Blog Tour with Review: Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino

August 18, 2017

  
                                       

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.  

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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.”



                           

      

“Wish You Were Mine” takes readers on an emotional journey on finding love, losing it, and finding it again when you least expect it. This book had all the makings of an epic love story and while I did enjoy certain parts of it, the story failed to keep me connected and fall in love with the characters. 

Being in her late 20’s, Charlotte still doesn’t know what she wants to do as a career. Whenever she sets her mind to doing something at first, she then quits and started something else again. Now a waitress for longer than she’s ever imagined, Charlotte knows that she has to finally take control of her life and do something about her future career. But she’s never imagined that her future will be forever changed in the course of one night and it’s all because of a stranger. 

Out with her best friend and enjoying her night, Charlotte meets a stranger that needs help. Adam is different and clouded with an intense need to get to know him more is what has Charlotte agreeing to spend the rest of her night with him. Having an instant connection with him was unexpected but what happens after that, is something that is going to stay with her for a very long time. 

I really liked the premise of this story and I think this author did a beautiful job of portraying each character so differently and flawed in their own right. But….. as much as I tried, I had a problem with Charlotte. She was all over the place for me and she was one step away from throwing herself a pity party. I just couldn’t connect with her at all and I didn’t like the fact that this was an extreme insta-love case. I wanted to see more growth with Charlotte and a few characters and I never got that. 

Even though I had a few issues with this so try, I still think that a lot of people are going to enjoy this one. This was a very different storyline and it can be quite emotional so if you’re looking for something like that, then this is the perfect read for you. 



                        
                                              
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   FACEBOOK WEBSITE TWITTER INSTAGRAM &nbsp

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