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Wish You Were Here
"A breezy, comic, summery romp" - Sunday MirrorFamily secrets revealed, unannounced house guests, a husband's wandering eye, and an old love affair to boot... so much for Flora's luxurious escape to the chateau in the South of France.When Flora, James and their two teenage daughters are offered the holiday of a lifetime in a chateau in the south of France in return for one simple good deed, they jump at the chance. They exchange the confines of London, the weight of the mortgage, and anxieties over their future for a blissful family vacation.But Flora didn't anticipate a mysterious guest and a whole heap of family baggage to come along as well.With James developing a schoolboy crush on a famous singer and Flora distracted by ghosts from her past, their dream holiday suddenly takes some very unexpected turns.Sink into the hilarious feel-good story of a family holiday gone wrong from the Sunday Times bestselling author of A Cornish Summer ."Hilarious and full of surprises" – Daily Telegraph"A thoroughly engaging, entertaining read" - The Daily Mail
416 pages, Hardcover
First published February 26, 2015
157 people are currently reading
710 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Alliott
46 books545 followersCatherine has sold over 3 million bestselling novels worldwide and is translated into eighteen languages.
The first of these novels Catherine started under the desk when she worked as an advertising copywriter. She was duly fired. With time on her hands, she persevered with the novels, which happily flourished.
In the early days she produced a baby with each book - but after three - stuck to the writing as it was less painful.
She writes with her favorite pen in note books, either in the garden or on a sofa.
Home is a rural spot on the Hertfordshire border, which she shares with her family and a menagerie of horses, cows, chickens, and dogs, which at the last count totaled eighty-seven beating hearts, including her husband. Some of her household have walk-on parts in her novels, but only the chickens would probably recognize themselves.
All her novels are published by Penguin Random House internationally, and by No Shooz Publishing in America and will be available in the US in the Fall of 2017.
The first of these novels Catherine started under the desk when she worked as an advertising copywriter. She was duly fired. With time on her hands, she persevered with the novels, which happily flourished.
In the early days she produced a baby with each book - but after three - stuck to the writing as it was less painful.
She writes with her favorite pen in note books, either in the garden or on a sofa.
Home is a rural spot on the Hertfordshire border, which she shares with her family and a menagerie of horses, cows, chickens, and dogs, which at the last count totaled eighty-seven beating hearts, including her husband. Some of her household have walk-on parts in her novels, but only the chickens would probably recognize themselves.
All her novels are published by Penguin Random House internationally, and by No Shooz Publishing in America and will be available in the US in the Fall of 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
February 25, 2015
When James helps to save a little girls life on their way home on a flight, they are given the opportunity to spend the summer in a huge villa in the south of France. The mum turns out to be a famous opera singer.
They all enjoy the luxury of the villa which comes with a couple who cook for them. Their extended families also tag along, with assorted boyfriends, some of whom have been acquired on the journey there!
Flora is a food reviewer for a magazine and her husband is a doctor. Neither of them are that happy in their careers and are maybe at a stage in their life where they are reflecting on the ' what might have been' scenarios. Especially when one of the 'boyfriends' that turns up- is Flora's ex fiance and also happens to have been out with the opera singer aswell.
Some family secrets are unravelled whilst they are there- and there are some interesting stories revealed. Are there still more secrets to be unearthed? Are Flora and James at crisis point? Do they want to change their future?
I enjoyed every page of this book. I could just imagine a month long holiday in a beautiful setting, with an interesting collection of people, who all orgainise trips out to interesting places, or laze around the pool- catering for everyone.
A bit of spice and drama, and a huge amount of family life with it's assorted problems to be solved.
With many thanks to the publisher Penguin Uk and Net Galley for the chance to read this one.
They all enjoy the luxury of the villa which comes with a couple who cook for them. Their extended families also tag along, with assorted boyfriends, some of whom have been acquired on the journey there!
Flora is a food reviewer for a magazine and her husband is a doctor. Neither of them are that happy in their careers and are maybe at a stage in their life where they are reflecting on the ' what might have been' scenarios. Especially when one of the 'boyfriends' that turns up- is Flora's ex fiance and also happens to have been out with the opera singer aswell.
Some family secrets are unravelled whilst they are there- and there are some interesting stories revealed. Are there still more secrets to be unearthed? Are Flora and James at crisis point? Do they want to change their future?
I enjoyed every page of this book. I could just imagine a month long holiday in a beautiful setting, with an interesting collection of people, who all orgainise trips out to interesting places, or laze around the pool- catering for everyone.
A bit of spice and drama, and a huge amount of family life with it's assorted problems to be solved.
With many thanks to the publisher Penguin Uk and Net Galley for the chance to read this one.
May 5, 2018
Catherine Alliott is the author of thirteen novels. Including best sellers A Rural Affair and A Crowded Marriage by Catherine which I have on my list to reads. I have just finished reading her brand new book Wish You Were Here published in February 2015.
Wish You Were Here is about Flora and James with their two teenage daughters are offered a holiday of a lifetime in a chateau in the south of France in return for one simply good dead and they jump at the chance. Their journey in the ferry across the channel plunges from the top to bottom, lurching this way and that rearing up high on a huge crest of a wave and swooping down again rather like a roller coaster at a fun fair. With the churning sea the motion bring sea sickness. France is a holiday of life time. What could be nicer? And what could possibly go wrong?. Readers will be able to explore many different topics of family drama that arise while reading Catherines new novel.
Wish You Were Here is about Flora and James with their two teenage daughters are offered a holiday of a lifetime in a chateau in the south of France in return for one simply good dead and they jump at the chance. Their journey in the ferry across the channel plunges from the top to bottom, lurching this way and that rearing up high on a huge crest of a wave and swooping down again rather like a roller coaster at a fun fair. With the churning sea the motion bring sea sickness. France is a holiday of life time. What could be nicer? And what could possibly go wrong?. Readers will be able to explore many different topics of family drama that arise while reading Catherines new novel.
September 28, 2015
Novel set in the South of France (“an extremely readable tale”)
When Catherine’s latest book landed on my door, I thought of all the other books waiting to be read. But……..I opened it up and that was that! I could not put it down. As always she writes an extremely readable tale. As with previous novels, Catherine develops her characters and has the reader chuckling at the (sometimes unlikely) scenarios and twists and turns.
It is not a serious book, making it just the thing to take on holiday, or one to read when the weather makes you want to curl up and escape for a few hours. It is a fun book with an interesting storyline that twists and turns as the tale emerges.
It is set in in London and the South of France. Clapham versus Fulham – for that read south or north of the river. Little hints about the locality and the inhabitants. (A touch of the Sloane Ranger appearing in Fulham? Surely not in this day and age!)
Much of the action takes place in France where her description of the local markets makes one instantly want to wander down and enjoy the sights and smells of a typical French market (Somehow buying tomatoes and olives in Waitrose or Lidl does not begin to compare!). The wonderful descriptions of meals, washed down with delightful local wine leave one looking at the contents of the fridge with despair.
Flora is a restaurant reviewer. Her life revolves round visiting top restaurants and writing of the exotic meals that she has to eat. Her family are not always too keen to accompany her, but Flora has it down to a fine art. A few mouthfuls of this and a taste of that. Placing orders that do not involve hours of preparation and therefore not taking too long to make the judgement call.
Both Flora and her surgeon husband James are disillusioned with their lives and cannot see how it could be changed. A chance encounter leads to her family being given the use of a chateau for the holidays. Everyone from her husband, daughters, boyfriends, mother, friends and in-laws jump at the chance to escape to France for a few weeks. As in real life, holidays with family and friends can lead to some surprising revelations.
Suffice to say that all does not go smoothly with the appearance of an ex-fiancé, not to mention her mother’s new ‘friend’ who turns out to be a chef of the highest standard. A famous opera singer and her estranged husband join the cast with interesting sub plots.
I enjoyed the way that Catherine developed the characters Tara and Amelia – Flora’s daughters. At times one wondered who the mother was and who the daughter? As for the boyfriends?
If you have read and enjoyed any of Catherine’s’ previous books, this one will not disappoint. If you have never sampled her wit and very readable books, I urge you to get this. Roll on the next book from Catherine Alliott.
This book first appeared on our blog http://www.tripfiction.com/wish-novel...
When Catherine’s latest book landed on my door, I thought of all the other books waiting to be read. But……..I opened it up and that was that! I could not put it down. As always she writes an extremely readable tale. As with previous novels, Catherine develops her characters and has the reader chuckling at the (sometimes unlikely) scenarios and twists and turns.
It is not a serious book, making it just the thing to take on holiday, or one to read when the weather makes you want to curl up and escape for a few hours. It is a fun book with an interesting storyline that twists and turns as the tale emerges.
It is set in in London and the South of France. Clapham versus Fulham – for that read south or north of the river. Little hints about the locality and the inhabitants. (A touch of the Sloane Ranger appearing in Fulham? Surely not in this day and age!)
Much of the action takes place in France where her description of the local markets makes one instantly want to wander down and enjoy the sights and smells of a typical French market (Somehow buying tomatoes and olives in Waitrose or Lidl does not begin to compare!). The wonderful descriptions of meals, washed down with delightful local wine leave one looking at the contents of the fridge with despair.
Flora is a restaurant reviewer. Her life revolves round visiting top restaurants and writing of the exotic meals that she has to eat. Her family are not always too keen to accompany her, but Flora has it down to a fine art. A few mouthfuls of this and a taste of that. Placing orders that do not involve hours of preparation and therefore not taking too long to make the judgement call.
Both Flora and her surgeon husband James are disillusioned with their lives and cannot see how it could be changed. A chance encounter leads to her family being given the use of a chateau for the holidays. Everyone from her husband, daughters, boyfriends, mother, friends and in-laws jump at the chance to escape to France for a few weeks. As in real life, holidays with family and friends can lead to some surprising revelations.
Suffice to say that all does not go smoothly with the appearance of an ex-fiancé, not to mention her mother’s new ‘friend’ who turns out to be a chef of the highest standard. A famous opera singer and her estranged husband join the cast with interesting sub plots.
I enjoyed the way that Catherine developed the characters Tara and Amelia – Flora’s daughters. At times one wondered who the mother was and who the daughter? As for the boyfriends?
If you have read and enjoyed any of Catherine’s’ previous books, this one will not disappoint. If you have never sampled her wit and very readable books, I urge you to get this. Roll on the next book from Catherine Alliott.
This book first appeared on our blog http://www.tripfiction.com/wish-novel...
July 17, 2015
Wish You Were Here is Catherine Alliott’s newest book, which follows her many previously-released and well-loved novels. Having never read any of her previous work, I wasn’t sure what to expect- but I’m certainly converted now!
Firstly, the characters in this novel were just great! Flora in particular was so likeable and funny. Though she had her dubious moments where she could have thought things through a little better, I never felt like I wanted to give her a proper shake as much as I did with certain other characters (husband James and sister-in-law Sally in particular)! I found her very entertaining and at various points throughout the story I laughed out loud at what she had said or thought to herself. Her self-deprecating personality, with its at-times fiery edge, made her good fun and who, along with the other great characters, I really enjoyed reading about. Pretty much everyone in this story were convincing and well-developed, and this means you actually care about what’s happening to them- or I did, anyway!
The setting of Wish You Were Here made me want to just run away on holiday. Now. Not just because things get stressful here at home, but because the descriptions of Provence were so inviting! If you were on holiday somewhere sunny (or even if you’re not!) then it makes the perfect book for summer. Though it’s got some quite intense moments and lots of ups and downs, the vein of humour that runs through the story as well as the brilliant characters ensures that it remains a fairly light, easy read that is bound to leave you smiling at the end.
I certainly want to read more of Catherine Alliott’s work after reading this novel, and would definitely recommend this novel to anyone wanting a great summer read.
(More book reviews on my blog: www.snazzybooks.com)
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this novel in return for an honest review.
Firstly, the characters in this novel were just great! Flora in particular was so likeable and funny. Though she had her dubious moments where she could have thought things through a little better, I never felt like I wanted to give her a proper shake as much as I did with certain other characters (husband James and sister-in-law Sally in particular)! I found her very entertaining and at various points throughout the story I laughed out loud at what she had said or thought to herself. Her self-deprecating personality, with its at-times fiery edge, made her good fun and who, along with the other great characters, I really enjoyed reading about. Pretty much everyone in this story were convincing and well-developed, and this means you actually care about what’s happening to them- or I did, anyway!
The setting of Wish You Were Here made me want to just run away on holiday. Now. Not just because things get stressful here at home, but because the descriptions of Provence were so inviting! If you were on holiday somewhere sunny (or even if you’re not!) then it makes the perfect book for summer. Though it’s got some quite intense moments and lots of ups and downs, the vein of humour that runs through the story as well as the brilliant characters ensures that it remains a fairly light, easy read that is bound to leave you smiling at the end.
I certainly want to read more of Catherine Alliott’s work after reading this novel, and would definitely recommend this novel to anyone wanting a great summer read.
(More book reviews on my blog: www.snazzybooks.com)
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this novel in return for an honest review.
September 16, 2016
I've loved Catherine Alliott, her books have lifted my spirits enormously on a dull or dreary day. This book somehow doesn't have the same madness that her earlier books did. It did have one solid laugh out loud bit that redeemed the book for me. I do appreciate the author trying to write about more real, more poignant situations.. It is always such a conundrum for the author I'm sure when they want to write stories that have a different voice from what they became known for. Sadly, as a reader when I read something by Catherine Alliott I just hope for more of what made me love her in the first place. The insanity and wit of books like A rural affair or The old girl network. Give me more of the old Alliott please!
March 2, 2019
What I really loved about this book was the humanity of the main character. I could really see myself in her inner conversations. This book is about a family who luck into a free vacation in a French villa. They invite other friends and family along, and a bit of chaos ensues. The main character is the middle-aged mother of two young ladies. The characters and their problems are so real, yet so lovable. I truly enjoyed this story and even laughed aloud several times. It’s a quiet cozy story of keeping marriages alive and managing relationships with everyone around you. I loved it.
August 3, 2018
Brīvdienu romāns no autores, kuras grāmatas vienmēr piedāvā romantisku izklaidi, bet nav klišejiskas. Šajā darbā bija atvaļinājums Provansā, liela jezga, pagātnes noslēpumi, jaunas aizraušanās, veca mīlestība un gardi ēdieni. Man ļoti patika noslēguma risinājums, tāds pozitīvs sapnis.
August 30, 2017
Good fun book that makes you want to be instantly on holiday, lots of secrets to be undiscovered as well as the usual romantic issues. Another great read from Catherine Alliot.
January 28, 2024
Pleasant story , easy to follow and interesting tale of families and past events threatening to spoil things.
July 22, 2025
A nice holiday read!
January 13, 2022
This was a very enjoyable listen. Nothing terribly deep & perhaps a little contrived, but good fun with some good insights into normal family interactions, with likeable if also fallible characters. The writing was enjoyable & the narrator excellent.
March 28, 2015
This is an interesting and thought provoking story of what is probably a fairly typical middle class family. Flora and James have been married for nearly twenty years and have two teenage daughters. Maybe their marriage is in a bit of a doldrums but mainly they rub along pretty well together. An act of kindness results in James being offered the use of a luxurious villa in Provence for a month in August. What seems like incredible luck turns out to be something of a poisoned chalice when the whole of their extended family - James's father and two sisters, Flora's mother plus one and a good friend of her own all turn up to join them.
Soon there is a seething cauldron of emotions and long buried secrets look like coming to the surface. For Flora things start to get uncomfortable when she realises that James's sister, Sally has brought Max with her. Flora herself was engaged to Max before she met James and her feelings at seeing him again are to say the least somewhat mixed. I liked the way Flora - the narrator acknowledges her own erratic behaviour but given the information she had I would have been seeing conspiracy wherever I looked too!
