From the internationally best-selling author of The Simple Wild comes the continuation of a woman’s journey to Alaska and a life she never imagined for herself.Calla Fletcher returns to Toronto a different person, struggling to find direction and still very much in love with the rugged bush pilot she left behind. When Jonah arrives on her doorstep with a proposition she can’t dismiss, she takes … dismiss, she takes the leap and rushes back to Alaska to begin their exciting future together.
But Calla soon learns that even the best intentions can lead to broken promises, and that compromise comes with a hefty price–a log cabin in rural Alaska that feels as isolating as the western tundra.
With Jonah gone more than he’s home, one neighbor who insists on transforming her into a true Alaskan, and another who seems more likely to shoot her than come to her aid, Calla grapples with forging her own path. In a world with roaming wildlife that has her constantly watching over her shoulder and harsh conditions that stretch far beyond the cold, dark, winter months, just stepping outside her front door can be daunting.
This is not the future Calla had in mind, leaving her to fear that perhaps she is doomed to follow in her mother’s fleeing footsteps after all.
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I loved this story. I adore these charismatic people who call this magnificent setting home. This couple screams passion, heartache, growth, and love. Experiencing them deftly yet also awkwardly maneuver this new life was fantastic. A great chunk of the story borders on the women’s fiction side of storytelling rather than romance, in my opinion. But it works so well here as we see the trials and triumphs of a woman coming into who she is and wants to be all the while carrying the weight and burden of the past. K.A. Tucker’s writing allows you to feel immersed in her words and the vastness of Alaska right along with Calla and I loved every page – but please give me an epilogue!!!
I absolutely loved EVERYTHING about Wild at Heart. From watching Calla and Jonah navigate this new adventure to meeting new, great side characters, to all the emotions I felt while reading. I can honestly read 3 more books about Calla and Jonah, heck give me Mabel’s story. I would even read a book about Roy and Muriel. Sometimes reading sequels to an already great first story can be a little, daunting… no a little stressful… mmmm… idk but I really loved The Simple Wild, and as excited as I was to have a sequel, there’s always that little fear that it won’t live up to the first book, but I can honestly say that K.A. Tucker delivered one heck of a story. We even got to see more of Bandit!!! 😀
Wild at Heart was my first 5 star read this year and it totally deserved all those stars!
Calla never imagined how much her life would change once she moved to Alaska. After leaving Jonah behind once her father passed away, Calla quickly realized that her bush pilot meant more to her than she realized. Determined to put down roots in the Alaskan wilderness, Calla discovers there is more to living on the outskirts than meets the eye.
Finding the perfect home would take time for anyone, but Jonah has located the perfect fixer upper in the wilderness. Calla quickly understands that Jonah is dying to return to the skies. With the task of remodeling the cabin that the couple calls home, Calla finds that living in the wilderness is more isolating than she ever imagined. Life without Jonah just isn’t an option, but where does Calla turn when trying to discover her place in the wilderness?
As a sequel to The Simple Wild, KA Tucker delves into the journey of Calla’s journey into the next chapter of her life. Wild at Heart will leave readers anticipating the nuances of life in the Alaskan wilderness. Calla and Jonah’s journey will leave you smiling, shedding a few tears, and rooting for a fictional couple that manages to pull at your heartstrings. Following Calla through the wilderness exceeded my expectations. A great addition to the series!
I remember closing the cover of A Simple Wild and wishing there was more of Calla and Jonah. This is that more, my wish came true. Calla is the city girl trying to find her way in the wilderness of Alaska while navigating a newer romance. Though Jonah and Calla have been a great match from the start they have their differences and working out the differences in Alaska is a bit more difficult add in Jonah’s need to be flying the skies as often as possible and life can be quickly turned into things you never expected.
I have forever been obsessed with Alaska so reading about life there is fascinating to me. I can see myself in Calla and her wants for exploration but feeling so separate from the world, trying to make something of yourself and build a life with someone you love. This book is one I will go back to again and again.
Wild at Heart is the continuation of Calla & Jonah’s story from The Simple Wild. You must read them in order.
