title: The Great Outdoors
author: Kayla Olson
publisher: Atria Books
publication date: June 16, 2026
pages: 384
peppers: 1 (on this scale)
warnings:
- scary moments in an outdoor adventure (everyone is fine)
summary: When Sadie's boyfriend plans a hiking adventure trip in the Sierra Mountains at the same time as their planned, luxurious Italy trip, they end up breaking up. What's worse is that he says she's "too high maintenance" and would probably die on the backpacking trip. So of course, Sadie decides to take the trip herself and "win" at nature. Trip leader Thorn is not impressed with how much she overpacks and underprepares, but he's kind about it and teaches her what she needs to know.
tropes:
- fish out of water
- opposites attract
- following the advice of Wild
- wanting to control everything
what I liked:
- Sadie's character is "extra" but not annoying. She brings fancy items on her hike and shares them with everyone, wanting everyone to enjoy the luxuries
- Thorn's relationship with his adopted brother
- scenes of camping and hiking
what I didn’t like:
- n/a
overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)
As always, you can click on the photo above if you want to buy the book.