An enjoyable romcom with love and hate characters, very nice setting and a different storyline.
I enjoyed it as I have been reading some hard subjects matter books recently and it was a very welcome change.
Recommended
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Portia Macintosh for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

This second chance romance has the perfect blend of humour and chemistry!! I enjoyed it and would recommend to those looking for a love triangle, second chance, and british romances

I love a second chance romance and this one had a healthy dose of forced proximity (hello one bed) and lots of longingly looking into each other's eyes. There were some laugh out loud moments, which are my favorite. Closed door.

Summer Beach read in the Dead of Winter? you had me at HOT Beach Bod, Chef's Kiss, Boy !! Second Chance Romance and Love Triangle all in One! Pick this Up and Beat the Winter Blues! You won't be Sorry!

This was ok. It took me a bit to get into it, but when I did I enjoyed the story. Lana is heading to Australia for her sister's wedding, and when she gets there she realizes her ex is there, charming as ever. Can the two overcome their differences to survive the wedding? Or is there more to come in their relationship?

I am so happy I got the chance to read another ARC by Portia MacIntosh!

This book is not structured like I expected, but I really liked the way it surprised me!

It's fun, it's got a love triangle (oohhh) and it is so easy and fun to read.

Great for fans of second-chance romance and troublemakers! Give it a shot and pick it up!

(Free ARC from NetGalley and Boldwood Books that I chose to review after reading - Cross-posted on Goodreads on January 21st, 2025)

Thank you NetGalley, Portia MacIntosh, and Boldwood Books for early access to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a sweet, very light hearted, read. This is my first book by this author but I do enjoy British romance books. I enjoyed the characters and how their past brings them together again for a wedding. A slow start and a little rushed but once I got going, it was a sweet read.

i love the bright colors of this book it felt like i was transported to some tropical island floating in the pool with a fruity little drink in my hand. i loved the enemies to lover plot in this one, it was done very well.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Portia MacIntosh and Boldwood Books for advance access to the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I've enjoyed Portia MacIntosh's books before, so I was excited for this ARC, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. I found parts of the book confusing. I don't want to go into details because I don't want to spoil for readers. While I didn't love this book, I'm open to reading more from this author in the future.

Publication date- January 8, 2025
#WishYouWerentHere #NetGalley

I like reading Portia MacIntosh's novels as they are fun reads. This one was the same - a fun beach read. Though this one wasn't as good as the others I have read from her. Lana and Ethan weren't that great of a couple and Lana's family was so toxic I couldn't get over it. It was just meh.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Wish You Weren’t Here by Portia MacIntosh is an enjoyable, easy-going read, but it doesn’t quite live up to its full potential. The setting is charming, and the premise, a vacation that leads to unexpected twists, has a lot of promise. However, the story often feels a bit predictable, and it didn’t deliver as much emotional depth as I had hoped.

The characters are likable, but they lack complexity, and at times, their decisions and relationships felt a bit one-dimensional. The romantic plot and the protagonist’s journey of self-discovery are sweet, but they don’t dive as deeply into the emotional stakes as they could have. I found myself wanting more character development and a stronger connection to the story.

While the pacing is generally steady, there are moments where the narrative feels repetitive, and the plot tends to follow familiar rom-com tropes, leaving little room for surprises. The ending, in particular, felt a little too neatly wrapped up.

That said, Wish You Weren’t Here still has its moments of charm and warmth. It’s a perfect choice if you’re looking for a light, no-stress read.

**Big thank you to NetGallery for providing me with an ARC to review**

Lana was relatable (and funny as hell), and Ethan is JUST 🤌🏻
It's my second by Portia after You've had me at Chateau, and I can't wait to get through her backlist!!

I really enjoyed this romantic story. It made me feel emotional. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

When your perfect sister gets married, and on your own birthday at that, you have to figure out how to have a good time and what's better than the worst date ever?

But everything turns out differently and the worst date isn't so bad after all.

Have fun reading it yourself!

This book is a contemporary romance with both a second chance and fake dating tropes. I was indifferent to the female main character, but loved the male main character. I would have loved even more of his character in the story. This was a middle of the road read to me, but I plan on reading more from this author to see if I like her other work more.

great book and I loved the action and the romance . I loved seeing the friends and family. I loved that they were able to figure things out. Overall a great book .

a fun romantic romp, that while I admit wasn't really for me, I can totally see everything in here and how it works. I really enjoyed the first few chapters, and the timeskip, adding a bit of mystery to the novel. A fun read I will be recommending to the romance lovers out that I know will devour this ((most of them))

Easily my favorite Portia MacIntosh book. "Wish You Weren't Here" delivers romance, comedy, and I even shed a tear or two. This book kept me reading late into the night, only to find my family already tucked in and asleep when I was done. I could not put this down. Well done on keeping me at the edge of my seat! You will fall in love with "Lana Banana" and her ridiculously rich family. Go and read it now! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Whenever I sit down with a Portia MacIntosh book, I know I’m going to get an intriguing story with lovable characters, a fun setting, and lots of laughs. This one did not disappoint. This time we’re in Australia with Lana and Ethan, who have so much chemistry it leaps off the page, at a wedding of her snooty family and guests; there’s plenty of material for laughs and you get them at every turn. I particularly loved the idea of the apps that Lana works on and I hope they exist. There are also some heartfelt moments that make everything worth it. Highly recommended!

This was yet another fun book from Portia Macintosh and even though i thoroughly enjoyed every second I have thoughts!

Ethan is a sweet heart and to be honest I don't think he was ever as bad as what Lana made him out to be and think she was a little bit too hard on him and when the reason why he had been at the office came out, it was just sort of an oh, ok and they moved on. I mean i know it wasn't the point of the story but I just kind of wished she had given him a little bit more? because he deserved it, he's amazing!

Now in saying that, they aren't bad points to me but just got me thinking about everything Lana went through with her family and perhaps she just didn't know how to deal with being treated well? I adored the book and cannot wait for Portias next book!