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With Love from Wish & Co.
A heartwarming novel about what we are prepared to give--and give up--in the name of love, from the author of Star-Crossed and The Lost Love Song.
Two boxes, both alike in size and shape . . .
Marnie Fairchild is the brains and talent behind Wish & Co., a boutique store that offers a bespoke gift-buying service to wealthy clients with complicated lives. Brian Charlesworth is Marnie's most prized customer, and today she's wrapping the perfect anniversary gift for his wife, Suzanne . . . and a birthday present for his mistress, Leona. What could possibly go wrong?
For years, Marnie's had her heart set on moving Wish & Co. to the historic shopfront once owned by her grandfather. When the chance to bid for the property unexpectedly arises, Marnie--distracted--makes an uncharacteristic mistake. Soon Brian is in a fight to rescue his marriage, and Marnie is scrabbling to keep her dreams alive. With the situation so complicated, the last thing Marnie needs is to fall for Brian and Suzanne's gorgeous son, Luke. In the end, will it be her head or her heart that wins out?
Two boxes, both alike in size and shape . . .
Marnie Fairchild is the brains and talent behind Wish & Co., a boutique store that offers a bespoke gift-buying service to wealthy clients with complicated lives. Brian Charlesworth is Marnie's most prized customer, and today she's wrapping the perfect anniversary gift for his wife, Suzanne . . . and a birthday present for his mistress, Leona. What could possibly go wrong?
For years, Marnie's had her heart set on moving Wish & Co. to the historic shopfront once owned by her grandfather. When the chance to bid for the property unexpectedly arises, Marnie--distracted--makes an uncharacteristic mistake. Soon Brian is in a fight to rescue his marriage, and Marnie is scrabbling to keep her dreams alive. With the situation so complicated, the last thing Marnie needs is to fall for Brian and Suzanne's gorgeous son, Luke. In the end, will it be her head or her heart that wins out?
416 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2022
45 people are currently reading
6133 people want to read
About the author
Minnie Darke
13 books386 followersMinnie Darke writes smart, contemporary stories about love ... of all kinds.
Her first novel Starcrossed - about a journalist who manipulates an astrology column for her own romantic ends - was published in over 25 international territories.
The Lost Love Song - composed in a slightly more melancholy key - tells the story of a haunting melody that finds its way home, all by itself, to the heart of the person who inspired it.
With Love from Wish & Co takes you deep into the world of a professional gift-buyer. It begins on the day Marnie Fairchild is wrapping two gifts: one for her best client's wife, and one for his lover. What could possibly go wrong?
Three Juliets brings together themes of motherhood, daughterhood, love, loss and dressmaking. It's the story of Claudie Miller, who designs the beautiful 'Juliet' dress in tribute to the daughter - who would now be 16 years old - that she never had the chance to know. It's also the story of Roisin, Bindi and Miranda – all born on the same day, all adopted – who are 16 years old when the 'Juliet' enters their lives. The dress was designed with one of them in mind ... but which one?
Minnie Darke is a lover of freshly sharpened pencils, Russian Caravan tea and books of all kinds. She lives on the beautiful island of lutruwita/Tasmania, at the bottom of the world.
Photo Credit: Karen Brown
Her first novel Starcrossed - about a journalist who manipulates an astrology column for her own romantic ends - was published in over 25 international territories.
The Lost Love Song - composed in a slightly more melancholy key - tells the story of a haunting melody that finds its way home, all by itself, to the heart of the person who inspired it.
With Love from Wish & Co takes you deep into the world of a professional gift-buyer. It begins on the day Marnie Fairchild is wrapping two gifts: one for her best client's wife, and one for his lover. What could possibly go wrong?
Three Juliets brings together themes of motherhood, daughterhood, love, loss and dressmaking. It's the story of Claudie Miller, who designs the beautiful 'Juliet' dress in tribute to the daughter - who would now be 16 years old - that she never had the chance to know. It's also the story of Roisin, Bindi and Miranda – all born on the same day, all adopted – who are 16 years old when the 'Juliet' enters their lives. The dress was designed with one of them in mind ... but which one?
Minnie Darke is a lover of freshly sharpened pencils, Russian Caravan tea and books of all kinds. She lives on the beautiful island of lutruwita/Tasmania, at the bottom of the world.
Photo Credit: Karen Brown
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 441 reviews
July 31, 2022
With Love from Wish & Co. is a light-hearted, easy read! It lacks a lot of depth and substance, and it is very predictable but sometimes thats just what you need. I didn't connect with any of the characters, and I wished there would have been a bit more character development throughout the book. I was drawn to it by the super cute cover. If you need a quick, light read, this one will fit the ticket.
Thank you, Random House Ballantine and Net Galley, for an ARC in return for my honest review.
Thank you, Random House Ballantine and Net Galley, for an ARC in return for my honest review.
August 15, 2022
Two boxes, both alike in size and shape . . .
This book was a pleasure from beginning to end. I enjoyed the characters and was instantly invested in their plights. Two gifts, two women, one massive mix up.
Marnie Fairchild knows how to pick gifts. That is what makes her business, Wish & Co. a success. She is hired to find that perfect gift. She puts a lot of thought into the gifts and makes sure to wrap them beautifully and have them delivered. Unfortunately, there was a mix up and Brian's wife received the gift meant for his mistress and vice versa. OOPS!
When you give the gift that counts to the wrong woman! Now Brian is struggling to save his marriage and Marnie is struggling to save her business. To make things even messier, Marnie has met Luke, Brian's son...
I found this book to be a nice light, this-put-a-smile-on-my-face read. I didn't want to put this book down. The book does deal with some difficult subjects including infidelity but is not a heavy read. There were several characters that I was rooting for. I appreciated the humor that was thrown in, there is even a recipe at the end.
This book was a gift. I loved curing up on the couch with this! This was my first book by Minnie Darke and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
This book touches on family, love, mistakes, secrets, gifts, and honesty.
#WithLovefromWishCo #NetGalley
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
This book was a pleasure from beginning to end. I enjoyed the characters and was instantly invested in their plights. Two gifts, two women, one massive mix up.
Marnie Fairchild knows how to pick gifts. That is what makes her business, Wish & Co. a success. She is hired to find that perfect gift. She puts a lot of thought into the gifts and makes sure to wrap them beautifully and have them delivered. Unfortunately, there was a mix up and Brian's wife received the gift meant for his mistress and vice versa. OOPS!
When you give the gift that counts to the wrong woman! Now Brian is struggling to save his marriage and Marnie is struggling to save her business. To make things even messier, Marnie has met Luke, Brian's son...
I found this book to be a nice light, this-put-a-smile-on-my-face read. I didn't want to put this book down. The book does deal with some difficult subjects including infidelity but is not a heavy read. There were several characters that I was rooting for. I appreciated the humor that was thrown in, there is even a recipe at the end.
This book was a gift. I loved curing up on the couch with this! This was my first book by Minnie Darke and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
This book touches on family, love, mistakes, secrets, gifts, and honesty.
#WithLovefromWishCo #NetGalley
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
August 25, 2022
Maybe 2.5 stars? This is a weird one for me because I liked it, but I didn't love it. I enjoyed most of my time spent reading this, but I couldn't escape the thought that it just felt WAY too long. I think I would have liked it so much more if it had been more succinct. It felt like we just kept going through the same scenes of Marnie buying presents for Brian and feeling guilty about it over and over and over again and it just got really old by the halfway mark. While I didn't necessarily dislike this one, I definitely think my enjoyment would have been a little bit greater if this had been like, 75-100 pages shorter. Womp womp
CW: cheating, abortion
CW: cheating, abortion
August 14, 2022
With Love from Wish & Co. is one of those pleasant surprise type reads. It fits well in the romance genre but it's also a neat tale about love and the different relationships one might have in life. I quite enjoyed this book and the unique feel it had about it.
Marnie Fairchild works as a gift buyer. Her clients don't always have the free time to shop for presents for their family and friends so Marnie does it for them. And she has a knack for finding the perfect gift for the recipient. But she has a major oops when she mixes up Brian Charlesworth's anniversary gift for his wife with the present intended for his mistress. That's a very big mess up and couldn't come at a worse time as Marnie is trying to secure funds to purchase the shopfront once owned by her grandfather. Hope Marnie comes up with a plan to rectify her mistake before word gets out to her other customers.
The story alternates between a few characters in addition to Marnie. Her career was fascinating to me and I couldn't help but contemplate what exactly constitutes a good gift. Does it matter if you have some outside help? This is one of the rare times I'd toss a romance into consideration for a book club selection. There's lots of things regarding the story and characters to pick apart and discuss.
Not saying it's a tearjerker of a read but it has some heart for sure.
Thank you to Random House for providing me with an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
Marnie Fairchild works as a gift buyer. Her clients don't always have the free time to shop for presents for their family and friends so Marnie does it for them. And she has a knack for finding the perfect gift for the recipient. But she has a major oops when she mixes up Brian Charlesworth's anniversary gift for his wife with the present intended for his mistress. That's a very big mess up and couldn't come at a worse time as Marnie is trying to secure funds to purchase the shopfront once owned by her grandfather. Hope Marnie comes up with a plan to rectify her mistake before word gets out to her other customers.
The story alternates between a few characters in addition to Marnie. Her career was fascinating to me and I couldn't help but contemplate what exactly constitutes a good gift. Does it matter if you have some outside help? This is one of the rare times I'd toss a romance into consideration for a book club selection. There's lots of things regarding the story and characters to pick apart and discuss.
Not saying it's a tearjerker of a read but it has some heart for sure.
Thank you to Random House for providing me with an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
May 5, 2023
With Love from Wish & Co. by Minnie Darke was such a delight to read and I couldn't help but love the uniqueness of Marnie's job! There is actually a section in the audiobook that the author reads where she talks about her mom in relation to gift buying and we find out exactly where the idea for the business came from. I couldn't find this in the print copy, so I highly recommend grabbing the audio if only so you don't miss out on that! Much of the focus is on Marnie, but we also have other viewpoints like Marnie's client Brian, Brian's wife Suzanne, Leona his mistress, as well as Luke who is Brian's son. While they probably weren't all completely necessary, I still enjoyed them all and it was definitely interesting getting all sides of the many stories.
There is certainly some heart in this book while the overall feel is pretty easy breezy. It is a little over 12 hours on audio, but the time passes really quickly, and Zoe Carides is a lovely narrator. This is a clean, contemporary romance but it also focuses on more than that, and I liked that Darke took us into the morally gray area of Marnie's gift-buying/wrapping for men who use her services for their secret lovers. The ending dragged on a little bit too long for my liking, but I think this would make an excellent movie and I did like that everything got wrapped up and there weren't any loose ends. I so enjoyed this author's writing style and the setup of the book, so I will certainly be checking out more from her!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
There is certainly some heart in this book while the overall feel is pretty easy breezy. It is a little over 12 hours on audio, but the time passes really quickly, and Zoe Carides is a lovely narrator. This is a clean, contemporary romance but it also focuses on more than that, and I liked that Darke took us into the morally gray area of Marnie's gift-buying/wrapping for men who use her services for their secret lovers. The ending dragged on a little bit too long for my liking, but I think this would make an excellent movie and I did like that everything got wrapped up and there weren't any loose ends. I so enjoyed this author's writing style and the setup of the book, so I will certainly be checking out more from her!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
July 25, 2022
Review coming soon.
July 1, 2022
My heart was captured by Minnie Darke's book With Love from Wish & Co. It is a clean and sweet novel that romance readers do not want to miss.
Synopsis:
Marnie is a business woman who owns a gift store. She shops for wealthy customers, picking out specialty gifts tailored to their loved ones' individual tastes. Today Marnie is sending gifts ordered by her most valued customer to his wife and mistress. Marnie has selected the gifts with painstaking care and sent them to the two women. How can anything possibly turn out wrong?
With Love from Wish & Co. is a heart touching book with humor liberally sprinkled in. I resonated with the setting and characters in the story. The emotions evoked by Darke's writing are highly relatable. The author triggers a wonderful balance of warm feelings without being too overdramatic. This story will melt your heart. It is the ideal summer beach read.
With Love from Wish & Co. by Winnie Darke is available on August 16th.
(5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, for allowing me to review this engrossing book. I love every page of it!
Synopsis:
Marnie is a business woman who owns a gift store. She shops for wealthy customers, picking out specialty gifts tailored to their loved ones' individual tastes. Today Marnie is sending gifts ordered by her most valued customer to his wife and mistress. Marnie has selected the gifts with painstaking care and sent them to the two women. How can anything possibly turn out wrong?
With Love from Wish & Co. is a heart touching book with humor liberally sprinkled in. I resonated with the setting and characters in the story. The emotions evoked by Darke's writing are highly relatable. The author triggers a wonderful balance of warm feelings without being too overdramatic. This story will melt your heart. It is the ideal summer beach read.
With Love from Wish & Co. by Winnie Darke is available on August 16th.
(5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, for allowing me to review this engrossing book. I love every page of it!
November 10, 2022
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*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
With Love From Wish & Co by Minnie Darke. (2022).
Marnie is the brains and talent behind Wish & Co, a boutique store that offers a bespoke gift-buying service to wealthy clients with complicated lives. Brian is Marnie's most prized customer and today she's wrapping an anniversary gift for his wife Suzanne and a birthday present for his mistress Leona. For years Marnie has wanted to own the historic shop owned by her grandfather and when a chance for that arises, she makes an uncharacteristic mistake at work. Soon Brian is trying to save his marriage and Marnie is trying to keep her dreams alive. She really doesn't need to fall for Brian's son Luke...
I really enjoyed this story which was a light and easy read in between some darker books for me. The concept of a professional gift-buyer (and gift-wrapper) was intriguing to me and the descriptions of Marnie's work made me appreciate that I am fairly useless at gift-wrapping haha. The storyline is all about love as well as forgiveness for mistakes both large and small. It is a romance but also a novel about personal growth. While Marnie is our main narrator, the viewpoints do alternate between other characters to give us the bigger picture view of the consequences of Marnie's gift mix-up.
Overall: happily recommend this novel for any reader who enjoys a lighter style contemporary story with a mix of drama and romance.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
With Love From Wish & Co by Minnie Darke. (2022).
