Little Wishes by Michelle Adams is a charming story of young love thwarted, which somehow turns around in the last weeks of life. Elizabeth Davenport was the daughter of the doctor in the village and therefore a cut above mot of the villagers. She was engaged to her father's young partner, De. James Warbeck although she was not really sure she loved him. It began when her mother, a victim of early onset Alzheimer's, wandered away from home and fell into the water. A young fisherman named Tom Hale saved her from drowning and that was when it began. It was innocent enough. She thanked him; they went for a walk. It morphed into more. Through the machinations of the town, as well as her father and James, their lives were split, although he said he would always love her. And he had. For 49 years, on this day there had been a flower and a wish on her doorstep. But, not this year. She decided she had to go to London to find out why not. She found out and so began her journey; hers and Tom's.

This was a beautiful book. It jumped from current day to 50 years earlier when all this had happened. The story unfolded gently, mostly through Elizabeth's memories. Tom was there, too. Then and now. Elizabeth was a prideful and stubborn woman. As are most thwarted love stories, this one was a lack of communication; perhaps a refusal to communicate. The times they had tried, something got in the way, so they gave up. Tom never believed himself good enough, but her never stopped loving her. It was truly a great love story, one well worth the read. I recommend it. A way to live; a way to die; a way to love.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Little Wishes by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #littlewishes

This is a book that is a testament to the power of enduring love…Heartwarming and heartbreaking.

On her favorite day of the year, Elizabeth Davenport awakens in her cottage on the wild and windy Cornish coast, opens her front door, and discovers a precious gift: the small blue crocus and a note that begins I Wish . . . The notes are never signed, but she knows they’ve been left by her first and truest love, Tom Hale. Each of these precious missives convey a simple wish for something they had missed, and the life they might have shared, if circumstances hadn't forced them apart all those years ago. She has kept them all.

But on this day, what should have been the fiftieth anniversary of their falling in love, the gift fails to arrive. Could something have happened to Tom? Elizabeth has always been plagued by thoughts of “what if.” Propelled by worry and decades of pent up longing, Elizabeth packs a little suitcase, leaves Porthsennenon, and journeys to London . . . to find the love of her life once again.

Finding him, Elizabeth is faced with the desperate knowledge that any time they might have now is running out. Never before had she thought that she might truly lose time—forever. And now, knowing that life is too short, Elizabeth vows to fulfill as many of Tom’s wishes as she can. Yet she fears that her efforts may expose the shameful secret that, until now, has kept them apart.

Can she continue to hide the truth, or will she have the courage to reveal herself completely and finally make their dreams come true—before it’s too late.

This is a story of a love that was thwarted but endured the test of time. Told in dual timelines (50 years past and the present) mainly through the stubborn eye’s of Elizabeth. Due to a lack of communication, Tom believing he was never worthy, and life getting in the way they were never able to truly be together. and squandered the chances they had. This was truly a wonderful love story that makes you think about what enduring love is really about.

I enjoyed following both Elizabeth and Tom’s characters as their love grew. Both characters were fully developed and solid. Moreover, they were real. You could feel their conflicted love come off the pages.

Overall, this book moved me in all the right ways. It made me think that I should pay attention to those new people who wander into my life, what my current acquaintances hold for me, and that love is will always endure the tests of time.

Thank you NetGalley and WilliamMorrow for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have come to realize that I love stories the revolve around second chances. Throw in the older generation and I’m in tears. Michelle Adams was able to create a new spin on a tortured love story. You even felt for the “evil doer” who kept them apart.
I adored the wishes... how romantic to give one every year for 49 years! I loved Elizabeth’s and Tom’s love for each other. I shed a tear with Alice’s acceptance of Elizabeth and what their future held. It was such a sweet story. If you are into bittersweet stories, then this is one you should pick up!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow HarperCollins Publishers for this advanced eBook copy.

Typo loc 1053: “It was as if somebody had flicked a switched...”

Then and Now chapter format, spanning 50 years. I was frustrated and sad with the plot/lie that kept them apart for so long. I appreciated the neat wrap up, but guess I wished for more between Tom and Elizabeth and Tom and Kate.

3-1/2 🌟 Thank you NetGalley for the advances read. This was a sweet love story that took place over two time periods. I thought the author did a nice job of developing Elizabeth’s and Tom’s characters, which had you hoping for the best for them. Their story was one of hope and sadness but full of love. A nice, warm, light read.

Little Wishes by Michelle Adams is a heart-breaking and melancholy story about first love, mistakes, missed opportunities, and second chances. Elizabeth and Tom fell in love 50 years ago, circumstances (and miscommunication) tore them apart. They haven't seen each other in half a century, but they never forgot each other. And every year, on their special day, Tom leaves a pot of crocuses and a note that starts with "I wish..." for Elizabeth at her cottage's door. Elizabeth looks forward to this day every year, until one year there is no note and no flowers. She decides to travel from Cornwall to London to find Tom and to, finally, confront the past.

