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.”

My Review:

5 Brilliant & Beautiful STARS!
Contemporary Romance/Adult Romance
ARC provided for an honest review through NetGalley/Publisher.

WOW. This book is everything! If you know me by now and follow my reviews, I am sure you see a trend in all my 5 Star reviews. Books that make me FEEL, books that force me to stand back and take a new perspective and books that stick with me for a long period of time are my absolute favorites. This is one of those books.

I’m not sure what you would call me – glutton for punishment!? – but I love when a book makes my heart dip (good & bad) and I (ugly) cry. I can’t say this enough, I love when a book makes me feel so many INTENSE emotions. Why you might ask? Well because the story and characters become real to me. The characters are so well developed, the plot flows well, the dialogue/conversation between the characters is on point and ultimately I get sucked into the story. This is a good book in my world.

Let’s talk about Wish You Were Here. This book has everything that I look for in a great book.

The characters are complex. I was able to get to know each of them and their personalities and quirks. I was able to connect, whether I liked them personally or not. I was not a huge fan of Charlotte in the beginning. She seemed oblivious to others to a certain extent. She is physically beautiful and doesn’t know it. She is so unsure of herself and because of that, isn’t living life to the fullest. I wanted to shake her and be like “Girl! Wake up! You have everything you need to be successful – be successful!”. Then enters Adam. He’s exactly what Charlotte needs to wake up. (No spoiler’s here. You have to read this book!) I will say…Adam has been forced to grow as an individual and is able to see what Charlotte is doing to herself by not reaching her full potential. I LOVED this. I loved seeing these two characters together and how they interact. You can tell that they both have a lot to learn from each other. Their chemistry…oh man…is so good!

This book is captivating and that’s because the plot and dialogue flow so well. I am a big fan of meaningful conversations. What I mean by this is that I need to be learning something about a character(s), whether that be personality, quirks or anything, through their conversations. Conversations are not fillers for a book. I HATE when conversations go on and on and on with no point to them – unless that’s the point! Ha! Because of the great dialogue, I was captivated and didn’t want to put the book down. I had to know what was going to happen next. I never once was bored or ready was to take a break.

Looking for an emotional ride that will last with you DAYS after you read it…this book is for you!

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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