I was really excited to receive a digital ARC from Forever and NetGalley. This review is my own thoughts. As I started to read it, I had trouble being invested in the book. I wondered whether I really wanted to read this book--I had recently read some other rom-coms and they were entirely too predictable. I read a couple chapters during my work break and decided that once I had arrived home, I would sit down and force myself to read two more chapters. I was really tired, hungry and in a mood. I picked up the book and started reading those next two chapters--the two chapters that would tell me whether this book would be a DNF or whether I would keep it on my shelf to read when I was ready for my next rom-com adventure. Well......before I knew it, I had read half the book and made a conscious decision to continue reading through the night. This book will not let you down if you like to read romantic comedy. This book was unexpected. It made me laugh out loud a few times with great dialogue. The story line contained wonderful characters that I would enjoy meeting, from senior citizens to mobsters and ghosts. For me, this was a 5 star read. I would not hesitate to recommend it to adults of all ages.

The Second Chance Year was one of my favorite reads last year. Perfect romance with a sprinkle of magic. I knew I needed to read more by her. Wish I Were Here was no different. It was a sweet, light romance with a sprinkle of magic.

I found Catherine to be very relatable with her journey through figuring out who she is and finding her support system. I also enjoyed the opposites-attract romance.

If you enjoyed the aspect of "what's your individual purpose in life" from The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue, I think this would be a book for you!

Not every author is for everyone, but Melissa is an author for me. Looking forward to listening to the audiobook and any more books to come from her!

I loved Melissa's Second Chance Year, so I jumped at the chance to read Wish I Were Here. I love her blend of paranormal and magical realism with a sweet romance.

Let me start by saying we must protect Luca Morelli at all costs. What a gem of a love interest.

Further, the side characters are so good. I love a book with a mix of elderly and young characters who help each other. The found family is perfect. The characters truly make this book.

I also loved the situations that Luca and Catherine find themselves in. The hospital scene is one of my favorites.

If I have any issues, it is that I didn't love Catherine. I know we are supposed to appreciate her character growth throughout the story, but I never felt like she redeemed herself. I think a dual POV might have helped. It was just hard to be in Catherine's head that much.

Thank you to Forever for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my! Luca!!! Loved Catherine! The whole book was just pure awesome. Wonderful read in every way! Can't wait to read more by Melissa!

Wish I Were Here was the perfect book to get me out of my reading slump. It’s a cute, light, easy-to-read story with a touch of magical realism. What made it even better was that it took place in my hometown of Pittsburgh.

The main focus of the story, losing all trace of your identity is an all too real possibility. It’s through losing her government identity that Catherine is able to find her actual identity and her true love, Luca, and family. Wish I Were Here is the perfect book to remind you to be thankful for what you have, no matter how unconventional. After all it made you who you are, the good the bad and the ugly and you can always change the ugly.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the digital ARC of Wish I Were Here

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

3.5/5 stars

I read Second Chance Year by this author several months ago and absolutely loved it! It made me excited about this book. Perhaps it was the anticipation, I just didn’t love this one as much.

Catherine is a math whiz who gets her dream job as a professor. But before she can start her job, there’s a glitch with her paperwork. She doesn’t exist… 

This is a romance with hints of magical realism. Luca is Catherine’s doorman, and they are proof that opposites attract. He sets out to help her prove who she really is. I enjoyed the supporting characters, especially Catherine’s dad. 🤹🏼

Overall, this is a cute story that just didn’t wow me. It’s a light read if you’re looking for a break after a heavier book. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Forever, for the advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review

i adore magical realism so much and thought this one was so clever & heartfelt! the found family elements woven throughout the story were so impactful and i love how this was incorporated into the grand workings of the plot. i definitely felt like this veered more towards women/general fiction than romance as the MCs’ dynamics are built off a previous interaction that happened off page and their chemistry is moreso described than demonstrated. the missing identity plot of the fmc was clearly more centralized so once i shifted my expectation a bit, i was able to enjoy the messaging within the story more.

would recommend to readers who love feel good vibes reminiscent of ashley poston’s books!

