The Simple Wild: A Novel (The Simple Wild, #1)

by K.A. Tucker

City girl Calla Fletcher attempts to reconnect with her estranged father, and unwittingly finds herself torn between her desire to return to the bustle of Toronto and a budding relationship with a rugged Alaskan pilot in this masterful new romance from acclaimed author K.A. Tucker.

Calla Fletcher was two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when her father reaches out to inform her that his days are numbered, Calla knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this new subarctic environment, Jonah—the quiet, brooding, and proud Alaskan pilot who keeps her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. As time passes, she unexpectedly finds herself forming a bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago.

It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.

• ISBN10: 1501133438
• ISBN13: 9781501133435
• Publish Date: 24 November 2022 (first published 7 August 2018)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 20 January 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Atria Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Ing Cruz]

So many emotions reading this book. I laughed, I cried and I swooned along with Calla our heroine. This book was so unexpectedly enjoyable. One I'll re-read over and over.

The beautiful story of Calla and her estranged father Wren. Wow what an emotional story. I cried buckets. All the what ifs, regrets and forgiveness between father and daughter was handled beautifully. This story-line really shined and pulled me in. I loved everything about it.

Calla and the yeti Jonah....wow how I loved their banter. These twos banter had me cracking up so much. I loved their push and pull. Everything about their love story had me enthralled. I just absolutely love them so much.

I can't wait to read their second book. More Calla and Jonah. Yay.

[Sam@WLABB]

She 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.

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[Djilan]

Laughter and tears.. That's it for now..
Loved it!

[bookperson]

Good, simple, cute romance novel, set in Alaska, with some deep undertones. Just the kind I needed in this hot summer weather

[liz089]

I really liked this one ! It was a very emotional read (amazing how she keeps doing that with every book I've read from her..) and I really liked the characters. Not just the main ones, but the side characters were also very interesting (like Agnes, Mabel, Simon etc.) She had a very well rounded cast :) Hope we will get more of Alaska...

[kimbacaffeinate]

The story opens with a prologue and shares the story of Calla Fletcher's parents who split when Calla was just two years old. Her Mom moved them back to Toronto, and Wren, her father stayed in Alaska. Calla, is twenty-six and still lives with her Mom and her stepfather.  On the same day she receives a pink slip from the bank, she learns her estranged father has cancer.

City girl meets sky cowboy. Gads, I loved the snarky haters vibe Calla and Jonah, a pilot for her father’s charter plane company have and it begins when he picks her up in Anchorage. While Calla and her gruff Dad get off to an awkward start, Calla and Jonah trade barbs and make assumptions about each other. Tucker does a great job of showing the vast difference between city life in Toronto and the fictional town of Bangor, Alaska. A flat area of Alaska surrounded by mountains.

Admittedly Calla and Jonah weren't the fuzziest of characters, especially Calla in the beginning. In fact, I kind of thought she was a spoiled, entitled brat, but those assumptions changed early in as they interact with each other and those in the community. I laughed aloud at the nicknames these two called each other. Some were barbs thrown at each other and others like Viking Hottie were one's Calla shared with her friend back home. I loved how this was a slow-burning romance that moved from haters to lovers as the two spent time together. It felt authentic, and yet you knew Calla was eventually going home.

Neighbors, the crew at the Wild Charter Company and some critters added to the tale. We gained a sense of community as we got to know Wren's makeshift family.

The Alaskan landscape was a character all on its own. Beautiful and deadly. Tucker delicately balanced the beauty of Alaska, against the harsh realities of this lush, sometimes brutal landscape

Tucker took me through an array of emotions and hooked me.   I lost track of time and devoured their story. I laughed, swooned and lordy did I cry before she wrapped it up leaving me in a good, hopeful place. The Simple Wild was a fantastic, memorable romance that is sure to make my list of top ten novels for 2018. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Linda]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
*I received a free copy of [title] from [publisher] via . This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *The Simple Wild is a strong story, with characters who desperately need to make amends, and to move forward instead of looking backwards.

Story:

The Simple Wild starts with a day Calla thinks is the worst day of her life - losing her job, going back home to her mom and step-dad. Then, going out, seeing her boyfriend all cozy with another woman. Only, this wasn't the worst day - that was yet to come.

Because Calla's mom didn't enjoy living in the Alaskan wilderness, Calla grew up without a father. And as The Simple Wild unfolded, it was clear that the feeling of being abandoned and not important was very strong for Calla. Her father even stopped calling her after cancelling a trip at the very last minute. However, Calla still had a happy childhood, with her mom and her step-dad. And I found Simon's dry humor to be so spot-on. I think he was my favorite character!

As I said, The Simple Wild is all about Calla and her relationships, and one evening, just after losing her job, she got a phone call. From one of her father's neighbors. Letting her know her father was dying of cancer. And suddenly, not having a job was a good thing - she could go to Alaska and try to figure things out. Get to know him. See why he stayed there while he let his young daughter and wife move across the continent from him.

The whole journey Calla had to take in The Simple Wild is not really unusual. However, Tucker managed to bring something more to everything in this story. More feelings, more beauty, more understanding, more tears...

Characters:

Calla started out as more than a little spoiled, but still a strong character, with a good head on her shoulders, and as she opened her heart a little bit, she learned more about herself, but also the people close to her.

Jonah really didn't like Calla. Or at least, the idea of Calla - and he had no qualms about letting her know that.

Wren was Calla's father, and he lived for his planes, Alaska, and the wilderness.

Susan was Calla's mother, and she definitely still had some unresolved feelings where Wren was concerned.

Simon, Calla's stepfather, was a psychiatrist, and I loved him! His dry wit. The way he'd answer a question with another, more pointed question, the obvious love he had for both Calla and Susan...

Writing style :

The Simple Wild is written in first person point of view, present tense. The prologue is from Susan's perspective, and the rest of the story from Calla's. Beautifully written, the inner thoughts Calla shared with the readers, as well as the dialogues and phone conversation brought all the characters to life.

Feels :

I think the strongest feeling I had was a lingering sadness - for Calla who only got to know her father when it was almost too late. And for the fact that she felt so out of place in Alaska - and even when she did show up, Wren didn't pay all that much attention to her in the beginning. Which also made me a little mad at him. There were also some very nice, warm feelings where Jonah was concerned, because even if he started out like a tough guy, he showed his more considerate side very quickly.