Book Review: Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino

Wish You Were Here

By Renee Carlino

Release Date: August 15, 2017

Source: Publisher

Goodreads

Charlotte has spent her twenties adrift, floating from interest to interest, job to job, and guy to guy, searching for a spark but never quite finding it. All she knows is that she won’t discover it working as a waitress at a pies-and-fries joint in Los Angeles or living with her fun but aimless best friend in a tiny apartment in the Arts District.

Then Charlotte collides with Adam, a gorgeous and soulful painter who seems just as lost as she feels. Their instant connection turns into a midnight drink… and a whirlwind night of champagne, Chinese food, and the kind of conversation that only happens in romantic comedies. But the next morning, Adam gives Charlotte the cold shoulder, leaving her confused and hurt—and wondering if the few odd moments between them the night before were red flags in disguise.

Months later, Charlotte hasn’t been able to shake Adam, so she decides to find out what happened the morning after their magical night together. This fateful decision rewrites their wild love story, but what Charlotte doesn’t know yet is that the ending has already been written.

I've always been a fan of Renee Carlino and when I saw the cover of this book, I knew that I had to read it. I had no idea, though, that this would be an emotional book that would really pull at my heartstrings. 

Charlotte has settled into the routine of living with her best friend, dating different guys, and working at the diner. So when one night with Adam turns her world upside down, Charlotte knows that Adam is different. But in the morning, Adam gives her the cold shoulder and makes Charlotte even more self-conscious and inadequate than before. Months later, Charlotte finally decides to track down Adam and find out the real reason why he pushed her away. What she discovers can change the course of her and Adam's lives more than she could have ever thought. 

Starting out this book, I found it really hard to care about. Adam was so flighty and into-the-moment and I really don't like characters or relationships like that. But, as that one night together ended and we got to see how broken Charlotte felt because of it, I really started to like the book. Charlotte's character was so relatable and I loved how her relationships and feelings towards those relationships were so realistic. She met a guy that was perfect on paper, but couldn't put herself all in because of her feelings over that night with Adam and her growing insecurities about herself. It wasn't easy for her to put herself out there, which I really appreciated. 

Let's be honest, though. The real reason why I loved this book was because of what happened when Charlotte decided to try and find Adam again. I'm not going to spoil anything, but gosh darn it did this book touch my heart. And I absolutely loved how important all of Charlotte's family members were in her life and how their dynamics changed as Charlotte felt herself changing because of her time with Adam. I loved her brother and her best friend and how everyone really truly cared for her. 

All I can say is you better have some tissues on hand when you're reading this book. This takes a real, raw look at what it means to love and really put yourself out there for a relationship. Charlotte has nothing figured out in her life and I admired how she finally tried to take charge and find her own happiness.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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