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Wherever I'm With You
Not yet published
Expected 2 Jun 26Wren and Alex’s friendship started in a treehouse when they were eleven years old. As the years passed, this became the place where they dreamed of the future and built a bond so strong that nothing in the world would break it.
After high school, when Alex left for college and Wren moved to New York to pursue a career in art, they worried about the distance between them and their time apart. So they promised that in one year they would meet back at their treehouse.
But when the day came, Alex never showed.
Ten years later, Wren has built a life she thought was complete. Just as she thinks the pain of her past will forever be behind her, Alex reappears. With him comes every memory, every unanswered question, and every reminder of the pain she felt on that night he never showed. While Wren struggles with Alex’s return, it doesn’t take long for her to realize that this man is not the boy she once knew.
What happened ten years ago that made Alex not show up, and in doing so, destroy their friendship that she thought would withstand anything?
After high school, when Alex left for college and Wren moved to New York to pursue a career in art, they worried about the distance between them and their time apart. So they promised that in one year they would meet back at their treehouse.
But when the day came, Alex never showed.
Ten years later, Wren has built a life she thought was complete. Just as she thinks the pain of her past will forever be behind her, Alex reappears. With him comes every memory, every unanswered question, and every reminder of the pain she felt on that night he never showed. While Wren struggles with Alex’s return, it doesn’t take long for her to realize that this man is not the boy she once knew.
What happened ten years ago that made Alex not show up, and in doing so, destroy their friendship that she thought would withstand anything?
620 pages, Paperback
Expected publication June 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 28, 2026
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC of this book. It ended up meaning so much more to me than I expected and made me incredibly emotional, which almost never happens to me with books.
We get a quirky, strong FMC and a seriously tortured hero, and the tension between them after they reconnect is unreal. The longing, the history, the way it’s all written feels so raw and vivid that I felt every bit of it.
There’s also this quiet mystery surrounding Alex, especially his ten year absence from Wren’s life, and it keeps you hooked the whole way through. I genuinely could not put this down.
What really stood out to me is how real it all feels. Every emotion hits, every moment feels honest and earned, and it’s written so beautifully that it’s impossible not to connect with it.
It’s not just a romance either. It’s about growing through hard things, adapting when life throws something unexpected at you, and trying to balance everything without losing yourself, which makes it even more relatable.
Heartbreaking, intense, and completely unforgettable.
We get a quirky, strong FMC and a seriously tortured hero, and the tension between them after they reconnect is unreal. The longing, the history, the way it’s all written feels so raw and vivid that I felt every bit of it.
There’s also this quiet mystery surrounding Alex, especially his ten year absence from Wren’s life, and it keeps you hooked the whole way through. I genuinely could not put this down.
What really stood out to me is how real it all feels. Every emotion hits, every moment feels honest and earned, and it’s written so beautifully that it’s impossible not to connect with it.
It’s not just a romance either. It’s about growing through hard things, adapting when life throws something unexpected at you, and trying to balance everything without losing yourself, which makes it even more relatable.
Heartbreaking, intense, and completely unforgettable.
April 27, 2026
In short, this book was a beautiful, heart wrecking journey. We follow Wren and Alex—best friends—through a dual timeline from their childhood days to the present when they’re reunited. The book was so devastatingly beautiful, I really have no other words 😭 I read it so fast, my sleep was nonexistent.
The slow burn relationship between Wren and Alex was one of my favorite things. The comfort they found in each other and the chemistry between the two was amazing. It wasn’t rushed or awkward. Both characters were written so well, they felt like real people and they were so relatable too. MY GOD MY SHAYLAS, I actually am so obsessed with them it’s so sick.
Reading this book was so refreshing and I’m so excited for it to come out so other readers can find solace and joy in it.
The slow burn relationship between Wren and Alex was one of my favorite things. The comfort they found in each other and the chemistry between the two was amazing. It wasn’t rushed or awkward. Both characters were written so well, they felt like real people and they were so relatable too. MY GOD MY SHAYLAS, I actually am so obsessed with them it’s so sick.
Reading this book was so refreshing and I’m so excited for it to come out so other readers can find solace and joy in it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I’ve had Lorissa’s books on my TBR forever, so when she chose me to be a lucky ARC reviewer for her new book, I was so stoked! This story BLEW ME AWAY and I couldn’t be a bigger fan if I tried. Thank you thank you for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
🎨Premise (as described by the author)
Wherever I'm With You is the story of Wren and Alex-childhood best friends who make plans to meet one year after their high school graduation. But when that day comes, Alex doesn't show.
Ten years later, Wren has built a life she thought was complete. Just as she thinks the pain of her past is behind her, Alex shows up. With him comes every memory, every unanswered question, and every reminder of the pain she felt on that night he never showed.
Wherever I'm With You is contemporary women's fiction with an emotionally driven, second chance love story.
Coming June 2!
🫂My review
One of the first things that I always clock when reading a contemporary romance is whether or not I find the FMC likable. More often than not, I find authors rush the plot and leave me feeling like the woman at the center of the story is complex but not someone I relate enough to to root for. TLDR: Wren is the hero of her story and someone whose complexities make her real and likable.
This brings me to my next point - Lorissa Padilla knows how to write dialogue 👏 The consistent tones she brought to Wren and Alex’s characters, and even the smaller ones, made their personalities so vivid. I felt like I really knew these people and what they might say or do next.
Another sticky point for me with most rom coms is the lack of realistic detail when it comes to careers or living where they do. While it made the book much longer, I appreciated all of those glimpses into Wren’s life at the art gallery and the effort and time she put into her work. I also appreciated the time and depth the author gave Wren’s mental health journey. Depression, grief and PTSD don’t have linear paths or timelines, and it was actually healing for me to see the accuracy of this portrayal.
To remain spoilerless - and trust me you don’t want any! This story is too good! - Everything to do with Alex’s slow opening up and trickle of sharing information felt appropriate and delicately handled. It’s clear Lorissa did the research when writing this book and I was really impressed with how she navigated some very heavy topics in a way that felt compassionate.
This is a slow burn contemporary romance I wish I could reread for the first time. Fans of Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone and Passion Project by London Sperry will love this one!
🎨Premise (as described by the author)
Wherever I'm With You is the story of Wren and Alex-childhood best friends who make plans to meet one year after their high school graduation. But when that day comes, Alex doesn't show.
Ten years later, Wren has built a life she thought was complete. Just as she thinks the pain of her past is behind her, Alex shows up. With him comes every memory, every unanswered question, and every reminder of the pain she felt on that night he never showed.
Wherever I'm With You is contemporary women's fiction with an emotionally driven, second chance love story.
Coming June 2!
🫂My review
One of the first things that I always clock when reading a contemporary romance is whether or not I find the FMC likable. More often than not, I find authors rush the plot and leave me feeling like the woman at the center of the story is complex but not someone I relate enough to to root for. TLDR: Wren is the hero of her story and someone whose complexities make her real and likable.
This brings me to my next point - Lorissa Padilla knows how to write dialogue 👏 The consistent tones she brought to Wren and Alex’s characters, and even the smaller ones, made their personalities so vivid. I felt like I really knew these people and what they might say or do next.
Another sticky point for me with most rom coms is the lack of realistic detail when it comes to careers or living where they do. While it made the book much longer, I appreciated all of those glimpses into Wren’s life at the art gallery and the effort and time she put into her work. I also appreciated the time and depth the author gave Wren’s mental health journey. Depression, grief and PTSD don’t have linear paths or timelines, and it was actually healing for me to see the accuracy of this portrayal.
To remain spoilerless - and trust me you don’t want any! This story is too good! - Everything to do with Alex’s slow opening up and trickle of sharing information felt appropriate and delicately handled. It’s clear Lorissa did the research when writing this book and I was really impressed with how she navigated some very heavy topics in a way that felt compassionate.
