I always enjoy a fun romcom, especially one that has a unique or playful spin. Catherine, a studious and focused professor, loses her identity overnight and enlists the help of her free spirited neighbor, Luca, to get to the bottom of it and regain her life. While there were some fun aspects of the story (her father was a clown), I had trouble suspending disbelief with a lot of it. I also didn’t really think the romantic chemistry was well developed. Catherine and Luca didn’t really sizzle the way I like in a romcom. Something just felt off, and I think more time was invested in Catherine’s story than the romantic story at hand. I also found the ending to be a bit silly. While I didn’t absolutely love this, I do still think it had its positive points. Thanks NetGalley for an advanced copy of this ebook!

3.5 stars

My first book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. I forgot that it had magical realism, so the ending was cute, sweet and just perfect. It is light on the romance and more of a general fiction, focusing on Catherine trying to get her identity back. Helping her is the doorman in her new apartment building, Luca Morelli, who seems to be more than meets the eye. I enjoyed the residents in the building, the broken elevator and Luca's family members.

Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wish I Were Here is a cute romcom featuring some magical realism, but I agree with other reviewers who find the story a bit clunky. There were a few potholes that bugged me. An easy read, but wish it had been edited a bit better.

I am a fan of books by Melissa Wiesner. This book has several characters that are the age of my parents so I'm loving the "old people" vibe. This is a low steam romance that is sure to pull at your heart strings a little.

"I believe life is what you make it." He looks at me across the coffee table. "Maybe something seems like a disaster. But if you look deeper, maybe it's an opportunity. It's all about how you look at it."

I read Love and Other Things by @melissawiesnerauthor in August and fell in love with her writing. I highly recommend you read it if you haven’t yet.

I couldn’t wait to read Wish I Were Here and it exceeded all of my expectations. Melissa knows how to write leading ladies that you love to root for, that are a little bit odd but in the best ways, that you see a little bit of yourself in. I loved, LOVED Catherine. She’s definitely going on my list of top 5 characters of all time. I also loved Luca and his family too. I don’t want to give too much away but this story will keep you guessing until the very end and the themes of found family and finding yourself will feel like the best hug ever!

Really loved this one and it’s out today!

Thank you @readforeverpub and @netgalley for the early copy!

4.5 ⭐

After a chaotic childhood, Catherine treats her entire life like a math problem - she needs to have organization and a solution. Her parents had her very young and she doesn’t even know who her mother is while her dad is a semi professional clown who cannot hold down a job. One day, Cat verbalizes her desire to have no more responsibilities and just be someone else because she is always holding everything together for everyone. The day after this wish, it appears she doesn’t exist anymore - her SSN isn’t valid, her license isn’t in the system and she needs her real birth certificate to prover her identity. The issue is the only person who has it is her mom who she now needs to track down. In steps Luca, the unreliable but cute doorman of her building who runs around town with her and helps her track down her mom and her identity. Luca, is the opposite of order and responsibility and maybe exactly what Cat needs.

I loved the author’s first book and had high hopes for this one. This one had its cute moments but it also had plot holes and frustrated me at times and there were parts of the story that I felt didn’t get resolved (I won’t give anything away). While I really liked Luca I don’t feel that he had the depth I am looking for in a main character. I love magical realism but I don’t feel that the element here was ever fully fleshed out. There were great ideas here but it never quite got there for me. While Luca was adorable, and I thought the chase/mystery of her mother was fun and I loved the apartment building and its rich characters - I just needed a tighter story.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Forever Pub and NetGalley for the ARC to review

I thought I was reading a rom com and it turned into so much more. I am always a fan of found family. And this one was so well done. They just crept up on you. And Catherine really works at figuring out who she is and what she wants. And while these themes really took center stage when I was reading, there is a romance between Catherine and Luca. And one of my new favorite genres or maybe it’s a trope: magical realism. It plays such a small part to the plot, but it had me tear up at one point. It was like forgetting there was one more cookie left in the bag.

I will say it is only told from Catherine’s POV so Luca’s character is a little less fleshed out until the very end. But seriously with all those beautiful tattoos and scruff, I was intrigued to know more about him from the start.

