Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Wish I Were Here is a fun, opposites-attract romance that follows Catherine and Lucas. Being raised by a free spirit is destined to make your life anything but ordinary. But, now that Catherine is an adult, she demands order in all things. So, when her perfectly planned life gets turned upside down, she gets thrown for one heck of a loop. The only person she can turn to help is her attractive, yet annoying doorman, Luca. As Catherine begins to spend time with Luca to unravel the mystery behind her missing identity, she learns more about herself than she ever expected and that there might be something more to her annoying doorman than meets the eye.
Overall, I thought this book was an okay read. I really liked the unique plot and quirky characters. I loved seeing Catherine's life become unraveled, forcing her to take a breather from the status quo and learn more about herself. I adored Luca and his patience. He was kind of goofy, but I enjoyed his banter with Catherine. You can never go wrong with a found family trope, and this one definitely hits the marks in that department. However, I did find the romance between Catherine and Luca to be lacking. Don't get me wrong, there were some great sweet moments, but I found the overall chemistry to be missing and was left wanting more; more development, more romance, just more.
In the end, I think this will be a hit for some and a miss for others.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher & NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
Overall, I thought this book was an okay read. I really liked the unique plot and quirky characters. I loved seeing Catherine's life become unraveled, forcing her to take a breather from the status quo and learn more about herself. I adored Luca and his patience. He was kind of goofy, but I enjoyed his banter with Catherine. You can never go wrong with a found family trope, and this one definitely hits the marks in that department. However, I did find the romance between Catherine and Luca to be lacking. Don't get me wrong, there were some great sweet moments, but I found the overall chemistry to be missing and was left wanting more; more development, more romance, just more.
In the end, I think this will be a hit for some and a miss for others.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher & NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
medium-paced
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There is just something special about magical realism in a romance. Wish I Were Here is the book to pick up when you need a dose of warm fuzzies. The characters in the novel are just wonderful. I really connected with the FMC, who is a type A rule follower. And love me a tatted cinnamon roll hero! We get an apartment building of senior citizens who are the most endearing characters. The found family trope is chef's kiss. And Melissa Wiesner's writing just makes it so easy to keep turning pages. From start to finish, this book was pure FUN!
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a cute and quirky romance with a fun look at found families, the importance of connection, community, and being there for the ones you love. While Katherine was a bit high strung for me at the start, I loved that in the end she found a way to balance her old self with a new more open and connect version of herself in a way that felt authentic and didn’t involve her just giving up all the things she worked for before. The identify stuff was a little weird BUT their adventure trying to get it solved was cute and I loved Luca and all of his extended family and friends.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing this book, with my honest review below.
Wish I Were Here had the most perfect dash of fantasy to help round out a cute romance that is really focused on the personal growth of our main character. Catherine is a very orderly, extreme planning, everything set up to be in control woman who is still coming to terms with her chaotic childhood. Luca, her doorman, seems to be the definition of chaos. When Catherine’s dream job is at risk due to her identity no longer being found by the government, the two team up to try to fix it. There are amazing side characters here, from Catherine’s elderly neighbors, Luca’s mob family, her colorful second family growing up, and her long lost mother. All aren’t the best to get to know per se but have a significant impact on Catherine, who she was and who she ends up being.
I love the lesson about it never being too late to change and to realize the neat and orderly boxes you define others by aren’t always right or fair. This was extremely satisfying and while the book had a fun adventure in Catherine and Luca’s mission to fix her identity, what really made it great was everything Catherine realized by the end.
Wish I Were Here had the most perfect dash of fantasy to help round out a cute romance that is really focused on the personal growth of our main character. Catherine is a very orderly, extreme planning, everything set up to be in control woman who is still coming to terms with her chaotic childhood. Luca, her doorman, seems to be the definition of chaos. When Catherine’s dream job is at risk due to her identity no longer being found by the government, the two team up to try to fix it. There are amazing side characters here, from Catherine’s elderly neighbors, Luca’s mob family, her colorful second family growing up, and her long lost mother. All aren’t the best to get to know per se but have a significant impact on Catherine, who she was and who she ends up being.
I love the lesson about it never being too late to change and to realize the neat and orderly boxes you define others by aren’t always right or fair. This was extremely satisfying and while the book had a fun adventure in Catherine and Luca’s mission to fix her identity, what really made it great was everything Catherine realized by the end.
3.5 ⭐️ read - this was the perfect blend of magical, romantic and a touch of mystery. It took me a few chapters to get into the storyline but once I did I really enjoyed learning more about Catherine and was invested in her journey. I loved all of the funny characters we met along the way of Cat trying to get her identity back and this was overall such a sweet story.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes