The Simple Wild: A Novel
4.6 | 19,221 ratings
Price: 17.71
Last update: 01-08-2026
Top reviews from the United States
- Sam KA touching and beautiful story about forgiveness, connection, and loveShe left Alaska, and her father, 24 years ago, but after learning her father was ill, and after some soul searching, she returned in an effort to connect with her him once again.
When I first read the synopsis, I thought this was going to be a full-on romance. Don't get me wrong, there was a strong romantic element, but this leaned more towards women's fiction for me. The story was really Calla's. She seemed to be at a standstill in her life. She had lost her job, shed her boyfriend, and wasn't sure what her next step would be. She seemed to be unfulfilled in many areas of her life, and Alaska was a place for her to escape. A place where she could sort through her emotions, while also trying to make peace with her past. Watching her evolve was an amazing treat, and I have to thank Tucker for allowing me to take this journey with her. It was heartfelt and moving, and I was really pleased with all she accomplished.
Aside from Calla and her part of the story, I adored being in Alaska. I had cruised through there several years ago, and was captivated by the beauty of that state. Tucker did a great job sharing that part with us, as well as giving us a glimpse into how they live out there. I really appreciated getting that peek into their daily life, and also the respectful way it was presented to me.
This book was packed with characters, who won a place in my heart. Agnes was a beautiful human, whose love saw no boundaries. I could feel her warmth radiating off the page every time she entered a scene. And, Simon, Calla's step dad, was another star in my eyes. It was quite a situation he was in, but he handled it with so much grace.
And, then, there was Jonah. I have a special place in my heart for grumpy heroes, and Jonah definitely fit that bill. From their first interaction, I knew he and Calla would eventually catch fire, and when then did! Oh, boy! They were white hot. But, it wasn't just about the chemistry, he really pushed her to be the best version of herself, while still loving all the parts of her, and they complemented each other well.
However, Calla wasn't supposed to fall for the Viking Sky Cowboy. I sort of loved, that Tucker set Calla up in a situation similar to her parents. It was almost like history repeating itself.
So, yeah, I went through the crying part, and then another crying part, and then the ending happened, which was amazing, and made me really happy, and now, I am eagerly waiting the sequel, because I cannot wait to continue this story.
Overall: A touching and beautiful story about forgiveness, connection, and love containing the perfect blend of humor, romance, and drama, which left me constantly switching between happy and sad tears. - Corina ParisWay more than just a romance!!So, what can I say, I teared up!!
My first book by KA Tucker and she made my cry. My thoughts are honestly all over the place. And I think my hands are actually shaking while writing this review down.
So here we go:
I knew, according to other reviews, that this book was something special. Since I never read anything by this author before, I didn’t know how this book would affect me. Suffice to say it affected me a great deal.
And ultimately it was a great deal more than a romance.
It had everything from loss to love, regret and heartache, to forgiveness. The Simple Wild was an emotional and tender story that perfectly blended all of these emotions into a brilliantly written story.
Throughout the first third of the story, the author slowly introduced the reader to the characters, their relationships, and the reality that was Bangor, Alaska. The way the author described this at times desolate and for many people depressing place felt utterly authentic and real. Alaska is by no means an easy place to live in, but the author researched the area so well that the way of living came across as authentic and as true as possible, which was greatly appreciated.
While reading The Simple Wild, I fell in love with Calla, her parents at home in Toronto, with her biological dad in Alaska, and with the annoyingly but handsome bush pilot Jonah. Everyone of these characters was endearing, smart and genuinely likable. Each was fleshed out with personalities that were charming, relatable, and unique.
The dialogues, which were funny, heartfelt, and genuine, literally jumped off the pages. Each character had a distinctive voice, and I must admit, one of my most favorite characters of all was Calla’s stepdad Simon. Any child should be lucky to have a dad like him, and any woman blessed to call him hers. He was AMAZING!!! But that’s beside the point.:D
Calla and Jonah’s story was beautiful, touching but also a lot of fun. Enemies to lovers, their animosity was hilarious and their back and forth exceptionally well done. They didn’t change just because they slept together, they kept true to themselves and I adored them even more because of it. There were some incredibly tender moments in this book that took my breath away, especially between Calla and Jonah.
This book worked!!!
There was nothing I didn’t like about this story. The story flowed, and made me smile, laugh and in the end tear up. The author took an idea and wove it beautifully into a story that carried a message that is important to all of us. Life is short!! Don’t wait too long. Love, forgive, appreciate family, and enjoy the short life we were given.
This author made it on my short lists of authors to pay attention to. I’m really looking forward to her next release, and hopefully if my tbr permits, I will be checking out some of her earlier releases as well.