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Wishes in branches tied with string. Someone's hopes. Another's dreams. Loretta Thompson is a people-person. She loves meeting new people and learning about their lives--and she has a special gift which makes everyone she meets feel like she's their best friend.

She periodically cleans rooms at the Wishing Tree Inn, and she's always been fascinated by what she can learn from the things guests leave behind. Her love of imagining the lives of lost objects leads her all over the country returning the misplaced items she finds at the inn.

Along the way, she discovers a love of genealogy to match her whimsical imagination and the adoration of the camper she drives all over the country. After returning the last of her lost items, she picks up a couple of women she met years ago on one of her quests.

Sally Redwood was a genealogy center coordinator before she needed a hip replacement, and since she has no family where she lives, Loretta picks her up and takes her back to Linden Falls to help her heal.

And Lois Bryant has just lost her husband and needs a fresh start. She tells her children she's going to Vermont, and while they're not happy, Lois's spirits are refreshed and her mind is eased the moment Loretta pulls up with that silver camper in tow.

Back in Linden Falls, all three women tie a wish to the tree, each hoping and searching for different things. Loretta isn't sure why she's bothering with the string and paper, because the one wish that did come true turned out to be a disaster.

When her amazing next-door neighbor of over twenty years moves and Loretta gets a new...grouchier neighbor, she marches down to the tree to remove her wish only to find it gone.

Of course.

Sally's wish is answered just as terribly, and when Lois's actually brings her estranged sister to town, Loretta vows she'll stop wishing altogether...

Join Jessie Newton, USA Today bestselling author of the Five Island Cove series, as she brings the latest book in The Wishing Tree series alive, featuring her typical heartwarming stories of enduring friendships, long-lost secrets, and created sisterhood.

✓ Don’t miss any of books in The Wishing Tree Series - download them all today!Book 1: The Wishing Tree – FREE prequel/prologue book
Book 2: I Wish... by Amanda Prowse
Book 3: Wish You Were Here by Kay Bratt
Book 4: Wish Again by Tammy L. Grace
Book 5: Workout Wishes & Valentine Kisses by Barbara Hinske
Book 6: A Parade of Wishes by Camille Di Maio
Book 7: Careful What You Wish by Ashley Farley
Book 8: Gone Wishing by Jessie Newton
Book 9: Wishful Thinking by Kay Bratt
Book 10: Overdue Wishes by Tammy L. Grace
Book 11: A Whole Heap of Wishes by Amanda Prowse

179 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2022

377 people are currently reading
185 people want to read

About the author

Jessie Newton

26 books339 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for Ritu Bhathal.
Author 6 books154 followers
September 4, 2022
This time Jessie Newton joins the foray and adds her story to the Linden Falls-based series.
Loretta works for Neva in the Wishing Tree Inn when she's not travelling around like a gipsy, returning forgotten items from the inn to their rightful owners.
This trip back finds her with two new friends, Sally and Lois, who accompany her back to Linden Falls.
Both women need a fresh start in their own lives and have issues they need to overcome.
Loretta has little faith in the power of the Wishing Tree after it failed her many years ago. However, she takes a chance on another wish when she introduces her new friends to the magic.
All three women need their own second chances at love, life and belief. The Wishing Tree certainly waves something magical in the air.
Lovely addition to the series.
Profile Image for Fleur.
3,716 reviews29 followers
September 1, 2022
I absolutely loved this book and to be honest would love for there to be another one so I can see what's next for Loretta, Sally and Lois. Loretta brings Sally and Lois to her home town Falls where she comes and goes due to her gypsy ways when travelling to return items left at the Inn she works in when in town. All three women are not running from something but trying to find a place on the world they feel at home in. During their stay things begin to change for each of them that has you laughing and happy while also reminders of what they have been through breaking your heart. I fell in love with everyone and enjoyed seeing them all get their HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jennifer Lara.
1,140 reviews4 followers
September 14, 2022
Gone Wishing is by Jesse Newton and is the eighth book in The Wishing Tree series. Loretta Thompson is a people person. She loves meeting new people and has a special gift that everyone feels as she is their best friend. As she helps clean the rooms at the Wishing Tree Inn, she is fascinated by the items people leave behind. Her fascination leads her across the country as she returns the lost items to their rightful owners. Now she is returning to Linden Falls but this time she has company. Sally Redwood was a genealogy center coordinator before she had her hip replacement. With no family to help her while she heals, she joins Loretta back to Linden Falls to recover. Lois Bryant lost her husband a year ago and still reeling from his sudden loss, she needs a fresh start. Despite her children’s protests, Lois packs up and heads to Linden Falls with Loretta and Sally. Back in Linden Falls, all three women tie a wish to the famous tree.
Gone Wishing is a sweet story of second chances. Second chances at a fulfilling life and maybe even love. Readers first learn about Loretta in an earlier book as she has packed up and left, leaving Neva in a lurch. Now she’s back and we learn more about the reasons behind her wayward travels and her lack of faith in the Wishing Tree. Sally was a hard character to like as she constantly complained about the lack of good barbeque. Or at least what she would consider good barbeque. However, by the end of the book, Sally’s story is one readers will cheer for as she finds new life in her new home. Lois’s story is the one that I clung to the most. Lois takes the most risk as her children are against her move. I enjoyed that she stuck up for herself and demanded that she needs to find a new purpose. Overall, I enjoyed Gone Wishing and highly recommend it and the rest of the Wishing Tree series.

