Wild On My Mind

by Laurel Kerr

Overview

Love runs wild at the Sagebrush Flats Zoo,

where a motley crew of big-hearted animals

helps the most unlikely couples find love.

When Katie Underwood discovers a litter of newborn cougar cubs, the last person she expects to come to the rescue is her former crush—and high school nemesis—Bowie Wilson. The worst part? He doesn't seem to remember the trouble he caused her.

As a single father and owner of a cash-strapped zoo, Bowie struggles to balance budgets while raising his pre-teen daughter and a host of rascally animals. He considers himself lucky when Katie agrees to lend her talents to a publicity campaign in support of the zoo's animal rehabilitation programs—until he learns just what she's planning…

This time, Katie is determined to resist Bowie's charm. But a lovelorn camel, a matchmaking honey badger, and a nursemaid capybara have different plans. Can they and the rest of the zoo's menagerie help Bowie break through the barriers surrounding Katie's heart?

Love can't be tamed…

Where the Wild Hearts Are series:

Wild On My Mind (Book 1)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492670858
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	09/25/2018
Series:	Where the Wild Hearts Are , #1
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	625,201
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.70(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Two-time Golden Heart® Finalist Laurel Kerr spent a few weeks each summer of her childhood on family road trips. That time packed into the backseat of her grandparents’ Grand Marquis opened her imagination and exposed her to the wonders of the United States. The lessons she learned then still impact her writing today. She lives near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and loyal cavalier spaniel.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/06/2018
Kerr’s outstanding debut contemporary adds an element heretofore missing from romance novels: narration by a wiley, interfering honey badger. All Fluffy wants is for the Black-Haired One (aka zoo owner and single dad Bowie Wilson) to partner with the female biped (aka home-for-the-summer marketing professional Katie Underwood) and make babies. Naturally, the bipeds have more complicated lives than a yenta honey badger, and they do their best to push back against Fluffy, Katie’s matchmaking mom, and their own screaming hormones. Back in their high school days, Bowie did his cruel adolescent best to make Katie’s life miserable because she wasn’t as pretty or popular as his girlfriend. Katie bears the scars to this day, and at 29, she is positive she wants nothing to do with him. However, when she shows up with a litter of abandoned cougar cubs and volunteers to help feed them, nature runs its inevitable course. This hilarious story is sure to delight both Fluffy and contemporary romance fans. Agent: Sarah Phair, Trident Media Group. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Kerr's debut is original and touching, handling a bundle of sensitive subjects with wit and heart...Clever, fun, and poignant. A standout debut. " — Kirkus Reviews

"A quirky, heartwarming tale of love... Kerr has built herself a delightful world to play in, with a motley assembly of animals you won’t be able to get enough of." — Entertainment Weekly

"Kerr’s outstanding debut contemporary adds an element heretofore missing from romance novels: narration by a wily, interfering honey badger… This hilarious story is sure to delight" — Publishers Weekly

"The zoo setting, including the short scenes from the point of view of Fluffy, a matchmaking honey badger, make for very enjoyable reading. Fans of pet romance novels will thoroughly enjoy Kerr's love-at-the-zoo tale." — Booklist

"a truly touching contemporary romance story about the power of love and family." — Night Owl Reviews

From the Publisher

2018-10-02

When Katie Underwood discovers a trio of cougar cubs, she calls the local zoo for guidance and comes face to face with Bowie Wilson, her high school bully. He's handsome as ever and a changed man, but she'll never risk her heart again for anyone, especially him.

Katie has quit her underwhelming marketing job to come back to her tiny hometown of Sagebrush Flats and help her family after her ex-cop father is injured in a shooting. On a walk, she discovers three abandoned cougar cubs, calls the local zoo, and is stunned when Bowie shows up to rescue them. She's enraged that he doesn't remember her and disconcerted to realize he's still capable of making her "hormones dance a happy little jig." When Bowie clues into their shared background, he's mortified, but Katie ties her plan for revenge into a brilliant marketing idea for the struggling zoo that he simply can't turn down. The two create a social media campaign, and Katie even volunteers to help care for the adorable cubs. Spending time at the zoo, Katie meets Bowie's daughter, Abby, and acknowledges that Bowie has become an honorable, hardworking single father and zookeeper. Falling into a sexual relationship is easy. Truly seeing Bowie for who he is and forgiving his past transgressions is harder, but once he protects her from a family enemy, she begins to understand his brutal past. And when a vengeful former lover attacks their relationship, Katie must clarify her feelings for him or risk losing him forever. Kerr's debut is original and touching, handling a bundle of sensitive subjects with wit and heart. The occasional scene told from the perspective of the zoo's rascally honey badger is a bonus delight.

Clever, fun, and poignant. A standout debut.

Kirkus Reviews