Book Review — Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino

“I promise to love you forever.
As long as there is love in this world, we will be a part of it.”

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OMG. OMG!!! I’m wiping tears as I write this review. This book was amazing and I honestly did not expect it to take the direction that it did and my gosh … HOLY FEELS. I mean, that epilogue especially was so emotional!!

To give you a quick idea of what this book is about, the heroine bumps into a complete stranger on the street one night and they just connect. After an amazing night together though, something about him changes in the morning and he breaks her heart. But in a way she doesn’t understand and that just doesn’t quite make sense. For months, she can’t get him out of her head. She wants to move on, but can’t let go of the memory of the mysterious man who stole a piece of her heart that night. And when she finds him again, she realizes just how big a secret he had…

I’m also going to share the blurb with you here:

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.

However, the one thing I would strongly like to emphasize is that I do NOT consider this a love triangle even though there are technically two male leads. I’m trying hard not to specifically spoil anything, but I do want to say that, as many of you know, I’m a reader who usually strongly dislikes triangles, and I was fully fine with everything that happened in this story. It all made complete sense and really felt true to the characters.

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.

I smiled at him; he smiled back. There was some sort of affinity between us, but I didn’t know where it was coming from, exactly. I didn’t know this guy half an hour ago, but now I needed to know him.

This book has everything — it’s part love story, part life story. It’s about learning to live life to its fullest and not being afraid to follow your heart when you find true love. It’s about appreciating each and every moment we have — and not taking any time for granted.

“I want you to know that I am grateful to you. I’m grateful to you now. I got to experience IT in this life, and I don’t think it’s measured with time.”
“You don’t think what’s measured with time, Adam?”
“Love, Charlotte.”

I don’t know why, but I kind of just expected a sweet summer romance when I started reading this. I didn’t expect such an emotionally charged story. I loved its intensity. The writing was strong, the characters felt real, and the story tugged all my heartstrings.

“Have I asked you to marry me?” he asked sleepily.
“Every day,” I replied.
“Well…”
“I always say not yet.”
Adam was dozing off and slurring when he said, “Why?”
I’m certain he was asleep when I finally replied, “Because I don’t want you to stop asking.”

Over the years, I’ve loved many of Renee Carlino’s books and what I appreciate most about the stories she tells is how I can always count on her to step outside the box with a unique story. Its a very comforting feeling as a reader knowing that authors like her are continuing to write books because I’m always searching for stories that are just a little bit different and so I always know that every time she releases a new book, I will definitely want to check it out.

I wanted you to know that when people talk about “the one,” you were my “one.” Is that crazy? I know I’m not that for you because you have your whole life ahead of you and we only spent one night together, but I still had to tell you.

On an emotional level, this book was like a cross between Me Before You and A Thousand Boy Kisses, but with it’s own uniqueness. And the more I think about the story, I realize just how perfect both the title and cover are for it.

When I opened my eyes finally, he was holding himself above me, staring down.
“What?” I said.
He squinted slightly, as though he were trying to recall something. “How long have we been in love.”

Love. Loss. Hope. Healing. Heartbreak. This is a story that reminds you to treasure every moment of life. Something as simple as just being here – alive, with a loved one – can be the most powerful and precious gift in the universe.

Wish You Were Here is a heart-breaking, romantic, and beautiful story. It’s one of Renee Carlino’s best books yet. I read it in one sitting and absolutely loved it. If you loved Me Before You, then you have to read this book!

Rating: 4.5 stars. Standalone.

• Buy WISH YOU WERE HERE (Kindle)
• Buy WISH YOU WERE HERE (Paperback)
• Buy WISH YOU WERE HERE (iBooks)