The Simple Wild by K.A Tucker

I totally judged this book by it’s cover and I was right. A million stars out of 5.

This book was a on a list of books that were recommended for those of us who loved Beach Read by Emily Henry. I first read The Simple Wild last July. I was studying for a big exam I had in grad school and really needed an escape. I was also in a long time reading rut, as a result of being so occupied in grad school and nothing had captured me enough to finish the whole book in a long time. It was on my birthday last year that a friend and I went to a book store and I saw the cover of Beach Read which was super cute and I had heard someone on my favorite podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour by NPR talk about how it’s a comforting and cute romance. So, judging the book by its cover, I bought it. I finished it later that week. I was so elated that I finally found a story that sucked me in enough to have me finish the whole thing, I so went in search of other books like it. Enter, Book Riot. Silvana Reyes Lopez curated a list of books that after reading most of them at this point really are perfect for people who like Beach Read! I loved this book last year so much that I told everyone I knew to read it.

I had the itch to re-read it this year since it’s set in Alaska as the weather cools for fall. The cover of this book is also gorgeous! Another hit against “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”. It’s always scary to re-read a favorite with the fear that it won’t hold up, but it completely did. I was sucked right back in as if it was my first time reading it. And, just like last time, I’m nursing a massive book hangover and will be searching for stories just like it, when really want I want is more books in this series that will last me forever.

The plot of The Simple Wild sounded so interesting to me, Calla (a name I LOVE btw!) has been estranged from her father for most of her life. He is a bush pilot in Alaska, she and her mother and stepfather live in Toronto. She is called by a friend of her father’s who told her that he has cancer, and that she should come see him before he begins treatment.

So, she goes to Alaska where she meets Jonah, a grumpy pilot who is such an asshole at first. But, the more she gets to know him, she realizes he is just grumpy and was feeling angry about Wren’s diagnosis and his refusal for treatment, which Calla learns later. He’s also snippy with her at first because for her judgements on her dad and Alaskan life but he’s doing the same thing to her! He basically judges her for being hot and knowing it and solely based on her Instagram. Mkay, bro.

However, the more time Calla and Jonah spend together, the more I like him and the more I like Calla!! Their banter is so funny. I laughed out loud when she shaves his beard and hair. I also feel like she was completely justified after finding out that he held her luggage hostage. They were so believable as a couple to me and their chemistry came off the page. I would read 10 more books about them and their life together in Alaska. My main gripe about Jonah though was his comments about her not needing “all that shit” on her face. I get his sentiment, that he found her naturally beautiful but his delivery was condescending. No one has the right to tell women what to wear!! I also loved that Calla was high maintenace. We see so often the cool, low maintenance girl and Calla was a breath of fresh air. She does grow and mature, but she is still her. I would put her growth to be much like that of Alexis Rose from Schitts Creek. There’s growth in compassion, groundedness, and ambition but her whole personality didn’t change. I loved the scene where Jonah crashes the plane and she lends her expensive sweater for his head wound, which was a moment of solidifying their growing romantic bond but also showed that while she likes nice things, her priorities are straight. I loved their growth as a couple too, which we see more of in the sequel, Wild at Heart, which I’ll talk about in another post! Much like this book, I have too many thoughts and feelings to try to lump them together.

The reuniting of Calla’s relationship with her dad was beautiful. At first, she held resentment for him disappearing from her life after flaking on coming to her graduation, then never heard from him again. She laters learns that he and her mother, Susan, had residual feelings that re-surfaced after Susan had remarried to Calla’s stepdad, Simon. Wren and Susan would fall back into the same pattern each time they had to communicate about their daughter, Calla. Which really put a strain on Susan’s new marriage with Simon. Susan’s a little sloppy! It was also complicated because Wren was never going to leave Alaska and Susan was extremely unhappy when she lived there. So, they loved each other but that was the only thing they had in common out side of their stubbornness, which led to neither of them willing to make a compromise to make each other happy. With this explanation, I honestly get why Wren let them be and kind of agree with the decision? I know it hurt Calla but it would’ve ultimately damaged the secure life she had with Simon and her parents would’ve never made it work anyway. Which is frustaitng, because I feel like if you want to be with someone, you just do it. But that’s just me! However, I feel like we need justice for Simon. He openly admits that he’s second fiddle to Wren and I just think he deserves better. Also, from a therapist to another, Simon should take a look at why he accepts that for himself as I’m sure he wouldn’t condone any of his clients to accept that for themselves. I also want a prequel to Susan and Simon’s love story!

Agnes is also the best. She is the backbone of Bangor, Alaska forreal. Wren was a funcitoning human being beacuse of her. If it weren’t for Agnes, Calla would’ve never gotten to know her dad at all before he passed. I would love a book that focuses on her and her relationship with her daughter, Mabel. I’d allso like to see Agnes find love with a partner who takes care of HER for once!

This book has vivid characters, laugh out loud moments and so much heart. It also weirdly made me want to go to Alaska? Tucker makes it sound lovely and cozily simple, even though realistically, I’d probably feel the same way as Sloppy Susan about it and immediately want to come home.

Side note: You can get super cute The Simple Wild merch here and here! I got the Alaska Wild sweatshirt and love it. I plan on getting more of the merch eventually.