My 4/4.5 star review is posted on goodreads and will be posted on blog and social media on release.and links will be updated at that time.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2171084640
UPDATED 11/14/17

4.5 stars
Everett, Aiden,and Cameron have been friend since they were kids. The two boys were 3 years older than their tomboy counterpart, Cameron, but they swore to be best friends forever...and they were for many years.

As young adults, Everett Southerland made a choice...to follow his dreams of becoming an international Doctor, but he left his friends behind with only sporadic contact with Aiden and cutting off the girl he could never have. He had loved her for years, but never felt good enough and timing was never on their side.

Cameron James now runs her family's youth camp and has fond memories of growing up there with her two best friends. But she always had a secret crush on Everett, the broken, bad boy she wanted to fix. But she never thought he saw her anything but a kid sister.

Hidden feelings, miscommunication, missed opportunities, distance, and avoidance tore them apart and left them both with a void that could not be filled.

But years later, when Everett gets a letter from their best friend, Aiden begging him to come home because things are going to drastically change, he can't stay away anymore. But he has a lot of guilt, fear, and loss to face even before he can face Cameron again. And she has had years to develop an outer shield built by hurt and pain that his abandonment caused.

But she needs help and he sees an opportunity and plans to be there whether she wants him there or not. So now they are back in each other's lives and have to spend time together. But there is a lot of heartache and loss to deal with. And Everett not only has to face his own demons, but also the wrath and sadness of the girl he left behind. They cycle from rage, hurt, annoyance, passion, and push each other. But they are feeling more excitement in their lives than they have in years.

This time will they be able to admit their feelings and try to chase their own HEA? Admitting their feelings might be one of their biggest battles, and not everything is always as it appears. I seriously wanted to lock them in room in the camp and force them to get everything out in the open.

Cameron was sassy, stubborn, guarded, and had been hurt by their past. Everett was affected not only be his inaction and loss, but also the things he had seen and dealt with overseas. They were a hot mess but shared so much history and a bond that might bend, but could not really break completely. And they also have outside situations that they are dealing with as well adding drama.

This is an antagonistic, passionate, heartbreaking story of friends, lovers, and second chances. It had some mysteries and surprises. It is told in Everett and Cameron's points of view in present and flashbacks with some input from Aiden as well. It took me a bit to realize that Cameron is the daughter of Eli and Shelby from The Story of Us, but then it all came rushing back. It was nice to touch base with them in the future and see the camp come to fruition. I liked the side characters of her friend, Amelia, and his brother, Jason as well.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim | Facebook | Twitter

This was a beautiful friends to lovers romance, second chance romance etc. It was emotional and enjoyable.

Everett, Cameron and Aiden have been best friends since they were young. They do everything together but most importantly every year they each write a wish on their birthday and put it in their secret hiding place in the tree house. In their own way they are creating time capsules that they will one day be opened and they would remininsce about the hopes they had and if any of it came to fruition.

Cameron knew very early on that she was in love with one of her best friends. She desperately wanted him to know but never had the courage to say it to him. She quietly pined away on him for years until he was about to leave after college and travel overseas. She was hoping that he would somehow realise that she loved him and would decide to stay.

He felt the same way about Cameron but like her, he never voiced how he felt. Mostly because he felt that he was not good enough for her and would never live up to the expectations of her family. He also was worried about ruining their friendship trio. If only one of them had spoken up that night, things would have played out way differently over the next five years…..

When Cameron’s unrequited love returns to their hometown the reunion he envisioned in his mind does not go quite as planned. No slow motion, running into each other’s arms occurs at all. Mainly because of their inability to communicate their feelings with each other and a barrel load of hurt & anger.

However, Cameron is in a bit of a pickle with her family camp business and needs to impress a potential investor so an unexpected ‘knight in shining armour’ moment presents itself to ‘he who shall not be named in this review.’ This puts them in close proximity to each other and the desire between them begins to simmer away.

There were so many moments when I was frustrated with both of these people, only one of them had to speak up and say what they truly felt but they spent a lot of time dancing around the truth. This didn’t make me dislike the story but I was heavily invested in the truth eventually coming out. And to be honest, I kind of like a hefty dose of slow burn between a couple. It makes the ‘coupling’ all that more intense.

Also weaved into this story was a bit of a suspense storyline playing out and it kept me guessing right up until the end. However, this is very much a love story between childhood friends who one day hoped their wishes would come true.

