Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Three Wishes

Rate this book
When a blizzard hits Vermont, blanketing the sleepy town and creating a scene so tranquil, no one suspects the tragedy to come, in “a heart-tugging story of love and redemption that is surprisingly powerful” ( People ).

Expect a miracle . . .

Barbara Delinsky’s “heart-tugging” ( People ) national bestseller resonates far beyond the extraordinary love story at its heart. Entwining courage, community, and the magical consequences of second chances, this brilliantly imagined tale explores the exhilarating What if wishes really could come true?

When waitress Bree Miller awakens in the hospital following a blizzard in tiny, picturesque Panama, Vermont, she can’t recall the near-tragedy that landed her there. But she’s overcome with the certainty that she has been granted three wishes. . . . Can they be real? Are the things Bree longs for—a home, a soul mate, a family—now within her grasp? One of her wishes seems to have come true at her bedside is Tom Gates, a renowned author who’s come to town to make sense of his fame—and who, as the accident’s only witness, now makes Bree his cause. As Bree and Tom consider their hearts’ deepest desires, they discover that they will have to take unimagined risks to truly live their dreams.

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

437 people are currently reading
1767 people want to read

About the author

Barbara Delinsky

307 books4,356 followers
I was born and raised in suburban Boston. My mother’s death, when I was eight, was the defining event of a childhood that was otherwise ordinary. I took piano lessons and flute lessons. I took ballroom dancing lessons. I went to summer camp through my fifteenth year (in Maine, which explains the setting of so many of my stories), then spent my sixteenth summer learning to type and to drive (two skills that have served me better than all of my other high school courses combined). I earned a B.A. in Psychology at Tufts University and an M.A. in Sociology at Boston College. The motivation behind the M.A. was sheer greed. My husband was just starting law school. We needed the money.

Following graduate school, I worked as a researcher with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and as a photographer and reporter for the Belmont Herald. I did the newspaper work after my first son was born. Since I was heavily into taking pictures of him, I worked for the paper to support that habit. Initially, I wrote only in a secondary capacity, to provide copy for the pictures I took. In time, I realized that I was better at writing than photography. I used both skills doing volunteer work for hospital groups, and have served on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and on the MGH’s Women’s Cancer Advisory Board.

I became an actual writer by fluke. My twins were four when, by chance, I happened on a newspaper article profiling three female writers. Intrigued, I spent three months researching, plotting, and writing my own book - and it sold.

My niche? I write about the emotional crises that we face in our lives. Readers identify with my characters. They know them. They are them. I'm an everyday woman writing about everyday people facing not-so-everyday challenges.

My novels are character-driven studies of marriage, parenthood, sibling rivalry, and friendship, and I’ve been blessed in having readers who buy them eagerly enough to put them on the major bestseller lists. One of my latest, Sweet Salt Air, came out in 2013.  Blueprints, my second novel with St. Martin’s Press, became my 22nd New York Times bestselling novel soon after its release in June 2015.  Making Up, my work in progress, will be published in 2018.

2018? Yikes. I didn’t think I’d live that long. I thought I’d die of breast cancer back in the 1900's, like my mom. But I didn’t. I was diagnosed nearly twenty years ago, had surgery and treatment, and here I am, stronger than ever and loving having authored yet another book, this one the non-fiction Uplift: Secrets From the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors. First published in 2001, Uplift is a handbook of practical tips and upbeat anecdotes that I compiled with the help of 350 breast cancer survivors, their families and friends. These survivors just ... blew me away! They gave me the book that I wish I’d had way back when I was diagnosed. There is no medical information here, nothing frightening, simply practical advice from friends who’ve had breast cancer. The 10th Anniversary Volume of Uplift is now in print. And the money I’ve made on the book? Every cent has gone to my charitable foundation, which funds an ongoing research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Connect with me on Facebook: facebook.com/bdelinsky
Look for my photos on Instagram: instagram.com/barbaradelinsky

