Member Reviews
For most of the book, I struggled with whether to rate it 4 or 5 stars. I thought their relationship was cute, although I didn't connect with either character. The reason why I ultimately chose three stars is due to how our main characters act at the end towards a certain character. Any character development was lost or replaced with something even worse. Jealousy, insecurities, and choosing to be cruel to people.
For a book about surviving the Yukon wilderness with little preparation, survival was low-stakes, with them usually finding food, always being able to make fire, and only running into one dangerous animal while one character is injured. The survival in the book is good for people who don't want a gory and difficult story where the characters lifes are always on the line. Sometimes it was hard to tell who's talking as it was in third person and first person, but I still enjoyed the format. I wish the book went more into what it is like to be a First Nations person. We saw multiple instances of Mike feeling insecure about her race and even believing characters were being racist towards her. Other than how she knew people and the skills she had, it was lacking stuff to do with First Nations people and their history. It felt like the author wanted to have a First Nations character but didn't want to go beyond the surface. I wish we could have gone into why Mike is so insecure.
I haven’t been having the best of luck lately with new (to me) authors and this book is another case in point. I just couldn’t get into the author’s writing style and had to give up after a few chapters.
What happens when a gallery owner used to a first class life finds herself stranded in the Alaskan wilderness? If she’s lucky, she is travelling with an outdoorswoman who can help them survive.
Kadyan has created a beautiful, bleak, terrifying, enlivening, landscape where her two characters become lost. But they’re not really lost because Mike has lived here her whole life and learned skills at the knee of her grandfather. Alison wants to check out an indigenous artist and decides to visit him in his own territory. The plans go horribly wrong.
The author obviously knows her stuff and takes us through genuinely scary episodes where I was worried about one or other of our leads, even though I know as a "romance" that we will head to a happy ending. The change in both characters is credible and Alison especially changes from the whiny entitled designer type to a capable assistant knowing that only by trusting Mike can she survive.
The plot is beautifully paced and twists nicely to wring out your nerves. I’ll be looking out for more books by this author.
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley
Lost in the WIld is an engaging adventure/romance with not a whole lot of adventure or romance. Kadyan kept everything surface level never going to deep with character emotions. Fans of wilderness adventure will like the story. It's a nice palate cleanser if you've been reading intense stories and need a surface-y break. The book is translated from French so the writing, and especially the dialogue, is somewhat irregular.
This is an interesting read if you like being lost in the Yukon wilderness and staying focused to find your way out. All the while dealing with the unknown, the unexpected and a person you are unsure about. Mike and Allison are two very different people. In order to stay alive and find help, they will need to lean on each other. Mike the experienced outdoor person and Allison the gallery owner. What I enjoyed the most is their interaction and role reversal as needed. It was not easy because both women pride themselves on their independence. Entertaining and enjoyable while stretching your thinking in some of the scenes.
Mike and Allison meet on a small plane bound for Dawson City in the Canadian Yukon. Mike is returning home while Allison is on business from Vancouver, BC. Survival binds them together after their plane crash lands in the Yukon wilderness.
Mike is the more experienced person in the wilderness than city raised Allison. Unfortunately, Mike is injured and she had to rely on Allison to set up camp and other necessities. When told what to do, Allison was capable to complete the tasks and infer ahead to what may also be required.
I am a huge Kadyan fan and the adventure is a page turner and the story is well written.
I received an advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was a very well written depiction of what one might go through following a plane crash in the middle of nowhere. The survival storyline was well researched and very believable, and I really related to the characters and rooted for them to find a way back to civilisation. However, the romance element didn’t really work for me - the characters’ desperate quest for survival was so difficult that I struggled to see how anyone could find the headspace to feel attraction during those circumstances. Still, it was a gripping read that will stay with me for a while.
Into the Wild is a great action adventure book. A plane crash in the Yukon and having to make it back to civilization with just the basics.
I liked Allison. She didn't have any skills to get her through this ordeal but she listened and learned from Mike and this impressed me. I felt that she had grown as a person during her time in the Yukon.
Mike, I felt had less growth and was more closed-minded. The fact that she was a guide and grew up in the area was a huge benefit to them. It was also the reason that they made it.
I wished that the end of the book had been more detailed than the beginning. It would have been nice to see how Allison and Mike adapted back to regular life. I would have also liked there to be some more about the artist that Allison had been going to see.
Overall I liked the book and would recommend it.
I received an arc through NetGallery
4.5 ⭐️
Allison, a gallery owner and city girl from Vancouver, is on her way to meet a First Nation artist in Dawson City when the small airplane crashes in the Yukon wilderness. As the only two survivors, she has to team up with the wilderness guide Mike. This is the best that could happen to Allison, as she has no idea how to survive in such an inhospitable region.
The loss of her two friends, Vini and the pilot Teddy, is hard for Mike to digest, and she knows that it is in her hands and responsibility whether she and the woman from the big city have a chance to survive or not.
The adverse weather and their mutual prejudices don't exactly make it easy for them to survive and work together. Gradually they admit to each other that their prejudices are completely wrong and untrue, and realize what they are both capable of in an extremely difficult situation, and their mutual acceptance, even admiration, grows from day to day.
The description of the landscape and the daily struggle for survival is captivating. But I was particularly enthralled by the personal development of the two women. Allison in particular had to overcome many difficult situations and I was able to empathize with her more than once. It was great to see how she rose above herself. Mike also underwent development and learned to rely on more than just herself and to accept help. Both are interesting personalities who don't seem to fit together at first glance, but in this extreme situation they begin to complement each other perfectly. At the same time, the feelings evolve from dislike to admiration, friendship and love, and although it was only over a short period of time, it feels more like a slow-burn romance.
The story is fluidly told and very exciting and entertaining. In my opinion, there are a few minor inconsistencies, but they don't get in the way.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for receiving an ARC for an honest review
5 star
Great story of endurance, danger, trust and love. It starts out with a bundle of excitement and never stops. I had a difficult time putting it down. I thought, just one more chapter. And then something would happen and I had to continue reading.
The 2 women are very interesting and likeable. The trials they experience while attempting to save themselves is described wonderfully. You feel every fear, relief, hunger, cold and attraction. I kept looking over their shoulders for danger. Very exciting.
And then there is the growing attraction and warm, funny dialog.
And the ending was logical.
Great story!
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lost In the Wild is a well written slow burn romance. Overall, a very interesting read. I loved the plot and character development. I was a joy to go on this adventure with them. As the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. Well done, Kaydyan.
I enjoyed Lost in the Wild. The story was interesting and exciting and moved at a decent pace. The romance was a very slow burn which I actually enjoyed. The writing however felt a bit clunky and it took me a while to get into it. It could have benefitted from some more editing though.
What would you do if you were in a small plane in Canada when it crashes? This book finds our two main characters meeting for the first time and then working together to try to survive.
Michelle “Mike” is a tour guide in the Yukon. She is catching a ride on a small plane to Dawson, Canada. Allison, an art gallery owner from Vancouver, has also booked passage on this single engine plane to go visit a potential art client in Dawson. In addition, two other people are on the flight—the pilot and a close friend of Mike. An unexpected snowstorm arrives while they are flying through the Yukon mountains and causes them to crash.
This story is well written, and the characters are well developed. Initially, I didn’t think I would like Allison’s character. After expecting her to act privileged and whiny, she revealed herself to be brave and a good listener. Mike is a strong, independent individual who you would want to have with you during an emergency. Ms. Kadan’s plot has a good tempo with many challenges for the women to face.
This is the first book I read by Ms. Kadan. If you want an adventure to enjoy over the weekend, this is a good book for you. It is filled with action, romance, and hope. I definitely plan to read another one of her books.
I rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
I received this ARC from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Found this book very interesting to read. Nice bit of romance interspersed with a city girl and her First nation tour guide trying to stay alive in the Yukon wilderness. Detailed descriptions of their journey and the adversities they encountered and how they overcame them. How Alison's outlook changed throughout the journey.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat! I loved the plot and character development. I loved the descriptions and details of being in the Alaskan Wilderness. I definitely recommend this book!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
✈️⛈️⛺🎣🧸
Opposites collide literally when a plane crashes and the two survivors, a white Canadian, femme city woman, and a half First Nations, butch wilderness tour guide have to team up to survive.
The plane crash-landed in the middle of a snowstorm, in the middle of the wilderness in Yukon, Canada. The two ladies, Allison and Mike have to put aside their differences and first impressions and do things they wouldn't normally do to survive the cold, the wild animals, and the weather.
I found this book to be a satisfying read. I love books where one or both are in danger or when someone is hurt and the other has to take care of it, so I knew I would like this book going into it. I think the author did well to keep the story interesting and have the two fall in love in such a short amount of time. Of course, when forced proximity is involved, your feelings are going to change no matter the situation.
I loved how the two had pre-conditioned thoughts about each other, but over time and after seeing what the other had to do, lost those thoughts and really understood what the woman really was. It was cute, and it made their love story a lot more special.
Thanks to Boldstroke Books and Kadyan for a copy of the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book
allison is always on the look out for new talent to display in her art gallery, she has competition but on the whole she is happy with her lot
and hopefully with the possible discovery of a new artist she sets out to meet this new artist but her plans do not go according to plan
firstly her plane is very small only a prop plane
and secondly the bad storm means the crash land and with the pilot dead and his 2nd in command badly injured things are not looking good for allison
the other passenger mike has also survived the crash but may have cracked ribs
its survival of the fittest and with a treacherous walk out of the mountains before they are rescued can allison and mike survive to get to civilisation before the wildness eats them
compelling read just for the survival story alone but the rest aint bad either...
This is a:story about Mike, a tour guide in the Yukon. Allison is an art gallery owner from Vancouver. Allison books a flight on a small single engine plane to visit a new artist in Dawson. Mike is returning home to Dawson and is in this same flight along with her good friend Vinnie and the pilot of the plane, Teddy. An unexpected snow storm comes up and the plane crashes in a mountain valley.
This is my second Kayden read and it was terrific. I read the whole book last night, I couldn’t but it down. It was filled the a terrific plot with action and adventure. Soooo good. I want more books like this and I’ll keep reading every book Kayden writes.
Firstly I was quite unsure about this book as within the very first chapter the main character Allison is reading another of the author's novels. Wow, self-insertion advertising to the max. Also introducing someone as a 'busty redhead with laughing green eyes' is really cheesy. On one page her airplane seat was described as both comfortable and uncomfortable so I was a little apprehensive as all these initial little niggly things made me a bit concerned that the rest of the book would be like this.
However, after a couple of chapters everything settled down and after a lot of people 'sneaking' into sleeping bags, the story really started to unfold. It wasn't a particularly innovative story, but it was compellingly told and 'stranded in the wilderness sharing sleeping bags' is one of my absolute favourite tropes so I actually finished this book in one go.
I think a better editor could have helped a lot. Some of the phrasing was very foreign sounding and sometimes the wrong word was used. Kadyan is French and her English is very good, but not perfect and I would have expected an editor or proofreader to pick up on the errors.
For me the romance was rather predictable (but this genre of books thrives on predictability) and I didn't really like either of the main characters at all.
If the setting had been anywhere other than wilderness I would probably only have given this two stars, but it was a fun, easy read.
This was my first book by this author and I had a hard time connecting with the characters and getting invested in the story. The premise was very intriguing, but it failed to hit the mark.
Allison is a city slicker who never expected to be stuck in the wilderness with a complete stranger who she has to rely on to survive.
Mike is no stranger to the mountains, but being hurt and trying to navigate through the wilderness with someone who has no idea what she's doing is a challenge.
The beginning of the book was confusing because it changed POV's numerous times in a single chapter and it was hard to follow. I enjoyed the descriptions and the writing for the most part, but I wasn't invested in them getting together and I felt like it was rushed and didn't make a lot of sense.
Overall, not a bad book, just not one for me.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.