Gone Wishing is available in paperback and eBook




Profile Image for Donna.
491 reviews11 followers
September 19, 2022
I am loving this little series of Kindle books, THE WISHING TREE, by a collection of delightful women authors, who in a great sense become this reader's friends along the way, spinning "yarns" within my heart. Light and airy, this series is an easy going read to relax with as I end my days.
Previous connections to Linden Falls, the Wishing Tree and Inn, Neva, Janie and her family, and Paige, and the main character of this story, Loretta, with some other minor mentions, are a part of this novella by Jessie Newton.
Loretta has been on another of her journeys to return "forgotten items" guests of the Inn have left behind. It is her joy to do so, and answers a call to her "gypsy soul," to get away-to travel. This time, she has hooked up with friends she has met via the internet, who have a common interest. She decides to invite them to come back to Linden Falls, Vermont, staying with her in her home.
It will be good to have friendship and joy in an otherwise empty household.
Sally and Lois are happy to come along, as they both have experiences they'd like to leave behind for awhile. What unfolds in Linden Falls for this trio only time can tell! New characters are introduced, a postmaster, a neighbor, a church member...and new responsibilities are taken on, each in its own way, helping to fulfill wishes hung on THE WISHING TREE. Sometimes, it is one's wish that is granted; sometimes it is one's wish being fulfilled; and, sometimes it is one fulfilling another's wish and getting exactly what they needed! No matter how, the wishes work for the greater good!

(One of the "forgotten items" that Loretta takes time to return, goes to a family in Five Island Cove, which is a fun segue to Newton's FIVE ISLAND COVE Series. When I finish this series, I plan on checking Five Island Cove out, myself !)
Profile Image for Mariel.
374 reviews13 followers
August 24, 2022
Gone Wishing
by Jessie Newton

I received a complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Loretta Thompson is a long-term resident of Linden Falls. She cleans rooms at the Wishing Tree Inn and collects the lost items she finds accidentally left behind in the rooms. Collecting and returning these items personally all over the country is a kind of escape for Loretta, an escape from a town she has no connection with, thanks to The Wishing Tree.

During one of her lost/found trips, she returns to Linden Falls with two friends in tow, Sally and Lois, inviting them to take a break from their lives and spend some time with her back in Linden Falls. But it becomes much more than a vacation for the three women, their souls are crying out for change, but can they find the peace they crave in the small town?

Gone Wishing is book eight in The Wishing tree Series. I absolutely love the story surrounding these three women. They bond together to work through the issues in their lives, independent women, yet still in need of one another's support. I enjoyed how the story developed and strengthened each of the characters. Sensing them come alive again was delightful, as I could perceive the inner strength through the author’s words. The mood of Gone Wishing overflows with emotion, but despite it all, optimism radiates throughout. Finishing the book left me with a sense of well-being that I did not want to end.
A beautiful story of healing past relationships and creating new ones.
Profile Image for JoAnne.
3,148 reviews32 followers
September 2, 2022
Gone Wishing is a nice addition to The Wishing Tree series and books are penned by various authors. Easily a stand alone book but I enjoy the books read in order since you get a flavor of the small town of Linden Falls in Vermont and its inhabitants. Some are recurring characters and some are new.

This is Loretta's story along with new best friends Lois and Sally who she meets online on a genealogy site. She may live in Vermont but she travels when and where her whims take her or the found items at the Wishing Tree Inn where she works do. She tries to reconnect the items with their owners by hand delivering them. I like that she goes to Five Island Cove to make one such delivery to characters I've met there before!

The story has a good flow and a depth to the characters. There are also wishes being made and being hung on the Wishing Tree. Some come true and some don't but Loretta, Lois and Sally may be one of the lucky ones. There are twists and turns to the story along with love interests, good food, family and friends and life in a small town. The story has the possibility of several happily ever afters but I wish the story had gone on just a little longer.

