Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is one of the funniest books I’ve read this year. I haven’t laughed like this since many books ago.
This follows the story of Cat who loses her identity as she is about to start her dream job. What follows is a series of emotional and rollercoaster scenes which will tug at your heart’s strings and make you feel like you’re on the journey with Cat.
I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Cat was so relatable and one couldn’t help but feel for her as she navigates through her ‘ordeal’.
All of the characters and ghosts were amazing. They all delivered and delighted with their actions, inactions and antics.
I love how the author made this entirely from Cat’s POV. There was no need for anyone else to tell the story. It was entirely hers to tell.
The description of the SS office was so apt and accurate. I loved Luca and how he eased into the wingman position.
If you love magical realism, romance and some comedy then this is your book.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to Forever Publishing for early access to this book!
General Description: Catherine has finally landed her dream job, which is being a professor of mathematics at a university. However, when she goes in for orientation, HR tells her none of her documentation exists: her birth certificate isn't real, her social security isn't there, and she's completely thrown off. The doorman of her building, Luca, is determined to help her since Catherine's father will not help her (for some unexplained reason). Together, the two have to delve deep to find out what happened with Catherine's identity and have to get it back. What will they discover along the way?
The goods:
- I thoroughly enjoyed how this wasn't focused on one type of love. You see love between.2 people, familial love, and community love. It felt like a holistic book.
- Catherine being extremely type A made me feel seen, especially as someone working on going with the flow better. :)
- Luca's backstory is so sweet and I loved being able to meet so many of his family members.
- The elderly folks that were highlighted in the book were so sweet and I really liked that they were the focus of one of the subplots.
The loss of a star:
- There was a subplot that just felt rushed and not fully developed/explained. I was looking forward more explanation into the subplot and just didn't get it.
Overall, if you're looking for a not spicy, cozy romance that isn't just about a relationship with one other person, this is the book for you!
General Description: Catherine has finally landed her dream job, which is being a professor of mathematics at a university. However, when she goes in for orientation, HR tells her none of her documentation exists: her birth certificate isn't real, her social security isn't there, and she's completely thrown off. The doorman of her building, Luca, is determined to help her since Catherine's father will not help her (for some unexplained reason). Together, the two have to delve deep to find out what happened with Catherine's identity and have to get it back. What will they discover along the way?
The goods:
- I thoroughly enjoyed how this wasn't focused on one type of love. You see love between.2 people, familial love, and community love. It felt like a holistic book.
- Catherine being extremely type A made me feel seen, especially as someone working on going with the flow better. :)
- Luca's backstory is so sweet and I loved being able to meet so many of his family members.
- The elderly folks that were highlighted in the book were so sweet and I really liked that they were the focus of one of the subplots.
The loss of a star:
- There was a subplot that just felt rushed and not fully developed/explained. I was looking forward more explanation into the subplot and just didn't get it.
Overall, if you're looking for a not spicy, cozy romance that isn't just about a relationship with one other person, this is the book for you!
3.75⭐️ Wish I were here is a sweet opposites attract, romance about Catherine a super organized, rule following professor who loses her identity right before starting her dream job and has no choice but to accept help from Luca her happy go lucky, unreliable doorman before she loses everything.
This story definitely centres around Catherine’s self discovery more than it does the romance which I wasn’t expecting but the romance was still sweet and I liked the characters (especially the side characters) and I had fun reading it.
I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys magical realism, journeys of self discovery, heartwarming romances and found family.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the ARC.
This story definitely centres around Catherine’s self discovery more than it does the romance which I wasn’t expecting but the romance was still sweet and I liked the characters (especially the side characters) and I had fun reading it.
I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys magical realism, journeys of self discovery, heartwarming romances and found family.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the ARC.
reflective
medium-paced
3 Stars
One Liner: I wish it was better!
Catherine Lipton is a type-A mathematician who needs lists, a schedule, and an orderly life. Being early for her meetings is her idea of being on time. After living a free-spirited and unpredictable life in her childhood, Catherine clings to order to stay sane. That’s why Luca Morelli, the handsome but casual doorman of her apartment, annoys her. He doesn’t seem to understand the need for order and structure.
However, when Catherine somehow disappears from the government records and doesn’t seem to exist, her world spirals out of control. With her new teaching position at stake and no one to believe her, Catherine has to take Luca’s help to sort out the problem. Soon, she realizes that her missing identity is helping her find the ‘real’ Catherine.
The story comes in Catherine’s first-person POV.
My Thoughts:
The premise was interesting, and I expected something similar to Miranda in Retrograde but with a touch of magic realism. While the beginning was good, the book skimmed the surface almost throughout despite having enough elements to add depth.
Catherine was well done, and I did identify with her need for lists, plans, and the desire to not be late for important events. Her vulnerabilities and the instability of her childhood give a clear idea about her personality. Her yearning to connect with the other parent and know more also comes across well.
However, the other characters don’t do enough to enhance any of this. Luca, for all his charm and helpful nature, ends up without much depth. He needed to be complex to support the FMC’s growth and introspection. Instead, it felt like the choice had to be between this and that. Life rarely works so! The aim should be to highlight the importance of balancing order with flexibility and self with community. For this, Luca had to start simple but become someone capable of proving to Catherine that she could have both.
