Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and of course, Portia MacIntosh, for an eARC of Wish You Weren’t Here in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️
 
✔️ Fake Dating
✔️ Second Chance
✔️ Vacation/Holiday
✔️ Black Sheep of the Family FMC
 
When the opportunity arises not to spend Valentines Day alone and instead spend it with a virtual stranger, one she just met at work hours prior, Lana says yes. It ended up being the first yes (of many to come) for the night when Lana and Ethan decide to play a game - in which anything anyone asks or offers them - they have to say yes. After the most chaotic and best night together, Lana decides it’s best to keep her distance from Ethan. However, this won’t be the last of their encounters.

As it happens, Lana’s “perfect” sister is getting married, which means her family has concerns … about Lana’s behavior. She’s been instructed with a do and don’t list and to be on her absolute best behavior. Lana can do that, so long as she brings along a date that won’t be on their best behavior. Looking for the perfect guy, Lana embarks on finding the “best” horrible date. Little does she know that her and Ethan’s paths will cross again, at the perfect timing. Ethan agrees to play his her rules, but once there will he continue to play by her rules or will he play by his own?

For me personally, I really related to Lana’s character. Being in your later 20s and getting closer to your 30s, was not a fun time, or at least it wasn’t for me. 30 is a staple age, one that both people and society put a lot of pressure on. Lana is the blueprint of someone who is trying and struggling to piece all the aspects of her life together – dating, partying, living situations, friends, working a job where she isn’t appreciated. Lana is a fresh breath of air as a reminder that it’s okay not to have everything all figured out by society’s standards. Everyone has their own timeline and it’ll all work out how it’s supposed too. ALSO, while we’re on the topic of relatability, glad to see I’m not the only one going on horrible dates from dating apps!!! 😂

There were a few things that were not my cup of tea for this book:

1. The family subplot: I thought this just needed more/ underdeveloped? I would’ve liked to see more development between Lana and her family – I suppose you could say things were mending, but she never got that moment of her sticking up for herself. If anything the only family member that kind of won me over was Chester.

2. Love triangle drama.

3. Not necessarily a problem, but would’ve loved to see an epilogue to tie things together more!

This was my first read by Portia MacIntosh, and I’m excited to check out more of Portia’s work!

Wish You Weren't Here was such a fun read! Lana's quest to find a date for her sister's wedding is interesting to say the least. Enter Ethan. Whenever they are together, chaos tends to ensue and it made for a hilarious read! Highly recommend!

If you’re a fan of laugh-out-loud romantic comedies with a side of chaos, Portia MacIntosh’s latest novel, "Wish You Weren’t Here" might just be for your. Set against the backdrop of a glamorous Australian destination wedding (with plenty of drama along the way), this book delivers a delightful mix of humor, family drama, and closed-door romance.

FMC Lana's younger, “perfect” half-sister is getting married—on Lana’s 30th birthday, no less. To top it off, her posh family has set rules for Lana to ensure she doesn’t “upstage” the bride. But Lana isn’t one to play by the rules. Armed with her too-sexy dress, she’s determined to bring the most inappropriate wedding date she can find. Enter Ethan, her charming and chaos-prone ex. Together, they plan to wreak havoc, but Ethan seems to have his own agenda--and so do several others at the wedding.

Lana is a relatable protagonist for those of us who enjoyed our 20s: emotional, impulsive, and trying to find her footing in a world where she doesn’t quite fit. It's enjoyable to see her grow and her relationship with Ethan change from just chemistry to something more. Their chaotic misadventures serve as a reminder that it’s OK to be imperfect and that the best relationships—romantic or familial—are built on authenticity.

"Wish You Weren’t Here" is perfect for fans of second-chance romances, fake-dating antics, and protagonists who learn to embrace their quirks. With its blend of humor, heart, and swoon-worthy romance, this book is sure to leave you smiling long after you’ve turned the final page. If you love books by Sophie Kinsella, Beth O’Leary, or Emily Henry, you’ll find a lot to enjoy here.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

🏖🇦🇺 WISH YOU WEREN'T HERE by Portia Macintosh 🇦🇺🏖
Genre: Rom-Com
Length: 292 pages
Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2025
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the e-ARC of this book. The opinions stated here are solely my own.

Synopsis:
Lana is feeling pretty low. She's working a job where she isn't appreciated, she has had a rough dating patch, and her younger sister is getting married destination-style across the world in Australia... on Lana's 30th birthday, no less. She is desperate to find a plus-one for the big event with her very elitist and posh family (she isn't like them). Along comes Ethan, a chance date that goes absolutely PERFECTLY, but ends with a crazy disaster. She is so drawn to him and thinks their wild dumpster fire of history might be JUST the answer to giving the proverbial middle finger to the family in Australia. But what happens when this fake dating plot begins to elicit real feelings??

Opinion:
This book was so funny and such a great romantic adventure! This is my 3rd read by Portia Macintosh and I am now 100% going to read her entire backlist. She knows how to add the perfect amount of humor, current pop culture reference, and setting to make every rom-com an absolute joy to read! Lana was such a lovable main character, and I found myself cheering Ethan on the whole book. Read especially if you love a fake dating trope and lots of hilarious and disastrous dating adventures!

I love Portia's books! They are frothy, fun, banter-filled and evoke being on a holiday even in the dead of winter!

Such an entertaining fun read!
Light-hearted & funny take on single life, family, exes, and finding strength in being authentic. I really sped through this feeling cheered up and absorbed

Lana is such a fantastic character! Her journey is filled with humor, heart, and a lot of unexpected twists. I found myself rooting for her from the very beginning. She's relatable, funny, and her growth throughout the story is truly inspiring.

The island setting is described so vividly that I felt like I was right there with Lana, experiencing all the quirky local culture and beautiful scenery. The way MacIntosh captures the essence of the island life made me want to pack my bags and go on an adventure of my own.

The story is a perfect mix of laugh-out-loud moments and heartfelt scenes. Lana's interactions with the other characters are so genuine and entertaining, especially the romantic subplot that adds just the right amount of sweetness to the story.

If you're looking for a feel-good read that will make you laugh, swoon, and maybe even shed a tear, "Wish You Weren't Here" is a must-read. Highly recommend! 🌴❤️📚

Lana has had enough. Her ‘perfect’ sister is getting married. In Australia. On Lana’s 30th birthday and no one seems to have noticed. To make matters worse, she’s been given a list of rules she must follow so she doesn’t upstage the bride. Well, rules are meant to be bent right?

She’s found a killer dress, now she just needs the most inappropriate wedding date she can find. But where to start? All her attempts at online dating are simply disasters, and not in the right way! Too boring/married/easily intimidated! But then her drop dead gorgeous ex Ethan suddenly reappears in her life. With the power to make her dizzy with excitement she reminds herself why they broke up. Together they literally attracted chaos until their relationship imploded. They couldn’t make it work. But could Lana make this work in her favour… just for the wedding?

However, when they arrive in Australia Ethan seems to have forgotten he’s only there to help cause bedlam. Instead he’s off the charts charming, nothing like she remembers and not playing by her rules. She’s here for revenge, not a rekindled holiday romance…but Ethan has other ideas!

Loved it. Will recommend to others.

This is possibly my favorite Portia MacIntosh book I've ever read and I've read a lot of them!! Lana and Ethan were SO MUCH FUN! And Lana's family! Ugh I wanted to hurt them! But I loved all of the quirky craziness that happened around Lana and Ethan and they are just so cute together!! I highly recommend and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy when it's released in early January 2025! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!

I received an ARC copy of this book, it's the first Portia Macintosh book I've read because I normally listen to the audiobooks of her work. As a Yorkshire girl I love her work and her little Yorkshire sayings she puts in her books. I really enjoyed wish you weren't here. If you're the wild child of your family you will definitely appreciate this book. The FMC is relatable and the MMC is adorable

Another good read from Portia Macintosh. The story had a slower start than most of Portia’s books but I soon got into it. This book is funny and filled with human frailities in its range of different characters but somehow it all comes together to a brilliant ending. Well worth reading.

A fun second chance romance story.

Lana's sister, the perfect one, is getting married and the whole family is worried about Lana messing it up - they have an intervention dinner to let Lana know how to behave, what to wear, etc. It's a destination wedding and happens to be on Lana's 30th birthday, only nobody seems to remember that. Except Ethan. He's the ex and after a bunch of disastrous dates, Lana decides to give Ethan a second chance - he's promised to be the "worst" best date to the wedding.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

If you are looking for a fun romance that requires zero effort, thinking, or imagination from the reader, this may be the romance for you.

