You know when you’re looking at someone and you can’t help but smile at how oblivious they are to their own charm? That’s what was happening to me, and it was making me feel…happy. Euphoric. Something indescribable. It was like we already knew each other, like we had met in a previous life. Memories that didn’t exist began exploding in my mind like fireworks.
Charlotte has spent her twenties adrift, searching for a spark to jump-start her life and give her a sense of purpose. She’s had as many jobs as she’s had bad relationships, and now she’s feeling especially lost in her less-than-glamorous gig at a pie-and-fry joint in Los Angeles, where the uniforms are bad and the tips are even worse.
Then she collides—literally—with Adam, an intriguing, handsome, and mysterious painter. Their serendipitous meeting on the street turns into a whirlwind one-night stand that has Charlotte feeling enchanted by Adam’s spontaneity and joy for life. There’s promise in both his words and actions, but in the harsh light of morning, Adam’s tune changes, leaving Charlotte to wonder if her notorious bad luck with men is really just her own bad judgment.
Months later, a new relationship with Seth, a charming baseball player, is turning into something more meaningful, but Charlotte’s still having trouble moving past her one enthralling night with Adam. Why? When she searches for answers, she finds the situation with Adam is far more complicated than she ever imagined. Faced with the decision to write a new story with Seth or finish the one started with Adam, Charlotte embarks on a life-altering journey, one that takes her across the world and back again, bringing a lifetime’s worth of pain, joy, and wisdom.
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“You’re making love sound tragic,” I
said.
“No”—he shook his head—“I wouldn’t
want it any other way. Tell me about us. What do we like to do?”
“Paint and sail and eat and drink.
Just simple things.” “Don’t forget about sex,” he said.
“Yeah, lots of sex. Before the children were born we-"
"We were practically naked every
second of the day.”
“I like that.”
“When they got older, we’d sneak away
for weekends and leave them at my mom’s.”
“What are they like? Our children.”
“Happy. That’s all we wished for. We
put our love first and it just spilled over into them and now they’re happy.”
Tears sprang from my eyes and ran
down my cheeks. Isn’t that what we all hope for when it comes to our children?
His tone suddenly changed. “That’s
beautiful, Char- lotte.” It was like he was waking up from the dream. I didn’t
want to go back to reality yet, but I knew these fantasies were just to help
Adam get his mind off things.
“I can imagine a long life with you,”
he said. “I can imagine what a great wife you’d be."
I pulled my hand out of his. “The
story is about you and me.” He didn’t say anything; he just nodded and then
continued to stare out the window. I bent and kissed the top of his head again,
and whispered, “It’s about us. Don’t take that away from me.”
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Wish You Were Here is the first contemporary novel of Renée Carlino's that I have read. I previously read her paranormal romance, Lucian Divine, which I did enjoy, but I have never read any of her strictly contemporary novels. I knew nothing about Wish You Were Here before I started reading it and I am glad I did not. Wish You Were Here was a quick, engaging, and emotional read that I enjoyed. I would recommend reading Wish You Were Here if you are interested in reading a quick New Adult contemporary novel that has the potential to make you cry.
My favorite part of Wish You Were Here was the fact that part of the story was based in San Diego, California. I fell in love with San Diego the first time I visited the city for San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) in 2014 and I loved being there in the story. I especially loved that the convention center, where SDCC is annually held, was briefly mentioned. I was unable to attend SDCC this year or visit San Diego, but I am glad that I was able to journey there in Wish You Were Here. I wish I was there in San Diego.
Although the ability to predict the storyline of Wish You Were Here was rather easy, I appreciated the path the story took. Wish You Were Here is essentially a book about life. While it also features love, loss, moving-on, and recovery, the true purpose is to celebrate life. Not many books I have read feature the theme of life when under these particular circumstances.
The characters of Wish You Were Here were, by no means my favorite characters of all-time, but I fell in love with them and their story. While I do not agree with all the main character's choices and I do condemn some of them, it was interesting to follow her on this journey. Laura's Mvula's Show Me Love is a great anthem for her journey and story arc. The romance in Wish You Were Here was nice, but it was cheesy, at times.
Wish You Were Here was an enjoyable read and I am interested to read Renée Carlino's other contemporary books, I currently own Sweet Thing and After the Rain. If you have read any of her other books, please let me know what you thought and which one I should pick up next.
Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of contemporary women's novels and new adult fiction. Her books have been featured in national publications, including USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, and Publisher's Weekly. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she's not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. Learn more at www.reneecarlino.com
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