Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner

Standalone Women’s Fiction/ Romance

Releases 10/15/24

My thanks to Netgalley and Forever for providing an advance copy for review purposes. Ana’s Attic accepts no compensation for reviews, and all reviews contain my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links.

I picked up Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner on NetGalley as soon as I saw it. I enjoyed her writing in My Second Chance Year and was excited to read another one of her books.

Catherine is a mathematician, precise and organized, shaped by a childhood raised by her single dad—a literal clown (not the creepy makeup kind, but one who juggles, makes balloon animals, and entertains). Growing up, she moved constantly and often skipped school to follow the circus with him. Now, she’s back in town to take a position teaching in the college’s math program.

Luca is the doorman at her new apartment building. He’s cheerful, always happy to help anyone, and he’s her polar opposite: he’s late when she’s early, messy when she’s neat, and outgoing while she’s an introvert. It drives her crazy that he’s so busy charming and assisting the older residents that he often neglects his doorman duties.

On her first day at work, the university informs her of a glitch in her paperwork—it appears she doesn’t exist, and all of her documents seem forged. Freaked out, she worries about losing the job she just moved for. Then, things get worse: her credit cards stop working, her bank account is frozen, and even the Social Security office says she doesn’t exist.

With no one else to turn to, she reluctantly accepts Luca’s offer of help. He has plenty of contacts—and a family with ties to the local mafia. Suddenly, Catherine, the buttoned-up mathematician, finds herself talking to mobsters, breaking and entering, and, against all odds, actually laughing. Luca is helping her shed the uptight persona, transforming her into someone who connects with and cares about her community.

Likes:

Wonderful side characters.
I absolutely loved Luca.
Found family.
A ton of character growth.
Funny banter.

Dislikes:

It was a strange “magic”.
I loved Luca, but never really got to know him more than surface-level.
More women’s fiction than romance.

The Down & Dirty:

“Wish I Were Here” by Melissa Wiesner was an okay read for me. I never felt like putting it down, but I also wasn’t rushing to pick up my Kindle. While I enjoyed the side characters, I never quite felt the chemistry between the main couple. Now, two weeks later, I honestly can’t remember if there was any spice in the book. From what I’ve gathered, this author leans more toward women’s fiction with a hint of romance rather than a full-blown romance. The focus is really on the personal growth of the FMC, and I did appreciate watching Catherine gradually warm up and learn to let go.