Let’s be honest. Catherine wasn’t really off the mark. Help is what we do beyond our work, not instead of it. Some basic responsibilities have to be taken care of at some point.
I liked how the book showed the difference in attitude when a person’s identity proof is threatened. In a world where we are who we claim to be only when the documents (despite so many fake IDs) support the claim, it can be a nightmare for a genuine person to be considered a fraud.
That said, the chemistry between the lead couple wasn’t great. I knew they were meant to be, so I went with the flow. Apart from that, I didn’t really feel the urge to root for them. Not much banter either. At least the romance was pretty much closed-door, so that was an advantage here.
The last quarter also could have been a lot better. A lot is revealed in a few pages, which doesn’t give enough time for everything to sink in. Need more interaction between Catherine and the parent, more heartfelt conversations, and a sustained realization on her part that the choice was either/ or and she could have all of it with some slight adjustment. Simply put, the story is missing nuance which elevates good to great.
Lastly, why is the western society intent on wiping out our identities and replacing them with a convenient blanket term ‘South Asia’? If Luca is Italian and not Mediterranean or European and the other characters are Americans rather than North Americans, why reduce others to vague terms? Would it hurt to use a specific identity? Couldn’t Dr. Gupta be an Indian? Couldn’t Radhika be a Sri Lankan or a Bangladeshi Hindu? The Indian subcontinent is not South Asia just because some ‘academics’ hate us.
And oh, I hope the timeline mess has been sorted. The days, weeks, months, etc., none of it seem to give a clear picture of the duration. The puzzle pieces are out of place!
To summarize, Wish I Were Here has some worthy moments but lacks the depth or nuance to enhance the plot. I wish it was better executed.
Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #WishIWereHere
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
hopeful
reflective
Catherine and Luca are interesting, relatable, intriguing, complex, wounded, entertaining characters. I enjoyed their time together on page and wish that their romance had been more centre stage rather than a subplot. I loved Catherine’s growth throughout the story and how her journey ended. I did struggle getting into the book and almost gave up, but I’m glad I stuck with it, because for me Catherine’s development was worth finishing the book for. The secondary characters – especially Andy and Sal – added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
omg i adored this book! a sweet romance with some magical realism? yes, every time, yes. catherine is grumpy, luca is a golden retriever. lovable elderly people, & a little mystery? sign me up! this was such a great read and i was immediately hooked!
thank you so much to forever and netgalley for this arc!
thank you so much to forever and netgalley for this arc!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the first things I did when I received this gifted copy from the author (squee!) was read her note to readers in the back. Wiesner based this story on something she’d read in a newspaper, a tragic something, and thought, “What if I turn it on its head?”
Catherine is a math professor who grew up in chaos, the daughter of an actual clown and absent mother. What she craves, what she seeks out as an adult is structure and order. Rules and the expected.
After nabbing a dream position at the local university with a top notch mentor and opportunities to publish, she’s in heaven.
Until she goes to the faculty orientation and finds out that she doesn’t exist. Every piece of documentation she possesses has been wiped from all government databases.
Luca is the charismatic doorman at her building. Free spirited and seemingly without a care, arms covered in colorful tattoos and head in the clouds, his way of life gets under Catherine’s skin.
He’s too much like her father - unpredictable and prone to flights of fancy.
Until it appears he’s the only one - with the help of a gigantic Italian family who possess certain skill sets - who can help her…exist again.
But as the two spend time together, Catherine can see the appeal of Luca. He’s generous, kind, thoughtful, and looks after everyone. Soon she begins to forgive his constant lateness, his excuses, his peculiar behaviors.
When things are looking up, Catherine forces herself to make a choice, one no one else expects of her: become a staid and secure professor or let her freak flag fly even a tiny bit.
I loved Luca and as Catherine grew as a character, I saw her for what she was - hurt and afraid - and came to appreciate her, too.
The twist regarding her identity theft and odd birth certificate fell flat for me. Otherwise it was a cute closed door romance with some light mystery with a MMC who has a heart of gold.
4.5 stars
Opposites attract in this fun magical realism romance between a cinnamon roll doorman and an (overly) organized professor. This was a fun story about finding out who you are (because your whole identity disappears) and how important community really is. Luca was a perfect book boyfriend with his helpful manner and how he cares for the elderly residents. And I connected with Catherine in her always-too-early manner and hyper organized schedule. But you could feel she needed something to mess up her routine and for her to learn that it can still be okay if not everything goes to plan. I loved her growth through the story and it felt like a natural arc given the plot. Overall, I had a good time and the magical realism was very light.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Opposites attract in this fun magical realism romance between a cinnamon roll doorman and an (overly) organized professor. This was a fun story about finding out who you are (because your whole identity disappears) and how important community really is. Luca was a perfect book boyfriend with his helpful manner and how he cares for the elderly residents. And I connected with Catherine in her always-too-early manner and hyper organized schedule. But you could feel she needed something to mess up her routine and for her to learn that it can still be okay if not everything goes to plan. I loved her growth through the story and it felt like a natural arc given the plot. Overall, I had a good time and the magical realism was very light.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!