I thought this book was really cute. I loved the setting and story line. But the only thing that took away from it a bit was the tug of war of emotions. For me, it's difficult to have them think they are in love one second and then say the polar opposite the next.
But even with that, I still found the story enjoyable.

big thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!

welcome, welcome, folks! (this is my first arc!)

genre: YA romance
age rating: 14+
swearing: infrequent strong language
spice: no spice but mentions of (0/🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶)

tropes 🥰
🌊 24-hour romance

🌊 friends to lovers

🌊 dual POV

🌊 MISCOMMUNICATION! this book's storyline is 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 around miscommunication so if that isn't for you, maybe skip this read

⚠️ TW: anxiety and SA (let me know if I missed any!)

plot 💌
over the summer, Natalia and Ethan ghosted one another after the events on prom night. they don't know how to fix what was broken but when Natalia mistakenly loses personal letters she must team up with Ethan to retrieve them. will they mend their relationship and find the letters before the sun rises?

what I liked 💗
☼ the chemistry between the characters! it was never purely physical and they truly cared for each other

☼ the side characters were well-written

☼ Natalia and Ethan had flaws. they were 3-dimensional! (we love to see that!)

☼ the PINING! they both loved each other from the start and seeing them secretly want each other on both sides KILLED me. the dual POV made it 10x worse

☼ the ending. it was true to the characters and wasn't rushed at all. you also got to see them at graduation!

what I didn't like 💔
☁︎ how they were constantly fighting. while a lot of the fighting elevated the story, it was often unnecessary and I felt that Natalia and Ethan should've been able to resolve some of their issues without the arguments

☁︎ the fighting was better than the silence. it almost felt as if they just sat by the waves and thought about how much they loved the other and never thought to talk to the other. they tried, I will give them that but they could've done more

overall 💞
I loved this book! it was so sweet. while there were things that could've been done better, I don't think I'll be forgetting these characters and their story anytime soon! :))

quotes 💕

» "𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬?
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰?"

» "𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘳. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯."

» "𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦'𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘞𝘦'𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴."

» "𝘞𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴, 𝘸𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱; 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨."

» "𝘐 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩."

» "𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘺𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥, 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵 𝘪𝘵."

💗☀️🌷

3.5💫

a taylor coded ya romance that takes place at the beach with a beautiful cover?? literally say less💗🤭
———————————————————————

this book was honestly so good! i loved how fast paced it was as the story mainly takes place throughout one day. also not really important to the story but i loved the way the letters looked🤭 obviously, i have to say something about the title!? it’s literally the reason i was even interested in the book in the first place(😭😭) and it did nottt disapoint! it was honestly so i wish you would coded which i loved so much🫶 this book takes place at the beach which i also loved so much😋 lastly, the main character natalia was honestly so real and i related to her a lot💗 i would 100% recommended this book for ya romance lovers (and swifties🤭) !!

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy !!


~quotes~

“And thats when i know. I hate this school; i hate most of these people. But i am so fucking in love with her.”

“I’m so in love with you. It’s like … I do nothing but love you.”


“I hate you,” she says quietly.
“You love me”


“I’m only me when I’m with her.”

“We know that whatever the future holds, we’ll face it like we have everything else in our friendship; by turning every risk into a chance. Every kiss into a promise. Every ending into a beginning.”


🌷🌊☀️💗

What an absolute gem of a book that deserves all the stars! From the very first page, I was hooked on the drama-filled rollercoaster of emotions between Natalia and Ethan. Set against the backdrop of Senior Sunrise, this love story is equal parts heartwarming and suspenseful. The chemistry between Natalia and Ethan crackles with tension, and you can't help but root for them to finally confess their feelings. I simultaneously experienced the emotions of missing high school and all those big feelings, and also was so grateful to never have to go through that ever again. The beach setting adds such a magical vibe, and the scavenger hunt for the scattered letters adds an extra layer of excitement. DesLauriers has crafted a story that's both captivating and uplifting, leaving you with a warm fuzzy feeling long after you've finished. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"I Wish You Would" is an excellent YA book that delivers a hefty dose of angst, making it a gripping read from start to finish. I absolutely loved the alternating POVs, it made the angst and miscommunication a bit more tolerable.

While there were some plot lines mentioned in other characters' letters that felt under-explored, particularly in terms of resolution, I found myself so deeply immersed in Ethan and Natalia's story that I didn't mind too much. Their journey, filled with emotion and complexity, kept me going, eager to uncover what would happen next in their tumultuous relationship.

