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What You Wish for
If her abusive husband had not tried to kill her and her beloved dog, Helen Ward might never have left her million dollar home and run far away. Now, Helen's changed her identity and moved across the country, hopeful that she can be safe, happy, maybe even loved. And when she meets college professor Sam Tolliver, she begins to believe fairy tales do come true. But the past is catching up with Helen―and her fear is growing. Soon, she'll have to face the biggest decision of her life, a decision that will determine her future and her very identity.
431 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
234 people are currently reading
1305 people want to read
About the author
Fern Michaels
418 books6,604 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
March 4, 2020
Dialogue is so unrealistic & corny. 'Gee, golly. I'd like to make love to you.' Ugh! 'You're one of the best veterinarians around, if you can't do it, no one can.'
**Spoiler**
Main character is annoying; caring so much about her new name, (wanting her old one back which came from her abusive/neglectful mom), when she took her love's dog on the road and complaining so much about the rescuers who gave her a new life. It all made no sense and lost empathy for someone we should've been rooting for to overcome her horrible past.
**Spoiler**
Main character is annoying; caring so much about her new name, (wanting her old one back which came from her abusive/neglectful mom), when she took her love's dog on the road and complaining so much about the rescuers who gave her a new life. It all made no sense and lost empathy for someone we should've been rooting for to overcome her horrible past.
June 9, 2016
I know that there are many, many die-hard Fern Michaels fans out there, and I think that's great. In my opinion, when you love an author, that means loyalty even if you don't enjoy one or even a few of his or her books. I'm hoping that my review won't step on any of the die-hard fans' toes because, after all, this is strictly MY opinion on the matter.
This is the VERY FIRST Fern Michaels book that I have ever read. There were a few aspects that I liked about it, but there were waaaay more that I didn't. I really like when books talk about domestic violence because that's such a very, very important topic. It can help spread awareness to outsiders and it can also share a bit of "solidarity" to those who are going through it or who have been there. This story shows what makes the protagonist finally leave her situation, which I also liked - it made sense to me. She finally reaches her "rock bottom" point, so to speak, and she runs and gets help. Like many of those who are being abused, it wasn't because of HER abuse that led her to leave, it was "someone" else's. That made a lot of sense to me, too, and I definitely could relate to it.
From there, things slowly go from the believable to the "Really??".
She goes to a shelter and then moves across the country to begin that new life (all thanks to the program run by three main people). And it JUST SO HAPPENS that her husband works for the company owned by one of the the three main people AND he was a main mastermind with developing the program's database. Of course he is. And OF COURSE it takes awhile for him to lose his job. Meanwhile, the protagonist has met the man of her dreams; finally trusts him after a very short period; tells him about the program because of some perceived wrong BY the program; has magically turned into an online business mastermind; buys a building for her online business because of it magically taking off; moves in with the man of her dreams; finds out someone she knows and had trusted is one of the main three running the program; and then is found by her husband. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention a HUGE part. The main person running the program is a millionaire (or is it a billionaire?), dies, and OF COURSE leaves her fortune to our protagonist.
So anyway, enter the husband. For some strange reason (and I still have no idea why the heck this happened...except maybe to make the book longer), our protagonist refuses to take a plane across the country to the remaining two program directors. She, OF COURSE, decides to drive. She leaves the love of her life without a note or anything and takes off, gets followed by her husband, gets followed by Mister Lover (he's psychic about her route, you know?), and more drama takes place until she finally makes it. What happens when she finally makes it? The climax of the story that is the most ridiculous climax ever -- talk about a letdown.
There is so much more I could say about this book that I found ridiculous, but I'll let people decide for themselves. Oh, I DID forget one other thing. What in the HECK is up with the never-ending dialogue of these characters??? When a simple sentence would do, the characters would "speak" for about ten of them! I've never seen anything like it in my life. It's like every single character in the book has ADHD and can't shut up. Instead of saying, "I love you!", we'd get a HUGE monologue of irrelevant speak along with the eventual words of "I love you" thrown in. (And every other Fern Michaels book I've ever read has been like this, too.)
I know that this is a gigantic review, but I had to share everything I thought about this book. Definitely read it your yourself and form your own opinion, but if the things I've listed annoy the crap out of you too, I'd save yourself the frustration. Again, that's just my opinion on it. (Don't beat me up!! Lol)
This is the VERY FIRST Fern Michaels book that I have ever read. There were a few aspects that I liked about it, but there were waaaay more that I didn't. I really like when books talk about domestic violence because that's such a very, very important topic. It can help spread awareness to outsiders and it can also share a bit of "solidarity" to those who are going through it or who have been there. This story shows what makes the protagonist finally leave her situation, which I also liked - it made sense to me. She finally reaches her "rock bottom" point, so to speak, and she runs and gets help. Like many of those who are being abused, it wasn't because of HER abuse that led her to leave, it was "someone" else's. That made a lot of sense to me, too, and I definitely could relate to it.
From there, things slowly go from the believable to the "Really??".
She goes to a shelter and then moves across the country to begin that new life (all thanks to the program run by three main people). And it JUST SO HAPPENS that her husband works for the company owned by one of the the three main people AND he was a main mastermind with developing the program's database. Of course he is. And OF COURSE it takes awhile for him to lose his job. Meanwhile, the protagonist has met the man of her dreams; finally trusts him after a very short period; tells him about the program because of some perceived wrong BY the program; has magically turned into an online business mastermind; buys a building for her online business because of it magically taking off; moves in with the man of her dreams; finds out someone she knows and had trusted is one of the main three running the program; and then is found by her husband. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention a HUGE part. The main person running the program is a millionaire (or is it a billionaire?), dies, and OF COURSE leaves her fortune to our protagonist.
So anyway, enter the husband. For some strange reason (and I still have no idea why the heck this happened...except maybe to make the book longer), our protagonist refuses to take a plane across the country to the remaining two program directors. She, OF COURSE, decides to drive. She leaves the love of her life without a note or anything and takes off, gets followed by her husband, gets followed by Mister Lover (he's psychic about her route, you know?), and more drama takes place until she finally makes it. What happens when she finally makes it? The climax of the story that is the most ridiculous climax ever -- talk about a letdown.
There is so much more I could say about this book that I found ridiculous, but I'll let people decide for themselves. Oh, I DID forget one other thing. What in the HECK is up with the never-ending dialogue of these characters??? When a simple sentence would do, the characters would "speak" for about ten of them! I've never seen anything like it in my life. It's like every single character in the book has ADHD and can't shut up. Instead of saying, "I love you!", we'd get a HUGE monologue of irrelevant speak along with the eventual words of "I love you" thrown in. (And every other Fern Michaels book I've ever read has been like this, too.)
I know that this is a gigantic review, but I had to share everything I thought about this book. Definitely read it your yourself and form your own opinion, but if the things I've listed annoy the crap out of you too, I'd save yourself the frustration. Again, that's just my opinion on it. (Don't beat me up!! Lol)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2015
Not good
This was the worst written books I have read. Things jump around oddly. Several times I read pages again to see if I'd missed something that would explain an event; but no it just wasn't there. I'm swearing off reading any more books by this author.
This was the worst written books I have read. Things jump around oddly. Several times I read pages again to see if I'd missed something that would explain an event; but no it just wasn't there. I'm swearing off reading any more books by this author.
June 10, 2021
I just picked it up and started reading it. While its not my preferred romance novel genre, ts undeniably quick paced and well written. Fern Michaels writes with a distinctive style. It so hard to create a believable human bad guy w/o reducing relying on clichés. Its not w/o its problems but its has characters that you care about and root for. Its a lovely summer read and considering the subject matter, thats no small feat.
November 6, 2013
What You Wish For by Fern Michaels
This book starts out with Helan and she's married to Daniel. Everything is perfect in their life if you consider him beating her every time he wants her to do something. She finally has had enough when he tosses the dog and she's a breath away from being dead.
She is able to defend herself and runs into the street where a passerby takes her to the local vet. He takes her in, cares for the dog and gets a woman to take care of her injuries. She moves them into a woman's shelter and trains her how to take care of herself as she heals.
When she is through with the program they relocate her and with her studies and volunteer time she takes on a job and gets on with her life. She meets with an online counselor at nights and Boots knows she is on her way to recovery. Her job is to keep the husband away from her.
Her new business takes off and she meets a man who also has a dog and the dogs take up with one another. The story is terrifying as we learn of what Helen has gone through and what she has to endure, along with others.
She tells her sponsors of her love life and she breaks away from them and she knows her husband is on her trail so she leaves with the dogs to head back to CA where it all started. Love how the story plays out...
