The Wish Collector by Mia Sheridan

Narrated by Zachary Webber and Virginia Rose

Contemporary and Historical Romance in One. Standalone.

It’s been a while since I read a Mia Sheridan book, and I was thrilled when The Wish Collector released in audio. You know immediately that there is something special between the pages (or ears in this case). Mia’s words have a lyrical quality that just elevates it to another level from the typical romance books. In the Wish Collector, we were lucky enough to get two romances in one.

“Do you know why it’s called the weeping wall?”
“It’s said that the wall weeps tears for the heartbreak and tragedy that came to pass behind it, for the spirits still trapped within.”

Clara is a new member of the New Orleans Ballet. She is lonely in the new city, and when she was told about a local legend, she became enthralled. Windisle Plantation is supposedly abandoned and is surrounded by the “weeping wall”, where people leave wishes. When Clara goes to the wall, she leaves a wish not for herself, but for the ghosts who still reside there, forever stuck in limbo.

“I’m the monster behind the wall, Clara. That’s what I am.”

Jonah Chamberlain has been hiding out at the family plantation for the last 8 years, he is damaged both physically and emotionally and has been punishing himself for his past mistakes for years. Jonah picks up hundreds of wishes that people leave at the wall, but nobody has ever left one as selfless as Clara’s, and Jonah was immediately drawn to the woman.

“For now they were just a boy and a girl, sitting on opposite sides of a wall, a layer of thick stone between them, but their hearts connected nonetheless. And for now, he would enjoy the moments they had.”

As the story progresses, we are not only immersed in the present tale, but that of the past– a broken, forbidden love between the plantation owner and a slave.

“Love makes a place for itself even if there isn’t one… Love carves into the hardest of places.”

While the majority of the story is present day, I loved how the past and present intertwined throughout, and it made for a truly interesting and unique read.

“He was beauty and pain, glory and suffering, vengeance and grace, and all things made stronger and more meaningful because they have an opposite.”

Likes:

Completely unique, yet has elements of Beauty and the Beast and Phantom of the Opera.
The combination of historical and current time.
2 stories in one.
There is something very lyrical about Mia’s writing.
Had an Archer’s Voice feel.
A hunk of mystery and a bit of suspense.
Wonderful supporting characters.
A hint of paranormal.
The epilogue really pulled it all together.

Dislikes:

I found it a little slow at times.
3rd Person
It had all the elements to be an all-time favorite, but something held it back and I can’t put my finger on it.
I felt like I should have gotten more emotional than I did reading it. Perhaps it’s because my audiobooks are usually comedy and I read the more emotional books, but I just didn’t find myself as emotionally involved as I usually am with her books.
Not sure the twist was necessary.

The Narration:

I always love a Zachary Webber book, and Virginia Rose was the perfect choice for this because she has that more traditional voice. But because of the content, I believe that this book may have been even better had I read it and not listened.

The Down & Dirty:

Completely unique and beautifully written, this character-driven story combines contemporary, historical and a little paranormal into one captivating story. I love books where the man is broken and tortured yet saved by the love of a good woman. Jonah did make some big mistakes, and paid dearly for them and Clara was just a beautiful soul. Since I am not a huge fan of third person, I will admit I had some issues being fully connected to this story, and there was a lot of different stories to follow for an audiobook, but it was so beautifully written and unique that it fully makes up for that.