Marnie is the brains and talent behind Wish & Co, a boutique store that offers a bespoke gift-buying service to wealthy clients with complicated lives. Brian is Marnie's most prized customer and today she's wrapping an anniversary gift for his wife Suzanne and a birthday present for his mistress Leona. For years Marnie has wanted to own the historic shop owned by her grandfather and when a chance for that arises, she makes an uncharacteristic mistake at work. Soon Brian is trying to save his marriage and Marnie is trying to keep her dreams alive. She really doesn't need to fall for Brian's son Luke...
I really enjoyed this story which was a light and easy read in between some darker books for me. The concept of a professional gift-buyer (and gift-wrapper) was intriguing to me and the descriptions of Marnie's work made me appreciate that I am fairly useless at gift-wrapping haha. The storyline is all about love as well as forgiveness for mistakes both large and small. It is a romance but also a novel about personal growth. While Marnie is our main narrator, the viewpoints do alternate between other characters to give us the bigger picture view of the consequences of Marnie's gift mix-up.
Overall: happily recommend this novel for any reader who enjoys a lighter style contemporary story with a mix of drama and romance.
March 20, 2023
With love from Wish & Co. was just the antidote I needed after a couple of darker reads. Blending quality women's fiction with family drama and romance, Minnie Darke's narrative is deceptively light and airy, while exploring deeper themes including marriage, fidelity, parenthood and the pursuit of dreams.
Marnie Fairchild has worked hard to build her business, Wish & Co., through which she provides specialty gift-wrapping services and classes, and also provides a high-end gift consultancy service for well-heeled clients. Marnie's longtime dream is to purchase her late grandfather's former shopfront, and restore it to its former glory as Wish & Co.'s permanent home. Distracted momentarily by a summons by the real estate agent marketing the property, Marnie makes a small but significant error when attaching courier forms to two similarly-sized gifts intended for two different recipients. Her mix-up leads to a calamitous scene at the 40th Wedding Anniversary celebration of Suzanne and Brian Charlesworth. While the fallout could prove devastating for Marnie's business, it does fortuitously lead to her introduction to Suzanne and Brian's son, timber craftsman Luke.
As Marnie attempts to placate the irrascible Brian and "fix" a situation that seems hopeless, she's led by Luke to reconsider the basis of her gift-management service and the the ramifications of aiding rich and powerful married men to manage their "complicated" personal lives.
In terms of plot and subject-matter, With love from Wish & Co. falls squarely within the women's fiction and romance genres, but has a gravitas at its heart that many other books in these genres seem to lack. Minnie Darke develops a small cast of characters with whom the reader comes to genuinely empathise. Notwithstanding plenty of poor decisions, misdirected anger and personal intransigence, Marnie, Luke, Brian and Suzanne each have plenty of redeeming features, and the situations in which they find themselves will have points of familiarity for many readers. As each individual faces a critical point in their own life, the reader is challenged to consider opposing viewpoints and the importance of honesty in personal relationships.
I found With love from Wish & Co. to be a relatively undemanding, yet engaging and thought-provoking read. I'd recommend it to any reader who enjoys family dramas, stories about contemporary women's lives and romances with just the right amount of frothiness.
"She missed him, she wanted him. She hated him, she would never forgive him. She was hurting. She wanted him to hold her, to make it better. She wanted to hurt him, to slice him open with words, to freeze him with indifference. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to curl up in a ball on the living room floor and sleep it all off. She wanted the feelings - all of them - to, just, stop.The central character, Marnie Fairchild's, work as a professional gift consultant opens an intriguing discourse around the differing ways we each choose to express our love for others through gifts and gestures, and how we all have different expectations for the manner in which parental, familial, romantic and friendly love is expressed to us.
Marnie Fairchild has worked hard to build her business, Wish & Co., through which she provides specialty gift-wrapping services and classes, and also provides a high-end gift consultancy service for well-heeled clients. Marnie's longtime dream is to purchase her late grandfather's former shopfront, and restore it to its former glory as Wish & Co.'s permanent home. Distracted momentarily by a summons by the real estate agent marketing the property, Marnie makes a small but significant error when attaching courier forms to two similarly-sized gifts intended for two different recipients. Her mix-up leads to a calamitous scene at the 40th Wedding Anniversary celebration of Suzanne and Brian Charlesworth. While the fallout could prove devastating for Marnie's business, it does fortuitously lead to her introduction to Suzanne and Brian's son, timber craftsman Luke.
As Marnie attempts to placate the irrascible Brian and "fix" a situation that seems hopeless, she's led by Luke to reconsider the basis of her gift-management service and the the ramifications of aiding rich and powerful married men to manage their "complicated" personal lives.
In terms of plot and subject-matter, With love from Wish & Co. falls squarely within the women's fiction and romance genres, but has a gravitas at its heart that many other books in these genres seem to lack. Minnie Darke develops a small cast of characters with whom the reader comes to genuinely empathise. Notwithstanding plenty of poor decisions, misdirected anger and personal intransigence, Marnie, Luke, Brian and Suzanne each have plenty of redeeming features, and the situations in which they find themselves will have points of familiarity for many readers. As each individual faces a critical point in their own life, the reader is challenged to consider opposing viewpoints and the importance of honesty in personal relationships.
I found With love from Wish & Co. to be a relatively undemanding, yet engaging and thought-provoking read. I'd recommend it to any reader who enjoys family dramas, stories about contemporary women's lives and romances with just the right amount of frothiness.
April 9, 2025
Three and a half stars
Marnie Fairchild started her boutique that offers wealthy clients a gift buying and wrapping service. Brian Charlesworth has been using Marnie’s services for years and recommeningjit t his friends. That is until the day there is a mix up that has disastrous consequences for Brian Charlesworth, Marnie’s biggest, wealthy customer and for Marnie herself . Not to mention the two women who receive the wrong gifts. One is Brian’s wife Suzanne and the gift is for their 40th wedding anniversary. The other gift is a birthday gift for his mistress Leona. It is a silky robe monogrammed with her her initials and in a small size that would never for Suzanne. Is there any way back from such a disastrous mistake?
Meanwhile Marnie has been working towards moving Wish and Co to the historic shop once owned by her grandfather. Is there any way she can achieve her dream especially after this disastrous mix up? And what will it cost her? Then to complicate matters Marnie falls in love with Luke, who is Brian and Suzanne’s son. But Luke has his own secret that his parents know nothing about from choices made when he was a teenager.
This is an entertaining read that raises some interesting questions about choices, consequences and second chances. It is an easy read, a tad predictable and I could not relate particularly well with the characters, although my heart definitely went out to Suzanne out of all the characters. Having mentioned my quibbles, I still found it engaging enough to keep reading. A lot of readers should enjoy it.
Marnie Fairchild started her boutique that offers wealthy clients a gift buying and wrapping service. Brian Charlesworth has been using Marnie’s services for years and recommeningjit t his friends. That is until the day there is a mix up that has disastrous consequences for Brian Charlesworth, Marnie’s biggest, wealthy customer and for Marnie herself . Not to mention the two women who receive the wrong gifts. One is Brian’s wife Suzanne and the gift is for their 40th wedding anniversary. The other gift is a birthday gift for his mistress Leona. It is a silky robe monogrammed with her her initials and in a small size that would never for Suzanne. Is there any way back from such a disastrous mistake?
