REVIEW: Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner

In Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner, Catherine Lipton, PhD, just found out she scored the job she’s been diligently working toward since she was a kid: a college mathematics professor with a tenure-track. Finally, all of the overnighters and long hours in the library are paying off. But Catherine’s orientation day turns into a nightmare when HR can’t find a record of her–not in their system *or* through the federal government. Not sure how she suddenly doesn’t exist in the world, she begins to form a plan to find her real birth certificate (not the fake she evidently was given by her father) to get her life back. But Catherine isn’t sure she can do so on her own in the limited time the university has given her to straighten everything out.

‘Though I’ve only known Luca for a couple of months and have only really known him for a couple of days, this friendship matters to me. Luca matters to me.’

Feeling like she’s back in her unusual childhood where her loving but flighty father–a part-time clown–made her life chaotic, Catherine flounders. But Luca Morelli, her building’s free-spirited doorman and jack of all trades, steps in to lend a helping hand, using all of his resources to assist her. Something she is truly thankful for, even if it is surprising. Luca’s huge family (who may or may not be part of the Mafia…she’s not entirely sure) comes through for Catherine time and time again, tracking down bits of her past she never knew about and pushing her toward getting her life back. But along with her undeniable attraction to Luca ever present, as well as becoming an integral part of their small but mighty community, Catherine learns that losing her identity has actually allowed her to find out how much she has in her life to be thankful for.

‘I’ve discovered that success doesn’t only mean getting ahead at work… It’s about the people you surround yourself with, and the community you build. Luca tried to tell me that, and I was too wrapped up in my narrow view of the world to listen.’

WISH I WERE HERE was a sweet romantic comedy with some magical realism where sparks flew between a rule-following math professor and her building’s free-spirited doorman.

“There’s no record of you in the government’s system.” Her eyes slide to mine, cold and detached. “There’s no record that you exist at all.”

Okay, so imagine you finally got the job of your dreams, you go in on orientation day and HR can’t find you in the system. And not just *their* system, but there’s literally no record of your existence even in the federal government’s system. Time to panic, right? That in a nutshell was Catherine’s dilemma in WISH I WERE HERE. A mathematical professor with a PhD who just moved into a nice apartment of her very own after years of taking care of her carefree dad, she basically watched her world crumble in front of her eyes. But in true Melissa Wiesner fashion, Catherine had all the tools she needed to dig herself out of her predicament. And she had the help of her local, quirky found family that thought the absolute world of her.

It’s always fun to see what kind of chaotic situation Wiesner will put her characters in. With strait-laced Catherine who loved her rules, to-do lists, and multi-faceted plans, having her life in an uproar was enough to make her eyes twitch. And I can’t blame her. She was a hard worker who had to grow up very young thanks to her father’s tendency to drag her around the country on a whim, following festivals and performing in circus acts. (Think juggling, stilt-walking) It was no wonder she preferred her meticulous schedule once she had her own choice.

What I loved was that Luca, who was very much a go with the flow kind of guy, proved to Catherine that she could still have fun even if she followed (most of ) the rules. He was such a charming, genuinely nice person. The way he carefully watched over her–and the residents in the DeGreco building–made me smile, knowing Luca would win Catherine over all while keeping her safe. His family as well as the neighbors were offbeat in the best of ways and will be guaranteed to make you smile. But it was that sentimental ending that I think will stick with readers for quite some time.

QOTD: Are you more of a go with the flow person or do you prefer schedules and plans?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: October 15th, 2024 | Forever |

Opposites attract when a buttoned-up professor and carefree doorman must restore a magically missing identity in this sparkling romance, perfect for fans of Sophie Cousens and Ashley Poston.

For type-A mathematician Catherine Lipton, growing up with a free-spirited single dad who worked part-time as a clown was more than a little stressful. So as an adult, the only place she’ll allow for variability is in her data sets. Everything in Catherine’s life is ordered, from her lists to her lesson plans at her new job as a college professor. Catherine’s carefully calculated life goes awry, though, when the university’s human resources system rejects her employment paperwork. Soon after, her credit card is declined. At the Social Security office, Catherine makes a shocking discovery—she’s disappeared from the government’s records, and there’s no evidence she exists at all. Catherine can’t seem to convince anyone she’s a real person, even though she’s standing right there in the flesh.

Catherine knows she can’t count on her dad, and the university is only concerned with who will teach her classes. The one person who offers to help is Luca Morelli, her attractive but aggravating doorman who spends more time flirting with Catherine’s neighbors than he does enforcing the building rules. The older residents might fall for Luca’s charm, but if he can’t keep bikes out of the lobby or put packages in their designated area, how can he help Catherine get her life back?

Left with no other options, Catherine reluctantly agrees to enlist the help of Luca’s well-connected Italian family. Soon, Catherine finds herself following Luca into a smoky bar to meet the Mafia, breaking into the records room of a local hospital, doing a little light stalking, and having a surprising amount of fun. She also finds herself growing closer to Luca, who makes her laugh and challenges her well-ordered ways. As Catherine begins to unravel the mystery behind her missing identity, she may discover that the “real” Catherine is someone she never expected.