When I read Swear on this Life, I thought man I like this even though it's the type of book I usually hate. I thought the same thing when I was reading this. So maybe I do like these kinds of books. Or maybe I just like Renee Carlino. Her writing touches me. 


Free e-book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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

Beautiful and heartfelt, and once again, Renee Carlino has delivered the touching prose she does so well! Wish You Were Here is a thought provoking, poignant, and remarkable story about self-discovery and love. At its essence, this is a story about love. Whilst this isn’t a gut wrenching sob your heart out story, there were certainly times we read through tears, courtesy of some very moving moments in Renee Carlino’s latest romance.

“Do you believe in soul mates, Charlotte?”
“I think so.”

This author cemented our belief that people come into our lives for a reason, that each person we meet, be it good or bad,  becomes part of our fabric. Each person we give our hearts to leaves a footprint on our lives, responsible for how we live and love, and for Charlotte Martin, this couldn’t be more accurate when she meets Adam. Charlotte could never imagine the impact this man would have on her.

‘You broke his damn heart.’

There are those who will arrive in a blaze of glory, unsettling our foundations, forcing us to see inside ourselves, and for Charlotte, that person was Adam, and it was because of Adam that Wish You Were Here had us hooked  from the outset.  Adam was such an intriguing character and the way Renee Carlino set up this story, dangling those little emotional carrots, preparing our hearts, repairing our hearts,  left us breathless.

“Different people connect to different parts of our souls.”

Adam and Charlotte had a true connection and we felt it. It was as though they’d crossed paths in a previous life and found each other again. That sort of soulmate love, but the planets weren’t aligned and Adam and Charlotte part ways, though Charlotte never forgot the man who impacted her so deeply.

Time goes by and Charlotte meets a soulful and beautiful man named Seth Taylor, and oh boy did this man steal our hearts. Seth is the sort of man a girl dreams of and we loved him deeply.

And here is where Wish You Were Here lost us in some ways. Charlotte’s treatment of Seth was awful. Seth was such a sweet  character, that Charlotte’s actions towards him incensed us. There were times we felt as though Seth was merely a distraction for Charlotte. A means to while away the time while she secretly hoped her path would once again cross with Adams, and Seth didn’t deserve that. We felt Charlotte was insincere to Seth and it was as though Charlotte was continually on the defensive. Always quick with a hurtful jibe or bratty pout,  not only towards Seth, but towards her friend Helen also. When reading, we always put ourselves in the heroines shoes, to try and relate to her, to understand he feelings and action; sadly in this case, we couldn’t. 

Now, that being said, we did love this book. We did become swept up in this story, which in itself was heartfelt. The two men in Charlotte’s life were divine, and there’s no doubt Renee Carlino kept us on our toes wondering how this story would play out. The writing was stunning, with Renee Carlino delivering a love story with warmth and honesty and two men our hearts ached for . And each made moved us for very different reasons.

“Your art, our memories, the memories people have of us. It makes us immortal. When you love someone, whether it be your family, friends, partners, whatever, it’s like planting a little seedling of yourself inside of their hearts.”

Renee Carlino certainly tugged at our heartstrings, but she also provided light relief courtesy of some fabulously witty secondary characters. The insulting banter and witty sibling rivalry between Charlotte and her brother Charles was priceless! Chuck needs his own book!  So whilst we did have issues with the heroine, there’s no doubt the story itself and the characters reminded us why we continue to pick up this authors books time and time again, and why we always will.

I really liked this book!  This was such a special, impacting story.  I have been excited to read this since I heard about it.  Renee Carlino is one of my favorite authors that doesn't get enough attention in my opinion. 

I read Wish You Were Here in one sitting and felt all the feels the entire time.  It was so much more than your typical romance book.  Right away I connected with the heroine, Charlotte (Charlie) Martin.  She is in her late 20's and doesn't really have her life together.  She lives in a cheap apartment, working as a waitress, not meeting anyone worth her time.  I think many people will be able to relate to Charlie because she's not picture perfect wrapped in a bow, she's real. 

Then she meets Adam and OMG their connection is insane.  They hit it off immediately.  I love Adam, he is me in male form.  He's an artist and quirky I love that I connected so well with both characters.  I can't say too much without giving away spoilers but Charlie and Adam's time is short and a third player is added to the game, Seth.  While I like Seth, he's not Adam.  I struggled with accepting where this story took me but it was beautiful all in all.

I am rating this book with 4 stars because I really enjoyed this book as I do almost all of Renee's books and couldn't put it down the entire time.  I do have to warn you to get your tissues ready because I ugly cried while reading this book.  I definitely recommend giving this book a one click!

5 Beautiful Breathtaking Stars! 

It's been a while since I've read a book that has had all of my emotions through the ringer. But Wish You Were Here most certainly did that for me! 
This is going to be a short but sweet review for me as there is no way I am giving away anything about the book. It is most definitely best if you go in blind, not knowing what to expect. That's how it was for me and I wouldn't change it in any other way. 
What I will say is that this is, you will love, you will laugh and you will cry. Oh how you will cry. 
You will be hooked right from the start of this guy wrenching story and you will devour it in no time. I devoured it in one sitting and I'm left with so many feelings it's hard to process them all at once. It certainly makes you think about love and how life if precious and to live life to the fullest. 
It's an epically beautiful written book that has been added to one of my favourite reads of this year!

Lovely. Reminds the reader to live life to the fullest and not to take anything and anyone for granted. Heartbreaking.

Wish You Were Here is only my second Renee Carlino book and I'm sitting here wondering why I still haven't put life on hold to read her entire back catalogue.
 
From the moment I read the blurb I was instantly fascinated with how this story was going to play out. I really didn't except to like Wish You Were Here as much as I did! I didn't expect to feel all the feels I did and cry all the tears I did!
 
But from the first chapter of Wish You Were Here, I was frustrated. 
 
Charlotte and her best friend Helen live together and work together and have an incredibly frustrating if not slightly toxic friendship. While they know each other better than they know themselves, half the problem with there friendship is that they know each other but they don't know themselves. Charlotte and Helen unintentionally hold each other back, they're polar opposites as well. Charlotte comes across as a negative and cynical person while Helen is bubbly and positive. They treat life completely differently and are essentially chalk and cheese. 
 
In the first 25% of the book Helen is dumped and forces Charlotte to go on a night out and celebrate her knew single-dom. While on there way home from the bar they run into Adam. Adam is a breath of fresh air to the story if not also slightly perplexing. After Charlotte and Adam spend the night together he almost becomes a completely different person come the morning.
 
This one action of Adam's is what kept me reading Wish You Were Here and is also the point where I was completely hooked and needed to know how Charlotte and Adam's story would end. 
 
Then Adam disappears. Enter Seth... Charlotte meets Seth. Seth likes Charlotte. Charlotte is self absorbed and holding herself back from experiencing love and life. Seth is too good for Charlotte. 
 
I adored Seth and Adam from the first moment they both appeared in this poignant story. I almost instantly disliked Charlotte and as the story went on I disliked her even more. 
 
But then Wish You Were Here took a unique turn and Charlotte grew on me and became a character that I admired.
 
I don't think I've ever read a book that had me as frustrated and confused as this book did. I'm so incredibly glad that I persevered and finished this impeccable story of love, heartbreak and life. It took so many twists and turns that I wasn't expecting and had me rocking in a corner with tears rolling down my face numerous times. Renee Carlino is a phenomenal writer. I've never loved a book that I started out barely tolerating and i believe this is a huge compliment to the type of writer Renee is. How many times can you say that due to an authors incredible writing that you've gone from tolerating a book to it being a favourite? 
 
The story of Charlotte, Adam and Seth is a truly beautiful experience. One that I'm thankful I got to read. Renee Carlino has instantly become a favourite author of mine purely for her magical writing. There's no other way to describe her writing but magical! 
 
I can't recommend Wish You Were Here enough. If you're looking for the type of story that makes you feel everything then this is that story!

I am a big Renee Carlino fan. I loved Before We Were Strangers and really enjoyed Swear in This Life. I knew I would read and love her latest Wish You Were Here. Plus that cover - GORGEOUS.

This is definitely a book you want to go into knowing nothing about. Hence this review will be short and sweet and fairly vague. 

Things I Loved:

Charlotte. She was kind of a mess. She hasn't had success with jobs or relationships. She realizes this but doesn't seem in a rush to change things. She was very relatable. But there was growth and that is what I always love to see. 

Family Dynamics. Charlotte is definitely second fiddle to her brother when it comes to their father. At first I thought her brother was a jerk but we see he isn't.  Charlotte sees him as he was but he has grown and loved how their relationship grew. Things with her dad changed too which was nice. I love when a family can get stronger in a book.

Friendship. Charlotte's  best friend was her partner in crime. The lived together, worked together and were dependent on each other. When her best friend finds herself in a relationship and moves out it changes them. This was super realistic to me. Things change when one friend falls in love and one doesn't. It played out well for me. 

Romance(s). Of course there was some romance. I really loved the one. I also fell for him. He was just too good to be true. I may not have been super into any other romantic things going on as much as others though. Is that vague enough???

Things I Was Eh On:

Heavy Handed: There were some parts I thought were just a bit much. I think at times I was supposed t be emotional and sometimes I was but others I just found it so obvious and laid on a bit thick it didn't hit me. 

I flew through this and couldn't put it down. I needed to know what would happen. Again go into this knowing as little as possible.If you have liked her previous work I think this will be a hit and if you haven't read her go do it!

4.5 stars. 

“You brightened the darkest time of my life.”


I'm not crying, you are. Ugh this book was actually really amazing. I went in blind so I actually had no idea what was going to happen. I loved the characters and how some of the scenes played out. The story just felt real, raw, and full of emotions. 

My poor heart. Recently all the books I've read and loved have made me cry in some way or another. This is also the first m/f book I've read in a very long time that I actually enjoyed.

“I promise to love you forever. As long as there is love in this world, we will be a part of it.”


Wish You Were Here is one of those books that opens your eyes. No matter how gut wrenching it is. It tells you to live your day like it's last, to never take it for granted. And we all do. No matter how much we deny it.

And at times, I did wish the story took a few different turns - mainly that ending. But again, that's my personal opinion. Hence the reason I took the .5 off. But I do understand why everything happened the way it did. It made sense.

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 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.

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

Beautiful and heartfelt, and once again, Renee Carlino has delivered the touching prose she does so well! Wish You Were Here is a thought provoking, poignant, and remarkable story about self-discovery and love. At its essence, this is a story about love. Whilst this isn’t a gut wrenching sob your heart out story, there were certainly times we read through tears, courtesy of some very moving moments in Renee Carlino’s latest romance.

“Do you believe in soul mates, Charlotte?”
“I think so.”

This author cemented our belief that people come into our lives for a reason, that each person we meet, be it good or bad,  becomes part of our fabric. Each person we give our hearts to leaves a footprint on our lives, responsible for how we live and love, and for Charlotte Martin, this couldn’t be more accurate when she meets Adam. Charlotte could never imagine the impact this man would have on her.

‘You broke his damn heart.’

There are those who will arrive in a blaze of glory, unsettling our foundations, forcing us to see inside ourselves, and for Charlotte, that person was Adam, and it was because of Adam that Wish You Were Here had us hooked  from the outset.  Adam was such an intriguing character and the way Renee Carlino set up this story, dangling those little emotional carrots, preparing our hearts, repairing our hearts,  left us breathless.

“Different people connect to different parts of our souls.”

Adam and Charlotte had a true connection and we felt it. It was as though they’d crossed paths in a previous life and found each other again. That sort of soulmate love, but the planets weren’t aligned and Adam and Charlotte part ways, though Charlotte never forgot the man who impacted her so deeply.

Time goes by and Charlotte meets a soulful and beautiful man named Seth Taylor, and oh boy did this man steal our hearts. Seth is the sort of man a girl dreams of and we loved him deeply.

And here is where Wish You Were Here lost us in some ways. Charlotte’s treatment of Seth was awful. Seth was such a sweet  character, that Charlotte’s actions towards him incensed us. There were times we felt as though Seth was merely a distraction for Charlotte. A means to while away the time while she secretly hoped her path would once again cross with Adams, and Seth didn’t deserve that. We felt Charlotte was insincere to Seth and it was as though Charlotte was continually on the defensive. Always quick with a hurtful jibe or bratty pout,  not only towards Seth, but towards her friend Helen also. When reading, we always put ourselves in the heroines shoes, to try and relate to her, to understand he feelings and action; sadly in this case, we couldn’t. 

