4-4.25 STARS

It took just one unforgettable night for Charlotte to imagine a life with Adam--just one shared night in his arms to envision all the possibilities that lay ahead. With one magical night, Charlotte fell hopelessly in love. And just as quickly as Charlotte fell, Adam’s demeanor changed, and he
turned his back on all that might have been.

Hurt and confused, Charlotte does her best to push past her lingering feelings for Adam. But moving forward proves difficult, when every man she meets is compared to the one that walked away. Enter the ever charming Seth. Despite Charlotte’s attraction to this sexy and attentive pro baseball player, Charlotte finds herself holding back. But just when Charlotte allows herself to open up to Seth, a twist of fate brings Adam back into her life.

Armed with new information regarding the circumstances surrounding Adam’s abrupt turnabout following their one incredibly amazing night, Charlotte reunites with Adam and suddenly finds a sense of purpose to her previous lackluster life. Living life to its fullest becomes this couple’s mantra, as Adam sets out to make all of their envisioned dreams come true.

While I found the premise to this couple’s ill-fated love story unique and intriguing, there are aspects of their story that fell a bit flat. On an emotional level, I fell hard for the enigmatic “lawyer-turned-artist” that is Adam. But connecting with his love interest, Charlotte, was a much harder task. As a result, I didn't feel the kind of deep connection between Charlotte and Adam that such a story should command. I wanted sparks to ignite and fly. Instead, there were only slow burning embers that made their "forever love” connection much less believable than I would have liked.

As for Seth, I really liked his character a lot, but he obviously drew the short stick in this story. Virtually forgotten mid-way through this book, his character didn’t receive the type of respect he surely deserved. And while the author made an attempt to wrap up his storyline in the end, I felt it was a rushed and unsatisfactory resolution at best.

Flaws aside, “Wish You Were Here” is an easy, enjoyable read with several heartfelt, tearful moments along the way. But as much as I wanted to love every single thing about it, it fell short of being the 5-star read that I was hoping for.

Renee is one of my favorite writers. I devour her books and they always stick with me. This book was a bit different for me though. I really liked the story and love Renee's writing. My issue was with the characters. I just couldn't connect with them and just over all had issues with them all. 

Do I regret reading this? Nope

Would I recommend this book to someone else? Yes I would. I think it's just a "It's me not you" thing.

If this doesn't sound like your kinda of book then I highly recommend "Before We Were Strangers" or any of Renee's back log of books.

She’s done it again. She made me cry. That’s two releases in a row that Carlino has made me cry and I’m mad as hell and not going to take it anymore! (Okay, not really, just wanted to use that line). But no, Wish You Were Here is an ugly cry of epic proportions.

Just a quick recap because you truly need to read the book for yourself.

Charlotte is wasting her 20s trying to figure out her place in life. A chance meeting with a stranger (the mysterious Adam), leads to a sensual, intense, one-night stand, but then he disappears, nowhere to be found. She can’t shake that one night but she knows she must move on, that’s when she meets the all-American baseball player Seth. He knows what he wants in life and he sees that happening with Charlotte. Then, as quick as he disappeared, Adam reappears. How can she possibly choose between the two? Especially when Adam reveals his secret?

Charlotte would be an easy character to dislike. She’s apathetic, having lived in the shadow of her more successful younger brother. Both Seth and Adam have an affect on her self-confidence and the answers she’s seeking come to fruition, making her a very strong character in the end. I loved both Seth and Adam and was pulling for them in different ways.

The story is told in the first person from Charlotte’s point of view, with the exception of the epilogue (not telling you whose POV that is!). Wish You Were Here is the epitome of romance. At times it left me breathless, feeling all of the emotions that swirl around Charlotte, answering the question of whether it is possible to have two soul mates. Again, I ugly cried, to the point where my husband offered to punch my kindle for making me cry. If you’re looking for an emotional, skillfully written story of love and acceptance, look no further.

Charlotte is in her late twenties and still does not know what to do with her life. She has racked up many degrees and many certified types of job but yet works in diner with her best friend Helen. Both ladies have known each other sine they were children and now are roomates. Charlotte is the cautious type while Helen jumps both foot in when it comes to relationships. One night as they are coming from a bar they meed Adam something about Adam draws to Charlotte. Helen dares her to be different and go out with him and possible have a one night stand. Though she believe it started out as one night stand she felt the connection they had was special and surreal only to have him kicked her out in the morning. As she grasping with what happened she find out later on that her brother and mother sets up a dating profile on match.com and thats how she meets Seth. She cannot believe someone so beautiful and an athletic body would want her. As she is waiting to meet her date he never shows up. Between Adam and Seth making her feeling dateless she goes on a six month hiatus of not dating anyone. We soon find out there was a reason Seth didn't come and why Adam threw her as he did. Though it seems like this might be a love triangle(which i never like) i realize in life things happen to change the course of our life and that at times we can fall in love with more than one person one time or even over a period of time. Very touching novel grips at your heartstrings and want you to go out and live a full life with dreams and hopes. Reviews will be on goodreads and amazon.

5 heartbreakingly, beautiful stars

This was my first time reading a Renee Carlino book, and boy, I picked the right one to start with. Rene took me on a amazing journey, with her beautiful words. I was so connected with Charlotte on a deep level, in many ways I saw myself in her. I felt everything she was feeling, her loneliness, joy, and heartache. I don't remember a time where I felt so connected to a female character before this.

I cried my eyes out, I smiled and I even laughed. I truly felt every emotion there was to feel. When an author can get so many different emotions from me it makes the story that much more powerful.


As I sit here writing my review I am brought to tears all over again, that's how much of an impact the book had on me.

Did I wish the ending would have been different? Yes. Do I think it ended the way it should have ended? Yes as well. As much as I wanted a different outcome I still think it ended the way it should have.

Honestly, I don’t know what to say about “Wish you were here” that’d do the book justice. And wouldn’t spoiler anything. First though, the story sucked me in from the beginning and I was always a grumpy camper when I had to put it away, even for a few minutes. And this was clearly one of those books you can’t read fast enough but don’t want to know what’ll happen next at the same time. Doesn’t make sense? Yes, it does. If I’d have known what exactly “Wish you were here” is about, I admit that I probably never would have read the book to begin with. Because whereas I don’t have many hard-limits in regard of books, Renee Carlino just let me live through one of them. Actually, the biggest one. But I won’t tell you what that hard-limit is, because even that would spoiler too much. So, my advice would be to simply believe the people who swoon over the book or even complain about the book, doesn’t matter – just go in blind and read the book. Cause even though my heart has been broken by this story, I believe that I would have missed out on one of the most beautiful love-stories ever if I’d simply dismissed it because of my own limitations. Love has no limits and so my open-mindedness shouldn’t either. One lesson I learned from the book.

Renee Carlino can create the most relatable and down-to-earth characters in her books. I always feel like I’m in the middle of the story with her MC’s and this time was no different. I laughed my butt off so many times, I felt proud, I felt mistreated by life, I felt the sun of the French Riviera on my skin and I cried. I cried so much. But in the end, she made me FEEL so much, that this fact alone was worth my 5-star-rating.

In this review, I will not tell more about the plot than the blurb of the story does, because every little detail could be said too much in advance. I could explain roughly that “Wish you were here” is a story about not giving up, finding yourself, making sacrifices and gaining even more through it and ultimately love. But that wouldn’t do it justice, not even a little. So, just go ahead, buy the book and dive into a huge ocean of feelings with the adorable characters and the talented author. 5 stars from me and a definite recommendation.

As a huge Renee Carlino fan, but unfortunately, I'm so sorry to say that Wish You Were Here didn't work for me. Although her writing is good, the plot line and the similarity to Me Before You didn't work out. I found myself confused as to how everyone fell in love so quickly, secondary characters included. I look forward to Renee Carlino's future work, but sadly I didn't care for this book.

Reviewed by Sharon Thérèse

Goodness me, never did I expect this standalone to put me through such a soul-crushing wringer! Firstly, I’d chosen to ignore the blurb so I had no idea what I was letting myself in for and secondly, this is the first book I’ve read by Ms Carlino and oh boy, to say I’m impressed with her writing would be putting it mildly! It is everything and so much more than I could have ever possibly wished for. And how could I not mention the cover or the title! Simply stunning; and these four words written in such an outstanding font sum up the book perfectly. Nonetheless, a quarter of the way in and my feeling were all over the place. I wasn’t sure where the author was leading me and even felt a tad let down as one of the male protagonists who’d left his stamp engraved in my head, did something difficult to fathom. Soon I'd discover it was early days! The beauty of the plot is it overflows with surprises; some of them were unforeseen, a few lifted my heart and others left me plain devastated. But as I read on, I got so involved in all the characters that I had no option but to do an all-nighter. I knew if I’d put the book down, I wouldn’t have slept a wink seeing as the angst was gnawing at me. Result--I closed the book or better said, my Kindle, at six in the morning puffy-eyed, exhausted, elated--my emotions running riot.

Getting to know Charlotte was a delightfully humbling experience. Her approaching life head on convinced me that destiny really does exist, that fate is in our own hands and we can control it as did she. Not only was my faith in humanity revived by her actions, but her story is a torrent of empathy and love which took me on a captivating journey. A fleeting encounter, a shared intimacy in this young woman’s life whose heart is bigger than anyone close to her realises--mind you, before long I discovered her charity has no limits, inspires her to make a life-altering decision. The author nailed Charlotte’s character in such a way that I felt like I knew her and would be honoured to have her as my friend! I couldn’t help but suffer with this unpretentious gal on a level which was beyond realistic. In my mind’s eye, I saw her struggling with her feelings and when she tries to be logical, that very logic plays her an unfair hand she never questions. Yes, parts of the book are so heart-stirring, I found myself sobbing into my pillow, so it might not be a bad idea to have a man-sized hanky or three at hand!

I truly loved watching Charlotte come into her own; become a person with strong convictions, step out of her comfort zone and stick to her guns. Olé to the author for making me feel like a fly on the wall! However, before this happened there were times when I feared for her sanity because even though she knew how she felt about certain characters, little niggling signs confuse her, yet are impossible to forget. One thing is for sure, her bestie was always rooting for her. Hmm, Helen and Charlotte are like chalk and cheese which to my way of thinking, is the reason they get on very well together. Seeing as this read is extremely intense, I lapped up their laugh-out-loud moments, and Charlotte's brother and parents got a chuckle and a half out of me, too!

A hundred and eighty degree turn in the story and I was elated. Oops, false hopes! The horizon held a twist, no… a storm of emotions which I was little prepared for and quite simply, my heart broke. Note that I haven’t mentioned who the male protagonists are. What I can say without letting on is they are both adorable and one of them has an admirable sense of humour. This isn’t a triangle and for those of you who are concerned about cheating, you can breathe deeply. It’s pure, it’s thick with passion, love and sensitivity and will incite an eruption of feelings in even the most hardened readers. For lovers of this genre; be adventurous and go in blind because I know you won't regret it--I certainly didn't! Now I’ve found Ms Carlino, I’m anxious to read more of her works. BRAVO!

Wish You Were Here is a very emotional and heartbreaking read. Carlino writes a beautiful bitter sweet story that will take you on an emotional roller coaster and leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart. Her stories are original and truly one of a kind. I was swept off my feet with this lovely novel that took me on a journey through many emotions. I was crying one minute and laughing the next. The characters are well thought out with very creative backstories and a refreshing plot line that is full of ups and downs. This book is full of love, life, hope and loss. A book that will not be easily forgotten

Wish You Were Here is one of those books that i cannot stop thinking about, even days after finishing it. It was such a sad love story, yet inspiring all at the same time.

i will try to make my review short and sweet since i do not want to ruin the magic of the book for future readers, nor do i want to give away any spoilers :)

Charlotte is in her late 20’s and drifting through life. She doesn’t make commitments of any kind…. jobs, boyfriends, college…. she isn’t necessary a happy person over all either. she knows something is wrong with her. Why can’t she meet a guy and stay with him? Why can’t she get a job and stick with it? Why can’t she just LIVE her life?

Charlotte meets Adam, a wild child artist one may call him. This is where Charlotte’s life changes forever. The night she meets Adam, she changes. She starts to feel and live. The one night together changed everything.

Charlotte moves on with life but still isn’t really living. She meets another man, Seth. Now Seth is more of my type of guy. He is pretty perfect… and amazing… and a baseball player…. anyway ;) Seth really is falling for Charlotte but Adam returns in her life and changes everything. This is NOT your typical love triangle. It’s not really a love triangle at all. It’s full of love, sadness, and anger. This is the part of the book i cried and i cried hard. Lots of sadness….

Wish You Were is like no other book before. Renee Carlino writes so beautifully i felt the book was so poetic and inspiring in many ways.

The ending was sad and happy all at the same time. I really loved Seth, he stole the book for me. My reasoning for giving it 4.5 stars instead of a full 5 is I could never really love Charlotte as a person. She had a lot going for her and was so flakey and let good things go right past her. I wanted to love her, but couldn’t.

I give Wish You Were Here, 4.5 Stars!


Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review

Shel: 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. Court: Her gift of writing is unmeasured and we literally are in love with her I think. Superfans, I think they're called.

Shel: 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 stand with Adam and fell for Seth. Court: I love reviewing with you because as we analyze the characters our reactions end up being so fluid but different too. I love it! I loved Charlotte because I found another character that is pretty much describing my twenties. I wouldn't say I'm as aimless per se due to things in our lives that our different, but our overall feeling of w t f am I doing where I am at a particular moment...yeah, that. She's unsure of taking a risk, that leap into the unknown...that the scariest step of all is the first one that really gets us going in a completely different direction than we are on. I get that, and I think at any given time every one of us has felt that way. And then...an event, or person or place hit us like an earthquake and shook us out of that rut and bounced us on our way to another path. That happened to Charlotte.

Shel: Things were off for Charlotte which meant they were off for me--I wanted something for her character that her character didn't want for herself 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 author-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. Court: It's like she laid out the puzzle pieces, and even though we couldn't see what would happen...she had the idea of how she wanted to put it all together. Thinking of how she put the book together, plotting and planning, makes my heart race because the actual craft of writing is fascinating and beautiful. The fact that Renee is so dang good at it...well....she's a household name for us. This one is an immediate paperback on the shelf, y'all and I think these characters journey is one that you'll want to go on as well. It's a wonderfully realistic novel with just enough fantasy that we love in our romance that rounded out a great book.

Shel: I should also point out that throughout all of this, I cracked up with Charlotte's interactions with Chucky, Helen, and her family. They (those characters) 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? Court: Sometimes finally figuring out your stuff and getting off your butt and letting your wobbly legs is what a girl needs to get it together. Her family is hysterical. Chucky and Helen are my favorites. Adam is a poetic and beautiful addition to the story, and I really loved Seth. He's my underdog character and I felt a lot for him a lot of the time and just knew my heart was going to be ripped to shreds over these characters. It's a hard one, but gentler than I expected. Instant favorite for us, y'all..

Shel: 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. Court: I know! I get that, totally. Be patient. Charlotte is disconnected and confused and we feel everything she feels right along with her.

I have many favourite contemporary/romance books but, Wish You Were Here is one of those books that blew me away and cry all at the same time. Being in Toronto at the time of reading it, I was remembering everything that happened with my father and that life is short and be with the ones you love most. Renee Carlino really out did herself with this book. I was pretty much an emotional wreck through some scenes. You can always count of Renee with writing a stunning story about love and loss. I was done with it in a matter of hours.

Charlotte is our main character who is in her mid-late twenties and is not having very good luck at finding the one, working as a waitress and is changing jobs a lot. Then she meets Adam and her world changes. They have one unforgettable night that changes her for the next few months because she can't forget him. I seriously loved Adam to pieces!! His character had a lot of soul and love that he will not leave your mind until the last page because you also fall in love with him when Charlotte does. She grows so much throughout the book that in the end she is the one who is selfless and would do anything to help others.

Wish You Were Here is a story that will make you fall in love and cry at the same time. It will touch your heart in many ways. Carlino's writing was as always beautiful and flawless. I have fallen in love with her books for the past few years and I can say that she is one of my favorite writers and auto-buys. If you're looking for a great emotional read with romance you definitely want to read this book!

***6 Stars

Wish You Were Here is a standalone novel by the amazingly talented Renee Carlino. I don't want to spoil this beautiful story so I am going to make this short and to the point.

I went in totally blind. I did not read the synopsis. I had no idea what this book was about going in. I have my list of authors I do this with and Renee is on there. I just know that I will want and need to read their words. And wow. This one blew me away! It's one of the most beautiful stories that I have ever read. If I didn't have kids, I wouldn't have stopped reading at any point yesterday. I was fully invested and felt like I was in the book. I felt it all. I usually review a book within an hour of finishing it but I couldn't do it. For one, it was late. And two, it would have been a mess. Speaking of mess. Make sure to have tissues. You will need them.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. The characters. The story. The emotions it brought out. Even now, I am about to lose it. I highly recommend reading this book. It's one of my favorites for the year! I wish I could explain more but I just can't. I won't. You just need to read it. There are parts that are slower but needed. Just go with it. Trust that Renee knows what she is doing.

Overall...Thank you, Renee for such a beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time.

Quotes:

“There’s nothing geeky about that body.”

“Feel me, Charlotte.”

It’s terrifying what your imagination will make you see.

I couldn't put this book down. I pulled it up on my iPad thinking I could read a few chapters before bed, and the next thing I know it's 2 in the morning. This book should come with a disclaimer stating that you shouldn't start it unless you have a few hours on your hands, not only to read this story but to process it. I don't want to give away any spoilers for this one, it's one of those stories that I think will impact readers so much more if they go into it blind. Every once in a while I come across a book that just blows me away, a book that I can't stop thinking about for weeks and this is without a doubt one of those books. It doesn't just tell you a story, it makes you feel absolutely every emotion.
Carlino introduces us to an addictive cast of characters. They are all equally captivating and flawed in their own ways. The main character, Charlotte, was so frustrating and yet I couldn't get enough of her. She was perfectly imperfect. I loved that Carlino didn't only focus on the romance aspect of this story but also explored family dynamics. I adored the relationship and witty banter between Charlotte and her brother.
Carlino's writing was beautiful. I couldn't help but highlight certain lines throughout the story because they just spoke to me. There was not one part of this book that didn't have my absolute full attention. Carlino had me both laughing and crying, and I loved every minute of this reading experience. I highly recommend this novel. I appreciate that I was able to receive an ARC from Atria via Netgalley but I definitely think this will be one I have to have on my shelf. This had everything I look for when I open a book.

It's not that this is a bad book. The writing is engaging and the story is unique and interesting. But the hair on the back of my neck stood up very early on in this book and once I realized what was going on, I had to stop reading. This was ultimately a DNF for me because these types of books are the closest thing I have to a trigger. I adore this author, I have loved other books and was so incredibly excited to have the opportunity to read and review this one. Unfortunately the subject matter is a dealbreaker this time. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity.

4.5 stars!

I love it when I come across a book that pulls on my heartstrings in the best possible way. I know when I pick up a Renée Carlino book that it will have the perfect blend of inspiration and suffering.

I easily related to Charlotte and her uninspired, directionless life. She has changed college majors and career goals several times. Even her love life is stagnant since. Her lack of confidence causes her to sabotage relationships, although she freely admits she has crap taste in men.

Adam is instantly likable, and I can see why Charlotte would be drawn to him despite his confusing behavior. He’s spontaneous and always joyful. He recognizes the goodness that she can’t see in herself. Despite the fact that they’re strangers, their connection is inexplicably familiar and it moves their affair along at warp speed.

There is a love triangle, and I have to say that Seth, the baseball player, is one hell of a catch. The patience and love he lavishes on Charlotte makes her one lucky lady. Adam is equally devoted. My only issue is the way in which Charlotte handles the conflicts resulting from her relationships with both men.

At one point, I felt the story was heading into tearjerker territory. While it is emotional, I think it would have been more impactful for me if the pace slowed a bit so I could more fully appreciate the experience. The last quarter of the book, in particular, seems rushed.

Charlotte’s evolution is still fascinating, though, and I cheered her on every step of her journey. This is a beautiful story that encourages you to prioritize your life and live without fear of others’ approval.

2 stars

*

Wish You Were Here is an emotional story about love at first sight. The fast pace and good writing keep the reader engaged, though it fails to sell the relationship between the two main characters. There is little character development, and while there are a few humorous scenes to balance out the heavy and painful themes, the dialogue feels too forced and awkward.

Renée Carlino and her writing sure keep readers flipping pages. It is very easy to get through the book, as the flow between chapters is done rather well, and the narration is smooth and engrossing. Unfortunately, the plot does feel rather shallow, and there is a lack of connection with the characters and their relationships. The novel also deals with a subject that is very personal and difficult for me to read, which made this rather hard to get through.


This novel has a serious case of instalove. The premise hinges on Charlotte and Adam having one night together, which sparks a connection that lasts for the entire story. The issue is that, for over half the novel, Charlotte doesn’t actually interact with Adam at all. She moves on with her life, but still stays hung up on that guy. I did appreciate the realistic approach to Charlotte moving on, but the execution is not done well, especially when Adam comes back into play.

I had a lot of problems with Charlotte. Despite being an easy narrator to follow, her personality left a lot to be desired. She is extremely scattered and indecisive, and most of her actions in the book left a bad taste in my mouth. The way she deals and interacts with people is rather selfish, as she’s only worried about her own feelings. And there is basically no character development throughout the story, which does not help.

One thing that did hit me incredibly hard, and not in a good way, is the main twist regarding Adam. It’s tangled with a subject that I have a lot of trouble reading about, due to personal experiences, and it caught me totally off-guard. This means I had to skim a lot of the Adam scenes – roughly the last half of the book -, as a way to protect myself and take care of my mental health.

In the end, Wish You Were Here is a very fast read that did not sit well with me. The awkward dialogue and lack of character development impacted the emotional aspect the plot leans on, and Charlotte’s actions throughout the story are hard to swallow. Being faced with a subject that also affects me personally, and not in a good way, also collaborated with this not being a good read for me. Romance fans who like soulmate and love at first sight novels might like this, but it was not for me.

Renee Carlino is one of those authors that I know I want to read her book without ever reading the blurb. She is an amazing writer and crafts a story that pulls you in and makes you feel like you are part of the story. From the start, I knew I was going to speed through Wish You Were Here. It was easy to read and Charlotte was very easy to connect too, even though she was like the complete opposite of me.

However, I figured out the twist early on. I felt like 50% of the book was depressing. While I coudn't put this book down, I was kind of not feeling the "Me Before You" vibe and wanted to get to the end...to the happy ending. In the end, the story was bitter sweet. I feel like there could have been just a little bit more but I couldn't tell you what.

I can always count on Renee Carlino to write stunning stories. Wish You Were Here is an emotional, poignant, and beautiful story of love, loss, and soul mates. This is one of those books that rocked me to my core. I started reading it, and to be honest, it didn’t’ hook me at first. The more I read, though, the more I loved it. It affected me so much towards the end, I had to leave my bed and go read on the couch so I didn’t wake my husband up with my crying.

Charlotte is in her mid-late twenties, but she still doesn’t feel like she has much direction in her life. She lives with her best friend, Helen, works as a waitress full-time, and is in school… again. This time for cosmetology, which she learns she doesn’t really have a knack for. Along with being a little lost on the career front, she also has a bad picker. Her last few boyfriends have been less than stellar. Then, one night, she meets Adam. Charlotte has never met anyone like this man. He enamors her from the start and she knows it’s only one night, but she’s never felt like this before about anyone.

One night is all Charlotte and Adam have, but it’s an unforgettable night. No matter what happens or who comes into her life the next few months, she can’t forget him….

There is so much more I want to say about this story, but I loved being surprised by certain things so I’ll keep quiet about the plot. This book, it moved me. It made me think, made me feel, and really got to me. It’s been a few days since I’ve read it, and it hasn’t left my mind. I love books that have that type of impact on me. They seem to always end up on my favorites list, as I’m sure this one will.

Adam is such a beautiful soul. He is an unforgettable character. Charlotte is one of those heroines who I wasn’t sure if I loved at the beginning. She really did change and grow though, and I ended up adoring her. I was blown away by how selfless she was.

Wish You Were Here is a story that touched my soul. Carlino’s writing is flawless. If you’re looking for an emotional read with lots of heart, don’t miss out on this book. It’s a top favorite for 2017.

Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino

This was a difficult book for me to read for personal reasons and so my review won't be a lengthy one.

Wish You Were Here has kind of an instalove-ish feel to it. Charlotte and Adam meet late one night and have that instant connection people dream about. Unfortunately, come the next morning, Adam pretty much kicks Charlotte out of the house, never to be seen again. Charlotte spends weeks, no months, trying to get over Adam, even dating someone new but she still needs closure and goes to his old apartment to find it. What happens next was pretty goddamn heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time and well, I'll just leave it at that.

What I loved about this book is Carlino's writing. She can make the most godawful situation so lovely and beautiful and all I want to do is devour her words. I loved that our main character grew and matured throughout the book because she came across as rather immature to begin with. I didn't really believe the connection between some of the characters and that was a turn-off for me, thus the four star rating.

*arc received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.