The only way to describe this book is that while it was a technically a romance, it was completely watered down. It definitely had promise for me- I liked the premise and the main characters were appealing overall. But the romance factor was almost nothing. It’s one thing to have a closed door, but literally all of the lead up was left out as well. The chemistry between the characters wasn’t much anyway and the main female character got pretty whiny near the end. Not to mention incredibly naive. The weirdest part for me was the last minute supernatural element. Just why?

Wish I Were Here is a delightful, heartwarming tale that blends romance with a journey of self-discovery. Wiesner crafts a beautifully layered romance that fans of Sophie Cousens and Josie Silver will adore, with a reminder that sometimes losing control is the only way to truly find yourself. Perfect for anyone seeking a feel-good, charming read with depth and warmth.

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have you ever heard the reference "pudding face grin" ?

If so, that's what I was wearing, the ENTIRE time I read Wish I Were Here.

Catherine and Luca

(Insert the cute little hearts right here)

This book is swoon worthy and I was all about it. Melissa Wiesner, knocked this one out of the park.

Check out this teaser :

In this witty and charming love story perfect for fans of Sophie Cousens, Ashley Poston, and Josie Silver, a buttoned-up math professor is forced to rely on her carefree doorman when her identity mysteriously disappears.

Catherine Lipton carefully calculates everything, and not just because she’s a math professor. She had a chaotic childhood growing up with a free-spirited single dad. So now, from her daily to-dos to her afternoon snacks, Catherine has a plan for it all. But sometimes she wishes she could be someone else, someone with a totally different life. Until suddenly her entire identity—from her Social Security number to her driver’s license to her academic record—mysteriously disappears. There’s no evidence Catherine Lipton ever existed.

With no ID and no other options, Catherine reluctantly accepts help from her exasperatingly laid-back—and infuriatingly attractive—doorman, Luca Morelli. Before long, by-the-books Catherine finds herself bending all the rules with the charismatic Luca—from taking meetings in smoky bars to breaking into hospital record rooms—and having a surprising amount of fun. As Catherine unravels the truth behind her identity’s disappearance, she may discover that the real Catherine has been missing for a lot longer than she realized.

"𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺."


What would you do if one day, all of a sudden, all of your information doesn't exist anymore (and you're inexplicably accused or forging your own driver's license)?

I really loved this book, despite how long it took me to read - unfortunately this book found me while in the midst of a reading slump 🙈

This is my 2nd Melissa Wiesner book and I absolutely adore her elements of magical realism. It's just enough where it could actually be possible, you know?

🍬 Magical Realism
🏢 Opposites Attract
🍬 Found Family
🏢 Family Drama
🍬 Lost Identity
🏢 All the Senior Citizens 😅
🍬 University Professor / Doorman

Thank you to @readforeverpub, @grandcentralpub and @netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for my review!
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I was in need of something lighter to pick up recently, so this book seemed like a perfect fit. The cover makes it seem like it will be a cute contemporary romance, and while there is a romantic storyline, like Weisner’s last book, The Second Chance Year, this book is more a story of self-discovery with a romance on the side.

I really wanted to love this book, but it ended up being just fine. I liked the story better than the writing, which, unfortunately, ended up taking me out of the story. The writing felt overly simplistic, especially when it came to the main character. I felt like the author did way more telling than showing when it came to the main character’s personality. At times it felt like she was banging us over the head with what seemed to be her only personality trait (being rigid and uptight).

The story itself did have potential, and I didn’t hate the book, but it ended up leaving me wanting more. I didn’t really feel sucked in or connected with the characters. It was just okay.

I love Melissa Wiesner with my whole heart and she can do no wrong in my eyes!!!! Her missing identity was frustrating in the best way possible. I loved how the romance took a bit of a backseat in this one.

This was a wonderful contemporary romance novel, with a little paranormal twist! I don't want to say too much about the plot, for fear of spoiling it, but I will say that I thought it was an interesting premise, and I liked how it played out. The characters, from the main character to her family and friends, were all great. My favorite character was her LI, Luca! Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this novel to anyone who thinks it sounds good! (And sidenote? I love this cover, it's really pretty!)

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I became a true fan of this author after reading, The Second Chance Year, and this book did not disappoint in the slightest!

Catherine is such an interesting character; her childhood made her put up such walls, and she was just intense with her type-A identity until in one night it all disappears. Is it something that she wants back or is she able to embrace the mess and live freely?

The characters are all entirely interesting, the magical realism of the story is incredibly well done, and the heart of the story - loving your neighbors, accepting found family, realizing there is room for both control and chaos when it comes down to it. It was all just so incredibly beautiful and well done.

I enjoyed this one! I went into it expecting a romance novel, which it was, but it was mostly about self discovery. Even though this wasn’t what I was expecting, I really enjoyed it and all the characters.

3.5 ⭐️ read - this was the perfect blend of magical, romantic and a touch of mystery. It took me a few chapters to get into the storyline but once I did I really enjoyed learning more about Catherine and was invested in her journey. I loved all of the funny characters we met along the way of Cat trying to get her identity back and this was overall such a sweet story.

✨ Official Rating: 3.5/5
<i> Wish I Were Here </i> by Melissa Wiesner is a refreshing romance with a unique premise that immediately drew me in. The story’s focus on two characters finding themselves—and each other—while navigating past wounds feels authentic and deeply moving. Wiesner has a gift for creating characters that resonate; they’re layered, relatable, and very human, which makes the romance that much more rewarding to watch unfold. The chemistry between the protagonists is undeniable, building naturally with moments of vulnerability and shared humor. It’s a slow burn, but one that feels earned and true to the characters’ journeys. That being said, <i> Wish I Were Here </i> felt more like a fiction novel than a romance novel, but that didn't have as much of a negative impact as it usually would (oh my gosh am I growing as a reader?!)

While I loved the setup and was captivated by the emotional depth, I was expecting a bit more of a magical touch based on the cover and the description. Although there are subtle whimsical elements, I went into this anticipating something a bit more mystical. Nonetheless, *Wish I Were Here* delivers a heartfelt, beautifully written romance that focuses on healing and connection, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a unique take on the mistaken identity trope!

2.5 stars.

Catherine's organized life becomes chaos there’s no evidence she exists at all in social security, her new place of employment, etc. She can only get help from her apartment doorman Luca who is carefree and cute. The story is part self discovery and part romance.

This story didn't do much for me. Luca has no personality and I didn't really care about either of the main characters. I felt for Catherine and her struggles but the story was different than I anticipated.

Thank you to Forever(Grand Central Publishing) for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

My rating 3.5⭐️

I have loved all of Melissa Wiesner's book I've read so far. I thought this one was cute too! The characters and the plot were very interesting and who doesn't love a touch of magical realism?!
I don't know that I would classify this story as a romance, it seemed to be more on the lines of a journey of self discovery and growth. Watching a character who is overworked and stressed find balance and contentment within her community was refreshing to see.
I felt the chemistry between Catherine and Luca was a bit lackluster, but I did enjoy their friendship.
Overall, it was a cute read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ebook.

Katherine has finally landed her dream job as a professor of mathematics. But with school just a couple of weeks away from starting, it's discovered there's a problem with her paperwork. As in, Katherine Lipton doesn't seem to exist. Her birth certificate, social security card, ID, it's like she's been erased from the system. With the help of her apartment building's charming doorman, Katherine scrambles to get her identity back. Along the way, she confronts some long-held resentments about her childhood, and potentially begins to see that maybe losing yourself a little can actually help you find out who you are.

I really enjoyed Melissa Weisner's previous book Second Chance Year. Based on that, I knew I would be picking up Wish I Were Here. I like that it follows in the same vein as that previous book with the slight case of magicality to it that upends our protagonist's life and we, as readers, are along for the journey.

While the idea of suddenly ceasing to seemingly exist seems implausible in the extreme, the story definitely gave me a sense of unease at how much in Katherine's life was effected. But then, in essence, it kind of shows how precarious everything really is, and highlights those people who show up for you and stick around when things get tough.

Looking back at the story after finishing, this doesn't seem like the surprise that it turned out to be, but I think Melissa Weisner did a great job of framing the narrative of the story to the point where you don't consider it in those terms until closer to the end because the rush of Katherine's deadline is looming ever present. If she doesn't figure this out, she loses her job and her sense of stability. This gives her an opportunity to reflect which is something she hasn't been able to do because she's been on this track for success from a young age when she had to be the responsible one in her household where her single father was more of the free-wheeling type.

I appreciated the juxtaposition between Katherine's father and Luca, the aforementioned charming doorman. On the surface they both seem like people who don't take things too seriously, which leads to this sense of not being stable, not being able to count on them. This might be slightly true for Katherine's father. Although he does love her, and provided a home for her, that home was always in threat of being lost when he couldn't keep a job instead feeling like going to Burning Man was more worth-while. Luca may present similarly, but as he sticks by Katherine's side throughout she begins to see that her assumptions weren't always correct.

Despite loving the interactions between Luca and Katherine, the highlight was seeing Katherine, so tightly wound and tied to her schedule, become a little looser. It was not only being a stickler for the rules, it was following the rules to a T, sometimes to the detriment of her own ideas. Not wanting to rock the boat and advocate for herself, she would never speak out in fear that she would lose, in this case, her job. Over the course of losing her identity and gaining a slight freedom in ceasing to existing, Katherine is able to truly figure out who she is, and conversely who she wants to be. I appreciated that Katherine's story wasn't lost in the romance.

Melissa Weisner is quickly becoming an author whose releases I look forward to. In particular, I'm very interested to see what kind of magic she'll imbue within her next book that merges seamlessly with real-time conflicts.

Be careful for what you wish for because it could come true.

With a bit of magical realism, Wish I Were Here is an opposites attract romance between Catherine Lipton, a very type-A mathematician, and Luca Morelli, the carefree doorman of her apartment building. When her identity goes missing, not like in a fraud situation, but that she isn't found in any databases, Luca stops at nothing to help Catherine find a solution.

I really loved Melissa Wiesner's previous novel, The Second Chance Year, and I was excited to read this one. Alas, Wish I Were Here fell short for me. I found the character of Catherine very annoying and whiny. I'm a type A person in many situations so maybe I'm just reflecting back on the personality traits I don't like in myself, who knows. She didn't seem grateful for the help she was getting from Luca and those around him. The secondary characters and Luca were more interesting than Catherine, who we spend the majority of the novel with. Regardless it was a breezy novel that is perfect for my election hazed mind. It was a nice escape from reality. I did find part of it predicable, but that didn't bother me.

Although Wish I Were Here wasn't my favorite, I'll still read whatever Melissa Wiesner comes out with next. I really enjoy her writing overall.

Thank you to Forever via Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

I honestly had a hard time falling into this book. The main character, Catherine, is pretty rude for a majority of the beginning of the book. Yes, she's had a difficult life with an unstable dad, and her coping mechanism has been to be very regimented about everything, but is that enough to make us want to hang with her for so long as she's mean to the nice people around her? Her building's doorman, Luca, always offers her help, and Cat is unkind to him. I actually am not sure what Luca sees in her. Cat isn't the only character who is mean though, and that is where I get exasperated with the book. Cat initially is hired at a university, and her boss calls her a "brilliant mathematician" who he's excited to work with. Then all of a sudden, when some of her paperwork doesn't check out, he threatens to fire her. People who have no reason to be suspicious of Cat are. This is when we get the big news that Cat's mother has her real birth certificate, and her father has been having her use fake documents her whole life. Honestly, everyone is ridiculous in this book. The best character is Luca. He is funny, kind, and way too understanding. He goes out of his way (literally) for everyone. I wish I could understand what he sees in Cat, but the author just doesn't set us up to like her.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this review in exchange for an honest review.

This book was delightful! Catherine and Luca were great foils to each other. Catherine’s personality traits were a combination that could easily lead to a frustrating/annoying FMC but I didn’t feel that in this book. There are some concepts that can easily turn ridiculous or rote (circus performers, mafia), but it never crossed that line for me. All the characters are so real and the story was a perfectly cozy read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Wish I were here
By Melissa Wiesner

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was an adorable romance with hints of magic throughout. I loved all the secondary characters and how they interacted with Luca and Catherine as they tried to resolve the issue of Kitty Cat’s missing digital identity. Uncle Vito had me smiling in every scene and by the end Andy had me crying.

This is a sweet, quick read for anyone who loves Ashley Poston or Josie Silver.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

From the cover and the blurb I was expecting this to be more of a romance, but it really was women's fiction with a romantic sub-plot. That is fine and dandy but it should be marked that way.

I can not recommend this book to you, especially with it listed as romance & scifi/fantasy.

The scifi/fantasy element is ghosts, but I don't really think that makes this a fantasy read at all. There are like 2 ghosts mentioned throughout the book and they are very much not the focus. The world itself has nothing fantastical going on.

The romance is well, nonexistent on the page too. There is no real chemistry there, and honestly all the characters are just obnoxious and flat.

At <10% through, I wanted to give up because Luca was so crappy and annoying. It was obvious that Catherine was stressed and what does he do? Purposefully drive under the speed limit to get under her skin when she missed the bus because of him. Like what???

The message of this book is to live life and remember people are more important than a job. Awesome, however, I don't think a literal clown dad that gave our main character severe anxiety & trauma from the lack of stability in her childhood should be a shining example here.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing an eARC of Wish I Were Here in exchange for an honest review.