Books & Spoons Review for WILDE THING by Jannine Gallant

2/3/2017

The Wilde brothers are addicted to the rush of adventure. But one of them is about to learn no matter how often you look for danger, you don’t want danger finding you.

For extreme skier Tripp Wilde, pushing the limits is what he lives for. Unfortunately, the inherent risk takes a toll on his body. After an injury sidelines him, he ends up in the care of his little sister’s best friend, physical therapist Hannah Ryder—who has grown up in all the right ways since they last met.

Hannah doesn’t mix business with pleasure, even though she harbored a maddening crush on the irresistible Tripp years before. So, while Tripp tries every slick maneuver he knows to bed her, Hannah uses her own moves to keep the hotshot skier cooled off while trying to control her own growing desire for him.

After the pair witness what they think may be a murder on the slopes, along with the men responsible, no one believes their story. But when a series of unlikely accidents suggests they are being targeted, the two will have to trust in each other like never before if they are going to survive.

I am happy to say I enjoyed this Wilde romance, especially after the second book in the series that I struggled with. The mystery murder case was intriguing, the attacks and attempts to harm Hannah and Tripp kept the tension and the interest to the story elevated.
I liked Tripp, even with his reputation as a player, he never really stood out and acted as one. Yes, he had hurt Hannah's feelings when they were in college, but unintentionally. Tripp was considerate, he was kind, outgoing, full of positive energy and joy, he made me smile and was just a delightful addition to the Wilde family. He grew up by leaps and bounds throughout the story, he finally had a good reason to mature and settle down a bit, and he was really dedicated to making it work with Hannah. He was actively seeking out ways to compromise and fix their lives so it would be possible for them to be together.
Hannah had some issues. She had trust issues from her childhood, with her mother, with the constantly changing step-fathers, and she was compressing in her mind some serious childhood drama, that took the plot into a new direction at the unexpected moment. All this affected to her relationship with Tripp. I found it hard to understand her (sanctimonious) upset over the women who came on to Tripp - who did absolutely nothing to encourage them - when she was the one who kissed another man. There's really no cheating issues on the story, but the drama with Tripp's fame and the women who want a part of it kept coming up. I found myself frequently frustrated with Hannah's attitude. WhenTripp is confessing his love to her and she still things about their relationship as 'only hormones' from his end, she nearly lost me completely from her camp but was able to turn the tables towards the end.
Yes, the romance part of the story challenged me, as characters seemed so far from a solution to make it work out to the HEA. But the author found a way to bring it all together so that in the end, it was satisfying and pleasing.
The suspense with the murder mystery was a nice addition to the story. I did guess the culprit from the start, but the reasons and motives behind the attacks kept me interested, the cause much more complex than I ever expected.
I enjoyed the dynamics in the Wilde family, the bond between them is tight, and the banter always entertaining. Overall the Wilde Thing was an entertaining and fun story, with a lot of flirting, devotion, passion and flame, mixed with danger, menace, and threat.
~ Three Spoons with a teaspoon on the side