What are you looking for?

Love In Wildes #1

ALC provided by Must Love Audio

Author: Anna P

Narrators: Sunaina Leon and Zachary Webber

Oleander Bowen has been trying to live her life while juggling her Indian grandmother’s expectations of how she “should” be living her life. Oleander is 36, still single, bisexual and really not interested in the “eligible bachelors” her grandma sends her way. Plus, she’s been hurt in the past and she’s very skittish.

Jackson Hurley had no idea his life would change when he stepped into the bar with his friends. He’s still healing from a broken heart, but he is kind of hit by lightning when he meets sees the bartender, Ollie. He’s never been the guy women thirst over, but he is cute in a nerdy kind of way, so decides he will charm the pants off the sassy bartender who thinks he’s “twelve”. Neither of them were looking for love, but when you find your Ninja Turtles, Star Wars soul mate, you have to give it a try. 

What wonderful debut novel! I loved the setting, the group of friends, Ollies grandma Baby and, most of all, Ollie and Jackson.

Though super cute and fun, this story deals with some heavy subjects as Ollie is a bisexual, brown, curvy woman living in small town America. I loved how the author doesn’t shy from showing systemic and internalized racism and that its is a factor contributing to the third act conflict. It felt real and raw, without taking away from the romance and the nerdy swooniness that makes this a wonderful start of a series. 

The audiobook is narrated in dual style by Sunaina Leon and Zachary Webber. Sunaina is new to me. She has a lovely, soothing voice and her “Baby” is perfection. It took me a couple of chapters to get used to her style of narration, but she won me over. Who better than Zachary Webber to voice a swoony, smitten cinnamon roll of a hero? He’s absolutely brilliant here as always!

Thanks @mustloevaudio and @Audio_in_color for the audiobook!

Representation: FMC is Indian American, bisexual and plus size

Content notes: check the author’s complete list, but expect homophobia, fat shaming, racism, bigotry, gaslighting, physical assault and attempted rape