Meanwhile Marnie has been working towards moving Wish and Co to the historic shop once owned by her grandfather. Is there any way she can achieve her dream especially after this disastrous mix up? And what will it cost her? Then to complicate matters Marnie falls in love with Luke, who is Brian and Suzanne’s son. But Luke has his own secret that his parents know nothing about from choices made when he was a teenager.
This is an entertaining read that raises some interesting questions about choices, consequences and second chances. It is an easy read, a tad predictable and I could not relate particularly well with the characters, although my heart definitely went out to Suzanne out of all the characters. Having mentioned my quibbles, I still found it engaging enough to keep reading. A lot of readers should enjoy it.
July 4, 2022
(free review copy) I ended up really enjoying this unique story, mostly for the way it forced me to introduce more gray area thinking into my usually black and white worldview. I also enjoyed the Australian setting despite it taking me awhile to figure out that’s where it was set.
Just one tiny criticism ~I think the cover art is horrible and am disappointed that it’s what the publisher chose - they could have done so much better!
Just one tiny criticism ~I think the cover art is horrible and am disappointed that it’s what the publisher chose - they could have done so much better!
August 5, 2022
Marnie Fairchild owns a successful personal shopping business that she hopes to expand by purchasing the heritage building that once housed a store run by her grandfather. However, a mixup in which she inadvertently switches gifts meant for a Brian Charlesworth’s wife and mistress puts all that in jeopardy. As she scrambles to make things right her plans are interrupted when she meets and falls for Brian’s son.
I had just read a couple of disappointing mystery/thrillers in a row and felt maybe it was time for a change of genre and the description of this book appealed. Yes, it was somewhat formulaic and predictive, but it was just what I needed pull me out of my reading slump.
This is a sweet, fast, light read with interesting and compelling characters. It was a nice change of pace also to have an Australian setting.
I had just read a couple of disappointing mystery/thrillers in a row and felt maybe it was time for a change of genre and the description of this book appealed. Yes, it was somewhat formulaic and predictive, but it was just what I needed pull me out of my reading slump.
This is a sweet, fast, light read with interesting and compelling characters. It was a nice change of pace also to have an Australian setting.
April 8, 2022
This book sounded really cute and I was drawn to it because of cartoon cover. However, despite knowing this would be light and fun, it ended up being just a little too much light for me.
I wasn't invested in the story or the characters, but enjoyed some parts.
That was a light read from which will interest to many readers. It just didn't work for me.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn't invested in the story or the characters, but enjoyed some parts.
That was a light read from which will interest to many readers. It just didn't work for me.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2022
Romance
Buying gifts for people can be stressful. Marnie Fairchild has turned what many people find troublesome into a thriving business. She is saving every penny she can to buy the building where her grandfather once ran his own business. It should be easy because she is family, but her uncle considers her a black sheep and puts the building up for auction.
Distracted by the news, Marnie accidentally sends the wrong gifts out. Her largest customer's wife gets a gift intended for his mistress. No fixing that one. The customer of course is furious and pulls his business, his referrals have also started pulling their business, which Marnie cannot afford if she has any hopes of buying the building at auction.
Her solution is to help her customer, Brian, get back together with his wife. She has been buying gifts for the woman for years and feels that she can aide Brian in fixing his marriage. While this is happening Marnie gets friendly with Brian's son Luke. They have a quick connection and since he is a woodworker, their creative interests align well. Trouble is Luke thinks Marnie is no longer buying gifts for the family and calls what she does a form of emotional fraud.
Here is where the book and the relationship stopped working for me. We have had several hundred pages in developing the story and the relationship. Luke seems really opposed to what Marnie does. He goes to the effort to better understand her work, but still finds the whole process distasteful. There always has to be some kind of conflict for the relationship, so of course, he discovers that Marnie is still helping Brian buy gifts. It causes a giant rift. The problem is he gets over it pretty darn quickly. Luke and Marnie's relationship issues get solved and Luke helps save the day in barely the blink of an eye.
The ending took what was a really good novel to just mediocre.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel.
Buying gifts for people can be stressful. Marnie Fairchild has turned what many people find troublesome into a thriving business. She is saving every penny she can to buy the building where her grandfather once ran his own business. It should be easy because she is family, but her uncle considers her a black sheep and puts the building up for auction.
Distracted by the news, Marnie accidentally sends the wrong gifts out. Her largest customer's wife gets a gift intended for his mistress. No fixing that one. The customer of course is furious and pulls his business, his referrals have also started pulling their business, which Marnie cannot afford if she has any hopes of buying the building at auction.
Her solution is to help her customer, Brian, get back together with his wife. She has been buying gifts for the woman for years and feels that she can aide Brian in fixing his marriage. While this is happening Marnie gets friendly with Brian's son Luke. They have a quick connection and since he is a woodworker, their creative interests align well. Trouble is Luke thinks Marnie is no longer buying gifts for the family and calls what she does a form of emotional fraud.
Here is where the book and the relationship stopped working for me. We have had several hundred pages in developing the story and the relationship. Luke seems really opposed to what Marnie does. He goes to the effort to better understand her work, but still finds the whole process distasteful. There always has to be some kind of conflict for the relationship, so of course, he discovers that Marnie is still helping Brian buy gifts. It causes a giant rift. The problem is he gets over it pretty darn quickly. Luke and Marnie's relationship issues get solved and Luke helps save the day in barely the blink of an eye.
The ending took what was a really good novel to just mediocre.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel.
October 28, 2022
Lovely.
Marnie, Brian, Suzanne and Luke, characters who came to life in a heart-warming novel about family, life and forgiveness.
A great Aussie read!
Marnie, Brian, Suzanne and Luke, characters who came to life in a heart-warming novel about family, life and forgiveness.
A great Aussie read!
August 6, 2022
With Love from Wish & Co. is a sweet, enchanting book that wraps you up like one of Marnie Fairchild's perfectly picked out and wrapped bespoke presents from her boutique store, Wish & Co. Marnie's talent is being able to know exactly what gift to buy for someone else, and she's turned that into a successful career since she picks the perfect gift every single time. The only thing that would make her happier is moving her business to the historic building in Alexandria Park that used to belong to her grandfather; now the building is going to auction, and she'll do whatever she has to do to afford it.
Things are going well until Marnie messes up spectacularly with her biggest client--he has two gifts that need to go out the same day: one to his wife for their 40th wedding anniversary and one to his mistress for her birthday. Marnie switches the gifts by mistake, and Brian's marriage implodes. Disaster ensues as Brian blames Marnie and takes away his business and his referrals to wealthy clients--something Marnie cannot afford if she wants to buy her grandfather's old storefront. Marnie knows she has to make things right and comes up with a plan to save Brian's marriage (and keep his business) and hopefully save her plan to buy the storefront in the process. Enter Luke Charlesworth, Brian's son, who Marnie meets along the way. The two end up connecting and spending time together, but Marnie really shouldn't fall for a client's son--should she?
