
Member Reviews

4.7 rounded up to 5/5
"I Wish You Would" by Eva Des Lauriers is a captivating tale of friendship, love, and the complexities of senior year, wrapped in a whirlwind of emotions and secrets.
Set during Senior Sunrise, the novel follows best friends Natalia and Ethan as they navigate the aftermath of a near-romantic encounter at junior prom. As the two reunite after a summer of ghosting each other, tensions run high, and unresolved feelings linger beneath the surface.
The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a senior class tradition where students write private letters to themselves, revealing their deepest desires and fears. When Natalia's heartfelt confession and Ethan's own secrets are scattered across the beach, the stage is set for a race against time to retrieve the lost letters before their secrets are exposed.
Des Lauriers expertly employs the friends-to-lovers trope, drawing readers into the complexities of Natalia and Ethan's relationship. From heartwarming moments to dramatic confrontations, the chemistry between the characters crackles with intensity, keeping readers engaged from the first page to the last. The novel's fast-paced plot and well-developed characters ensure that there's never a dull moment. Backstories are skillfully woven into the narrative, adding depth and complexity to the protagonists' journey.
The private confessions scattered throughout the story add an intriguing layer of suspense, keeping readers guessing until the very end. And the one bed trope adds an extra layer of tension and intimacy, adding to the emotional depth of the story.
With its beautiful cover, heartwarming conversations, and intense plot, "I Wish You Would" is a must-read for fans of young adult romance. Des Lauriers has crafted a story that is both poignant and captivating, leaving readers eagerly anticipating her next novel.

๐ ๐๐ช๐ด๐ฉ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ follows sort-of-estranged best friends on a legacy trip before their senior year where accidents occur to jeopardize friendships and trusts.
- ~ -
I hate, absolutely abhor giving debut books negative reviews because I can practically feel the hopes and aspirations resting in my hands.
But here's to hoping someone else loved this because this was beyond mid for me.
Natalia and Ethan were cute and I enjoyed the high school dynamics... but at the end of the day, I didn't like that the whole mess resolved overnight anduch too simply.
The writing felt a tad juvenile and I wish the past insights into their friendship were explored more so that we got to know the details of Natalia and Ethan's present relationship better.
- ~ -
Overall: It's a book highlighting the dynamics of friendship, forgiveness and how, no matter what, some people in your life've always got your back and the thing you do for them in return.
3.37 / 5โฉ
๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ค๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ญ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ'๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ต๐จ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐บ. ๐๐ญ๐ญ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ๐ต๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ.

I WISH YOU WOULD takes you to that nostalgic place we all lived in when we were teens and in love. The big feels were feeling. And Eva masterfully takes us on an emotional journey in a day while seamlessly adding in breadcrumbs from the past! She weaves in relatable moments and honestly, the experiences on the page are so human. There's joy, sorrow, deep pains, and bouts of healing. And one tent. THERE'S ONE TENT PEOPLE! This is the kind of story that stays with you like a phantom limb. I think about Natalia and Ethan at the randomest of times.

Such a cute, quick read! The story was adorable, and felt real. I went to a small high school that didn't get to do events, so I enjoy reading stories about other high schools to see what it's like. Do schools really do overnight trips on the beach?? Because that sounds like a lot of fun! The characters were so real, they acted and treated each other like real high schoolers, with petty drama and bullying and crushes and ratting each other out. The last hurrah before senior year, when things get serious and move way faster than anyone expects, and this is exactly the type of shenanigans I expect to hear about. Some of it seemed a little bit outlandish, things that I can't see really happening. Things that they would have gotten caught doing, gotten in trouble for. But overall a very cute read, and I feel like anyone going into high school would really enjoy and probably benefit from this book.

I expected to love I WISH YOU WOULD, but I never expected to fall so hard for it. It definitely reads like a Taylor Swift song--emotional, tension, all the feels!
Natalie is so relatable in her search for perfection and always wants to make other people happy, which is great except for when it's keeping her from happiness. Her best friend, and the boy she's trying not to have feelings for, Ethan is adorable and sensitive, which I adored. Honestly, I found his sensitivity to be such a strength.
What I thought Des Lauriers did so well was show how these two best friends care for each other so deeply, yet are terrified to be honest about their feelings, all in the guise of how it would impact their friendship. Perhaps it's because so much of it reflects my relationship, but the tension and angst is all at once relatable and real. This is definitely a favorite book of the year, and I look forward to many more from Eva!

