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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
I really loved this book! The entire cast of characters was so likeable. I related to Catherine instantly as someone who needs structure and organization. Luca is such a tattooed golden retriever that I loved him right away. But the true stars of the books were the elderly people living in Catherine’s building. It is a true community of good, kind humans ready to help however they can.
Catherine and Luca are drawn together to solve the mystery of Catherine’s missing identity. Even though they are total opposites, Catherine finds herself enjoying his presence and appreciating his charm and eagerness to help. I loved that the book was mostly focused on solving the mystery, and the love story slowly developed in the background. I was so invested in this book and didn’t want to put it down. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a sweet story with a touch of magical realism.
Thank you to Melissa Wiesner, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.75⭐️s I had such a good time reading about Catherine and Luca. Catherine has a lot to realize and Luca is a humble free spirit. This just had that something that I can’t fully explain but hit just right. This has lost identity, meddling neighbors, found family, and juggling. 🤹 Be sure to check out Wish I Were Here on October 15th.
Catherine is all about organization and proper prep time. If she has an appointment at nine, she’ll be there waiting at seven. But who can blame her, a potentially tenured position in the mathematics department opens and that rarely happens. Catherine has to be perfect. But when orientation comes and her paperwork isn’t quite right, she doesn’t know what to do. The last person she would think could help is her doorman, Luca. He’s rarely at his post, mail and packages are everywhere, and the elevator is always broken. How can such a careless, free spirit help. Not, does Catherine find out just how much he can. Luca knows everyone. Though it takes some impersonations, felonies, and hard truths, Catherine begins to see he’s everything she needs.
Huge thanks to @netgalley @readforeverpub and @melissawiesnerauthor for the opportunity to read and review. #wishiwerehere #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #slightlyghostly #goread
Catherine is all about organization and proper prep time. If she has an appointment at nine, she’ll be there waiting at seven. But who can blame her, a potentially tenured position in the mathematics department opens and that rarely happens. Catherine has to be perfect. But when orientation comes and her paperwork isn’t quite right, she doesn’t know what to do. The last person she would think could help is her doorman, Luca. He’s rarely at his post, mail and packages are everywhere, and the elevator is always broken. How can such a careless, free spirit help. Not, does Catherine find out just how much he can. Luca knows everyone. Though it takes some impersonations, felonies, and hard truths, Catherine begins to see he’s everything she needs.
Huge thanks to @netgalley @readforeverpub and @melissawiesnerauthor for the opportunity to read and review. #wishiwerehere #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #slightlyghostly #goread
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In this witty and charming love story, a buttoned-up math professor is forced to rely on her carefree doorman when her identity mysteriously disappears....
When we meet Catherine, she's introduced so painfully Type A and when things don't go her way, her lively doorman Luca comes to the rescue. It's obvious Catherine hates relying on other people, and as we learn more about the "why" behind it all, it starts to make complete sense.
This is not so much a romance read, similar to The Second Chance Year, in that we get such great character growth without the romance being the leading plot line. We get Catherine having this big self-discovery and dealing with her own anxieties with the support of this amazing found family. I did have a hard time with the almost repetition of all of her concerns - especially highlighting of her dad's career choices - and I was hoping there would be more of a magical realism aspect to the book, but what was included felt special to the story. I loved the ending, but I wish I had loved the beginning more.
I would still recommend this one if you're in the mood for a little family drama and a pretty resolution with a side of romance, and look forward to seeing what Melissa Wiesner writes next!
Thank you to NetGalley, Melissa Wienser, and Forever for the eARC copy. All opinions are my own.
Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner is a cute rom com about Catherine,about to start her dream job as a mathematician, who realizes her identity doesn’t exist. Her building manager Luca helps Catherine solve her issue of her missing identity.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters, especially the other tenants in Catherine’s new building and Luca’s extended Italian family, that just happen to be everywhere. I also enjoyed the magical realism sprinkled in.
This is my second book by Melissa Weisner- I can’t wait to read what she does next. Be sure to pick up Wish I Were Here if you’re looking for a light and fast, with a fun cast of characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an advanced copy of this book!