It's a bittersweet story that left me wanting more. During the 50 years, Tom and Elizabeth had so many chances to reconnect and to sort out the mistakes that tore them apart, but neither Tom nor Elizabeth took them. They squandered these chances over and over because of fear or miscommunication until it was almost too late. It left me very frustrated! I will admit that Michelle Adams' writing style is beautiful, and Tom and Elizabeth's story is very moving, and so I can see why Little Wishes compared to Me Before You!

This book is 3 1/2 stars for me. I liked the storyline which was bittersweet and romantic but I had a hard time with the wimpy characters. Elizabeth did defy her father by dating Tom but she never fought for her love of Tom. Granted they were young and in love but even still. It was the type of book that you kept reading because you wanted to find out about the wishes and if after so long their love could still be true.
Thanks to #bookclubgirls early read and #netgalley for the ARC of this book.

If you are looking for a book that is going to give you all the feels and make you very emotional than this is the book for you. I have had to stop reading so many times because I’ve been crying so much over this storyline. Little Wishes by author Michelle Adams is a love story like no other I have ever read. It’s told in 2 different timelines. I’m not sure what genre this should fall under because in my opinion it’s not really a romance. To me it’s a true love story. It’s about a couple who fall in love in their early years but because of many different circumstances, don’t end up together. However, after 50 years apart, their love for each other is still strong. It isn’t until their old age that they find their way back to each other and try to fulfill a lifetime of past wishes before it’s too late. This is a story I believe everyone will enjoy and I can’t recommend enough. This is not my first time reading a book by this author, I have also read Between the Lies, but this books genre is much different than that one. I really feel this is the authors best work yet and I’m anticipating what she will write next. I’d like to thank the Book Club Girl Early Read program and NetGalley for the arc to read and review. I enjoyed this tremendously and am giving it a 5 star rating!

Little Wishes by Michelle Adams is a wonderful, touching book about the love people can carry with them for a lifetime. Little Wishes bounces back and forth between the past and the present time. Elizabeth and Tom have known each other since they were teenagers in a small town. Elizabeth was already engaged to the town doctor, James. But a chance encounter with Tom, changes everything.
I absolutely loved Little Wishes. Adams writing is easy to read and even though the chapters bounce between the past and present, the story is very easy to follow. I will be recommending Little Wishes to others and will continue to look for other works by Michelle Adams. Special Thanks to NetGalley, Michelle Adams, HaperCollins-William Morrow Publishing for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 4.5 stars
#LittleWishes #NetGalley

I received an advanced copy of this book for my review. Little Wishes by Michelle Adams tells the story of a couple who reconnect after 50 years apart. Tom and Elizabeth fall in love when they are young, but Elizabeth’s parents want her to marry a local doctor. Amongst tragic circumstances, they lose each other and build their own lives. But every year, on the date they had their first date, Tom leaves a flower and a wish on Elizabeth’s doorstep. When nothing is on the doorstep for the 50th year anniversary, Elizabeth senses something is wrong and goes in search of him. They reconnect and try to go back and share the “little wishes” that they wished for each other over all those years. I enjoyed the story and the characters and this was a quick read.

A beautiful book about lost love found. As teenagers, Elizabeth and Tom fell in love. Due to circumstances out of their control, they went their separate ways. However, for forty-nine years, Tom would leave a flower and a wish at Elizabeth’s door. When nothing arrived on her door step that fiftieth year, Elizabeth set out on a journey to see what happened to the man she loved. Michelle Adams does a lovely job of telling the love story of Elizabeth and Tom by alternating the past with the present.

Little Wishes

“Do you ever dream of a different life, where there are no expectations of you? Where you wouldn’t have to fish to help your family?” “Dreaming is a luxury of the rich, Elizabeth,”

Queue all the tears, all the feels, and all the emotions you can conquer up. Little Wishes is about Tom and Elizabeth. Even though they could not be married, they had a love like no other. Every year, Tom drops off a wish of something, in another lifetime, he could have done with Elizabeth. On the 50th anniversary of their wishes, nothing arrives. What gives, Tom Hale?! So, Elizabeth treks to find the answer. She comes face to face with the ghost her past, and decides no more. No more wishes, let’s do our wishes like we should have years ago.

It gives off the same kind of love as “The Notebook” You know the one, the parent defying, not for wealth or status, but true.. love. So many words and sentences were devoted to their love that really just gutted you. “But there’s something about first love. You can go on to love again, but it’s never the same. It’s not the new person’s fault or anything. It’s just when you first fall in love you have no idea of just how hard it is to lose somebody. You don’t leave yourself open to it a second time. Don’t you think?”