This is a slow burn contemporary romance I wish I could reread for the first time. Fans of Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone and Passion Project by London Sperry will love this one!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Oh my goodness, where do I even begin? Lorissa Padilla is one of those authors who I know is going to bring me to tears every single time I pick up one of her books. I go in with this knowledge and try to prepare myself for the emotional wreckage that is sure to come, knowing that the story is absolutely going to be worth it. But try as I might to prepare myself, I was not expecting how deeply this one would hit me. To say that Alex and Wren had my heart would be a complete understatement. These two were best friends as teenagers until he disappeared from her life ten years earlier with no explanation. We get their story in a dual timeline showing their friendship in the past and the present timeline after they are reconnected after all those years. That past timeline showed the strength and connection of that friendship, only making me wonder what could have possibly happened to Alex to destroy it all. And when we finally get that full story? Oh, my heart! This story is absolutely heartbreaking and had me reading through tears at multiple points... but in the midst of the trauma, it was also so beautiful and healing. Both of these characters have been through so much, but their story didn't stay in the heaviness. It was vulnerable and tender, and I just couldn't help but love these two together... Truly this review could never do the story justice, but if you love a romance that will break your heart and put it back together, this is one absolutely not to be missed. Another new favorite for me!
Wherever I'm With You is a closed-door romance with implied intimacy and mentions of casual sex. It does have moderate/strong language to include multiple (five) f-words. This story does deal with some topics that could be potentially triggering for some readers to includes mentions of .
**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.
Wherever I'm With You is a closed-door romance with implied intimacy and mentions of casual sex. It does have moderate/strong language to include multiple (five) f-words. This story does deal with some topics that could be potentially triggering for some readers to includes mentions of .
**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Whenever I’m With You by Lorissa Padilla
This book emotionally wrecked me—in the best way. 🫶
Wren and Alex’s story starts with an unbreakable childhood friendship, a promise made in a treehouse, and a moment that changes everything when Alex never shows up. Ten years later, their reunion brings back unanswered questions, buried pain, and the kind of love that never really fades.
I related to this story on so many personal levels. Padilla captures grief, trauma, and loving someone who struggles with alcoholism so honestly that it felt like she was pulling emotions straight from my chest. I felt what Wren was feeling because I’ve been there—and that connection made this story hit incredibly deep.
It’s heavy at times, but never without purpose. The slow burn, the tenderness, the healing, and the way friendship and love evolve over time made the ending feel so earned and heartwarming. 💔➡️❤️🩹
If you enjoy emotional, character‑driven stories with depth and hope, don’t sleep on this one.
Topics: friendship, grief, letting go & finding your way back, slow burn romance, alcoholism, trauma, sexual abuse
📖✨ Highly recommend.
Whenever I’m With You by Lorissa Padilla
This book emotionally wrecked me—in the best way. 🫶
Wren and Alex’s story starts with an unbreakable childhood friendship, a promise made in a treehouse, and a moment that changes everything when Alex never shows up. Ten years later, their reunion brings back unanswered questions, buried pain, and the kind of love that never really fades.
I related to this story on so many personal levels. Padilla captures grief, trauma, and loving someone who struggles with alcoholism so honestly that it felt like she was pulling emotions straight from my chest. I felt what Wren was feeling because I’ve been there—and that connection made this story hit incredibly deep.
It’s heavy at times, but never without purpose. The slow burn, the tenderness, the healing, and the way friendship and love evolve over time made the ending feel so earned and heartwarming. 💔➡️❤️🩹
If you enjoy emotional, character‑driven stories with depth and hope, don’t sleep on this one.
Topics: friendship, grief, letting go & finding your way back, slow burn romance, alcoholism, trauma, sexual abuse
📖✨ Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC from the author, and this book completely wrecked me in the best way possible.
This story is realistic, and I had to stop myself from crying when Wren and Alex found comfort in each other. The emotions aren’t exaggerated or overdone; they sit quietly and then hit you all at once. The yearning in this book is insane, but it’s also soft, lingering, and painfully relatable.
