LOVED My Second Chance Year, so when I saw that Melissa Wiesner had a new book coming out, I was thrilled when I got an ARC.
While this is promoted as being a romance, the story is ultimately one about accepting who you are as a person and learning to love yourself.
The FMC is a studious, strait laced mathematician looking to solve the problem (see what I did there) of her missing identity. Meanwhile, she develops a relationship with the charming doorman of her building, who is quite popular with the elderly residents of their building.
The romance was slow moving, but, I think, fairly obvious.
What I loved most was the way Catherine is able to see past her stringent lifestyle and begin to appreciate her life and how everything she experienced got her to where she was.
The side characters are a blast and I truly felt the strained relationship Catherine has with her loving father. As a fellow millennial, I can sympathize with trying to worry about my own life and “taking care” of my parent(s).
At first, I was interested in the story, however unbelievable some aspects were, but once Catherine and Luca are wearing disguises in the basement of the hospital, I was done for.

Some things I would warn readers about is that there are elements of past trauma that may affect some readers. Also, a hint of magical realism as part of the overall plot.
Overall, an enjoyable read and one that made me stay up until 2am to finish reading 🖤

I absolutely loved this book. I can not wait to see what Wiesner comes up with next. I loved the way I could visualize the setting, I loved the characters. I flew through this book because I was so enamored by the relationships, the back and fourth, the overall dynamic. I highly recommend this book for some

A lost identity, an apartment building filled with lively octogenarians (mostly lively), and a woman figuring out what will make her happy!

Catherine, a Pittsburgh-living mathematician is about to start a new university position (hopefully at Pitt) when suddenly none of her ids appear real…almost as if she never existed. Which is crazy, as she has to keep explaining to people, because she’s! right! there!! With her handsome young (maybe mafia connected) doorman by her side, she journeys through the city, finding comfort in the discomfort and learning not to be so lonely.

This was so sweet, had a wonderful cast of characters, and made my Pittsburgh loving heart so warm!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Melissa Weisner for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Forever Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for the gifted e-book. Thank you to Hachette Audio for the gifted audiobook.

This book was an absolute delight, blending magic realism, romance, and a beautiful message about the importance of human connection. Catherine's transformation from uptight to spontaneous was a joy to witness, and the supporting characters, especially Luca and the residents of Catherine's building, added so much depth to the story.

The narrator's performance truly brought the characters to life, making the emotional journey even more impactful. This enchanting read is a must-have for anyone looking to be swept away by a heartwarming tale.

Get ready to immerse yourself in this magical world when the book hits the shelves on October 15th!

This was so cute! It felt like a lighter version of Tia William’s magical realism romances, where everything feels like real life but there’s just a hint of magic happening behinds the scenes.

The FMC is very orderly and loves everything done according to the rules, while the MMC lives outside of the lines - but with the goal of making sure all the people in his life are looked after.

I loved the magic, the slow build up between the love interests, all the side characters, and the journey the FMC goes on to find herself.

I really enjoyed the opposite personalities of Catherine & Luca. Perhaps it's because I wish I had the organization of Catherine, but, I have the execution of Luca 😂

I love how the community is always there for each other - and I always wanted a close, large extended family, so I got a huge kick out of Luca's familial connections. All of the residents were incredibly charming and endearing, not just Luca, I wanted to move into their building to have them in my life! Such amazing found family vibes.

I love Luca SO much, Not only is he sweet and thoughtful, but he is there for everyone in so many ways, making sacrifices others aren't even aware of. His priorities made me question my own priorities.

"Have you made sacrifices for your career?" Luca shrugs. "I don't make sacrifices for jobs. I make sacrifices for people I care about." 💕💕

I enjoyed watching Catherine grow well out of her comfort zone, and discover what she thought she had been missing. The twist at the ending was so wonderful!

“Though I saw him yesterday, he still greets me like it’s been years. I guess it’s always been this way, like seeing me is the best part of his day.” 🥰

Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner is an enchanting coming-of-age story that warmed my heart. Luca and Catherine's story is such a sweet blend of romance, friendship, and a touch of magic that left me so happy.

Catherine's journey from a practical rule-follower to someone who embraces love and life within her community is beautifully portrayed. Her transformation, intertwined with the support of her found family, is a testament to the richness of her life that she discovers along the way.

The sprinkles of love and magic really highlighted what we knew all along: she didn’t need anyone else to tell her who she really was.

Catherine Lipton, ever the meticulous mathematician, has always kept her life tightly organized—probably a reaction to her unconventional childhood with a part-time clown for a dad. Now, as a college professor, her world suddenly unravels when her paperwork gets rejected, her credit card stops working, and, somehow, she’s erased from government records entirely. With no one else to turn to, she reluctantly teams up with Luca, her charming but unreliable doorman, whose Mafia-connected family drags her into a series of chaotic, unexpected adventures.

I went into this expecting a sweet romance with a fun twist—Catherine losing her identity overnight sounded so intriguing. But it ended up leaning much more into self-discovery than romance, which caught me off guard. I didn’t really connect with the characters, and the chemistry between Catherine and Luca felt flat to me. Honestly, Luca’s character felt a bit underdeveloped.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing!

Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner
5 stars
Pub date: Oct 15, 2024

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

-found family
-magical realism
-opposites attract

Meet Catherine: rule-follower, type A, mathematician, overcompensating for a chaotic childhood with her free-spirited father. After recently getting her own apartment, and landing her dream job, her whole life as she knows it is in jeopardy when one day, her entire identity disappears from the system - including her Social Security Number, bank accounts, driver's license - it's as if she never existed at all. Catherine accepts help from her building's doorman, Luca, as he embarks on a rule-breaking adventure with her to secure an original copy of her birth certificate in order to prove her identity.

I devoured this in less than 24 hours. I'm a sucker for some magical realism, and this was different than anything I've read before! Her whole identity disappears and she has to figure out how to prove she is who she says she is?! While that situation would be so stressful in real life, it was really entertaining to read about!

I loved that Luca brought out the fun side of her, and was able to get her to relax and become a bit more carefree. The character development here was great, and I absolutely LOVED the found family aspect.

This was no-spice, and the romance does take a secondary role to the main story, so while it may not be for everyone, I loved it.


TW: absentee parent, loss of a loved one (grandparent, off-page)

3-3.5* Stars

This was a solid magical realism with a side of romance book, it was cute and the found family was done well. I just never felt truly connected to the characters to truly fall in love with this story. It is a well written and lovely book, it isn't much of a romance as that is not really the main part of the book. Its mostly about finding yourself and the people that you want to surround yourself with. If you're wanting a quick and sweet contemporary book this is great choice though!

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.

“For the love of Pythagoras”

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an eArc of Wish I Were Here in exchange for an honest review.

Wish I Were Here is a closed door romance that was easily digestible and overall a fun time. Though, as a math teacher myself, the math puns were killing me at the 20% mark.

I saw a lot of myself in Catherine’s character at first with a passion for following the rules and wanting to be successful in her career, but her uptightness made me want her to calm down. I’m glad for Luca’s character and the balance that he brought with his carefreeness.

Though I wanted more from their “romance” because I’m sure there is more to Luca than just being well connected, never seeming to do his job, and having tattoos. This book didn’t feel as romance heavy as I would have liked and wanted more tension filled moments with Moonstone and Elbow if I can be frank.

I was way more interested in knowing about the Morelli’s then Catherine’s troubles at times and really want to know more about Uncle Vito.

Overall it was an enjoyable read, but if you are a math person maybe skip this one 😝

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever publishing for this E-ARC.

I am currently sobbing. Big ugly sobs are leaving my body. I knew this would happen. From the first sentence I knew it. I could feel a part of my soul staying with this book forever. How dare you! The writing is beautiful. The story is beautiful. The way it’s all wrapped up nicely in the end is beautiful. Great job. Great writing.

Catherine has plans. She has goals. She has a to do list. Which she follows. Precisely. Luca is everything opposite to Catherine. He’s the doorman at Catherine’s apartment building. Yet he seems to never be there and always messes up. This does not fit into Catherine’s well planned life.
On her way to meet her new boss at the job she worked so hard to get, Luca spills coffee all over her pants. Disaster. Not as big of a disaster as what happens after the meeting with her boss. Or what follows in the next few days.

Make sure you read this book. It’s a beautiful message of how you should appreciate everything around you. And everyone isn’t always as they seem. And also be kind to everyone.

A little too odd and quirky for me. We jump straight into the story with very little background and I was never able to feel a connection with the story. The cast of characters were interesting and fun but never developed enough to truly enjoy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

If you like quirky, magical realism with a touch of romance then you're probably really going to enjoy Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner.

Mathematician, Catherine Lipton, has a type-A personality. She can't help it she was born that way, but it didn't help that she was raised by a free-spirited father in art commune. Her rigid ways are put to the test when she loses her identity-- literally. After landing the job of her dream,s, she discovers that her birth certificate, social security number, and even her driver's license are all fake.

Catherine teams up with her building's doorman, Luca Morelli, to restore her identity. Along the way, she learns that maybe some of her type-A ways are coping strategies and she's a lot more flexible than she thought she was-- she knows how to juggle and perform aerial silks.