I loved the opposites attract and grumpy sunshine aspect of the romance. Catherine is so precise in her plans, movements and life, while Luca appears willy nilly in all his choices. But as you can guess, the motives for their actions, slowly become apparent as we get to know the characters better. And while I am not usually a fan of a single POV in a romance, I liked how Catherine discovers more about Luca through all the people around them and how her perception of him changed as her life shifted. They had great chemistry and witty banter and I was rooting for them from the start.

And if you need any more enticement, the supporting characters are so quirky and loveable. A clown, a burlesque troop and a mafia family. They had me in stiches at times, but also had my heart grow with their love and support.

If you are looking for a heartwarming book with a side of swoony romance, this one needs to be on your tbr.

I really enjoyed this story! Catherine and Luca are complete opposites, yet throughout Catherine’s struggles to discover what happened to her identity, they find common ground. Catherine is a math professor who likes things a certain way and can come off as cold. Luca is the doorman at her apartment building who seems to slack on his duties.

Luca supports Catherine on her journey to learn more about her past and I love that he is always THERE, physically and emotionally. And it was nice to see Catherine’s character development throughout the story.

There are funny moments and frustrating ones. The side charters are quirky and kind. And I overall had a great time reading Wish I Were Here.

I adored reading another speculative romcom by Melissa Wiesner! Magical realism is one of my absolute favorite subgenres in romance and she does it so well.

Wish I Were Here was a quick and quirky story about what would happen if your identity was suddenly “lost” and how it would impact not only your day to day life but also how you determine what is truly important in life and what defines you.

I loved the juxtaposition of the silliness between Luca and Catherine’s characters and all their shenanigans throughout the book and the underlying message about the importance of living life to its fullest.

<Wish I Were Here is perfect for fans of Ashley Poston and Kate Robb, and anyone looking for a fun magical romp of a book!

DNF @ 24%. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of Wish I Were Here. I couldn't get into this story.

I really enjoyed reading Wish I Were Here. What a totally delightful story!
I fell in love with the characters….all their quirks and personalities just made me smile and laugh throughout the story. That’s not saying there weren’t moments of sadness and tears in my eyes…..this certainly happened too.
I loved the touch of magically realism throughout the story.
Wish I Were Here is a story about the journey of Catherine to “find herself.” Catherine is a follower of all rules and always has a to-do list she checks off religiously. When she meets free spirit Luca, things get a bit dicey.
All I can say is, I loved this story! Definitely a recommended must read…..if you are in the mood for a feel good read, here you go!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wish I Were Here is a beautiful and heartwarming story. With her unique style, Melissa creates a captivating story that perfectly combines drama, humor, and romance.
The protagonist, Catherine, is an organized and grounded person who, as a mathematics professor, is looking forward to a new teaching position. However, when a "glitch" in the system shows she's nobody, she embarks on a journey to find help. Along the way, she accepts the assistance of Luca, the unreliable doorman in her building, and discovers that he might not be as bad as she thought, and that things in her life might be different than she imagined.
I found the characters engaging, and the book was a fast read—I even stayed up late to finish it, despite knowing I'd feel like a zombie at work the next day. Melissa's storytelling and character development are truly remarkable. While I did predict some of the plot twists, I still found the story exciting. And that ending! It was beautiful and left me with teary eyes. Overall, it was a wonderful read, and I highly recommend it to others, and I hope more people give this book and this author a chance, you are in for a treat!

after having read Second Chance Year, I couldn't wait for Melissa's next book. Love her writing style and the way she draws in the reader. Also proud to say we are from the same hometown and I love to brag and recommend her books to my out of state friends.

