Member Reviews
What a great book! I love everything by this author and this book was no different! I couldn't put this down and was up all night waiting to see how it ended!
This book ended up not working for me. I struggled with the shades of grey elements of this book.
A heartwarming novel about what we are prepared to give—and give up—in the name of love, from the author of Star-Crossed and The Lost Love Song.
Two boxes, both alike in size and shape . . .
Marnie Fairchild is the brains and talent behind Wish & Co., a boutique store that offers a bespoke gift-buying service to wealthy clients with complicated lives. Brian Charlesworth is Marnie’s most prized customer, and today she’s wrapping the perfect anniversary gift for his wife, Suzanne . . . and a birthday present for his mistress, Leona. What could possibly go wrong?
For years, Marnie’s had her heart set on moving Wish & Co. to the historic shopfront once owned by her grandfather. When the chance to bid for the property unexpectedly arises, Marnie—distracted—makes an uncharacteristic mistake. Soon Brian is in a fight to rescue his marriage, and Marnie is scrabbling to keep her dreams alive. With the situation so complicated, the last thing Marnie needs is to fall for Brian and Suzanne’s gorgeous son, Luke.
Minnie Darke takes a major screw up, turns it into a life lesson of how to get out from under a huge pile of crap and surviving if not flourishing. There are some very interesting discussions on what constitutes emotional fraud and what things are too personal to outsource. But back to the basic story - a puzzle box of relationships and how they get sorted - it is all about LOVE - losing it, trying to salvage it, finding it, acknowledging it, holding it. The right amount of humor helps to clarify some difficult subjects that Darke has taken on. As a very savvy teenager tells her father; “Love’s the hokey pokey….You’ve got to put your whole self in.”
Thanks you Dell / Random House and NetGalley for a copy.
This was a very charming romance novel about a boutique shop owner and professional gift shopper, Marnie. After a snafu with her top customer, she has to navigate making things right with him and also - secretly - dating his son. At the same time, she’s trying to buy a new property for her store and struggling to balance it all. This was an easy and pleasant read, would recommend!
Thank you so much to Random House/Ballantine for the copy via NetGalley; this is my honest review.
A heartwarming novel about what we are prepared to give—and give up—in the name of love, from the author of Star-Crossed and The Lost Love Song.
Two boxes, both alike in size and shape . . .
Marnie Fairchild is the brains and talent behind Wish & Co., a boutique store that offers a bespoke gift-buying service to wealthy clients with complicated lives. Brian Charlesworth is Marnie’s most prized customer, and today she’s wrapping the perfect anniversary gift for his wife, Suzanne . . . and a birthday present for his mistress, Leona. What could possibly go wrong?
For years, Marnie’s had her heart set on moving Wish & Co. to the historic shopfront once owned by her grandfather. When the chance to bid for the property unexpectedly arises, Marnie—distracted—makes an uncharacteristic mistake. Soon Brian is in a fight to rescue his marriage, and Marnie is scrabbling to keep her dreams alive. With the situation so complicated, the last thing Marnie needs is to fall for Brian and Suzanne’s gorgeous son, Luke.
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Marnie and Luke is sooooo nice together. I love them and I really enjoy the plot. The ending is my fav.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
With Love from Wish & is a story where the reader knows what to expect - it starts with, "Nine days before the implosion of the Charlesworth marriage" - but I was still surprised along the way. Marnie is a professional gift-giver, hired to lightly stalk loved ones and buy exactly what they’d want. Of course there are some moral dilemmas, especially when she starts dating the son of one of her clients.
I enjoyed this lovely book set in Australia - it’s definitely not just a romance, as the characters learn and grow throughout. That being said, I liked the sweet romance and the way the book described relationships. Many thanks to Random House Ballantine and Dell for the NetGalley ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Melt your heart cute with the right amount of drama. It all started with a mix up of presents, which led to a story of morality, forgiveness, and love. Woven with lovable characters, this story takes you through overcoming obstacles and finding what truly is worth fighting for. A wonderful read, indeed.
This book was slow to get going, but interesting enough that I kept coming back to it. I'm glad that I did, because once it picked up, I was sucked in and finished quickly.
I liked the unusual characters and the fact that Marnie worked as a gift buyer (and precision wrapper.)
The romance seemed to come out of nowhere..I didn't understand what incited that spark. The whole friends with benefits situation between Owen and Marnie seemed odd and out of character for her. I don't know that it added anything to the story, other than one awkward scene.
This wasn't a five star read for me for the simple fact that I did not want Brian and Suzanne to get back together. Forty years or not, I desperately wanted Suzanne to find her self-worth and find a new romance with someone who adored and appreciated her. Brian didn't deserve to have her back.
Also, the Owen situation wasn't really resolved, and I don't like loose threads left like that.
That said, it was a well-told tale and I liked that everyone was clearly flawed but doing the best they could regardless. It was a unique profession for a character to have and the first date between Marnie and Luke was just gorgeous!
If you can stand to put in the time on a slow read, this is worth it.
after inheriting her Grandfathers talent, Marnie has been shopping for others to get the perfect gifts.. All is well until she makes one mistake. Which causes a ruffle in another marriage.,. SHe then meet Luke where this becomes very complicated.
