Review: a great introduction to the series and the author
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 2, 2014
A debut author, a clever romance and secondary characters that almost steal the show, Kylie Gilmore’s The Opposite of Wild was a fun and fast paced romance with plenty of moments to laugh and smile.As a child, Liz was taunted and teased for her weight: years of struggle and an iron-clad grasp on her control have eliminated the weight, but her obsession with controlling every aspect of her life could just be her downfall.  When her very erratic and out-of-control sister arrives to announce she is pregnant, Liz’s life is thrown into a tailspin.Ryan is the ‘reformed’ wild child who was one of Liz’s tormentors.  Now he has a need for someone to keep an eye on his grandmother, Maggie: apparently apple didn’t fall far from the tree as she is more a child and up for every adventure she can find.  Ryan needs someone to control her, and keep her out of trouble, and Liz is the perfect option with her buttoned up control and ability to handle chaos as a teacher in their tiny Connecticut town.There was so much to like about this story:  I’m a fan of Evanovich’s character Stephanie Plum, and Gilmore’s Maggie has a bit of Grandma Mazur in her feel and humor.  Maggie is just of the ‘live life fully’ club, and she does that in spades.  While she is driving both Ryan and Liz to distraction, she also is giving Liz a lesson in letting go of her control, and learning to enjoy spontaneity.Liz is sweet and well-intentioned: she doesn’t mean to be so bossy, not really.  It is clear that her honest appreciation for the people in her life, her wanting to see the best in them and for them to achieve their potential: it’s a curious mix that shows how her decision to teach is truly the perfect fit for her personality, even when it does come off as pushy to those she is seeking to help.Ryan is determined to stay away from Liz, yet he is drawn to the woman she has become.  There is a point at which he sees the challenge presented by her control, and seeks to disarm her at every moment.  When the two interact it is funny and clever, and you can see the attraction.  But, they both hold tightly to old wounds from childhood and early love interests, and finding the way to communicate and take chances will be the only way to make their relationship work.Clever asides that are particular to small towns and the frequent interactions with secondary characters give a feel for the town, and bring the insights and information in from a different angle.  Fast-paced with several steamy moments mixed with humor and emotion makes this a great introduction to the series and the author’s talent.I received an eBook from the author for purpose of honest review with Tasty Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.