Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the e-galley.

This is a layered, cute romance. I appreciated the concept of a professional gift buyer caught up in a family drama. It took me a little while to get into, but once I was into it, I was hooked. The dialogue is a particularly strong point of this story because the characters feel real and their individual motives and struggles feel authentic.

It's an excellent romance with a unique premise, however, it's important to give a trigger warning for infidelity.

3.5 stars rounded down (knocked off .5 stars because the pacing felt a little off in the middle).

Marnie runs a gift buying business and one day she switches the presents for a customers wife and his mistress. As she tries to make things right, we are taken on a story. I enjoyed this book and some of its characters but I felt like it was just too long. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

A delight! Perfect read with a cozy cuppa in a comfy chair. Minnie Drake has crafted a funny, warm and charming novel. I loved the characters and the plot spooled out seamlessly. Great read!

There was quite the mixup in this book really drew me to wanting to read it. It was a little slow to start it and it sort of mellowed out in the middle but this is still a really good book but this is still a really good book. I really wanted to see how things would play out after this epic mix up. It was a sweet rom-com tackling some serious issues that readers of this genre will appreciate.

This book felt more like women's fiction or family drama than a romance per se. Marnie is a professional gift giver and when she makes a terrible mix-up sending one man's wife the gift intended for his mistress, she has to fight to save her reputation and protect her store. I like Marnie's character a lot and did enjoy the secondary story line with the husband trying to win back his wife of forty years. An okay book I liked but didn't love and definitely too light on the romance storyline between Marnie and Luke (the husband's grown son). Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you love books about second chances, then this one will fit the bill! With multiple story arcs following characters of all different ages and places in their lives, With Love from Wish & Co. is a light-hearted story about

Marnie owns a gift giving business, and is trying to raise the money to buy her grandfather's old building to restore it and give it a second chance at life. Brian is a client and when an inadvertent mix-up happens, she learns way more than she bargained for about Brian's family and their dynamics. The many characters' lives all interweave into a brilliant, and not always happy, love story.

This story was sweet, it was happy, it was sad, and it was moving. You can't ask for much more.

Thank you to Random-House/Ballantine for providing me an ARC of this book.

Marnie Fairchild is the brains and talent behind Wish & Co. which provides a shopping experience for the wealthy. When she gets distracted, she make a HUGE mistake, and might just find love for herself in the process of trying to make everything right.

Wish & Co was a cute fun read. One of those stories that you know will be tied up in a pretty bow at the end and that’s exactly what you want and need sometimes. I loved the concept behind the book that there is a company that does all your shopping for you, sometimes even picking out better gifts than you would! The main characters job is to help her clients remember important dates and events and find just the right gift for their loved one. What a fun job.
Marnie Owen has impeccable taste and prides herself in knowing what gifts her customers want. Husbands who are too busy to remember anniversaries, bosses buying gifts for their secretaries, even men buying gifts for their mistresses. Wish & Co has a reputation of complete confidentiality and Marnie is the best at knowing what gifts to buy. Her business is growing and her clients are referring her to their friends, all is well until…..
A high powered client has two important events he needs gifts for, his wife and his mistress. Marnie somehow gets the gifts mixed and sends a dressing gown with the initials of his mistress to his wife. Typical man instead of coming clean about his wrong doings he decides to blame Marnie and threaten to take away her clients. Marnie is devastated as she has never made such a terrible mistake and worries this could be the end of Wish & Co.

Charming and the cast of characters grips throughout.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The plot caught my attention and I was eager to read this book. I was disappointed, when it let me down. It starts off strong but then it becomes slow moving which was a big disappointment to me. DNF


********************************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from Net Galley.******************

This was so cute, and a delight to read! It takes place in Australia, where a professional gift buyer makes a huge mistake with one of her best clients. Then starts to fall for said client’s son! You get the perspective of every character in the book, which at times I had to think about whose head we were in, as there is no indication when it switches besides a little present box picture. I liked getting every POV though. I felt like there could definitely have been more character development, the book is rather light and predictable.

Bottom Line: Read it! Would make a great palette cleanser.

**I received a copy of With Love from Wish & Co from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

It’s my late to the game review of this fun book. There’s no excuse other than I’ve been in a real slump lately. I’m way behind the modest reading goal I set for myself and have just struggled to stay focused.

However, I found myself at home with no children and recovering from minor surgery - so the perfect excuse to force myself to finish one of the four to six books I have going.

Wish & Co. was the winner. Or, I was.

This sweet book is the story of gift buyer Marnie Fairchild - a young woman determined to move her store Wish & Co. into the half-burned former storefront owned by her grandfather - Fairchild & Sons. Marine’s biggest problem is money (shocker!), but also that her father was the black sheep of the family whose gambling addiction destroyed his reputation and business.

When Marnie mixes up two important gifts, each delivered to the wrong recipient, a marriage begins to implode and her dreams go up in flames. However, if your love language is gifts you will not at all be surprised by the way Marnie takes control of the situation to determine her own destiny.

Wish & Co. is an easy read that will remind you of the importance of love, fate, and the fact that humans often screw up with no idea why.

As always, buy your copy from your local, independent bookstore.

#wish&co #augustreads #netgalley #minniedark #withlovefromwishCo

I couldn't get into this book. Unfortunately I just don't think it's for me. I didn't post my review anywhere.

#FirstLine ~ Alone in the quiet of Wish & Co after closing time, Marnie Fairchild decided to give it a try.

I love books that surprise you! This is one of those gems. I was immediately drawn to this beautiful cover, then the title and the story was the literal bow around this awesome story. So many great characters, a fabulous setting an a storyline that was moving and fun. This is a stellar book perfect for book clubs and buddy reads!!!!

WITH LOVE FROM WISH & CO. by Minnie Darke is a fun, cute read, with humor and interesting characters. I enjoyed curling up and reading about Marnie and her company, and her dreams. The entire cast of characters had me rooting for all of them to find their way to their respective HEAs. It made me happy to see that the characters grew and learned from their experiences. A perfect read for the beach or a lazy weekend.
Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#WithLoveFromWish&Co #MinnieDarke #Dell #RandomHouse #Ballantine

Marnie comes from a long line of Fairchilds. Only she’s not on the “good” side of the Fairchilds. Despite that, she has made her dreams come true by opening Wish & Co., a gift buying and wrapping service. She has all sorts of clients, mostly rich, some who have complicated situations. Brian Charlesworth is one of those clients. When the gifts for his wife’s 40th wedding anniversary and his mistresses birthday get mixed up, everything changes. For Brian and Marnie. Meanwhile, Marnie’s grandfather’s store comes up for sale and she desperately wants to find a way to buy it. Losing Brian Charlesworth as a client would be devastating to her business and the prospect of buying the new building. When she strikes up a deal with Brian, she doesn’t realize it’s about to get much more complicated. With Love from Wish & Co. was a fun book with likable characters that all do a lot of growing up in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This was a sweet story from start to finish. At first I wondered if I’d be confused because it seemed there were several relationships going haywire but then it all made perfect, beautiful sense.⁣
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Marnie Owen Wish & Co, a gift buying service where she buys the most beautiful gifts or experiences for people based on who they truly are.⁣
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When there’s a mix up between two gifts and two women, a can of worms opens and almost brings her business to the ground, when she’s on a mission to broaden her horizons. ⁣
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Luke is sweet and kind, so thoughtful, owns his own business, but is deeply lonely, until his world is flipped upside down. ⁣
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Luke and Marnie form a beautiful relationship after meeting in interesting circumstances.⁣
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This story is about family, secrets, mistakes, honesty, taking chances, and so much love; and it was enjoyable from start to finish: like a warm hug. ⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a weird one for me because I liked it, but I didn't love it. I enjoyed most of the time spent reading this, but I couldn't escape the thought that it just felt WAY too long. I feel like I would have liked this one so much more if it had been a little more succinct. It felt like we just kept going through the same scenes of Marnie buying presents for Brian and feeling guilty about it over and over and over again and it just got really old by the halfway mark. While I didn't dislike this book, I definitely think my enjoyment would have been a little bit greater if this had been like, 75-100 pages shorter. Womp womp

CW: cheating, abortion

This book is mainly about the implosion of a marriage that the main character kind of causes, and its effects on all the character in the book. All these characters get their own POV which I thought was great, but there is a clean main character: Marnie, and a clear love interest: Luke.

This is a book with lots of heart, that will give you the warm and fuzzies, great for curling up with. Note: there is an infidelity plotline in this book (not for the main romance) if you believe cheating is absolutely unforgivable, this book might not be for you.

👍
+ I thought the main character's job was very interesting, and cool: professional gift giver. I loved all the discussions and dilemmas the main character had about her job.
+ The romance was actually quite cute. It is kind of insta-love, but it does also develop over time. And the love interest Luke was quite a sweetheart. I loved how considerate he was, generally. Though I did think he was a little too judgmental and obstinate when it came to one specific topic.
+ There are a lot of flawed characters in this book, most of them make mistakes, big and small, and I liked that the author didn't seem to be biased against any of them. They all had heart and their own redemption arc. And what's also cool is that none of the characters stay the same from the beginning of the book to the end. They all change and grow for the better.

👎
- I had a tough time getting through the beginning of this book. The main character goes through some great growth through this book, but at the beginning, her priorities and obsessions were difficult for me to read. I also found the looming implosion of the marriage very stressful. It felt like watching a car crash in slo-mo.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC!

Thanks to Penguin Random House & NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This heartwarming Australia-based rom-com took me into the world of a professional gift buyer. It begins on the day Marnie Fairchild is wrapping two gifts: one for her best client Brian Charlesworth’s wife Suzanne, and one for his lover. What could possibly go wrong?

Even though I could guess where this story was going, sometimes an expected and comforting read is just what’s needed amongst the mysteries, thrillers, and historical fiction I frequently read. The characters were likable, especially Marnie. What a great profession – choosing just the right and often one-of-a-kind gift for someone, then wrapping it in a package that’s as lovely and special as the gift itself.

So the mix-up of the two gifts launches the story, and soon Marnie finds herself developing a relationship with Luke, an attractive woodworker who turns out to be the son of her best client (see Brian, above). And then Marnie learns Fairchild & Sons, the historic building that she has been yearning to move Wish & Co. to, is finally going to be sold at auction. No matter that Marnie charges top dollar for her services to her high-end clients, her budget may limit her from winning the bid in the upcoming auction. The plot thickens when Marnie offers to help Brian win back his wife after the mix-up/fiasco, using her exceptional gift giving skills. Questions of honesty, authenticity, and illusion contribute to the now rocky relationship between Marnie and Luke.

Author Minnie Darke sums up the situation: “What did Marnie want? The trouble was, she wanted so many things. She wanted Luke to love her, and she wanted Suzanne to be happy. She wanted Brian to win back his wife, and she wanted Fairchild & Sons to be hers. She wanted no secrets, nor any more lies. But all her wants were tangled up together like a messy ball of several different kinds of string. If she pulled too hard or too fast on any one thread, she would only make a mess somewhere else.”

If you’re looking for a well-written, feel-good rom-com, I recommend "With Love from Wish & Co."