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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
This was a fun and lighthearted rom-com with a touch of magical realism. I enjoyed the setting of an older apartment building in Pittsburgh and the relationship between serious and ambitious Catherine and fun-loving and loyal Luca. He’s a doorman for the building. She’s a soon-to-be mathematics professor. There’s one problem, her identity is missing? Not stolen, but completely wiped from all government databases. What follows is a fun, sometimes heist-like, search involving lots of Luca’s community friends and his possibly mafia-associated uncle. There’s also interactions between Catherine and her father, a literal clown, and all the burlesque dancers who helped raise her. It’s part romance, part Catherine finding her voice and standing up for herself, part heartwarming community tale, and a small part gentrification story. I enjoyed the elderly residents best and loved Catherine’s interaction with the book club at the community center. There were a few items that didn’t hold up too well for me though, bringing my rating down slightly. The humor wasn’t perfectly suited to my taste and I found the clowning a little cheesy, getting second-hand embarrassment for Catherine at times. I also predicted a few of the twists and turns. I don’t mind predictability, especially in romance, but I still like a little surprise and didn’t find that here.
The bottom line: I enjoyed this one, but found the side-characters more compelling and interesting than the main ones. That being said, I’d still read more from this author.
— NOTES —
Genres: romance, contemporary fiction, touch of magical realism
POV: first-person single
Content: loss of loved one, parental abandonment
Romance: implied intimacy, closed door
Laugh factor: grins and giggles
Cry factor: n/a
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the DRC (digital review copy). All thoughts are my genuine reactions and reading experience.
The bottom line: I enjoyed this one, but found the side-characters more compelling and interesting than the main ones. That being said, I’d still read more from this author.
— NOTES —
Genres: romance, contemporary fiction, touch of magical realism
POV: first-person single
Content: loss of loved one, parental abandonment
Romance: implied intimacy, closed door
Laugh factor: grins and giggles
Cry factor: n/a
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the DRC (digital review copy). All thoughts are my genuine reactions and reading experience.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Complicated
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this sweet and heartwarming book.
The story centers on Catherine, who is a mathematician and thrives on organization and rules. The book has a magical realism plot when Catherine suddenly no longer appears in any government or banking systems. She no longer has an identity. With the help of the charming doorman at her new apartment building, Catherine breaks out of her shell and takes risks to find herself both in a formal paperwork way and her personal inner identity.
The characters, especially Luca, the main male lead, and the other apartment complex residents were cute and funny.
The book was light, not stressful to read, and was a closed-door romance.
I think my only hesitations were how impractical it felt at times. It's hard to go into details without giving away spoilers, but there were elements that felt silly, and I thought there could have been easier solutions. I think it's a book where if you want light entertainment, it is enjoyable, but it could be easy to lose yourself in the details that certain aspects weren't realistic or practical.
Overall, it was a really sweet and touching story. It shows how you can find your community and that you can open yourself up and grow in new opportunities.
The story centers on Catherine, who is a mathematician and thrives on organization and rules. The book has a magical realism plot when Catherine suddenly no longer appears in any government or banking systems. She no longer has an identity. With the help of the charming doorman at her new apartment building, Catherine breaks out of her shell and takes risks to find herself both in a formal paperwork way and her personal inner identity.
The characters, especially Luca, the main male lead, and the other apartment complex residents were cute and funny.
The book was light, not stressful to read, and was a closed-door romance.
I think my only hesitations were how impractical it felt at times. It's hard to go into details without giving away spoilers, but there were elements that felt silly, and I thought there could have been easier solutions. I think it's a book where if you want light entertainment, it is enjoyable, but it could be easy to lose yourself in the details that certain aspects weren't realistic or practical.
Overall, it was a really sweet and touching story. It shows how you can find your community and that you can open yourself up and grow in new opportunities.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
As a big fan of the Second Chance Year, I was so excited to get my hands on this ARC! Wish I Were Here centers around Catherine Lipton, a mathematics professor who, after submitting her hiring paperwork for her dream teaching position at a university, discovers that she simply *doesn't exist*. As she begins to uncover answers around her missing identity, she works alongside her apartment's doorman, Luca (a golden retriever-like MMC), and discovers that maybe there's more to life than just a career.
Initially, I was expecting more magical realism going into this book so I found myself a bit caught off guard. As the plot and loose ends came together, my perception and opinion of this story changed--for the better. For the majority of the book, I found many of the characters insufferable and struggled to connect to the FMC. While I enjoyed how everything came together, this book was honestly a bit difficult to get through until the last 15% or so, but ultimately I feel like the resolution did make it all worth it. Overall, I loved the ending, but wish I had enjoyed it just a bit more throughout. I'm still a big fan of Melissa Wiesner's books and am eager to check out her future releases!
Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Initially, I was expecting more magical realism going into this book so I found myself a bit caught off guard. As the plot and loose ends came together, my perception and opinion of this story changed--for the better. For the majority of the book, I found many of the characters insufferable and struggled to connect to the FMC. While I enjoyed how everything came together, this book was honestly a bit difficult to get through until the last 15% or so, but ultimately I feel like the resolution did make it all worth it. Overall, I loved the ending, but wish I had enjoyed it just a bit more throughout. I'm still a big fan of Melissa Wiesner's books and am eager to check out her future releases!
Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Both main characters seemed one dimensional and I didn’t get more of a feel for either of them during my reading (Catherine - type A, unlikable, judgmental. Luca - easygoing, had tattoos - the tattoos are mentioned quite frequently (as a result it’s the only thing I can recall about him).
I found that the romance between the two mains never clicked for me - the chemistry was lacking and the result (for me) was a boring story that I slogged through.
I did enjoy some of the secondary characters but, unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to elevate this story into a “liked it”.
Hopefully other readers will enjoy this one more.
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the DRC
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Yes
This romance didn’t blow me away by any means, but it was undeniably sweet and enjoyable! The story itself is what really hooked me—the magical elements were subtle and super fun, with everything coming together full circle into the most precious ending!
After a very promising career opportunity, Catherine Lipton’s life takes a wild turn when she mysteriously disappears from all government databases. Desperate to retrieve her birth certificate from the mother she’s never met, Catherine steps into a whimsical adventure filled with silly detours that challenge her rule-following nature in the best possible way!
Joining her is Luca Morelli, her infuriatingly handsome and charismatic doorman. And from the very start, I adored this ray of sunshine. There’s a sweet and heartwarming mystery behind his quirky tendencies, and I loved how he disrupts Catherine’s carefully controlled world, helping her realize her life is filled with people who genuinely care about her!
(heat level: closed door)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
After a very promising career opportunity, Catherine Lipton’s life takes a wild turn when she mysteriously disappears from all government databases. Desperate to retrieve her birth certificate from the mother she’s never met, Catherine steps into a whimsical adventure filled with silly detours that challenge her rule-following nature in the best possible way!
Joining her is Luca Morelli, her infuriatingly handsome and charismatic doorman. And from the very start, I adored this ray of sunshine. There’s a sweet and heartwarming mystery behind his quirky tendencies, and I loved how he disrupts Catherine’s carefully controlled world, helping her realize her life is filled with people who genuinely care about her!
(heat level: closed door)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
WISH I WERE HERE
Melissa Wiesner @melissawiesnerauthor
Thank you to the author for including me in her traveling arc team and also to @readforeverpub for my #gifted arc.
Thoughts:
I love, love, loved this book!! We need more MMC’s like Luca in the world! Such a dream and so caring. Catherine was not as easy to love but I think that was the intent. We def see growth in her. The elderly neighbors were so awesome! I’d love to live in this building.
Being part of the traveling arc team was so much fun! Seeing everyone’s comments and tabs definitely enhanced the reading experience.
This is my second book I’ve read by Melissa and she’s got a fan for life!
Melissa Wiesner @melissawiesnerauthor
Thank you to the author for including me in her traveling arc team and also to @readforeverpub for my #gifted arc.
Thoughts:
I love, love, loved this book!! We need more MMC’s like Luca in the world! Such a dream and so caring. Catherine was not as easy to love but I think that was the intent. We def see growth in her. The elderly neighbors were so awesome! I’d love to live in this building.
Being part of the traveling arc team was so much fun! Seeing everyone’s comments and tabs definitely enhanced the reading experience.
This is my second book I’ve read by Melissa and she’s got a fan for life!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Wish I Were Here” is a charming, uplifting romantic comedy. When Catherine, a definite Type A, shows up to her new job only to find out she’s missing her identity, she must enlist the help of her carefree doorman. This story is definitely for those who have lost sleep at night over thoughts about the whereabouts of their birth certificate (me). Catherine and Luca set out to solve the mystery of Catherine’s lost identity, with lots of adventure along the way. The magical realism came together beautifully to teach Catherine a valuable life lesson on the meaning of community and the value it adds to our life. I really enjoyed all the side characters.
For those who enjoy:
🪪Opposites Attract Romance
🪪Quest
🪪Math Professor + Doorman
🪪Long Lost Parent
🪪Navigating Parent Issues
🪪Magical Realism
🪪Closed Door Romance
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
For those who enjoy:
🪪Opposites Attract Romance
🪪Quest
🪪Math Professor + Doorman
🪪Long Lost Parent
🪪Navigating Parent Issues
🪪Magical Realism
🪪Closed Door Romance
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
I loved the second chance year, so when I saw another Wiesner book on netgalley, I jumped for it. I really enjoyed Catherine’s story. This book was strongest when dealing with her path of self-discovery. The romance was sweet and added to the story and the magical realism was icing on the cake.
I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher.
I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher.