Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Wish You Were Her by Elle McNicoll is a third person multi-POV YA romance between two autistic leads. Allegra has received a lot of praise and attention for her work on the biggest fantasy show in years, but when an interviewer picks up on her Autistic tics and marks Allegra as cold, a new change of pace is in order. Allegra goes to stay in the small town her father operates a bookstore in where she meets Jonah, an employee of Allegra’s father who struggles to express his feelings and comes across as rude because of it.

I have never read Book Lovers, so I’m not sure if that works as a comp, but Notting Hill and You Got Mail are very accurate. The You Got Mail aspects really shine with the bookstore and anonymous emails between Jonah and Allegra and the romance is built on those elements. The Notting Hill aspects are more based on Allegra’s fame and Jonah working in a bookstore and how all of that comes into play over the beginning of their relationship. The fame aspects are more intense than what I remember in Notting Hill because it’s rooted in social media, but it worked really well here.

For the most part, this is focused on Jonah and Allegra’s POVs, but there are a few short moments where we get the POV of other characters and how they view Jonah and Allegra. In most instances, there is a chapter break that clearly shows that the POV has changed, but there is not one every time in the ARC that I received. Because of this, it can read as head-hopping, but this might be corrected by the time the official release rolls around.

As someone who is Autistic, I did really resonate with both Allegra and Jonah. When they discussed how they don’t like the phrase ‘with Autism,’ I immediately understood because I have always felt that the phrase was more about the comfort of parents of Autistic kids than actual people with Autism’s comfort and many of my Autistic friends feel the same way and use the term ‘Autistic.’ I also appreciated the conversations around masking and how constantly feeling rejected makes you grow up way too fast in some ways, which many Autistics do experience being called ‘little adults.’

Content warning for depictions of sexism, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and ableism

I would recommend this to fans of YA romance looking for two neurodivergent leads and readers of romance who want an exploration of fame that sympathizes with celebrities

A cute lil YA romance with neurodivergent representation. I loved the nostalgia factor. Very reminiscent of You’ve Got Mail and Notting Hill.

Thank you to SMP and Wednesday books for the E-ARC of this book.

The bones of this book are really cute with definite Notting Hill and You've Got Mail vibes set in the YA world.
I appreciated the neurodivergent representation but felt like it was really in your face and instead of showing the reader through actions that the main characters were autistic, the author repeatedly tells us. I don't know that I have read neurotypical and neurodivergent so many times in one book. The labels are slapped on the characters and take away from the story. It is their diagnosis, not their identity.

A sweet teen love story with echoes of You've Got Mail. Allegra is tired. She's been acting and acting and struggling with her neurodivergence so a summer with her dad in a small town is meant to be a balm. Her dad's bookstore is a safe place for her but wait because festival will be bringing people to town and more importantly, there's a potential love interest in the slightly grumpy Jonah. It's a tad trope-y as they work their way to a relationship but I liked Allegra. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Meant for the YA crowd but enjoyable for older readers as well.

Elle McNicoll’s "Wish You Were Here" is a heartfelt YA story about self-discovery, connection, and belonging. Allegra Brooks is an autistic 18-year-old actress who escapes to a quiet lakeside town after a damaging article puts her in the spotlight. While helping a local bookstore plan its festival, she becomes tangled in a budding romance that forces her to rethink what she wants and who she can trust.

Allegra’s journey is both tender and thoughtful, balancing the sweetness of a summer romance with deeper themes of identity and self-acceptance. McNicoll writes Allegra with honesty and care, and shows the struggles of being misunderstood alongside the joy of finding community. "Wish You Were Here" is charming, romantic, and heartfelt. It's perfect for readers who enjoy YA stories that celebrate both love and authenticity.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for an Advanced Readers Copy of Elle McNicoll’s Wish You Were Her.

About the book:
Allegra is an 18 year old famous actress who is autistic, which no one knows besides a handful of people close to her. All she wants and needs this summer is a typical teenager summer at the small town where her dad lives. His bookstore is hosting a book festival which brings a huge amount of outsiders into the town. When she first arrives, she meets Jonah and Simon, the two clerks who work in her dad’s store. Jonah also has autism, although Allegra doesn’t know this. Allegra and Jonah do not hit it off at first. While in the town, Allegra finally makes true friends who like her for who she is and not for what she does. As people descend upon the town for the book festival, things happen… I’m going to stop there so I don’t ruin the book, which I loved.

