Thank you Forever and Melissa Wiesner for my #gifted copy of Wish I Were Here! #WishIWereHere #readforeverpub2024 #melissawiesner #readforeverpub

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐈 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐖𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐫
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟱★

Melissa Wiesner is my go-to author for magical realism! I loved everything about this book from start to finish. Wiesner creates the most amazing characters in her books, and I not only fell in love with Catherine and Luca in Wish I Were Here, but I adored the side characters. With that said, the found family in this book just might have been one of my favorite elements. There’s just something so important to me about the found family aspect of this book, and it felt so important to Catherine and where she was in her life.

Luca was seriously my favorite. From the very start of this book, I knew I was going to love him. He was the complete opposite of Catherine, but he was such a sweet and caring person and I just loved his character. I loved his family and their Italian connections and how he was willing to do anything to help Catherine (and anyone for that matter).

I felt like the book was fast paced and I was so engaged the entire time. There were times where I laughed and times where I was on the verge of tears. The ending was pure perfection. I am so glad I discovered Melissa Wiesner, because I cannot imagine a world without her books!

“Maybe something seems like a disaster. But if you look deeper, maybe it’s an opportunity.”

✨Moonstar and Elbow
✨Opposites Attract
✨A Tough of Magic
✨STEM Heroine
✨Found Family
✨Closed Door Romance
✨Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
✨Self-Discovery
✨Perfect for Fans of Ashley Poston

Posted on Goodreads on October 4, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
Mini Review posted on Instagram on September 11, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around October 15, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on October 15, 2024
**-will post on designated date

Honestly this felt really misleading and was kind of boring. I expected some silly mystery about her identity being stolen and instead got taken on what felt like a bullshit spiritual journey to figure out who she really was as a person. It really felt The Midnight Library adjacent but a lot slower and with a lot more droning and I actually hated it quite a bit. She was a stuck up type A and Luca ... had tattoos. That's all I retained.

That was beautiful! I was scared it wasn’t going to end the way I wanted, but it ended just how I pictured and more 😭 I am actually crying right now

This wonderful story had me laughing, crying, and feeling all the feelings throughout the entire story. I enjoyed this story so much more than I ever anticipated. With a little bit of magic, friendship & found family it hit every mark for me. I fell in love with Luca and his whimsical ways and loved enjoyed watching Catherine find herself throughout the story. I loved the connection with older characters in this story and the relationships. Overall it was a 5 star read for me.

3.5 stars - Catherine Lipton is a rule follower, organized, always early, and absolutely exists! Or at least she did, until the HR department for the university rejects her new hire paperwork because there's no record of her in any government systems. With no credit cards and no ID, losing her new position is a fast becoming a reality and leaves Catherine scrambling for ideas on how to prove to someone that she's a real person. Enter Luca Morelli, her building's attractive, charismatic, and frustrating doorman, and the only person who offers to help Catherine try and get her life back.

A bit different from your usual romance, I loved that this story focused on Catherine and her journey to 'find herself' in more ways than one. Luca is such an easy character to love - from his interactions with the building's elderly tenants, to his multitude of familial connections, we see that he's thoughtful and kind, but with a playful side that brings out a similar lightheartedness in Catherine. He's good for her and helps her see the world in a different way. Wish I Were Here is infused with the same magical realism that I loved from The Second Chance Year, making it another wonderfully heartwarming novel.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a light hearted fun read with a magical/ supernatural twist. As a list lover who likes things organised and stresses at chaos I found Catherine relatable. Luca was a great male lead and his care for the people around him and Catherine was lovely to see. I liked the journey Catherine went on, with all the mini adventures on the way and I think the realisations and balance that came from her temporary loss of identity were perfect. Overall 3🌟

Thanks to Forever for the gifted copy of this book!

WISH I WERE HERE highlights Melissa's ability to write a light and fun romance book that actually also deals with some deeper issues really well. I had such an enjoyable time reading this book as our straight-laced PhD mathematician FMC switches pants with an old lady, is totally embarrased by her juggling dad, and slowly finds out she doesn't exist in any government identification systems. At the same time, she falls in love with a man who's part of a very large Italian family, seems to have connections EVERYWHERE, and is covered in tattoos in a swoony romance storyline, and also searches for her mother and tries to get her job back in an emotional storyline. There's just a little bit of everything, and it all comes together so well!

Read this if you:
- like tattooed MMCs
- grew up in Pittsburgh
- have a large Italian family
- appreciate women in STEM
- like endearing elderly characters

I am not usually a huge rom-com fan, (though I love a good Hallmark movie to be able to disconnect and always have a happy ending) but this book was a great read, and a break from the normal plots of other rom-coms. It was not as cut and dried as one may have expected. I loved the character development of Catherine from the beginning of the story until the end, as she didn't fully give up her unique personality traits (quirks?) but instead learned to embrace the scenes of chaos in her life that actually shaped her, without her realizing it until she moved for her new job. Luca was a fun, loveable character and I liked how the author let his backstory unfold naturally as if to give Catherine another means of seeing her world and those around her in a new light. Would definitely recommend!