Love the strong things Helen does along with the travel. Very few characters and they are easy to keep track of.
I received this book from The Kennsington Books in exchange for my honest review
This book starts out with Helan and she's married to Daniel. Everything is perfect in their life if you consider him beating her every time he wants her to do something. She finally has had enough when he tosses the dog and she's a breath away from being dead.
She is able to defend herself and runs into the street where a passerby takes her to the local vet. He takes her in, cares for the dog and gets a woman to take care of her injuries. She moves them into a woman's shelter and trains her how to take care of herself as she heals.
When she is through with the program they relocate her and with her studies and volunteer time she takes on a job and gets on with her life. She meets with an online counselor at nights and Boots knows she is on her way to recovery. Her job is to keep the husband away from her.
Her new business takes off and she meets a man who also has a dog and the dogs take up with one another. The story is terrifying as we learn of what Helen has gone through and what she has to endure, along with others.
She tells her sponsors of her love life and she breaks away from them and she knows her husband is on her trail so she leaves with the dogs to head back to CA where it all started. Love how the story plays out...
Love the strong things Helen does along with the travel. Very few characters and they are easy to keep track of.
I received this book from The Kennsington Books in exchange for my honest review
November 3, 2017
I got a couple of boxed sets of Fern Michaels audiobooks for a cheap price - and now I know why......the books are horrible! This book started off ok but then got stupid fast. Helen is an idiot and she & Sam have no chemistry at all - the characters are just flat & dull. The battered women's program is ridiculous and declaring women dead was idiotic. Then after all the build up Helen, who is supposed to be trained to fight & think fast when dealing with her abuser, becomes the biggest moron on the planet ---- she didn't call the police, tried to drive cross country in a snow storm when she had a private plane at her disposal, didn't go back for Sam, left herself with no weapon, then when in CA she left herself completely vulnerable instead of having security. And the wrap up scene with Daniel was insulting to readers it was so bad. Overall, just an awful story and characters.
December 5, 2014
Not good
October 14, 2013
Not much plot. Slow to start. Eventually picks up around disk 5 or 6. Not my usual go to romance novel.
May 17, 2017
Personal Response: What You Wish For was a very heart hitting book. It draws your attention to the issues that happen today and a long time ago. The struggle of the main character, Helen Stanley, is so beautifully portrayed that you will not be able to pull yourself from the text.
Plot: Helen is a middle aged adult married to a man named Daniel Ward, but the marriage is not what was made out to be. Daniel would abuse her. Daniel pulls the last straw when he kicks Helen's dog, Lucie. Helen makes a brake for it to get Lucie to a vet. Helen and Lucie get new identities as Nancy Baker and Nine-A. They meet professor Sam Tulliver and start a new life. Until Daniel shows up again. Helen now has to get away from Daniel at the risk of losing Sam.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book for high school age and up. The contents has some reference and the descriptions are quite graphic.
Plot: Helen is a middle aged adult married to a man named Daniel Ward, but the marriage is not what was made out to be. Daniel would abuse her. Daniel pulls the last straw when he kicks Helen's dog, Lucie. Helen makes a brake for it to get Lucie to a vet. Helen and Lucie get new identities as Nancy Baker and Nine-A. They meet professor Sam Tulliver and start a new life. Until Daniel shows up again. Helen now has to get away from Daniel at the risk of losing Sam.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book for high school age and up. The contents has some reference and the descriptions are quite graphic.
December 17, 2024
Quite a story. Humor and suspense. Other reviewers didn't like it but I thought it was a fun read.
August 14, 2024
I DNFd this. I lasted a whopping 27 pages before I called it quits. If you want to torture your self with dialogue and nothing else, this book is for you!
July 2, 2017
first time reading this author and i find this book disappointing, frustrating and uncomfortable.
this story is similar to Karen Rose-Don'Tell. They both are about escaping their abusive husband, but when they tried to moved forward, their past catching up with them. while the plots are wonderful and full of promises, but the similarity end there.
it just hard for me to invest in this book.
i can't stand the mc., way too much corny dialog everywhere, i felt like i was in marketplace where people are chit-chatting all at once ..
mc only fight back when her dog was beaten trying to protect her. i understand that it's hard to get away from abusive enviroment especially when you are alone and scared. but sorry, this is not my cuppatea. i prefer strong woman who fight back and keep trying, for herself, or child.
