Jackals Wild by Abby Kaitz

Jackals Wild was a wild ride for sure...

From the Jackals Wild blurb:

A shy math geek. His roommate with an NSFW alter ego. College just got a lot more interesting.

Quiet, studious Adam Hatchard is ready to reinvent himself and be the leading man in his own life.

Survive his first frat party? Check.

Talk to the hot TA in math class? Halfway(ish) there.

Coexist in peace with his Neanderthal roommate? Send help.

From day one, Carter Ellison has given Adam nothing but cocky smirks, secondhand embarrassment, and dirty underwear all over their room—the perfect storm for Most Annoying Roommate Ever.

His ridiculously toned body deserving to be the eighth wonder of the world is beside the point.

But Carter has a secret: an unconventional side hustle involving cameras and a distinct lack of clothing. When Adam stumbles upon Carter’s online alter ego, the last thing he expects to feel is…compassion.

And when Carter asks him to hold the camera? Adam discovers there’s more to his roommate than the irritating frat boy persona Carter puts on.

What begins as a way for both of them to earn extra cash develops into something more. Something involving longer-than-appropriate stares, stolen touches, midnight confessions—and the realization that Adam just may have found his own leading man.

Sarah's Review:

Jackals Wild is the first book by Abby Kaitz I've read and I can assure you it will not be my last. Because this book was amazing. College roommates turned lovers is a trope I can always get behind, but this one had more than that. It had two men who grew to become one another's best friends. It also had a fun business angle, some found family, the right amount of angst, and a lot of other really good sprinkles.

Let's start first with our characters.

Adam is a nerd. There's no other way of putting it. He's a math nerd who met his best friend, Mateo, because they both liked the same video game. At the beginning of the book, his world revolves around studying and his work study, because unlike a lot of students at his school he didn't come from money and is there on scholarship. He's also the first kid in his family to go to college, so he feels a lot of pressure. However, when Mateo drags him out one night, he makes a conscious decision. He is going to finally become the main character in his life.

He just never expected his costar to be his roommate, Carter. Carter is Adam's opposite. He's outgoing and loud and comes from money. He also does not let people get close to him. He has a whole mantra about it and he doesn't let that waver if he can avoid it. However, he's intrigued by Adam from the jump - and we can see it before either he or Adam mention it with the simple action of muffins being left at Adam's desk without a word. Oh and Carter also does porn as a side hustle.

Adam and Carter's annoyance morphs quickly to something else and soon the chemistry is too great for them to overlook. And the chemistry is amazing. I loved that part between them, because it was a lot of exploration. Adam is inexperienced, and Carter makes him feel comfortable when they're together. He makes little jokes and I love watching as Adam becomes more confident through both his time with Carter physically and also his time helping Carter make his videos as a camera boy.

This book doesn't suffer from a lot of the same pitfalls other books fall into. There's no 70% breakup. The times when they have slight communication errors, they're solved quickly by the simple method of talking to one another. When Adam is upset that Carter doesn't open to him, he talks to Carter about it and learns why Carter doesn't open up easily. When Adam is upset by things in Carter's life, Carter tries to reassure him and be there for him. It all felt incredibly real.

The side characters also felt real and those relationships felt just as important to Adam as his relationship with Carter. They also felt just as important to the plot. They were treated with just as much seriousness and I loved that, because sometimes platonic love takes a backburner and it always makes me happy when it doesn't.

Jackals Wild is the first book in a new series. It can be read as a standalone. It is a dual POV told in third person with a pretty high level of heat and a low to mid level of angst. If you're looking for a new author and this is on your list, I recommend you take the chance.

Rating: 5 Stars

Laora's Review:

This the first book in a new contemporary series and centres aroundstudents at an affluent uni/ college in Maine

This story has both room mates;

Adam is a full ride double major nerdiish student whit a side job and a lot of ambition and just one good friend Mateo. With whom he geeks out over a particular computer game.

Carter is a pre med student with a barista and porn side jobs to earn enough money to chase his dream of becoming a vet. He seems to have it all, but not everything as it seems.

The story is told from both mc's their pov. They go through some personal growth and Adam and Carter find their hea with some input of their friends.

Jackals Wild was a nice and very low angst read.

Rating: 4 Stars

Heather's Review:

I really love Carter - he's sweet, has a plan and is driven to succeed as his own person... Adam, I had more trouble relating to... and I usually am all about the nerd voice, but he was quick to judge and just so far outside of what I'd have expected that it took me a while to warm to him...

I do like how this author takes Carter and Adam on a journey of growth, with them both facing different prejudices and obstacles, and bringing their relationships closer together... Jackals Wild was well paced and I look forward to seeing what comes next from this author.

4 Stars

Jackals Wild is currently available in e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription