopSugar) and New York Times bestselling authors of TheSoulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners present a charming and laugh-out-loud funny novel filled with adventure, treasure, and, of course, love.
Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession…or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke's coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn't leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness-and leave him there.
Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they'd barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it's never going to happen.
But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn't a gimmick after all. There's a chance to right the wrongs-of Duke's past and their own-but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they'll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.
From the author of the "heartfelt and funny" (Publishers Weekly) sensation The Unhoneymooners, this page-turning adventure full of second chances, complicated relationships, and the breathtaking beauty of the American Southwest will take fans on one wild ride.
Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession…or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke's coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn't leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness-and leave him there.
Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they'd barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it's never going to happen.
But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn't a gimmick after all. There's a chance to right the wrongs-of Duke's past and their own-but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they'll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.
From the author of the "heartfelt and funny" (Publishers Weekly) sensation The Unhoneymooners, this page-turning adventure full of second chances, complicated relationships, and the breathtaking beauty of the American Southwest will take fans on one wild ride.
Editorial Reviews
"Something Wilder is exactly what we all need right now…a true escape within the pages of a book, filled with adventure, rekindled romance, and second chances. Trust me, you'll want to go along for the ride with Lily and Leo." -Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here
"There's nothing more fun than Christina Lauren. Something Wilder is a nonstop adventure romp that pulls you out of the humdrum everyday and turns its own pages in the swooniest, most delightful way." -New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center
"The bestselling author duo returns with an unexpectedly dramatic contemporary romance. The tone veers from lighthearted rom-com to high octane romantic suspense as the danger ramps up and Lauren packs the plot with quirky characters, vivid scenery, and sizzling sexual tension. This tense, poignant romance is another sure hit for Lauren." -Publishers Weekly
"Writing duo Lauren Billings and Christina Hobbs strike gold again in this thrilling contemporary romance set in Utah's Canyonlands National Park. Equal parts exhilarating puzzle-filled adventure and steamy second-chance romance, this cinematic wild-west rom-com is a must-have." -Booklist (starred review)
"Fans of Christina Lauren, known for their delightful rom-coms, may be surprised by this shift into the world of adventure romance. It should be a pleasant surprise, though, given that the story is fast-paced, exciting, and still full of that classic Christina Lauren swoon (in between the danger, occasional violence, and plot twists). Lily and Leo's romance is plenty steamy, but the real star is the landscape, which is described in sweltering, dusty detail. A vivid escape that's perfect for romantic thrill-seekers." -Kirkus (starred review)
"There's nothing more fun than Christina Lauren. Something Wilder is a nonstop adventure romp that pulls you out of the humdrum everyday and turns its own pages in the swooniest, most delightful way." -New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center
"The bestselling author duo returns with an unexpectedly dramatic contemporary romance. The tone veers from lighthearted rom-com to high octane romantic suspense as the danger ramps up and Lauren packs the plot with quirky characters, vivid scenery, and sizzling sexual tension. This tense, poignant romance is another sure hit for Lauren." -Publishers Weekly
"Writing duo Lauren Billings and Christina Hobbs strike gold again in this thrilling contemporary romance set in Utah's Canyonlands National Park. Equal parts exhilarating puzzle-filled adventure and steamy second-chance romance, this cinematic wild-west rom-com is a must-have." -Booklist (starred review)
"Fans of Christina Lauren, known for their delightful rom-coms, may be surprised by this shift into the world of adventure romance. It should be a pleasant surprise, though, given that the story is fast-paced, exciting, and still full of that classic Christina Lauren swoon (in between the danger, occasional violence, and plot twists). Lily and Leo's romance is plenty steamy, but the real star is the landscape, which is described in sweltering, dusty detail. A vivid escape that's perfect for romantic thrill-seekers." -Kirkus (starred review)
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One Chapter One
Hester, Utah-Archie's Bar
May, Present Day
"IN HINDSIGHT," LILY said, wincing, "I know better than to ignore a bar fight going on behind me."