perhaps wishing that i would that kind of person if hardship ever come to me.
i count my blessing that i have wonderful family who love and support me everyday
this story is similar to Karen Rose-Don'Tell. They both are about escaping their abusive husband, but when they tried to moved forward, their past catching up with them. while the plots are wonderful and full of promises, but the similarity end there.
it just hard for me to invest in this book.
i can't stand the mc., way too much corny dialog everywhere, i felt like i was in marketplace where people are chit-chatting all at once ..
mc only fight back when her dog was beaten trying to protect her. i understand that it's hard to get away from abusive enviroment especially when you are alone and scared. but sorry, this is not my cuppatea. i prefer strong woman who fight back and keep trying, for herself, or child.
perhaps wishing that i would that kind of person if hardship ever come to me.
i count my blessing that i have wonderful family who love and support me everyday
July 9, 2017
What can I say...this book was a drug store novel. It lacked luster, plot and everything else a good book has. Read like a Danielle Steele novel and then found out Fern Michaels cranks these stores out like Danielle Steel. I want to be sitting at the end of my seat with a good book and this one simply did not foot the bill. I will not read another book by this author.
June 3, 2015
Loved this!!!!!
July 1, 2015
Excellent Book
This book is so good. This is the first book I have read by this author and I plan to read many more.
This book is so good. This is the first book I have read by this author and I plan to read many more.
Read
January 22, 2017Helen Stanley Ward was married to a very abusive husband. She tolerated it because she was scared to death. He was good with computers and made a lot of money. She lived in a million dollar home and was supposed to go with him to a work event one evening. He came home and she wasn't as ready as he wanted and he started to beat her. He kicked her dog Lucie and almost killed her. That was more than Helen could take and she hit him with the fireplace poker stake in his back and ran out. She went to a vet to for Lucie. The vet, Gerry, could tell that she had been beaten and called a friend of his who ran a women's shelter. That person was Isabel Tyger. Isabel had inherited a toy business that she didn't want. She had hated her father who had raised her with abuse. Gerry and Artie, Daniel's boss, had been her best friends from childhood. They had saved her life when she was younger. Izzy's father had drowned her pet dog and her nine puppies. He was going after her to drown her too when Gerry and Artie showed up which prevented that from happening. He had left the toy business to her brother. He didn't want it either so after he died, her brother gave it to her. She wasn't involved in the business at all. She let the other board members handle the business.
Helen went to the shelter and Izzy helped her to move across the country from California to New Jersey under another name. Izzy told Artie about Daniel and he lost his job. He was set to take over the business from Artie as he was preparing to retire. Artie told Daniel he knew what he had done to his wife and he was fired. Daniel blamed Helen for all his problems and devoted all his time to finding and punishing Helen.
Helen became Nancy Baker. She was given a job selling lingerie while wanting to design her own. She worked on designing pieces in her spare time in the evenings. She was still scared that her husband would find her and kept to herself. She ended up meeting one of her neighbors and falling in love with Sam and his dog, Max. Sam helped her by having one of his students design a web site for her to sell her own lingerie after she lost her job.
Izzy kept in touch with Helen by pretending to be her counselor, Boots. Helen was having difficulty with accepting college professor Sam Tolliver into her life because of her relationship with her husband and had a hard time with trust. Izzy had to go to the hospital and Helen couldn't get in touch with her. She ended up telling Sam about her past. She told him that she couldn't get divorced because she would be found by her ex if anything showed up on a computer system. Sam told her he would accept that and they moved in together.
Izzy hired a nurse to help take care of her when she went home from the hospital and later found out that the nurse was seeing Daniel Ward. The nurse was fired but she had told Daniel where Helen was. Daniel went and found Helen and began following her.
Helen decided to head back to California and divorce Daniel. She had evidence that she had been beaten and planned on using it. She was driving back through bad weather and Daniel was following her. Izzy had died and left her possessions to Helen. Helen found out when Daniel caught up with her at a restaurant and told her. She was helped to get away from Daniel by a truck driver and his friends who blocked his car in so he couldn't follow her. Gerry and Artie had called Sam and told him where Helen was and he also headed to California.
Artie and Gerry talked to Helen and apologized for the fact that they had her declared dead and they promised to correct what they had done so that she could get divorced. They explained to Helen why Izzy had left everything to her and about her dog, Boots. Helen agreed to accept the proceeds from Izzy's estate.
