I absolutely loved this book! Wish You Weren't Here follows Ava Graham, who has always had a plan for how her life will go. Ava sets off for Italy prepared to finish her last few law school credits and keep a long-held promise to her late mother. She's expecting her long-term boyfriend to propose before she leaves, but instead, he suggests they use her time abroad as a "break." Off to a shaky start, Ava fears her time in Italy will turn out to be completely disastrous...but she just might discover what she truly wants, learn more about her mom's past, and maybe even fall in love along the way.

This was a fantastic debut! I especially enjoyed how Wish You Weren't Here was so grounded in its setting. The descriptions of everything, from the art to the culture to the food, made me feel as if I were there in Urbino, with Ava, James, and the vibrant cast of supporting characters. The romance between Ava and James was so sweet and swoon-worthy—I always love a good enemies-to-lovers story, and the dual POV added that extra bit of tension, as we could get a sense of their inner thoughts and see how Ava and James felt about each other from the start. Beyond the love story, I really appreciated Ava's journey overall, how she learned to pave a different path from the carefully laid plans she'd always had for her life, and realized that it's okay to create a new dream, to want something different for yourself than you originally might have. I did wish we got a little more insight into what Ava's life was like in Philadelphia before she left for Urbino, just to make the contrast between the two "Avas" clearer, and emphasize Ava's development throughout the story. Otherwise, I so enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it for anyone in search of a dreamy Italian adventure! Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.

Oh, this book! I loved it so much. I’ve been to Italy, but not to Urbino. This really made me want to visit there. It sounds just divine—- the food, the sights, the art, the culture!

Ava has come to the town that inspired her mother’s art. Her mother’s died five years before this. She told Ava to visit. Ava has expected her long-time boyfriend Ethan to propose to her before she departs, but instead he encourages her to “sow some wild oats” and enjoy Italy. She’s crushed.

Ava’s in law school, almost finished, a degree she picked in imitation of her father. She ends up staying with a family who has a history with her mother. The best part is the nephew who picks her up from the airport. James is drop-dead gorgeous and a wonderful photographer.

I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises (and there are quite a few), but I was preparing to be heartbroken close to the end of the book. I was so invested in Ava and her future! Please read this! It’s excellent.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. My review is voluntary.

I’m not a big fan of romcoms and yet… this surprised me. A lot. I found myself thinking and looking at the characters as I was there with them. Fully immersing myself into the reading. Enemies to lovers, law students, studying abroad, rivalry… yeah that’s a good cup of tea there. I enjoyed reading the book, and it gave me a new appreciation for my native country.

Wow. I wanted to like this book. I really did. I was intrigued by the characters and the scenery. But over and over, the readers are told about how beautiful the main character is. How the golden of her hair shines in the sun. And the profuseness on the scenery. I get it the Italian city of Urbino is beautiful and the art is amazing. But it was too much. I did enjoy the few sentences in Italian and how those characters were portrayed. Overall, I didn’t like the main character and I thought that James with his constant picture taking of people was a bit creepy.

This book took me forever to read because I just knew it had to get better. I wish I had just skipped. I liked the title, cover and description. It just wasn’t for me.

I received this advanced reader copy for my honest opinion.

RomComs set in Italy are having a moment, and Wish You Weren't Here is one of the better ones I've read lately. An enemies to lovers look at a law student studying abroad who keeps clashing with a friend of a friend of the family, who ends up being her TA supervisor. I really enjoyed the setting of this book- perfect for anyone who might be traveling to Italy and wants to bring a book along, especially Central Italy.

Wow. This book was everything I wanted in a great novel. Engaging characters, amazing setting, and all the emotions. It was romantic, amusing, poignant, heartbreaking. Easily one of the top five books I have read this year. I look forward to more work by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author Christy Schillig and the publisher for the chance to read this book!
If you enjoy romance along with Italian food, family and culture then you will enjoy this novel.
It’s well written and I appreciated reading alternating chapters from the main characters.
Her descriptions of the town, along with the art and food led me to do some google research and it was all fascinating.

Unexpected and unique style of writing. The author brought each character to life and her interest in Italy was woven into each page of the book. Each page is densely written, so the book will take the reader some time to get through. Enjoyable read.

Perfect book to read to get away from it all, like a mini vacation with a friend. Characters were interesting and fresh, also fun reading a little Italian translation flirtation. Recommend

Some books are made to be devoured quickly like a shot of vodka. This book was like an Italian wine - best served with antipasti and enjoyed slowly.

This was my second 5 star read of the year. There were times that it felt a little slow but then I realized that this book was more than just the romance and I began to enjoy it for the cultura italiana. I spent a few months in Florence last year and this book made it feel like I was there again - everything from the characters to the settings and everything in between.

The characters in this book felt very real. I loved the main character because I kinda saw myself in her a bit. She's got a plan that she refuses to deviate from despite having the opportunities to do so. James was a great character as well, I would have fallen in love with him too if I were Ava... so that makes sense.

The descriptions of the setting were also very vivid. Honestly, ready to go back to Italy now!