4.5 stars rounded up. I’m such a sucker for a heartwarming community as its own secondary character in a novel. This book has one that really formed the heart of the story, and I adored that about it.

Catherine has a multicolored, vibrant background from crown up with her actual clown father, and much to that opposite (and as a consequence of that instability) she’s living a very rigid adult life that she’s convinced works best for her. As someone who thrives with a routine and structure, I can’t imagine what an upheaval having my entire identity record would cause for me. For Catherine, it forces her to open up her network—thanks in large part to Luca—and break out of her comfort zone to find everything she needs to get it back.

Luca is absolutely wonderful. It is obvious he’s meant to come across as irresponsible and a bit flaky, someone who doesn’t take anything too serious, but it’s also completely clear he has a massive heart. He’s charming, he’s kind, he’s helpful. He is just a genuinely decent man. His interactions with everyone are so endearing. He is someone who really sees people beyond the surface level. The way he consistently shows up for Catherine and tries his best to help her get her life back while also showing her everything she already/still has and could have was so lovely.

The whole cast of secondary characters, from Luca’s large family to the building residents to the people from Catherine’s childhood, all provide so much added depth and richness to the story. They are just as vital to Catherine’s whole experience as Luca is.

The magical realism is smaller in this book than in Second Chance Year, only in the sense that this could happen without any cosmic or other interference, but it’s just as well done and so sweet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cutest read!

After Catherine Lipton’s identity mysteriously disappears from the government’s system, she enlists the help of her charming (albeit seemingly irresponsible) tattooed doorman, eccentric father, elderly neighbors, and maybe the local mafia to help her find it and save her dream job.

Wish I Were Here was a charming read about the magic and power of self-discovery. It was fast-paced & sweet, with likable characters and just a hint of magical realism ✨

Thank you to NetGalley & Forever for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This romance didn’t blow me away by any means, but it was undeniably sweet and enjoyable! The story itself is what really hooked me—the magical elements were subtle and super fun, with everything coming together full circle into the most precious ending!

After a very promising career opportunity, Catherine Lipton’s life takes a wild turn when she mysteriously disappears from all government databases. Desperate to retrieve her birth certificate from the mother she’s never met, Catherine steps into a whimsical adventure filled with silly detours that challenge her rule-following nature in the best possible way!

Joining her is Luca Morelli, her infuriatingly handsome and charismatic doorman. And from the very start, I adored this ray of sunshine. There’s a sweet and heartwarming mystery behind his quirky tendencies, and I loved how he disrupts Catherine’s carefully controlled world, helping her realize her life is filled with people who genuinely care about her!

I received an early review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Catherine Lipton is just trying to make her way in the world. Finally moved out on her own and with a dream professorship lined up, she is ready to finally live her life. But when her meeting with the department head is derailed by the doorman of her building, things just fall apart (or together?) from there. Mysteriously losing her identity after discovering her social security number is a fake, Catherine goes on an adventure with her doorman, who seems to do anything but be the doorman at the building, to uncover why her SSN is fake.

This was a cute book. Some magical sprinkles in there, a little mystery. I do wish the big secret behind her fake SSN was more dramatic, but overall I wanted to know more and be with these characters

This book was cute, magical, and easy to read. It was more general fiction than romance, with the focus being on the heroine’s quest to regain her identity. The romance between the leads didn’t wow me, and I found myself sticking around for the main identity plot, which I enjoyed. The secondary characters also stole the show.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After growing up in a chaotic environment, Catherine is happy to finally be on her own, starting the job of her dreams, feeling completely in control. But when a system error seemingly erases her entire identity, her new job and everything she’s worked hard for is on the line. Now, with the help of her rule breaking doorman Luca, she has to fix the system before she loses it all. But she finds more than she bargained for - not just her identity per the government, but herself.

I loved the way Melissa Wiesner embraces found family and community, and the magical realism pizazz to spice it up. These are some of my favorite tropes and she really does them well. You don’t just fall in love with the MCs, but everyone the MCs care about become a piece of you as well. I will definitely keep reading her books after this and Second Chance Year!

BUT. And this is a pretty big but. At 90% in I fully wanted to give this book 2 stars. Catherine is a, for lack of a better term, anal retentive individual (she gets it from her mother). That in and of itself is fine, and the juxtaposition between her uptightness and Lucas carefree attitudes is FINE. But when Catherine finally gets to have her first day on the job, you find out it’s not her. Almost the entire department at her job seems to be the same way. Why exactly is this a problem? Because it’s the math department within a college, and I don’t care for the stereotypes.