Daniel found Helen at Izzy's house and tried to kill her. Sam and Max arrived in time to save her. Max jumped on Daniel and stayed there until the police arrived. Daniel had snapped and he was arrested and put in jail. Sam and Helen were married after Helen regained her identity.
Helen went to the next board meeting of the toy company and told them that they were to make a stuffed dog that they were to call Boots as their next toy. They were hesitant so she followed Gerry and Artie's instructions and fired all the board members. The stuffed dog was the first new toy that the company had put out in years and it became successful.
Gerry and Artie were allowed to continue to visit Izzy's home and the grave Boots and her puppies for as long as they were alive.
Helen went to the shelter and Izzy helped her to move across the country from California to New Jersey under another name. Izzy told Artie about Daniel and he lost his job. He was set to take over the business from Artie as he was preparing to retire. Artie told Daniel he knew what he had done to his wife and he was fired. Daniel blamed Helen for all his problems and devoted all his time to finding and punishing Helen.
Helen became Nancy Baker. She was given a job selling lingerie while wanting to design her own. She worked on designing pieces in her spare time in the evenings. She was still scared that her husband would find her and kept to herself. She ended up meeting one of her neighbors and falling in love with Sam and his dog, Max. Sam helped her by having one of his students design a web site for her to sell her own lingerie after she lost her job.
Izzy kept in touch with Helen by pretending to be her counselor, Boots. Helen was having difficulty with accepting college professor Sam Tolliver into her life because of her relationship with her husband and had a hard time with trust. Izzy had to go to the hospital and Helen couldn't get in touch with her. She ended up telling Sam about her past. She told him that she couldn't get divorced because she would be found by her ex if anything showed up on a computer system. Sam told her he would accept that and they moved in together.
Izzy hired a nurse to help take care of her when she went home from the hospital and later found out that the nurse was seeing Daniel Ward. The nurse was fired but she had told Daniel where Helen was. Daniel went and found Helen and began following her.
Helen decided to head back to California and divorce Daniel. She had evidence that she had been beaten and planned on using it. She was driving back through bad weather and Daniel was following her. Izzy had died and left her possessions to Helen. Helen found out when Daniel caught up with her at a restaurant and told her. She was helped to get away from Daniel by a truck driver and his friends who blocked his car in so he couldn't follow her. Gerry and Artie had called Sam and told him where Helen was and he also headed to California.
Artie and Gerry talked to Helen and apologized for the fact that they had her declared dead and they promised to correct what they had done so that she could get divorced. They explained to Helen why Izzy had left everything to her and about her dog, Boots. Helen agreed to accept the proceeds from Izzy's estate.
Daniel found Helen at Izzy's house and tried to kill her. Sam and Max arrived in time to save her. Max jumped on Daniel and stayed there until the police arrived. Daniel had snapped and he was arrested and put in jail. Sam and Helen were married after Helen regained her identity.
Helen went to the next board meeting of the toy company and told them that they were to make a stuffed dog that they were to call Boots as their next toy. They were hesitant so she followed Gerry and Artie's instructions and fired all the board members. The stuffed dog was the first new toy that the company had put out in years and it became successful.
Gerry and Artie were allowed to continue to visit Izzy's home and the grave Boots and her puppies for as long as they were alive.
October 18, 2018
#BookReview
What You Wish for by Fern Michaels
Number of Pages: 351
My rating: 4/5
Domestic Violence: The Elephant in the room
Domestic Violence is destructive for both the battered and the batterer. Its tendency to be passed down over generations makes it all the more important that we develop effective methods for combating abusive behavior. Domestic Violence can be physical or psychological, and it can affect anyone of any age, gender, race or sexual orientation. It may include behaviors meant to scare, physically harm, or control a partner. While every relationship is different, domestic violence generally involves an unequal power dynamic in which one partner tries to assert control over the other in a variety of ways which one cannot even being to imagine. No need for examples here since we all is aware of what goes down that road.
It can take any form - physical abuse, sexual abuse, rape, emotional abuse, intimidation, economic deprivation, threats of violence. The NHFS-4 (National Family Health Survey) survey released by the Union Health Ministry reported that every third women, since the age of 15, has faced domestic violence of various forms. Domestic violence cases, where women reported physical abuse in rural and urban areas, were at 29% and 23%, respectively. And the most common type of spousal violence is physical violence (27%), followed by emotional violence (13%). But the helplessness of stopping the violence being inflicted on them isn't the only worrying factor. Women not only in India but everywhere, surprisingly, are supportive of domestic violence. All of this, in hope that someday things would be different; days would be better. But when will day come? We do not know.