Lana is approaching her 30th birthday, which is also the day her posh younger (half) sister is getting married, in Australia. In a last-ditch effort to annoy her family, she brings Ethan, the fun man with whom rendevous always seem to end in disaster.

The concept was a ton of fun, but the novel lacked depth. The addition of a random love triangle that began past the halfway point in the book led to confusion. Overall, it was an okay book.

Thank you to Net Galley and Boldwood Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Lana’s family is dysfunctional in every way. Raised by her mother, Lana doesn’t exactly fit into her father and Step-mother’s world… or their posh lifestyle. Her half-sister announces she’s getting married on Lana’s 30th birthday, with no mention of Lana’s birthday or her feelings, and then the family arranges an intervention on Lana’s behavior. It’s time to get even. Plan in place? Check! Amazing dress? Check! Now she just needs to find the perfectly imperfect date that will make her family crazy. When her ex unexpectedly walks back into her life, he convinces her to take him along. What’s the worst that could happen? Only chaos every time they’re together.

It’s not very often that I say this, but I really disliked the FMC, Lana. She’s flighty, chooses all the wrong guys, makes all the wrong decisions, and can’t figure out why she doesn’t get along with her family. Her family is legitimately awful, but it’s like Lana just tries way too hard and gets hurt too easily. When she meets Ethan, he’s perfect for her, but since chaos ensues every time they’re together, she takes that as a sign that they’re not meant to be together. But it really isn’t even chaos when they’re together. It’s almost as if she just cares too much about what everyone thinks and then sabotages the relationship.

Ethan is the perfect MMC but he gives Lana so much more grace than she deserves. At times, she’s downright mean to him, and he doesn’t even bat an eye. He just takes it.

There’s a moderate amount of spice, but it’s mostly fade to black so you’re not reading all about it. There is a LOT of swearing and crass talk, which really isn’t my jam at all.

I think the premise for this book is great, but the execution was flawed. To me, Lana wasn’t a very likable main character. For the reasons listed above I would only rate this book as 2 stars. ⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were great and very entertaining. The story was very well written and I loved the plot!

4.5 ⭐️

Lana and Ethan share an instant connection when they first meet, but they decide to part ways after realizing they create nothing but chaos together. Two years later, Lana is on a mission to find the worst date possible to accompany her to her sister’s luxurious wedding in Australia. After many unsuccessful attempts, Lana is out of options. Until Ethan miraculously shows up in her life again. With no other plan, Ethan agrees to join Lana in her shenanigans as her fake and obnoxious date. But Lana’s plan backfires when her family falls in love with - and against her better judgement, it seems she’s falling in love with him too.

I flew through this book in less than a day, and truly did enjoy it. But the abrupt ending felt like there should have been more to the story - at least a few more chapters. It kind of made Lana and Ethan’s relationship seem rushed.

That being said, I did love how carefree and laid back the connection was between Lana and Ethan. From the minute they met, they seemed to be on the same level - even if that meant they created chaos together.

Lana’s snooty family was intolerable, but I love how Ethan dove into her scheme with excitement and enthusiasm. And the fact that it ended up having the opposite effect than originally planned was a humorous twist.

Overall, this was a fun and chaotic read that kept me flying through the pages.

Thank you to Portia and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A quick and simple read, this adorable rom-com is relatable. I adore this book's concept and its realistic portrayal. I didn't want to put it down. I was particularly struck by how the narrative struck a balance between poignant and humorous moments, giving the relationship a real sense of authenticity.

Can I just say: Portia Macintosh does not disappoint?
It's as expected from Macintosh, I like how light the story is written. At the same time I was slightly intrigued by how the characters will grow out of their issues. Just like all her books, the conflict is not very heart-wrenching but relatable enough (I think). It's a "safe" and cozy read. I'm not emotionally drained and can enjoy the story!

Unfortunately this was a miss for me. I didn't like either of the main characters. I was disappointed because I do enjoy Porta's books, but this missed the mark for me. I will continue to read her books as I have enjoyed them in the past.

3.5 stars for me rounded up. I enjoyed the book. It was a fast read and it made me laugh especially in the beginning. At times I didn't really like Lana and think more could have been done with her character. Overall, it was a good, lighthearted romcom. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.