The more books I read by Renee Carlino, the more I love her and her writing. She has a way of making you truly FEEL every single, angsty emotion known to man in every single book.

When I started reading about Charlotte, I really wasn't sure what to make of it. Charlotte wasn't the usual, strong, tough as nails female character you generally find nor was she the total simpering girl you sometimes see. She was a mix of the two and I didn't know if I liked her or disliked her. She seemed way to wishy, washy for me. When she meets Adam, I start to see her in a new light...but it was Adam who intrigued me completely as I guess he did her as well. I could start to see small snippets of what Adam MIGHT be dealing with...and I could start to see the REAL Charlie under the aimless bluster.

When months went by, I started to feel gypped because I wondered if we'd see Adam again. I also felt torn because I loved Seth so much too. When Adam is finally back in her life, we begin to find out what is behind the facade..both Adam's and Charlotte's. You begin to see the strength of character that they both have and what a large part they play in each other's lives and in each other's future.

There were so many highlights in my copy only because there were so many different life lessons in this book. But the biggest one to me is to live every single day as though it were your last. I had a lump in my throat and my heart was pounding through most of this book from trying to hold back tears.

Wish You Were Here was everything. It stole my heart right from the beginning and didn’t let it go, in fact, I am still reeling from this poignant, beautiful story. It’s one of those special books that I felt in every fiber of my being. I was confident that this was going to be a fantastic read, but it was even more than I could have ever hoped for. I’m not sure if anything that I write will do this book the justice that it so deserves. In my opinion, it was perfection.

I fell head-over-heels in love with the characters that Renée Carlino created. I was immediately drawn to them and invested in their lives and story. They were likable and relatable. From the main characters to the secondary characters, each one was so well-done and contributed to the overall story.

Who hasn’t felt a little lost, insecure, and uncertain in their twenties? Charlotte was having difficulty finding her true passion in life – in her career and dating. She had a bad track record when it came to jobs and men. She was a magnet for poor choices, but I couldn’t help but find her completely endearing. I wanted Charlotte to find her calling, so to speak, and to find someone who would sweep her off her feet. And, boy, does she ever!

I loved how Charlotte and Adam met. It was quirky, whimsical, and completely spontaneous. Their connection and attraction was instant and undeniable. They just seemed to click. Their one perfect night of indulgence, conversation, and passion seemed like kismet, however, their tryst didn’t end quite as well as it began. But that one night with Adam was not something that Charlotte would soon forget.

I would love nothing more than to discuss every little morsel of this novel, but I don’t want to take away from anyone else’s reading experience, and trust me, this book is an experience. It is overflowing with emotion and heart. I was swept away in the beauty and intensity of Renée Carlino’s exquisite writing. She delivered a story that was captivating, consuming, and well-rounded. She has the ability to write a story that will make you feel so much that you think your heart won’t be able to take too much more, all the while providing the much needed humorous moments that will make you smile and laugh out loud. Simply put, her writing talent abounds in this book.

Wish You Were Here is a breathtaking, moving story with a powerful love story and message. I was completely enamored with it from beginning to end. It is an unforgettable story that makes me so proud to be a reader. This is definitely a favorite for 2017!


*5+ Stars

Every time I read a Renee Carlino story, I know I’m in for an emotional journey – one that not only transforms the characters in the text but offers insights about life and living to its readers.

Wish You Were Here, Carlino’s newest release, will resonate with readers because they’ll be able to identify with how the heroine views her life and herself due to the fickle way she lives, changing career options, part-time jobs, and unworthy boyfriends because she doesn’t truly know who she is or what she wants out of life.

Charlotte plays it safe, never truly putting herself out there or putting her heart on the line, partly because she doesn’t think too highly of herself and partly because she doesn’t seem to know how to write her own story…until she finds herself making memories, both real and pretend, with a man who appreciates every breath that he takes and every beautiful moment that he spends with the only girl he wants to always remember, even when his ability to do so is compromised.

