I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review. I found the story trite and could not get on board with Ava. She was spoiled and silly. Thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you NetGalley, Christy Schillig, and Alcove Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an exquisitely crafted, profoundly emotional, and wonderfully heartwarming <I>debut</I> romance that whisks you away to the charming town of Urbino, Italy!! Embark on a delightful journey as two unlikely people collide in a hilariously unconventional first meeting, transporting their initial disdain into a deep and enduring bond of friendship and ultimately blossoming into love. Set amidst breathtaking landscapes, tantalizing Italian cuisine, beautiful artwork, and a tapestry of culture richness, this slow burn romance unfolds, promises to captivate your heart and soul. Overflowing with palpable sexual tension, uproarious humor, the comforting embrace of found family, undeniable chemistry, unwavering love, heartwarming romance, a dash of spice, poignant heartache, and an alluring array of secondary characters, this story assures an immersive read with dual point of view narrative. I absolutely adored this indulgent escape to Italy!! 🩵🩵🩵🩵

Ava Graham's meticulously planned life takes an unexpected turn as she sets off for Italy to complete her final law school credits and honor a promise made to her late mother. Anticipating a proposal from her long term boyfriend, she instead faces the shocking suggestion of a "break" before settling down. At the airport, James Massini, arriving late to pick her up as a favor to his aunt and uncle, discovers Ava to be a fascinating woman approaching thirty, armed with a serious superiority complex and a tendency to underestimate him.

When Ava is assigned to assist in James's class, he becomes determined to show her that life is more than just plans and lists, despite her resistance and his growing admiration for her spirited banter. Though initially resistant to the sudden upheaval in her life, Ava finds herself reluctantly drawn to the charms of Italy, even as James's carefree nature continues to irk her. As she begins to embrace the chaos, finding unexpected beauty in spontaneity, her past resurfaces, threatening the newfound sense of clarity she's discovered.

Overall, I found this book thoroughly enjoyable and would highly recommend it to anyone seeking a captivating summer romance infused with irresistible Italian vibes! The narrative served as a poignant reminder that life frequently unfolds according to its own agenda, regardless of the carefully crafted plans we lay out for ourselves. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

<I>Some of my favorite highlights:
"Bravery is making a choice despite your fear"

"Some point in life, you will know that some people can stay in your heart but no in your life, which means that you should understand more than most not to waste un momento with those who are still here."</I>

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

I Sadly could not get into the story after weeks of trying for this reason it is DNF

I loved this book so much that I don't even know where to start!

Ava is convinced her boyfriend is going to propose before her trip to Italy, but instead, he wants them to take a break before they fully commit to each other. From that point onward, we follow Ava on her way to coming to terms with things from her past and learning that following a strict plan doesn't always work in real life. Considering the hard topics this book deals with, it was, surprisingly, such a feel-good story!

When Ava meets James, she instantly can't stand him, and reading their interactions through his perspective was so much fun. It is obvious from the start how transfixed he is by her, and I loved reading about her walls slowly tumbling down because of him. I loved both of these characters – each of them complex, with their own troubles, but still growing and helping each other.

The writing style was extremely easy but in the most beautiful way – I fell into the story from the very first page and it made me read it so fast because I just couldn't get enough. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized this is a debut novel! There's so much potential for all of the future books this author might write and I already know I will definitely be reading them!

There's a cute puppy, a lot of cozy family dinners, constant beautiful sceneries, a bunch of both sweet and spicy moments – the whole package for a perfect romcom. This is easily one of my favorite romance reads this year and I'm sure it will remain at the top no matter how many more I read before the year ends. I giggled, laughed out loud, swooned and, simply, had an amazing time!

Ava and her long time boyfriend head to the airport for a trip to Italy. While at the airport he decides to dump her and tells her to take the “honeymoon” by herself. She does decide to go and decides to have the best time of her life. She was thinking he was going to propose but now he just wants a big break. She also realizes being in Italy will allow her to complete her final Law School credit. James is suppose to pick Ava up at the airport but he is running late. James is pleasantly surprised by Ava as she is not an immature college student but a fascinating woman close to 30. The book takes place in the Italian cities of Urbino and Vernice. Most reader will know about Venice but many do not know Urbina which happens to be the birth place of Raphael. At first Ava just thought James was a hired driver and that he did not speak English . Well that was not quite right as she on the taxi ride she was talking about all her problems and James undertook it al.
James is a professor, artist and photographer. He is also the nephew of the family Ava is staying with and to make matters worse, he is the professor that she will be the Teacher Assistant to at the University. All of this makes for a great story. Kind of an enemies to lovers story. The antics and chaos that ensues will have the reader laughing out loud. This book was great and I loved all descriptive detail of ITALY!

While I found this book a bit too long, Wish You Weren't Here is a sexy romance set in sunny Italy.

Ana has been sent to Italy by her 'should be' fiance. He wants her to live it up, to sow her oats. They had planned this trip together but he wants her to go alone.

Enter James, the driver that will take her to her lodgings. Ana spills all the beans, about her life, about her relationship, about her expectations. She assumes that James is just an Italian man and she's talking out loud. James, however, fully knows English and while Ana wants to avoid him at all costs - this proves to be impossible for a number of reasons.
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Christy Schillig has written a fun modern romance that makes readers want to instantly book a trip to Italy--myself included. This was a fun, quick read, despite the extra chapters that I didn't need.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

I enjoyed Wish You Weren't Here! I loved the Italy setting and the chemistry between Ava and James. I also liked the storyline of Ava reconnecting with her mom's past. I thought Schillig's writing was captivating. There were some things about this book that didn't click with me. I didn't understand why Ava never replaced her phone. Are there no phone stores in Urbino? I also thought that some of the college plotlines didn't make sense. Why did Ava (a TA) and James (a professor) pick up a student that was arrested? When Ethan made his appearance towards the end of the story, it felt anticlimatic. For how strong-willed Ava is, it was hard to believe that she would put up with his crap. Although there were some aspects of the story that didn't feel fully flushed out, I still had fun reading this one! Thank you to Alcove Press for the ARC.

Wish You Weren't Here by Christy Schillig is such a beautifully written debut.
The description and Italian setting was so vividly detailed I could picture everything so perfectly.
This is a captivating and nostalgic story with the amazing storytelling and well-crafted characters I couldn’t stop once I started.
With its compelling characters, engaging plot, and thought-provoking themes, it is a book that will stay with readers long after they have finished reading it.

Thank You NetGalley and Alcove Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I liked the premise of this novel but not the execution. I'm not sure if the author meant the main character to be the stereotype of an ignorant American who has no clue how ignorant actually she is, or if it was meant as a criticism. I'm leaning towards the former given that at the start of the novel she notices a young character has nice straight teeth, so she asks him if they have braces in Italy. Like, WHAT?! The book is filled with these type of comments and observations. If Ms. Schilling bothered going to Italy at all in her research, she saw Italy through the same lens as her main character.

I was hooked on this from the first chapter. An enemies to lovers rom-com taking place in Italy is something I did not know I needed! I loved the chemistry between the main characters. Their first meeting was just so funny and honestly believable given their current situations that I was laughing out loud. Throw in the dog and the beauty of Urbino and I’m sold.

The imagery in this book was enchanting. The setting, the food, the art! All of the descriptions made me feel like I was there experiencing it right alongside Ava. I have never been to Italy and it was already on my list of places to visit but this lovely story has bumped it up to the top!

I would definitely recommend this if you want an international romantic comedy that has many emotional layers but still gives the HEA we all know and love with plenty of laughs along the way. It’s a love letter to Italy from the author that comes through in every sentence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advanced copy!

