A touching and emotional story with a great romance! can't wait to read more from this author! Definitely going to check out her other books!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Wish You Were Here. Unfortunately, I was never able to get into it and I have no plans to rate or review it at this time.

I have to admit this book was a little awkward in the beginning. The characters are awkward, the dialog is awkward and the plot felt awkward. But then something emotional happened and I was sucked in. This book utterly ripped out my soul and put it back together again in all the right places. How Renee tugs and your heart strings is unbelievable. The way she takes a story that can be so sad yet but so gave it so much life and love.

I want sure what to expect when I first started reading this book. Admittedly, I thought about having up on it a couple times. Right off the bat it just didn't hold my attention. Fortunately the further I read, the more I didn't want to put it down. I had to know what was going to happen.

I loved the characters and what they brought to each other's lives. Wish You Were Here was raw and emotional and a truly beautiful read.

I couldn't believe how much I related to the main character in so many ways! Something I love about Carlino's writing is that I always see parts of myself in the characters she writes. It's such a heart-wrenching story that will stay with you. It's so emotionally gripping while talking about how precious living really is and to keep going forward.

I love this author and wow, amazing! Love, loss and just an amazing journey.
Thanks for the arc Netgalley

Though I normally love the author, this book wasn't for me. I decided not to review it on my site or any of the major retailers/Goodreads.

And Renee Carlino strikes again! This book, IMO, is a life changer. A game changer. All the changers that made my heart explode with so much love. I will honestly say this, when it comes to a Renee Carlino book, I know I will have a new experience with each of the characters she writes. Unlike her other books that have been released, Wish You Were Here is a book that is going to sit with me until the end of time. I felt like this story really spoke volumes to me. I made this connection with the characters, and I hated that I had to leave their "lives" once I finished this book.

First things first, just do yourself a favor and get this book; you do not want to miss out. Secondly, make sure you grab a box or three of tissues, a snuggie, two bottles of wine to help you cope with all the amazing and uniqueness this story brings, and chocolate (because who doesn't love chocolate). Thirdly, buckle in and enjoy this ride!

What I really loved with Wish You Were Here, was Charlotte. She is so different from any heroin, in any story. She is like a free spirit, but has the aversion to not hang onto things. She is bold! Adam is also a lovable enjoyable character. He brought everything you need in a hero, to this story. He was a burst of color in Charlotte's colorless world.

The story was completely artistic and vivid. If you love fate and everything it brings, I truly feel you'd love this book! Such a refreshing page turner.

I love all of her books and this is one of my favorites!

A poignant, heartfelt read
Charlotte wanders from job to job as she does with life. She has a sweet imaginative one night stand with "unforgettable" Adam. But things go awry the next morning. As time passes, Charlotte's life goes on, she finds love but then the past resurges.
Beautiful, well written story of life goals and the importance in the path it takes.

between 3 and 4.

there is a very good chance i am being way too harsh on this book, which is why i'm rounding up.

i liked before we were strangers and absolutely adored swear on this life. so my expectations were high for this one. unfortunately it disappointed me just a bit. i still liked it, i liked the idea of it, i felt the emotions. i just had a few issues with it. i felt like the synopsis was a bit misleading. it sounded super promising and seriously that could have been the entire book, you know? i didn't like that it was basically a love triangle. i really liked seth but never really understood his actions. i think the story might have worked better if nothing had happened between them in the time in between her and adam, you know? because it didn't feel real, you knew she was still hung up on adam. i didn't like how much she changed after adam died. i thought the stuff with helen and roddy was odd, they obviously played a big part in the story and charlotte and seth's relationship, but it was just a bit ridiculous. sometimes in books like these when best friends act a certain way to further the plot, i can't help but think if you were really best friends you wouldn't do that!

overall it might sound like i hated it, not at all, i like this author's writing and i will continue to read her books. swear on this life is definitely my favourite.

I fell in love with this book fast and hard. All of the characters are a little quirky (for lack of a better word) and I completely loved that about them. Charlotte is floundering through her 20s. She constantly changes careers and boyfriends and depends heavily on her roommate.

A chance encounter with strange and mysterious Adam leaves her thinking about that one night for months to come. She doesn't know what exactly happened with Adam and she can't stop thinking about him. Months later she meets Seth, a young and happy gorgeous guy that is truly interested in her. I kind of felt bad for Seth because he really wanted to be with her. He saw something in Charlotte that told him she was the one, however she couldn't see that in Seth because she couldn't get past the one night with Adam. I love that he kind of steps aside and lets her figure her stuff out. He feels strongly for her but doesn't push her to choose him.

I kind of knew something else was going on with Adam but I wasn't ready for all the feels. So many feels!!!! This book made me so happy and so sad. I constantly went from smiling wide to crying at other parts. The ending was absolute perfection. I love the idea that you may have a "soul mate" but different people can touch different parts of your soul. That really stayed with me after reading this book.

I also loved her family. In the beginning they appear as minor characters that Charlotte doesn't 100% get along with but as time goes on they become bigger parts of her life and I loved the moments of bonding between Charlotte and her dad, her and her mom and Charlotte and Chuckie. I love my brothers and it was great seeing that same kind of sibling relationship in a book- that, I hate you but only cause you know I love you feeling. I loved that they were completely there for her but also ready to push her and tell her the truth when she was unwilling to do it herself.