This story had drama, romance, and some light humor, and tears
With Love from Wish & Co. by Minnie Darke was a delightful story set in Australia. Main character, Marnie, owns a gifting service, an idea that intrigued me. Known for her excellence and discreteness in her business dealings, everything moves along breezily until it doesn't due to one tiny mistake that sets in motion a chain of events that unfolds the full plot of this book. I love the contemporary setting mixed with the nostalgia of Marnie's family history. The story moved quickly and I was engaged the whole time. I think the author did a great job with character development, and I didn't feel like there was any backstory that was incomplete. Although predictable in some parts, I didn't think the story was trite or overdone. I also appreciated a book in which the female protagonist was not portrayed as a passive nitwit! This was an easy read and one I'd recommend to others. I will look for more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC
Cute twist on a romcom. I enjoyed the light-hearted tone of the book that sprinkled in character growth for the main character, Marnie. The cute cover, unique setting (Australia), and the fun plot made this an enjoyable read.
Reading this caused me to go on a deep dive on the gift concierge industry, which is something I never knew existed. I'm surprised by just how many gift concierge services are out there, and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it.
Learning about gift concierge and the ethics of it through Marnie's job was my favorite part of this book. It's a fascinating concept and it does bring up some interesting moral questions.
I really enjoyed this story. It was very well-done, and I plan on reading more from this author!
🎁 Book Review 🎁
With Love From Wish & Co.
Author: Minnie Darke
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Read if you love:
💌 Romance
💌 Gifts
💌 Australia
Wish Love From Wish & Co. by #MinneDarke was a very enjoyable read. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Truthfully, I didn’t realize this book was not going to be a holiday book. I went in thinking it was going to be about Christmas and not about someone who professionally buys gifts for people. Honestly, I’ve always found that profession to be fascinating so that is probably another reason I liked the book so much.
I would consider this a light, fluffy book that would be good to pick up when you’re feeling a bit down or trying to get out of an emotional or professional slump. It is also a good book to pick up for gift ideas 😂
I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, and a lot of romances. After a stretch of mysteries, this charming romance was just what I needed. As the description tells us, Marnie is a boutique owner who has built a successful business centered on gift-buying for people who don't have the knack (or the time) for buying great gifts for family & friends. Details are everything in this aspect of her business, and just as she's come upon the opportunity to fulfill her ultimate goal, she makes an unfortunate error that puts her plans, and her customer's marriage, at risk. She formulates a plan to try to salvage her plans (and the customer's marriage) while forming a new romantic relationship with that customer's son. I enjoyed the main characters and their side plots here, and there's an interesting mix of supporting characters. I combined reading and listening to this book, and the excellent Australian narration helped me keep that accent in my head while I was reading (a definite plus for a book set in Australia!).
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House/Dell for providing a copy for an unbiased review.
A comforting, light, and quick read. It was so sweet and I appreciated the Australian setting - that was new for me!
Thank you to Minnie Darke, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!!
This was a definite cover buy for me and it was certainly a good read! Did I love it? No but that is okay, would I recommend to a friend? Certainly!
Personally it felt too long for me and I found myself having difficulty staying focused and on track with the story. Felt like the same
Scenes reiterated over and over.
A heartwarming novel about what we are prepared to give—and give up—in the name of love. This is a cozy, lovely romance read while curled up with your favorite blanket and a cup of coffee or tea. You can tell from reading the summary that it is a light and easy read, is cutesie, and a wee bit predictable, but it still has enough in it that makes it intriguing and good! The characters are great and interesting, and the content is deep enough to make the reader stop and think, and to reflect and ponder. I was reminded of The Devil Wears Prada or Bridget Jones. I enjoyed the change of pace with this one.
Minnie Darke writes with so much HEART! I loved the themes of love, family and forgiveness that filled this book. It was a heartfelt story brimming with humor and hope. The multiple POV really enhanced the story and I enjoyed experiencing so many of the endearing and loveable characters.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Ballentine for my copy.
This book was extraordinary. I adore Minnie Darke's writing style and the way she weaves the tales of multiple characters so seamlessly.
Marnie is a gift buyer with a unique knack for truly getting to know her clients and searching high and low for the perfect gift. Her empathy is a true asset to her business and it was lovely to navigate her life and her personality through Minnie Darke's words.
Marnie accidentally mixes up gifts meant for a client's wife and his mistress and chaos ensues. The novel is told from multiple viewpoints (which I LOVE) including Marnie herself, her client, the client's wife, the client's mistress and the client's son, Luke. Every relationship is intertwined and has a purpose. The writing is beautiful and balanced with the right amount of seriousness and playfulness. The love story that unfolds between Marnie and Luke is well played out, but I still wish I had more time with the two of them together as they fell in love.
Ivy, Saski and Mo were wonderful side characters that brought stories and relationships together. I loved every part of this book from start to finish.
Marnie Fairchild owns Wish and Co, a professional gift buying shop and boutique, with her eye on the Fairchild and Sons storefront her grandfather used to own. A mixup threatens to destroy her customer base, she is desperate to keep one of her biggest clients, and the last thing she needs is to fall for his gorgeous son Luke.
The thought of a bespoke shopping is a fascinating one, and I loved the look into Marnie's business and how it works. Her explanation of how she finds the great gifts for people is very much what it takes to be great in a relationship: know the person's values, know what they like, and know what you hope for the future of the relationship. She doesn't see it as the emotional fraud that Luke does, but he's had his own secrets and his own problems. They connect quickly, but do hesitate with laying themselves completely bare. Of course that's what ultimately drives them apart, but they are pushed back together and then face the future.
I enjoyed the friend relationships that Marnie had, as well as the family relationships for the Charlesworths. The hurts that Suzanne feels is never glossed over or belittled, and she's given time to deal with the emotions and learn to live with them. Even Lydia gets a chance to explore her feelings and find an ending that fits her. They feel real, with all of their messiness and complications. It's the kind of book where you'd feel like you're listening in on neighborhood gossip, only with a front row seat.