'What You Wish For' by Fern Michaels is one of those tales where Helen Ward falls prey to her charming husband Daniel Ward. A well-known and dashing man with his expertise in computers gains likes and recognition among his bosses, colleagues and friends. But only Helen Ward knows the real Daniel Ward. Only if Danial, her abusive husband hadn't tried to kill her and her beloved dog Lucie, Helen might have never run away from her California mansion. She struggles her way in the hope that she can find safety, happiness, and maybe even love. Who know? But despite her running away from all this mess; she somewhere knows that the past is catching up with her… and her fear growing.
This is my first read of Fern Michaels and it was a god read. What I really love about this book is the way the character is narrated. It is a heart-hitting book. The character comes out and I felt like it is happening as I began to read further. The style is narrative. I wanted to fight along with Helen; I wanted to help. The writing made me feel every word in the book. The twists and turns in the story were something that made me go back home and read further. The writing is simple yet hard-hitting. If you have come across violence in any form; you should read this one. It’s lovely how Helen gets back up and fights her enemy; all for the happiness and love she deserved in the world.
We all are entitled to being happy and living the life we want for ourselves. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
Happy Reading!
What You Wish for by Fern Michaels
Number of Pages: 351
My rating: 4/5
Domestic Violence: The Elephant in the room
Domestic Violence is destructive for both the battered and the batterer. Its tendency to be passed down over generations makes it all the more important that we develop effective methods for combating abusive behavior. Domestic Violence can be physical or psychological, and it can affect anyone of any age, gender, race or sexual orientation. It may include behaviors meant to scare, physically harm, or control a partner. While every relationship is different, domestic violence generally involves an unequal power dynamic in which one partner tries to assert control over the other in a variety of ways which one cannot even being to imagine. No need for examples here since we all is aware of what goes down that road.
It can take any form - physical abuse, sexual abuse, rape, emotional abuse, intimidation, economic deprivation, threats of violence. The NHFS-4 (National Family Health Survey) survey released by the Union Health Ministry reported that every third women, since the age of 15, has faced domestic violence of various forms. Domestic violence cases, where women reported physical abuse in rural and urban areas, were at 29% and 23%, respectively. And the most common type of spousal violence is physical violence (27%), followed by emotional violence (13%). But the helplessness of stopping the violence being inflicted on them isn't the only worrying factor. Women not only in India but everywhere, surprisingly, are supportive of domestic violence. All of this, in hope that someday things would be different; days would be better. But when will day come? We do not know.
'What You Wish For' by Fern Michaels is one of those tales where Helen Ward falls prey to her charming husband Daniel Ward. A well-known and dashing man with his expertise in computers gains likes and recognition among his bosses, colleagues and friends. But only Helen Ward knows the real Daniel Ward. Only if Danial, her abusive husband hadn't tried to kill her and her beloved dog Lucie, Helen might have never run away from her California mansion. She struggles her way in the hope that she can find safety, happiness, and maybe even love. Who know? But despite her running away from all this mess; she somewhere knows that the past is catching up with her… and her fear growing.
This is my first read of Fern Michaels and it was a god read. What I really love about this book is the way the character is narrated. It is a heart-hitting book. The character comes out and I felt like it is happening as I began to read further. The style is narrative. I wanted to fight along with Helen; I wanted to help. The writing made me feel every word in the book. The twists and turns in the story were something that made me go back home and read further. The writing is simple yet hard-hitting. If you have come across violence in any form; you should read this one. It’s lovely how Helen gets back up and fights her enemy; all for the happiness and love she deserved in the world.
We all are entitled to being happy and living the life we want for ourselves. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
Happy Reading!
August 12, 2018
I normally love Fern Michaels, but this, omg, how did I last that long. First, I had it on CD, and I got to disk 4, I really did, only because I was ironing, and different stories were downstairs, and I was on a roll. However, the women in this story was so stupid, I could not take it anymore. Enough already!