This is my first book by Minnie Darke, but I enjoyed it a lot! The plot is engaging (I would love to find a gift-buyer since I'm the queen of giving gift cards!), the characters are well-written, and I enjoyed the different POVs. This is a perfect book to curl up with when you need something light and fun--it has the feel of a cozy, romantic Hallmark movie so if you like those, then you're sure to love Darke's newest novel! It's out on August 16, 2022, so grab a copy.
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Things are going well until Marnie messes up spectacularly with her biggest client--he has two gifts that need to go out the same day: one to his wife for their 40th wedding anniversary and one to his mistress for her birthday. Marnie switches the gifts by mistake, and Brian's marriage implodes. Disaster ensues as Brian blames Marnie and takes away his business and his referrals to wealthy clients--something Marnie cannot afford if she wants to buy her grandfather's old storefront. Marnie knows she has to make things right and comes up with a plan to save Brian's marriage (and keep his business) and hopefully save her plan to buy the storefront in the process. Enter Luke Charlesworth, Brian's son, who Marnie meets along the way. The two end up connecting and spending time together, but Marnie really shouldn't fall for a client's son--should she?
This is my first book by Minnie Darke, but I enjoyed it a lot! The plot is engaging (I would love to find a gift-buyer since I'm the queen of giving gift cards!), the characters are well-written, and I enjoyed the different POVs. This is a perfect book to curl up with when you need something light and fun--it has the feel of a cozy, romantic Hallmark movie so if you like those, then you're sure to love Darke's newest novel! It's out on August 16, 2022, so grab a copy.
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
May 3, 2022
First of all thank you Penguin Random House & NetGalley for this advanced reading copy in exchange or an honest review.
This was the first real romance ARC I've had a chance to review. I chose it because of the really adorable cover and I was intrigued by the synopsis. It had it all when it came to romance, infidelity, imperfect families and secrets between loved ones. Marnie, who owns a gift giving shop, is immediately lovable & she's relatable. You learn that she is desperately trying to purchase her family shop and has been doing almost anything in her means financially to get it. And then, she mixes up gifts between a wife and a mistress.
Enter Suzanne and Brian--You really do feel for Suzanne and what she's going through with the gift mix up. You feel Suzanne's pain and her confusion when it comes to figuring out if she will ultimately forgive him.
Then there's Luke. I think Luke and Marnie were a perfect couple lead in this romance. Marnie explaining her gift giving process to Luke was fascinating and really does prove that it's the THOUGHT that counts. I thought their whole relationship was whimsical and light and wonderful. I think it really did show how everyone can make mistakes and we are all imperfect, and you can still come back from all of that.
The author included cute recipes and a photo of the building in Australia the book was based off of adding really charming touches. The only downside for me was I think that it ran a little long in places.
My review will be posted on my instagram @bookswithbrielle in May.
This was the first real romance ARC I've had a chance to review. I chose it because of the really adorable cover and I was intrigued by the synopsis. It had it all when it came to romance, infidelity, imperfect families and secrets between loved ones. Marnie, who owns a gift giving shop, is immediately lovable & she's relatable. You learn that she is desperately trying to purchase her family shop and has been doing almost anything in her means financially to get it. And then, she mixes up gifts between a wife and a mistress.
Enter Suzanne and Brian--You really do feel for Suzanne and what she's going through with the gift mix up. You feel Suzanne's pain and her confusion when it comes to figuring out if she will ultimately forgive him.
Then there's Luke. I think Luke and Marnie were a perfect couple lead in this romance. Marnie explaining her gift giving process to Luke was fascinating and really does prove that it's the THOUGHT that counts. I thought their whole relationship was whimsical and light and wonderful. I think it really did show how everyone can make mistakes and we are all imperfect, and you can still come back from all of that.
The author included cute recipes and a photo of the building in Australia the book was based off of adding really charming touches. The only downside for me was I think that it ran a little long in places.
My review will be posted on my instagram @bookswithbrielle in May.
April 30, 2024
Marnie Fairchild is a professional gift buyer who owns a small boutique called Wish & Co. One of her top clients, Brian Charlesworth, confides in Marnie to find the perfect gift for his wife Suzanne for their anniversary and the other for his mistress, Leona. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right? Until it does. A mix-up between shipping labels results in the gifts end up in the wrong hands. To make matters worse, as Marnie is trying to make it up to Brian, she ends up falling for his son Liam.
With Love from Wish & Co. is my first introduction to women’s fiction. Upon reading the synopsis, I still wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Thankfully, the pacing of the story helped to balance out the multiple storylines in the book. I truly enjoyed Darke’s style of writing. The characters were well written and there was the right amount of description and detail in the story without boring the reader or being repetitive. While parts of the story seemed a bit far-fetched, it was still an enjoyable story overall. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this advanced reading copy (eARC) in exchange for my honest review.
With Love from Wish & Co. is my first introduction to women’s fiction. Upon reading the synopsis, I still wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Thankfully, the pacing of the story helped to balance out the multiple storylines in the book. I truly enjoyed Darke’s style of writing. The characters were well written and there was the right amount of description and detail in the story without boring the reader or being repetitive. While parts of the story seemed a bit far-fetched, it was still an enjoyable story overall. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this advanced reading copy (eARC) in exchange for my honest review.
October 9, 2022
With Love from Wish & Co.
By Minnie Darke
Heartwarming
Sweet
Surprising
I enjoyed Minnie Darke's previous book, The Lost Love Song and though melancholier, I really enjoyed Darke's writing style. that had me so excited to pick up With Love from Wish & Co. I loved that the story is about Marnie who is a boutique buyer of gifts for discerning clients - I would have loved to be her friend, since gift buying is not my forte. In this story, a slight distraction catches Marnie into switching the gifts for her biggest and most important client - his wife's Anniversary present and his mistress' birthday present. Of course, this implodes and what comes next is such a fun and sweet story to read. I enjoyed how light and cozy this read is.
By Minnie Darke
Heartwarming
Sweet
Surprising
I enjoyed Minnie Darke's previous book, The Lost Love Song and though melancholier, I really enjoyed Darke's writing style. that had me so excited to pick up With Love from Wish & Co. I loved that the story is about Marnie who is a boutique buyer of gifts for discerning clients - I would have loved to be her friend, since gift buying is not my forte. In this story, a slight distraction catches Marnie into switching the gifts for her biggest and most important client - his wife's Anniversary present and his mistress' birthday present. Of course, this implodes and what comes next is such a fun and sweet story to read. I enjoyed how light and cozy this read is.
August 6, 2022
I really loved the setup for this story! A professional gift shopper accidentally swapping the gifts intended for the wife and mistress of a prestigious client.
But this was quite different than I expected.
Marnie Fairchild has dreams of moving her boutique and gift expertise to a historic location once owned by her grandfather. She simply cannot afford to lose a client like Brian Charlesworth and will do everything she can to salvage her gift-swapping mistake.
This story is told in multiple point of views: Brian, his wife, his mistress, his son, and of course, Marnie. And it was surprisingly not confusing! With a focus on forgiveness, I loved seeing the drama unfold within each of their storylines. But admittedly the numerous POVs kept me from being wholly invested, even though all the characters were incredibly endearing.
I was excited about the brewing romance between Marnie and Luke, but since the story wasn't completely focused on them, the pacing of their relationship felt a little off at times. I think others will truly love this one with the right expectations going in!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
But this was quite different than I expected.
