Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I've never traveled, unless you count Canada, which most people don't. This book, this author, has made me want to travel. This book is so beautifully written and so lush in description it's like a painting, all on its own. I'm not usually swept away by descriptive imagery, in fact, I'd say it's not really my thing, but in this book it's everything.

I almost feel like the story between Ava and James is secondary, but in the best way. Their story, individually and together, is as beautifully written as you can imagine.

I would definitely recommend this book.

I love reading so much that is becoming an addiction. I even know how far along I am to finish a book without looking at the percentage at the lowest part of each page. Sometimes depending on the book, I’m relieved that it’s actually ending because no matter how good or bad the book is I have to read it until its end……Well, “Wish you weren’t here” is the contrary of that. I looked to the lowest part of each page praying and hoping it never ended.
The description of Urbino, its landscape, the food, the wine, the art and the characters left me craving a trip to Italy. I know the characters are fiction and all that, but I fell in love with the main characters, their friends, pet and family. I just wished I could for a change lived inside the book and not through it.
The romantic chemistry between Ava and James was magical, and the family love you experience through their family and friends is what everyone at the end dreams to have in one’s life.
Congratulations to Christy Schillig for achieving with words but she described with James’s photographs.

Thanks NetGalley for this gift you allow me to read and review. You just made me a fan of the author’s work.

4.25 ⭐️!!!

ava is ready to embark on a trip to italy to fulfill her late mother’s wishes and complete her final credits for law school. and as she’s rushing through the airport with her boyfriend, she fully expects him to propose to her before they leave together. however, he shocks her by instead— proposing a break 😅 he wants her to go to italy and “sow all her oats” lol before they decide to commit to each other when she gets back. she is pissed to say the least!!! so she flies to italy and is picked up by an italian man, james, who is driving her back to her new place. she assumes this man doesn’t speak any english so she proceeds to trauma dump her struggles on him. however when they arrive to their destination she realized he in fact does speak english and now knows all of her woes 😂 she’s instantly embarrassed and wants to avoid him at all costs. this however, ends up being impossible bc james is the nephew of the family she’s staying with for the next 4 weeks AND he’s the professor at the university that she has to TA for. so unfortunately they’re stuck butting heads for the foreseeable future!

from start to finish I absolutely loved this book. it was silly goofy and corny at times but it was also so romantic, heartwarming and just gave the comfiest vibes!!!! I literally want to teleport to the streets of urbino RIGHT NOW i’m not even kidding 😩 the imagery and the descriptions of the town were everything. ava and james have my mf heart!!!!! I was rooting for them from the start! their meet (not so) cute was hilarious. but seeing them go from dislike to friends to lovers was 😚🤌🏼 the side characters were everything! I want to live with nina and leo and I want to be besties with all the townspeople!! truly an amazing found family!! lastly, seeing ava face her grief relating to her mother was so beautiful and had me sobbing like a baby! seeing her connect with a part of her mom’s life through art made me so emo and happy for ava. this was absolutely stunning for a debut novel. it made me miss italy so much but simultaneously gave me a the perfect fix 🤭 pls add this to your tbr! it’s such a fun read!!! available on 5/21/24 🫶🏼

This was a pretty good debut novel by the author. I've never been to Italy, but the author's descriptions of Urbino and Venice made me want to rectify that ASAP. The supporting characters were all warm and welcoming and added lots of charm to an already charming city.

Ava has been dating the son of a Senator for a long while and expected to get engaged, but instead he sent her on her way to Urbino with a single calling card and basically told her to sow any wild oats she has. She was expecting a ring, he pushed her away instead. What she didn't expect to find in Urbino was James. I'll admit that their initial meeting was hilarious. She assumed he was just a hired driver and that he didn't speak English, so he heard a mouthful about things she would not have mentioned otherwise. She kinda hates him for this afterwards and I'll admit that I wasn't a fan of her hostility given she was the one who made assumptions about him based on him picking her up at the airport.

James was an interesting character. He was deeply loyal to his family. He was a photographer and art connoisseur, and he was even a professor. He was obviously good at what he does given the offer from The Post he kept turning down over the years. As a fellow photographer, I liked that he was also a photographer and saw the beauty in all things around him and really captured the heart and emotion behind what he was seeing (and no, I didn't find this creepy at all as another reviewer mentioned...that's what artists do, they observe and capture what they see).

There was obvious sexual tension between them and it continued to build until well into the last half of the book when they finally had time alone. So I'd say this was an incredibly slow burn romance. But I honestly didn't mind it as much.

