Wish You Were Here: A Novel
Written by Renée Carlino
Narrated by Ava Lucas
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
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. But 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.
Renée Carlino
Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and the bestselling author of Sweet Thing, Nowhere But Here, After the Rain, Before We Were Strangers, Swear on This Life, and Wish You Were Here. She grew up in Southern California and lives in the San Diego area with her husband and two sons. To learn more, visit ReneeCarlino.com.
More audiobooks from Renée Carlino
Blind Kiss: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sweet Thing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After the Rain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nowhere but Here Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Wish You Were Here
44 ratings7 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a romantic, heartwarming and moving story. There were some genuinely funny moments in the book which made me laugh out loud. As well as, the brother-sister relationship was so hilarious and amazing- Chuck the fuck and Fatbutt- who keeps names like that!
While I did enjoy Charlotte’s journey, I found her behavior confusing at times. Sometimes she is so mature and sensible and the next minute she is childish and agitated. I just wish her character would have been a little bit stronger. All the other characters including the supporting ones were amazing, and you will end up liking and falling in love with all of them.
My personal favorite part of the book was the epilogue, it was so beautiful and heartfelt. It just took the entire story to another level. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I would highly suggest NOT reading this in public. A definite tear jerker- very much a Nicholas Sparks type of book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The book is 5 stars. The narration is 3.75 stars.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5It seems as though Renée Carlino is a hit or miss author for me. The first book I read by her I absolutely loved, Before We Were Strangers. I was eager to read more by her so looked to her backlist. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with After the Rain. Next, I tried reading Swear on This Life. While I liked the first 75%, the ending disappointed me.
Now we have Wish You Were Here. The premise and blurb sounded really good and intrigued me. The first few chapters kept my attention, however, I didn’t really like the whole ‘love at first meeting’ thing; but I tried to put that aside because… it is a romance. But the more and more I read, the less interesting it got, and the less believable it became. I also thought the writing was poor. It might be cliche to say, but to me, the writing was a perfect example of an author telling a story, as opposed to showing.
I wasn’t really interested in Charlotte nor could I understand her attraction to Adam. I would have loved to have seen more of Seth in the story. I felt like he was barely a presence in the book - which surprised me based on what the blurb says.
It pains me to say all this because I really truly loved Carlino’s Before We Were Strangers. I recommend that book to anyone and everyone! I’m sad I can’t say the same of Wish You Were Here.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Originally posted on Books For The Living. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Oh, this book. There were times I was SO frustrated with Charlotte and times she actually had me crying. I actually cried through several parts of this book. And, when I finished, I cried some more.This was such a heart rending story. I absolutely LOVED it. I knew something was up with Adam almost right away, but my guess about his issue was totally wrong. Yay!! The characters were so real and had me totally mesmerized and engrossed in their world. A story about love, loss, growing up and somewhat cheesy at times that I absolutely loved and enjoyed.Huge thanks to Atria Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wish You Were Here is an endearing and sweet story, filled with angsty, frustrated twenty-somethings just looking to find their way in the world. I related a whooooole lot. I felt like Charlotte: cynical and looking to somehow subconsciously sabotage herself and her romantic relationships so that she can't be hurt. What I liked: - Charlotte and Helen's friendship. They were dependent upon each other and had to learn to continue living without leaning on the other.- Charlotte and Adam, because, ugh, god.- Seth, the wholesome good guy.- Chuck, the jerk-with-a-big-heart brother.I feel that I can't say much about the story without revealing too many spoilers. I really enjoyed the whimsical feel of the novel, but felt a lot of it was spectacularly unrealistic. But then again, I'm cynical. Nothing that happened can't happen, per se. A lot of it you just have to suspend your disbelief and go with the flow with, or otherwise you won't enjoy it. I enjoyed it and I let myself get lost in the storytelling, however far-fetched.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have been on a change of pace from the fantasy binge I have been on. This book had all the feels. Even though it was a bit predictable, it didn't stop me from devouring it. Love, heartbreak, finding your true self, and acceptance. This book has it all. I don't do quotes but this one stuck with me. "I promise to love you forever. As long as there is love in this world, we will be a part of it." ❤️❤️❤️❤️