This was a sweet book about self-discovery. I loved the hi jinks that Catherine and Luca got into together. As a romance, there was fun banter and really good chemistry.

Thank you to Melissa Wiesner and Forever for an eARC of Wish I Were Here in exchange for my honest opinion. I honestly really enjoyed this one. Four Stars.

I really loved this book! The entire cast of characters was so likeable. I related to Catherine instantly as someone who needs structure and organization. Luca is such a tattooed golden retriever that I loved him right away. But the true stars of the books were the elderly people living in Catherine’s building. It is a true community of good, kind humans ready to help however they can.

Catherine and Luca are drawn together to solve the mystery of Catherine’s missing identity. Even though they are total opposites, Catherine finds herself enjoying his presence and appreciating his charm and eagerness to help. I loved that the book was mostly focused on solving the mystery, and the love story slowly developed in the background. I was so invested in this book and didn’t want to put it down. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a sweet story with a touch of magical realism.

Thank you to Melissa Wiesner, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Melissa Wiesner's books are like the biggest, sweetest hugs! I adore her writing so much. Add this page-turner to your TBR if you like a hint of magic, sweet and selfless heroes, losing (and finding!) yourself, found family, and a plot that makes you go omg-how's-she-getting-out-of-this?!

Thanks to Netgalley for the E-ARC. I love a rom com book but I love even more when I read a romance book and the focus is not on the love between 2 people but so much more and can keep me emersed in the story and let me tell you this story did that. This book had a little bit of everything family, drama, magic, love and everything was so well done it was the right dose. I identified so much with Catherine she likes list and organization and schedules and it all goes haywire when she finds out she does not "exist" her social security nor id is in the system. Luca is all the opposite but somehow they complete each other. Loved it and cant wait for more

Thank you, Net Galley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Melissa Wiesner for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to be approved for this ARC because it's different from books I normally read! I tend to lean toward books that are heavily romance with moderate spice. This book is about the FMC's journey of self-discovery with a closed door romance subplot.

Catherine is a type A math professor who prefers her life organized. Growing up with no mother and a charismatic (literal) clown father showed her just how much she likes structure in her life and avoids chaos. When she goes in for orientation for her new job, she finds out that she doesn't exist. Seemingly overnight, all her government issued IDs are no longer valid, causing a spiral where she can't even use her credit cards.

Catherine leans on Luca Morelli, the sexy doorman of her new apartment, to help her figure out what happened to her identity. Luca is extremely well-connected, so he's the perfect person to help her out. Not to mention, he's always helping the elderly members of the building with various un-doorman activities, like giving them rides to the pharmacy.

While Catherine and Luca dig deeper into her situation (and break a few laws), they grow closer and develop a bond. Catherine learns that family isn't always blood-related and that there's more to life than just work.

I really liked Catherine's journey and felt like there were elements in this book that almost anybody can relate to.

Imagine finally achieving all your goals just to have them halted because the government has no idea who you are…
In this story, we follow Catherine, a meticulously organized rule follower who finally lands her dream job and settles into her own place, only to discover that she doesn’t exist to the government. This premise sets the stage for a journey filled with unexpected friendships and magical twists.
Catherine’s character development is truly remarkable; she evolves from a by-the-book individual into someone who embraces the chaos of her newfound reality. Luca, the doorman, adds warmth and humor to the narrative—he’s the ally we didn’t know we needed.
The blend of magic, meddling neighbors, and personal growth makes this story a page turner and I found myself rooting for Catherine every step of the way. I desperately need this book turned into a movie!

All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley, Melissa Wienser, and Forever for the eARC copy.

4.75⭐️s I had such a good time reading about Catherine and Luca. Catherine has a lot to realize and Luca is a humble free spirit. This just had that something that I can’t fully explain but hit just right. This has lost identity, meddling neighbors, found family, and juggling. 🤹 Be sure to check out Wish I Were Here on October 15th.

Catherine is all about organization and proper prep time. If she has an appointment at nine, she’ll be there waiting at seven. But who can blame her, a potentially tenured position in the mathematics department opens and that rarely happens. Catherine has to be perfect. But when orientation comes and her paperwork isn’t quite right, she doesn’t know what to do. The last person she would think could help is her doorman, Luca. He’s rarely at his post, mail and packages are everywhere, and the elevator is always broken. How can such a careless, free spirit help. Not, does Catherine find out just how much he can. Luca knows everyone. Though it takes some impersonations, felonies, and hard truths, Catherine begins to see he’s everything she needs.

Huge thanks to @netgalley @readforeverpub and @melissawiesnerauthor for the opportunity to read and review. #wishiwerehere #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #slightlyghostly #goread