Thank you very much to the publishers and Netgalley for sending me the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
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?
Wild Things is the perfect read for you if you are looking for something light-hearted and fairly laid-back. I was excited to give this one a read after seeing a lot about Laura Kay’s books but having never picked one up myself. I throughly enjoyed this easy-going read!
El is stuck in a dead-end job, in unrequited love with her best friend and in desperate need of a major life change. One New Year’s resolution to ‘Be More Wild’ later and El is committed to doing one wild thing each month. It hasn’t amounted to much just yet but she is hoping it can only get better.
So, when the plan is hatched for El, Ray and their two closest friends to ditch the city and move to a house in the middle of the countryside, El can hardly say no. But, living so close to the love of your life without them knowing isn’t as easy as El thinks.
I loved all the characters in this book and the way they all supported each other. They are honest to each other no matter what and that was a joyful to read. El is an excellent main character who was humorous, caring and trying her best to be carefree. Her ‘Be More Wild’ list is hilarious and the way she captures all the memories in her journal was emotional and heart-warming.
Laura Kay writes her characters in such a way that they felt so real to me. The way in which she writes about friendship, the LGBTQ+ community and the community they build in the village was so wholesome and wonderful. The narrator of the audiobook, Abigail Hardiman brings El to life in such a unique way and helped make the story feel even more real for me.
El and Ray’s relationship is slow-burn and quite low-key. For me, I enjoyed this as the emphasis was much more on El’s growth as person rather than the relationship. I loved the topics this book brings up and it certainly brought a smile to my face.
Overall, Wild Things is the perfect book for you if you want something light-hearted and joyful. You may even end up wanting to move in with El and her friends too.
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