4.5 stars

Cam, Everett and Aiden were best friends as children. Though the guys were older than Cam, she was always willing and able to keep up with them. When Everett left to follow his dreams of medicine, he also stepped aside so his two best friends could be happy together without breaking his heart by watching them. When he recieves a letter from Aiden, he regrets the time he’s been away and tries to get back to be there for his friends.

Cameron is such a great female lead. She is tied to her family’s camp and the memories she has of her own youth fuel some of the love she has for the camp. Her memories are so entwined with Everett and Aiden, but the ones with Everett are the most bittersweet.

It hurt so much to watch these two as they circled around each other hiding their feelings in order to avoid more pain. It was pretty clear early on that they both harbored feelings, but exactly what was going on wasn’t as clear. I was bothered by the amount of miscommunications they faced, especially as it seemed like they continued to make the same mistakes, avoiding important conversations and holding back.

I loved so much about this book. But there were also threads that were very familiar, that felt like bleedthrough from Cam’s parents’ story. There are some things that Cam and Everett have in common with Shelby and Eli from The Story of Us, but while it felt familiar, I also loved the way Shelby and Eli were able to offer a different perspective for Cam.

This was an emotional journey, and just when I thought I knew where the story was going, it took a fast turn in another direction. The little details and memories were a perfect way to build the relationship.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first time I’ve read Tara Sivec, but it will not be my last. This second-chance romance will squeeze your heart until it is bursting. It’s emotional and sexy and truly has it all. Everrett, Cameron and Aiden were childhood best friends, and Everrett fell for Cameron. But due to some misunderstandings he did not think there was a future with her, and he left her five years ago to travel the world as a doctor. He is returning home after Aiden died of cancer and beseeched him to come back to support Cameron. He’s lost, unsure of what he wants to do with his life and feels extremely guilty for staying away for so long, and his journey to healing is heartbreaking and inspiring. His reunion with Cameron does not go well, but these two have a history that binds them and nudges open the door to the possibility of a future. Their feelings have never died, but they have to confront what happened in their past, and Cameron has a lot of resentment towards Everrett. This romance is bittersweet and engaging with a dash of suspense, and it will keep you turning the pages long into the night.

ARC provided, but this review was voluntarily and honestly written.

Everett, Aiden and Cameron were best friends all through their childhood.

Later in life Everett became a Doctor and traveled the world losing touch with his friends for 5 years. He has loved Cameron since they were little but felt that he did not deserve her, and thought that Aiden would have been her better choice.

Cameron has loved Everett since she was a little girl but always felt that he looked at her as a little sister. An unfortunate event brings Everett home and he is on a mission to finally tell Cameron how he feels.

Will Cameron still feel the same way about him? Will they finally find love after all these years?

This book was a really good book that sucked me in from the beginning and keep me turning pages.

*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***

I don’t know why I don’t pick up Tara Sivec’s books up more often. She has such an amazing way of telling stories. Her writing is beautiful, emotional, and the characters are so developed that you can’t help but connect to them. My favorite part about this story were the flashes into the past. I got lost in them and couldn’t wait to read more.

Cameron and Everett’s story starts off with a major heartbreak. The emotion hits you right in the feels, immediately. It’s been five years since Everett left, working with Doctors Without Borders, seeing and experiencing some of the worst things out there. He left the love of his life behind once, and he’s not going to let her slip away again. When he returns, Cameron’s world is flipped upside down. Their story was full of angst and bumps in the road at every turn and Sivec did an amazing job at making it feel realistic.

I just wish the story would have been a little faster paced. I felt like it dragged a bit at times. It was never boring, just felt like it took a little too long for some things to happen.

If you’re looking for a beautiful read about missed but also second chances definitely give this one a shot.. It will give you faith in taking a jump and going after what you’ve wanted all along.

I need to remember to grab Tara’s writing up more often! I’m going to start by going back and reading The Story of Us, Cameron’s parents’ story.

Grateful to have received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good childhood friends-to-lovers story, and Tara Sivec definitely didn't disappoint with Wish You Were Mine. The slow burn of their journey was delicious to read, and left me with a definite book hangover. Can't wait for her next one!!!

Wish You were Mine by Tara Sivec was emotional, heartbreaking and a bit frustrating. A friends-to-lovers story full of misunderstandings and miscommunications.

Aiden, Everett and Cameron have been best friends for years. The three musketeers. Together through thick and thin. Aiden the jokester and always there for a good laugh. Everett the serious, broody one. And Cameron with the heart of gold always taking care of everyone. They grew up together. But there was something more always there between Everett and Cameron that neither ever voiced. After years of missed opportunities, Everett leaves.

Everett has stayed away from home for five years and he would have stayed away longer, if not for Aiden’s letter. He has loved Cameron James forever, but has never felt good enough for her. He was the troubled kid, from the troubled home who was always getting in trouble. He always felt Cameron deserved so much more than him. But what he never saw was what a good guy he was. He was really his own worst enemy.

Cameron James was the girl always there to help and care for others. Her family ran a program that helped others, so it came naturally for her. But only one person owned her heart, but too afraid to know if Everett felt the same, she kept it to herself.

After years of being away and then falling into a cycle he did not want Cameron to see, Everett finally faces her again. But she was not happy to see him at all. For the last five years he all but cut her out of his life. Hurt and angry, she wants nothing to do with him. But when she finds herself in a jam, Everett steps in to help her and there is nothing she can do about it.

I really liked Everett and Cameron, but so wanted to shake them at times. I must admit I did not connect to the story early on, however, I am glad I continued to read. This is a very slow burn romance and we get to snippets of their pasts to see how they got to where they are today. Everett and Cameron had so many fears and missed opportunities, neither could see what was always there! But once the story picked up, I could not stop reading. I loved the last twenty percent.

Wish You Were Mine by Tara Sivec was a good read with likeable characters, if a bit frustrating, and a good story. It was about true love conquering all for friends turned lovers. She also gives us a twist at the end that had my heart stopping for a minute. Tara is a newer author for me, but I am looking forward to reading more of her work.

Wish You Were Mine is an emotional, heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance. With the sweet times that will melt your heart to the painful angst that will break it, Tara Sivec delivers a story that will ultimately move you.

I am always drawn to this trope, especially when the friendship between the characters begins in their childhood years. I love witnessing the relationship grow, change, and mature over time. While the story does focus primarily on the present day, the author gives her readers glimpses into the past, into the bond that developed between three children. It allows you to feel as though you know the characters, and see how important and special they are to each other. Though years, misunderstandings, and circumstances had separated these friends, their feelings never wavered.

As nice as it sounds to fall in love with your best friend, it also puts you in a difficult situation. What if those feelings are not reciprocated? What if your declaration of love makes things awkward between you? What if it ruins the friendship? It would be so much easier if people could just be completely honest with each other and come clean. But nothing in life and love is ever really easy. Cameron and Everett’s situation was messy. Time and misunderstandings made it even more complicated.

The story is told in alternating chapters from Cameron and Everett’s perspectives. I enjoyed the opportunity to see what each character was thinking and experiencing. It allowed me to see the story from both of their sides, to understand their reasons and motives.

Wish You Were Mine is filled with feeling. It’s an intense story of regret, loss, guilt, and friendship. It made me root for the characters. I wanted nothing more than for them to find the courage to finally express what they had kept bottled up for years. Tara Sivec has written another novel that is sure to tug at the heartstrings of her readers. Oh, and there were a couple of little twists that added something special to the story.

*4 Stars

Tara Sivec is a versatile author. She can write books that make you laugh so hard you want to pee yourself, she does an amazing job with romantic suspense, and she can also write emotional reads. I love authors that can write in more than one genre and do it well, and she is definitely one of those. Wish You Were Mine falls more on the emotional side. It’s a beautiful friends to lovers/second chance romance.

Cameron and Everett (along with Aiden) have been friends since they were children. Cam’s parents run a camp and they all met there. Through all the ups and downs of growing up, becoming teenagers, then adults, these three remained thick as thieves. Then Emmett left. He went off and left the other two behind. Five years later, and a tragic event brings him back to the life he left behind. To Cam, the woman he’s always loved.

Wish You Were Mine is an emotional, sweet, and at times- angsty read. There was nothing ‘wrong’ with this book, it was enjoyable read. I just wish I felt more connected to it. I’m sure it’s a just me thing, and most readers will enjoy this friends to lovers romance!

The pretty cover of Wish You Were Mine immediately reeled me in. Unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me. I found the story to be incredibly cheesy, but what was worse was the amount of slut-shaming in the story that completely ruined the book for me.

Wish You Were Mine opened up with an emotional letter written by Aiden to his friend, Everett, after his passing. It was devastating, and broke my heart, but it also built up my hopes that this book would be profound and amazing. While there certainly were moments of those throughout the book, especially through some of the flashback scenes of the three characters as children, the occasional slut-shaming in the book and the story veering into Nicholas Spark cheese tainted my experience. I can't exactly say that I cared for either of the main characters. They were difficult in my opinion, a little immature, and needed to learn to communicate. Everett and Cameron were melodramatic characters, in my opinion, and made mountains out of molehills. Their emotions and angst came across as incredibly forced to me, and I felt like their relationship with each other totally defined them as characters. I wanted to see more of their personalities beyond the surface level that was explored here.

The romance between the two had the potential to be an amazing second chance romance, but again the forced angst, and the cheesy moments peppered here and there. Everett and Cameron needed to communicate with each other, but that was entirely missing from the story until the very end. There were some scenes that I liked between the two, especially the ones that involved the camp owned by Cameron's parents, but beyond that, the two of them just weren't as memorable for me. And like I said, I hated how Cameron viewed every girl who was interested in either Aiden or Everett as a "skank". It was demeaning, and uncalled for! It's ridiculous that slut-shaming is still prevalent in romance novels.

Simply put, Wish You Were Mine had too many tropes that I didn't care for. If the summary seems like a story that might be for you, go for it!

BIANCA'S REVIEW

Ugh Tara! Just like with The Story of Us, I strarted crying in the prologue already!!!!

But don't worry - it's not a sad story.

Of course there are some sad and moving moments and lots of lost chances.

But the main part is about how Everett tries to get Cameron to forgive him and fall in love with him forever ever after! ☺

It might take a while, because she's really mad at him. Of course she also never stopped loving him. But she's not making it easy!

It's an adorable & funny & very moving journey that they'll take us on!

And I loved every minute of it!

I loved the location - the camp/former plantation near Charleston. The supporting cast. The little back-in-time chapters. The wishes.

Amazing love story!


The only thing ..... grrrrr... - like with most romances ... why not talk to each other? If they had talked about stuff back when Cam was 12 - or a few years later - and even a few years after that - so many chances, but never did they talk about their feelings. They could've had their HEA ages ago! BUT, of course it always has to be that way - they have to find themselves, live through whatever they have to live through etc. ☺ I still LOVED the book!!!! But it would've/could've been only 20 pages had they not missed all those chances!!! Grrrrr. And also

I WANT TO SEE THIS MADE INTO A MOVIE!!!

WISH YOU WERE MINE was such a heartbreakingly beautiful & adorable 2nd-chance love story! Just perfect!
Please run to your nearest amazon for your own Everett- this one is MINE!☺

JANEANE'S REVIEW

ARC received for an honest review

This book! I mean, this book!

Right from the prologue I was a mess. Don't get me wrong, it is emotional, but it is so, so much more than that.

it is a beautiful, heartbreaking story about lost, but also about the love that comes from that loss.

Aiden, Everett and Cameron (female) have been friends since forever, and as with all friendships, things fall apart, people drift apart, things go unsaid.

Ugh, the unsaid! People, it is called communication, use it sometimes lol

There is so much that goes unsaid, so much hurt and anguish and love and hate and allll the feels.

I LOVE that this is a slow burn. And by slow, I do mean sloooow. However it is what this story needed. It is what our lovelies needed.

There is so much that I loved about this story, however I don't want to give anything away so I can't say too much.

Other than I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

Read it. You'll love it too.

*** Ready to go live on blog on release day, as well as Amazon etc**

Tara Sivec is one of those authors that you just know her books are going to be good! Whether it is humor or drama, Tara is one to deliver.  She's done just that with Wish You Were Mine.  This is an emotional read.  I knew it just from the blurb! I am a fan of second chances and really enjoyed this ride.

Cameron and Everett have been best friends for over two decades.  There was a period of four years with no contact.  Everett is a doctor and was in a third world country with Doctors Without Borders. Everett took the job to get away, but Cameron felt like the one who was left behind.

Everett returns home after the Aiden, the other best friend, dies of cancer.  Cameron and Everett have a ton of crap to wade through.  I really felt for them on this! Not only is there Aiden's death, but everything surrounding Everett leaving. Lots of pain, guilt, missed opportunities, fear, timing-you name it, had to be dealt with. Geez, it was overwhelming.

Tara created a masterpiece that will stand the test of time. It gave me all the feels-a bit angsty for me-but it was an incredible read all the same!

reviewed by Deb

When Cameron and Everett were growing up, the two, together with other BFF Aiden, had a tradition. On a day they designated to celebrate their birthdays, they each wrote down a wish on a star-shaped piece of paper and tucked the wishes away in boxes they hid in a tree house. It is a tradition they continued, even into college.

But now, five years after Everett left to join Doctors Without Borders and months after Aiden's death, the bond that Cameron and Everett shared threatens to dissolve amidst acrimony, misunderstandings, and miscommunications.

Tara Sivec establishes two things straight from the start: Cameron has loved Everett ever since she can remember, and Everett has loved Cameron just as long. Not that either has shared that information with the other. She is terrified that he doesn't feel the same way, and he is terrified that he doesn't deserve her.

Now that Everett is back, he and Cameron need to heal their relationship. This proves particularly challenging because she is so full of bitterness and resentment over why she thinks Everett left that she does not want to hear anything he has to say. Everett, meanwhile, is so full of guilt and self-loathing that he is even more convinced that he does not deserve Cameron.

In other hands, this might feel contrived and forced. But as Tara Sivec writes it, it feels believable and poignant. Everett's pain infuses every page, even the ones in which he does not directly appear. You want to grab Cameron and force her to see how pained and bereft he is, yet at the same time, you know that she, too, has some healing to do.

There are some searing sexy times in this book, but you have to be patient. Sivec doesn't throw them in for the sake of hot headboard rocking. She builds and builds, making her characters earn those moments together. I actually got teary-eyed while reading a particularly beautiful first kiss.

My only quibble is a subplot involving some threatening notes Cameron receives related to a camp she runs for children of military veterans. It just sort of felt unnecessary.

This book is poignant and romantic, and you will love it.

My review will be short and direct :

Second chances are my favorite kind of story, but unfortunately that didn't work for me .My problem with the story? Everest, I couldn't connect and even rooting for him . I spent the whole book wishing the events were different and it was Aiden there.Had parts that I liked after all, Cameron, and the main characters made the reading be ok for me.Despite this not being my favorite book of the author, I really hope to see the next releases her, because she always bring beautiful and emotional stories that normally Captivate my heart.

4 "I Wish You Were Mine" Stars

From the very first page I was a sobbing mess. Never have I cried this much when reading a book, like Wish You Were Mine did. It was such a beautiful, heartbreaking, friends to lovers romance. Cameron and Everett are best friends, who did everything together. Where one went, the other followed. But circumstances led them to be separated. Only to be brought back together, by tragedy.

"You can't change the past...you can only move forward and make different choices."

Tara Sivec never disappoints. Make sure to have extra tissues on hand, you will cry.....that is a fact.

Wish You Were Mine by Tara Sivec ~ 4.5 Stars

Oh man! Tara makes me cry buckets again. Wish You Were Mine is another emotional, angsty and heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance. The story is about three childhood best friends Cameron, Aiden and Everett growing up and sharing every moment together. They were inseparable until Everett left town to pursue his dreams, not realizing he left a shattered heart behind.
Five years has past and their lives have changed drastically. Everett received a letter from Aiden and he realized it is finally time to come home after years of traveling with Doctors Without Borders saving the world. Aiden had died of pancreatic cancer and Everett felt he failed to save his best friend. Everett could not deal with the guilt and regrets so he buried his sorrow with alcohol. It took Everett nearly died from alcohol intoxication for him to know he has to face reality, get his life back on track before facing Cameron again.
Cameron is broken-hearted having lost both Everett and Aiden. She is left to grief all alone. Cameron is tough but her heart is fragile. What happen when she finds out Everett (her one true love) has been home for 9 months without so much as a “hello old friend” or a glance her way? Cameron is angry so when Everett showed up at her youth camp out of the blue, Cameron is less than friendly … oh man! Cameron is one feisty heroine. She will not make it easy on Everett. Loved it!
I love the relationship development between Cameron and Everett. They were best friends but have been secretly in love with each other for years. They were just so young and stupid to admit their true feelings to each other. I enjoyed the angst, the slow burn, and the roller coaster relationship. Even as adults, they were still too stubborn to give their hearts a chance. It was frustrating at times - I just want to wring their necks through my kindle LOL :) Over all, I enjoy the storyline – a bit heart-breaking at the beginning, but all passion and hearts at the end.

3.5-4 stars

Wish You Were Mine was one of my most anticipated books,I couldn't wait to start reading it.It was an emotional story full of angst and even though I enjoyed most of the story I felt like something was missing.

I couldn't connect 100% with the characters and there were moments it was a little bit slow for my taste.Maybe if I read it another time I will see it differently but for now it was an ok read.