Blitz~~ Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino
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.
Louisa’s 5 Blush Review
You just can’t go wrong with a Renee Carlino book. It’s down right impossible. Once again, I went in blind. No idea what this book was about and holy crap, I devoured it.
Charlotte and Adam, one night of amazing fun (not just sex but connection) and when they got up – a big old cold bucket of water was thrown on Charlotte by Adam. She’s totally blown away by his behavior. She’s a 20-year-old girl who still hasn’t found her way in life, with school, her career or what she wants out of a relationship. She continues to wonder what happened with Adam but eventually, she tries to move on.
Renee has given us, again, a beautifully written story of love, loss, and being true to yourself. A gift she has given us that she writes through Adam and Charlotte. I implore you to take the time to read this epic story.
Dawn’s 5 Blush Review
Wow just Wow. Renee Carlino is one of my go to authors. I will read anything she puts out and Wish You Were Here proves why. It totally blew me away! This book was made for me. It had everything I look for in a book. It’s hysterically funny and extremely emotional. Add in a hot guy, two best friends and a wonderful family… all Ingredients that make for one unforgettable ride! When I wasn’t cracking up, I was crying. The plot and characters were flawless. Oh and the swarming butterflies in my belly left me giddy… Adam. Oh Adam. He slayed me with his charm. His perspective on life was infectious. From the moment he and Charlotte met, I was falling for this boy (and her too!) Their love story held me hostage. I could have easily read this book in one sitting. It was so hard to put down. Stupid work took me away from it!
Charlotte is like many girls in their 20’s… A little lost, struggling with herself, relationships and a career. She is so relatable. We can all see ourselves within her…. She is stumbling through life with her room mate and best friend, Helen. They’re more like sisters, a little too dependent on one another. Neither one really living; just going through the motions together. At times I wanted to shake them for not seeing their self worth and allowing fear to dictate their lives…. But together they are a riot. I so want to be friends with these girls. They are so much fun. True best friends in every sense.
One night out they meet mysterious, adorable Adam…. He is so open, carefree and a bit lost himself, making him totally irresistible! Charlotte and Adam hit it off and seem to have one powerful connection. Could they be soulmates? They spent one glorious night together…. The next day Adam is strangely different and dismissive. Leaving Charlotte heartbroken and confused. Can one night change the course of your life forever? Well, it did for Charlotte. She and Adam’s journey was difficult at times but ultimately utterly beautiful. My poor heart was put through the ringer. This is more than a love story. It’s also a story about life, self discovery and transformation. Taking control of your own destiny. Wish You Were Here will have you craving to truly live life. Letting go of fear and just diving in.
Tera’s 4.75 Blush Review
When you can sit and read a book in one sitting, in less than twelve hours, you know it’s good. Renee nailed it with Wish You Were Here. This book is so incredibly heartfelt. This book just further proved that I will read anything Renee Carlino writes.
Renee takes us on a journey of love, loss, and self-discovery. She wrote a wonderful family dynamic and some great friendships. I always love seeing the main character learn or grow in some way in a story and that’s exactly what we see with both Charlotte and Helen.
Add an amazing and sexy one night stand and a baseball player, we have swoon city. I don’t want to give away even a PIECE of this story, but I definitely swooned. I was so irritated with Charlotte at first, but I really started to understand her. I felt for Charlotte. I related to Charlotte. And she was so fortunate to find the love and friendships she had in her life.
I truly loved this story, and I couldn’t imagine anyone not liking it. I feel like there are many different aspects one can relate in this story whether it’s the romance, the friendship or the family aspect because it hits all those places.
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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.”
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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