Story, young pretty girl is abused by computer expert husband, she has been raised by a worthless mother, and believes she too is worthless. She does not leave the house, he does not let her, she has been smart and resourceful before she met him, but he has emotionally beat her down where she feels worthless. He also beats the heck out of her, and she takes it and takes it and takes it, until he beats her dog almost to death, little Lucy.
She escapes with help from a driver she flags down and a good veterinarian saves the dog, and gets her into a shelter, where a female millionaire (who financially supports the shelter) takes her under her wing, sets her up with a new identity, business and moves her across the country. She blossoms, sets up her own business and falls in love. Evil husband is out to get her. He is smart,
and gets others to help threw lies and deceit to find his wife and kill her.
Millionaire dies and leaves money to pretty girl, who is so dumb she will not talk to people about
her monies, is nasty to everyone, goes on the run, steals boyfriends dog, and chews out everyone.
By this time I had had enough. If you want to read it, be my guest. I passed it on.
Story, young pretty girl is abused by computer expert husband, she has been raised by a worthless mother, and believes she too is worthless. She does not leave the house, he does not let her, she has been smart and resourceful before she met him, but he has emotionally beat her down where she feels worthless. He also beats the heck out of her, and she takes it and takes it and takes it, until he beats her dog almost to death, little Lucy.
She escapes with help from a driver she flags down and a good veterinarian saves the dog, and gets her into a shelter, where a female millionaire (who financially supports the shelter) takes her under her wing, sets her up with a new identity, business and moves her across the country. She blossoms, sets up her own business and falls in love. Evil husband is out to get her. He is smart,
and gets others to help threw lies and deceit to find his wife and kill her.
Millionaire dies and leaves money to pretty girl, who is so dumb she will not talk to people about
her monies, is nasty to everyone, goes on the run, steals boyfriends dog, and chews out everyone.
By this time I had had enough. If you want to read it, be my guest. I passed it on.
April 18, 2018
It took me a while to read this book. Not because I didn’t like it, because I really liked it a lot! It was one of those books that was hard to sit down and read for a little bit because you were always waiting for the next thing to happen. Some of the twist interns were not expected but they certainly added space to the book. To be honest, I think the book could’ve been condensed a little bit more because it seem to sort of go on a bit long. I think that’s the only reason I gave it four stars. After all, the characters were great and realistic and many of the things that happened in the book were very feasible. There were some things of course that could only happen in a novel but that’s why we have novels isn’t it? I liked Helen quite a bit. Watching her mature and grow and become her own woman was very satisfying. And Isabel was the best that she could have been given who she was and her circumstances. I really felt sorry for her in a lot of ways. Anyway it was really interesting to see everything made right in the end. This is a great book and I would highly recommend it to anyone but with the caveat that once you pick it up it’s very hard to put down.
January 16, 2020
A housewife, an abusive husband, a cute dog, an efficient women's shelter. These are powerful words that are capable of weaving a amazingly gripping and fast paced thriller.
Unfortunately, when the words fall into wrong hands, it becomes a disconnected, confusing and boring tale.
The scenes that had so much potential to make us sit on the edge of our seats fell sloppily. One of the examples is when Helen runs from her menacing husband. She is alone at her house when the doorbell rings on eerie night. Now, the sequence of events at this point need to be narrated in the best possible, haunting way! (I thought everyone knows this). However, she opens the door( I think she opens it), he comes in(I still don't know how he came in), threatens her, she shoves a kitchen chair(even though he has a gun in hand) and she is suddenly in a forest thicket running for her life(a human possibly cannot suddenly be in a forest unless he or she is a superman capable of flying).
This is just one of the examples. However, I am giving this one 3 stars because this story had spunk enough to hold me till the end.
Unfortunately, when the words fall into wrong hands, it becomes a disconnected, confusing and boring tale.
The scenes that had so much potential to make us sit on the edge of our seats fell sloppily. One of the examples is when Helen runs from her menacing husband. She is alone at her house when the doorbell rings on eerie night. Now, the sequence of events at this point need to be narrated in the best possible, haunting way! (I thought everyone knows this). However, she opens the door( I think she opens it), he comes in(I still don't know how he came in), threatens her, she shoves a kitchen chair(even though he has a gun in hand) and she is suddenly in a forest thicket running for her life(a human possibly cannot suddenly be in a forest unless he or she is a superman capable of flying).
This is just one of the examples. However, I am giving this one 3 stars because this story had spunk enough to hold me till the end.