Marnie Fairchild has dreams of moving her boutique and gift expertise to a historic location once owned by her grandfather. She simply cannot afford to lose a client like Brian Charlesworth and will do everything she can to salvage her gift-swapping mistake.
This story is told in multiple point of views: Brian, his wife, his mistress, his son, and of course, Marnie. And it was surprisingly not confusing! With a focus on forgiveness, I loved seeing the drama unfold within each of their storylines. But admittedly the numerous POVs kept me from being wholly invested, even though all the characters were incredibly endearing.
I was excited about the brewing romance between Marnie and Luke, but since the story wasn't completely focused on them, the pacing of their relationship felt a little off at times. I think others will truly love this one with the right expectations going in!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
November 17, 2022
With Love From Wish & Co is an engaging novel from bestselling author Minnie Darke.
Marnie Fairchild has worked hard to establish and build her business, Wish & Co, a gift boutique that also offers unique services to its clients including a bespoke gift-buying service. She dreams of relocating the store to the heritage listed building that her grandfather once owned, but her uncle has always refused to sell, until now. Raising the money needed will be a challenge, her uncle makes no allowances for family, especially given Marnie’s late father was the black sheep of the Fairchild clan, but business is good and she thinks she can just about swing it. And then she makes a mistake.
Brian Charlesworth is one of Marnie’s best clients, for the last five years she has carefully been selecting gifts for every occasion for the wealthy businessman’s family, and most recently for his mistress too. Marnie has two presents prepared on Brian’s behalf for events that fall on the same day, a 40th wedding anniversary gift for his wife Suzanne, and a monogrammed birthday gift for his mistress, Leona, which are inadvertently switched, and sent to the wrong woman. When Brian threatens to ruin her, Marnie comes up with a plan she hopes will save Brian’s marriage and her dream.
Exploring themes of ambition, family, love and sacrifice, Wish & Co is light fiction delivering a good balance of drama and romance.
The story unfolds from the perspectives of multiple characters, namely Marnie, Brian, Suzanne and their son Luke, and briefly, Leona. I liked Marnie as the lead character, she’s worked hard for her success, though has perhaps become a little obsessive with regards to her grandfathers store. How far she’s willing to go becomes something she must ask herself, especially when she gets involved with Luke. Suzanne easily earned my sympathy, I think I gasped out loud when she opened the anniversary gift clearly meant for Leona. Unsurprisingly I didn’t care much for Brian. I found it interesting that Darke decided to end the book with Leona’s point of view (and a recipe for her Passionfruit Sponge).
Marnie’s profession is a fun element of the novel. I can see how it would fill a need, and I could use a workshop on how to wrap presents. Luke’s objection to the gift buying service initially struck me as silly, but it did make me think about the real value of a gift.
A pleasant and entertaining read, perhaps With Love From Wish & Co would make a thoughtful gift for someone you know.
Marnie Fairchild has worked hard to establish and build her business, Wish & Co, a gift boutique that also offers unique services to its clients including a bespoke gift-buying service. She dreams of relocating the store to the heritage listed building that her grandfather once owned, but her uncle has always refused to sell, until now. Raising the money needed will be a challenge, her uncle makes no allowances for family, especially given Marnie’s late father was the black sheep of the Fairchild clan, but business is good and she thinks she can just about swing it. And then she makes a mistake.
Brian Charlesworth is one of Marnie’s best clients, for the last five years she has carefully been selecting gifts for every occasion for the wealthy businessman’s family, and most recently for his mistress too. Marnie has two presents prepared on Brian’s behalf for events that fall on the same day, a 40th wedding anniversary gift for his wife Suzanne, and a monogrammed birthday gift for his mistress, Leona, which are inadvertently switched, and sent to the wrong woman. When Brian threatens to ruin her, Marnie comes up with a plan she hopes will save Brian’s marriage and her dream.
Exploring themes of ambition, family, love and sacrifice, Wish & Co is light fiction delivering a good balance of drama and romance.
The story unfolds from the perspectives of multiple characters, namely Marnie, Brian, Suzanne and their son Luke, and briefly, Leona. I liked Marnie as the lead character, she’s worked hard for her success, though has perhaps become a little obsessive with regards to her grandfathers store. How far she’s willing to go becomes something she must ask herself, especially when she gets involved with Luke. Suzanne easily earned my sympathy, I think I gasped out loud when she opened the anniversary gift clearly meant for Leona. Unsurprisingly I didn’t care much for Brian. I found it interesting that Darke decided to end the book with Leona’s point of view (and a recipe for her Passionfruit Sponge).
Marnie’s profession is a fun element of the novel. I can see how it would fill a need, and I could use a workshop on how to wrap presents. Luke’s objection to the gift buying service initially struck me as silly, but it did make me think about the real value of a gift.
A pleasant and entertaining read, perhaps With Love From Wish & Co would make a thoughtful gift for someone you know.
April 9, 2022
Romance, infidelity, secrets, and the ability to find a great gift are elements that kept me reading this charming story. Marnie owns a gift giving business. She is detail oriented and does all she can to find the perfect gift for each of her customers. One day however she makes the biggest mistake of her life when she mixes up two gifts for her biggest client. Marnie has to do everything she can to fix this mistake or lose out on her dream of owning the building her grandfather once owned. What Marnie does not expect is to find romance and a chance at true happiness. However everything comes with a cost.
What I liked about this book is that it wasn't just about Marnie. We got to know several other characters and what their perspectives are as the story unfolds. I also felt like I understand gift giving a little better after reading this book. The novel takes place in Australia and I loved learning just a little more about life in Australia. There were also a couple photographs at the end and a recipe that I thought was a great touch by the author. A very charming novel!
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Kathleen Quinlan for this advance copy!
What I liked about this book is that it wasn't just about Marnie. We got to know several other characters and what their perspectives are as the story unfolds. I also felt like I understand gift giving a little better after reading this book. The novel takes place in Australia and I loved learning just a little more about life in Australia. There were also a couple photographs at the end and a recipe that I thought was a great touch by the author. A very charming novel!
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Kathleen Quinlan for this advance copy!
May 26, 2022
This was a breath of fresh air. It truly has been a while since I've read a romance novel that I've enjoyed, namely because I always have trouble with the main characters. Luke and Marnie were adult, kind, and seemed like all-around genuine people that I had no trouble connecting with. The book progressed naturally, and I found myself genuinely, actually rooting for Marnie the whole time.
I've never heard of a gift-delivering service, namely because I simply don't think I'm wealthy enough to afford one, but Darke does a great job of drawing you into the world. The characters are all relatable, lovable people, and the relationship isn't blown-up or dramatic, just lovely and romantic.
This is a great book. I have very few complaints aside from the pacing since I thought it was a little longer than I thought it needed to be. Besides that, Darke has excellent control over prose and plot, and this was such a heart-warming read, especially with the parallel plot lines of maternity and a renewal-of-love plot.
4.5 stars rounded down.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I've never heard of a gift-delivering service, namely because I simply don't think I'm wealthy enough to afford one, but Darke does a great job of drawing you into the world. The characters are all relatable, lovable people, and the relationship isn't blown-up or dramatic, just lovely and romantic.