DNF

Did not find the main character to be relatable. She felt oblivious and sheltered.
Overall writing style didn't work for me. Felt like overly wordy with exposition overload.

Premise is interesting but execution just didn't hold me

did not finish. this book was very slow to pick up so it was hard to follow the story initially. nothing really grabbed my attention to continue reading

I absolutely loved and enjoyed this book. It transported me to Urbino, Italy and Schillig's writing is very immersive. I enjoyed the dynamic between our two main characters and I loved the people surrounding them as well. The characters are well fleshed out and I love how they develop throughout the story. It's such a tender and fun romance novel, with moments that make you cry, laugh, and just feel so much love in your heart, And outside the romance, there is so much growth and development as she reconnects with family and with herself. I devoured every bit of it in such a short amount of time. It was that good.

This book centers around Ava who has just been semi-dumped by her long term boyfriend right before she travels to Italy to study and learn about her late mothers art (you will always catch me loving books that take place in Europe). When she arrives, she meets James, who is a carefree professor and photographer.

I was enthralled by this book. The descriptions of the Italian cities was amazing and had me not only wanting to go there immediately, but feeling like I was there. This book is a multifaceted love story, not just with Ava and James, but with Ava and her mother, her mothers art, and the new life that she has come to love. This book was also especially good for me because I am learning Italian right now! There were little phrases written in Italian and it was super cool to understand it 😂

The only reason im giving this book 4 instead of 5 is because the beginning was a little slow and the resolution of her relationship with her ex was just too quick and brushed over for me. Overall this was an amazing debut novel and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for her!!

I loved this so much! This story had me transported to Italy and I loved every page of this book. This book was so good I fell in love with this story.
I just reviewed Wish You Weren't Here by Christy Schillig. #WishYouWerentHere #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

A well-written friends-to-lover romance set in gorgeous Italy. Lots of layers and sub-plots, and a compelling central romance.

Wish You Weren’t Here, by Christy Schillig (May 21, 2024): I’ve never had an overwhelming urge to visit Italy…until I read this book! Schillig weaves the sights, sounds, and temperament of Urbino into every page of this novel, which is just so beautiful.

Ava has a plan for everything. She makes the plan, checks off the steps, and completes it. Italy is part of the plan. She gets to bolster her law degree before she starts with a top firm while checking Italy off the list of her late mother’s wishes for her. Along with an impending engagement to her politically connected boyfriend, her life is going exactly to plan. Until it isn’t. Instead of landing in Italy with an engagement ring and an internship, she lands with a “let’s take a break” conversation, a late airport pickup, a term abroad turned into chaos…and a handful of weeks that will alter her perspective on life, love, and family. As Ava adapts to her new reality, she embarks on an accidental journey of self-discovery through food, music, wine, art, and love.

I cannot wait for you to meet Ava and James. Both come with loads of family trauma. They start as comedic enemies-to-lovers but quickly grow into a deep connection as James shakes Ava out of her predictable patterns and Ava opens James up to embracing the opportunities in front of him. This book is deeply rooted in found family, connections to the past, and embracing your true happiness. Plus lots of wine and food. Schilling’s writing blends fun and quirky with thoughtful and heart wrenching in the best way. I can count on one hand the number of books that have made me cry in the last year and this is one of them. I simply loved it.

Thank you to @netgalley @christyschillig and @alcovepress for the opportunity to read this beautiful, funny book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The enemies-to-lovers romance was fun, the main character's need to work through her mother's death and learn more about her mother's life gave it added depth, and the Italian setting was gorgeous. The only drawback was that the descriptions of all that amazing food made me hungry!

I'll recommend it widely. Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

I loved and devoured this debut book. The Italian descriptions are cinematic and the slow burn relationship was perfect. If you love romance books, Italy and food, grab this ASAP!

this book made me want to run away to italy and sip a cocktail. truly enjoyable and fun. the characters were fun and gave me some hearty laughs.