The Blurb:
Two best friends. One huge crush. A year that could change everything…
A warmhearted, hilarious queer rom-com about what happens when a group of friends are actually brave enough to live the dream and give up their dreary city apartments to buy a house in the country together.
El is in a rut. She’s been hiding in the photocopier room at the same dead-end job for longer than she cares to remember, she’s sharing a flat with a girl who leaves passive-aggressive smiley face notes on the fridge about milk consumption and, worst of all, she’s been in unrequited love with her best friend, effortlessly cool lesbian Ray, for years. So when a plan is hatched for El, Ray, and their two other closest friends–newly heartbroken Will and karaoke-and-Twilight-superfan Jamie–to ditch the big city and move out to a ramshackle house on the edge of an English country village, it feels like just the escape she needs.
Despite being the DIY challenge of a lifetime, the newly named Lavender House has all the makings of becoming the queer commune of the friends’ dreams. (Will has been given a pass as the gang’s Token Straight.) But as they start plotting their bright new future and making preparations for a grand housewarming party to thank the surprisingly but wonderfully welcoming community, El is forced to confront her feelings for Ray–the feelings that she’s been desperately trying to keep buried. Is it worth ruining a perfectly good friendship for a chance at love?
My Rating: ★★★
My Review:
A slow burn, friends to lovers novel, and my first LGBT romance, Wild Things had super cute characters, beautiful supportive friendships, communal living, community spirit, karaoke and chickens. What more could you want?
Maybe more steam, less slow burn…
The main character, El, is lost and loveable, someone you want to guide and protect like a little sister. Her best friend and crush is kinda oblivious to the depth of her feelings. A little flirting and some meaningful looks but nothing much happened, romance wise, until right at the end of the book. Then it happened so quickly, I missed the feeling that they had truly connected and didn’t really get to enjoy El and Ray as a couple.
That said, there was plenty of other things to keep me interested in the story:
- I loved El’s journey of personal growth
- I loved that as a friendship group, El and her friends bought a house together
- I love that they chose a rundown property in a quiet little village and decided to renovate
- I loved how the whole village embraced them
- I loved that they adopted chickens and created a garden
- I loved the secondary characters, Sally, Lisa and Rozalie
- I loved the book Rozalie wrote (I would love a copy of THAT book IRL)
With thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for this advanced copy in return for an honest review.
bookish-me.com 