This is not the first book I read by Elle McNicoll. The book I read prior, Some Like It Cold, actually takes place in the same small town that Wish You Were Her takes place with quite a few of the same characters showing up in this book. What brought me back to read another book by this author is how wonderful she is at writing about people who have autism spectrum disorder. This is due to her being autistic.

As a parent of a teenager with Autism who was diagnosed 3 years ago at the age of 14, I am still struggling to learn everything about how my child feels and what goes through their head, what they struggle with and, while I am not sure my child struggles with everything Elle explains, Elle does a fantastic job helping me understand many of the things my child tries to explain, yet can’t quite verbalize.

This book does more than just tell a story, it also explains the prejudices that neurodivergent people face by neurotypical people. It shows how people with autism often can’t “read the room” socially so they can’t tell who is a true friend and who is taking advantage of them. This is something that Jonah finds with his “best” friend Simon. I was able to relate with this because my child struggles with this as well. There were quite a few quotes throughout the book that resonated with me, too many for me to keep track of, honestly. This one, however truly got me:

“People thought masking was something that everyone did. They thought it was like speaking “corporate” or behaving differently for your in-laws. But it was so much more than that. It was the physical suppression of every natural, autistic instinct. It was mimicry. It was sunburn. It was a hand around your own throat. It was burying yourself while you were still alive.”

My child masks all the time and I never truly understood how much it affected them and how exhausting it was. I’m grateful that Elle was able to put this so eloquently into words.

I thought this book was a great and I highly recommend it to everyone!

DNF at 18%

The writing style is not for me - stilted and stiff, it kept pulling me out of the flow of the story (also the switching of POV in the same chapter is a mild pet peeve of mine)
the minute the two MCs have their first 'bicker/banter' I zoned out
Also is feels like the autism rep is not the best, and I'd rather read a story with decent rep vs one that uses the MCs autism as excusing bad behaviour (this from reading other reviews and from the way the characters seemed to be written)

I landed on 4.5 stars for this neurodivergent rep gem!

If I could go back and put some books in the hands of my teenage self, Elle McNicoll’s books would be at the top of the list for sure. It felt great to be back in Lake Pristine for a new story with new characters but with the same small town, cozy charm I grew to love in Some Like it Cold.

Enemies to lovers isn’t usually a trope I love but it worked really well here. The little nods to You’ve Got Mail were fun. I found both of the main characters really easy love which is sometimes tricky in an enemies to lovers situation. Both Allegra and Jonah were such great, layered characters and when they finally came together it was magic!

I really liked that the pacing of the story matched the characters. It was a slow burn, but it never felt like it dragged on too long. It was like we were getting comfortable enough with the characters on their own, so they each had a moment to shine, before we got to the romance which I loved. It felt true to each of them and something I find is true to autistic individuals (at least for me!).

The fame aspect added so much to the story! I loved the depth it gave Allegra. Balancing the positives and negatives of fame while being autistic added a lot to her character, and I loved the descriptions of how she had to slip her mask on and off when acting and in real life.

*mild spoiler* I was so excited for the appearances of characters from Some Like it Cold, especially Jasper. I loved seeing what was up with Jasper and Arthur these days but her role in this story melted my heart a million ways. Jasper was the person Allegra needed at exactly the right time. The connection between these two autistic women added so much heart and is exactly what representation in literature should look like.

And of course, we love a book with bookish vibes! Having Allegra and Jonah work in a bookstore and bicker frequently about literature was *chef’s kiss* romcom perfection.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and what it will bring to romance spaces. The neurodivergent representation Elle McNicoll writes is some of the best I’ve read for sure. Everyone deserves to read a story that makes them feel seen, heard, and understood, and Wish You Were Her was a book that checked all of those boxes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press- Wednesday Books for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Wish You Were Her is the perfect summer romance! Allegra is suddenly starring in a hit show and is the new IT girl but all she wants is a normal summer. She heads to Lake Pristine for its Book Festival but unfortunately for her it's ran by the grumpiest bookseller, Jonah. All she wants is a drama and relaxing summer but turns out that's not as easy as she would like in a small town. Allergra's only escape is the person she's been exchanging emails with. Wish You Were Her is so charming and sweet, I loved it!

really effective romance, but at points I found that the characters just.., didn't really follow through with their own intents. 4 stars. tysm for the arc, would recommend.

