Wishing Well

by Kaitlyn Oruska

For Emma Hinkley, leaving her hometown after high school was hard; leaving her best friend Alison was even harder. Inseparable since the first day of first grade, a future without each other was never part of the plan.

More than a decade later, Emma has a new life in Philadelphia and Alison is still in Brookside, battling her demons. Emma became a successful defense attorney, married and then divorced; Alison became a mother and tried unsuccessfully to fight her addictions. After a disagreement and a year of silence, Emma receives a phone call that changes everything:

Alison is missing.

Emma returns to Brookside to find her with the help of Alison’s ex-boyfriend, Lachlan. Emma never supported their relationship, but finds herself drawn to him as they share their doubts and fears about Alison’s whereabouts. In the mix of all of this is Amelie, the seven year old daughter Alison left behind.

Emma’s life is again turned upside down when she begins to suspect the man she’s falling for might know more about Alison’s disappearance than he’s letting on. Will she be able to bring Alison home, or is it already too late?

Set against a backdrop of beautiful Shenandoah Valley scenery, 'Wishing Well' is a standalone novel about best friends, falling for the wrong person at the wrong time, and the side effects of loving someone struggling with addiction.

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 24, 2014

About the author

Mission Statement:

I might never become your favorite author, and I don’t always believe in happy endings.
I don’t know how to play the game, and I don’t want to learn.
But I promise this:
Every story I write will have pieces of my soul embedded in the pages.
Every character I breathe life into will exist forever in my heart.
And I will love my art with an aching intensity that will never fade or cease.
I’m a work in progress, but aren’t we all?

Reviews

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating - 3.5

This was a decent read.

I felt quite sorry for Emma in this, as the things she had to cope with in her life were really tough.

There was a few points in this where I just wanted them to hurry up and find out what was going on with Allison, as the story began to drag a bit, but I still enjoyed the majority of it.

The ending was good, and I liked seeing how everything turned out 10 years later.

[Amy Queau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now live!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0A0Q2E/r...

I've read other books by Oruska, and I always get pulled into her world, often thinking I won't come back until I finish the last page and have to take a breath. In her last series, her writing amazed me, but it wasn't so much the story that I connected with. This wasn't the case for Wishing Well.
In this story we meet a profound and intense heroine. Emma's thoughts are as clear as they are muddled, and it keeps you turning the pages to figure out the mysteries. She has a past and she has a future, but she's so completely stuck in the present that looking at either of them with total clarity is impossible.
Emma is in a regular job with no one in her life that challenges her. But after a phone call she receives about an old friend gone missing, she's thrust into her past and her hometown where she meets the one person that can help her find her friend. As the story unfolds, you visit the person she was, the person she is, and the person she wants to be. In the unique way that only Oruska can tell this story, you can't help but love the bad guy, hate the good girl, and feel passion for the characters you'd written off from the beginning. She twists the story over and over so that you feel just as conflicted as the characters do.
Hats off to you, Kaitlyn Oruska. This story is amazing.

[Sarahbeth Caplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't run out of good things to say about this book. Kaitlyn Oruska tackles the issue of substance abuse, and the friends and family members struggling to understand it, with wisdom and grace. The characters are flawed, yet believable. Even though I've never had a loved one struggle with this issue, I was drawn in to the lives of these characters and finding myself empathizing with them. There are so many questions implicitly asked of readers: how do you love someone when you don't fully understand what they are going through? When they aren't acting very lovable? When you wonder why you should still remain involved in their lives? Do you run away, or do you stay? And how far would you go to remain loyal, even if it turns your own life upside down?

I loved this book, and can't recommend it enough.

[Shonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!!! It was hard to put this book down..... so much mystery and WOW the twist! Great job Kaitlyn and I hope you think about another book in the future :)

[Tina V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that is very real and relevant. Great job Kaitlyn!

[Kaitlyn Oruska]

Now Available!

http://www.amazon.com/Wishing-Well-Ka...

[Said Nazari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will definitely read more books written by this author. Highly recommended.