Wish You Were Here: A Novel

Oh, this book. There were times I was SO frustrated with Charlotte and times she actually had me crying. I actually cried through several parts of this book. And, when I finished, I cried some more.

This was such a heart rending story. I absolutely LOVED it. I knew something was up with Adam almost right away, but my guess about his issue was totally wrong. Yay!! The characters were so real and had me totally mesmerized and engrossed in their world.

A story about love, loss, growing up and somewhat cheesy at times that I absolutely loved and enjoyed.

Huge thanks to Atria Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Wish You Were Here is an endearing and sweet story, filled with angsty, frustrated twenty-somethings just looking to find their way in the world. I related a whooooole lot. I felt like Charlotte: cynical and looking to somehow subconsciously sabotage herself and her romantic relationships so that she can't be hurt.

What I liked:
- Charlotte and Helen's friendship. They were dependent upon each other and had to learn to continue living without leaning on the other.
- Charlotte and Adam, because, ugh, god.
- Seth, the wholesome good guy.
- Chuck, the jerk-with-a-big-heart brother.

I feel that I can't say much about the story without revealing too many spoilers. I really enjoyed the whimsical feel of the novel, but felt a lot of it was show more spectacularly unrealistic. But then again, I'm cynical. Nothing that happened can't happen, per se. A lot of it you just have to suspend your disbelief and go with the flow with, or otherwise you won't enjoy it. I enjoyed it and I let myself get lost in the storytelling, however far-fetched. show less

“Love is a wordless secret; it’s an inside joke. Only the two of you have to understand it.”

There was not anything obviously wrong with this book. There are stories that you connect with and stories you don't. This one was a story I just didn't connect with.

Charlotte, main character, is hard to like. She's not nice and completely irresponsible and her frustration at having a paying job with descent hours that she didn't like was equally frustrating and eye rolling.

Neither Adam nor Seth were interesting. The conversations felt fake and forced. Her best friend is awful. I wish I'd liked it more.

I feel like I am the only person who has read this book so far that wasn't moved to tears. Normally, I would say that it's because I am so tough when it comes to emotions while reading. I don't think that is all it is with this one.

I have been a huge fan of Carlino's since she published her very first book. She has been a go-to author when I want a romance story. Her writing is phenomenal, and she is able to tell a story with complete expertise.

In the beginning of the story, I was totally jiving with it. I was on board. Then, the book took a turn. I began to loathe Charlotte. I couldn't shake my disdain for her character. In my eyes, she was selfish. No matter what, she had a tough time redeeming herself to me.

I can see where and why show more people were brought to tears while reading this book. The disconnect for me that sets me away from those readers is my inability to feel any form of empathy or sympathy for Charlotte. I felt for the characters she affected the most around her, but not her.

By the time this book ended, I still just didn't like Charlotte, but I was happy with the final result of the story, even though I didn't feel Charlotte deserved it.

Carlino's writing is spot-on like it always has been. After reading my thoughts above, it might not seem like it. This just wasn't a story that I totally got into. show less

It seems as though Renée Carlino is a hit or miss author for me. The first book I read by her I absolutely loved, Before We Were Strangers. I was eager to read more by her so looked to her backlist. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with After the Rain. Next, I tried reading Swear on This Life. While I liked the first 75%, the ending disappointed me.

Now we have Wish You Were Here. The premise and blurb sounded really good and intrigued me. The first few chapters kept my attention, however, I didn’t really like the whole ‘love at first meeting’ thing; but I tried to put that aside because… it is a romance. But the more and more I read, the less interesting it got, and the less believable it became. I also thought the writing was show more poor. It might be cliche to say, but to me, the writing was a perfect example of an author telling a story, as opposed to showing.

I wasn’t really interested in Charlotte nor could I understand her attraction to Adam. I would have loved to have seen more of Seth in the story. I felt like he was barely a presence in the book - which surprised me based on what the blurb says.

It pains me to say all this because I really truly loved Carlino’s Before We Were Strangers. I recommend that book to anyone and everyone! I’m sad I can’t say the same of Wish You Were Here.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Originally posted on Books For The Living. show less

This was a romantic, heartwarming and moving story. There were some genuinely funny moments in the book which made me laugh out loud. As well as, the brother-sister relationship was so hilarious and amazing- Chuck the fuck and Fatbutt- who keeps names like that!

While I did enjoy Charlotte’s journey, I found her behavior confusing at times. Sometimes she is so mature and sensible and the next minute she is childish and agitated. I just wish her character would have been a little bit stronger. All the other characters including the supporting ones were amazing, and you will end up liking and falling in love with all of them.

My personal favorite part of the book was the epilogue, it was so beautiful and heartfelt. It just took the entire show more story to another level. show less

I have been on a change of pace from the fantasy binge I have been on. This book had all the feels. Even though it was a bit predictable, it didn't stop me from devouring it. Love, heartbreak, finding your true self, and acceptance. This book has it all. I don't do quotes but this one stuck with me. "I promise to love you forever. As long as there is love in this world, we will be a part of it." ❤️❤️❤️❤️