The alternating perspectives allowed for a multifaceted exploration of their dynamic, giving insight into their individual struggles, desires, and insecurities. It was fascinating to see how their perceptions of each other evolved over time, adding layers of nuance to their interactions.

Overall, "I Wish You Would" is a standout YA novel that masterfully captures the highs and lows of young love in light of senior year of high school Despite its occasional shortcomings in fully addressing certain plot lines, the raw emotion and authenticity of Ethan and Natalia's story make it a compelling read that will resonate with readers long after they've turned the final page.

‘This is how it’s supposed to feel. When longing meets knowing.’

I Wish You Would Read This Story. It’s messy. Adorable. So vividly written! AND includes one of my favorite tropes: friends to lovers!

I have to admit, I was already in love with this story before I even started reading. I adored the cover, loved the blurb, and then saw raving reviews. So I had to know if my instant crush would survive my reading sittings. And how it did! Mixed (Latina) but white-passing Natalia and ‘hating his famous father’ Ethan just cemented themselves into my heart.

Two days, this story takes place in less than two days. And pours all the doubt and the hurt, and even the love from before on the pages. It’s perfectly paced, and the writing is so vibrant! And it’s a debut y’all! A fantastic debut!

I loved to read those letters and guess who those letters were from. Letters about catfishing someone, coming out, doing what you really want to do, and so many other topics.

Thanks so much, Tatiana from Fiercereads, for sending me an invite to the ARC of this book!

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

There was a lot going on in this little book and while some of it felt unnecessary, the main romance plot was solid. I liked both characters and rooted for them to finally get together. I am hesitant to share this with students because of the sex pact but otherwise the feelings ring true.

There were many aspects of this book that I enjoyed. I enjoyed the setting, the characters & the premise. It kept me entertained & I was emotionally invested in what would happen.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review!

3.75

this was a very short but cute read. i loved the vibes in and the concept of the letters. also, i’ve coincidentally been consuming a lot of content with similar characteristics as the main female character in this book that are also relatable to me ? really strange and specific traits, but yeah.

i was also tempted by the taylor swift title like many other people who plan on reading this book <3 + i just felt like some things were lacking from this book, maybe from the length but i’m not really sure.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this lovely little book !

Despite occasionally feeling like I'm losing my mind, I genuinely adored this book. The YA romance was an absolute delight, perfect for lazy summer days. This story managed to surprise me. Was I frustrated for a good portion of the book? Absolutely. But simultaneously, I was utterly engrossed and couldn't put it down. The pacing was swift, the romance was adorable, AND it even pays homage to a Taylor Swift title, making it a must-read in my book. The plot had me hooked from the get-go. It was both heartfelt and exasperatingly entertaining. Ethan and Natalia's inability to communicate effectively was frustrating yet strangely realistic for teenagers. However, as their motivations become apparent, their actions become more understandable. And that ending—utterly adorable. Oh my stars! This book perfectly captured the mutual longing and heartache of best friends. From the very first page, I was ensnared, with the backstory expertly laid out, offering insights into Ethan and Natalia's dynamic and personal struggles. The emotional rollercoaster of their journey during the school trip was riveting, ensuring there was never a dull moment. The characterizations were superb, with Ethan and Natalia's dreams, fears, and quirks fleshed out beautifully. Moreover, the book's maturity was commendable, seamlessly blending teenage drama with more profound reflections on family and the future. In summary, "I Wish You Would" is an enchanting read that reignited my love for love stories.

“I'm so in love with you. It's like... I do nothing but love you.”

*ﾟ⁀➴Summary

I Wish You Would is a young adult novel about best friends Natalia and Ethan, who, after disastrous events on prom night, meet again at their senior sunrise after avoiding each other all summer. After Natalia makes a bad decision that turns into something even worse, Ethan is tossed in the mix and they both have to see through the damage she caused together. But how are they going to fix things for senior sunrise when they can't even fix things between themselves?

*ﾟ⁀➴Theme

The heart wants what the heart wants.

*ﾟ⁀➴Characters

Natalia🌷
I liked her! She had drive, intelligence, and I enjoyed reading in her pov. Sometimes, she did things that made me think she was just after attention, but maybe those rare moments were just in my head. The only thing I will say that made absolutely no sense and frustrated me beyond belief was when she painted... in her head. It's one thing to have Synesthesia, but it's a whole different thing when you paint a whole picture in your head. I don't really know how to explain it, but the whole painting in her head thing made me want to pull my hair out.

