Wish You Weren’t Here is Portia MacIntosh’s latest workplace and family second-chance romantic comedy. While the characters are British and the story contains British phrasing, it is easy for Americans to understand. There is no profanity, and the sex scenes are “closed door.”
Wish You Weren’t Here begins on Valentines Day, 2023 with 28-year-old secretary Lana Pemberton assigned to horrible software CEO Jennifer Carter. While Lana is seated at Jennifer’s desk trying to get her computer to function properly, a handsome man walks in and offers to help. Ethan is from London and meets up with Lana after work, and they enjoy a wonderful, crazy 2-day tryst. At the time Lana is fending off advances from a too-friendly coworker, Steve, and looked down upon by her newly engaged younger half-sister, Persephone.
Fast forward two years and Lana is once again temporarily working for Horrible Jennifer. Meanwhile her flat-mate moved away and she can’t afford to live on her own, so she’s staying in her ex-boyfriend Steve’s spare bedroom. When her father invites her to a family lunch to discuss her sister’s upcoming wedding in Australia, Lana is blindsided by their fears of her embarrassing them and ruining Persephone’s wedding. She’s deeply hurt by their decision to hold the actual ceremony on her thirtieth wedding, making her feel even more insignificant. At that point Lana decides that she’s going to find the most unsuitable man possible to serve as her wedding date.
Lana uses various dating apps to meet unsuitable men, with hilarious consequences. She’s about to ditch her plans when Ethan reappears in her Leeds office. He agrees to be her wedding date, but she’s wary of rekindling their relationship. Their attraction is so strong that they just throw common sense out the window when they are together and cause lots of mayhem. When they arrive in Australia, Ethan has a 180 personality change and becomes a significant other that Lana’s family approves of. Lana’s trying to figure out how to make it through the wedding with her heart and sanity intact.

Wish You Weren’t Here is an enjoyable escapist romance that contains many hilarious scenes. I started off not liking Lana very much, because I couldn’t relate to her carefree ways, but I realized that she was self-supporting and enjoying her single status. When Lana was openly criticized by her father and stepmother, I immediately became sympathetic to her and agreed with her strategy to enact a little revenge. It became clear that Lana had a good head on her shoulders and was planning to settle down in her thirties, while enjoying her twenties. Ethan was a perfect romantic hero, the “one who got away” and probably the reason that other guys didn’t measure up.

While the story moves slowly at first, the descriptions are so vivid that it’s like watching a movie. The dating scenes are absolutely hilarious, and Lana and Ethan’s misadventures are over the top! Readers will absolutely enjoy Wish You Weren’t Here and its original plotline.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Boldwood Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook!
So sorry I am behind on reviews with the holidays and all and being deathly sick during Chrisrmas. Ha but this book got me through it! Once again I have fallen in love with another book by this author! A great rom com that is guaranteed to make you laugh and not be able to put down. I do not want to give anything away. I highly recommend you read this! Perfect for winter readers due to we have a warm location! :)

I enjoyed this to an extent, its and easy read and I enjoyed the relationship between Ethan and Lana. However, I took an issue with the premise of the rich family and her growing up with nothing. Mainly because if her parents were to get divorced the Dad would have to give her half unless there was a prenup which was never mentioned. Anyway it all just felt a bit weird.
I've read a few Portia MacIntosh's books and this was good but I dont think its her best. Would recommend as a light read though!

To be honest, this book lost me at the very- cringey- beginning. I pushed through, but this book lacked cohesiveness. I didn't believe there was any chemistry between Lana and Ethan and didn't feel at all connected to them or their story. I also really disliked Lana which didn't help. Overall, this book felt rushed, crammed and inauthentic. However, just because I didn't enjoy it, doesn't mean that others won't. As such, I will not be rating on social media. I am aware of how much work it takes to write a book and want to give the author a shot,

Macintosh writes such endearing characters in her books.
I was a goner for Ethan after the first sentence he appeared. He was the real deal and I thought Lana would never open her eyes to their potential.
True, they are a couple who get into many catastrophes but that’s what makes them combustible too.
Lana’s family was ghastly and I thought they all were stuffed shirts.
I did wonder how Lana could afford air fare for herself and a partner to Australia when she couldn’t afford her own digs.
It’s a cute read about the possibilities of love and doesn’t every woman dream of meeting a man like Ethan??

