Publication Date: 15th Oct 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Magic Realism
3 Stars
One Liner: I wish it was better!
Catherine Lipton is a type-A mathematician who needs lists, a schedule, and an orderly life. Being early for her meetings is her idea of being on time. After living a free-spirited and unpredictable life in her childhood, Catherine clings to order to stay sane. That’s why Luca Morelli, the handsome but casual doorman of her apartment, annoys her. He doesn’t seem to understand the need for order and structure.
However, when Catherine somehow disappears from the government records and doesn’t seem to exist, her world spirals out of control. With her new teaching position at stake and no one to believe her, Catherine has to take Luca’s help to sort out the problem. Soon, she realizes that her missing identity is helping her find the ‘real’ Catherine.
The story comes in Catherine’s first-person POV.
My Thoughts:
The premise was interesting, and I expected something similar to Miranda in Retrograde but with a touch of magic realism. While the beginning was good, the book skimmed the surface almost throughout despite having enough elements to add depth.
Catherine was well done, and I did identify with her need for lists, plans, and the desire to not be late for important events. Her vulnerabilities and the instability of her childhood give a clear idea about her personality. Her yearning to connect with the other parent and know more also comes across well.
However, the other characters don’t do enough to enhance any of this. Luca, for all his charm and helpful nature, ends up without much depth. He needed to be complex to support the FMC’s growth and introspection. Instead, it felt like the choice had to be between this and that. Life rarely works so! The aim should be to highlight the importance of balancing order with flexibility and self with community. For this, Luca had to start simple but become someone capable of proving to Catherine that she could have both.
Let’s be honest. Catherine wasn’t really off the mark. Help is what we do beyond our work, not instead of it. Some basic responsibilities have to be taken care of at some point.
I liked how the book showed the difference in attitude when a person’s identity proof is threatened. In a world where we are who we claim to be only when the documents (despite so many fake IDs) support the claim, it can be a nightmare for a genuine person to be considered a fraud.
That said, the chemistry between the lead couple wasn’t great. I knew they were meant to be, so I went with the flow. Apart from that, I didn’t really feel the urge to root for them. Not much banter either. At least the romance was pretty much closed-door, so that was an advantage here.
The last quarter also could have been a lot better. A lot is revealed in a few pages, which doesn’t give enough time for everything to sink in. Need more interaction between Catherine and the parent, more heartfelt conversations, and a sustained realization on her part that the choice was either/ or and she could have all of it with some slight adjustment. Simply put, the story is missing nuance which elevates good to great.
And oh, I hope the timeline mess has been sorted. The days, weeks, months, etc., none of it seem to give a clear picture of the duration. The puzzle pieces are out of place!
To summarize, Wish I Were Here has some worthy moments but lacks the depth or nuance to enhance the plot. I wish it was better executed.
Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for eARC.
#NetGalley #WishIWereHere
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