Itโs been a long time since I was in high school, but this book brought all the myriad emotions raging back. Loved this best friends-to-lovers debut from Eva Des Lauriers. 4โญ๏ธ
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This story. The tension! I could not put this story down - tearing through pages and chapters needing to know what would happen next. Not wanting to stop-even when it was over-the world and story living rent free in my brain days later. Just such a fun one. With a full cast of endearing characters this friends to lovers romance is one you donโt want to miss!
Thank you MacMillian/Henry Holt and NetGalley for the arc!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
I am so grateful I was able to read this. This book is the perfect YA summer romance and was so fast paced and entertaining, I couldn't put it down. The miscommunication trope is not for everyone, myself included, so there were a couple of moments I didn't enjoy, but as a whole story, this was such a pleasant surprise. While I found myself frustrated at the characters multiple times, I also couldn't help but root for them. As a sucker for best friends to lovers and dual POV, I was hooked very early on. The plot was fun and I loved the whole senior sunrise, the side characters were amazing, and of course, I adored Ethan and Natalia. This book did a fantastic job at not only being a cute romance, but also at tying in more serious subjects such as divorce, cheating, anxiety, bullying, and more. The characters had a lot of realism to them and all had their own struggles, which made it so easy to connect with them. The only reason this isn't 5 stars was because I really just couldn't get past how infuriating the miscommunication was. In the end, they are teenagers full of angst and struggling with their own problems, so I found it pretty realistic that they weren't the best at communicating, but Natalia and Ethan were still a little bit of a mess. It definitely built that tension though and made their resolution so much more satisfying.
Overall, this was an amazing debut novel and I really enjoyed it!

Thank you To Netgally for providing me with an ARC of this book!!
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
If you HATE the miscommunication trope this book IS NOT FOR YOU lol. That being said, I enjoy the miscommunication trope from time to time when it's done correctly. When the miscommunication is some kind of funny happenstance I think thats the best but when the characters are purposefully not talking to each other about their feelings/what happened then I don't really like that. This book was a mix of both. Some of the miscommunication was really funny (i.e when Prashant assumed Ethan and Natalie were hooking up in the tent) and some of it was just full on angsty (i.e Natalie and Ethan dancing around the whole issue of what happened after prom). I didn't necessarily mind the angsty miscommunication UNTIL THE END OF THE BOOK. That's when it's at their worst. Natalie and Ethan are literally RIGHT THERE about to tell each other everything and then Ethan gets upset about her "always walking away instead of talking" AND THEN HE LITERALLY WALKS AWAY FROM HER. They were a mess and should've never done any of this honestly.
The story also covered some heavy topics in such a short amount of time. Addiction, cheating, divorced parents, transphobia, panic attacks, alcoholism, bullying. Some of it I feel was handled really well within the story and others... not so much. It's hard to address so many things in a novel and this ARC I had was pretty short so hopefully some of that was fixed in the final edition.
I did like all of the characters though, despite their angst. They all had a lot of depth and realism to them. I could actually picture this happening in the real world which I think is a good thing. You want the characters and their problems to draw you in and keep you there. I think overall Prashant might've been my favorite. though which is funny since he's a minor character but I loved every scene with him in it. He was was funny and loyal and smart. I also really enjoyed Leti too. Their scenes were also incredible.
Now onto some things I didn't really enjoy about the book.
What I didn't like/could not get behind was how Claire the girl from theatre was "the popular girl" that was honestly the funniest thing I've ever read. I was in theatre for 4 years in high school and nobody, not even us theatre kids, would've called ourselves "popular". Getting people to come to our shows was like pulling teeth. Teachers gave out extra credit if students attended performances. I found out my senior year that an actual popular girl I barely even knew HATED me and my friend group (all theatre people) because we were "annoying". My senior year ACTUAL popular kids joined theatre and thats when some of the "cool crowd" actually bothered to show up for performances. It was honestly hilarious that anyone would characterize theatre kids as "popular". I'm sure my school experience with theatre wasn't niche either.
It was also kind of funny to me how they took the whole impeachment of Natalie so serious. It's literally student council for a high school... I really don't think that matters AT ALL in the grand scheme of things.
There was also a part at the end when Mason came out as gay where Natalie says that she thought Mason was "a tool". I never even got that vibe from him throughout the entire book. He seemed funny and a bit clueless at times but still like a really good guy. Then... he suddenly comes out to the whole class and Natalie is describing him as a "genuine guy" she clearly hadn't tried to get to know him at all if she thought he was a bad person.
Natalie also was so angry with her dad because he didn't understand her art but... she never even talked to him about it. I understand that your parents are hard to talk to, I don't really have that great of a relationship with mine, but I was up front with my parents about what I wanted, all of my siblings were (they're all creative fields) and my parents accepted it even if they didn't understand. Which is exactly what her own dad did. It sounded like Natalie never even bothered to tell her father that she loved art and wanted to pursue it so this whole time I painted him I had him pegged as this terrible person who didn't want his daughter to be happy and then... at the end... you find out that's not true at all. Basically... if everyone just talked to each other instead of running away, none of this would've happened.

requested this book because of the title!! iykyk๐คญ๐คญ BUT OMG!!!! it was very good, i was really surprised but honestly idk why?? because with that cover and name its already amazing!!

