Bea Reviews Wilde One by Jannine Gallant

Series: Born to be Wilde #1
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: September 27th, 2016
Challenges: NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | ARe*  | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The Wilde brothers have one thing in common—a thirst for adventure. But Griff Wilde is about to be taken on the ride of his life . . .

When Griff Wilde receives a letter from a dead man sending him on a race to find a mysterious treasure, he’s not worried about the competition. After all, salvaging sunken treasure is what he was born to do. But the riddles leading to the clues are a little trickier than he anticipated . . .

Ainslee Fontaine is ready for a change. A cross-country scavenger hunt sounds like a piece of cake after teaching in New York City. How hard could it be? For starters, travelling alone seems to have its hidden dangers, like real-life treasure hunters who ignite her deepest passions. But there’s still a hidden prize to find—unless someone stops them by any means necessary

My Thoughts:

Adventure, puzzles, history, romance, a dog, humor, action - "Wilde One" has something for just about everyone. Griff and Ainslee meet when they both jump at the chance to participate in a scavenger hunt for treasure from World War II. Griff is doing it on a lark; he's in between jobs taking some down time and thinks it could be fun. He doesn't actually care about solving the puzzles or winning the treasure; he's just looking for a good time. Ainslee has quit her job, moved out of her apartment, and is setting off for parts unknown, with no particular plan. She thinks the hunt sounds fun and will be a good excuse to visit historical sites around the US. They bump into each other while solving a clue and decide to team up. There are sparks immediately between them.

The simmer between Griff and Ainslee was hot and I liked that they didn't jump right into bed together but got to know each other first. Heck, they even met each other's families! That glimpse into the Wilde siblings helped whet my appetite for the upcoming Wilde books. Ainslee has some hang ups about relationships as does Griff. Gallant did give us the Big Miscommunication but happily, she didn't milk it for long. Ainslee had a tendency to overreact which got annoying but at least she recognized it and apologized. Griff was amazingly patient and sweet and refreshingly not egotistical; I wanted to pull him out of the book and have him for my very own. He and Ainslee worked well together and brought out the best in each other. He was cynical and well-traveled while she was more positive and idealistic and eager to see the world. Her love for history was infectious.

Gallant spun an entertaining story with memorable characters, a sexy romance, a clever mystery, and even some laugh out loud moments:

Ainslee turned to stare at him. "Are you always this pleasant when you're sleep deprived? If so, no more sex for you."

I enjoyed "Wilde One", it made me smile and sigh, and was sorry when it ended, Luckily, I already have book two on my Kindle. :)

Click here for an excerpt and a giveaway.