The chapters alternate between from “then” and “now”. While it was a bit choppy, I couldn’t help but just love the “now” more. There love was there with a longing to catch up for lost time. It was nice to see how their relationship came about, and did elevate my understanding of their love.


This is a tragically beautiful story of love, what ifs and could have beens, hopefuls, and making up for a timeless connection. You’ll be happy, sad, angry, and she’d a tear or two. Thank you NetGalley & William Morrow for the gifted copy. This is out Nov. 17th.

Elizabeth and Tom fell in love when they were young, but it was a relationship their families wouldn’t approve of, so they went their separate ways and lived their own lives. Each year on the anniversary of their first kiss, Tom leaves a small gift and note on her doorstep. But they don’t see each other. Until the 50th anniversary when he doesn’t show up and Elizabeth starts to worry that something must be very wrong. So she takes a train from Cornwall to London to find her long lost love.

For some, a soulmate is met while young. This happens with Elizabeth and Tom, but they have so many hurdles in their way. In a small village in the English countryside, everyone knows everyone, rumors are rampant, and cover ups happen. What is your favorite day? For Elizabeth, it the day she fell in love. For 49 years, she receives a flower and a sweet note of ‘I Wish’. This year is the 50th, but she doesn’t receive a note...she needs to find out Why.

Oh. My. Goodness. This book gives you all the feels....first love, lies and truths, longing, lost opportunities, last love and family. For some reason, this book gives me some of the same feelings as PS I Love You, my favorite love story, but without any of the laughs. It’s beautifully, written, setting the scene of a small seaside village outside of London so perfectly you can feel the damp, ocean spray. The cast of characters is exceptional, so real and conflicted. There is still a lump in my throat.

Thanks to Ms. Adams, HarperCollins Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I don't usually read romances, but Ms. Adams' gentle, lyrical writing style and her complex and realistic characters drew me in from the start.

The tale of Tom and Elizabeth, told in Then and Now timeframes, is so engaging and heartwarming, it's easy to root for the couple. Meeting when they were young, kept apart through circumstances and deception on the part of others, they meet again in old age. This story reminds us of the power of first love, and of the grace of second chances. Even if not given a lifetime, moments treasured can suffice.

This is a heartwarming read focused on love. A perfect diversion during this pandemic, it refreshed my perspective and reminded me that love is what matters, and love endures.

My thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for allowing me to read a review copy of the book. Publication is set afor 11/17/2020. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Every year on the same day, Elizabeth waits for her first love, Thomas Hale, to leave a flower and a wish on her doorstep. On the fiftieth year, her gift does not arrive. Worried and longing for him, Elizabeth sets out to find out why. Will Elizabeth find him? Will they get a second chance at love? Can they forgive each other for what has kept them apart all of these years?
What a wonderful story! Heartwarming and heart wrenching all at the same time. The chapters flowed well between past and present and the characters were likable and thoroughly developed. Add this charming love story to your to read list now! Thank you to The Book Club Girls and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

This is just one of those books where the more you read, the harder it is to put it down. A great read for a rainy day....although the end is predictable , you can’t help bur love both the main characters and how their love story sadly comes to an end.

First, thank you to NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Elizabeth, the town doctor's daughter. Tom, son of the town drunk and fisherman. James, the new young doctor, joining the medical practice.

Every year on their special day, Elizabeth wakes to find a blue crocus and a little wish tucked in to the pot. And every year she cherishes the beautiful flower and adds the wish to her basket. Until the year that nothing is there. And, as it is the 50 anniversary, she knows something is wrong.

A delightful novel, filled with love, romance, heartbreak, sadness, and hope. One that I knew would end, but one that I didn't want to end. The book goes back and forth between what is happening now in Elizabeth's world, and what led up to this point. Adams does a wonderful job of weaving the story and adding in the history at just the right times.
The main characters are full and round, we can see their world and them in it. The side characters are not so filled out, but I didn't seem to mind. I knew just enough to get a brief understanding of them and perhaps a desire to know a bit more of their story, but it wasn't needed.
The setting was much the same. The town, we can't really picture it, except to say that it is coastal town on the Atlantic. But, the beach, the shore, the light house, the ocean.... that is all vibrant and alive, and we can picture those "characters" in our story as well.

While I didn't give it a five, it is a bit more than a 4. A five is a book I want to read over and over and has left a mark on me. This one, it moved me, I want to know what the future holds for my new acquaintances, and I will surely have it on my pocket list of recommendations for our library customers!

A sweet, but sad story about the "what ifs" and making amends for the past. The characters were likable and sympathetic At times, I thought the story dragged a little and while the ending was predictable, it had a nice completion to the story.

Little Wishes is a story of love, secrets and betrayal. It takes a while to get into the story but once the characters are developed I loved this love story. The characters seemed real and emotionally so at times the story was little sad but complex. Thank you to Netgalley for my advanced copy.