Cute, feel good grumpy x sunshine romance. I enjoyed following Catherine’s journey of self-discovery and healing, and the slow burn between Catherine and Luca.

Thank you Forever for providing me an ARC!

Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner is a sweet and heartwarming read. The story is easy to get into, with characters that feel real and relatable. It's all about finding yourself and love along the way, which makes for an enjoyable journey. Some parts are a little predictable, but overall it leaves you with a good vibe. Perfect for when you want something light but meaningful!

I can't explain what happened to me while reading this book, but I devoured it in one day? It was SO CUTE??

Catherine lives a strict and organized life, a no-nonsense life. And when her identity seemingly disappears from all official records, she finds herself surrounded by people who are anything but strict and organized in a journey of self-discovery as she learns who she really is in every way.
Catherine meets Luca, the charming and seemingly perfect, albeit scattered, doorman. And he becomes her partner in crime (literally) as she navigates her way through being a "nobody" for a while.

First of all, every single character in this book is so precious - the elderly residents of the DeGreco apartment building, Luca, Catherine's dad, the burlesque troupe. Literally all of them are wonderful and brought a smile to my face.

This is full of magical realism, as it is quite the mystery how someone's identity can vanish overnight without explanation. But the way the story unfolds also feels magical in its depth. And while I figured things out pretty quickly of what all was going on, it doesn't change the fact that this story was adorable and felt so poignant as Catherine dug deep to discover more about herself than she ever imagined. She discovered real joy.

Like objectively I know this isn't a perfect book, but also... it did something to me that I can't explain. It had me CONSUMED and smiling and... the EPILOGUE MADE ME CRY???

LOVED My Second Chance Year, so when I saw that Melissa Wiesner had a new book coming out, I was thrilled when I got an ARC.
While this is promoted as being a romance, the story is ultimately one about accepting who you are as a person and learning to love yourself.
The FMC is a studious, strait laced mathematician looking to solve the problem (see what I did there) of her missing identity. Meanwhile, she develops a relationship with the charming doorman of her building, who is quite popular with the elderly residents of their building.
The romance was slow moving, but, I think, fairly obvious.
What I loved most was the way Catherine is able to see past her stringent lifestyle and begin to appreciate her life and how everything she experienced got her to where she was.
The side characters are a blast and I truly felt the strained relationship Catherine has with her loving father. As a fellow millennial, I can sympathize with trying to worry about my own life and “taking care” of my parent(s).
At first, I was interested in the story, however unbelievable some aspects were, but once Catherine and Luca are wearing disguises in the basement of the hospital, I was done for.

Some things I would warn readers about is that there are elements of past trauma that may affect some readers. Also, a hint of magical realism as part of the overall plot.
Overall, an enjoyable read and one that made me stay up until 2am to finish reading 🖤

I absolutely loved this book. I can not wait to see what Wiesner comes up with next. I loved the way I could visualize the setting, I loved the characters. I flew through this book because I was so enamored by the relationships, the back and fourth, the overall dynamic. I highly recommend this book for some

A lost identity, an apartment building filled with lively octogenarians (mostly lively), and a woman figuring out what will make her happy!

Catherine, a Pittsburgh-living mathematician is about to start a new university position (hopefully at Pitt) when suddenly none of her ids appear real…almost as if she never existed. Which is crazy, as she has to keep explaining to people, because she’s! right! there!! With her handsome young (maybe mafia connected) doorman by her side, she journeys through the city, finding comfort in the discomfort and learning not to be so lonely.

This was so sweet, had a wonderful cast of characters, and made my Pittsburgh loving heart so warm!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Melissa Weisner for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Forever Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for the gifted e-book. Thank you to Hachette Audio for the gifted audiobook.

This book was an absolute delight, blending magic realism, romance, and a beautiful message about the importance of human connection. Catherine's transformation from uptight to spontaneous was a joy to witness, and the supporting characters, especially Luca and the residents of Catherine's building, added so much depth to the story.

The narrator's performance truly brought the characters to life, making the emotional journey even more impactful. This enchanting read is a must-have for anyone looking to be swept away by a heartwarming tale.

Get ready to immerse yourself in this magical world when the book hits the shelves on October 15th!