I think this is a well written story of family life and the way secrets can fester away in the background. The author expertly weaves the various strands together to make a satisfying whole. As well as being about secrets it is about seizing chances when you're presented with them and not settling for second best. None of the people at the house party will escape unchanged from the holiday. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
Soon there is a seething cauldron of emotions and long buried secrets look like coming to the surface. For Flora things start to get uncomfortable when she realises that James's sister, Sally has brought Max with her. Flora herself was engaged to Max before she met James and her feelings at seeing him again are to say the least somewhat mixed. I liked the way Flora - the narrator acknowledges her own erratic behaviour but given the information she had I would have been seeing conspiracy wherever I looked too!
I think this is a well written story of family life and the way secrets can fester away in the background. The author expertly weaves the various strands together to make a satisfying whole. As well as being about secrets it is about seizing chances when you're presented with them and not settling for second best. None of the people at the house party will escape unchanged from the holiday. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
January 4, 2016
I've enjoyed every one of Catherine Alliott's novels and as this is probably her best, in my opinion. It seems to be a little darker than her usual books, something which I quite enjoyed, focussing on a family on what should be a dream holiday, which instead turns into a teensy bit of a nightmare as secrets come tumbling out and not everybody behaves as they should do.
As usual, Catherine has created some really wonderful characters - Flora and James are both likeable and relatable - and I think everyone can relate to at least one other family member! I loved the way all the relationships intertwined with each other, and desire to see what happened to each of them kept the pages turning. Add into the mix a beautiful setting, described perfectly in such an evocative way, it meant for me that this one was a real winner.
As usual, Catherine has created some really wonderful characters - Flora and James are both likeable and relatable - and I think everyone can relate to at least one other family member! I loved the way all the relationships intertwined with each other, and desire to see what happened to each of them kept the pages turning. Add into the mix a beautiful setting, described perfectly in such an evocative way, it meant for me that this one was a real winner.
July 19, 2015
I found this to be a most pleasurable read, with plenty of humour abound. The story follows a middle-class family through their month-long holiday in the beautiful South of France. With the addition of the extended family, the daughters boyfriends and a beautiful Opera Singer, who enjoys seducing men, you know to expect things to go drastically wrong, and it most certainly does!
The story progresses at quite a pace and frequently chapters ended on a cliffhanger, forcing me to continue reading until my eyes closed involuntarily due to the late hour. I thoroughly enjoyed Wish You Were Here and intend to read more of Catherine Alliott's books in the future.
I received a copy from the author, via Goodreads, in exchange for an honest review.
The story progresses at quite a pace and frequently chapters ended on a cliffhanger, forcing me to continue reading until my eyes closed involuntarily due to the late hour. I thoroughly enjoyed Wish You Were Here and intend to read more of Catherine Alliott's books in the future.
I received a copy from the author, via Goodreads, in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2015
I just love all of Catherine Alliott's books.. Trouble is they remind me of me!!!
January 25, 2016
Started reading Catherine Alliott quite a few years ago, loved them, they are funny, poignant and interesting, haven't read one of hers for a while until this one and it didn't disappoint
December 17, 2016
For some read I found there was too much going on. Everything was too detailed. Saying that she is a good writer so please balance this with a top review.
May 14, 2021
I love this author - my fav after Jane Austen- she makes me laugh out loud!
March 5, 2015
"Wish You Were Here" is Catherine Alliot's thirteen novel already. I had a pleasure to read only one of her previous books, and even though I had some issues with that story, as soon as I spotted this one on NetGalley, I didn't hesitate and requested it. This book started brilliantly and it, in fact, helped me to get out of this reading slump that bothered me so much through almost the whole February.
Flora is a food and restaurant reviewer, working for a newspaper, her husband James is an orthopedist, dissatisfied with his job. He saves a little girl on a flight home and as a thank you, the family is given an opportunity to spend the whole summer in her mother's house in the south of France. Her mother, who turns out to be a famous opera singer.
This, what at the beginning was intended to be a closest family only holidays, turns out into a roundup of closer and more distant family, friends and boyfriends of the daughters, and also randomly met strangers and ex - fiancés, all of them in one villa with full service. Can anything good come out of this holidays?
I was totally engrossed in this book from beginning to the end, really. I may not fell in love with all the characters immediately but I think that the fact that they are not so likeable is their strength. They are not perfect but I think that they were behaving in a totally realistic, real way, just like we would behave in their situation. They've made a lot of mistakes, they were whingeing, bossy people, jealous of each other lives, focused on themselves only, but this all made them feel totally three - dimensional and realistic.
There are many characters in the book but there is no confusion who is who. The main ones are of course Flora, James and their two daughters with boyfriends. As much as I liked Flora I couldn't so much warm to James, although on the other hand I think he was portrayed in a perfect, brilliant way, he was just like a normal man, husband, doctor, who has lost interest in his job, felt bored with his job and life and suddenly felt a little freedom . He behaved in a way that men in his age usually behave, they have their own daily routine and don't like changes and they are also usually used to dictate how the things should look like, hence deciding that it is Flora who should leave France, and Flora accepting it meekly. The two daughters, Amelia and Tara, were also brilliantly written, just like girls in their age, especially the older one who thought she has all the answers, knows it all.
Apart of them the other bunch of characters consist of James' family, his father (who had a very colourful past and was even in prison) and his two sisters, both with issues, Flora's mother and her newly met boyfriend Jean - Claude, Flora's best friend, and her ex - fiancé, and of course Camille De Bouvoir and her party, sister and brother - in - law, daughter and very briefly her still - to - be husband. See? Many of them. But each of them had their own personality and I really couldn't stop marvel at how real they all feel, how all the things they do and tell seem realistic, and I personally find it a great thing,
I think I liked this book so much because the author was writing just how it is, and in my eyes the characters' reactions, the way they were acting, speaking, thinking was absolutely the same we would be doing. There was nothing false in the characters and their actions.