Some of Charlotte’s actions towards others and reactions to varying situations will not sit well with readers, but I feel like Carlino deliberately portrays Charlotte as a twenty-something woman who has no idea what she wants to do with her life…someone who really never stops to think about all that she has or takes a minute to look at the world outside of herself and realize how much of it she’s wasting by not appreciating every day that she’s alive. Because as shallow and unaware as Charlotte was at the beginning and throughout the middle of her story, she’s a completely different person once she experiences those meaningful moments with her soulmate and decides to truly figure out what’s important to her and learns exactly how to not let fear stop her from loving…from living…from truly feeling free.

While Wish You Were Here is mainly about Charlotte finding value in her life and realizing the path she’s supposed to take, without the supporting characters in the book, her parents, her brother, her best friend, Adam, and Seth, she would have never reached the sense of peace and awe she has at the end of the book. These people have helped to shape the woman she becomes and while not all of the encounters she has with them are helpful, they all need to occur so that Charlotte can understand herself…understand how to write her life story to the best of her ability, and when it’s all said and done, Charlotte helps these characters to develop into new and improved versions of themselves simply because the new version that Charlotte becomes is someone who knows her worth and goes about showing other people theirs.

Charlotte’s story is one that will stay with me because its message and its lessons are ones that every. single. person. could learn and grow from, especially in this crazy and bizarre world we live in nowadays!

4.5 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)

... I'm not crying, your're crying... Ok composing myself now..

Reading this book was like having scattered pieces of a puzzle you don't know where it fits. All these pieces formed a picture but I don't know what yet. When it finally came together it as something else! So keep on if you aren't sure. I'm astounded, well not really, cause I've loved Renee Carlino's writing and stories they are just fantastic. The storytelling telling is down to earth, real, raw and memorable.

This review is hard to write it gets me emotional. But I'll try. I have to say this one of Renee's best yet. It is so layered and it was more complex than I thought which is a really good thing. What I took away from this book is about treasuring relationships, living and loving. It changed my thoughts on soul mates for sure. This book was a not your typical romance, it was a variation on your coming to age theme but rather coming into her own story. Charlotte had tremendous growth in this story a different person at the end. It was touching and relatable and such a wonderful story. It's long journey for her till she finds where she's supposed to be.

The whirlwind love at first sight stories can either be too insta to be believable or cheesy at times but here it was just so wonderful. I mean I really felt it and at the same time you have questions. Like everything is perfect but there are missing pieces you know are there. Charlotte and Adam had this unforgettable moment that etched itself with them both, it was hard to move on. Hard not to feel that connection. There was miscommunication and wasted time in between.

The blurb pretty much says what happens so I won't repeat it but the other factors make part of this story. Here's the part where the puzzle pieces come in. The mystery of Adam, you know I thought it fit one way but no. So I kept trying to make them fit. When I clearly see the whole picture, it changes everything. I was distraught, it broke me. Regardless you hold hope till the end. eriously, I rarely cry I was not expecting to sob throughout.

Deep breath. This is just very hard I don't know even know how to put it into words my next thoughts. All. The. Feels. Life changing feels. Just that Adam was a special, a breath of fresh air and he shined. Hard not to love and fall for. He paved the way for Charlotte's growth I would say. Their love story was life changing. Now this felt like an epic love story, just beautiful. It leaves you wish a spark of hope.

This book was amazing. Wish You Were Here is extremely emotional and beautifully written. It gives new meaning to love hurts. It's about taking a chance, living for today and loving completely and unconditionally, with no apologies.

I love the way author Renee Carlino writes. She draws me in with her words and everything around me melts away. I'm all in, captivated with every page I turn. The story flows effortlessly. The characters have dimension. Charlotte is a pretty, young girl who is searching for something, for her place in this world, for that "wow" moment. Adam is gorgeous, young and mysterious. They meet unexpectedly and have an instant connection. An intense pull toward each other. Now, I'm not a fan of insta-love, but this isn't insta-love. Quite the opposite, yet, you could feel their chemistry. Seth is hot, sexy and sweet. I loved him. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a love triangle. But it is an awesome love story. It's about missed opportunities, second chances and selfless love.