I loved Adam and Seth both and if you ever made me choose I wouldn't, I just wouldn't. I picked up this book and couldn't put it down until it was done, it was just that addicting and perfect.

Enjoyed the storyline and was so engrossed by the characters. Carlino is a fav author of mine and this book is another reason why. It was the heartwarming, romance I was looking for!

When you can sit and read a book in one sitting in less than twelve hours, you know it’s good. Renee nailed it with Wish You Were Here. This book is so incredibly heartfelt. This book just further proved that I will read anything Renee Carlino writes.

Renee takes us on a journey of love, loss, and self-discovery. She wrote a wonderful family dynamic and some great friendships. I always love seeing the main character learn or grow in some way in a story and that’s exactly what we see with both Charlotte and Helen.

Add an amazing and sexy one night stand and a baseball player, we have swoon city. I don’t want to give away even a PIECE of this story, but I definitely swooned. I was so irritated with Charlotte at first, but I really started to understand her. I felt for Charlotte. I related to Charlotte. And she was so fortunate to find the love and friendships she had in her life.

I truly loved this story, and I couldn’t imagine anyone not liking it. I feel like there are many different aspects one can relate in this story whether it’s the romance, the friendship or the family aspect because it hits all those places.

My emotions were all over the place. Wish You Were Here is that kind of book that makes you feel a lot. Though ups and downs. I believe in strong connections and when you read it, you understand that you had to seize the day and enjoy what life has to offer, happy times or not.

Charlotte is a bit lost in her life. Working as a waitress in a diner, dreaming for a better life with her best friend. Watching everyone moving on and changing, while she was still stuck.

There was this duality in her personality; always holding back, never putting herself first but having this sparkling and spontaneous side.

The interesting part of the storyline that totally intrigued me was the journey’s heroine. In a sense, some people can identify in that story. Something universal, like be in love, to find his/her soulmate. To finally live for yourself and not for the others.

I went through a range of emotions, the heroine drove me a bit crazy throughout the story, but I loved how she followed her heart, even if her behavior was to me a little unnerving at times. Lost in her life, tearing apart about one night that changed her life forever.

Once I got through the turmoil of emotion that overwhelmed me to an extent, how the author delivers could convey emotions to this level. Straight to the guts.

However, I wished the end was less rushed, it really needed to me more expanding. Something that would make this book so much more, because the connection was so incredible and intense and after all Charlotte went through, I wish I had more of her happily ever after.

This story was really introspective, following Charlotte through the sea of life, when she lived a journey of a lifetime, that love can be found anywhere and definitely in the most unexpected places.

It took me two months to read Wish You Were Here, because I would cry so hard that I'd need a break. I connect to this story personally, but all readers will be moved by this breathtaking journey of a woman finding herself and discovering that her capacity to love is unlimited.

Wish You Were Here

Renee Carlino


Holy cow! It took me over twelve hours to finally write this review. WISH YOU WERE HERE shredded me and I still can not let this heart breaking story go! If you want and need a cry ugly session, this is the book for you. I read it in one sitting, unable to stop, and not wanting to. I have never read Renee Carlino before but I am now the proud owner of her backlist! I will spread them out over time as my heart can’t take too much breaking all at once!

WISH YOU WERE HERE is a beautiful story filled with loss, love, letting go, and finding your soulmate. Of course, I finished it right when my husband was getting home from work and he looked at me like I was nuts! I’m sitting there, sobbing, tears running down my face, almost hyper ventilating! Oh yeah, it’s just that good! Twenty something Charlotte lives with her roommate Helen. They have been best friends forever and always have each other’s backs. One night, while walking back home with Helen, they run in to Adam, a hot but lost man who instantly shares his Chinese food with them. He helps Charlotte get a very drunk Helen home and then Charlotte helps Adam get home and winds up spending the night. Charlotte is not the type of girl who goes for one night stands but she feels this instant connection to Adam and doesn’t think twice about going with him.

After sharing an amazing night together, Adam pretty much kicks Charlotte out the next morning and he breaks Charlotte’s heart. WISH YOU WERE HERE leaves Charlotte not being able to get Adam out of her head for almost six months…….she just can’t seem to move on and can’t accept the fact that Adam was just like all he rest of the men she has been with. Hang on to your seats because when you find out why events unfolded as they did, you will be shell shocked and devastated! I’m going to stop here because my emotions are once again on a crazy roller coaster ride and I’m tearing up again! Plus I don’t want to give anything away. Do yourself a favor and run to get WISH YOU WERE HERE right away. I’m almost certain, it is the best book I’ve read this year! I am so excited to read more by Renee Carlino!

Oh, Renee Carlino, how you continue to wreck me with your stories. I've been a fan of Renee's books for quite a while now. I didn't even read the synopsis before going into Wish You Were Here. I went in completely blind and was immediately captivated by this story. Wish You Were Here is the type of story that will leave you thinking long and hard about your own life once you finish it. I loved how much this story affected me, while entertaining me at the same time.

This story is a gut-wrencher, that's for sure. I wasn't expecting to feel so many different emotions all in one story. I also enjoyed how I wasn't really sure which way the story would go, and was left wondering quiet a few times. Though not completely unpredictable, it did have an slight quality that I really enjoyed. And these characters... they were so relatable, so easy to love, and just so perfect for this story.

I'm so excited for my fellow Renee Carlino fans to give this story a read. And if you're new to her writing, I urge you to check it out. So much love for this talented lady!

(Thank you to Atria Books and Renee Carlino for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)