The book was too long though IMO...by about 20 chapters. It's well over 60 chapters and even though some were only about 4-5 mins long, that's still many hours of reading and dedication to one romance book. I still enjoyed it, but I did find myself checking to see how many more chapters were left the last half of the book. Had there been a lot going on during that time, I think it wouldn't have been so bad, but there isn't a whole lot of plot development going on. They meet, they fight, they have meals together with family, they decide they like each other, they have more family meals, she discovers who her mom really was before she was born, they have more family meals and invite townspeople, they explore Urbino and Venice, they break up, they get back together, the end. (Yes, they had a lot of family meals in this book lol)

I'd probably read another of this author's books because I did like the descriptiveness of the town and people and it really made me feel like I was there or wanted to be there. I think the next book should be shorter though, but I'd definitely read another.

I really wanted to enjoy this but the characters have 0 chemistry and I couldn’t care less for the romance

I had such high hopes for this book, but I just couldn’t get into it. Definitely a me problem and not a book problem—probably the wrong time, so I’m hopeful to try again some time. Loved the setting, just too slow for me.

I absolutely loved this book! Wish You Weren't Here follows Ava Graham, who has always had a plan for how her life will go. Ava sets off for Italy prepared to finish her last few law school credits and keep a long-held promise to her late mother. She's expecting her long-term boyfriend to propose before she leaves, but instead, he suggests they use her time abroad as a "break." Off to a shaky start, Ava fears her time in Italy will turn out to be completely disastrous...but she just might discover what she truly wants, learn more about her mom's past, and maybe even fall in love along the way.

This was a fantastic debut! I especially enjoyed how Wish You Weren't Here was so grounded in its setting. The descriptions of everything, from the art to the culture to the food, made me feel as if I were there in Urbino, with Ava, James, and the vibrant cast of supporting characters. The romance between Ava and James was so sweet and swoon-worthy—I always love a good enemies-to-lovers story, and the dual POV added that extra bit of tension, as we could get a sense of their inner thoughts and see how Ava and James felt about each other from the start. Beyond the love story, I really appreciated Ava's journey overall, how she learned to pave a different path from the carefully laid plans she'd always had for her life, and realized that it's okay to create a new dream, to want something different for yourself than you originally might have. I did wish we got a little more insight into what Ava's life was like in Philadelphia before she left for Urbino, just to make the contrast between the two "Avas" clearer, and emphasize Ava's development throughout the story. Otherwise, I so enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it for anyone in search of a dreamy Italian adventure! Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.

Oh, this book! I loved it so much. I’ve been to Italy, but not to Urbino. This really made me want to visit there. It sounds just divine—- the food, the sights, the art, the culture!

Ava has come to the town that inspired her mother’s art. Her mother’s died five years before this. She told Ava to visit. Ava has expected her long-time boyfriend Ethan to propose to her before she departs, but instead he encourages her to “sow some wild oats” and enjoy Italy. She’s crushed.

Ava’s in law school, almost finished, a degree she picked in imitation of her father. She ends up staying with a family who has a history with her mother. The best part is the nephew who picks her up from the airport. James is drop-dead gorgeous and a wonderful photographer.

I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises (and there are quite a few), but I was preparing to be heartbroken close to the end of the book. I was so invested in Ava and her future! Please read this! It’s excellent.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. My review is voluntary.

I’m not a big fan of romcoms and yet… this surprised me. A lot. I found myself thinking and looking at the characters as I was there with them. Fully immersing myself into the reading. Enemies to lovers, law students, studying abroad, rivalry… yeah that’s a good cup of tea there. I enjoyed reading the book, and it gave me a new appreciation for my native country.

Wow. I wanted to like this book. I really did. I was intrigued by the characters and the scenery. But over and over, the readers are told about how beautiful the main character is. How the golden of her hair shines in the sun. And the profuseness on the scenery. I get it the Italian city of Urbino is beautiful and the art is amazing. But it was too much. I did enjoy the few sentences in Italian and how those characters were portrayed. Overall, I didn’t like the main character and I thought that James with his constant picture taking of people was a bit creepy.

This book took me forever to read because I just knew it had to get better. I wish I had just skipped. I liked the title, cover and description. It just wasn’t for me.

I received this advanced reader copy for my honest opinion.

RomComs set in Italy are having a moment, and Wish You Weren't Here is one of the better ones I've read lately. An enemies to lovers look at a law student studying abroad who keeps clashing with a friend of a friend of the family, who ends up being her TA supervisor. I really enjoyed the setting of this book- perfect for anyone who might be traveling to Italy and wants to bring a book along, especially Central Italy.

Wow. This book was everything I wanted in a great novel. Engaging characters, amazing setting, and all the emotions. It was romantic, amusing, poignant, heartbreaking. Easily one of the top five books I have read this year. I look forward to more work by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author Christy Schillig and the publisher for the chance to read this book!
If you enjoy romance along with Italian food, family and culture then you will enjoy this novel.
It’s well written and I appreciated reading alternating chapters from the main characters.
Her descriptions of the town, along with the art and food led me to do some google research and it was all fascinating.

