4.5 stars I love the found family and sweet/mischievous older characters in this story. Even sweeter than the romance (Luca is swoon-worthy!) is Catherine realizing that she had family all along, even if they didn't meet her childhood expectations. Thank you to the author for including me on one of her traveling ARC teams - seeing everyone else's little notes and comments made it even more fun to read.

Thank you so much to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Wish I Were Here had a very intriguing premise, a range of eclectic characters, and an important lesson to tie everything up! Though I didn't connect with the protagonist too much, I still found myself interested in where the plot was going, and how the story would be solved. The romance was sweet, and the message, though heard before, was still nice to read about and is always prevalent for people who lose sight of themselves while focusing primarily on work and nothing else. The magical realism element was a great touch, as well. Overall, very cute!

Thank you Net Galley and Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of “Wish I Were Here” to read and provide my honest review. The description and the comps had me immediately sold on “Wish I Were Here”. “Wish I Were Here” was everything I wanted it to be and more! I really enjoyed reading this book. I’m always a fan of opposites attract and a slightly paranormal romance, and “Wish I Were Here” did both of these so well. This book managed to discuss some deep topics, like parental abandonment, but still maintained its lighthearted and fun feel. I was so pleasantly surprised by the found family element; it is such an underrated trope.

I thought that Catherine and Luca were such a sweet duo. Catherine was a really dynamic fmc. I feel like she really grew so much, and I loved that her growth wasn’t because of Luca, but with Luca. I love an mmc that’s just so caring and genuine (and tattooed!). Luca’s extended family were such a funny and heartwarming addition to the story, that you wouldn’t expect from the Mafia. The themes of community were really touching and inspiring.

I really thought “Wish I Were Here” was a lot of fun, and left me feeling hopeful and happy. The comps were spot on; we got our slightly paranormal Ashley Poston vibe, and the wholesome Sophie Cousins romance. It was such a sweet story and I will definitely be reading more of Melissa Wiesner’s writing in the future!

Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner
Standalone Women’s Fiction/ Romance
Releases 10/15/24

My thanks to Netgalley and Forever for providing an advance copy for review purposes. Ana’s Attic accepts no compensation for reviews, and all reviews contain my honest opinion.

I picked up Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner on NetGalley as soon as I saw it. I enjoyed her writing in My Second Chance Year and was excited to read another one of her books.

Catherine is a mathematician, precise and organized, shaped by a childhood raised by her single dad—a literal clown (not the creepy makeup kind, but one who juggles, makes balloon animals, and entertains). Growing up, she moved constantly and often skipped school to follow the circus with him. Now, she’s back in town to take a position teaching in the college’s math program.

Luca is the doorman at her new apartment building. He’s cheerful, always happy to help anyone, and he’s her polar opposite: he’s late when she’s early, messy when she’s neat, and outgoing while she’s an introvert. It drives her crazy that he’s so busy charming and assisting the older residents that he often neglects his doorman duties.

On her first day at work, the university informs her of a glitch in her paperwork—it appears she doesn’t exist, and all of her documents seem forged. Freaked out, she worries about losing the job she just moved for. Then, things get worse: her credit cards stop working, her bank account is frozen, and even the Social Security office says she doesn’t exist.

With no one else to turn to, she reluctantly accepts Luca’s offer of help. He has plenty of contacts—and a family with ties to the local mafia. Suddenly, Catherine, the buttoned-up mathematician, finds herself talking to mobsters, breaking and entering, and, against all odds, actually laughing. Luca is helping her shed the uptight persona, transforming her into someone who connects with and cares about her community.

Likes:
•Wonderful side characters.
•I absolutely loved Luca.
•Found family.
•A ton of character growth.
•Funny banter.

Dislikes:
•It was a strange “magic”.
•I loved Luca, but never really got to know him more than surface-level.
•More women’s fiction than romance.

The Down & Dirty:
“Wish I Were Here” by Melissa Wiesner was an okay read for me. I never felt like putting it down, but I also wasn’t rushing to pick up my Kindle. While I enjoyed the side characters, I never quite felt the chemistry between the main couple. Now, two weeks later, I honestly can’t remember if there was any spice in the book. From what I’ve gathered, this author leans more toward women’s fiction with a hint of romance rather than a full-blown romance. The focus is really on the personal growth of the FMC, and I did appreciate watching Catherine gradually warm up and learn to let go.

Rating: 3 Stars

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕚𝕤𝕥:
Type-A mathematician Catherine Lipton's ordered life unravels when she discovers she's been erased from government records, making her effectively non-existent. With no help from her free-spirited dad or her university, she reluctantly turns to Luca Morelli, her charming but seemingly unreliable doorman.

As Catherine enlists Luca's well-connected Italian family, she embarks on a wild journey involving Mafia connections, hospital break-ins, and unexpected fun. Along the way, she grows closer to Luca and begins to discover a new side of herself she never anticipated.

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
🧲 𝘖𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵
✨ 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺
🎨 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘔𝘊
☀️ 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘺/𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦
🫶🏼 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺
💫 𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤

𝕊𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕣 𝕍𝕚𝕓𝕖𝕤:
📚 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 ʙʏ ᴀsʜʟᴇʏ ᴘᴏsᴛᴏɴ
📚 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 ʙʏ sᴏᴘʜɪᴇ ᴄᴏᴜsᴇɴs

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
I love Melissa Wiesner’s writing. She effortlessly creates stories of self-discovery, friendship, found family, and heartwarming romance.

This was a sweet, big-hearted story centered around a woman discovering what’s really important in her life. Catherine is workaholic, rule-following math professor. When she unexpectedly loses her identity, she is forced to rely on her (seemingly) unreliable doorman to help set every thing straight. Luca, as well as some of the lively residents of the building, help Catherine see that there is more to life than organization and deadlines.

The only thing that fell a little flat for me was the romance itself. I wanted a little more chemistry between Luca and Catherine, and would have loved for the romance to play a bigger part of the book overall. Despite that, this was still a great read, full of heart and a sprinkle of magic!

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (𝟯.𝟱/𝟱)

𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
🫑 (𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆)

Thanks to Netgalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for access to this E-ARC! Loved this so much! Amazing cozy vibes & loved the characters. New fav author!

Synopsis:

Type-A mathematician Catherine Lipton, grew up with a free-spirited single dad who worked p/t as a clown. Now, her carefully calculated life goes awry when she realizes she’s disappeared from the government’s records. Her one offer of help is from Luca Morelli (of a well connected Italian family), her attractive but aggravating doorman who spends more time flirting with Catherine’s neighbors than he does enforcing the building rules. She finds herself growing closer to Luca, who makes her laugh and challenges her well-ordered ways. As Catherine begins to unravel the mystery behind her missing identity, she may discover that the “real” Catherine is someone she never expected.

Review:

This book was one with a cast of characters. There were lots of funny, spirited, heartwarming characters who all played an important role in the story. It was a story of Catherine's personal growth journey as she learns to open her mind and see beyond the daily grind. What I thought was beautiful about the story was the homage to our elders - I find a lot of times in the Western world, we don't value the experience/history of our older generations so it was nice to see a story about doing just that. The romance definitely took a back seat in this story, so that's good to set that expectation when you pick this book up.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

Thank you to Forever for my ARC!

I really tried with this one, but unfortunately, it ended up being a DNF for me. The description was so promising, but it ultimately felt a lot less magical and more of a bureaucratic nightmare. I did like the character of Catherine quite a bit, so I am hoping this one works better for others!

This was such a fun little read. I went into it mostly blind, but once I started reading I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The story centers on Catherine, a stereotypically type-A math professor who was raised by her single father (who happens to be a professional clown). After scattered and irresponsible doorman Luca almost ruins her shot at a prestigious job interview, things get even crazier when Catherine's identity disappears from all official computer systems. The reader is taken on an irresistible journey as Catherine and Luca get to know each other and seek to prove Catherine's identity so she can get on with her life.
What I really loved about this story is that it didn't feel like something I've read before. The disappearing identity storyline provided lots of situational humor and a fun backdrop to the developing romance. I also enjoyed the character development of Catherine in particular, and the endearing nature of Luca that we get to see more of over the course of the book.
I didn't love the magical realism/supernatual elements. The ending was a little too syrupy sweet for my taste and felt a bit overdone.
Overall though, I really enjoyed this! Recommended for fans of Sophie Cousens.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own. Wish I Were Here releases on October 15.

3 stars for Melissa Wiesner's Wish I Were Here - a romcom of finding love where you least expect it.