I just love Melissa Wiesner’s writing. I loved Catherine and Luca, and thoroughly enjoyed their adventures trying to recover Catherine’s identity. The magical realism is always a plus for me! I LOVED the found family and community in this one. It was such a fun, feel-good read, and I definitely recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
4.5⭐️
Omg I just love her books! This is the 2nd book I’ve read by Melissa Wiesner & I have more on my TBR!
Catherine is a so excited to start her new job as a math professor, something she has worked so hard for, but everything gets turned upside down when she doesn’t exist anymore (well at least in the government’s system). With the help of her buildings doorman, Luca, they go on a journey to get Catherine’s identity back! They have some fun times, scary times, law breaking times & some real talks while on this journey.
This book has self discovery & a little romance, with some magic sprinkled in ✨ & I enjoyed every second of it! I even shed some tears at the end! I loved watching Catherine navigate everything with Luca, & I really enjoyed watching their relationship blossom. The difference in personalities was so cute to read about. Luca was such a sweet guy & I loved learning more about him as the book went on. Goes to show you that you never really know what a person is up to!❤️ and watching Catherine discover what she really wanted in life was amazing to read! There were so many good messages, things to remember & quotes in this book!
I would definitely recommend adding it to your TBR & reading it when it comes out!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing & Melissa Wiesner for the eARC of this book!
Omg I just love her books! This is the 2nd book I’ve read by Melissa Wiesner & I have more on my TBR!
Catherine is a so excited to start her new job as a math professor, something she has worked so hard for, but everything gets turned upside down when she doesn’t exist anymore (well at least in the government’s system). With the help of her buildings doorman, Luca, they go on a journey to get Catherine’s identity back! They have some fun times, scary times, law breaking times & some real talks while on this journey.
This book has self discovery & a little romance, with some magic sprinkled in ✨ & I enjoyed every second of it! I even shed some tears at the end! I loved watching Catherine navigate everything with Luca, & I really enjoyed watching their relationship blossom. The difference in personalities was so cute to read about. Luca was such a sweet guy & I loved learning more about him as the book went on. Goes to show you that you never really know what a person is up to!❤️ and watching Catherine discover what she really wanted in life was amazing to read! There were so many good messages, things to remember & quotes in this book!
I would definitely recommend adding it to your TBR & reading it when it comes out!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing & Melissa Wiesner for the eARC of this book!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This was a light hearted fun read with a magical/ supernatural twist. As a list lover who likes things organised and stresses at chaos I found Catherine very relatable. Luca was a great male lead and his care for the people around him and Catherine was lovely to see. I liked the journey Catherine went on, with all the mini adventures on the way and I think the realisations and balance that came from her temporary loss of identity were perfect. Overall 3
Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.
I read this book in like four hours and honestly, I don't regret a single thing even when I had to sacrifice my sleep for it.
'Wish I Were Here' was an enjoyable book with complex and interesting central protagonists. It explores themes of finding a family and opposites falling in love with each other. There's a magical element in the story and I didn't even realise it or expect it because I was so engrossed in the story. I do, however, wish that the story explained how the magical elements worked.
The characters Catherine and Luca were really sweet together. Catherine was a bit unbearable at times but I think she is the one character who has a lot of character growth towards the end. Luca was just a sweetheart. He was there for Catherine no matter the occasion and never complained about anything. Perfect. 10/10.
I look forward to reading more of Melissa Wiesner's upcoming books! Loved this so much!
I read this book in like four hours and honestly, I don't regret a single thing even when I had to sacrifice my sleep for it.
'Wish I Were Here' was an enjoyable book with complex and interesting central protagonists. It explores themes of finding a family and opposites falling in love with each other. There's a magical element in the story and I didn't even realise it or expect it because I was so engrossed in the story. I do, however, wish that the story explained how the magical elements worked.
The characters Catherine and Luca were really sweet together. Catherine was a bit unbearable at times but I think she is the one character who has a lot of character growth towards the end. Luca was just a sweetheart. He was there for Catherine no matter the occasion and never complained about anything. Perfect. 10/10.