This book was such a cultural breath of fresh air! It had me wanting to buy a 1 one way ticket to Italy and sip aperol spritz and eat pasta all day, a girl can dream though right?!

I loved the storyline of this book. The FMC Ava was so relatable and this book was a nice reminder that no matter what stage of your life you are in, sometimes the universe has different plans for you and you need to take the signs when they appear.

I felt every emotion while reading this book, I laughed, I cried and I swooned for Italian heartthrob James 🤤

I loved how some of the dialogue was in Italian, it gave the story that real Italian authentic feel and I did not feel like I missed any of the story even though I could not understand it.

All the characters were so loveable and well written.

This is an easy 5 stars from me.

Christy you have absolutely nailed your first book. This is going to be a hit!

Wish You Weren't Here is a super atmospheric and adorable romance set in Italy. Ava ventures off to Italy to fulfill a promise to her late mother and get the last credits needed for her law degree. From the beginning of the trip, and I mean the VERY beginning, Ava's carefully laid plans are thrown to the wayside. Her picture-perfect boyfriend sends her to Italy without an engagement ring, but with the understanding that this month will be a "break" for them to see what's out there before committing to each other for the long run. Things continue downhill when Ava's (very handsome) chauffeur James is hours late picking her up, there's a bilingual misunderstanding, and her phone goes over a cliff. Our poor Ava has to learn to embrace life the Italian way and see that life's best offerings may not come in the shape of a carefully laid plan.

This was a super cute and very fast read for me. I loved being transported to Urbino and Italy and it definitely made me want to start planning my trip. You can tell the author has so much love for the culture, cuisine, and city in her writing. It really transports you and sets the scene for you to fall head over heels with this slow-burn and tension-filled romance! The dual POV between Ava and James makes the story move so quickly - I love being able to hear both of their thoughts. There was definitely some spice and LOTS of anticipation throughout the story.

I do wish we would've gotten a bit more time with Ava in Philadelphia BEFORE leaving, so we could see a bit more of the dynamic with her and Ethan and her and Tammy. I think this would've given us some comparison as to how different Ava is when she's in Italy and how different she is with James compared to Ethan. I also found myself wanting more information about her relationship with her mom, even if it was in flashbacks. There were mentions of Ava loving art and wanting to teach prior to her mom's death, I would've loved to have moments of Ava reconnecting with artistic creation (not just in the college course) or art teaching while in Italy because I think that would've made her professional development come full circle. Lastly, I wish we got just a bit more conclusion at the end (upcoming spoilers!) - like if she and James will ever move back to Italy/Urbino, because compared to Urbino, London seems kind of blah!

Overall, I really loved reading this book. I would rate it a 4.5/5, but I'm rounding up because I really did love the characters, story, and setting. I would definitely recommend picking this one up!!

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review such a great book!

I have mixed feelings about this author’s debut novel. The descriptions of the town of Urbino and its residents were rich and deeply satisfying. The vibrant, evocative language used to illustrate the art, architecture and photographs brought them to life. However, the storyline lacked a dynamic flow despite the tension in the protagonists’ relationship - I never felt a real chemistry between the two.

As a debut novel the author’s talent and potential in her ability to engage the reader with her wonderfully descriptive wordsmithing is unmistakable. I look forward to future novels as her style evolves.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This book was like a love letter to Italy and that was easily my favourite part of reading it.

I initially struggled with Ava. While aware it was for dramatic effect and conflict, someone who is that rude to assumed staff is already a pet peeve and I took a while to warm up to her.

The writing of the art was stunning and I loved the multiple scenes of James's family, who were painted so brilliantly as warm and bright and always al fresco.

This book was *chef's kiss*. Funny banter, dreamy setting and such amazing characters. My only complaint was that there wasn't more. James and Ava's adventure is definitely going down as one of my favorites I've read. Perfect balance of romance, comedy, and a little heartbreak.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I found this book very enjoyable. It was sweet and quirky and was fun to live inside another country while reading this. Urbino is charming and the people there were amazing. The only thing I really felt like this book lacked was more drama. The story started with Ava’s boyfriend giving her a “hall pass” and it felt like their relationship never really wrapped up or held the weight it should have in the story. This is a great feel-good romance but definitely won’t give you drama and angst if you’re looking for that.

Truly delightful. With the witty banter and delicious tension between Ava and James who got off on a rocky start, the idyllic scenery of Italy, and the warm and gracious welcoming of James' family (except James himself), I could not get enough of WISH YOU WEREN'T HERE and could have lived in Ava and James' world forever. After making a promise to her now passed mother to travel to Italy and being put on a break with her boyfriend without her say, falling in love is the last thing on Ava's mind, but fate as other plans.

I so appreciated the emotional depth and realness to the characters, and enjoyed watching Ava and James's relationship unfold. Love is a big theme, and so is family and how those two can heavily influence the path we decide to take when it comes to our career. Do we pursue an occupation because it's what we think a parent wants or say no to a dream opportunity because it means moving far away from everyone you love? This book highlights the things we do, change and risk for love and family.

I'm so excited for this author and can't wait to read what she grants us with next! Much gratitude to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.