We meet Catherine, a mathematician whose life is always in order, is always early everywhere, and lives her life by the rules. Little does she know that her life is about to be turned upside down when her identity disappears. With the help of always late, distracted, and charming doorman Luca, with a lot of adventures, a couple of discoveries, and a big Italian family, Luca and Catherine will find their way back to who she is and discover new things about herself in the process.

The book had a very interesting plot - but I did not find myself engaged with the characters or the couple. I was cheering more for Catherine's own path of self discovery than I was for Luca and Catherine as a couple. I found myself more engaged in the second part of the book, once the story started moving, than at the beginning.

All in all, the book was entertaining. Luca was adorable and easy to fall in love with. Catherine was complex and closed off, and it was great to see her develop into someone more open and loving throughout the story.

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

A sweet contemporary read with a hint of magical realism and subtle romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you liked the Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston, or the Midnight Library by Matt Haig - then you'll likely love this one too!

I was fully immersed from the beginning and I enjoyed the writing style where we are taken along this journey and discover bits and pieces as we go. I found myself relating to the FMC, Catherine, with her type A - arrive early kind of persona. I thought the MMC was lovely (tattooed, cinnamon roll) and enjoyed how his character evolved in the book. The elderly side characters were charming and I wanted to live in this little world.

This was nearly a full 5 star - shout from the rooftops type read. But I knocked a half star off as I craved/pined for just a little bit more romance and there were a few side characters I wanted more development of (can't say without spoilers) - there was also a bit of acceptance for her upbringing that I struggled with (it's ok to say it wasn't ok).

I really enjoyed this one and think it'll live rent free in my head space for a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Wish I Were Here" is a charming story that blends romance, self-discovery, and a touch of magical realism. The book follows Catherine Lipton, a meticulous math professor whose life is turned upside down when her identity mysteriously vanishes from all records. Forced to rely on the help of her laid-back and infuriatingly charming doorman, Luca Morelli, Catherine embarks on a journey to reclaim not only her lost identity but also a sense of who she truly is.

Wiesner crafts a narrative that's both heartwarming and introspective, exploring themes of identity, family, and the unexpected joys that can arise from stepping outside one's comfort zone. Luca and Catherine's relationship is the classic opposites-attract dynamic, bringing humor and warmth to the story as they navigate various challenges together.

Though the romance is light and sweet, the book primarily focuses on Catherine's personal growth and the rediscovery of what truly matters in life. The subtle magical realism adds an intriguing layer to the plot, keeping readers engaged as the story unfolds.

Overall, "Wish I Were Here" is a cozy and uplifting read, perfect for those who enjoy stories about finding oneself and the unexpected connections that can change everything.

Wish I Were Here is a story that teaches lessons about life and family and done in a beautiful and simple way. The magical realism in this story sneaks up on you, but it's there. This was one of the reasons I wanted to read this book, for that touch of magic.

Catherine follows rules, always early, and lives in a narrow lens of life. She just landed her dream job as a mathematician professor. That is, until she gets notified its revoked, due to her missing from the government's records. No social security and an invalid birth certificate. She disappeared from the system. With the help of the laid back, always late, infuriating doorman, to her apartment building, Luca, they search to get her identity back.

I loved that the way things appear on the outside isn't always what's on the inside. The connection Luca had with the older generation in the building was just precious. The quest that Luca and Catherine go on about town brings silly and heartfelt times, two opposites learning from eachother. I did wish that there was more magical realism, as I kept looking for it while reading this story. However, the revelation at the end was shocking to me, an invisible string that tied this story together perfectly.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Wish I Were Here was not what I expected but was what I needed. Similar to Catherine, life deals her situation that she could have gone without but she need to understand that there is more to than just a profession and to do lists. Catherine and Luca are total opposites but they perfectly balance each other.

Melissa Wiesner writing is beautiful. It will have you thinking about what you read even after you have closed the book.