In Wish You Weren’t Here by Portia MacIntosh, Lana is irked when her sister schedules a wedding in Australia on Lana's 30th birthday, further exacerbating the situation with strict rules to ensure Lana doesn’t overshadow the bride. To regain some control, Lana plots to bring the most inappropriate date possible to the wedding. After unsuccessful online dating attempts, her ex-boyfriend Ethan reappears. While she initially sees this as a chance to cause some chaos, Ethan’s unexpected charm and cooperation make her rethink her plans—and their dynamic.

The novel combines humor and romance, utilizing the fake-dating trope while exploring themes of personal growth and familial relationships. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Australia, it’s an engaging, lighthearted read. While many found the premise entertaining, some reviewers noted issues with the pacing and relationship development, making it a fun but mixed experience for readers. If you enjoy humorous romantic comedies with a twist, this could be a delightful addition to your reading list​.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lana is a party girl. But when Mr Right is standing right in front of her, the universe seems to have other ideas.

But he may be her only option and be the one to help her heal.

Macintosh gives us a main character who needs to find self-love and acceptance before she can find love. I struggled to like her at first because she seemed to be self-sabotaging, however as the novel continued, she grew on me and I started to understand her as a character.

I loved the character of Ethan, who every reader will be rooting for from the very start. I loved that he didn't actually give up on her, and he was able to show her how being herself is the most lovable and perfect way to be.

There was also a great contrast between characters whom we knew to dislike; this author always knows how to give depth to each character.

This narrative is a really easy escape that I read quickly, which is one thing that makes me always come back to this author.

2.75 stars rounded up

This book started off with a top-notch meet-cute, but unfortunately that was the high point for me. This was a very fun premise, but the execution fell short. There was an inordinate amount of filler, especially considering the book was under 300 pages. Much of the book was the main character dating and pursuing other men, yet I still did not feel much chemistry between the two MCs. It felt like a first draft where everything is dumped in and nothing is quite flushed out yet.

I really liked the intention the author had with the main character Lana being a woman not obsessed with meeting Mr. Right and not being a workaholic. Lana doesn't take life too seriously, and she finds fulfillment in enjoying the simple pleasures in life, and I love that message. The author also brings in the topic of class and how people are treated differently based on their station in life and that resonated with me.

A good foundation for a story, but not the best execution.

Wish You Weren’t Here by Portia MacIntosh
The beginning was great, easy to walk right into the story and relate to the characters, then it fell flat. The plot seemed random and somewhat disorganized. It just didn’t flow and after connecting with Lana and Ethan at the beginning, the story became disconnected with the reader.
You have family disconnect with a rich father and one sister who is the favored child. Lana is overshadowed when her sister plans to get married on Lana’s 30th birthday. Lana finds the perfect dress and then Ethan shows up to be her plus one, saving the day.
I appreciate the humor but the story just didn’t flow and resonate with me. 2.5/5⭐️
I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review and ARC of this book.

The undisputed Queen of the romcom is back with Wish You Weren't Here. Written in her inimitable style Macintosh takes us on a fun filled, antic strewn romp to Australia.

Quintessentially British, the story had me laughing out loud repeatedly as Lana along with ex Ethan try not to upstage the bride with their 'fake dating'.

It's a light and easy read that was so quick to read in an afternoon. It's entertaining, highly enjoyable, has a charming cast of characters and is guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face 😊

The story started off with a funny encounter between Lana and Ethan, and for a few chapters, we could see the attraction develop between the two of them as they go on dates and get closer.

However, not even ten chapters in, we suddenly lose Ethan, and he doesn't show up until chapter 20. Now, I really hate long and unnecessary fillers, and reading through ten whole filler chapters felt like my own personal hell, so that was disappointing to go through.

Further, I spent more time hating most of the characters in this rather than enjoying the actual plot. I was frustrated with Lana's family for the most part, and that just made me lose the will to seriously read it per chapter.