Having always had a love for math and previously studied engineering courses, I can say from experience that people inclined towards mathematical endeavors are not uptight sticks in the mud. My female calculus teacher taught us how to draw ducks out of cursive S’s! She’d probably love a good algae-bra joke. My physics teacher was a Stephen Colbert lookalike who rode a unicycle. Mathematicians, in my experience, have BIG personalities. I personally like to believe there are close ties between math, science, and magic. Some things are wonderful and strange and hard to explain, and isn’t that applicable to all three of those things? Also, it takes a lot of creative thinking for mathematicians to come up with the things they do. To consider them just hardworking sticks in the mud is honestly disappointing.

The story could have been the same with the other teachers being oddballs. Catherine could have compared herself to them, stressing how much harder she worked than her peers and how that helped her get to where she was, and then in the end realizing they had it right all along. There was no need to basically villainize intellectuals. I hope this book isn’t being promoted as a woman in STEM, because while technically she is, it gives such an awful viewpoint of it I can’t imagine it would inspire anybody.

Catherine’s perfectly organized life plans come to a screeching halt when she arrives at orientation for her new job, only to be told that there was a problem confirming her identity. Sure enough, it turns out that her birth certificate is fake, and now her whole future is on the line. The biggest problem? It turns out that the only person with the actual document is her mother, who she has never met. With some unlikely help from her frustrating but flirty doorman, she sets out to make the future she wants for herself.

While there was definitely more romance than magical realism here, the romance was very cute and a lot of thought went into how to make the couple work even though they had such different personalities. Luca worked well as a “careless” character, as he had genuinely good traits to help make up for it. Catherine was similarly well-rounded and easy to root for. The character development seemed to be very conveniently-timed at points, but the story was cute and I sped through it.

The sub-plot with Catherine’s gradual acceptance of her unconventional father and search for her absent mother added extra layers to the story that I enjoyed a lot, though I don’t know if I would make the same decisions she does about the two of them. But I suppose that is part of a Happily Ever After. If you’re looking for a cute, opposites-attract romance with a whole cast of quirky characters, this book is definitely for you. Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever for this ARC. This is my honest review.

4/5 Never underestimate the power of burlesque.

This was such a unique and interesting concept, and I loved all of the quirky side characters from the building! However, I did find the romance to be a bit sudden and underdeveloped. I also wish we got to understand the magic more throughout the book instead of explained at the end. Without that, the story did feel a bit unbelievable. Overall though, it was a fun read and I did really appreciate the overall message of the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Review will be posted on Instagram and Amazon on release day.

This was a super cute and quirky story about a young women who is forced out of her comfort zone.

Brief Description (no spoilers): Catherine was raised by a single dad who went with the flow and didn't take life too seriously and now as an adult she is the complete opposite. She likes her apartment tidy, her files color coded, and to be at least 15 mins early. She has just gotten her dream job as a math professor at the local college and her own apartment. Everything seems great until she fails her background check because apparently she does not exist. Her tattoo covered doorman, Luca, who never actually seems to be at the door offers to help her figure it out.

I loved the growth Catherine went though in this book. I was done really well, and I understood where she was coming from with her judgements, and how she learned later on how she was wrong. I do think this book was a little light on the romance. It was a subplot at best, which is typically fine with me... but it was clearly advertised as a romance. This was really just Catherine's story.

A cute story about the transformation of an unfortunate situation into a fresh perspective and opportunity for change. The book is a little slow to start in its introduction to the characters and setting, but thankfully picks up once the plot kicks into gear and Catherine's world is turned upside down. It's interesting and often entertaining to see the various avenues that she takes to regain her missing identity and the unexpected individuals who become her allies. I didn't ever feel undeniable romantic chemistry between Catherine and Luca, whose primary characteristic is his colorful tattoos that are mentioned nearly every time he appears; readers are given more information about him during the final act, but I would have preferred this earlier to understand him better. There is a bit of magical realism sprinkled throughout the book, and one particular instance caught me mostly off guard and was a rather lovely reveal near the end. A pleasant enough read that will have me seeking out more from Wiesner in the future.

Wish I Were Here is a warm, hug of a book, with, yes, a sweet romance story line. But really, it's bigger than that. It's about community. It's about family. It's about belonging and making your own space. Wiesner has an effortless writing style that carries the reader easily through the twists and turns of the story, and I really enjoyed her dialogue, especially. Catherine's character growth was done well and by the end, I wanted to move in with the residents of the DeGreco, ArtHouse, and the Morelli family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

I’m sad to say I’m disappointed. I was hoping for there to be more magical realism. I was a bit confused with the timelines, as it felt like things had happened in the span of days, but it had been weeks / months. The entire elevator timeline felt pointless and lasted like the first 10% of the book. The whole social security debacle felt like it was drawn out so much. I wish there had been more depth to both Catherine and Luca. I did not feel chemistry between them, and the first kiss felt awkward.

The premise had the potential of being so much more, but it felt short for me. I had a hard time connecting with all the characters, and often felt like not wanting to finish the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the arc. All opinions are my own.