This is a great book. I have very few complaints aside from the pacing since I thought it was a little longer than I thought it needed to be. Besides that, Darke has excellent control over prose and plot, and this was such a heart-warming read, especially with the parallel plot lines of maternity and a renewal-of-love plot.
4.5 stars rounded down.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2024
Minnie Darke is an auto-buy for me, I don’t even need to read the synopsis to know that I’ll be reading her latest book. Her stories are divine and the very essence of ‘feel good’ – which is what I was craving after reading Prophet Song in a day!
In her latest, With Love from Wish & Co, we are drawn into a family drama, a business crisis, and a new love story. I love the way Minnie Darke always writes such a fresh story – a unique premise, no cliched formulaic romance tropes, realistic characters, and a discussion worthy moralistic twist.
Marnie Fairchild runs a business that specialises in gift buying, mostly for wealthy men who don’t have the time or ‘inspiration’ to buy for their wives, parents, siblings and… mistresses. When a mix-up occurs with the gifts for one of her most lucrative clients, Marnie faces an unprecedented reckoning that couldn’t be more ill-timed for her future business prospects. Added into the mix is an unexpected romance built on a white lie.
I devoured this novel inside three days in the middle of a busy working week. It was that good, I was willing to sacrifice sleep for it.
In her latest, With Love from Wish & Co, we are drawn into a family drama, a business crisis, and a new love story. I love the way Minnie Darke always writes such a fresh story – a unique premise, no cliched formulaic romance tropes, realistic characters, and a discussion worthy moralistic twist.
Marnie Fairchild runs a business that specialises in gift buying, mostly for wealthy men who don’t have the time or ‘inspiration’ to buy for their wives, parents, siblings and… mistresses. When a mix-up occurs with the gifts for one of her most lucrative clients, Marnie faces an unprecedented reckoning that couldn’t be more ill-timed for her future business prospects. Added into the mix is an unexpected romance built on a white lie.
I devoured this novel inside three days in the middle of a busy working week. It was that good, I was willing to sacrifice sleep for it.
April 8, 2022
This was a quick fun read!
This eARC was recommended to me, upon reading the blurb I was kind of skeptical because it confused me and I couldn’t figure what the story was going to be and also this author is new to me, so I was not sure what to expect.
The first chapters were written with great detail and at first I thought that it was going to be those type of books that drag the plot and become tedious and boring; this was not the case, there is a reason why those details are there and by the time I figured that out, I started to appreciate and learn the author’s writing style.
The story had me giggling and laughing, I felt content with the ending, Marnie was a relatable and driven character; I was flipping the pages nonstop and then I realized it was finished.
I will definitely check this author’s past & upcoming releases!
Thanks to Netgalley and Random Penguin House for providing me and ARC in exchange of my honest opinion
This eARC was recommended to me, upon reading the blurb I was kind of skeptical because it confused me and I couldn’t figure what the story was going to be and also this author is new to me, so I was not sure what to expect.
The first chapters were written with great detail and at first I thought that it was going to be those type of books that drag the plot and become tedious and boring; this was not the case, there is a reason why those details are there and by the time I figured that out, I started to appreciate and learn the author’s writing style.
The story had me giggling and laughing, I felt content with the ending, Marnie was a relatable and driven character; I was flipping the pages nonstop and then I realized it was finished.
I will definitely check this author’s past & upcoming releases!
Thanks to Netgalley and Random Penguin House for providing me and ARC in exchange of my honest opinion
August 2, 2022
There’s something incredibly satisfying about reading a book that lives up to your super high expectations.
I adored THE LOST LOVE SONG, a book that broke my heart, and got swept up in the happenstance and magic of STAR-CROSSED. Enter WITH LOVE FROM WISH & CO, Minnie Darke’s latest book and one of my most anticipated reads of the year.
This book absolutely delivered for me.
I really enjoy Minnie Darke’s writing style. The author has a gift for bringing multiple points of view to life and weaving character storylines together and it all works so well in this book. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of some of the mystical elements of STAR-CROSSED and the happenstance of THE LOST LOVE SONG.
Highly recommended! This book is so warm-hearted, reading it felt like a big, beautiful hug!
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I adored THE LOST LOVE SONG, a book that broke my heart, and got swept up in the happenstance and magic of STAR-CROSSED. Enter WITH LOVE FROM WISH & CO, Minnie Darke’s latest book and one of my most anticipated reads of the year.
This book absolutely delivered for me.
I really enjoy Minnie Darke’s writing style. The author has a gift for bringing multiple points of view to life and weaving character storylines together and it all works so well in this book. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of some of the mystical elements of STAR-CROSSED and the happenstance of THE LOST LOVE SONG.
Highly recommended! This book is so warm-hearted, reading it felt like a big, beautiful hug!
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2022
Happy publication day!
Wow, I wish I had known that the author was from Tasmania. And that this book was going to be set somewhere in Australia! This knowledge would have helped me with the language of the book. But that is a bit silly of me to assume that a book is going to be set somewhere where I do know the lingo! Or at least my Kindle would have been able to translate some of the slang!
Bad Dianne! Very naughty to assume!
Wow, except for the last 20% or so of the book when Luke (the male protagonist) was making a complete jerk of himself, this was a great romance. This was also just a plain excellent fiction novel about a woman and her dreams.
Marnie is working her butt off to buy the building of her dreams. The building was owned by family members and brought memories of her childhood and her love of her grandfather to the fore. This part of the novel is complicated because Marnie's family (her father) wasn't the best example of a human being.
Marnie has a gift-buying business. She is what we might call a personal shopper. Still, instead of buying for a single person with their knowledge of what they are getting, she is doing the gift buying for those who don't have the time, imagination, or the ability to buy for friends and family. If some of those recipients are 'other women,' what can I say?
The way the story plays out at the beginning is relatively easy to figure out, but it is still devastating. The rest of the novel doesn't follow my expectations, which is a perfect thing. However, be aware that this is a romance novel, and all the tropes will be there.
An interesting meeting.
A slow build to a romance.
A few surprises for everyone.
A terrible downturn.
And a happily-ever-after!
*ARC provided by the publisher Dell/Random House, the author, and NetGalley.
Wow, I wish I had known that the author was from Tasmania. And that this book was going to be set somewhere in Australia! This knowledge would have helped me with the language of the book. But that is a bit silly of me to assume that a book is going to be set somewhere where I do know the lingo! Or at least my Kindle would have been able to translate some of the slang!
Bad Dianne! Very naughty to assume!
Wow, except for the last 20% or so of the book when Luke (the male protagonist) was making a complete jerk of himself, this was a great romance. This was also just a plain excellent fiction novel about a woman and her dreams.
Marnie is working her butt off to buy the building of her dreams. The building was owned by family members and brought memories of her childhood and her love of her grandfather to the fore. This part of the novel is complicated because Marnie's family (her father) wasn't the best example of a human being.
Marnie has a gift-buying business. She is what we might call a personal shopper. Still, instead of buying for a single person with their knowledge of what they are getting, she is doing the gift buying for those who don't have the time, imagination, or the ability to buy for friends and family. If some of those recipients are 'other women,' what can I say?
The way the story plays out at the beginning is relatively easy to figure out, but it is still devastating. The rest of the novel doesn't follow my expectations, which is a perfect thing. However, be aware that this is a romance novel, and all the tropes will be there.