This book is, heart on a sleeve, in written form. It's beautiful, bold, vulnerable, and healing. Eva Des Lauriers will forever be an instant buy for me!

This book is absolutely one I wish I had read when I was in high school. I loved the characters so muchโNatalia and Ethan, but also their entire crew. So much nuance explored on the page. So much important representation. Evaโs prose is luscious and colorful, as vibrant as Nataliaโs paintings. It was a joy to read.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy of this book. Opinions are my own.
PSโTHAT GORGEOUS COVER ๐คฉ

I would love to read every word Eva Des Lauriers writes. I am a fan of her podcast and was in no way surprised that her much anticipated I Wish You Would has raised the bar for the best friends-to-lovers trope. This book is un-put-downable.
If you are looking for a fast read with ALL THE yearning, this is the book to buy!

Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
"I Wish You Would" by Eva Des Lauriers is a captivating and emotionally resonant tale that explores the complexities of friendship, love, and the challenges of navigating adolescence. Set against the backdrop of a high school senior trip, the story follows Natalia and Ethan, long-time best friends whose relationship is strained by unresolved feelings and misunderstandings. This is a book I would recommend for those who want a fast-paced romance as well as those who are trying to get over a reading slump. This book is pretty short and with the fast pace, you can easily read this book in one sitting, and it will leave you want to read more romances as well-developed and sweet as this one.
From the very first page, "I Wish You Would" captivates you with its well-developed characters and engaging storyline. The alternating perspectives of Natalia and Ethan provide insight into their innermost thoughts and feelings, allowing you to empathize with their struggles and root for their reconciliation. The two felt very realistic with teenagers who are dealing with the strength of their emotions, and the drama aspects and different misunderstandings definitely help. Teen readers will most likely find themselves connecting with the characters and their emotions, maybe even wishing to have a friendship/relationship like Natalia and Ethan. The Des Lauriers skillfully navigates themes of friendship andself-discovery, creating a story that feels both authentic and hits you right in the feels.
One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its portrayal of teenage relationships and emotions. As stated earlier, Des Lauriers expertly captures the intensity and complexity of adolescent feelings, from the exhilaration of first love to the anguish of heartbreak and betrayal. The interactions between Natalia and Ethan are filled with authenticity and emotional depth. I couldnโt wait to finish the book because I just really wanted the two of them to be together.
The story also shines in its portrayal of secondary characters and subplots. The supporting cast is well-developed and multifaceted, adding depth and dimension to the story. Sometimes in romance books, especially shorter ones like this, the secondary characters are often forgotten or are one-dimensional. The inclusion of letters from other classmates adds an intriguing layer of complexity, offering glimpses into the lives and struggles of various characters beyond the central romance.
Overall, "I Wish You Would" is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that will captivate you from beginning to end. With its compelling characters, engaging storyline, and heartfelt themes, it is sure to leave a lasting impression. Whether you're a fan of high school drama or simply enjoy a heartfelt romance, this book is not to be missed.

Eva Des Lauriers' "I Wish You Would" is a gripping and enjoyable love story that will have you engrossed from beginning to end. I am not usually a YA kinda girl, but when I say this book had me in a chokehold! The relationship between Natalia and Ethan is endearing and realistic, and their search for the missing letters is full of unexpected turns that will have you wondering."I Wish You Would" is a beautiful book! This is a must read!

This is the perfect YA romance. Itโs written well, and the story is rich with angst. You have 2 best friends to almost-lovers to estranged friends toโฆ
The pace is fast, and if youโre like me, youโll want to devour the book in one sitting. The ending, unlike many books set during senior year, is hopeful and more complete, which I appreciate. Both Ethan and Natalia are great main characters.

This was such a great YA read. It took a great, in depth look at bullying, family disintegration, evolving friendships, transphobia, consent/boundaries, miscommunication, and the typical complex feelings that come from our teenage years. This took an introspective look at the drive to be the best you can be in high school for fear of failing everyone around you, even though you are a child and shouldnโt shoulder that responsibilityโฆ.such a great book.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
oh my goodness but this was beautiful! I absolutely adored this book and I want to read it again!
a beautiful and gentle ya story perfectly executed friends to lovers trope.
I am honestly in awe.You should 100% read this! 10/10!

I WISH YOU WOULD is one of those books of young love and hope that you want to live in forever. A story that gives you butterflies and reminds you of your first love. A story that I wish I could read again and again for the first time, to capture those first time feels over and over. I canโt recommend this title enough and I canโt wait to own it and be able to read it physically and mark up all of my favorite quotesโbecause there are MANY. Five gold stars. If I could give it a hundred, I would.

I had the immense honor of reading an early copy of this novel. I Wish You Would is an achingly stunning novel that follows two best friends over the course of a day on a senior overnight camping trip. Des Lauriers lyrical writing will enchant you from the very first page. This novel is full of angst, longing stares, and shows us how to be brave and true to oneself. I will be selling this novel to absolutely everyone!