Now, that being said, we did love this book. We did become swept up in this story, which in itself was heartfelt. The two men in Charlotte’s life were divine, and there’s no doubt Renee Carlino kept us on our toes wondering how this story would play out. The writing was stunning, with Renee Carlino delivering a love story with warmth and honesty and two men our hearts ached for . And each made moved us for very different reasons.

“Your art, our memories, the memories people have of us. It makes us immortal. When you love someone, whether it be your family, friends, partners, whatever, it’s like planting a little seedling of yourself inside of their hearts.”

Renee Carlino certainly tugged at our heartstrings, but she also provided light relief courtesy of some fabulously witty secondary characters. The insulting banter and witty sibling rivalry between Charlotte and her brother Charles was priceless! Chuck needs his own book!  So whilst we did have issues with the heroine, there’s no doubt the story itself and the characters reminded us why we continue to pick up this authors books time and time again, and why we always will.

4 stars

TBB RENEE CARLINO RECOMMENDED READS
“CLICK ON BOOK COVERS FOR REVIEWS AND PURCHASE LINKS”

SWEAR ON THIS LIFE – 5 STAR STANDALONE 
Searing second chance love story.

When we say that every single emotion came into play, we mean Every. Single. Emotion. It was utterly captivating and stunningly beautiful. This is without question one of the most intense and complicated second chance romances we’ve ever read.

‘She sat there holding her smooth legs to her chest, staring out the window, popping her gum, bored, and saying inconsequential things. But still…she was the center of the universe. She could make the whole world go around without even breaking a sweat.’



BEFORE WE WERE STRANGERS – 5 STAR STANDALONE  
Second chance love

What an utterly beautiful story!  A breathtakingly moving story of an intense first love, of searing second chance love, and one of missed connections, miscommunication and wasted opportunities that spanned fifteen years with a love between two people we felt deep in our hearts.

‘You can’t recreate the first time you promise to love someone or the first time you feel loved by another. You cannot relive the sensation of fear, admiration, self-consciousness, passion, and desire all mixed into one because it never happens twice. You chase it like the first high for the rest of your life.’

Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino is a stand-alone romance novel. This is a emotional read. Wish You Were Here gutted the hell out of me.
Charlotte, drifting through her life collides with Adam. Adam , a georgeous painter. They spend the night together and their chemistry is through the roof high. It was one look and they clicked. But the next day he gives her the cold shoulder. Months later, Charlie is in a new relationship she meets Adam again. Soulmates that fate let collide.
But nothing is as it seems, nothing.
Wish You Were Here is a heart wrenchingly story, a very emotional read. Can you have more than one soulmate? More than one true love; a love of a lifetime? After I finished this book I was an emotional wreck. I needed tissues, a lot. I suffered with the characters, I cheered for them and in general I loved them.
I loved the story, I loved the writing and I loved the words. Wish You Were Here is a book that stays with you. I recommend this book and give 5 stars. Thank you Renee Carlino!

Renee Carlino serves up another unexpected romance with Wish You Were Here. A one-of-a-kind twist on the love triangle, Charlotte’s story is fairly low on drama and overall, incredibly hopeful. This book read quickly and I was undeniably intrigued by the premise of the story. Fast paced and filled with fascinating secondary characters, Wish You Were Here explored life, love, and family in a totally unique way. I appreciated the various relationships Renee Carlino explored throughout this book. In addition to Charlotte’s very different relationships with Adam and Seth, the author highlighted the heroine’s friendship with Helen along with her relationships with her brother and parents. Endearing, self-reflective, and just the right amount of funny, this novel was sweet, surprising, and utterly life-affirming.

My biggest issue with this novel was the emotional development of the heroine. Written to be flighty and unfocused, Charlotte’s voice sometimes came across as unfeeling and disconnected. We were told how Charlotte felt instead of being made to experience the emotions through her dialogue, deportment, and inner musings. This narrative style kept me at arms length and I was never really able to feel for the character the way I so desperately wanted to. Charlotte just felt too inconsistent and by the end of the story, I still wasn’t convinced her feelings were authentic. I genuinely missed being wholly captivated by Renee Carlino’s words and felt as if this story lacked the kind of heart-wrenching emotional depth and perfectly fluid pacing I’ve come to expect from this author.