Wren, especially, felt very personal to me. The way she connects with people so easily, makes jokes, and experiences things so deeply—it felt very real. I loved the depth of each character. I especially liked how the author transitioned from best friends to lovers without making it awkward and created genuine chemistry. I also loved Dom because of his dry humour and emotional intelligence.
It’s not like the other romances I have read; if the genre didn’t say romance, you wouldn’t immediately realise it. The author didn’t make the forced proximity obvious; instead, they made us feel everything alongside the characters. It was the best slow-burning clean romance I have read.
This story is realistic, and I had to stop myself from crying when Wren and Alex found comfort in each other. The emotions aren’t exaggerated or overdone; they sit quietly and then hit you all at once. The yearning in this book is insane, but it’s also soft, lingering, and painfully relatable.
Wren, especially, felt very personal to me. The way she connects with people so easily, makes jokes, and experiences things so deeply—it felt very real. I loved the depth of each character. I especially liked how the author transitioned from best friends to lovers without making it awkward and created genuine chemistry. I also loved Dom because of his dry humour and emotional intelligence.
It’s not like the other romances I have read; if the genre didn’t say romance, you wouldn’t immediately realise it. The author didn’t make the forced proximity obvious; instead, they made us feel everything alongside the characters. It was the best slow-burning clean romance I have read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really enjoyed Wherever I’m With You. This is a contemporary women’s fiction story with a love story (closed door), and it felt so much more real than your typical romance. It’s raw, emotional, and full of real-life trials that make the story hit so much deeper.
This isn’t your usual fairytale romance. It feels like something that could actually happen, and that’s what made it so powerful for me. I was completely pulled in and honestly would be shocked if this isn’t one of the next books to take over the book community.
Easy five stars from me. I highly recommend it if you love emotional, realistic love stories that stay with you.
Wherever I’m With You will be available June 2 in paperback and ebook, and it’ll also be on Kindle Unlimited.
This isn’t your usual fairytale romance. It feels like something that could actually happen, and that’s what made it so powerful for me. I was completely pulled in and honestly would be shocked if this isn’t one of the next books to take over the book community.
Easy five stars from me. I highly recommend it if you love emotional, realistic love stories that stay with you.
Wherever I’m With You will be available June 2 in paperback and ebook, and it’ll also be on Kindle Unlimited.
May 1, 2026
I got a arc copy of the book. This was a 5/5 for me. Loved this book so much. Ughhh bring the tissues when you do read it because this book will pull at your heartstrings. I loved the changing from past to present and to really understand the story better. On what happened. You won’t regret reading this book at all
Review of advance copy received from Author
So excited to get my hands on an ARC of this beautiful and heartfelt novel! I loved Wren and easily feel into rooting for her. The fun dialog with Wren were so quirky and made me want to be her friend. Reading her journey to her found family was beautiful.
The mystery behind Alex's story was intriguing, heartbreaking and so vulnerable. When he cried, I cried!
Another great one, Lorissa!
The mystery behind Alex's story was intriguing, heartbreaking and so vulnerable. When he cried, I cried!
Another great one, Lorissa!
May 9, 2026
Thank you so much to Lorissa Padilla for the ARC.
5⭐️
I finished this book two/three days ago and I still don’t have words to describe it. This book is the best thing that ever happened to me, I’ve never related more ta a FMC and I hope there are more characters like Wren in the publishing industry. The pacing was the best, side characters were wonderful, the plot had me sobbing at midnight and the main characters are my clients for ever now.
5⭐️
I finished this book two/three days ago and I still don’t have words to describe it. This book is the best thing that ever happened to me, I’ve never related more ta a FMC and I hope there are more characters like Wren in the publishing industry. The pacing was the best, side characters were wonderful, the plot had me sobbing at midnight and the main characters are my clients for ever now.
Review of advance copy received from Author
♾️⭐
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews