rosieesumner 's review for:

Wish You Were Her by Elle McNicoll

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense 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

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Never ever getting over this book!! Another one of my favourite reads this year and quite possibly of all time!! As an autistic reader it's so refreshing to see two autistic protagonists in a romance novel, especially when their love story, character development and inner worlds are so well written!! It's amazing to see Elle McNicoll return with another romance and I'm so happy that we're getting to see her grow as a writer and expand the Lake Pristine universe!! I love how she explores and tests the boundaries of different narratives and genres, it felt like so much more than a typical romance read it was so layered!! The entire book I just couldn't stop thinking how much it felt like reading a love story that is so Reputation x Pride and Prejudice coded!! Their love story is so beautiful and complex (at times frustrating!! In a very Lizze x Darcy type way) and seeing how Elle McNicoll's prose is developing is so lovely to see, some of her most poetic writing to date!! Her metaphors and allegories for exploring neurodivergency and complicate autistic experiences always make me sob, I always feel so understood and recognized and in a genre where I've never seen myself represented fills me with so much joy!! I thought Elle McNicoll's commentary on celebrity and the price of fame in our modern world was so thought provoking and at times so devasting, especially when coupled with exploring how neurodivergent people are expected or rather forced to fit into so many different roles we never got to rehearse for. ADORED this book so much and would highly recommend!! :) ♡