3 ⭐️

This was a cute, heartfelt read with lots of cozy vibes! The magical realism was very interesting, but I also found it to be confusing at times. Although it all wrapped up clearly in the end, the timeline of things felt a bit clunky. I found Catherine to be very relatable with her type A personality. However, the way she looks down on others who are not like her (almost in a she's better than them way) was very off-putting. This was a fun read, especially after learning where the author got the inspiration for the story. I think it gives a very heartfelt message to all of us dealing with grief.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc 💓

The publisher has described this book as being for readers who are fans of Sophie Cousens and Ashley Poston, and you know what? They were exactly right! I like both of those authors and I really enjoyed reading this novel about Catherine’s journey with the help of her very charismatic doorman Luca. Melissa Wiesner did a great job of showing Catherine’s growth from straight as an arrow professor to a more open to anything lady who is drawn to someone who seems to be her complete opposite.

This novel had one of my favorite things that I usually only find in small town romances. A fun, quirky cast of characters. I think because a lot of the story involves the building that they live in that building became the small town and each of those residents were fun, funny, and just plain lovely. Of course, they were all geriatric, so no chance of a second book in the series about one of the other characters in the book, but they added such joy to the novel. It’s funny because in real life young people don’t seem to tolerate the aging generation but in the best romance novels some of those older folks become my favorite characters. There were quite a few in this book.

The romance between Catherine and Luca wasn’t without its frustrations, but the story is what pulled this book together and gave it the gravitas needed to feel complete. The romance was just kind of a side note so please don’t think this is going to be a steamy novel. It’s not, but Catherine and Luca do provide enough sizzle to bring a romantic feel to the pages. That part of the story in my eyes isn’t the most important it was the sense of family and feeling like you belong that struck home for me. I liked this novel and hope this author will continue to write and give us a second book to look forward to!

This pains me because I adored The Second Chance Year, so I was excited about this one with the sweetest cover, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The romance was barely there, the magical aspects seemed like an afterthought, and it was a bit of a struggle to finish due to the lack of connection I felt to the characters. I’ll still keep an eye out for more of her work though.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, sweet and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

I thought this was okay. The romance between the characters felt a bit boring and I didn’t really care much for the fmc 👀

I had a hard time connecting to the characters & the plot in general. There were some cute moments and the magical element was a nice touch but overall, this didn’t really wow me 😅

🧮 This book was interesting. It wasn’t really like anything I’ve read before but it really peaked my interest

There’s something about Melissa’s writing and her general themes of magic realisms. They’re just so good. It has the right amount of magic. Not too much and not too little. This is the second book I read by this author and I really enjoyed the way she writes things

I felt like there was a bit of repetitions at some point but I figured it was just to get the plot to come together finally. The plot was eccentric and the characters are quirky. I loved that there was a lot of old people and that they were friends with the younger people. I personally love old people. I really liked how they would tease them, make them feel good and give great advice. Makes me miss my folks back home🥹

I liked that the book was a projection of Catherine figuring out who she really is outside her VERY organized life and her career. How life was testing her when things really fell apart, how she’d react and who she chose to be. Aside from that too, I enjoyed watching Luca and Catherine go on this journey together and having his support, I know meant the world to her, because it would to me as well

I also really liked that they were both really mature with handling things. I mean obviously she’s going to panic and get mad because her life is falling apart and there’s nothing she could do about it right away, but they were both so calm and collected trying to figure things out. His unwavering support and encouragement was very endearing. I like how she still had her shit together even after everything. I like me a strong independent woman💗

Imagine if Ashley Poston and Melissa Wiesner wrote a book or if their books met somewhere in the middle, omg that would be mind blowing. That would be a book I wouldn’t want to miss out on

Really great book. Please read it🤍

✨ HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO WISH I WERE HERE ✨

Thank you @netgalley & @melissawiesnerauthor for this ARC!

4 ⭐️

In this beautiful story we get to met Catherine aka Kitty Cat. Growing up, she always moved around and never had stability, so she made sure that once she was an adult she was going to have control over everything.
Until she meets Luca aka Elbow and her life turns upside down. He’s carefree, lives in the moment and does not care about being on time or having a schedule.

She’s about to land her dream job, until suddenly her whole identity disappears. What?!?

Not being in control sometimes is what we need. Sometimes we need to live the moment and look to our lives through different lenses.

Let’s not be so focused on tomorrow’s problem, that we forget to enjoy today’s blessings.

This beauty is out NOW! Go read it 💙