“He's a lighthouse in this storm, his presence my safe harbor.”

“It almost hurts, how much I love him.”

Ethan🌹
Ethan was such a sweet and nerdy mmc! I looked forward to reading chapters in his pov and I was extremely grateful he didn't paint in his head or something equally concerning when he was feeling such strong emotions. It's obvious to see how deeply he feels for everything around him: Natalia, his friends, his family, and even his dad.

“Hey, you.”

“I love her. Holy shit, I love her.”

Rainn🍄
Somethings Rainn did were very infuriating, and the fact that he was so calm while he did infuriating things infuriated me more.
So yeah, I love him.

“I can't get mad at the ocean for making waves, dude. I'm a surfer.”

Sabrina🌻
She had me cracking up so much! She wasn't very present, but I enjoyed all the scenes she was in. It made me happy to read about her and I'm glad she got the happy ending she deserved.

Janelle & Claire🖕🏼
Oh boy. These guys.
I don't think I've actually loathed a character in a book this much. And to add to that... THERE WAS TWO OF THEM!! Both of these bitches just ran around causing chaos and upending lives. I'm surprised nobody in this book jumped these two because they really, really deserved it. Janelle might have gotten a bit better by the end, but that doesn't make me hate her any less! And honestly, Claire just existing made me mad from the very beginning, before she even fucked everyone up.

“For someone so pretty, you have the ugliest personality.” ~Natalia
I can't lie, she kinda ate you up with that one.

*ﾟ⁀➴Plot

I think I had the wrong idea of this book going into it. I expected it to take place all at night, and I expected Ethan and Natalia to bond by themselves, mending everything broken between them, while trying to fix Natalia's mistake. But instead, we got a group of bitchy high school students chilling on a beach all afternoon, and only about 5 or so chapters actually took place during the night. And during the afternoon, Ethan and Natalia barely even talked; they just glared at each other from across the beach while thinking about how much they love each other. I don't know, I guess I just wanted something more passionate and faster-paced. It just wasn't what I was expecting, and it caught me off guard a bit. I still really enjoyed it though!

*ﾟ⁀➴Ending

Surprisingly, I really, really loved the ending. I don't think it was too rushed or too stretched out. It made perfect sense and it made me feel happy to read it. And, we got an epilogue, so points!

*ﾟ⁀➴Quotes

💐“I am my truest, best self with him.”

💐“I'm only me when I'm with her.”

💐“We kiss like we're running out of time. I guess we are.”

💐“I hate you,” she says quietly. “You love me.”

💐“What if we don't work?”
“What if we do?”

💐“I smack him, but my heart isn't in it. I love this nerd so much”

💐“If I keep running every time I'm scared, I'll be running forever.”

💐“All of it. You. Me. This sky... Our beginning.”

💐“For now, all we do is hold each other and breathe. Because we've waited so long for this. We've waited so long for us.”

*ﾟ⁀➴Rating

Characters: 4/5⭐

Plot: 3/5⭐

Ending: 5/5⭐

Quotes: 5/5⭐

Overall: 5/5🌟

“By turning every risk into a chance. Every kiss into a promise. Every ending into a beginning.”

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+

"I Wish You Would" is a perfect book. It has all the elements of an amazing YA romance, brings out the feelings of being young, and in general has a great story line. I really enjoyed reading this and will be recommending it to my friends.

Senior Sunrise is the legendary event before senior year where the entire class gathers on the beach. There they will write their Lion Letters, confessing their deepest secrets and what they would do if they were braver. Ethan and Natalia have been best friends from the beginning, but lately their relationship has been strained. When some of the letters go missing and are later revealed, the entire Senior Sunrise is in jeopardy. Can Senior Sunrise help Natalie and Ethan find their way back to each other?

Ethan and Natalia were such a sweet couple both as best friends and something more. They are always there for each other, no matter what else they’re going through. Both of them have been dealing with big events in their lives that come to a head at Senior Sunrise. I enjoyed the ensemble cast of characters that help and inspire Ethan and Natalia. Natalia is obsessed with perfection, only to realize that not everything can be perfect and some things are better that way. Meanwhile, Ethan realizes that sometimes he needs to take the leap even when he’s uncertain.