I really enjoyed Melissa Wiesner’s writing style in Love and Other Lost Things, so I was excited to get into the magical realism novel Wish I Were Here. Type-A mathematician Catherine is used to having everything under control—that is until a wish to be nobody causes a case of missing identity and her only hope of help is her building doorman Luca who will go above and beyond to help her and all the residence of the building. This is very in line with a kind of Ashley Poston story. I wouldn’t necessarily categorize this as a romance; it’s 100% Catherine’s story of self-discovery and balance of her work/life with a splash of endearing romance. Luca is just precious and so kind and sweet. I loved him, but I do wish there was more to really flesh him out (but again, this is Catherine’s story more than anything else, so he really just felt like a support character to the story). He was a perfect balance to Catherine and her rules though. And Catherine’s story is so relatable; she’s always on and organized, and I just totally understood her. And I loved watching her let go some and find her voice. There’s great character development. I think some of the twists were kind of predictable, but even so, it’s a quick and fun read with a lot of emotion and really strong characters. It’s cozy and sweet and a great fall pick.

2.5 stars. I felt like this is more fiction than romance, since the main plot is the FMC’s identity. As a result, the romance felt a little underbaked. The magical realism in this one didn’t work for me — even knowing the premise, I couldn’t quite suspend my disbelief. I did enjoy the found family aspect with the FMC getting to know her neighbors and helping out at the community center.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC!

This was a cute story that explores the meaning of family and what's truly important in life. While I found it hard to like main character Catherine at times, I did like how her character resolved things in the end.
Overall, this was missing some of the depth that I usually look for in novels. It felt predictable and trite at times.

Wish I Were Here is a very happy surprise in reading. The premise felt original yet familiar, perhaps better said— it became a comfort in reading. That feeling that everything is going to be okay.

Our heroine Catherine is very much a stickler for rules and responsibility, and given her upbringing, it’s easy to see why. It’s also easy to see why it’s hard for her to lose those things, and how lost and untethered it initially makes her. I related very much to her, my sympathy was with her even when she bad wrong calls and bad judgements. I could understand that fear she felt. Which is why I felt inspired by her eventual embrace of the chaos.

In large part, that embrace is thanks to the chaotic (or is he!) Luca. Who, like his tattoos, brings vibrancy and color to Catherine’s life.

I immediately loved the connection these two had, although I did lament there wasn’t more prominent romancing (but it definitely happens!). Yet, at the same time, I liked how while the relationship between Catherine and Theo is poignant on the page, as it helps to transform Catherine— it’s not the driving force of the story. Catherine is. In reconciling with herself, with her childhood, her father, and the community she finds herself becoming part of.

Another interesting facet to the narrative is the magical realism subtly but perfectly brought into the story. I caught on to it early yet the proper reveal still made me emotional. It was done with so much heart.

And this is a book which wears its heart on its sleeve.

If you love watching characters blossom in their growth, if you love moving yet subtle love stories, and if you love stories filled with hype and inspiring personal change. This one is for you! It most certainly was for me!

Thank you kindly to Forever and NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

Catherine Lipton has all of her ducks in a row. She has a plan and everything is on track for her success as a new Math Professor. That is until that plan gets completely derailed by her birth certificate turning out to be a fake and her identity being compromised. Now she has to figure out a way to track down a mom she has never met to find the original copy so she can keep her new job. But she needs help… and that's where Luca Morelli comes in.

Luca is the door man for Catherine’s building. He is heavily involved in the lives of the elderly residents and assists with all of their errands. He also helps at the local community center where they all spend their time. While he is a great guy, he is never actually at the door when he needs to be. But he has connections and is able to help Catherine through all of the roadblocks she faces while trying to get her identity sorted out.

📖This novel was a great reminder to not take life so seriously, and to slow down and smell the flowers. The characters were well crafted and really made this book the masterpiece that it is. The ending of this book is what had me feeling all of the feels. This is a must read, so add it to your TBR!!!

Read if you love
🤍 Opposites attract
🤍 Magical realism
🤍 Found family
🤍 Elderly people with sass
🤍 Character growth

Wish I Were Here is for fans of the reverse grump x sunshine trope! This book has a lot of things I like: grump x sunshine, found family, relatable characters and a golden retriever MMC. I found this to be a very cozy romance. It was funny and had the journey of self discovery at its center.

I liked how the magical realism was used. It wasn't confusing or overused. I felt the author did a good job of balancing that element of the book.

I also enjoyed the progression of the romance between Catherine and Luca. Luca is so charming and fun that it's impossible not to like him (as Catherine discovers). I felt they meshed well and had a fun dynamic. These two are reverse grumpy x sunshine trope for sure! So if you're a fan of that you'll devour this.

I thought this book was charming, heartwarming and a beautiful story of discovering what you really want.