An interesting meeting.
A slow build to a romance.
A few surprises for everyone.
A terrible downturn.
And a happily-ever-after!
*ARC provided by the publisher Dell/Random House, the author, and NetGalley.
August 14, 2022
This review contains minor spoilers for those who like to go in blind; however, if you read the blurb, then there aren't any spoilers.
I felt like I was reading a book from a birds eye view rather than reading a book and being next to the characters or in their head.
This was two stories put together into one story that was mixed together. I don't even think that makes sense. But Marnie is a gift buyer, whom Brian employs to buy all his gifts. When Marnie accidentally sends his mistress's gift to Brian's wife, his marriage is on the line. However, in the book Marnie meets Brian's son, Luke. Basically, it was like a second chance romance book mixed with Marnie and Luke's love story.
This story was cute, and I was invested in Brian's marriage. Even though I hate when characters cheat, this was written in a way that I actually didn't mind that he cheated. I wanted to see Brian get back together with his wife.
I was a little less invested in Marnie and Luke's relationship. It took way too long for their first date, and then it just felt super rushed. I didn't mind that the relationship was so face paced. It was more that a lot of things were said and done within a few pages. It's like the author just tried to get through most of their relationship in as little as pages as possible.
I honestly felt like part one could have been taken out of the entire book, and it just started with the presents switched instead of going through Marnie's decision process and her wrapping the gifts. It was very predictable that the presents were going to be switched, and I don't feel like it was necessary for the story.
That brings me to the next thing. I disliked the chapters. Some chapters were too long. Some were too short. And it wasn't written as chapters; it was divided into parts and then the parts had either a "this many days before or after" or a day of the week. When you start a new chapter, and you see that it's going to take you 40 minutes to read it, it honestly gets a little discouraging, especially since the last chapter was only 5 minutes long. I felt like some parts of the book were slow and went into a lot of detail, while other parts felt a little too rushed. I would have liked to see more consistency.
This was written in third person and switched between all the characters. And there are a lot of characters. It does take a little bit of time to get used to it and remember all the characters, but I did feel invested in certain ones while reading.
Do I recommend this book? Overall, I did like this book. I didn't love it, and it's not one that I think you should just go out an immediately buy; however, I do think it's a cute book that if you find yourself in the mood to read, I do recommend it.
I received this book for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I felt like I was reading a book from a birds eye view rather than reading a book and being next to the characters or in their head.
This was two stories put together into one story that was mixed together. I don't even think that makes sense. But Marnie is a gift buyer, whom Brian employs to buy all his gifts. When Marnie accidentally sends his mistress's gift to Brian's wife, his marriage is on the line. However, in the book Marnie meets Brian's son, Luke. Basically, it was like a second chance romance book mixed with Marnie and Luke's love story.
This story was cute, and I was invested in Brian's marriage. Even though I hate when characters cheat, this was written in a way that I actually didn't mind that he cheated. I wanted to see Brian get back together with his wife.
I was a little less invested in Marnie and Luke's relationship. It took way too long for their first date, and then it just felt super rushed. I didn't mind that the relationship was so face paced. It was more that a lot of things were said and done within a few pages. It's like the author just tried to get through most of their relationship in as little as pages as possible.
I honestly felt like part one could have been taken out of the entire book, and it just started with the presents switched instead of going through Marnie's decision process and her wrapping the gifts. It was very predictable that the presents were going to be switched, and I don't feel like it was necessary for the story.
That brings me to the next thing. I disliked the chapters. Some chapters were too long. Some were too short. And it wasn't written as chapters; it was divided into parts and then the parts had either a "this many days before or after" or a day of the week. When you start a new chapter, and you see that it's going to take you 40 minutes to read it, it honestly gets a little discouraging, especially since the last chapter was only 5 minutes long. I felt like some parts of the book were slow and went into a lot of detail, while other parts felt a little too rushed. I would have liked to see more consistency.
This was written in third person and switched between all the characters. And there are a lot of characters. It does take a little bit of time to get used to it and remember all the characters, but I did feel invested in certain ones while reading.
Do I recommend this book? Overall, I did like this book. I didn't love it, and it's not one that I think you should just go out an immediately buy; however, I do think it's a cute book that if you find yourself in the mood to read, I do recommend it.
I received this book for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2022
This author is brand new to me, so I took a chance on this (recommended) unedited ARC. I am glad I did!
(I am basing my comments and rating on the merits of the story, and not the grammar or punctuation.) :)
Okay, so... in truth, it took me a few chapters to warm up to the author's writing style. It was different to me, but not in a bad way! Just different. There are a great many details in the first few chapters, so I recommend paying attention. (You'll be glad you did. I went back and re-read them to be sure of some things.) While infidelity is one main element of this read, it is only part of this story. Soo many other things make this story fun to read! I loved the Happy Ever After, it was just what I wanted!
I had no expectations going into this read, but ended the read very entertained, and with a happy heart.
I like the creativity and craftsmanship of this author. The relationships between the characters are well connected and thoughtful. Marnie is very easy to like and I could relate to her drive to succeed. Without spoiling your read, I will say the men are easy to love (or hate) for their qualities and detriments. Time passed quickly, and I was at the end of this book faster than I wanted to be. I love those kinds of reads!
I recommend this book, and this author. I will definitely be looking forward to her next release!
My ARC was provided by Penguin Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
(I am basing my comments and rating on the merits of the story, and not the grammar or punctuation.) :)
Okay, so... in truth, it took me a few chapters to warm up to the author's writing style. It was different to me, but not in a bad way! Just different. There are a great many details in the first few chapters, so I recommend paying attention. (You'll be glad you did. I went back and re-read them to be sure of some things.) While infidelity is one main element of this read, it is only part of this story. Soo many other things make this story fun to read! I loved the Happy Ever After, it was just what I wanted!
I had no expectations going into this read, but ended the read very entertained, and with a happy heart.
I like the creativity and craftsmanship of this author. The relationships between the characters are well connected and thoughtful. Marnie is very easy to like and I could relate to her drive to succeed. Without spoiling your read, I will say the men are easy to love (or hate) for their qualities and detriments. Time passed quickly, and I was at the end of this book faster than I wanted to be. I love those kinds of reads!
I recommend this book, and this author. I will definitely be looking forward to her next release!
My ARC was provided by Penguin Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
September 2, 2022
3.5 rounded up.
This book felt more like women's fiction or family drama than a romance per se. Marnie is a professional gift giver and when she makes a terrible mix-up sending one man's wife the gift intended for his mistress, she has to fight to save her reputation and protect her store. I like Marnie's character a lot and did enjoy the secondary story line with the husband trying to win back his wife of forty years. An okay book I liked but didn't love and definitely too light on the romance storyline between Marnie and Luke (the husband's grown son). Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book felt more like women's fiction or family drama than a romance per se. Marnie is a professional gift giver and when she makes a terrible mix-up sending one man's wife the gift intended for his mistress, she has to fight to save her reputation and protect her store. I like Marnie's character a lot and did enjoy the secondary story line with the husband trying to win back his wife of forty years. An okay book I liked but didn't love and definitely too light on the romance storyline between Marnie and Luke (the husband's grown son). Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
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