Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog earns a small commission at no extra cost to you from any purchases made through these links. You can read the full disclosure underneath the Privacy Policy.
The Simple Wild
by K.A. TuckerSeries: The Simple Wild #1
Published by Atria Books on August 7, 2018
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eBook
Pages: 390
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Audience: 18+/Adult
Add to Goodreads
Purchase at Amazon
City girl Calla Fletcher attempts to reconnect with her estranged father, and unwittingly finds herself torn between her desire to return to the bustle of Toronto and a budding relationship with a rugged Alaskan pilot in this masterful new romance from acclaimed author K.A. Tucker.
Calla Fletcher was two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when her father reaches out to inform her that his days are numbered, Calla knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.
She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this new subarctic environment, Jonah—the quiet, brooding, and proud Alaskan pilot who keeps her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.
Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. As time passes, she unexpectedly finds herself forming a bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago.
It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.
Have you ever read a book that constantly changes your emotions while you read it? Well, that’s exactly what The Simple Wild did to me. I can’t believe it took me this long to read it, and thanks to the Romanceopoly Challenge, I made time for it and found a new author whose books I now need to read, especially if they are anything like this one. I knew from the synopsis and the prologue that this book was going to take a toll on me. I wasn’t expecting it to rip my heart out, though.
The book is told solely via the FMC’s POV. I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t like Calla at the beginning, and that’s only due to how she reacted to certain things in the book. I had to remember she was young, had grown up in Toronto, and didn’t remember much of her life in the Alaskan small town. She eventually grew on me, and I felt for her character when she visited her father after so many years of not seeing him and found out his illness was actually something worse. She truly grew from chapter one to the last chapter, and I loved reading that growth, especially as she learned from the people in the small town how life there compared to Toronto.
I wish I would have gotten Jonah’s POV, but I’m kind of glad I didn’t. It kept the mystery behind his feelings for Calla. Be prepared for a lot of banter and funny moments between Calla and Jonah. Calla is always calling Jonah a Yeti due to his appearance, and Jonah steals some things from Calla that make her get revenge on him. As they spend more time together, even though they hate one another at first and Calla knows she shouldn’t fall for him, their attraction builds, and they end up together. I loved reading the scenes between these two when they eventually give in to those feelings.
Just a reminder: yes, this book is a romance, but it also has a sad storyline. My heart hurt for Calla toward the end because this book was about her finally confronting her father after so many years and finding out the truth about why he never came to see her. She gets a relationship with him toward the end, and I’m so glad she did. I loved how her stepfather played a role in her going to Alaska.
This whole book kept me engaged with the storyline and the characters, and then that dang ending definitely not only made me cry but, toward the very end, it surprised me. I knew it surprised Calla, and I can’t wait to read the sequel after the ending of this one. Overall, this book gets five stars and will resonate in my heart forever. It truly is one that ripped my heart into pieces when reading it, but eventually it’s put back together.
K.A. Tucker has a new reader, and I can’t wait to read the rest of The Simple Wild series, plus check out her other books as well. I also need to convince my husband we need to visit Alaska because I would love to see it in person one day. My only fear is flying in a small plane, like the one that Calla and Jonah flew.
POV: Single POV
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of The Simple Wild series and I recommend reading in order.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, absolutely!! If you are looking for a book that will put you through the wringer and make you smile, laugh, and cry, then The Simple Wild is a must-read.
What to Expect:
🌲Enemies to Lovers
✈Opposites Attract
🌲Grumpy/Sunshine
✈Slow Burn
🌲City Girl in Small Town
✈Bush Pilot MMC
Favorite Quotes:
“I might take risks, but they’re always worth it.”
“Up here it’s about having enough food to eat, and enough heat to stay alive through the winter. It’s about survival, and enjoying the company of the people that surround us. It’s not about whose house is the biggest, or who has the nicest clothes, or the most money. We support each other because we’re all in this together. And people either like that way of life or they don’t…”
“He’s not like any other guy I’ve dated or crushed on. And while he’s capable of making my blood boil like no one else, I feel a magnetic pull toward him that I can’t explain.”
About K.A. Tucker
K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.
She is the internationally bestselling author of over thirty books, including Ten Tiny Breaths, The Simple Wild, and the Fate & Flame series, Until It Fades, Say You Still Love Me, and Keep Her Safe. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.
Ten Tiny Breaths, The Simple Wild, and A Queen of Thieves & Chaos were Goodreads Choice award nominees.
K.A. Tucker lives outside of Toronto. When she's not writing books, you can find her reading recipes she'll never make or chasing rabbits away from her hostas.
Related Posts
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
- Review: ‘The Simple Wild’ by K.A. Tucker - July 16, 2026
- Book Blitz + Giveaway: ‘Hearth or Heart’ by Emily Lane - July 13, 2026
- Book Blitz + Giveaway: ‘After Dark’ by Rose Titus - July 12, 2026