Wild Like Us (Like Us #8) by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie

A 4.5 star read!

Obviously, since this is book no. 8 in a series and I’m still here for it, I’m a dedicated fan.

However, I have reservations. So, so, so many reservations.

But first, the good things.

Apart from high-quality everything (writing, story-telling, world-building, characters and yada yada), what I most adore about the series and this book, is the way fame is depicted. It’s not glitz and glamour, private jets and extravagant living which is pretty much standard in every other “millionaire story”. Although – obviously – the famous ones are financially independent. No, instead it’s all the negative aspects of fame. The lack of privacy. The media and paparazzi. The inability to go out in public without being faced with strangers who act like jerks, thinking they have the right to Sully in this case. A right to say whatever to her as if she weren’t a person. That because she’s famous, basic human decency is forgotten and they have the right to heckle and assault.

It’s bloody brilliant.

Synopsis: Sullivan Meadows – Sully – has two hot as heck bodyguards. Akara Kitsuwon and Banks Moretti who happens to be very good friends. Maybe even best friends. Both of them also happens to be into Sully. And she’s into them. So what ever should they do?

But, now to the main two sources of my conflicted feelings about Wild Like Us.

First, the issue of Sully’s virginity. The entire book is totally obsessed about the fact that she hasn’t yet had penetrative sex. With a person that is. It’s something she talks about, not only with her bodyguards – before they’ve started dating – but her family as well. Even her parents. I mean, FFS, she’s an adult. That topic of conversation shouldn’t ever come up. And the way they’re talking about it. She’s talking about someone “taking her virginity” this and “taking her virginity” that. It’s like it’s the 17^th century or something. I found it embarrassingly antiquated and sexist to be honest.

And then, even though it’s revealed early on that she had used dildos in the past, she still bleeds when they finally get it on. I mean, come on! It just pissed me off even more. Because of course she has a bloody (literally) virginity seal that only a real, live dick can penetrate. So antiquated indeed.

Then, the budding relationship between Sully and both Akara and Banks. It’s just so unbalanced. Everything is about Sully. All three of them have their own POVs, but the focus is still entirely on her, and she seems okay with that. Like Akara and Banks are there to serve her, even in the situations that are clearly private and separate from their duties as bodyguards. Sure, those lines are blurry considering they’re her 24-7 security. But still. It makes Sully appear extremely selfish.

Also, since Banks and Akara aren’t interested in each other romantically, the imbalance gets even more pronounced. Because there’s no way around the fact that both of them would have preferred having Sully for themselves if only they could do so without hurting the other. So they compromise in order to have her. Only Sully gets everything. It’s disconcerting in its inequality.

Meaning, in my opinion, the story would have been waaay better if all three of them were actually involved with the other two in a romantic capacity.

When I’m re-reading what I’ve just wrote it’s kind of difficult to understand why I even liked this book. Because I did. I was completely swept away, and I’ve already started on the sequel Fearless Like Us. Guess I’m just complex like that. 😉

Because despite everything, I can only say: Highly recommend!