A fun read about Marnie -- the owner of a bespoke gift-buying service -- who has to make up for a huge gaffe. Along the way, she questions her dream and has to figure out what's really important to her.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

Such a cute little read. I am not usually one to read this genre but I gave it a whirl and I was glad I did. Marnie is such a sweet, caring character who goes out of her way to hand pick gifts for strangers. She has to keep her clientele where it currently is if she wants to buy her grandfather's old building that is about to go up for sale. Marnie has never once flubbed up an order until one day, when she sees the building she wants finally up for sale. Marnie tries to reconcile an awful mistake that comes with so many hurdles and heartbreak. I did not wonder whether Marnie could fix her mistake but rather, if someone else would come to her aid. I got to the ending and almost wished it continued. I especially loved the real recipes after the book that were all mentioned in the text. I recommend this book if you love a clean romance.

I loved Marnie. I empathized with her strivings for self-worth and success. Her spectacular fail broke my heart, but sharing the journey of coming back was delightful. This was just such an intriguing book on so many levels, and I love that love prevails.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I really thought I’d be coming back to this saying “I wanted to love it, but I couldn’t finish it.”

I mean, I’ve had the book downloaded since April now? Not my best, admittedly. BUT - I’m commuting regularly now and that downtime gave me the perfect opportunity to dig into this book. As I said, it took time to get into the book. Looking back, it’s entirely worthwhile to have the information in there and it builds the characters and the plot in a way that I don’t think would exist without the background, but still, it took time.

I genuinely adored the world created in this book - enough characters and changes in POV to keep you interested, but never too many to confuse you. Luke is the friend you just want to shake and tell him that what he thinks isn’t fact and Marnie is the friend that you wish would see more in herself. All in all, well flushed out characters.

This book draws you in, the further you get into it. Is it possible that people will struggle because of the lead up to the big plot points? Possibly. But I think that it makes itself well worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for access to this digital ARC.

In With Love from Wish & Co, Marnie Fairchild is a professional gift giver. When her biggest customer tasks her to gift his wife and lover on the same day, bad things are bound to happen. In an attempt to help her client win his wife back, Marnie meets his son who she falls helplessly in love with. Throw in a quest to buy her dream shop, and it makes for a delightful story.

Minnie Darke's novel would make a great beach read or the perfect book if you are looking for a sweet story. I found the plot and characters truly delightful. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of With Love from Wish & Co.

How would you react if you found out the person you thought knew you so well really didn't? This book really gave you something to think about. The idea that someone would figure out all your likes and dislikes to buy you the perfect gift. What if that someone isn't who you thought it was though? This book really made you think about how you might react. Is it really about the gift? Or is it the thought that counts?

Marnie’s been an entrepreneur her entire life. She’s paved a way for herself in a niche market, buying gifts for people that want to take the guesswork out and outsource it all together. Marnie has dedicated her adult life into taking her clients seriously and doing her best, with the hopes that one day she can own a storefront in a legacy building that her grandfather once owned. Which is why, when Marnie makes a huge mistake and swaps gifts for one of her most prestigious clients, the fall out is a mess. Suddenly a marriage has imploded, Marnie’s losing her cash flow and things are quickly spinning out of control. Things get a little more complicated when Marnie meets Luke, the grown son of the man who’s marriage she just ruined. Luke couldn’t be more different than his father and is making his own path, similar to Marnie. With Love From Wish & Co is a delightful, entertaining and hopeful novel by author Minnie Darke. Darke has created characters that are easy to root for and dialogue that is quick, witty and fun. Out this August, With Love From Wish & Co should not be missed!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This poor girl. I so related to her. You pride yourself on doing a good job and the right thing and 999 times out of 1,000 you succeed. However, when you fail, you fail spectacularly. Marnie works hard because she has a goal. She also has a bit of a messy life, but it's okay. It's her mess and it works for her. One screw up and an unexpected love interest have her questioning what she's been working towards and whether it's worth it. I really enjoyed tagging along on Marnie's journey and watching her sort things out.

After receiving a widget for this and looking at the cover and reading the blurb -I’ll admit it - neither really piqued my interest, but I’m not usually one to look a gift widget in the -whatever the widget equivalent of a horse’s mouth is, I downloaded it and have to say, this book is so much more than the cover or the synopsis might lead you to otherwise believe. I enjoyed my time spent reading this lovely, and yes, heartwarming novel.

The coziness of the descriptions really made this book even more enjoyable for me and, despite the serious nature of the plot, this was ultimately soooo utterly satisfying and uplifting a read. The characters and relationships are both relatable and sympathetic and the emotions Darke captures with her words are exquisitely real.

I need to read more of Ms. Darke’s work.



eARC kindly provided by Random House - Ballantine / Dell and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.

I was a hugh fan of Minnie Darke's previous book, Heard It In a Love Song, and was thrilled to received an ARC of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Don't let this book's cover convince you that this is a fluffy story. There are many layers to this story and many are very heavy.

Marnie is the owner of Wish & Co., a boutique store that offers gift wrapping, party supplies and gift-buying services. Minnie has honed her skills and can buy the perfect gift for your friends and family. Often men are her main clients and these men can have complicated lives. Brian is one of these wealthy customers who has a complicated life. Marnie makes a mistake that is unforgivable. She accidentally switched the gifts that were for Brian's wife for their fortieth wedding anniversary and for his mistress for her sixty-fifth birthday. Marnie is desperate to keep Brian's business and asks to try to right her wrong by winning back Brian's wife, Suzanne.

It did take me a bit to get in to this book as a person who does not conflict or confrontation. The beginning chapters had titles like "Nine Days Before the Implosion of the Charlesworth Marriage" etc. But I am glad that I did not let the impending doom detour me from continuing with the book. LOL. I know that this would not bother most readers unless you are an empath. (Shrug)

While, I don't condone or agree with the lying or the relationships of many of these men, I did enjoy this book. I found the idea of a gift buying service fascinating. Darke shed some light on the way Marnie came to buying the gifts she did.

This is a character driven story. Darke does a great job with character development. At the beginning of the book, I especially hated Brian. There was nothing about the man that I liked but by the end, I was rooting for him.

All thoughts & opinions are my own

This was a delightful little book, I was thoroughly enchanted. I loved the storyline, it was quite unique. I enjoyed the relationships between the characters. It was charming.

Marnie is a creative and hard-working owner of a gift-giving business. Her clients are people who want to buy the perfect gift for family and friends yet are not inclined to spend time thinking too long about the important people in their lives; Marnie studies people in order to fulfill their wishes. Her success grows until one serious mistake endangers her business and her plans to buy the building where her grandfather had built his company. The storyline which wanders at times seems to imply money can buy any service; however, time and again we witness it can’t buy love. Minnie Darke’s characters’ behavior is rather predictable. They are self-centered. One wonders if Marnie’s influence can change their attitudes or will she, in desperation to achieve her dream, be manipulated by them?

I enjoyed this sweet and fun romantic comedy. The storyline was interesting and flowed nicely. Characters were well-developed and each had a place to grow as the story moved along. I enjoyed the romance, but found Marnie’s development to be the most satisfying part.
I’ll be recommending this to many patrons, and will keep my eye out for more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for access to this digital ARC.

Ready for a fun romcom with some shenanigans thrown in? It all starts with an innocent mistake but the repercussions and the rippling effect create havoc. But, of course every good “meet cute” needs a little mess to clean up. This is a perfect choice for summer or anytime you are looking for a “no stress” storyline with a few giggles.

Thankyou Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

With Love From Wish & Co.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 8/16/22
Author: Minnie Drake
Publisher: Random House Publishing
Pages: 384
Goodreads Rating: 3.93

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing a digital copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Marnie Fairchild is the brains and talent behind Wish & Co., a boutique store that offers a bespoke gift-buying service to wealthy clients with complicated lives. Brian Charlesworth is Marnie's most prized customer, and today she's wrapping the perfect anniversary gift for his wife, Suzanne . . . and a birthday present for his mistress, Leona. What could possibly go wrong? With the situation so complicated, the last thing Marnie needs is to fall for Brian and Suzanne's gorgeous son, Luke. In the end, will it be her head or her heart that wins out?

My Thoughts: The characters had depth, they were witty, relatable, and infallible at the same time. I absolutely adored Marnie, she is a likable character. However, the men could be taken either at a lovable or dislikable stance, meaning you either love them or hate them. With each characters perspective, you really could feel the character and feel what they are going through or what they are doing. It was truly a magical reading experience for me. The author does an amazing job at describing the scene in Australia, you felt like you were there, even including pictures and a recipe made it truly authentic. The author’s writing style was complex, endearing, creative, and engaging. The book did start a little slow but it was necessary to set the characters and scene, then it starts to go by faster. What drew me to this book was the cover, I love cartoon romance covers and I absolutely enjoyed this book, I would absolutely be reading other novels from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the advanced copy of With Love From Wish & Co. I am sharing a review voluntarily.

Marnie runs a successful and thoughtful gift shop, offering many services including personal shopping. She mixes up two packages for one customer leading a turbulent time for all involved. Through this snafu Marnie meets Luke, a woodworker with daddy issues and judgement to spare. They form a bond that gets wrapped up in business and pleasure.

I enjoyed this story a lot, though it was much different than what I was expecting. It was well written and the characters were developed and life-like, flaws and all. At times the story felt a bit tedious as we’re following multiple POV and I was naturally invested in some more than others.

I liked how the story with marine and Luke wrapped up and thought the storyline with Brian and Suzanne could have been a bit more developed in its resolution.

I recommend this for people who like stories like you’ve got mail and others.

With Love from Wish & Co full of love, secrets and drama. Marnie owns a gift store that will find the perfect gift for anyone. She's loving her little store but then she makes a terrible mistake. She switches up two gifts causing major drama. She switches up gifts intended for a wife and mistress and now a marriage is ending. Marnie is also on the brink of losing her store. She's desperately trying to save her store while navigating a new very complicated relationship. With Love from Wish & Co was a cute easy read. I never fully connected with any of the characters but I still enjoyed it.

I loved With Love from Wish & Co. by Minnie Darke - I don’t think I’ve read enough Australian romances and this one was absolutely delightful. The premise had me stressed - professional gift buyer Marnie mistakenly swaps a wealthy man’s wife’s anniversary gift with a birthday gift intended for his mistress, while along the way she is saddling up to salvage her grandfather’s old shop as a home for Wish & Co. and falling for said wealthy man’s son. While the setup had me sweating, the experience of reading the novel was like unwrapping a beautiful parcel meant just for you - totally joyful. I enjoyed the B-plots here as well and felt all of the characters were fully formed and familiar. Bonus points for the fun post-novel features that help illustrate the story even better (photos, recipes and a bit of history). Many thanks to Penguin Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest review - what a gift ;)

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine Dell for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

Marnie Fairchild runs a gift buying service for wealthy clients at a small boutique called Wish & Co. After she accidentally mixes up the gifts of one of her clients, she begins to question what she is doing. Along the way, she finds a new romance as well as helping her client figure things out with his life. I liked this book!

Marnie owns her business, Wish and Co. and she is a shopper. For all of the men who don’t have time or the talent to pick gifts for their own families. She is really good at it. Until this one time.

Two gifts. Two women. Only one is a wife. And when the gifts go to the wrong people, a family is torn apart and Marnie’s career may be over.

She makes a deal to keep her client but the deal may be the end of a love affair and a family.

This fits neatly into the trope of a poor girl meets a rich man and all her dreams come true.

It was light. Too light and too cookie cutter.

NetGalley/ August 16, 2022 RHPG