This is one of the hardest reviews I’ve had to write, and I’ve spent the last few days trying to find the right words. The Simple Wild was one of the best books I’ve read, so needless to say Wild at Heart was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. I was a little nervous going in, which admittedly I am anytime a sequel is written to a book I love. And, unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to the hype I built in my head.
Now don’t get me wrong. The writing, as expected, is incredible. KA Tucker pulled me in with her words and I couldn’t help but devour every single one. But while I loved Calla & Jonah & wanted more of their story I don’t think this book really did them justice. In my opinion, after reading this book, their storyline should have ended where it did in The Simple Wild. While some may not agree with how it ended I think, especially now, that it was the perfect ending for them.
I enjoyed this book, truly I did. I just didn’t enjoy it as the continuation of Call & Jonah, if that makes any sense. I think if the first book didn’t exist this would be a great standalone. But because I did have their backstory it was very hard for me to love it. These are still two of my favorite characters and one of my favorite love stories, and even though it wasn’t for me I am still grateful to have gotten more from them.
Get ready to fall in love with Calla, Jonah, Alaska and all its inhabitants again in this breathtaking and beautiful sequel to the Simple Wild. This story can not be read as a standalone
This story picks up just after book 1 ends with Calla deciding to follow Jonah back to Alaska to try and make a life together as being apart from him is much harder than she could’ve ever imagine. Moving to an unfamiliar town to embark on a new journey is proving tougher than Calla originally thought. With Jonah constantly gone she needs to find a way to truly make Alaska her home without feeling alone and isolated and not letting her fears that the may end up just like her parents take hold
This to me was more than just a romance it was a journey of self discovery, finding a place to make home, somewhere you fit in, getting out of your comfort zone as well as finding your tribe and people to call family. To me this was the perfect Sequel to the Simple Wild and I loved the simplicity of it as well as diving in deeper and truly falling in love with Alaska and Calla and Jonah all over again
I dont think I could ever get sick of Jonah and Calla’s story or Alaska and this book truly deserves 5 Swoon Worthy Sky Cowboy Stars
Ahhhh!! I looooooooooooooovvvvvvveeed this book! This is everything I wanted in a sequel about Calla and Jonah. They have both decided to uproot their lives and make a real go at their relationship (in Alaska). At first, they are so happy to be together after a few months apart, but as time moves on, there are some bumps in the road. Can Calla deal with the risks and fear of living in Alaska while trying to find her own way and happiness? Can she cope with the dangers Jonah seeks in a new adventure? Does work come first for Jonah and does he think Calla will regret moving to Alaska (and ultimately him)? Can they both learn to meet halfway? These are just a few of the scenarios and challenges they face alone and together in Alaska. They have so many obstacles that felt so natural for a couple in this situation. The way they both reacted and dealt with their struggles felt completely true to the characters that we loved in the first book. However, there is a lot of growth for both of them that felt so completely genuine.
I love this book in a different way than The Simple Wild, but it had as much of an impact on me (if not more) as the original. I loved seeing Calla an Jonah (and their new friends) in a new place while they chase their dreams and happy ever after (hopefully!). It felt like a book about relationships and how even though you can love someone, there will be difficulties along the way. I loved the format of the book by giving us a month by month glance of their lives. The banter between the characters had me laughing out loud at times and the really heartfelt moments are still sticking with me 12 hours after reading this book. In fact, I woke up at 2 am still thinking about several passages from this book that hit me in the feels (thanks, K.A. Tucker). You will not be disappointed in this sequel, like, at all. You will not be able to put this book down and will be feel like you back in Alaska with Calla, Jonah, and all their friends and family!
To say that Wild at Heart was an anticipated read for me would be a huge understatement. When KA announced that she’d be writing a sequel to The Simple Wild I couldn’t believe it. My excitement was through the roof—I was ecstatic. I mean, I could never have enough of Jonah aka Yeti and Calla.
Wild at Heart picks up a few months after the events of The Simple Wild. Calla and Jonah are getting ready to start their lives together in Alaska. Both are sacrificing parts of themselves for each other. Calla is leaving behind everything she’s known to move and be with Jonah, but she can’t wait to start this new chapter with him.
I loved how this book was filled with growth, both personal and relationship growth. I liked the friendships in this book, both old and new. I loved the feel of family and togetherness—the wholesomeness brought the story to an exceptional level.