I Wish You Would is such a delightful YA romance. This book has so many good tropes and excellent pacing. I Wish You Would is perfect for readers looking for Taylor Swift vibes, best friends to lovers, and sweet romance. Readers who enjoy Kristin Dwyer will absolutely adore this book. I loved Eva Des Lauriers’ debut and I look forward to seeing what she writes next!

Thank you to Eva Des Lauriers, Henry Holt and Co., and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Instagram, Storygraph, Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc.

I am obsessed with best friends romance novels. This YA book has so much high school nostalgia and angst and yearning. It brought me right back to being young again. It was such a beautiful coming of age story and reminded me why I truly love the YA genre. I had always desired a best friend that I was in love with and who was in love with me too. It’s always been one of my favorite tropes. 🤍 thank you so much to netgalley and Eva Des Lauriers for this eARC!

4.5 Stars 🤍Thank you @netgalley for the earc of the YA Romance🤍

This book was just the most addictive and fun read! From page one I was hooked and I binged it in two days.

The angst was perfect! Bring on all the high school drama, I’m so here for it. It added perfectly to the romance and plot.

The coming-of-age themes were also great! It’s a messy time in life, characters trying to figure out their plans for the future, while also figuring out who they want to be as human beings.

I will definitely read more from this author.

Read if you love:
• best friends
• second chance
• vulnerable letters on the loose
• friendship
• camping

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆/5
Steam: make outs
TW: some strong language, mean characters
Out May 21st

I Wish You Would

Natalia and Ethan used to be best friends until a prom kiss went wrong. After avoiding each other for the entire summer before their senior year, Natalia and Ethan are on shakier ground than ever. At the Senior Sunrise camping trip, both Natalia and Ethan follow the tradition of writing private letters to themselves. When Natalia gets cold feet and wants her letter back, the letters scatter across the beach and threaten to spill everyone’s deepest secrets.

This was a fun YA romance! I really enjoyed the setting of the Senior Sunrise trip and the missing letters. It was a fun adventure to go on! The friends to lovers romance between Ethan and Natalia was very sweet.

Ethan’s dad is the worst. He’s mostly offscreen but everything we learn about him is awful. It was shocking that Ethan was such a sweetheart given his dad being how he was. I was glad to see Ethan stand up against his actions at the end.

Recommended if you enjoy YA romance in the vein of Lynn Painter and KL Walther!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a ya novel and was ok but predictable. The main characters both like each other and don't want to ruin the friendship.

Honestly, I picked up this book solely because the premise sounded cute and the title was the same as a Taylor Swift lyric, but I ended up finding a novel that was so much more. Sure, this does have romance elements but it is such a vulnerable coming-of-age YA novel that shines through way more than just some sweet romance scenes. That is precisely why I dug it so much; it wasn't just trope-after-trope a way to get Natalia and Ethan to their HEA. It was the journey they took as individuals to be braver, be their authentic selves and follow their own hearts. That authenticity and vulnerability of the two main characters (and the author's compelling writing and language) is what won me over wholeheartedly. And I'm serious when I say Eva Des Lauriers has a compelling writing style because, dang, was I HOOKED on this book -- on every single page. Like, honestly I was so beyond curious to discover what would happen next. And for someone in a bit of a reading slump, this book BROKE it. Period.

CW: Panic Attacks/Anxiety, Children of Divorce

4.5 - This is a heartfelt, YA, best friends, second chance romance with just the right amount of tension and drama. Natalia and Ethan are both great characters and each going through their own issues as their senior year is about to start. The story is set over 24 hours which I think is so hard to get right - the author either errs on the side of way too little going on, or else jam packs so much stuff in that the day would need to have 48 hours with no sleep on the schedule to actually happen. This one is just right without being too slow. It’s sweet and endearing and you can’t help but root for the main characters, and their friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

This little story gave me all the feels. Ugh.

There's definitely the "To All the Boys..." element that's undeniable, but in general I just spent the whole (VERY FAST) read rooting for these two to figure it out and get their happily ever after. The dual POV storyline was a nice way to see the events play out--and to give some insight into how they got to that point. Many classic high school characters, the importance of tradition and senior year, and being an adult vs having adults around- it's all just very spot on for the high school experience, and this is a book that will draw in any reader. So so cute.

Overall: 5 stars (I LOVED it)

I'll tell my students about: language, LGBT+, sex (mentioned), alcohol,

**Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**