This was so cute! It felt like a lighter version of Tia William’s magical realism romances, where everything feels like real life but there’s just a hint of magic happening behinds the scenes.

The FMC is very orderly and loves everything done according to the rules, while the MMC lives outside of the lines - but with the goal of making sure all the people in his life are looked after.

I loved the magic, the slow build up between the love interests, all the side characters, and the journey the FMC goes on to find herself.

I really enjoyed the opposite personalities of Catherine & Luca. Perhaps it's because I wish I had the organization of Catherine, but, I have the execution of Luca 😂

I love how the community is always there for each other - and I always wanted a close, large extended family, so I got a huge kick out of Luca's familial connections. All of the residents were incredibly charming and endearing, not just Luca, I wanted to move into their building to have them in my life! Such amazing found family vibes.

I love Luca SO much, Not only is he sweet and thoughtful, but he is there for everyone in so many ways, making sacrifices others aren't even aware of. His priorities made me question my own priorities.

"Have you made sacrifices for your career?" Luca shrugs. "I don't make sacrifices for jobs. I make sacrifices for people I care about." 💕💕

I enjoyed watching Catherine grow well out of her comfort zone, and discover what she thought she had been missing. The twist at the ending was so wonderful!

“Though I saw him yesterday, he still greets me like it’s been years. I guess it’s always been this way, like seeing me is the best part of his day.” 🥰

Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner is an enchanting coming-of-age story that warmed my heart. Luca and Catherine's story is such a sweet blend of romance, friendship, and a touch of magic that left me so happy.

Catherine's journey from a practical rule-follower to someone who embraces love and life within her community is beautifully portrayed. Her transformation, intertwined with the support of her found family, is a testament to the richness of her life that she discovers along the way.

The sprinkles of love and magic really highlighted what we knew all along: she didn’t need anyone else to tell her who she really was.

Catherine Lipton, ever the meticulous mathematician, has always kept her life tightly organized—probably a reaction to her unconventional childhood with a part-time clown for a dad. Now, as a college professor, her world suddenly unravels when her paperwork gets rejected, her credit card stops working, and, somehow, she’s erased from government records entirely. With no one else to turn to, she reluctantly teams up with Luca, her charming but unreliable doorman, whose Mafia-connected family drags her into a series of chaotic, unexpected adventures.

I went into this expecting a sweet romance with a fun twist—Catherine losing her identity overnight sounded so intriguing. But it ended up leaning much more into self-discovery than romance, which caught me off guard. I didn’t really connect with the characters, and the chemistry between Catherine and Luca felt flat to me. Honestly, Luca’s character felt a bit underdeveloped.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing!

Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner
5 stars
Pub date: Oct 15, 2024

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

-found family
-magical realism
-opposites attract

Meet Catherine: rule-follower, type A, mathematician, overcompensating for a chaotic childhood with her free-spirited father. After recently getting her own apartment, and landing her dream job, her whole life as she knows it is in jeopardy when one day, her entire identity disappears from the system - including her Social Security Number, bank accounts, driver's license - it's as if she never existed at all. Catherine accepts help from her building's doorman, Luca, as he embarks on a rule-breaking adventure with her to secure an original copy of her birth certificate in order to prove her identity.

I devoured this in less than 24 hours. I'm a sucker for some magical realism, and this was different than anything I've read before! Her whole identity disappears and she has to figure out how to prove she is who she says she is?! While that situation would be so stressful in real life, it was really entertaining to read about!

I loved that Luca brought out the fun side of her, and was able to get her to relax and become a bit more carefree. The character development here was great, and I absolutely LOVED the found family aspect.

This was no-spice, and the romance does take a secondary role to the main story, so while it may not be for everyone, I loved it.


TW: absentee parent, loss of a loved one (grandparent, off-page)

3-3.5* Stars

This was a solid magical realism with a side of romance book, it was cute and the found family was done well. I just never felt truly connected to the characters to truly fall in love with this story. It is a well written and lovely book, it isn't much of a romance as that is not really the main part of the book. Its mostly about finding yourself and the people that you want to surround yourself with. If you're wanting a quick and sweet contemporary book this is great choice though!

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.