Archie extended a meaty hand, passing her a dripping cloth full of ice. "I'm more concerned you took an elbow to the back of the head and barely flinched."
"Is that a joke about me being hardheaded?" She sucked in a breath at the shock of ice against the nape of her neck.
Archie leaned over the bar. "I'm saying you're a tough little cowgirl, Lily Wilder."
Lily shoved him away with a laugh. "Kiss my ass, Arch."
"Any time you want, Lil."
With an elbow resting on the scuffed wood, she held the ice in place and watched condensation track in slow, fat streams down her pint glass. But as soon as she dragged a finger through it, the glass got muddy. All day long, wind worked the red desert dust into the creases of her clothing, into her hair. Hands, arms, face. Thank God for showers and sunscreen. With the kind of crowd one found at Archie's, though, it was never worth showering before coming in-whether Lily was sitting at the bar with a beer or working behind it in the off-season. The errant elbow to the back of her head was proof enough.
The door opened, briefly blasting the dim room with light, and Nicole arrived in a flash of messy blond hair and checked red-and-blue flannel. Sliding onto the stool beside Lily's, Nicole lifted her chin to Archie in both silent greeting and beverage order. He pulled a lager into a questionably clean glass and slid an even more questionably clean bowl of peanuts toward the women. More starving than fastidious, Lily dug in.
Nicole gestured to the ice pack. "What the hell?"
"Petey and Lou were at it. I was collateral damage."
"Need me to kick their asses?" She moved to stand, but Lily stopped her with a hand on the arm.
Nicole was taller and stronger than Lily, and her loyalty made her nearly feral when provoked. Lily wagered that Petey and Lou would have a pretty fair fight on their hands. If Lily gestured for Nic to go at it, she'd die trying. But Nic was all she had, so Lily tipped her head instead toward the small stack of papers on the bar near her friend's arm. "Is that the new group?"
Nicole nodded. "Arriving tomorrow."
"Dudes?" Lily asked. Their clients were almost always men coming out to hunt treasure and play at being outlaws. A group of women felt like a breath of fresh air. Those trips were quieter, more easygoing. They almost made the job worth it. Almost.
"Yeah. Four of them."
"Bachelor party? Birthday?"
Nic shook her head. "Looks like it's a group of friends just taking a trip together."
At this, Lily groaned. At least bachelor parties were on some kind of mission, usually to sneak booze and have a week of debauchery they'd talk about for years to come. But the groups that came to Lily's tourist expedition company, Wilder Adventures, just to "get away" always needed more babysitting, more structure. Sometimes that was fine-helping people enjoy a vacation on horseback had been Lily's joy growing up and was to this day-but right now she was running on fumes.
"All of them signed the waiver?" Lily asked.
Nic scratched her cheek, hesitating. "Yeah."
Pointing, Lily asked, "What's that mean?"
"Well," Nicole said, "it kind of looks like they were all signed by the same person."
Lifting her beer to her lips, Lily muttered a quiet "Shit."
"Dub, it's a formality."
"Unless it isn't," she said. "I can't afford a lawsuit."
"Girl, you can barely afford this beer." When she ducked to catch Lily's gaze, Nic's wild hair fell over half her face, leaving one glimmering blue eye free to study her best friend. "How are you thinking this will be our last trip out?"
Lily squinted down at the whorls in the scuffed wood bar. Truthfully, she had been hoping more than anything that this would be the last hurrah for Wilder Adventures. She wanted this to be the last time she took city slickers out into the desert to team-build and "rough it" and hunt for fake treasure. She wanted to put her dad's journal away and never have to look at it again. She wanted to live where no one asked her about Duke Wilder's maps or his stories and she could forget all about Butch Cassidy. Lily wanted to never again see a man wear polished dress shoes while riding a horse or hear another woman wearing a Prada "western" shirt complain how sore her ass was after a half hour in a saddle. She wanted to be running a ranch, to tack u...
Hester, Utah-Archie's Bar
May, Present Day
"IN HINDSIGHT," LILY said, wincing, "I know better than to ignore a bar fight going on behind me."