I look forward to reading more of Melissa Wiesner's upcoming books! Loved this so much!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the beginning of the book (though it is a bit slow), because I could actually relate to Catherine so much. Her anxiety at being late, the horrible feeling of someone poking fun of their for it was written so well and in a realistic way. I was very hopeful that the story would stay true to her need for order and not try to "loosen her up". Alas, it was not to be. The storyline itself is completely fine, though it could have used more depth. Similarly Luca wasn't really fleshed out and seemed like more of a symbol than anything else. Like the universe sending her a manifestation of what she is lacking.
What really soured this book for me, is the ending. While it was predictable, I still felt let down. Catherine realizes that she her being such a rule follower is preventing her from seeing the human aspect etc etc. That part would be completely fine, but it comes at the expense of showing nuance. Catherine completely erases all of the hardships her upbringen caused her and basically absolves her father of all wrongdoing. It's one of my least favorite storylines to have a more "uptight" character become more relaxed and basically come to the realization that they needed to change. Again, middle ground would be fine, but two things can be true at once. In some aspects Catherine could be more relaxed, but being too relaxed is also bad. Her father caused them to be homeless numerous times, never accepted true responsibility, did whatever he wanted, placed an insane burden on her as a child, and was completely reckless. Who brings A CHILD to burning man??? In the beginning Catherine is rightfully resentful about all of this, but by the end she's like "oh my God I had such a great upbringing!". Bitch you're traumatized.
Same thing with Luca. While, yes, there are great explanations of all the times he sort of flaked, we never hear them from him. Catherine doesn't know all of the facts and without them, she (again, rightfully) calls him out for being irresponsible. It does turn out there were reasons, but why does Luca never explain himself? Why does Catherine have to be the one to apologize? She didn't really do anything wrong. If my doorman (which I don't have) lost absolutely crucial mail from my bank FOR WEEKS, caused me to fall over bikes more than once, etc I would be expecting him to be forthcoming with some explanations instead of him being like oh trust me, you're just being too narrow. It's just disappointing. In the end, it's only Catherine who adjusts. Catherine that loosens up. There is not one scene of Luca or her dad being like "you're right. I should have been a bit less laid back and actually followed the rules/accepted responsibility". At least use a goddamn coaster! As often as Catherine thinks about that, there really could have been more consideration.
Please leave my rule following women in peace. We do not need another book about how they can be less annoying/uptight/boring. They wouldn't have to be so rigid, if the men in there life could just do the bare minimum.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily read and reviewed it.
What really soured this book for me, is the ending. While it was predictable, I still felt let down. Catherine realizes that she her being such a rule follower is preventing her from seeing the human aspect etc etc. That part would be completely fine, but it comes at the expense of showing nuance. Catherine completely erases all of the hardships her upbringen caused her and basically absolves her father of all wrongdoing. It's one of my least favorite storylines to have a more "uptight" character become more relaxed and basically come to the realization that they needed to change. Again, middle ground would be fine, but two things can be true at once. In some aspects Catherine could be more relaxed, but being too relaxed is also bad. Her father caused them to be homeless numerous times, never accepted true responsibility, did whatever he wanted, placed an insane burden on her as a child, and was completely reckless. Who brings A CHILD to burning man??? In the beginning Catherine is rightfully resentful about all of this, but by the end she's like "oh my God I had such a great upbringing!". Bitch you're traumatized.
Same thing with Luca. While, yes, there are great explanations of all the times he sort of flaked, we never hear them from him. Catherine doesn't know all of the facts and without them, she (again, rightfully) calls him out for being irresponsible. It does turn out there were reasons, but why does Luca never explain himself? Why does Catherine have to be the one to apologize? She didn't really do anything wrong. If my doorman (which I don't have) lost absolutely crucial mail from my bank FOR WEEKS, caused me to fall over bikes more than once, etc I would be expecting him to be forthcoming with some explanations instead of him being like oh trust me, you're just being too narrow. It's just disappointing. In the end, it's only Catherine who adjusts. Catherine that loosens up. There is not one scene of Luca or her dad being like "you're right. I should have been a bit less laid back and actually followed the rules/accepted responsibility". At least use a goddamn coaster! As often as Catherine thinks about that, there really could have been more consideration.
Please leave my rule following women in peace. We do not need another book about how they can be less annoying/uptight/boring. They wouldn't have to be so rigid, if the men in there life could just do the bare minimum.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily read and reviewed it.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced