Thank you NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Melissa Wiesner for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wish I Were Here is a story about Catherine. She has spent all her life being the responsible one and trying to inspire her father to step up in his adulting. Catherine has finally landed her dream job, her first apartment on her own and is enjoying the organization and clutter free living. The apartment seems to come with some quirks like the residents and doorman but she simply starts budgeting in more contingency time into her schedule.

However, even showing up 2hrs early to her orientation can prepare her when she finds out there were issues with her paperwork - there is no record of her in state and government records.

The last person Catherine would think would step up to help her is Luca, the charismatic but seemingly irresponsible doorman at her new building. Luca, his extensive family and community of friends become invested in helping Catherine solve her lost identity issue.

Closed door. Magic-ish?. Community/found family. Charismatic guy and by-the-book girl.

This was a cute novel, however it wasn’t as romance feeling as I wish it had been. Self discovery was definitely covered and appreciated but I just wanted more. This novel also took me a bit to get into as it was sort of confusing at the beginning. I really did enjoy the characters but felt the confusion I initially felt took away from my real enjoyment of the novel. I’m sure however some will absolutely love this one

I enjoyed the concept of this book - it was unlike anything I had ever read before! I enjoyed the notes of magical realism involved in the book and how it blended mystery with a bit of romance. Luca and Catherine were engaging characters but what really made the book shine was the supporting cast. I enjoyed reading about the tenants of the DeGreco as well as Catherine's dad and his fellow circus performers. While not all of the plot points resonated with me, this was a quick, cozy read and I will definitely be checking out this author's other book.

I really enjoyed The Second Chance year and was so excited to receive this ARC of Wish I Were Here!

Catherine Lipton is a hyper organized, type A, brainiac math professor whose life is finally going her way. She moves into a sleepy apartment building that she thinks will be a quiet place for her to live her life. When she meets the doorman Luca who connects her to the buildings geriatric residents. As Catherine and Luca work together to solve the mystery of her suddenly missing identity documents she ends up uncovering more about her history and herself than she expected.

This book started so strong for me, but ended up leaving me wanting. The tension and chemistry between Catherine and Luca at the start had me kicking my feet, but I don't feel like they had any spark once they actually got together. The magical realism element of the book felt like an afterthought. I really didn't pick up on it till the last 15-20% of the book and overall it felt lazy. It wasn't central enough to the plot to feel like it did anything for the storyline. The ending of the book overall felt rushed, the two major conflicts in the story had a resolution that felt really unsatisfying as a reader.

I read Second Chance Year by this author and it was good. She reminds me of Sophie Cousins or Rebecca Serle with cute, feel good books with just a touch of magical realism.

Catherine is so very organized, driven, and yes, uptight. So unlike her literal clown father. And Luca is so easygoing and basically the opposite of Catherine.

Catherine finds her true self and her priorities through a hardship. Filled with self discovery, found family, and community, with a touch of romance and a hint of magical realism.

It was cute and sweet with good messaging, but overall was a bit too safe and very obvious. One of the bigger “twists” (if you can call it that in this type of book) I knew from the very beginning. But it was still a nice lighthearted read.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was sweet and utterly charming. I enjoyed Wiesner's style, her characters were lovely and their development was so well done.

Overall this was a cute read and I enjoyed it from start to finish.

4.5/5
Thank you @melissawiesner for including me in your street team! I am honored to be a part of it!

This is my second book by the lovely Melissa Wiesner and I have loved them both! This was such a delightful opposites attract romance! In this story we get to know the main character Catherine who is very type A. She was raised solely by her father who was a bit of disorganized yet fun figure in her life who made his living as a clown. Yes, a clown. 🤡 She feels she needs to overcompensate in the other direction so nothing is out of order in her life. Until she gets a job and her paperwork is rejected. Feeling it’s odd she goes to the social security office to straighten things out and while she is there she realizes she isn’t who she thinks she is. In fact, she doesn’t exist at all! 😳 This is what kicks off her hunt into her past, just who and where her mother may be, and why her dad is being so standoffish when it comes to answering questions. She is determined and creative and refuses to stop until she knows just who she really is!

I was immediately swept away into this story. Catherine was an easy to like character to like with her quirkiness and I found myself truly feeling bad for her. Not knowing her history tugged at my heart strings but I felt like Luca, the ultimate love interest in this book was the perfect balance for her. And how fun is it that her dad was a clown? I got a kick out of that! Ooh and I can’t forget the Uncle! What a hilarious and fun side character. 😂 I loved how this ending came together and the explanation behind her father’s behavior. I don’t want to spoil anything but I did find one important character that was introduced so frustrating but understood Catherine’s want to try to continue that relationship. Pssssht. If were me I would have kicked her to the curb! 😂 Anyway, if you love Hallmark movies, love relatable characters and love a sweet dad just trying to make ends meet, you’ll love this one!

4.5⭐️

Omg I just love her books! This is the 2nd book I’ve read by Melissa Wiesner & I have more on my TBR!

Catherine is a so excited to start her new job as a math professor, something she has worked so hard for, but everything gets turned upside down when she doesn’t exist anymore (well at least in the government’s system). With the help of her buildings doorman, Luca, they go on a journey to get Catherine’s identity back! They have some fun times, scary times, law breaking times & some real talks while on this journey.

This book has self discovery & a little romance, with some magic sprinkled in ✨ & I enjoyed every second of it! I even shed some tears at the end! I loved watching Catherine navigate everything with Luca, & I really enjoyed watching their relationship blossom. The difference in personalities was so cute to read about. Luca was such a sweet guy & I loved learning more about him as the book went on. Goes to show you that you never really know what a person is up to!❤️ and watching Catherine discover what she really wanted in life was amazing to read! There were so many good messages, things to remember & quotes in this book!

I would definitely recommend adding it to your TBR & reading it when it comes out!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing & Melissa Wiesner for the eARC of this book!

Thank you Forever and Melissa Wiesner for my #gifted copy of Wish I Were Here! #WishIWereHere #readforeverpub2024 #melissawiesner #readforeverpub

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐈 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐖𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐫
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟱★

Melissa Wiesner is my go-to author for magical realism! I loved everything about this book from start to finish. Wiesner creates the most amazing characters in her books, and I not only fell in love with Catherine and Luca in Wish I Were Here, but I adored the side characters. With that said, the found family in this book just might have been one of my favorite elements. There’s just something so important to me about the found family aspect of this book, and it felt so important to Catherine and where she was in her life.

Luca was seriously my favorite. From the very start of this book, I knew I was going to love him. He was the complete opposite of Catherine, but he was such a sweet and caring person and I just loved his character. I loved his family and their Italian connections and how he was willing to do anything to help Catherine (and anyone for that matter).

I felt like the book was fast paced and I was so engaged the entire time. There were times where I laughed and times where I was on the verge of tears. The ending was pure perfection. I am so glad I discovered Melissa Wiesner, because I cannot imagine a world without her books!

“Maybe something seems like a disaster. But if you look deeper, maybe it’s an opportunity.”

✨Moonstar and Elbow
✨Opposites Attract
✨A Tough of Magic
✨STEM Heroine
✨Found Family
✨Closed Door Romance
✨Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
✨Self-Discovery
✨Perfect for Fans of Ashley Poston

Posted on Goodreads on October 4, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
Mini Review posted on Instagram on September 11, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around October 15, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on October 15, 2024
**-will post on designated date

Honestly this felt really misleading and was kind of boring. I expected some silly mystery about her identity being stolen and instead got taken on what felt like a bullshit spiritual journey to figure out who she really was as a person. It really felt The Midnight Library adjacent but a lot slower and with a lot more droning and I actually hated it quite a bit. She was a stuck up type A and Luca ... had tattoos. That's all I retained.

That was beautiful! I was scared it wasn’t going to end the way I wanted, but it ended just how I pictured and more 😭 I am actually crying right now

This wonderful story had me laughing, crying, and feeling all the feelings throughout the entire story. I enjoyed this story so much more than I ever anticipated. With a little bit of magic, friendship & found family it hit every mark for me. I fell in love with Luca and his whimsical ways and loved enjoyed watching Catherine find herself throughout the story. I loved the connection with older characters in this story and the relationships. Overall it was a 5 star read for me.

3.5 stars - Catherine Lipton is a rule follower, organized, always early, and absolutely exists! Or at least she did, until the HR department for the university rejects her new hire paperwork because there's no record of her in any government systems. With no credit cards and no ID, losing her new position is a fast becoming a reality and leaves Catherine scrambling for ideas on how to prove to someone that she's a real person. Enter Luca Morelli, her building's attractive, charismatic, and frustrating doorman, and the only person who offers to help Catherine try and get her life back.

A bit different from your usual romance, I loved that this story focused on Catherine and her journey to 'find herself' in more ways than one. Luca is such an easy character to love - from his interactions with the building's elderly tenants, to his multitude of familial connections, we see that he's thoughtful and kind, but with a playful side that brings out a similar lightheartedness in Catherine. He's good for her and helps her see the world in a different way. Wish I Were Here is infused with the same magical realism that I loved from The Second Chance Year, making it another wonderfully heartwarming novel.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a light hearted fun read with a magical/ supernatural twist. As a list lover who likes things organised and stresses at chaos I found Catherine relatable. Luca was a great male lead and his care for the people around him and Catherine was lovely to see. I liked the journey Catherine went on, with all the mini adventures on the way and I think the realisations and balance that came from her temporary loss of identity were perfect. Overall 3🌟

Thanks to Forever for the gifted copy of this book!

WISH I WERE HERE highlights Melissa's ability to write a light and fun romance book that actually also deals with some deeper issues really well. I had such an enjoyable time reading this book as our straight-laced PhD mathematician FMC switches pants with an old lady, is totally embarrased by her juggling dad, and slowly finds out she doesn't exist in any government identification systems. At the same time, she falls in love with a man who's part of a very large Italian family, seems to have connections EVERYWHERE, and is covered in tattoos in a swoony romance storyline, and also searches for her mother and tries to get her job back in an emotional storyline. There's just a little bit of everything, and it all comes together so well!

Read this if you:
- like tattooed MMCs
- grew up in Pittsburgh
- have a large Italian family
- appreciate women in STEM
- like endearing elderly characters

I am not usually a huge rom-com fan, (though I love a good Hallmark movie to be able to disconnect and always have a happy ending) but this book was a great read, and a break from the normal plots of other rom-coms. It was not as cut and dried as one may have expected. I loved the character development of Catherine from the beginning of the story until the end, as she didn't fully give up her unique personality traits (quirks?) but instead learned to embrace the scenes of chaos in her life that actually shaped her, without her realizing it until she moved for her new job. Luca was a fun, loveable character and I liked how the author let his backstory unfold naturally as if to give Catherine another means of seeing her world and those around her in a new light. Would definitely recommend!

4.5 stars rounded up. I’m such a sucker for a heartwarming community as its own secondary character in a novel. This book has one that really formed the heart of the story, and I adored that about it.

Catherine has a multicolored, vibrant background from crown up with her actual clown father, and much to that opposite (and as a consequence of that instability) she’s living a very rigid adult life that she’s convinced works best for her. As someone who thrives with a routine and structure, I can’t imagine what an upheaval having my entire identity record would cause for me. For Catherine, it forces her to open up her network—thanks in large part to Luca—and break out of her comfort zone to find everything she needs to get it back.

Luca is absolutely wonderful. It is obvious he’s meant to come across as irresponsible and a bit flaky, someone who doesn’t take anything too serious, but it’s also completely clear he has a massive heart. He’s charming, he’s kind, he’s helpful. He is just a genuinely decent man. His interactions with everyone are so endearing. He is someone who really sees people beyond the surface level. The way he consistently shows up for Catherine and tries his best to help her get her life back while also showing her everything she already/still has and could have was so lovely.

The whole cast of secondary characters, from Luca’s large family to the building residents to the people from Catherine’s childhood, all provide so much added depth and richness to the story. They are just as vital to Catherine’s whole experience as Luca is.

The magical realism is smaller in this book than in Second Chance Year, only in the sense that this could happen without any cosmic or other interference, but it’s just as well done and so sweet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cutest read!

After Catherine Lipton’s identity mysteriously disappears from the government’s system, she enlists the help of her charming (albeit seemingly irresponsible) tattooed doorman, eccentric father, elderly neighbors, and maybe the local mafia to help her find it and save her dream job.

Wish I Were Here was a charming read about the magic and power of self-discovery. It was fast-paced & sweet, with likable characters and just a hint of magical realism ✨

Thank you to NetGalley & Forever for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This romance didn’t blow me away by any means, but it was undeniably sweet and enjoyable! The story itself is what really hooked me—the magical elements were subtle and super fun, with everything coming together full circle into the most precious ending!

After a very promising career opportunity, Catherine Lipton’s life takes a wild turn when she mysteriously disappears from all government databases. Desperate to retrieve her birth certificate from the mother she’s never met, Catherine steps into a whimsical adventure filled with silly detours that challenge her rule-following nature in the best possible way!

Joining her is Luca Morelli, her infuriatingly handsome and charismatic doorman. And from the very start, I adored this ray of sunshine. There’s a sweet and heartwarming mystery behind his quirky tendencies, and I loved how he disrupts Catherine’s carefully controlled world, helping her realize her life is filled with people who genuinely care about her!

I received an early review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Catherine Lipton is just trying to make her way in the world. Finally moved out on her own and with a dream professorship lined up, she is ready to finally live her life. But when her meeting with the department head is derailed by the doorman of her building, things just fall apart (or together?) from there. Mysteriously losing her identity after discovering her social security number is a fake, Catherine goes on an adventure with her doorman, who seems to do anything but be the doorman at the building, to uncover why her SSN is fake.

This was a cute book. Some magical sprinkles in there, a little mystery. I do wish the big secret behind her fake SSN was more dramatic, but overall I wanted to know more and be with these characters