I was once again swept away and taken on an Alaskan adventure. I can clearly picture the Alaskan wild in my mind. Tucker’s descriptions of Alaska were beautiful, idyllic, and just picturesque. It felt as though I was transported and walking right alongside Calla as she was navigating her own path and learning while journeying and experiencing growth.
Wild at Heart is a beautiful sequel. This novel was a feel good book from start to finish. I was left wanting even more of Calla, Jonah and their Alaska adventure. I was sad to see this book end—I could read 50 more books about Calla and Jonah and never get enough. I need more!
When I first heard about K.A. Tucker returning to the world of Jonah and Calla I was nervous because The Simple Wild was such an amazing book that I felt had a great ending of its own. K.A. Tucker took those nervous feelings and blasted them out of the park. Wild at Heart picks up right where The Simple Wild left us in Canada. It continues the most wonderful and not always perfect relationship between Jonah and Calla and all of their struggles to make their love story work for them. Calla never pictured returning to Alaska to live. She was always concerned that the relationship her mother had with Alaska would also be in her future. She was determined to make it work because of her love for Jonah. While this story continues their epic, I mean EPIC, love story it also gives us a glimpse into Calla’s struggle to go from a city girl to a woman living in the Alaska Wild. Seeing her growth not only from the first book but from the start of this sequel was refreshing. It humanized these characters and brought them to life from the pages. The relationship and bond she has with Roy shows all she had learned from losing her father. I would love to see a third book in this series that shows us Jonah and Calla in the future with children and how their lives are in Alaska after a few years. I will never get enough of this couple.
K.A. Tucker is one of those authors that can make you laugh, make you cry and still want to reread one of her books the very next day. I truly hope that she returns to Alaska to write about some of the other characters we have met along the way. I would love to see a story about Maria, Toby, and of course Mabel.
5 stars!
The Simple Wild was one of my favourite reads of 2018. From the moment I picked it up I was consumed by the story – the writing, the setting, the characters, the emotion, the wonder, the fantastic dynamics, and the romance. Calla’s journey stole my heart, and while I didn’t think her story needed a continuation, I was so happy that she got one, and I loved every moment of revisiting these characters as they move on to the next stage of their lives.
“I sensed the tectonic shift somewhere deep inside – my time in Alaska had changed me in ways I couldn’t pinpoint but also couldn’t ignore. Who I was and who I am now seem like two different people.”
We met Calla in the first book when she travelled to Alaska to visit her sick father. Over one amazing summer she fell in love with her Dad, with small-town Alaska, and with the various people that she met along the wa – in particular, gruff bush pilot, Jonah. Calla and Jonah’s love story is a strong focus of the first book, and this one continues their romance now that Calla has agreed to move to Alaska permanently and build a life with the man she loves.
“I can’t remember what it feels like not being in love with you, Calla.”
It’s a scary prospect, and there are a lot of compromises needed for them to figure out where they want to be and how they want to live, but they forge forward, make plans for their life together. And then we get to watch them set it all into motion – buying a home, making it theirs, and settling into semi-rural village life with a new and fabulous new crew – including a grumpy old neighbour who greets them with a rifle, a bossy motherly type who is determined to mould Calla into an Alaskan farmer, a dog who may actually be a wolf, and a fainting goat.
But Calla’s new life with her man isn’t all that she expected. For starters, Jonah’s work takes him away a lot and she finds herself alone and missing him. And what exactly is she supposed to do in Alaska anyway? The challenges she faces are more than just the isolated ruggedness of Alaska or the dangerous wildlife lurking outside of her door, and she and Jonah have a lot of hard work ahead of them to make it work.
It’s a beautiful story, that feels real and relatable, and as much as I enjoyed reading about the wild ruggedness of Alaska, it’s a true character story as we watch Calla and Jonah figure out what they want their lives to be – both individually and as a couple – and then figure out how to make that happen. They definitely have their ups and downs but there is no angst and the drama is minimal. They are in love, they are happy and they are committed, and I loved watching them work through their challenges and finding that happy place together.
“I need you in my life like I need to fly. Like I need this Alaskan air. More than I need this air.”
I absolutely loved this book, it’s a wonderful continuation of Calla and Jonah’s journey and, even though this book ends beautifully, I’d still be happy to read more about this couple and their story.. or any of the other characters we’ve met before.
5 stars!
It was so good to be back with Calla and Jonah. Wild at Heart is a continuation of Simple Wild and picks up right where it ended. Calla has to get used to a new life and this time it’s permanent and in Alaska with Jonah. This is the story of their new life together and taking their relationship to the next level. It’s not as easy as it seems when Calla doesn’t have her social network around her except Jonah. Also when his passion is flying it doesn’t leave much time to them being a couple. Something especially Calla has to learn. What is always obvious and present is their love for each other. I enjoyed seeing how these two navigated through the those struggles.
Calla meets people who slowly become her friends and I liked those friendships. Especially the one with Roy. Agnes, Mabel, Calla’s parents and her friend Diana are present too in Wild at Heart and I appreciated that cause they’re so important to Calla and Jonah too.
Wild at Heart is a wonderful sequel which captures Alaska beautifully. It was a joy to see this couple grow especially Calla. I swooned and laughed. There’s a reason why I got so infatuated with this couple. K.A. Tucker has created a fabulous sequel and I couldn’t be happier.
4 The Yeti Stars
If you saw my review for The Simple Wild back in August 2018, you know how much I loved it. I fell hard for both Calla and Jonah during that book, but I was also happy with how it all wrapped up. Sure, I can always use more of my favorite couples, but I didn’t pine away for another book. Until that is, Kathleen announced she was writing a sequel. I guess I didn’t realize just how much I missed them. I immediately started waiting impatiently with all the grabby hands, so I’m thrilled she released it early. I’m not kidding when I say I dropped everything to start reading it. I’m so glad I did.
One of my favorite things about The Simple Wild was Calla’s personal growth. She wasn’t super likable early on in that book, but before it was all said and done I loved her. Wild at Heart brings a continuation of that growth. I have to admire someone who packs up their life to move to the middle of nowhere in Alaska because it’s what is best for their significant other. But I’d say the sacrifice is worth it. What Calla and Jonah have is special and, well, sometimes you have to work hard to keep a relationship like that. It was never going to be easy, but it was worth the effort.
Wild at Heart is a quiet romance with a couple that’s very much in love. There aren’t a lot of big, loud moments to prove that love. It’s really a look at a relationship from day to day (or month to month) and the ups and downs that come with it. It is real. It’s not all rosy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the love is there. That’s never a question. It’s just that Calla struggles to find her place and build a life not solely based around Jonah. If she’s going to be happy in Alaska and feel like she fits in there, she needed more than just Jonah. It was admirable.
My love for Jonah was also reinforced while reading Wild at Heart. I mean, how can I NOT love a grumpy Alaskan pilot who is sweet as can be underneath? *heart eyes* But mostly I realized how much I love this couple and just how perfect they are for each other, despite all their differences. Or maybe because of them, I suppose. Not only do they balance each other out well, but they have amazing chemistry. The feels I got from this book are a little different than those in The Simple Wild, which were mostly based on Calla and Wren, but they were still strong. Wild at Heart was everything I didn’t even know I needed. It was absolute perfection.
Favorite Quotes:
“You were made for me. I am madly in love with you, Calla Fletcher.”
It’s strange how your relationship can feel impenetrable one day and vulnerable the next—with a misunderstanding, a few words, and a mountain of repressed worries that finally swell to the surface.
He’ll always be wild at heart, and there is no way to tame or change him. Not that I would ever want to.
Calla and Jonah.
Barbie and her Yeti.
To say I am overwhelmed with pure joy having had the chance to visit with this beloved couple once more is beyond an understatement. K.A. Tucker guided me back to Alaska with her magical words and I experienced not only the elation of Calla and Jonah being together again but the realness that was their ongoing struggles in being a couple in every sense of the word.
There is this sweet kind of authenticity as Tucker’s prose allowed me to be right there in this cold and barren part of our world that was both addictive and daunting. I felt every single one of Calla’s hesitations as her city girl persona is put to the test daily. But I truly did appreciate her efforts even when they seemed less than enthusiastic. The woman may have bitten off more than she could chew but her tenacity and her frankness became her allies when the fleeting thoughts of giving up her man and their new life threatened to break her.