That’s not to say I didn’t love pieces of this book. I definitely enjoyed getting to know both Adam and Seth. I’m always happy to fall in love with the hero, but falling for two was even better. Renee Carlino did a great job developing these completely different personalities while still managing to make both men utterly swoon-worthy and worth rooting for. Admittedly, the storyline had its ups and downs for me, but the last thirty percent or so really hit its mark. The beautiful imagery and poetic prose that colored the conclusion of Charlotte’s story was much more reminiscent of Renee Carlino’s usual style and I found myself truly appreciating the novel for its raw and poignant plot. Other readers may connect better with Charlotte than I did, in which case Wish You Were Here will certainly enchant. Renee Carlino reminds readers to live, laugh, and fall in love with this decidedly intriguing read.

"As long as there is love in this world, we will be a part of it."
♥
I literally just finished this book a few hours ago and was trying to think of a way to write a review that would do this book justice. 
First I must say that I went into this book blind. I haven't been disappointed with Renee's book yet, so I request this book on NetGalley. 
This story is about appreciating life and it's moments. Charlotte, 27yo woman still struggling to find her niche in life. She’s had far too many jobs as well as failed relationships. She unexpectedly meets Adam and instantly there’s a strong connection between them. His spontaneity and pure joy marked her soul.
They were times I laughed at all the silly banter. However, there were times I couldn't read. I had to put my kindle down and just cry. From the very beginning, I felt that something was off. There are clues as the story unravels, but nothing prepares you for what comes to light and for what comes after.
Such an emotional love story. You definitely don't want to be reading this out in public. Make sure you have tissues.
♥
Thank to @atriabooks for sending a copy of Wish You Were Here via @netgalley ♥

Renée Carlino has become one of those rare authors that I know I'm going to read whatever she writes - and be emotionally impacted by it. She has a gift for writing stories that I slip into seamlessly and become fully immersed in the lives of characters that feel like they could be my friends, my sisters, my family. Wish You Were Here was no exception.

Charlotte is coasting through life with a series of failed careers and failed relationships behind her. A chance meeting with Adam leads to a one-night stand and an intense connection. However, the morning after brings another side of Adam and Charlotte is left questioning how all they shared the previous night could have vanished so quickly. Six months later Charlotte is still shaken by her encounter with Adam and even a tentative new relationship with a seemingly great guy cannot shake her conviction that her story with Adam is still unfinished.

There's little I can say plot-wise without giving away much of the story and it's best to experience Wish You Were Here without too much information - just let the story unfold. So instead let's talk characters. Carlino did her usual magic and created a main character so flawed and so human and it was impossible not to feel her uncertainty and lack of direction. Admittedly, the two main male characters at times fell into the too-good-to-be-true category but I loved them both so much that I couldn't hold it against them (or Carlino). Every interaction was filled with such heart and emotion and humor, often making me smile through tears. There were times when I was frustrated with Charlotte, wondering if she was being deliberately obtuse, but watching as she changed and truly came into her own made it all worthwhile. Yes, it could be argued that there is insta-love (or at least an insta-connection), but it was impossible not to fall under the romantic spell that Carlino cast. I was swept away by the sparks that were flying, by the grand gestures, by the quiet moments. Somehow, Carlino took the trope, added her signature mixture of realism and emotion, and made it work.

Wish You Were Here puts a spotlight on not only romantic relationships but those with friends and family as well. As the story progresses, it was satisfying to see Charlotte's relationships with her best friend, her parents and her brother change and evolve as she herself changed. Her relationship with her brother was a real highlight and their banter rang so true. Anyone with a sibling will understand and appreciate the love-hate relationship, the rivalry, the inside jokes, and the way the relationship (hopefully) evolves into something even stronger and deeper in adulthood.

Wish You Were Here is about having the courage to choose love no matter what the cost. It's about soul mates and second chances. It's about growing up, finding direction, and living in the moment. Ultimately, Wish You Were Here is the perfect novel for those who are in love with love.

Review link posted below.

La pluma de Renée siempre ha sido un factor indispensable para que los lectores continuaran leyendo. Siempre hubo una magia difícil de explicar que volvía una narración simple en algo terriblemente hermoso. Es muy fácil leer sus libros, los cuales se pasan volando y eso es algo que sí se pudo ver en Wish You Were Here. Creo que lo leí en un día, que en términos generales es leer un libro rápido. Pero para la rapidez con la que yo normalmente me leo los libros de Renée, fue bastante lento. La primera mitad del libro me parecía interminable, que no sucedía nada, ya me estaba dando incluso por vencida con el libro. Siendo honestos, si una historia no arranca antes del 30% de un libro el lector comienza a sentirse bastante estancado porque sigue leyendo una introducción interminable. Así me sentía yo hasta la mitad del libro, atrapada leyendo el principio de una historia que no terminaba nunca.