Wish You Were Here is heartbreaking and sad, but, hopeful and romantic at the same time. Not gonna lie, at times, Charlotte had me so frustrated, but, as the story builds, and the author develops her character, I came to love her. I felt for her. The story is moving. It will grab your heart and squeeze. There is so much that happens in this book. It is devastating and swoon-worthy, at the same time. And the epilogue?! I wanted more but I must admit it was just perfect. Highly recommend this beautiful, emotional, heartfelt love story.

Days after finishing this and I’m still thinking about this book. Renee Carlino broke me and put me back together. A beautifully written story of love and loss. Be prepared you will need tissues. I was a blubbering mess by the time I finished this book.

Charlotte lives with her best friend and works as a waitress. She hasn’t decided what she wants to do with her life. She has gone to school and tried different things. Her taste in boys hasn’t been the greatest. She always seems to pick ones that don’t have much going for them. That all changes one night when she meets Adam. It was only suppose to be one night. That one night wasn’t enough for Charlotte.

Not being able to get Adam out of her mind. Charlotte can’t seem to forget their one perfect night. I would go on and on about this story but you need to read it without me giving anything away. This book had my emotions all over the place and I couldn’t put it down. This is a must read

With every new release, Renée Carlino manages to solidify her rank as my favorite author. Let's be real - Renée writes it, I'll read it. No shame in my reading game.

And now that it is finally here, I can eagerly tell you that I loved it.

I can't even really tell you why though. The writing was fantastic. The characters endearing. The storyline emotional. Well, okaaaaay, maybe I can tell you.

Whatever, I think my point is that Renée is consistent. I love that.

Wish even surprised me a little bit. It wasn't that I didn't love the romance thread of the story (I did) but I also really fell in love with the relationship between heroine Charlotte and her family. It was genuine and a wonderfully written with lots of laugh out loud moments.

Wish You Were Here is one of my top reads this year and absolutely recommend it.

4.5+ stars

Charlotte has very little direction in her life. She has a series of failed relationships with subpar partners and dead end jobs. She has no idea what she wants to do, but isn’t entirely pleased with her current direction. A late night run in with a stranger, Adam, changes her entire course, at least until the next morning when the light of day makes things look different. Shortly after her encounter with Adam, she meets Seth and though things are going well with the developing relationship, she can’t forget her perfect night with Adam.

This was one of those stories full of missed connections and what ifs. I loved watching Adam and Charlotte's interactions and the dreams they create together. But I also loved Seth’s quiet determination to have Charlotte see herself as he sees her.

This was one of those books that left me feeling so mixed. I loved so much about it, but there are a couple aspects that left me feeling more than a little unsettled. Parts that even as I read I wondered if I could find enough to balance. I loved so much about this story, but the timing broke my heart. Everything about the timing broke my heart. Adam. Seth. Charlotte. But I also love the way things were put back together after they were broken. The longer I thought about those pieces that had me all mixed up, the more I realized this just fit.

This has the entire range of emotion, as well as a character development that took a woman floating through life with no real aspiration and gave her purpose, direction, and love. I debated for some time about my rating for Wish You Were Here because of this uncertainty, but the longer I thought, the more I realized I needed to rate this one highly simply because it made me think so hard. This was not a book I read and moved on from quickly. Even now, a week after I finished, I am still thinking about how it made me feel, and that’s the mark of a great read.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

It has been a long time since a book has made me cry. I did not sob like in some books but my eyes were leaking tears that I couldn’t possibly hold back. I haven’t read such a poignant romance story in quite a while. I was very surprised at what turn this story took. It was so beautifully written and the emotions were flying off the page and hitting me straight in the heart.

I absolutely adored the main characters in this story. Charlotte is relatable with her lack of direction in her career choices by changing her major constantly (something I even did a few times) but I wish she would have been a bit stronger about her relationship choices. Her brother, Chuck, was a hoot to read about. Their relationship was typical older sister/younger brother and I couldn’t relate more. You drive each other crazy but when it comes time to be serious and supportive you’re the first one on the battlefront.

My issue with this book was the fact that there were some very instalove moments. While this plays into the overall storyline, it still is one of my biggest pet peeves in romance and it needs to be done extremely well for me to fully get on board with it.

Renee has written such a beautiful story about love and life. She makes you look at love in such a unique way that will stay with you long after you finish reading the story. Sometimes you need to put yourself first and live for you; the rest will follow.

If you are looking for a story that will make you look at love a little bit differently and pull at your heart strings then grab this one up now!

Charlotte Martin is a 27 yr. old woman living in the arts district of downtown Los Angeles with her best friend Helen. She's been through many career choices & is still finding herself. She's currently working as a waitress at a cafe & hasn't had any luck finding her Mr. Right.

One evening she randomly meets a man named Adam & the feeling is almost indescribable. She feels such a strong connection to this man & an intense need to know him. He's funny & sweet, and his joy for life is contagious. He's spontaneous & lives life in the moment. She's completely enchanted by this gorgeous stranger and they end up spending one beautiful night together. She felt they shared something unique & rare she couldn't explain, but the next day he acts rude, and blows her off. She feels rejected, and figures it's not meant to be & moves on.

Some time goes by, and Charlotte is still thinking about Adam & still hung up on him. She's confused because he seemed so sincere & genuine. He made her feel special & she's never felt so connected to anyone, but something was off about him. She sensed he was undergoing some sort of change in his life. Even though her experience with this man was a bit weird, she can't get him out of her head. He messed with her self confidence & made her question her judgment.

Months later Charlotte meets another man that helps take her mind off Adam. His name is Seth Taylor & he lives in San Diego. He is a really great guy & she enjoys spending time with him, but she still can't fully move on from Adam. He's a mystery & she realizes she fell for him. She decides to try & contact him to at least get some closure, but finds out everything is much more complicated than she realized. She's now left with the decision does she continue on with her new relationship with Seth or see if there is anything to salvage with Adam?

It's hard to say much about this book and not have spoilers so I'll just say it is deeply emotional. Be prepared to shed a few tears. The book has a lot of great messages. It is about love, self worth, taking chances instead of living life on the sidelines, & soulmates. Some of us are lucky enough in this life to have more than one. This book has a bit of a love triangle & I adored both Adam & Seth.

I can't even write this review without tearing up.

It made me feel.
It made me think.
It made me laugh.
It made me cry.

It gave me hope.
It gave me faith.


This was the first time I've read anything by this author and she ripped my heart out and tore it to pieces with her words. It very rare for me to have this reaction to a book and especially for an author that I'm reading for the very first time! Normally I don't like it when the main characters moved so fast in a full length novel but Carlino was able to make it believable. I felt their connection from the moment they met and that is not something that happens often. This says a lot about her writing and how flawless it was.

As the story progressed I just knew the book was going to go one way and then boom I got my heart ripped out. I honestly wasn't expecting this and asked myself why did I request this book on NetGalley. As hard as it was for me to go on, I did and I'm happy I made it to the end. I wish things would have worked out differently but I understand why it worked out the way it did. It makes total sense even though my heart is aching. I'm emotionally exhausted after reading and if I had the chance I would do it over and over again. This story may not be for everyone but everyone needs to read this book. You won't be the same after reading. Trust me, I won't.

Wait, let me go find some tissues before I write this review...

This book. Wow. Wish You Were Here left me in a state of sadness where I thought I never get over it. And then it gave me a sense of happiness for these characters by the time I finished it. Ms. Carlino is a fantastic storyteller, who will make you feel every emotion that Charlotte and Adam goes through.

Charlotte is still trying to figure out her life. She works as a waitress in a crappy diner, still lives with her best friend and has no direction on where she wants to go in life. And in one night, she meets Adam, an artist, and her life is forever changed. Their one-night stand is something either one can ever forget.

Months later, they both have moved on, but never forgot their perfect night together.

Wish You Were Here is a read that you can't spoil too much, without giving this story line away. I will say that this is not about a love triangle. It's about timing--finding your soulmate and love at certain times in your lifetime.

6 Hearts
Wish You Were Here is Renee Carlino's newest masterpiece. The story is emotional, the writing fantastic and the characters real and well developed. I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book, but I was a sobbing, snotty mess when it was over. It was beautiful, funny, sad, and intense. But it was so much more. It's a story of fate and destiny. Soul mates and love that changes you. It's a lesson in living in the moment and striving to be the best you. The people you meet along the way shape who you are. You can either ignore the signs or embrace them. Charlotte never thought a random meeting with a stranger on the street would change her life forever. Adam was living each day to the fullest. His outlook on life was contagious and I fell in love with him immediately. Charlotte's life had no direction. She was just sort of existing until Adam showed her how to live. Charlotte's brother and parents were perfect. Just the comic relief I needed. This is a story about love. Loving yourself, loving your soul mate. Loving your friends and family. It's not a story I can retell in a review, you just need to read it. It will speak to your heart, I promise you. The laughter and the tears were worth every second. It made me look around at my own life and see what's important. Who is important. I can always count on Renee to change my life and once again she delivers the goods!

"Don't smirk at me. We're supposed to be talking. Quit trying to distract me with your baseball body and your hand on my knee."

"You guys are seriously everywhere. Have I no privacy?"
"Now you know what it's like to have kids."

It doesn't always feel like this, it doesn't always feel this way, you have to seize it. Love is a wordless secret. Only the two of you have to understand.

"Nothing, just thinking about my future."
"How's it looking?"
"Brighter."
"Maybe you need some shades."

Two words... Simply amazing. Renee Carlino will take your heart on a roller coaster rode of emotions with Wish You Were Here. Some may say this is a love triangle, but I have to disagree. Charlotte is going through the motions of life, not really knowing where it is going to take her. She is sort of a lost soul. When life least expects it, Charlotte means a man names Adam. After spending one memorable night with each other, Charlotte thinks she is in love with him. But life sometimes throws wrenches at us.

When life takes Charlotte on a few unexpected turns, she meets a man names Seth. Let me tell you, Seth is amazing. As was Adam. But Charlotte isn't in some sort of love triangle. Sometimes our PAST collides with our PRESENT and send us spinning out of control. Charlotte finds herself in a situation where she needs to make a decision. Will she follow the man of her past, or turn and follow the man of her future. Decisions are tough. Sometimes we follow our heart, sometimes we follow our head. When Charlotte makes the decision, her life finally seems to fall into place. Charlotte is a heroin that I absolutely LOVED. Yes, at first she seems, flighty, but I loved the courage that she had, loved her loyalty and most of all. I loved how she loved... she loved unconditionally.

Let me fill you in on a little secret. Come closer.... I'm going to whisper it. GET THE TISSUES ready. There, I said it. You will need tissues. Wish You Were Here is an EPIC read, a total tear-jerker. One of my favorite reads to far this year. Wish You Were Here is a book that will tear you apart, but by the end, help you mend your heart.

5/5 STARS


WISH YOU WERE HERE is my first book from Renee Carlino.
I’ve always wanted to grab one of her stories, and this one was so amazing and heartbreaking!


Reading the blurb, we can easily guess there will be some fatality, that our heart will get hurt, broken, that it will heal and get broken again, but not necessarily in this order…
All I can say without giving away any spoiler, is that this book is totally worth the tears.

Because yes, there will be tears, but also laugh, tenderness, passion, but above all, this book is an amazing lesson of living. Alle the character are appealing. With all their flaws.

Loves at first sight, happenstance (or destiny?), passion, complicity, family’s relationships, generosity, loss, loneliness, finding ourselves, compassion and (again) love with a big, big “L”.

The story is told from Charlotte’s POV.
I’m a fan of double POV’s, I love having/feeling both sides of the love story, but in this case, I believe it was the best option.

The Epilogue was perfect, readers will understand.

I’ve re-read the last chapters immediately because this story was was so good, and I just didn’t want to leave the characters.

This book will stay with me for a while, so I guess it’s safe to say Reee Carlino is now on my MustRead Shelf.

This is an amazing book. Thought provoking and heart breaking. We meet so many different characters in this book. We learn so much from Adam. He is truly a remarkable person. Highly recommend this book. Be prepared for many different emotions.

For the love of God of Ugly Tears, thank you for my puffy face, itchy eyes, and salt crusted pillows. As I was marking this book on my Goodreads “Reading-Now” shelf I happened to stumble upon early reviews starting with [paraphrasing] “Warning! Ugly cry ahead!”. However, even seeing that I was not prepared or ABLE to fully prepare to read this in public because fun fact about me is: I read 90% of the time on the train on my commute to/from work. My justification is that I have perfected the art of crying in my hair and let’s be real about it… NYC is full of weirdos… I have officially blended in and became one of them.

I related to Charlotte very much, a little bit lost and too much free spirit to find the right direction in life. That is until Adam. My heart still breaks the journey that Charlotte goes through with Adam. Their every interaction was like a piece of poetry. From their serendipitous meeting to all that happens that shape the construct of love and life, there is not a moment where you can put this book down. The more I read the more I was falling into the wonderful rabbit-hole that Renee’s writing and imagination create.

To sum up, the story is just a sad and beautiful life of Charlotte as she stands on the precipice of who she really is. Even after she tries to move on from her short encounter with Adam, by trying to move on with her life with Seth. I believe this book is a tragic love story with heartbreaking timing of events that cause severe heartbreak in Charlotte and us readers. However, Renee delivers on redemption and moving on in a very real way.

So now I must do the same as Charlotte… get out of my funk and anticipate Renee’s next book that hopefully won’t tear my heart in pieces.

The truth of the matter is that I've become one of those fans--you know the ones that don't even need to read the description of the latest Renee Carlino book to know that I'm definitely going to read it? Yep, that's me. Guilty as charged.

So, of course, when I had a chance to read and review it, I didn't even hesitate...and I had no clue as to what this novel was about. (See synopsis below because this review is more about my reactions than retelling the plot). The first moment I had to read this novel, I did, and truth be told, at first I was a little disconnected from Charlotte--her character seemed so aimless and it was a little off putting. Trusting Renee Carlino as I do, I kept an open mind and decided to just trust that it would all come together for me by the end. As I continued to read, I puzzled through a strange one night with Adam and fell for Seth. Things were off for Charlotte which meant they were off for me--I wanted something for her character that her character didn't want and I was getting frustrated. Ugh! But then, Renee Carlino did what I knew she'd do--she started connecting things together for me in a way that made me love and respect Charlotte, Adam, and Seth. There was a method to her madness that wasn't clear to me at first, then it started clicking in place and I got it. Totally got it. And I appreciate so much of the wisdom offered through the conversations of Adam and Charlotte and what was shown with Seth and Charlotte. I should also point out that throughout all of this, I cracked up with Charlotte's interactions with Chucky, Helen, and her family. They were my voice to Charlotte, many times, and many times what they were saying made so much sense but in retrospect, many times what they had to say was rooted in misplaced motivations, I think. Thankfully, Renee Carlino knew better than me and Helen and Chucky and the parents and allowed Charlotte to have the journey she absolutely need to have. And what a journey it was--it was quirky and funny and enlightening; it was sweet and sad and joyful...and at times frustrating. It was exactly what I needed and I didn't even know I needed it. Isn't that the best?

I really think you are going to enjoy this novel--but if you're a little disconnected at first, like I was, trust me when I say that it really all comes together, just wait; be patient.

Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino was such a roller coaster of emotions. A journey of self-discovery, loss, and hope. The feels are on overload throughout this story.

Charlotte is lost and directionless. She is back in school, again, working as a waitress and not really sure where she is going with her life. Then she spends one night with Adam that is unforgettable. Her one night with him leaves a mark she can’t shake, but one night is all she has. But that one-night stays with her for months afterward.

When she tries to move on, she meets Seth and they begin dating. Seth really is a good guy and truly cares about her. But Charlotte seems to hold something back. Then Adam is back in her life and her life is never the same. She learns truths from Adam that rock her world in a way she never expected. What choices will she make? Will hearts be broken?

My heart was wrecked. I loved the characters, all of them, and the story drew me in. Charlotte was not always a nice person, but her growth was a huge part of this story. Both Adam and Seth were amazing men you can’t help but love. There were part of this story I loved, others that broke me, but overall this was a gripping story full of emotions, growth and hope.

~ Liz