Without Borders (Wanderlove)

by Amanda Heger

[Lynn]

Without Borders, a Wanderlust novel. The title alone made me sit up and take notice before diving into this refreshingly, captivating YA novel.

Armed with barely adequate Spanish language skills and a model of a vagina for the sex-ed classes she'll teach, Annie London heads off to Nicaragua to gain the necessary experience to pad out her application to Brown University Medical School. She'll accompany a medical brigade as they travel to remote villages in the jungle to treat and educate the locals. She's excited to reunite with her best friend Marisol and her older brother Filipe, who she crushed over as a teen, only now he's a sexy looking doctor and the one leading the expedition!

Dr. Felipe Gutierrez is frustrated. His mother who runs the Ahora medical clinic where he works allows donation voluntary/tourists from American to accompany him and his team on the medical brigades. They're mostly a burden and he's sick of their criticism and whiny attitudes. He doesn't expect anything less on this next trip, yet the girl he's fantasised about since meeting her during his year-long stay in the US will be on this trip. Only now she's all grown up with a killer curves!

The tension, sexual and otherwise is palpable between the protagonists as they deal and cope with restrictions of living rough as they travel through the jungle to set up makeshift clinics in remote villages. Some of their cases are not for the faint-hearted and I loved the gritty, no holds barred storytelling. I empathised through their cultural clashes and cringed at Annie's naivety of some of the situations, yet she's far from a dead weight on the brigade and is more than capable of holding her own. Felipe's compassion and dedication to the brigades are heartfelt. These arduous trips help him maintain a link between himself and his late biological mother's family. Annie may be on the trip for her own personal gains, yet she's able to offer viable ideas on how Felipe can strengthen his ties to the region, making him sit up and take notice, so he realises that not all 'Americana' are alike!

The supporting characters are fun and likeable too, adding hilarity and witty dialogue to the story. As a début novel, I'm impressed with Ms. Heger's writing style and more than eager to read future books by her.

***arc generously received courtesy of Diversion Publishing via NetGalley***