Walk on the Wilder Side

Rachel and Brody’s best friend’s little sister story in Walk on the Wilder Side by Serena Bell, book two in her Wilder Adventures series, is a wonderful, heartwarming romance. Brody is considered the bad boy, but there’s definitely more than meets the eye; beneath all his leather, tattoos and muscles is the kindest heart and who wants to be involved and loved. Rachel is Brody’s best friend's younger sister and a very relatable character. Rachel finds herself in the day from hell, with the full trifecta; she gets let go from her librarian job, discovers her boyfriend cheating on her at home in their bed, and then homeless. Rachel is a planner who finds it hard for so much of her life plan to implode in one day. Devastated, she returns to her hometown of Rush Creek and help her mother who has recently injured her ankle. Rachel wants to separate her old identity from how she sees herself now, open to new experiences; maybe live on the “Wilder” side, especially with Brody. After a shaky reunion, Rachel and Brody embark on a joint venture that teaches Brody about planning while Rachel learns to let go and go with the flow. The dates Brody takes with Rachel on are refreshing, romantic, and definitely force her out of her comfort zone. The sparks fly between these two along with sizzling heat and intimacy. The real world decides to rear up, Brody helping out with his ‘son’, Justin and the job offer, back in Boston for Rachel. In the end, both Brody and Rachel need to find the right balance for their relationship. This story also deals with intimacy, especially problems women encounter and have to deal with during it. The community of women and the honest discussions about the role intimacy plays in relationships was very refreshing. I admire Serena Bell for not only educating but recognizing the larger picture surrounding intimacy. Ms. Bell wrote a wonderful, emotional, and heartwarming story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, strong magnetism, family dynamics, clever banter, the magic of love, and endearing characters giving Rachel and Brody a chance at love, happiness, and a future neither expected. I highly recommend Walk on the Wilder Side to other readers and look forward to getting Wilder in the next book in the series. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Beautifully imperfect opposites-attract romance! Rachel's perfect life in Boston falls apart when she gets fired and catches her boyfriend with another woman. A trip back home to help her injured mother is just supposed to be a vacation, but working with her life-long crush, Brody Wilder, further messes up her perfect plans. Brody is the quintessential bad boy and I loved how the author showed such depth in his tender heart underneath all the tattoos and devil-may-care attitude. Rachel is a sweet and relatable character, a woman who knows what she wants even when she's not sure how to nail it all down. I loved the party on the boat idea, and the way Rachel takes her mom's party sales concept and turns it into a meaningful career. The author is absolutely spot-on with her description of Rachel's first motorcycle ride - be still my heart! It was everything I remembered about my first ride oh so many decades ago. Brody and Rachel are drawn together in all the right ways, even if for all the wrong reasons. Their romance was full of sensuous attraction along with such an emotional openness that made it easy to see how they fell in love. Their HEA was everything I'd hoped for, even if I had to get the bonus scene from the author for the very best part. I loved seeing the whole Wilder family again, and am looking forward to reading this continuing series. Do yourself a favor and take a Walk on the Wilder Side with both of the Wilder Adventures romances. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Four Stars and a half ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ Walk on the Wilder Side by Serena Bell is the second book in Serena Bell’s popular Wilder Adventures series. This book can be read as a stand-alone book too. I enjoyed this steamy, funny, and heartwarming story about a bad boy and a good-girl librarian. Rachel Perez has a plan for her life, and she’s almost checked off every step in her plan. All she needs now is her boyfriend to propose, and then they can have 2.5 children (she can’t decide between 2 or 3 children) and live happily ever after in the suburbs. When she arrives at her job as a librarian in Boston, she is told that her job has been downsized and she is no longer needed. When she arrives home after this devastating news, she finds her boyfriend, in bed with another woman. Devastated, she decides to return to her hometown of Rush Creek and help her mother who has recently injured her ankle. Brody Wilder is the screw-up of his family, and he’s working to remedy that by working hard in his family’s outdoor adventure firm. But, when he hosts a book club on the family boat, everything goes wrong. The poor reviews for the book boat tour anger his family and making Brody feel like the family screw-up again. Rachel helps her mother with her business of hosting hostess parties, selling self-enhancement products, and decides to host a party on Brody’s boat. Rachel has had a crush on Brody since they were kids. Brody was her brother’s best friend, and she knew he would never want to date a quiet good girl like her. This sexy, steam romance is also heartwarming and fun. The family dynamics of both Rachel’s family and Brodie’s family are so much fun. Both Brody and Rachel are wary of relationships due to their past relationships failing so miserably. Brody doesn’t feel like he’s good enough for the good girl, and Rachel doesn’t think she’s bad enough to catch Brodie’s eye. This book is fast-paced and well-written. The story grabbed me instantly and I enjoyed the journey as these two broken young people found their way to each other. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.