Tara Sivec is one of those authors that you just know her books are going to be good! Whether it is humor or drama, Tara is one to deliver.  She's done just that with Wish You Were Mine.  This is an emotional read.  I knew it just from the blurb! I am a fan of second chances and really enjoyed this ride.

Cameron and Everett have been best friends for over two decades.  There was a period of four years with no contact.  Everett is a doctor and was in a third world country with Doctors Without Borders. Everett took the job to get away, but Cameron felt like the one who was left behind.

Everett returns home after the Aiden, the other best friend, dies of cancer.  Cameron and Everett have a ton of crap to wade through.  I really felt for them on this! Not only is there Aiden's death, but everything surrounding Everett leaving. Lots of pain, guilt, missed opportunities, fear, timing-you name it, had to be dealt with. Geez, it was overwhelming.

Tara created a masterpiece that will stand the test of time. It gave me all the feels-a bit angsty for me-but it was an incredible read all the same!

reviewed by Deb

When Cameron and Everett were growing up, the two, together with other BFF Aiden, had a tradition. On a day they designated to celebrate their birthdays, they each wrote down a wish on a star-shaped piece of paper and tucked the wishes away in boxes they hid in a tree house. It is a tradition they continued, even into college.

But now, five years after Everett left to join Doctors Without Borders and months after Aiden's death, the bond that Cameron and Everett shared threatens to dissolve amidst acrimony, misunderstandings, and miscommunications.

Tara Sivec establishes two things straight from the start: Cameron has loved Everett ever since she can remember, and Everett has loved Cameron just as long. Not that either has shared that information with the other. She is terrified that he doesn't feel the same way, and he is terrified that he doesn't deserve her.

Now that Everett is back, he and Cameron need to heal their relationship. This proves particularly challenging because she is so full of bitterness and resentment over why she thinks Everett left that she does not want to hear anything he has to say. Everett, meanwhile, is so full of guilt and self-loathing that he is even more convinced that he does not deserve Cameron.

In other hands, this might feel contrived and forced. But as Tara Sivec writes it, it feels believable and poignant. Everett's pain infuses every page, even the ones in which he does not directly appear. You want to grab Cameron and force her to see how pained and bereft he is, yet at the same time, you know that she, too, has some healing to do.

There are some searing sexy times in this book, but you have to be patient. Sivec doesn't throw them in for the sake of hot headboard rocking. She builds and builds, making her characters earn those moments together. I actually got teary-eyed while reading a particularly beautiful first kiss.

My only quibble is a subplot involving some threatening notes Cameron receives related to a camp she runs for children of military veterans. It just sort of felt unnecessary.

This book is poignant and romantic, and you will love it.

My review will be short and direct :

Second chances are my favorite kind of story, but unfortunately that didn't work for me .My problem with the story? Everest, I couldn't connect and even rooting for him . I spent the whole book wishing the events were different and it was Aiden there.Had parts that I liked after all, Cameron, and the main characters made the reading be ok for me.Despite this not being my favorite book of the author, I really hope to see the next releases her, because she always bring beautiful and emotional stories that normally Captivate my heart.

4 "I Wish You Were Mine" Stars

From the very first page I was a sobbing mess. Never have I cried this much when reading a book, like Wish You Were Mine did. It was such a beautiful, heartbreaking, friends to lovers romance. Cameron and Everett are best friends, who did everything together. Where one went, the other followed. But circumstances led them to be separated. Only to be brought back together, by tragedy.

"You can't change the past...you can only move forward and make different choices."

Tara Sivec never disappoints. Make sure to have extra tissues on hand, you will cry.....that is a fact.

Wish You Were Mine by Tara Sivec ~ 4.5 Stars

Oh man! Tara makes me cry buckets again. Wish You Were Mine is another emotional, angsty and heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance. The story is about three childhood best friends Cameron, Aiden and Everett growing up and sharing every moment together. They were inseparable until Everett left town to pursue his dreams, not realizing he left a shattered heart behind.
Five years has past and their lives have changed drastically. Everett received a letter from Aiden and he realized it is finally time to come home after years of traveling with Doctors Without Borders saving the world. Aiden had died of pancreatic cancer and Everett felt he failed to save his best friend. Everett could not deal with the guilt and regrets so he buried his sorrow with alcohol. It took Everett nearly died from alcohol intoxication for him to know he has to face reality, get his life back on track before facing Cameron again.
Cameron is broken-hearted having lost both Everett and Aiden. She is left to grief all alone. Cameron is tough but her heart is fragile. What happen when she finds out Everett (her one true love) has been home for 9 months without so much as a “hello old friend” or a glance her way? Cameron is angry so when Everett showed up at her youth camp out of the blue, Cameron is less than friendly … oh man! Cameron is one feisty heroine. She will not make it easy on Everett. Loved it!
I love the relationship development between Cameron and Everett. They were best friends but have been secretly in love with each other for years. They were just so young and stupid to admit their true feelings to each other. I enjoyed the angst, the slow burn, and the roller coaster relationship. Even as adults, they were still too stubborn to give their hearts a chance. It was frustrating at times - I just want to wring their necks through my kindle LOL :) Over all, I enjoy the storyline – a bit heart-breaking at the beginning, but all passion and hearts at the end.

3.5-4 stars

Wish You Were Mine was one of my most anticipated books,I couldn't wait to start reading it.It was an emotional story full of angst and even though I enjoyed most of the story I felt like something was missing.

I couldn't connect 100% with the characters and there were moments it was a little bit slow for my taste.Maybe if I read it another time I will see it differently but for now it was an ok read.

Oh my god! O-M-G! I’m stunned speechless. I just don’t know what to say to convey the emotional journey this read took me on. I want to live in these pages. I never wanted it to end.

Stunning words, heart stopping feels and just wow.

Back the tear inducing train up to the station and climb aboard cause this is a trip you do not want to miss one single second of.

Second chances abound, chemistry and friendship that’s off the charts. Angst and frustration. It’s all right here wrapped in a beautifully prolific package full of witty banter, goofy grin inducing smiles, a love that spans a lifetime!

I was so lost in these words that the world around me stopped, Cam and Everett became my best friends and now I’m suffering the hangover and wondering what the heck I’m going to read next.

One of my favorite reads of the year!

Tara Sivec is one of those authors that you just know her books are going to be good! Whether it is humor or drama, Tara is one to deliver.  She's done just that with Wish You Were Mine.  This is an emotional read.  I knew it just from the blurb! I am a fan of second chances and really enjoyed this ride.

Cameron and Everett have been best friends for over two decades.  There was a period of four years with no contact.  Everett is a doctor and was in a third world country with Doctors Without Borders. Everett took the job to get away, but Cameron felt like the one who was left behind.

Everett returns home after the Aiden, the other best friend, dies of cancer.  Cameron and Everett have a ton of crap to wade through.  I really felt for them on this! Not only is there Aiden's death, but everything surrounding Everett leaving. Lots of pain, guilt, missed opportunities, fear, timing-you name it, had to be dealt with. Geez, it was overwhelming.

Tara created a masterpiece that will stand the test of time. It gave me all the feels-a bit angsty for me-but it was an incredible read all the same!

5 Stars/3 Flames

I went through so many emotions reading this story. It was heartwrenching, sweet, funny and an all around just beautiful story. I loved these characters. They were well developed and flawed and real and I was pulled in all directions watching the journey they have to take through this story.

I love all of Tara's work from her laugh out loud comedies to her dark stories to these emotionally riveting stories. This has definitely been one of my top reads from her. I loved it just as much as I loved the Story of Us and I loved the connection between the two. I absolutely can't wait to read more from Tara.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I had read a few of the Chocolate books, which were rom-coms, but this was different. It was a more series and heartfelt story of pining and longing, which I really enjoyed.

"Come home, Everett. Come home and finally do something about those wishes."

Who

•Everett, a doctor, who had been part of Doctors without Boarders for the past four years in order to avoid the one woman he loved.

•Cameron, the camp director, who was dealing with her own unrequited love for best friend, and now must deal with the loss of her other best friend.

What

Both Everett and Cameron had been pining for each other for most of their lives, but they never acted on these feelings, as bravery often came at the wrong moments or it was muddled by misunderstandings and things left unsaid. Prompted by and his best friend Aiden's death, Everett returns home, where he eventually works up the courage to embrace his feelings and finally share them with Cam.

Why

This story had a lot of elements, which I adored.

• Friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes. How do you not smile and swoon, when you find out that the hero met the heroine when she was sitting in an infant seat, and that both have been nursing unrequited feelings for almost 20 years? That's a lot of time and a lot of history, and I think it adds a little extra something to the backstory.

• Speaking of the backstory, the first half of this book alternates between then and now. The flashbacks highlight some of the bigger missed-opportunity moments between Cam and Everett. Yes, I found myself frustrated, that they were not honest with each other, and that if they just had a conversation, they could resolve all these misunderstandings, but this is a romance novel, and conflicts creating by NOT talking are commonplace.

• The first half of the book also deals with the loss of the third friend in their group, Aiden. Both Cameron and Everett were reeling from this loss, and dealing with it in very different ways. Aiden was a huge part of their world, and now they had to figure out how to go on without him.