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
1,448 (32%)
4 stars
1,372 (31%)
3 stars
1,199 (27%)
2 stars
305 (6%)
1 star
86 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews
Profile Image for Jaime Stricklin.
473 reviews46 followers
July 28, 2010
I really like Barbara Delinsky's writing. However, I was disapointed with the outcome of this book. NOT just because it had a sad ending, but because she had the opportunity to show that love could overcome even the worst of circumstances. The three wishes were given to Bree as a gift of more time since her life had been tragically taken from her. I think the story would have been better if at the end, Bree realized that the wishes were not real, but rather the joy that comes from reaching out and claiming happiness is what they were really all about.
I knew about 2/3 of the way through how this book would end. I skipped to the last page and saw key words that verified my fears. I then went back so I could see what happened. I didn't like it. I don't like reading sad books. Reading is my escape so I like a happy ending. I know I will read more of her books, but I'll have to give it a while so I'm not hit with another ending like this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Teresa Cameselle.
Author 28 books66 followers
March 2, 2018
Me he llevado un disgusto muy gordo con este libro. No se puede etiquetar como romántica lo que es una novela sentimental con un final terriblemente dramático. La novela es muy bonita, está muy bien escrita, y transmite mucho sentimiento, pero ese final, propio quizá de los 90, la década en la que la autora lo escribió, es demasiado doloroso, y por eso le he bajado la puntuación.
12 reviews2 followers
January 11, 2008
It's hard to explain why I only gave this book one star without giving away some of the major parts of the story. The book is well-written but I was very un-satisfied by the end of it and finished it thinking "WHAT!!!????"
Profile Image for Rhonda 🌒🌕🌘 🐈‍⬛.
922 reviews69 followers
October 16, 2025
This is probably my all time favorite book. I don’t if it’s because of the subject matter and how it correlates to what I was going through in my life when I first read it but this book will always be very dear to me and hold a place in my heart
13 reviews2 followers
December 26, 2012
I can't properly say how bad this book is. The female lead is a waitress in a small New England town who has done nothing with her life and plans to spend the rest of her life there as a waitress, with no family and no romantic prospects.

The male lead is a world famous author and lawyer. Tall, handsome, wealthy, but ashamed of a past that makes it possible for Tom and Bree to get together (how else would a man of this caliber fall for a waitress approaching middle age tucked away in the middle of nowhere?).

One evening Bree the waitress is badly hurt, and Tom, the man she thought didn't notice her turns out to be the love of her life (even though they've hardly spoken). She DIES in the hospital and gets a message while she's wafting to heaven - she's not supposed to die yet, so she will get Three Wishes to make up for her untimely demise.

The tall, handsome, wealthy stranger (aka: Mr. Perfect) single-handedly alleviates the HUGE burden Bree's convalescence places on the 100's of friends she's lived with her whole life. But will he choose the nearly middle-age waitress from the sticks, or go back to his rich, glamorous life? The inevitable happens! Tom gives up fame (but not wealth) and returns to Mayberry. Bree and Mr. Perfect draw closer, the town accepts him, they get married.

But back to the book's title. She has Three Wishes. Are they real, or are the things that happen when Bree makes her wishes mere coincidence? Bree can't decide to leave her ancestral home even though Mr. Perfect's home is nicer. Bree's house burns down, so now she doesn't have to make a choice. She wishes to see her mother, not realizing (and none of the close, loving townsfolk do either) that Bree's mother was right there, the whole time.

Then Bree wishes to have Mr. Perfect's child. There's a 99% chance that Bree will never have children. But she gets pregnant that night and somehow knows she's pregnant the instant she conceives. And it's not a result of the Wish, it's because they wanted it so much, and deserve it, and are so full of love. As Tom said, "Of course! Who can argue with that?".

From here on, the book plods along. It's as if it's trying to draw out the suspense until we forget about the Three Wishes, while constantly reminding us of them. Bree smiles through all the pain and sickness, finally gives birth, then dies for no reason. This leaves Tom alone with their baby.

It's enough to make people stop making wishes. Or wish that they'd never read this book.
31 reviews1 follower
October 16, 2009
This was the most predictable book I've read in ages. I knew by the fourth chapter exactly how it would end - and I was completely accurate. I only picked this up because I read "While My Sister Sleeps," and liked it. But, I don't think I'll read more of this author.
Profile Image for Judy Churchill.
2,567 reviews31 followers
July 19, 2018
I was ready to write this book off as sheer fluff, but persisted for a while longer. It captured me fiercely and I cried my eyes out the last two chapters. It is touching, tender and is filled with redemption. It is heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Read it.
Profile Image for Gabriela M. C..
126 reviews6 followers
May 18, 2022
Este libro lo leí por recomendación de una amiga 😒, ya que nunca había leído antes a esta autora.
Debo decir que está muy bien escrito, y aunque detalla sobre muchos personajes, no se me hizo pesado ni nada, la historia fue entretenida y fácil de leer.

Ahora el porqué de mis 3 estrellas ... realmente los libros con finales tristes no son para mí, quedé totalmente devastada con ese final, y aunque quizás uno podía intuir lo que podría pasar, hasta el último tuve la esperanza que tuviera un happy ending.

Quizás podría darle 3.5 estrellas o incluso 4, pero por todo lo que he llorado lo dejaré en 3
Profile Image for Chelsea.
151 reviews3 followers
December 2, 2020
The only reason I finished this book was because I was too lazy to pick another to read next.

The characters were flat, the story was completely unbelievable (and I’m not talking about the metaphysical aspects of it), and the writing was just so uninspired and basic.

Overall it felt like an outline for a Lifetime Movie, that was never fully developed and just ends without an authentic, satisfying conclusion.
Profile Image for Rho.
490 reviews5 followers
May 18, 2018
This was a one day book. I do not usually read Delinski - picked this book up at a $1 sale - it was so engrossing I could not put it down. The plot is gripping and catches you from the first page. The characters are likeable and well developed. Sadly you almost know from half way how it will end. A real tear jerker that you will remember long after reading it.
Profile Image for Aretha Renia.
Author 11 books16 followers
July 12, 2009
I loved this book because it is so romantic and moving. It has a story line that keeps you reading, and when that third wish was granted my heart ached. This is truly a tale of giving everything for love.
Profile Image for Julie Barrett.
9,196 reviews205 followers
October 25, 2017
Three wishes by Barbara Delinsky
Have read other works by this author and have loved the books.
This one starts out in Panama, VT and we find Bree Walker leaving the diner she works at, walking home but she's hit.
She wakes up in the hospital with dreams of being given three wishes before she dies for good, out of body experiences that I'm not sure I believe it, interesting to learn about.
Tom Gates is the man who rescues her and he is there to help in any way he can as she recuperates. He's soul searching as he's left his family behind in hopes he can find himself once again...
What I like about this book is the location and what snow covers-typical New England village, so descriptive and detailed. How she knows her job so well-knows what others will order and especially the truckers who visit often. Love hearing of the holiday and seasonal events that the town take joy in participating.
Tom holds his own secrets and he hopes it keep it that way...
They spent a lot of time together while each recuperate although the townsfolk don't know why he spends so much time there...
She holds her own secret after waking up and talking to the doctors that she may never come to terms with...after her third wish things happen fast...
Received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Profile Image for Meredith Michaels.
98 reviews1 follower
January 28, 2023
This was a really good book. It was different. I'm not always into the near-death experience thing but it was played pretty well in this. Bree had almost lost her life in an accident, and felt like a voice was telling her she had three wishes, so not to do any spoilers, but she ended up getting three. The best part of this book was actually the ending. It was totally unexpected and I thought ingenious because I like endings that are not the same old same old.
Profile Image for Brenda.
407 reviews1 follower
August 19, 2020
A definite “fluff” book and something to read just for fun. Getting 3 wishes after an accident makes you think.....What would I wish for?
Profile Image for Kelli.
12 reviews
October 3, 2020
A little predictable but a good story nonetheless. Be prepared to shed some tears.
Profile Image for Diane.
38 reviews2 followers
September 18, 2021
I really enjoyed the first half of this book but a predictable ending spoiled the remainder. The last chapter did redeem the story a bit but I definitely would have preferred a different ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Gabi.
237 reviews1 follower
July 20, 2022
I have a few problems with this book. Two stand out the most: 1) the story would have benefited from a longer timeline. Everything seemed too rushed, specially the relationship between Bree and Tom that I was unable to believe in and root for because of the unnecessary fast pace. 2) another issue I find is that the author does not make every paragraph count. She takes a whole chapter to keep repeating the same idea, so it lead me to skim through and have even less of a connection.
The idea is good and it kept me curious to know how exactly it would end, but the practicality of it didn’t make it as good as it could have been.
Profile Image for Cindy Walker.
53 reviews4 followers
May 8, 2022
O M G.. I just finished the best book I've ever read. The first few chapters started out slow, and I moved on to another book, picked this back up, and had a hard time putting it down.
The last chapters made me cry. Barbara Delinsky made me cry on Mother's day!!!
Loved Bree, loved Tom, and now I want to go to Panama VT and meet these fine small community people.
I wish I could give more than 5 stars.
Profile Image for Jenny T..
1,474 reviews15 followers
October 4, 2012
A romance set in a small town of Vermont linking diner waitress, Bree Miller, and novelist, Tom Gates. The story seemed repetitious at times- exploring near death experiences and family themes. Overall it had a very positive message and the author did a nice job describing the passing of seasons in a New England setting.
Profile Image for Karen.
266 reviews7 followers
July 3, 2016
A bit predictable, but very enjoyable!
Profile Image for Tina Newcomb.
Author 36 books39 followers
Read
December 15, 2020
Not one of my favorite Barbara Delinski books. I usually get so engrossed in her stories, I can't put them down. This one was just okay.
8 reviews
December 18, 2019
Go ahead and read it if you want to be totally devastated at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Chloe (Always Booked).
3,167 reviews122 followers
June 21, 2024
3.5 stars. I liked this book but didn't love it and wish it had a little more development throughout. This book is about Bree and Tom. Bree is a 30 something waitress who loves the diner she works in, the town she lives in, and the people that surround her. She's single but content with the life she lives. One night, she is walking home in the snow and gets hit by a car. The car that hit her was being driven by Tom, a reclusive writer who is in the town as sort of a hideaway and a reset from a life that he's not proud of. Tom hit her because another car hit him, but he still feels extreme guilt and wants to take care of her. The 2 start bonding and form a friendship through his caretaking of her. She lets him in in a way that she hasn't let others in. In her time in the hospital on the brink of death after the accident, she saw a bright light and recalled that someone was giving her 3 wishes. She was so hazy about it, she wasn't sure who gave her the wishes or how it worked. She and Tom's friendship develops into more and honestly that felt really out of place. Obviously, you know thats where the book is going, but they went from friends and then decided to hook up in a way that felt very inauthentic. Anywho, as their love develops and she accidentally uses one wish, they start to worry that when she uses all 3 wishes she will die. She gets a closer relationship with the town eccentric and gains some comfort in knowing that if the wishes give her a better life, its worth the risk of death. So she accidentally wishes for heat (her house sets on fire and she moves in with Tom), then to meet her mother (which she does and doesn't know it) and then to have Tom's baby. She has a son and then dies. Her mother was one of her good friends from the diner and she never knew it, but Tom found out after she was dead. Overall this was good but I wanted more relationship development from everyone. Honestly, I would've loved this more if I it was more women's fiction and focused on all of Bree's relationships as opposed to just the courting from Tom.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Cara.
Author 21 books101 followers
June 1, 2022
Bittersweet warning! If you don’t want to read a pointlessly tragic book, stay away! It’s the utmost bullshit that nothing on the cover indicates this.

Profile Image for Marilyn Di Carlo-Ames.
55 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2020
I spontaneously picked up this paperback and bought it to throw into my suitcase as an extra read for a recent vacation, and then realized it was by an author I'd read once before. The exact faults I criticized in 2018's "Before and Again," are what made me really love "Three Wishes," published 21 years earlier (1997): Plot! Again set in Vermont, I, the biased reader (loving Vermont as much as I do) found it intriguing to follow the description of life in a small New England town and the development of the relationship between Tom and Bree, two individuals who, at first, seem very unlikely to wind up together because of their very different lives. The depth of character development, along with descriptive explanations of the legal recourses needed by community residents, made Three Wishes a much more substantial read than "Before and Again," which perhaps is a nod to our autopilot society and imbuing short attention spans. The missing fifth star in my review is the ending, of which I am very opinionated about and won't reveal. I don't like the ending and disagree with its faulty logic. Either way, I really can't wait to choose my next book by Delinsky, the author I swore off. I need my next dose to compare against these two!
488 reviews
July 13, 2020
****SPOILER*** Don't read this if you don't like spoilers! This is not a review. I write these as notes to myself to keep track of what I have read.***** Sort of a strange premise for a story- focus seemed to be the too perfect love between the main characters. Not a lot else. Their relationship- meeting, courting, marriage, pregnancy, all were over the top. Their closeness was too much for me. I kept thinking of all the normal ups and downs of getting to know someone, or the deepening of one's own identity in relation to one's love, or the questions we work out with boundaries, and having our own interests to remain individuals... Nothing like that was touched on in this story except their love for each other; how they knew what the other wanted, how she decided to get pregnant out of love for him, and she dies- this last bit was foretold in the story but there was a slight possibility she wouldn't die, but she does. I was thinking the ending might be that HE dies, which would have been a twist. But no.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jessica Son.
30 reviews
December 27, 2024
The cover made me pick this book up and then when I saw it was set in Vermont, I was in!!!
It gave me small town cozy vibes with some idealistic notions.
I am not a fan of the 'rich guy that does not need to work' trope. It did fit the narrative that money does not buy happiness in this story, it's just not my favorite. I also wish we could have gotten more from Tom's perspective before the accident.
Bree looked at him like he was too good to be true and at times he did seem to be.
With that said, this was a great Christmas time read and I did enjoy it. I was invested and wanted to see how it would play out...the three wishes twist was an interesting story line that I feel like was not predictable so I appreciated that.

My take aways are from page 260 "fear vanished, done in by the sheer beauty of the place where she was. Here, anything was possible. Every outcome was positive."

I love that, that is a beautiful description of faith.

Page 295 "don't look too closely, it's got lots of mistakes. More love than mistakes though"

It was a story about forgiveness, faith and family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews

Join the discussion

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.