Archie extended a meaty hand, passing her a dripping cloth full of ice. "I'm more concerned you took an elbow to the back of the head and barely flinched."
"Is that a joke about me being hardheaded?" She sucked in a breath at the shock of ice against the nape of her neck.
Archie leaned over the bar. "I'm saying you're a tough little cowgirl, Lily Wilder."
Lily shoved him away with a laugh. "Kiss my ass, Arch."
"Any time you want, Lil."
With an elbow resting on the scuffed wood, she held the ice in place and watched condensation track in slow, fat streams down her pint glass. But as soon as she dragged a finger through it, the glass got muddy. All day long, wind worked the red desert dust into the creases of her clothing, into her hair. Hands, arms, face. Thank God for showers and sunscreen. With the kind of crowd one found at Archie's, though, it was never worth showering before coming in-whether Lily was sitting at the bar with a beer or working behind it in the off-season. The errant elbow to the back of her head was proof enough.
The door opened, briefly blasting the dim room with light, and Nicole arrived in a flash of messy blond hair and checked red-and-blue flannel. Sliding onto the stool beside Lily's, Nicole lifted her chin to Archie in both silent greeting and beverage order. He pulled a lager into a questionably clean glass and slid an even more questionably clean bowl of peanuts toward the women. More starving than fastidious, Lily dug in.
Nicole gestured to the ice pack. "What the hell?"
"Petey and Lou were at it. I was collateral damage."
"Need me to kick their asses?" She moved to stand, but Lily stopped her with a hand on the arm.
Nicole was taller and stronger than Lily, and her loyalty made her nearly feral when provoked. Lily wagered that Petey and Lou would have a pretty fair fight on their hands. If Lily gestured for Nic to go at it, she'd die trying. But Nic was all she had, so Lily tipped her head instead toward the small stack of papers on the bar near her friend's arm. "Is that the new group?"
Nicole nodded. "Arriving tomorrow."
"Dudes?" Lily asked. Their clients were almost always men coming out to hunt treasure and play at being outlaws. A group of women felt like a breath of fresh air. Those trips were quieter, more easygoing. They almost made the job worth it. Almost.
"Yeah. Four of them."
"Bachelor party? Birthday?"
Nic shook her head. "Looks like it's a group of friends just taking a trip together."
At this, Lily groaned. At least bachelor parties were on some kind of mission, usually to sneak booze and have a week of debauchery they'd talk about for years to come. But the groups that came to Lily's tourist expedition company, Wilder Adventures, just to "get away" always needed more babysitting, more structure. Sometimes that was fine-helping people enjoy a vacation on horseback had been Lily's joy growing up and was to this day-but right now she was running on fumes.
"All of them signed the waiver?" Lily asked.
Nic scratched her cheek, hesitating. "Yeah."
Pointing, Lily asked, "What's that mean?"
"Well," Nicole said, "it kind of looks like they were all signed by the same person."
Lifting her beer to her lips, Lily muttered a quiet "Shit."
"Dub, it's a formality."
"Unless it isn't," she said. "I can't afford a lawsuit."
"Girl, you can barely afford this beer." When she ducked to catch Lily's gaze, Nic's wild hair fell over half her face, leaving one glimmering blue eye free to study her best friend. "How are you thinking this will be our last trip out?"
Lily squinted down at the whorls in the scuffed wood bar. Truthfully, she had been hoping more than anything that this would be the last hurrah for Wilder Adventures. She wanted this to be the last time she took city slickers out into the desert to team-build and "rough it" and hunt for fake treasure. She wanted to put her dad's journal away and never have to look at it again. She wanted to live where no one asked her about Duke Wilder's maps or his stories and she could forget all about Butch Cassidy. Lily wanted to never again see a man wear polished dress shoes while riding a horse or hear another woman wearing a Prada "western" shirt complain how sore her ass was after a half hour in a saddle. She wanted to be running a ranch, to tack u...