• I thought Sivec did a good job balancing out all the emotions. There are fun parts that made me laugh, sexy parts that made me swoon, heartbreaking parts that made me sniffle, and heartfelt parts that made me smile.

• There are parts that may come across as cheesy, and the author even has the characters acknowledge it at times, but sometimes a little cheese is good, and that was the case with this book.

• Sorry, not sorry, but I loved the box of wishes. That whole childhood tradition, and the way Sivec worked it into the story was gold for me.

• I love a good epilogue, and I got one.

"I wished for you and it was written on the stars."

Overall: This was such a sweet and at times, frustrating story, but I so enjoyed getting to see these wishes come true.

It's been a good long while since I've read a Tara Sivec story and <i>Oh my word!</i> am I kicking myself right now for not seeking out her stories more often. What a beautiful writer and storyteller Sivec is. I've thoroughly enjoyed her laugh-out-loud rom coms but this story, a beautiful friends to lovers romance full of heartache, longing and sorrow, was just fantastic.

Wish You Were Mine came as a complete surprise to me. This story is sexy and fun at times, a heartwarming story of wishing on stars and true love finding it's way. But it's also a remarkably somber story of broken friendships, unrequited love, and heartbreaking loss. Through a series of perfectly placed flashbacks and through alternating points of view, Sivec weaves an emotional story of a childhood friendship that's as complicated as it is dependable. The dynamic between Cameron, Everett and Aidan is fun and sweet and I wholly adored seeing them grow and change together through the different stages of their lives. But what ends up happening to their friendship when they run from their truths rather than admitting them is gut wrenching. And what brings them back together, forcing them to face everything they've tried to keep secret, is both hopeful and absolutely heartbreaking.

I truly enjoyed this book. I love a good friends to lovers romance but I especially LOVE a story loaded with tumultuous emotions when those former friends have years of animosity and bitterness to sort out. The dynamic between these characters is messy and complicated and it's rife with delicious emotion... And the curveballs in their reunion are relentless. There's so much drama on these pages, so much character growth that transpires, so much tension, so much history, so much quiet longing and so much lush romance. Wish You Were Mine is the perfect package, a love story as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside, an unforgettable romance that'll have you wishing on stars and falling in love on every single page.

My rating scale:
5☆ - I loved this book and it brought out true emotion in me (laughter, anger, a good cry, etc)
4☆ - I loved this book.
3☆ - I liked this book.
2☆ - I didn't really care for this book.
1☆ - I did not like this book at all and probably did not finish it.

First, the cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous!

A second chance love story that follows three lifelong best friends - Aiden, Cameron, and Everett. While growing up sends them in different directions a tragedy brings those remaining back together. Time and distance have brought along several changes, but not everything is as it seems.

I would love to see another book focusing on the other new couple and their back stories  (who I won't name because I don't want to spoil it).

Another great book by Tara Sivec!

This is truly an honour to get to read a Tara Sivec story before it’s available to the general population. This 5 Star story was everything I hoped it would be and so much more.

3 best friends, 1 girl and 2 boys. Girl is in love with one of them. One of the boys is in love with her. That boy steps back because he doesn’t think he’s good enough for her. He leaves in order to give them space. He comes back 5 years later but things are not what they have seem to have been. It’s time to make things right.

This story was really addictive and highly captivating. One that I seem to not be able to put down for very long. It’s about not revealing their feelings that have been there for a long time. Neither could move on from that. Great characters that made me feel so much. Beautifully written with a great storyline. It can be emotional at times. Bottomline is this a must read.

Standalone told in a dual POV with an amazing HEA. I strongly recommend this amazing story.

We already met Cameron for a few seconds in her parents' book THE STORY OF US.
Now here's her own story.
She's been best friends with Aiden and Everett since she was a baby.
Once she turned twelve, she developed feelings for Everett. But ten years later something must've happened, because Everett left to be a doctor in third world countries.
Fast forward four years and Everett receives a letter from Aiden, telling him to get back home. Things have happened and he's needed.
But Everett can't deal with what happened. Alcohol seems to be the best solution for a few months. But he has to put on his big boy panties and face Cameron sooner than later.
Cameron ... The only girl he ever loved.

What will happen with Cameron & Everett??
Will we get our happily ever after??
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺

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Ugh Tara! Just like with The Story of Us, I strarted crying in the prologue already!!!!!

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But don't worry - it's not a sad story.
Of course there are some sad and moving moments and lots of lost chances.
But the main part is about how Everett tries to get Cameron to forgive him and fall in love with him forever ever after! ☺
It might take a while, because she's really mad at him. Of course she also never stopped loving him. But she's not making it easy!
It's an adorable & funny & very moving journey that they'll take us on!
And I loved every minute of it!
I loved the location - the camp/former plantation near Charleston. The supporting cast. The little back-in-time chapters. The wishes.
Amazing love story!

The only thing ..... grrrrr... - like with most romances ... why not talk to each other? If they had talked about stuff back when Cam was 12 - or a few years later - and even a few years after that - so many chances, but never did they talk about their feelings. They could've had their HEA ages ago! BUT, of course it always has to be that way - they have to find themselves, live through whatever they have to live through etc. ☺ I still LOVED the book!!!! But it would've/could've been only 20 pages had they not missed all those chances!!! Grrrrr. And also
I WANT TO SEE THIS MADE INTO A MOVIE!!!

WISH YOU WERE MINE was such a heartbreakingly beautiful & adorable 2nd-chance love story! Just perfect! Please run to your nearest amazon for your own Everett- this one is MINE!☺

I was drawn to every single thing about this book. The gorgeous cover. The compelling blurb. And honestly, even the first quarter of the book had me completely hooked. And then...I found myself skimming. At first I skimmed just to get to the next bit of dialogue. The dialogue between main characters and secondary characters was by far the greatest thing about this book. But there was a lot that came between dialogue, sometimes a page at a time. And that, combined with the flashbacks, slowed the pace of this book down for me considerably. To the point where, at 50%, I felt like I hadn't really gained any ground and I lost patience with it.

I loved the characters, but I didn't really invest in them. I loved the premise of the story, but the execution missed the mark for me a bit. This was my first book by Ms. Sivec and I can certainly see the appeal, I'd most definitely pick up another book of hers, but this one just missed the mark for me.

I'm a huge Tara Sivec fan. Some of my favorite books of all time are hers. She was even the first one to ever make me fall for the good guy, the hero, the one I would have never considered before. This woman is amazing and her books are everything. So with this one I am thinking it's probably a "It's not you it's me" kinda thing for this book. I am the kinda reader that needs you to show not tell and with this book there is a lot of internal dialogue that does a lot of telling and not showing. With that I think that's why this book didn't rate higher for me. I liked the story and the angst that comes with it. The rest was great and that's why I'm giving it 3.5 stars. I just couldn't enjoy it to its full potential. I still love Tara and I will still read anything she puts out. If this sounds good to you then give it a go, Tara is a great write

Wish You Were Mine by Tara Sivec
Book starts out with a letter from Aiden to Everett... he needs Everett to go to Cameron and help her out.
This is a story of a camp that was once a cotton plantation in the Civil War, 40 acres of land near Charleston, SC. The camp is now a safe haven for kids who are going through problems due to their parents who are/have served in the military and some ddn't return home or came back damaged.
The three kids: Cameron, Aiden and Everett all attended the camp during the summer months as her relatives ran the camp back then. It's now her project but after Aiden has left it's on her shoulders and this year the person in charge of doling out money has new requirements.
Everett has his own past that led him overseas to help others in need to return after the letter and drank himself til his brother stepped in and got him in rehab.
She needs help and hopes he will come to her aide. It's all for a good cause...
Story is told with alternating chapters between them and at times it goes back in time and other times it's the present. Took me a while to get the hang of that although I've read many books in this same format.
What I like about this book is the location, the planned activities for the kids, help the counselors can give the children and parents alike and how those involved all come together to make it happen, hopefully for more years down the road.
The stories are hard to hear about, struggles they endure, heartaches and death. Some truths you just don't even hear about til it comes out at the end.
Adult sexual scenes. Wow surprise ending, didn't see it coming.
Received this review copy from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Another heart felt second chance at love story. I absolutely loved this one, I was kept intrigued the whole time I was reading. I just could not put this one down. All the emotions you will feel while reading this one will overwhelm you at times, but it is so worth it.

4.5 Stars

4.5 Stars

Wish You Were Mine is a read that will completely consume you. I was hooked from page one. Ms. Sivec is a fantastic storyteller. She will bring you into these character's lives and make you feel all the emotions.

So don't freak out--this book is not a love triangle! It's the first thing I thought when I read the synopsis, and trust me, I'm not a big fan. It's about childhood best friends who love each other as friends, but afraid for more. And miscommunication is a big part of the distance.

Without spoiling this book right from the start, I can say that Cameron and Everett were a perfect match. They were friends forever and then something tears them apart. Years later, Everett is back and determined to mend his relationship with Cameron. But a lot of hurt and broken promises happened while they were apart--so forgiving and forgetting isn't easy.

This book is heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. It's a great read about childhood friendships, first loves and second chances. Review link will be live on release day: https://2girlsasianwhitechickbookblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/wish-you-were-mine-by-tara-sivec-1114.html