The premise of this book I did not understand at first because it said she disappears in the summary, and I was thinking other people could not see her, or perhaps they would not know who she was at all. The cover art makes me believe this as well. Those would have been interesting premises. Going from that, it was a cute book though. I think that too much time was spent giving Catherine crap for wanting to be organized because she had a childhood that was stressful. I also think there was too much mention of Luca’s arm tattoos. What really ruffled my feathers is that in one part this quote “he went from being a pitbull to a golden retriever puppy.” Hey authors, stop categorizing pitbulls as bad. They’re such babies. The people who raise them to be awful are the problems. Not the dogs. It took me awhile to get back into liking the story after that off handed comment. I think I would have liked to know more about the ghosts as well. The one who kept destroying the elevator. So, I think this story missed out on some heart. A satisfying end though.

Wish I Were Here is an opposites attract romance about a professor and a doorman who must restore the magically missing identity. This was my first time reading anything by this author and I can not wait to read more of her books. In the book we have amazing characters that you will enjoy and the world is filled with joy. This was written so very well and the author did a great job balancing reality and fantasy. The book was the perfect cozy rom-com read that reminded me of a Hallmark movie. I highly enjoyed this one and would recommend this one to any romance reader. Thank you to the author Melissa Wiesner, NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review of Wish I Were Here.

This book wasn’t what I expected, but I definitely enjoyed it. I thought the plot was fun and original. I thought the couple was cute, and their journey to find Catherine’s missing identity was fun to read.

3.5 rounded up

This was very cute! Luca was such a sweetheart! I loved how willingly he was to help Catherine no matter how many family members he needed to get involved. This was definitely lighter on the romance but I still found it adorable.

I love magical realism so I knew I was going to enjoy this but the twist with Sal and Mrs. Hartman was not the one I was expecting!

The one thing I didn’t enjoy was how quickly Catherine judged Luca :( I had really hoped she wouldn’t just listen to her mom without explanation. But I did like how it ended and how she grew to accept her dad, Luca and the other performers at ArtSpace and embrace them more in her life/career!

This book left me speechless at the end! I had such a fun time reading it. Luca absolutely is the most thoughtful, caring main male character I’ve read, and all the cute DeGreco residents were charming. I loved that each one was happy and full of life despite their age. The twist at the end was so surprising but also so heartfelt. It was unlike any other romantic comedy I have read. Well done!

Wish I Was Here is by Melissa Wiesner who also wrote The Second Chance Year which I loved! Wish I Was Here comes out October 15, 2024.

This book is about Catherine who while having a rough start to her morning bumps into her building’s doorman, Luca, and later when she discovers her identity doesn’t exist, her birth certificate is a fake, and she can’t start her new job as a math professor, Luca is the only one who can help.

This book was fine but I didn’t love it. It was a quick read. It had a little bit of the magical realism element like in The Second Chance Year but it doesn’t make as much sense as in that book. I liked the Morelli family, they were fun. I didn’t get a lot chemistry between Catherine and Luca. I found the secret behind why she had a fake birth certificate kind of anti climactic.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

Catherine is on her way to be a tenure track professor of mathematics, when her identity magically disappears. With the help of Luca, her building's carefree and devilishly handsome doorman, Catherine embarks on a journey to validate her existence.

The highlight for me was the community the author built for both Catherine and Scott. Catherine was raised by a merry band of artists. And Scott by his massive family, even if some of the members aren't his blood relatives. I enjoyed the cast of elderly residents in the DeGreco building. They made the building seem like such a warm and inviting place to live.

Overall, Wish I Were Here was a quick cute read that touches upon sexism in the workplace and gentrification in larger US cities.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and lighthearted book about finding yourself. I enjoyed the subtle hints of magical realism and how Catherine's character grows. I did think the romance was going to be more prominent, but I will say the scenes with Catherine and Luca were all very fun and sweet. Overall, an enjoyable story.

The story had so much potential but it fell flat for me! I found it hard to get into and felt like the story was incredibly drawn out with an anticlimactic ending. I really enjoyed the family aspect of the story and the evolving relationship between the main character and her father. Others might love this book but it wasn’t for me!

Wish I Were Here is a romance with a magical realism twist. I thought some aspects of the story were cute and fun. The main character, Catherine, is a young mathematics professor who is ready to spread her wings with a new dream job at a university and her own apartment. Luca is a young, handsome tattooed doorman at her apartment building.

When Catherine has the worst day ever and Luca comes to her rescue, they begin a tentative friendship that has the potential to become more as they spend time together. There is a mystery element to the story when Catherine is advised that her identity is missing from all the government databases, and she needs to find her original birth certificate to restore her records. She can’t start her new job without resolving the issue, and she only has a short window of time to get it done.

Catherine and Luca embark on a “quest” to try to find her original birth certificate and the mystery surrounding her unknown birth mother.

While there are some steamy parts and references in this novel, the writing and some of the situations seemed immature/young. I found myself skimming some of the scenes because they just went on a little long and the content didn’t hold my interest.

What I liked about the story was how Catherine had herself all figured out, but then showed growth in realizing that a fulfilled life can involve more than she originally thought.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a cutie little romance with an interesting plot. It was a little slow going in the beginning for me but once I was into the story, I was IN. I really liked the main characters, Catherine and Luca and enjoyed watching them grow throughout the book. We have a grumpy, organized, workaholic FMC and a sunshiny tattooed MMC. Although, I do wish Luca was a bit more flushed out as a character. Overall though, I really enjoyed it!

“What if instead of always grabbing for the juggling pins, I just let them all drop?”

I am a big fan of books with magical realism and absolutely loved Melissa Weisner’s, The Second Chance Year so I was very excited to dive into this one!

The story begins with Catherine, a mathematician who thrives on order and lists, who starts a new job and learns that her employment paperwork can’t be processed because, according to all government records, she doesn’t exist. After many failed attempts to rectify the situation Catherine turns to her doorman and friend, Luca whose well connected family steps up to help. As Catherine and Luca begin to untangle the mess that is Catherine’s life, they soon realize that not everything is as simple or as straightforward as it seems.

The colorful cast of characters (think Only Murders in the Building) was by far my favorite part of Wish I Were Here. The residents of the DeGreco were perfectly written and endearing right from the start. As for the rest of the story, I am going to be honest and admit that I really struggled with this one. I wanted to love it but the idea of losing one's identity and having to deal with the stress and anxiety of that was a concept so uncomfortable to me that I felt like I couldn’t actually enjoy the book because of it. As a rule follower like Catherine, I found myself stressing about how horrible the entire situation was and I couldn’t stop worrying about what was going to happen next despite recognizing that there would likely be a happy ending.

The writing was very well done though, and I think that it might be a good fit for someone who is better able to embrace the magical aspect and immerse themselves in the story without anxiety. If you read this one, I can’t wait to hear what you think!!

What if losing your legal identity becomes an opportunity for growth? After an offhand wish she could be nobody, Type A academic Catherine Lipton finds her life upended and her dream tenure-track job in jeopardy when she doesn’t exist on government databases. The only one who can help her is the carefree Luca Morelli and his huge Italian family and their elderly neighbours.

I really love magic realism and this had such a great premise. However I think it was let down with some characters a bit one-dimensional and the pacing slow at times that I found myself skimming as some parts. Some scenes also didn't make much sense, e.g. why were Luca and Catherine breaking into the hospital records to get her birth certificate. Given Vito’s connections why were they doing this?

I liked Catherine and big-hearted Luca together. But I wish it wasn't just Catherine doing all the growing, as Luca was a bit flaky (even if he had valid reasons for some of it). I also would’ve liked more depth on Catherine’s relationship with her dad and to see her dad start to grow up a bit. I'd love to have known more about why he chose to raise her as a single teenage dad and then was completely unstable (especially with the end reveal). I also hated Luca’s mother’s judgement of Catherine’s mother given no rebuttal. Worst still Catherine's mother was the unfeeling career woman as a catalyst for Catherine to not be like her. Where was the humanity for that character given their difficult situation at 18? Both her parents needed more fleshing out with perhaps a growth journey for Andy too.

Yet despite my issues, it was still enjoyable and I adored the uplifting found family aspect to it. While I spotted the final twist a mile off, it was nonetheless a lovely touch. If you’re after a sweet, low drama read with a subtle dash of magic realism, I would recommend this.

Thanks to Forever/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

You'll love WISH I WERE HERE for:

• Opposites attract
• You're right where you belong
• Neighborly shenanigans
• Extended Italian Family
• A quest AND a heist
• Golden retriver MMC
• Closed door romance

Catherine's life goes from hectic to non-existent the day she wishes she was nobody. From an early age she's been the parentified child to her free-spirited father. Even now, she's still mindful of how her brand new career in academics is the only stable income between the two of them. Her anxieties are deep rooted and it'll take storm of shenanigans to shake them loose.

Enter Doorman Luca. Or rather, crash into him right off the frequently in need of maintenance elevator. He's as laid back as Catherine is scheduled. Always on a "time is relative" speed with no rush through life. And he's got a family for every favor you might need - from a cousin that let's you skip the DMV line to an offer for cracked some skulls from Uncle Vito.

Often there is an even push-pull in an opposites attract relationship. Luca does a lot of the work here to slow Catherine down. Helps her reframe her perception of success and responsibility that will allow a life full of love and a tad bit more spontaneity.

There's also some pretty deep trauma that Catherine processes throughout the book. A childhood without a sense of permanence. A mysterious absentee mother. I appreciated the work done to reframe but never invalidate Catherine's lived experience.

The supporting cast of neighbors in the DeGreco building are equally treasures and terrors. But often their shenanigans felt like filler side-quests that took away from the urgency of getting Catherine's identity mystery sorted out.

There's something magical in how Wiesner blends an intense emotional throughline with pops of hijinks and comedy. Wiesner continues to be an author I seek out looking forward to what's next.

Thank you Netgalley & Forever / Grand Central Publishing for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Luca and Catherine couldn't be more different. Catherine is a polished, serious, math professor and Luca is a vivacious, free-spirited doorman in her building. When an unfortunate mishap sends Catherine's life in freefall, she has to lean on Luca to help her through the emotional journey of finding herself.

This was a really sweet book. It read more women's fiction the first half, and the romance really kicked in the second half. This is an adorable slowburn, as Luca breaks Catherine out of her shell.

Melissa always packs her books with life lessons and self discovery, a combination for strong character development.

I loved Melissa Weisner’s book The Second Chance Year, so I was really excited for another opportunity to read one of her books!

Wish I Were Here is a charming, whimsical novel with elements of magical realism, found family, and opposites attracting. Our FMC, Catherine has lived her life as a type-A overachiever with a passion for lists and order. She gets her dream job as a tenure track math professor, only to have that dream swept away as a result of her identity disappearing seemingly overnight.

With the help of the sweet as pie, tattooed doorman of her building (and his many relatives around town), she has to get to the bottom of her missing identity to get everything back on track with her job - and her future.

I loved all the sweet secondary characters living in Catherine’s building, as well as her dad’s friends at the art space. The romance element of this book was very sweet, and I would have liked to get to know Luca even more. As someone who had to grow up quickly without a lot of parental support, I resonated with Catherine’s drive and perspective - and loved the journey she went on throughout the book. The magical realism was a very sweet touch, and made me tear up a few times. This was a lighthearted, wholesome, cozy read that I certainly enjoyed!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun and lighthearted rom-com with a touch of magical realism. I enjoyed the setting of an older apartment building in Pittsburgh and the relationship between serious and ambitious Catherine and fun-loving and loyal Luca. He’s a doorman for the building. She’s a soon-to-be mathematics professor. There’s one problem, her identity is missing? Not stolen, but completely wiped from all government databases. What follows is a fun, sometimes heist-like, search involving lots of Luca’s community friends and his possibly mafia-associated uncle. There’s also interactions between Catherine and her father, a literal clown, and all the burlesque dancers who helped raise her. It’s part romance, part Catherine finding her voice and standing up for herself, part heartwarming community tale, and a small part gentrification story. I enjoyed the elderly residents best and loved Catherine’s interaction with the book club at the community center. There were a few items that didn’t hold up too well for me though, bringing my rating down slightly. The humor wasn’t perfectly suited to my taste and I found the clowning a little cheesy, getting second-hand embarrassment for Catherine at times. I also predicted a few of the twists and turns. I don’t mind predictability, especially in romance, but I still like a little surprise and didn’t find that here.

The bottom line: I enjoyed this one, but found the side-characters more compelling and interesting than the main ones. That being said, I’d still read more from this author.

A wish might be just the thing for Catherine. Something she didn't know she needed. The MC starts out annoying and hard to root for. But as the story goes on, she starts to melt and is redeemed in the end. Luca is the golden retriever who everyone loves. I enjoyed this book about the community and found family.

Charming truly is the perfect word to describe Wish I Were Here, a sweet story of one woman finding herself and finding love.

Catherine is organized, dependable, and a bit stringent about rules. When things go haywire with her paperwork for her new job, she is thrown off balance and starts to see life in a different way with the help of her handsome doorman Luca.

I didn’t read the synopsis and had no idea where this one was ultimately going, and it ended up being a sweet and satisfying read. With small hints of magical realism, humorous moments thanks to Catherine’s clown of a dad, and plenty of heartwarming scenes, I adored every moment of this book. The primary focus is on self-discovery, with a side of romance, and I enjoyed Catherine’s character development.

Read if you like:
⭐️ Found family
⭐️ Reverse grumpy x sunshine
⭐️ Magical realism
⭐️ Golden retriever MMC
⭐️ Closed door romance

Thank you to Forever for the ARC. All opinions are my own,

I absolutely loved The Second Chance Year, so I was extremely excited for this new release. I love a bit of magical realism, self discovery and romance in a book, and assumed this one would be no different.

While the premise and plot are really unique, I felt like the execution fell a bit flat. This felt like a book about self discovery, with romance being a very small sub plot. I didn’t feel the MC’s had chemistry, or we really got to know the MMC at all. He felt like a very one dimensional side character so the romance on this one just didn’t work for me. I kept wishing there was more romance.