The love between Calla and Jonah could not have been more beautiful. This romance is the real deal and every single stolen glance or mere touch of a hand and these two were falling even deeper. I couldn’t get enough of the way Tucker describes Jonah’s reactions, in particular, to the thought that perhaps he wouldn’t be able to hold onto Calla forever. That she’d leave because it all just got to be too much for her. I was a goner more than once as the sincere emotions that were transparent from a few moments of despair played out in each of their replies. I could just imagine the heartache at seeing Calla’s bouts of sadness and not knowing how to fix it. I will say, however, that the happiness outweighs all the uphill climbs these two have to experience and the true moments of elation for both of them were worth all the heartache.
Exceptional secondary characters in the cantankerous Roy, the good-hearted yet meddlesome Muriel, the very wise Agnes, the affable Toby and two four-legged ‘friends’ in Gus and Oscar add just the right amount of support and challenge as Calla finds her rhythm both with and without Jonah by her side. It’s that sense of family, that unconventional group of people who can make or break this new life of hers together with Jonah, it’s quite simply a perfect kind of wild.
At first glance, it was clearly Jonah who was not only the true sense of a simple wild but the man who was definitely wild at heart. But with this book, Tucker showed Calla she had the moxie, the undeniable spirit within her to be able to create her own way to be just as free.
Although not a must, you will want to read A Simple Wild first to see how Calla came to be in the magnificence that is Alaska and watch just how the beauty and her yeti start the path to their ultimate happy.
5+++ stars!
*I received a free copy of Wild at Heart. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review which is honest and unbiased.*
Wild at Heart is even better than the first book! I loved how much Calla grew in this story, how she truly found herself. Of course, Jonah is also one of my favorite characters, and he, too became even more to me in this novel.
There were many new characters in Wild at Heart, and they all brought their unique personality to the story and the plot. And in a way, they all helped Calla find her way, too.
Very well written, and with scenery that took my breath away from just reading, this novel will stay with me for a long time.
This is like a readers dream come true! A sequel that I thought that would never see the light of day! Picking up where A Simple Wild left off, we follow the ups and downs of Calla and Jonah’s relationship in Alaska. Calla starts to wonder what to do after being a few months in Alaska to make her life worth something instead of starting to feel trapped like how her mother had. She also gets into an unlikely friendship with “a grumpy old man” named Roy in which his backstory is so sad. Though towards the end was definitely bittersweet because I wasn’t ready for this story to end, but was grateful I got a follow up with one of my favorite couple in this book. I can’t help but wanting more!
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Wild at Heart picks up right where The Simple Wild left of. Jonah and Calla are ready for their new adventure, with Calla agreeing to move to Alaska so her and Jonah can be together again. Reading about these two again was like revisiting a favorite couple. I simply could not get enough. I loved their journey together and the little things that make up a couple – whether that was making small trivial decisions or the hopes and dreams that couples have together that you don’t really see in romance books.
At the heart of Wild at Heart is the love story between Jonah and Calla. I loved the fun and witty banter between the two. Jonah’s bluntness is still very much there – which resulted in quite a few funny scenes. But there was also a new vulnerability and tenderness between Calla and Jonah, now that they were starting their new life together. Everything that they do revolves around their love for one another. It’s the hurdles that they don’t expect that are the hardest.
As with The Simple Wild, I feel like KA Tucker does such a great job with weaving in the secondary characters of a book. In this case we get to meet a few members of the community where Calla and Jonah now live. There were funny moments, heartfelt moments and moments that had me fighting back tears. By the end of the book I came to love Muriel, Roy and Toby just as much as I love Agnes and Mabel.
Just as in The Simple Wild, KA Tucker is able to bring her story full circle. With each character playing a valuable role in Calla’s journey in Alaska. I was honestly so sad when the book ended, because I could read another 10 books about Calla and Jonah’s adventures in Alaska. Thank you KA Tucker for writing such a wonderful followup to The Simple Wild!!
Wild at Heart is book #2 in the Wild series. I would definitely advise reading book #1 The Simple Wild in the series before picking up this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.