Another aspect in this book that let me down was the romantic development between Lana and Ethan - it wasn't as pronounced as it could've been, and I felt that there was less time spent on Ethan and Lana, and more on Lana with other characters. Although I liked Ethan and Lana individually, their pairing ended up feeling rushed.

As for the ending, it just wasn't satisfying for me. I almost got whiplash at how easily Lana "made up" with her sister, but even more when she and Ethan got together at the end - it just felt like random happenings. If only we were given more chapters to witness the authentic development between the two, this would've turned out better.

Overall, for this book specifically, I wasn't able to appreciate the characters and the plot, and I also thought this wasn't structured or paced that well. I did want to like this because it started off really well, but it just fell as soon as we lost Ethan for those ten chapters. However, I think the author's writing was good, and I'm not opposed to reading another story from her.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for allowing me to share my honest comments on this ARC read.

I absolutely found myself truly enjoying this book at the start - I was engaged and it was just cute and fun.

A few chapters in I'm not sure what happened but it went from being engaging and fun to fluffy and rather dull. This chaotic wedding and revenge on the family with her ex just felt so random and off balance. I honestly was wondering if this was just a rush job to get something turned into in order to be published?

There was no chemistry, no witty banter, no sassy come-backs, nothing. The other men that she first dated had far more chemistry with her over Ethan, and with Ethan shouldn't the history bring forth some emotion? I just didn't feel it.

I've read other works by Portia but overall this was a complete miss for me. I missed the cohesiveness of her other books, and I really missed her beautifully written characters that she has in her other books that I've read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Given a list of rules to follow for her sister’s Australian wedding, Lana rebels by bringing her unpredictable ex Ethan as her date. He unexpectedly charms her family and reignites Lana’s old feelings. Can she embrace the chaos he brings to her life for a second chance at love?

This book is so much fun! Lana and Ethan are the perfect couple—they’re sweet and kind and understand each other. The romantic and sensual chemistry between them is off the charts, and they’re hilarious together. The audiobook narration by Karen Cass is entertaining as always.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This book kept turning me upside down, and I didn't know which way it was heading... but I really enjoyed it! Love it when I can be kept on my toes and that's not always the case. Another great Portia MacIntosh

Lana's romantic life is complex. Meeting Ethan seems to be a turning point, but two years later, she is still single and now has to attend a dreaded wedding on her 30th Birthday and needs a date, preferably one that will shock her judgy family. Serendipity brings Ethan into her orbit again, and she risks taking him as her fake date. The reader gets a detailed introduction to Lana's dating life, which is humorous and a little sad, and her connection with Ethan is undeniable. It's a story about family relationships and being true to yourself with a passionate and humorous romance intertwined with the family drama. I like Lana's character, her passionate connection with Ethan and the many amusing moments.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The description of the book says "Lana's ex turns up as she needs a date to her sister's wedding".

Why'd you have to lead me on? Also: is the ex in the room with us?

He didn't show up for the first 50% of the book. He just didn't exist. The first HALF of the book is Lana dating other men, while the male lead is nowhere to be found. And you call this a romance novel? I mean even the cover has a caption "Don't get mad, get Ethan" but HE DOESN'T EXIST FOR HALF THE PLOT.

It felt like the author's deadline arrived last month while the book still wasn't finished yet so the author decided to cram as many tropes and hot as many plot points as she could in one or two chapters. This is such a let down. I had high hopes based on the description but this isn't what we were promised. If the male lead doesn't show up in the first 15% of the book and female lead is dating other men, it's not a romance novel. So don't market is as such.

A fabulous read from portia macintosh. Her books are always hilarious with witty characters- loved the storyline and the characters

Wish You Weren't Here is a hilarious, yet heart-warming story that you find yourself unable to part with. Portia MacIntosh has once again introduced us to some incredible characters and a witty storyline. I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

Wish You Weren't Here was okay. I really could not stand Steve which made the book a bit harder to get through.
The writing was fabulous and Lena is lovable so I would give the book a try it I were you.