3.75⭐️ Thank you SMP & NetGalley for the e-ARC!
Overall, I really enjoyed this! I was excited and interested to read this especially because of the neurodivergent representation - specifically autism - and it seemed done very well!
The first 50 pages or so of this book did not hook me in, and for whatever reason I was just not very invested in their relationship or the overall story. It did pick up for me later on, and by the end I was very much enjoying it!
All in all, I found this to be a great small-town story with neurodivergent rep in both our main character and the love interest, and one that is a great read!

What I Liked: This book instantly captured my attention because of the description, not only did it have an Autistic female main character, but the love interest is also Autistic! I just had to read it after seeing that, and I am so glad that I had the chance to read this one. As someone who is neurodivergent, this book spoke to me, and there were traits of myself that I saw in both Allegra and Jonah. There were also moments in which Allegra was speaking about being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world that were important to hear, and I hope everyone takes a moment to think about those things.

Jonah, at first glance, isn't a character that I would like because of his attitude and the way he initially treats Allegra. While at first you won't be a big fan of Jonah, he grows on you as you learn why he responds in the manner he does, and especially as you start to dislike Simon. The relationship between Jonah and Simon is realistic and important to the book, as it highlights how people can use Autistic people for their own gain. It also showcases what happens when the Autistic person catches on to this and chooses to stand up for themselves.

While this book is set in the summer, it feels perfect for the transition between summer and fall. This book feels like the ending for a lot of things, like Jonah being stepped on and people telling Allegra how to live her life, and a lot more new beginnings for all of our characters. Setting this book in a small town feels like you are there with the characters and get to know the people of the town quite well. The small town is a fun contrast with putting Allegra in there and then also getting the chance to see her in the city and the difference between both locations.

Final Verdict: Wish You Were Her is a cute small-town romance that follows Allegra as she tries her best to have a normal summer, even if she's a famous actress. This book is perfect for young adults who enjoy cozy romances and are looking for an escape from reality.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The myriad of meanings that this title encompasses is amazing. Much like this book, there is a lot more going on under the surface than initially appears. While serving all it promises and a ya romance inspired by classic romance movies it goes beyond that, right to the heart of what it means to be human. I loved all of the characters that graced the page and I appreciated the contrast between fame and being known. Although I would’ve loved the identities to have been revealed a little earlier, I loved what the book had to offer.

This was such a wonderful story. First and foremost, and let me just get on my soapbox for this, MORE STORIES LIKE THIS PLEASE! PLEASE!! I’ll get down now. I’m sure this isn’t the only book where both the FMC and MMC are autistic but it’s the first one I’ve ever read and it was just wonderful. I loved Ally and Jonah so incredibly much. I loved them not just as a couple, which I’m obsessed with, but also as individual characters who had so much depth to them. It was amazing how the author made them both exceedingly special but wonderfully ordinary. There was a normalcy in who they were that just made the story that much better. The story itself was great, though I had a little trouble with the pacing at points. But the side characters were good too, though numerous, and I’d love to hear some of their stories too. Overall though what an absolute triumph. This was my first book by this author and now I fear I’ll read through the rest of her books entirely too fast. I can’t wait for whatever she does next!

“Book Lovers meets Notting Hill with a slice of You've Got Mail in Wish You Were Her, the brand new rivals-to-lovers romance from bestselling, award-winning Elle McNicoll.”

I wasn’t sure what I was walking into when I started this book, but I really enjoyed it. This was a cute, quick read, perfect for summer and if you like rivals to lovers. This was my first Elle McNicoll book and it definitely won’t be my last.

I loved the neurodiverse representation in this book, especially when so many of my family members that surround me have ADHD. It was great to see the interactions between the main characters and the book was written in such a way that it highlighted neurodiversity in a positive way instead of framing it negatively.

As with so many other romances (especially rivals/enemies to lovers) there was some miscommunication and “leaving out” of information by the FMC, but honestly, I expected that going into the story.

A very special Thank You to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve really enjoyed Elle McNicoll’s middle grade books, so I was excited to try her YA romances. And while I haven’t yet had the chance to check out the first one, I’m now even more excited to do so, as Wish You Were Her was so fun, as well as being incredibly affirming in its autism rep.
I really loved Allegra, who is a teen star on a TV show, and reckoning with all the excessive pressures that comes with, along with the additional challenges she faces navigating the industry as an autistic person, who is keeping her diagnosis a secret.
The romance with Jonah is rather cute, and while their initial tense interactions weren’t my favorite, I liked the balance of their online connection along with them getting to know each other in real life, without making the connection at first between the pen pal and the real person. The tension around this was fairly well-done, and they were easy to root for.
I had a lot of fun with this one, and would recommend it to readers in search of a lighthearted romance paying homage to You’ve Got Mail and featuring well-done autism rep.

Wish you were her
. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⋆ ⭒
I went into this book blind, but trusted my past self in its decision to request it from Net Galley. This was a decent read, with some classic tropes and a well-deserved spotlight on neurodiversity.

It was definitely a bit of a slow start in the plot, and I also feel like some of the characters were a bit loosely written - I wanted to get more out of them, but they felt a bit like filler - even some moments of Jonah and Allegra felt a bit like surface issues were created ( internally and externally ) that unnecessarily prolonged the story length, but we got there in the end.

I usually enjoy a small town romance and a grumpy vs sunshine set-up, and this one fulfilled my expectations of enjoyment in this regard. The focus on high-functioning autism was interesting and could resonate heavily with many neurodiverse groups, highlighting some sensory-processing issues, difficulty with social cues and interaction, and the weight and burnout of masking.

I find there is an improvement in representation of neurodiverse characters within fiction, in a very intentional and direct manner, which I think it incredibly important. Occasionally I find that if there is a character that isn’t neurotypical, as it were, it’s presented as something they have to “overcome”, or the character is presented as a caricature of what it might be like living with neurodiversity, instead of acknowledgment that this a part of the whole - their diagnosis doesn’t define them. Allegra’s character does a good job of this in saying that she wants to be able to tell people / the public, without having to constantly discuss it nor become the face of the diagnosis.

‘Wish You Were Her’ hits shelves August 26th, featuring a coming-of-age tale, YA romance, and neurodiversity

~ 👩🏻‍🦰

Wish You Were Here was such a heartfelt and beautifully written story. 💙 It follows a girl who feels out of place until she meets someone who truly sees her, and it’s told with such tenderness and understanding that it stays with you long after you finish. Elle McNicoll has a way of writing characters that feel real, making you want to protect them and cheer them on at the same time. A short read, but one that packs an emotional punch.

McNicoll returns to the small town of Lake Pristine in Scotland for a bookstore romance between a famous actress and a normal bookseller.

Allegra Brooks became a movie star as a preteen, and has been busy with work since then. She's great at putting on a public happy face, even though it's terribly exhausting because she is autistic. And no one knows except a few close to her.

When she has a little break from work, she decides to spend the summer visiting her father in Lake Pristine. They haven't had much in-person contact, but the idea of working and living in a bookstore appeals to Allegra. She's told the small town will keep her visit a secret, too.

Jonah has just graduated high school and doesn't have any big plans except continuing to work in the bookstore and running the summer book festival. He makes a major faux pas the first time Allegra comes into the store, and it sets the tone for a stormy relationship between the two.

What he doesn't know is Allegra is the one who has been sending anonymous emails to him through the bookstore's emails ...

I really enjoyed this sweet romance between two autistic main characters, who deal with some issues most romance protagonists do not. Allegra's fame adds another road block to the relationship, too.

Jonah is totally heart eyes as he falls and takes care of Allegra.

Definitely a sweet enemies-to-lovers YA that you will zoom through.

I enjoyed the slow burn aspect. For fans of characters that are neurodivergent - you will love the representation in this story.