Mi mayor problema fue con los personajes. Mientras leía no podía entender que Charlotte tuviera 27 años porque su forma de actuar y pensar la hacía parecer una adolescente caprichosa y no logré conectarme con ella en lo absoluto, me molestaba mucho su forma de ser. También sentí que Charlotte juzgaba mucho a todos, y aunque su papá y su hermano dejaban un poco que desear la primera mitad del libro, se pasó el 50% de la historia victimizándose. Soy el tipo de lectora que no le interesa leer a una persona que juega el papel de víctima constantemente, me aburre y me molesta, que fue justamente lo que me pasó con la protagonista. Fue una narradora fácil de leer pero su personalidad dejaba mucho que desear. Era muy indecisa y la mayoría de sus acciones dejaban un sabor amargo en la boca.


Adam me pareció una copia barata de Will (su protagonista en Sweet Thing), un intento fallido de repetir un personaje espectacular. Mientras Will era un excéntrico pero adorable músico que decía cosas sabias y te daban ganas de abrazarlo todo el tiempo, Adam fue simplemente un pintor que actuó un poco raro la noche en que conoció a la protagonista. Hasta su nueva aparición en la historia (casi hacia el final) yo estaba convencida de que estuvo drogado toda la noche que pasó con Charlotte. Qué les puedo decir, me pareció muy medio pelo.

No hubo mucho desarrollo de los protagonistas y el que encima estos me cayeran bastante mal no le sumó nada a la historia. Otros personajes que me desagradaron bastante fueron la mejor amiga y Seth, quienes ocupan un lugar importante para el desarrollo de la trama. Así que en resumen no me gustó ningún personaje y no fue mejorando con el tiempo. Otro punto negativo.
Todo esto podría haber sido perdonado eventualmente si no fuera porque una simple cosita destruyó toda la solidez de la trama en un segundo. La novela sufre de un severo y agudo caso de… instalove. La misma sinopsis nos cuenta que Charlotte y Adam pasan una noche juntos que los conecta por el resto de la historia. El problema es que por dos tercios de la novela, Charlotte y Adam ni siquiera interactúan. Adam está perdido por ahí luego de pasar juntos una sola noche. Ella sigue viviendo pero continúa enganchada con este chico y, aunque aprecié el intento de realismo en cuanto a las tentativas de Charlotte de continuar con su vida, no siento que Renée haya tratado bien ese punto. En ningún momento me pareció que la protagonista realmente tratara de continuar y vivir su vida.

Su noche juntos no me pareció la gran cosa (ya les dije, Adam parecía drogado la mayor parte de ella) así que imagínense mis pensamientos cuando al encontrarse de nuevo mucho tiempo después, Charlotte se sentía enamorada de él. Yo no lo podía entender. Nunca sentí una gran química entre ellos y de pronto había un tsunami de emociones intensas. Como resultado, no me interesó demasiado su relación a lo largo del libro y me pareció bastante absurda. 
Ahora, todos van a decir “¿hay algo que te haya gustado?”. Bueno, sí. Algo me gustó, una cosita. El mensaje que nos deja al final. Todos nos merecemos vivir y enamorarnos, amar y ser amados, aunque sea por un día o toda una vida.       

Wish You Were Here es una historia sobre amor a primera vista. Tiene un ritmo rápido y una pluma muy amena que mantienen al lector enganchado, pero a mi parecer falla a la hora de vendernos la relación entre los dos protagonistas. No hubo mucho desarrollo en los personajes y aunque hubo algunas escenas graciosas para equilibrar todas las tristes y dolorosas, los diálogos a lo largo del libro me resultaron muy forzados y…raros.

No es un libro que yo recomiende leer de Renée. Preferiría que leyeran Before We Were Strangers o Swear on this life o Sweet Thing, si quieren un personaje masculino que se gane su corazón.

Son 2,5 cupcakes que me duelen mucho porque esperaba mucho mucho más.

Charlotte and her best friend Helen aren't driven to make something of themselves, they work in a greasy café while they both try to figure out what to do with their futures. They're also living together and haven't had any steady relationships. That changes quite suddenly though. Charlotte meets Adam when she and Helen are on their way home after an evening out and he gives her the night of her life. Adam isn't like anyone she's ever met before and even though they part ways after their wonderful experience a strong bond has been formed. When Helen meets someone and is ready to move forward Charlotte is being forced to take a good look at her life. Will she be alone and adrift forever?

With a little help Charlotte connects with someone online. When she meets Seth she immediately feels at ease. They start dating and they have something good together. However, being with Seth makes Charlotte realize how much she still likes Adam. She starts looking for him, but what she finds isn't what she expected at all. She has a difficult decision to make, will she ruin her chance at a happy relationship with Seth for something complicated and uncertain? Will the joy of being with Adam be worth the heartache she's inevitably going to get?

Wish You Were Here is a fantastic book that I can't recommend enough. I immediately loved Charlotte. She doesn't know what she wants exactly, but she tries to figure it out in an active way and she is both funny and fabulously honest. Her night with Adam is something truly magical and reading about their enchanting first meeting warmed my heart. It's a beautiful moment and he's such a special soul. Renée Carlino couldn't have come up with a better version of his personality. He's gorgeous inside and out and I enjoyed reading every single word about him. Seth is a terrific sweet guy with a great sense of humor, so Charlotte has a difficult choice to make. The men in her life both sparkle in their own way, which makes the direction the story eventually takes understandable and incredibly romantic.

Wish You Were Here has many emotional layers. Renée Carlino made me smile plenty of times, I also often laughed out loud and I shed quite a lot of tears as the story progressed too. She's written a brilliant moving rollercoaster of a book. Wish You Were Here is impressive, surprising, heartwarming, energetic, captivating and charming. This novel is absolutely amazing, it's a definite must-read and one the best books I've read this year.

”I promise to love you forever. As long as there is love in this world, we will be a part of it.” 

So sweet!! Filled with tons of romance and some real emotion. Don't read any spoilers for this book! I'm glad I didn't know anything about it. 

Renee Carlino's books ALWAYS captivate me. 'Swear on This Life' is one of my all-time favorite stories. I will say that Adam is definitely my favorite thing about this book. *SIGH* Adam is one of the most memorable characters ever created by Ms. Carlino. Impulsive, sweet, charming, creative and loving, he really puts himself out there when he meets Charlotte. While I'm not always a fan of insta-love, it just WORKED here. Charlotte opened up her heart to Adam because he seemed, well, absolutely perfect.

I was absolutely enchanted by Adam and could understand how Charlotte fell for him. But life has a funny way of working out and things don't turn out quite how Charlotte expected. There was definitely something off about Adam right from the beginning but I couldn't put my finger on it. 


“You’re stunning and beautiful and I loved every second of it. I’m sorry you didn’t like it. Did I hurt you.?” 

“No, but are you going to paint it?” 

“Paint what?”

“Us, what we just did?”

“No.”

“No?”

“No. I don’t need to. I’ll never forget it and it’s sacred.” 

The story took a lot of twists and turns and it was definitely one that I was not expecting!! Charlotte has had terrible luck at relationships and let's just say that Adam does not turn out to be everything she expected or imagined. Nonetheless, he still feels like the one love of her life, even though they spent a very short time together. 

Life moves on and Charlotte gets back in to the dating scene. She meets the adorable Seth, who is a minor-league baseball player. He really likes her but she can't quite forget Adam. Seth is patient and sexy and athletic and funny and smart and is just an all-around wonderful man!! But can Charlotte move on from her brief time with Adam?

It was like we already knew each other, like we had met in a previous life. Memories that didn’t exist began exploding in my mind like fireworks. 

This is a lovely, romantic, bittersweet story filled with wonderful life lessons about healing and loving. I also adored all of the characters. This is not at all a love triangle (although I love those, too!). Don't read any spoilers about this one, you will enjoy the book so much more going in blind. The conclusion was just lovely and as always with Renee Carlino's stories, I was sorry to see this one end!

“I want you to know that I am grateful to you. I’m grateful to you now. I got to experience IT in this life, and I don’t think it’s measured with time.”

“You don’t think what’s measured with time, Adam?”

“Love, Charlotte.”