The story was packed with secrets, and I really didn't realise that one family can have so many of them, and the book is about how they react to those secrets and if it is worth at all to have them as a family. What are they going to do as a family when a secret after secret is being unravelled?
What bothered me a little were the long, long passages with descriptions of places, situations, events, reflections that in my opinion either shouldn't be there or be much, much shorter. They made the reading a little flat and used to knock me off my reading stride, and I mostly found them insignificant.
There was something gripping in the writing, in the way the story was told, and while some may say that not a lot happened in this book, I think there was enough action, and in fact the author took me more than once or twice by surprise, dropping a very unexpected bomb on my poor head with information that I have never in my life expected. The idea of the plot may seem very easy: family holidays in the beautiful Provence, south of France, sun, swimming polls, wonderful towns and fresh vegetables and fruit, but when I was perhaps expecting something happening during the holidays, the book dwells much more on the past and we get to know many secrets that the family members were hiding. So no problems with daughters sleeping in the same rooms with their boyfriends (although those too, but seemed not to be so tragic in the end), but more coming to terms with the past and demons, but everything told in a brilliant, engaging, fluent way, with just the right does of a humour.
I really enjoyed the story. Just imagine this beautiful setting, the sun that always shine, and a month long holidays in this place. I would say, the collection of people was more than eclectic but in fact they all seemed to manage all right with each other and looked as if they truly enjoyed their own company, despite the secrets of course, and even husband and ex - fiancé behaved. Nevertheless, there couldn't be a holiday without a little drama, and I really enjoyed the way it was written, the author didn't exaggerated in any way and all the situations felt really realistic, even with Flora running through the fields in the sun thinking she's being sexually harassed.
There are enough topics and issues brought up in this book about the family that I'm sure each reader will find something for themselves and something they can relate to. It's a story of overcoming your own fears and setting things straight, but also about letting your dreams come true and face your demons, told in a very enjoyable, easy and flexible way, full of sun, wonderful setting and brilliant, vivid, popping out of the pages characters. I adored it and would recommend it not only as a holiday read.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.
Flora is a food and restaurant reviewer, working for a newspaper, her husband James is an orthopedist, dissatisfied with his job. He saves a little girl on a flight home and as a thank you, the family is given an opportunity to spend the whole summer in her mother's house in the south of France. Her mother, who turns out to be a famous opera singer.
This, what at the beginning was intended to be a closest family only holidays, turns out into a roundup of closer and more distant family, friends and boyfriends of the daughters, and also randomly met strangers and ex - fiancés, all of them in one villa with full service. Can anything good come out of this holidays?
I was totally engrossed in this book from beginning to the end, really. I may not fell in love with all the characters immediately but I think that the fact that they are not so likeable is their strength. They are not perfect but I think that they were behaving in a totally realistic, real way, just like we would behave in their situation. They've made a lot of mistakes, they were whingeing, bossy people, jealous of each other lives, focused on themselves only, but this all made them feel totally three - dimensional and realistic.
There are many characters in the book but there is no confusion who is who. The main ones are of course Flora, James and their two daughters with boyfriends. As much as I liked Flora I couldn't so much warm to James, although on the other hand I think he was portrayed in a perfect, brilliant way, he was just like a normal man, husband, doctor, who has lost interest in his job, felt bored with his job and life and suddenly felt a little freedom . He behaved in a way that men in his age usually behave, they have their own daily routine and don't like changes and they are also usually used to dictate how the things should look like, hence deciding that it is Flora who should leave France, and Flora accepting it meekly. The two daughters, Amelia and Tara, were also brilliantly written, just like girls in their age, especially the older one who thought she has all the answers, knows it all.
Apart of them the other bunch of characters consist of James' family, his father (who had a very colourful past and was even in prison) and his two sisters, both with issues, Flora's mother and her newly met boyfriend Jean - Claude, Flora's best friend, and her ex - fiancé, and of course Camille De Bouvoir and her party, sister and brother - in - law, daughter and very briefly her still - to - be husband. See? Many of them. But each of them had their own personality and I really couldn't stop marvel at how real they all feel, how all the things they do and tell seem realistic, and I personally find it a great thing,
I think I liked this book so much because the author was writing just how it is, and in my eyes the characters' reactions, the way they were acting, speaking, thinking was absolutely the same we would be doing. There was nothing false in the characters and their actions.
The story was packed with secrets, and I really didn't realise that one family can have so many of them, and the book is about how they react to those secrets and if it is worth at all to have them as a family. What are they going to do as a family when a secret after secret is being unravelled?
What bothered me a little were the long, long passages with descriptions of places, situations, events, reflections that in my opinion either shouldn't be there or be much, much shorter. They made the reading a little flat and used to knock me off my reading stride, and I mostly found them insignificant.
There was something gripping in the writing, in the way the story was told, and while some may say that not a lot happened in this book, I think there was enough action, and in fact the author took me more than once or twice by surprise, dropping a very unexpected bomb on my poor head with information that I have never in my life expected. The idea of the plot may seem very easy: family holidays in the beautiful Provence, south of France, sun, swimming polls, wonderful towns and fresh vegetables and fruit, but when I was perhaps expecting something happening during the holidays, the book dwells much more on the past and we get to know many secrets that the family members were hiding. So no problems with daughters sleeping in the same rooms with their boyfriends (although those too, but seemed not to be so tragic in the end), but more coming to terms with the past and demons, but everything told in a brilliant, engaging, fluent way, with just the right does of a humour.
I really enjoyed the story. Just imagine this beautiful setting, the sun that always shine, and a month long holidays in this place. I would say, the collection of people was more than eclectic but in fact they all seemed to manage all right with each other and looked as if they truly enjoyed their own company, despite the secrets of course, and even husband and ex - fiancé behaved. Nevertheless, there couldn't be a holiday without a little drama, and I really enjoyed the way it was written, the author didn't exaggerated in any way and all the situations felt really realistic, even with Flora running through the fields in the sun thinking she's being sexually harassed.
There are enough topics and issues brought up in this book about the family that I'm sure each reader will find something for themselves and something they can relate to. It's a story of overcoming your own fears and setting things straight, but also about letting your dreams come true and face your demons, told in a very enjoyable, easy and flexible way, full of sun, wonderful setting and brilliant, vivid, popping out of the pages characters. I adored it and would recommend it not only as a holiday read.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.
June 21, 2024
definitely one of the more realistic chick lit novels i’ve read. i didn’t like how flora absolutely had no self-respect and, even after 20 years, was still fantasizing about her ex—the ex who cheated on her with her best friend, mind you.
but apart from that, i liked the relationship portrayed between flora and james. i really liked james, honestly. even though what happened between him and camille was not okay, i still found it in myself to forgive him.
also, james’ secret and his past were something that i never really predicted, so that one took me by surprise. that’s the reason this book is a 3-star for me and not 2.
as for their daughters, i kinda found them annoying at first, but they turned out to be okay by the end of it.
it’s sad to say that i’ll probably never read this book again. there’s nothing bad about it, but nothing interesting enough either to make me want to come back again.
but apart from that, i liked the relationship portrayed between flora and james. i really liked james, honestly. even though what happened between him and camille was not okay, i still found it in myself to forgive him.
also, james’ secret and his past were something that i never really predicted, so that one took me by surprise. that’s the reason this book is a 3-star for me and not 2.
as for their daughters, i kinda found them annoying at first, but they turned out to be okay by the end of it.
it’s sad to say that i’ll probably never read this book again. there’s nothing bad about it, but nothing interesting enough either to make me want to come back again.
April 8, 2016
Catherine Alliott is one of England’s most well-known writers of women’s fiction, having published 14 novels since her first, The Old Girl’s Network, in 1994. I should start by saying that I think Alliott is a terrific writer and I have been a fan of her work since reading that first novel in my mid-teens. I have always found her writing to be easy-to-read, humorous and thoroughly entertaining. Whilst I have naturally enjoyed some of her books more than others, you can always guarantee that reading any one of Alliott’s books will be an enjoyable experience.
I was first attracted to Wish You Were Here because of the appealing summery cover. The book follows the Murray-Brown family on their annual summer holiday. They usually spend a month with surgeon James’ father and sisters at their secluded estate in the Scottish Highlands. However, a chance encounter with famous opera singer Camille leads to the family spending their month vacation in a beautiful chateau in the French countryside.
Flora, James and their two teenage daughters, Tara and Amelia, set forth on their holiday, however Flora quickly realises that it is not going to be a quiet family getaway when they are joined by the girls’ boyfriends, Flora’s best friend Lizzie, James’ father and two sisters, Rachel and Sally, Flora’s mother and new partner and, finally, a figure from Flora’s past. As they all descend on the beautiful house expecting a month of sun, food and luxury, things start to go somewhat array. Between policing her daughter’s sex lives, worrying about their overly-friendly host’s intentions towards her husband, offending the staff/host’s family and an unwelcome blast from the past, Flora’s holiday becomes less like heaven and more like hell!
It took a while for me to warm to Flora. Whilst she is ultimately a good person, she spends a lot of time wallowing in her own misfortune. She has a beautiful family, great friends and a good standard of living, yet she does not seem to fully appreciate what she has. She feels somewhat taken for granted, she has spent so many years trying to make the perfect life for her and her family yet she feels that almost they look down on her. I also get the impression that she has entered an ‘itchy feet’ period in her life where she can see other people moving onwards with their lives, yet feels at a standstill herself. She is a restaurant reviewer, eating out at the best restaurants and seeing her words in print yet she has lost her love for the job. They are trying desperately to maintain their middle class existence, however they have nothing on the horizon to look forward to. In some moments I felt a lot of sympathy for Flora, yet in other moments I felt a huge sense of frustration and longed to remind her that if she wanted things to change, it was up to her to make that happen. Alliott has managed to combine Flora’s mid-life problems with a dollop of humour which makes the storyline much more palatable.
The supporting characters really are an assortment of people, some odd and interesting and some not so unusual, resulting in some additional subplots, which added to the story. Even the household staff come with their own mystery to be unravelled. However, I felt that I never really gets an insight into the supporting cast’s thoughts and feelings, so they remain somewhat one-dimensional. The story really is all about Flora and, to a lesser degree, her husband James, as they confront the problems in their marriage and decide whether or not they have a future together as a family.
Whilst I did not immediately love any of the characters in the book, I think this added an element of realism. They are none of them perfect and they contain all of those flaws that we see in everyday life. The teenage girls, Tara and Amelia, were probably my favourite characters, sometimes seeming so much more grown-up than the bickering adults!
There was one section of the book that I felt to be somewhat unnecessary and that was the incident between Flora and the villa’s handyman (and Camille’s brother in law) Michel. Flora’s reaction to the incident seemed incredibly over-the-top and her family’s lack of sympathy seemed similarly unbelievable. I think this subplot did not particularly add to the story, although it did slightly set the scene for the unravelling of a mystery later in the book.
The progress of the plotline was a bit up and down. Some chapters seemed a bit slow, possibly due to the amount of descriptive language, whilst other chapters had a bit more ‘oomph’ to them, moving the plot forwards. Overall, I felt that something big needed to happen to shake things up a bit, however this only really happened in the last few chapters when secrets are revealed and loose ends neatly tied up. In some ways it felt as though not much had happened within the book, however that the story ends with the main characters having come a long way in terms of their feelings towards each other.
The location for the story, in the French countryside, is wonderful. The book contains descriptions of the area, markets, quaint towns, the food and the way of life, all of which made me long to revisit France and rediscover those smells and tastes. Simply delicious!
Whilst I did enjoy Wish You Were Here, it was not one of my favourite of Alliott’s books. For me, it needed a bit more action/excitement in the early stages to really grab my interest. However, as always with Alliott’s books, I do like that she seems able to subtly capture the humour in everyday situations. Wish You Were Here is a tale of overcoming your fears and following your dreams rather than settling for a mediocre normality. This was an engaging read, containing real-life issues, interesting characters, a beautiful setting and some gentle humour, all of which make the book ideal for an easy, summery holiday read.
I was first attracted to Wish You Were Here because of the appealing summery cover. The book follows the Murray-Brown family on their annual summer holiday. They usually spend a month with surgeon James’ father and sisters at their secluded estate in the Scottish Highlands. However, a chance encounter with famous opera singer Camille leads to the family spending their month vacation in a beautiful chateau in the French countryside.
Flora, James and their two teenage daughters, Tara and Amelia, set forth on their holiday, however Flora quickly realises that it is not going to be a quiet family getaway when they are joined by the girls’ boyfriends, Flora’s best friend Lizzie, James’ father and two sisters, Rachel and Sally, Flora’s mother and new partner and, finally, a figure from Flora’s past. As they all descend on the beautiful house expecting a month of sun, food and luxury, things start to go somewhat array. Between policing her daughter’s sex lives, worrying about their overly-friendly host’s intentions towards her husband, offending the staff/host’s family and an unwelcome blast from the past, Flora’s holiday becomes less like heaven and more like hell!
It took a while for me to warm to Flora. Whilst she is ultimately a good person, she spends a lot of time wallowing in her own misfortune. She has a beautiful family, great friends and a good standard of living, yet she does not seem to fully appreciate what she has. She feels somewhat taken for granted, she has spent so many years trying to make the perfect life for her and her family yet she feels that almost they look down on her. I also get the impression that she has entered an ‘itchy feet’ period in her life where she can see other people moving onwards with their lives, yet feels at a standstill herself. She is a restaurant reviewer, eating out at the best restaurants and seeing her words in print yet she has lost her love for the job. They are trying desperately to maintain their middle class existence, however they have nothing on the horizon to look forward to. In some moments I felt a lot of sympathy for Flora, yet in other moments I felt a huge sense of frustration and longed to remind her that if she wanted things to change, it was up to her to make that happen. Alliott has managed to combine Flora’s mid-life problems with a dollop of humour which makes the storyline much more palatable.
The supporting characters really are an assortment of people, some odd and interesting and some not so unusual, resulting in some additional subplots, which added to the story. Even the household staff come with their own mystery to be unravelled. However, I felt that I never really gets an insight into the supporting cast’s thoughts and feelings, so they remain somewhat one-dimensional. The story really is all about Flora and, to a lesser degree, her husband James, as they confront the problems in their marriage and decide whether or not they have a future together as a family.
Whilst I did not immediately love any of the characters in the book, I think this added an element of realism. They are none of them perfect and they contain all of those flaws that we see in everyday life. The teenage girls, Tara and Amelia, were probably my favourite characters, sometimes seeming so much more grown-up than the bickering adults!
There was one section of the book that I felt to be somewhat unnecessary and that was the incident between Flora and the villa’s handyman (and Camille’s brother in law) Michel. Flora’s reaction to the incident seemed incredibly over-the-top and her family’s lack of sympathy seemed similarly unbelievable. I think this subplot did not particularly add to the story, although it did slightly set the scene for the unravelling of a mystery later in the book.
The progress of the plotline was a bit up and down. Some chapters seemed a bit slow, possibly due to the amount of descriptive language, whilst other chapters had a bit more ‘oomph’ to them, moving the plot forwards. Overall, I felt that something big needed to happen to shake things up a bit, however this only really happened in the last few chapters when secrets are revealed and loose ends neatly tied up. In some ways it felt as though not much had happened within the book, however that the story ends with the main characters having come a long way in terms of their feelings towards each other.
The location for the story, in the French countryside, is wonderful. The book contains descriptions of the area, markets, quaint towns, the food and the way of life, all of which made me long to revisit France and rediscover those smells and tastes. Simply delicious!
Whilst I did enjoy Wish You Were Here, it was not one of my favourite of Alliott’s books. For me, it needed a bit more action/excitement in the early stages to really grab my interest. However, as always with Alliott’s books, I do like that she seems able to subtly capture the humour in everyday situations. Wish You Were Here is a tale of overcoming your fears and following your dreams rather than settling for a mediocre normality. This was an engaging read, containing real-life issues, interesting characters, a beautiful setting and some gentle humour, all of which make the book ideal for an easy, summery holiday read.
September 16, 2021
A lovely summer holiday read and you certainly get the feel, even if you are at home. I especially liked Flora and her well chosen but perhaps not over exciting husband, James, and her two rather difficult daughters who watched and bossed her around as late teens and early adults often do. And how beleaguered she can be. But there were lots of other good characters too, lothario Max, introverted Rachel, the narcissistic opera singer with her bewitching ways and her wonderful mother
It also demonstrates how being away on an amazing holiday can in a sense wake you up and lead to a big change in priorities and lives. What I had more reservations about was the balancing of secrets and the it's all OK really. This didn't quite bite. But a very enjoyable read.
It also demonstrates how being away on an amazing holiday can in a sense wake you up and lead to a big change in priorities and lives. What I had more reservations about was the balancing of secrets and the it's all OK really. This didn't quite bite. But a very enjoyable read.
September 24, 2021
Book read for #BookSpinBingo (Litsy)
James, a chiropodist, was a “hero”🙄 for Camille during a travel after he administered an EpiPen to Camille’s daughter. In gratitude, she invited James and his family to spend a vacation time in her chateau in France. She invited her immediate family which were four (4) members but the invitation was extended to 11 persons? 😳And this is the way everything start to complicate with secrets and a lot of funny family drama in most parts of the story. I enjoyed this summer family drama but I found it a little too long. I even like the cover because it reflects how people was arriving all the time to the chateau. I definitely will try other books by this author. 3.8⭐️
James, a chiropodist, was a “hero”🙄 for Camille during a travel after he administered an EpiPen to Camille’s daughter. In gratitude, she invited James and his family to spend a vacation time in her chateau in France. She invited her immediate family which were four (4) members but the invitation was extended to 11 persons? 😳And this is the way everything start to complicate with secrets and a lot of funny family drama in most parts of the story. I enjoyed this summer family drama but I found it a little too long. I even like the cover because it reflects how people was arriving all the time to the chateau. I definitely will try other books by this author. 3.8⭐️
May 20, 2023
When Flora, James and their two teenage daughters are offered a free holiday in a beautiful chateau in the South of France in return for an act of kindness, they obviously jump at the chance.
A break from hectic London - what could be better?
But Flora wasn't expecting a whole heap of family baggage coming along too - including some surprise guests.
And especially not James developing a crush on their famous host.
Perhaps this won't be the dream holiday she had in mind . . .
The setting of this book is beautiful, an idyllic spot. I did find Flora a bit dizzy and she did make some silly decisions and her daughters were just annoying!
I did enjoy imagining stopping in this villa but without all the other annoying guests.
A break from hectic London - what could be better?
But Flora wasn't expecting a whole heap of family baggage coming along too - including some surprise guests.
And especially not James developing a crush on their famous host.
Perhaps this won't be the dream holiday she had in mind . . .
The setting of this book is beautiful, an idyllic spot. I did find Flora a bit dizzy and she did make some silly decisions and her daughters were just annoying!
I did enjoy imagining stopping in this villa but without all the other annoying guests.
May 6, 2020
Great read, Husband and wife returning to UK on a plane when there is a call for a doctor, Wife volunteers husband... was only an epipen emergency but the mother of the child is a famous opera singer who later contacts the family and offers them the use of her villa for the summer. Southern France definitely beats Scotland wilds so the whole family, and friends set off. The Villa is beautiful, there are staff who cook for them, said opera singer turns up for a few days... Husband has a bit of a crush on opera singer, the wifes ex fiancee turns up with her sister in law...not your average break in the sun. Couple of great twists to the tale towards the end... thoroughly enjoyed the read.
October 5, 2018
Judging by the cover, I didn’t think this book would be completely up my street. I started reading it on holiday, read two chapters & then read approximately a chapter a week once home. However, once I’d hit around page 100 I couldn’t put the book down. I was having 2 hour baths just to squeeze in as much reading time as possible. It held my attention & I loved the characters, and being able to imagine the setting & the beautiful Provençal France just added to the twists and turns. I’ve popped this into my mams reading basket, I want to share it!
March 25, 2022
Actually a mostly decently well written, well paced story… and definitely every Middle Aged white woman’s dream. Takes time to get into with the sheer number of names being introduced, but easy to sink into once you get to know them. Does a great job at writing dialogue and creating characters you gradually grow to empathize with, regardless of some of their shitty decisions. Although I was confused by the amount of typos and annoyed by its rigid adoration and perpetuation of some traditional and highly problematic values.
April 29, 2024
This is a very uplifting and satisfying read with a lot of depth to it. I really liked Flora, the main character, and her rather complicated relationships with her husband's family. The French setting is also well described and there are some laugh-out-loud and also some moving moments too. I didn't actually like her two daughters that much, but I did enjoy the way her relationship with her husband hits a crisis point and then works its way towards a resolution. I thought that was well done, and the ending was great too.
May 12, 2017
Light read. A bit of fun. Flora's husband saves the life of a passenger on a flight. The grateful passenger offers them a month in her villa in the south of France. The villa fills up with Flora and her husband, their two daughters and boyfriends, Flora's mother and boyfriend, Flora's father-in-law and his two daughters once of which brings her boyfriend who turns out to be an ex of Flora's. Revelations and secrets change things somewhat but who stays the course?
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