Inspired by the film Bringing Up Baby starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, WILD LIFE follows Zoey Fong, a cancer researcher, who ends up stuck on a private island animal sanctuary in Vancouver with Davy Hsieh, a former C-Pop star, and his pet cougar, Baby. 

 

An immediate standout for me that I love is that this romance features two Asian leads and that we get both their perspectives through a third person narrative. Zoey and Davy’s chemistry is palpable with their attraction emitting off the page that gets quite spicy than I expected. Their developing relationship meanwhile is also very grounded as they are both empathetic and understanding of each other’s anxieties and the pressure they put on themselves. Despite their stubbornness, they are able to help one another let go of their personal burdens. 

 

I also really enjoyed the small references to Bringing Up Baby. It’s been a while since I last watched the movie, but I like how in the film Cary Grant is trying to get back a dinosaur bone he lost, whereas here Zoey is trying to get back a slide of a cancer bone hence why she gets stuck on an island with Davy. I think Davy’s name too is also a callback to Cary Grant’s character, David Huxley. 

 

WILD LIFE is a good read that’s spicy and sometimes funny with the humor paying homage to the screwball comedy of the film, but mostly heartfelt and sincere in letting those who love you, love you and to let go and live the life you want that will make you happy.