March 4, 2024
This story opens with a violent abuse scene and Helen's efforts to flee with her dog. The brisk pacing touches briefly on snapshot moments of Helen's flight, new life, and efforts to evade her husband. This story also introduces a trio of colorful secondary characters that bring interest and some levity to the story. Their habits and rituals are not only amusing but relevant to the plot. Helen's story is mostly about her evolution from an abuse victim to a decisive confident woman to be reckoned with. You come away feeling like you have had a peek behind the curtains of what it takes for a battered woman to escape that situation successfully.
July 16, 2018
This could’ve really been a good book based on the topic. And the topic (domestic abuse) is the only reason I rated it 2 instead of 1. It was quite disappointing, weird dialogue, no depth, I couldn’t relate to any of the characters other than Sam. I never did completely figure out how Izzie died, but it seems as if she hired someone to do that to her? That was very strange to me. Too bad the book was such a disappointment. I’ve liked all the other books by this author I’ve previously read, so not sure what happened here. Oh well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2025
it was a hard-read but the story was immersive. still i started this book in october 2024 and im finishing it now. i love strong women but she was so over-obsessed about somethings. the character helen surely had a post-traumatic personality disorder, she overreacted to her own "death". maybe she was right but does she really had to talk about this topic at almost 150 pages? nuh nuh. i also skipped the "love making" parts because of the fact that it was not affective. i finished the book because i wanted to see her win. thats all
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2024
A Lovely Story of Heartache and Love
I listened to this book on Audible.
I loved the story of Helen’s journey to find herself and found so much more. The narrator was wonderful and read the book with emotion and interpretation.
Fern Michaels takes the reader/listener on a journey of mystery, danger and love. She tells the story in such depth that you are swept into the lives of the characters and feel their emotions and pain.
I recommend this book. ❤️
I listened to this book on Audible.
I loved the story of Helen’s journey to find herself and found so much more. The narrator was wonderful and read the book with emotion and interpretation.
Fern Michaels takes the reader/listener on a journey of mystery, danger and love. She tells the story in such depth that you are swept into the lives of the characters and feel their emotions and pain.
I recommend this book. ❤️
March 22, 2018
The idea for the story is great, but the execution sucked. Author was contradictory, and dialogue was unrealistic, as were the characters. The author skips large chunks of time with no indication it is happening. I kept thinking I was forgetting things that happened, but I wasn't, the author just bounced around.
August 1, 2020
I decided to read this because I remember enjoying Fern Michaels’ books as a teen. Apparently, my brain has grown a lot as an adult.
The story could have been good, if the writing and editing were a higher quality. It was painful to read as written. Not due to the violence, but due to the lack of talent.
I won’t be reaching for another Fern Michaels book any time soon.
The story could have been good, if the writing and editing were a higher quality. It was painful to read as written. Not due to the violence, but due to the lack of talent.
I won’t be reaching for another Fern Michaels book any time soon.
September 15, 2021
Daniel was so in humane l hated him!
So many women even today put up with this kind of man, they beat them,run
them into ground,& make them feel worthless.
Things need to change & it’s the women that need to come forward to
make these changes. They need to step up & take a stand for themselves &
future women of today!!
So many women even today put up with this kind of man, they beat them,run
them into ground,& make them feel worthless.
Things need to change & it’s the women that need to come forward to
make these changes. They need to step up & take a stand for themselves &
future women of today!!
June 30, 2023
I love going back in time to when phones were attached to walls, and there's no way to call for help when a murderous ex is chasing you down the interstate. A real nail biter! Maybe not the most believable... few women entering a battered shelter get a whole new identity and enter a witness protection type program... but I enjoyed every second of the book. A real page turner.
May 31, 2024
This book had such an amazing story that was incredibly inspiring, though unrealistic. The way this story was told in made it very difficult and confusing to read through and the lack of character development for a few characters was saddening. The story is told in dialogue and gives us fittle to no imagery. Overall this story was good but it wasn't written well.
July 6, 2018
What You Wish For
Wow! What an amazing ride! Loved I! I was on pins & needles worrying about Helen & Sam & the 2 dogs. Now, this is whatI I expect from Fern Michaels. Forget the Godmother series!
Wow! What an amazing ride! Loved I! I was on pins & needles worrying about Helen & Sam & the 2 dogs. Now, this is whatI I expect from Fern Michaels. Forget the Godmother series!
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