Unexpected and unique style of writing. The author brought each character to life and her interest in Italy was woven into each page of the book. Each page is densely written, so the book will take the reader some time to get through. Enjoyable read.

Perfect book to read to get away from it all, like a mini vacation with a friend. Characters were interesting and fresh, also fun reading a little Italian translation flirtation. Recommend

Some books are made to be devoured quickly like a shot of vodka. This book was like an Italian wine - best served with antipasti and enjoyed slowly.

This was my second 5 star read of the year. There were times that it felt a little slow but then I realized that this book was more than just the romance and I began to enjoy it for the cultura italiana. I spent a few months in Florence last year and this book made it feel like I was there again - everything from the characters to the settings and everything in between.

The characters in this book felt very real. I loved the main character because I kinda saw myself in her a bit. She's got a plan that she refuses to deviate from despite having the opportunities to do so. James was a great character as well, I would have fallen in love with him too if I were Ava... so that makes sense.

The descriptions of the setting were also very vivid. Honestly, ready to go back to Italy now!

This book was such a cultural breath of fresh air! It had me wanting to buy a 1 one way ticket to Italy and sip aperol spritz and eat pasta all day, a girl can dream though right?!

I loved the storyline of this book. The FMC Ava was so relatable and this book was a nice reminder that no matter what stage of your life you are in, sometimes the universe has different plans for you and you need to take the signs when they appear.

I felt every emotion while reading this book, I laughed, I cried and I swooned for Italian heartthrob James 🤤

I loved how some of the dialogue was in Italian, it gave the story that real Italian authentic feel and I did not feel like I missed any of the story even though I could not understand it.

All the characters were so loveable and well written.

This is an easy 5 stars from me.

Christy you have absolutely nailed your first book. This is going to be a hit!

Wish You Weren't Here is a super atmospheric and adorable romance set in Italy. Ava ventures off to Italy to fulfill a promise to her late mother and get the last credits needed for her law degree. From the beginning of the trip, and I mean the VERY beginning, Ava's carefully laid plans are thrown to the wayside. Her picture-perfect boyfriend sends her to Italy without an engagement ring, but with the understanding that this month will be a "break" for them to see what's out there before committing to each other for the long run. Things continue downhill when Ava's (very handsome) chauffeur James is hours late picking her up, there's a bilingual misunderstanding, and her phone goes over a cliff. Our poor Ava has to learn to embrace life the Italian way and see that life's best offerings may not come in the shape of a carefully laid plan.

This was a super cute and very fast read for me. I loved being transported to Urbino and Italy and it definitely made me want to start planning my trip. You can tell the author has so much love for the culture, cuisine, and city in her writing. It really transports you and sets the scene for you to fall head over heels with this slow-burn and tension-filled romance! The dual POV between Ava and James makes the story move so quickly - I love being able to hear both of their thoughts. There was definitely some spice and LOTS of anticipation throughout the story.

I do wish we would've gotten a bit more time with Ava in Philadelphia BEFORE leaving, so we could see a bit more of the dynamic with her and Ethan and her and Tammy. I think this would've given us some comparison as to how different Ava is when she's in Italy and how different she is with James compared to Ethan. I also found myself wanting more information about her relationship with her mom, even if it was in flashbacks. There were mentions of Ava loving art and wanting to teach prior to her mom's death, I would've loved to have moments of Ava reconnecting with artistic creation (not just in the college course) or art teaching while in Italy because I think that would've made her professional development come full circle. Lastly, I wish we got just a bit more conclusion at the end (upcoming spoilers!) - like if she and James will ever move back to Italy/Urbino, because compared to Urbino, London seems kind of blah!

Overall, I really loved reading this book. I would rate it a 4.5/5, but I'm rounding up because I really did love the characters, story, and setting. I would definitely recommend picking this one up!!

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review such a great book!

I have mixed feelings about this author’s debut novel. The descriptions of the town of Urbino and its residents were rich and deeply satisfying. The vibrant, evocative language used to illustrate the art, architecture and photographs brought them to life. However, the storyline lacked a dynamic flow despite the tension in the protagonists’ relationship - I never felt a real chemistry between the two.

As a debut novel the author’s talent and potential in her ability to engage the reader with her wonderfully descriptive wordsmithing is unmistakable. I look forward to future novels as her style evolves.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This book was like a love letter to Italy and that was easily my favourite part of reading it.

I initially struggled with Ava. While aware it was for dramatic effect and conflict, someone who is that rude to assumed staff is already a pet peeve and I took a while to warm up to her.

The writing of the art was stunning and I loved the multiple scenes of James's family, who were painted so brilliantly as warm and bright and always al fresco.