When pediatric critical care doctor Alex Wilde meets Ian Devall, heir to London-based Devall Mining Cooperative, they develop a quick romantic bond. But their relationship barely gets off the ground when he goes missing for several months following an explosion at a Mongolian mining site. Assuming he is dead, and feeling lost and alone, Alex tries to imagine life without him. But unbeknownst to Alex and everyone else, Ian had been rescued and cared for by the Tsaatan people of Mongolia, a tribe of semi-nomadic reindeer herders. After he is discovered and undergoes extensive surgeries to mend two fractured legs, he and Alex marry.

Living with a wealthy, eminent man like Ian comes with its share of benefits, but Alex is torn between fulfilling the role by his side and continuing with her medical career helping children. When she starts to feel out of place in their relationship, she goes home to her Texas roots to better understand her past and how she got to her current position in life. There she is faced with old memories and people she had previously blocked from her conscious frame of mind and prompted to determine where her true happiness lies.

The plot in HK Jacobs’ EVER WILDE—Alex determining the fate of her career and relationship with Ian—is supported by several interesting subplots that feed into her characterization. Her actions, thoughts, and dialogue all play a role in showing her personality, temperament, and complexities. Jacobs does an excellent job in creating a main character who is compelling, unique, and believable. In order for readers to understand Alex’s introspection as to her wants and needs, author Jacobs flashes back to Alex’s teen years in Texas, a phase of her life to which approximately half of the book is devoted. Some readers may consider much of this backstory irrelevant, especially all the usual behaviors and antics that teenagers exhibit. Others may find it interesting and germane to the story.

EVER WILDE is a well-written, well-structured book that is filled with strong dramatic content, emotion, and internal conflict. Protagonist Alex Wilde is multidimensional and deftly painted. Her goals are clear, her obstacles are realistic, and her subtle change throughout the story is captured beautifully. The various settings for the storyline—London, Botswana, the Virgin Islands, and Cole’s Church, Texas—effectively set the stage and affect the moods of the characters. Jacob’s use of good diction and the right amount of detail make EVER WILDE an easy read. The tone laced through the narrative and sense of rhythm in her writing make it an enjoyable reading experience.

A revelatory and satisfying read, HK Jacobs’ EVER WILDE exemplifies the inner struggle of someone who is unsure of where they are in life, how they got there, and the direction in which they are headed.

~Florence Osmund for IndieReader