Ms. Newton is an author whose books I am enjoying especially those in the Five Island Cove series filled with strong friendships, lots of family and the lure of the water. Give her books a try if you haven't already.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Debbi.
853 reviews3 followers
November 15, 2022
This is the eighth book in the Wishing Tree series by multiple authors. This one was written by Jessie Newton. This time it is Loretta’s story. As usual, she’s gone off for awhile to return things people left at the Wishing Tree Inn. But while away, she brings home two gals she’d met on previous trips. They each put wishes on the tree. Loretta tries to remain in Linden Falls, especially after meeting her new neighbor, but a photo album is calling her. After returning it, she realizes that her wish has come true and home is where she needs to be. This is a wonderful and heartwarming story. It’s about paying it forward and the love and kindness of friends. I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of the series. The stories are so relatable.
2,682 reviews20 followers
September 1, 2022
What a fun story of three women who met online doing genealogy who decided to meet. Loretta picked the other two women up in St. Louis and Cleveland and drove them to her home in Linden Falls, Vermont. I liked that the story revolved around the town's famous Wishing Tree as all three made their wishes and hung them on the branches of the tree. It was very interesting to learn why Loretta did not want to do that.
My favorite part of the book was how the women bonded together in friendship and grew in their strength, confidence, and who they had become on their journey in life. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
174 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2022
A nice welcome back to Linden Falls

This was a good, quick read. We waited awhile for the next book in the series to be released. I’d forgotten how fun these books were to read. Just fun, weekend or beach reads with heartwarming stories. This one didn’t disappoint and follows the stories of three women all searching for their purpose in life. This was the first book in the series to have multiple main characters and follow three separate individuals. It was well written and fun to read. These books all should be Hallmark movies because they all end in a happily ever after.
Profile Image for Michele Richardson.
661 reviews4 followers
September 4, 2022
I will read anything JessieNewton writes and I have yet to not love a story. I am hoping there is follow up to this one, but there doesn’t have to be, you aren’t left on a cliffhanger.

The story that she weaves is seamless! Reminding us that actions of our previous generations are a ripple effect and impact us for years to come. I love the strong friendships between the women of this story and that they each have their own strengths and weaknesses and are there for each other.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Sharon S.
986 reviews6 followers
August 30, 2022
Great clean storyline and strong characters.
Loretta has a gypsy soul, she travels the country returning items that were left at the inn where she works part time. She’s picked up two new friends along the way, Lois and Sally, who are heading back to Vermont with her.
Can these three strong women help each other find happiness in their futures?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Michaela | Reading in the Heartland.
3,684 reviews69 followers
August 31, 2022
This is my first book by this author. I’ve read all by her other pen names but I thought women’s fiction wasn’t for me. Until I read this book and found out that it still includes romance! 3 for the price of one. Boy what I’d do to go back in time to when she first started releasing under this name. Lol. Onwards to the backlog!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
327 reviews
September 2, 2022
I loved Gone Wishing by Jessie Newton. It is a heartwarming story of new beginnings and change.. The story is well written and characters are interesting and entertaining. I loved how the three women were encouraging and supportive of each other. This is a wonderful book in the series and you will enjoy reading it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Karen Derr.
334 reviews8 followers
September 9, 2022
Wonderful story!

I love this series and this book did not disappoint! I loved how Loretta brought her two friends to the Wishing Tree and the town. They all needed to heal from some of life's sadness, and they all found someone special to spend it with! I truly loved how the author brought in Five Island Cove, which is in another of her series! Kudos to Jessie Newton for a beautiful book!
Profile Image for D..
1,792 reviews
September 11, 2022
I liked reading about this trio. Finally hearing Loretta's story and having her wishes come true was awesome! I loved how Jessie had Loretta and Gus meet and then have things turn around because of the prompting from her friends. And then to see Sally and Lois both want to start fresh in Linden Falls was encouraging to see. I wish the stories could have gone slower. It was fast but quite enjoyable. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Tonya.
331 reviews2 followers
September 11, 2022
This is book #8 in The Wishing Tree series. I loved getting to know Loretta on such a personal level, as well as her 2 friends Lois and Sally that she brought back from one of her journeys with her. Lois and Sally need to decide whether their trip to Linden Falls is going to be permanent or just a little vacation.
This series is wonderful and this book does not disappoint. I can't wait to see where the people of Linden Falls take me. You don't want to miss this series!
136 reviews1 follower
September 27, 2022
This one was a little hard to get into, but worth the effort.

I absolutely love this series. I feel like I know this place and the people who reside within. This one was a bit harder to grab on to, but once I did, I found it fast-paced and fun. Stories about women are my favorites, although sometimes the men can be difficult to get to know. But that's okay because they make the stories more interesting. I hope there will be more books in this series.
Profile Image for Jeanne Chepko.
338 reviews3 followers
November 23, 2022
Once again a wonderful story of the Wishing Tree series. This time Loretta and her two friends are making changes in their lives. Moving away from family, friends and home towns can be scary and challenging. But, the incredible bond these women have and the wonderful people they encounter make it worthwhile. Is their search for the final home finally done?

Ready for the next in the series!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.
Profile Image for Kamber Derosier.
322 reviews11 followers
December 29, 2025
This installment of the Wishing Tree series gives us a look at Loretta’s story. She is the housekeeper at the Wishing Tree Inn that we heard about in Neva’s story that up and leaves on adventures. She comes back to town with two friends in tow. We get to know Sally and Lois and a few other characters in town. The Wishing Tree with Neva’s help will again work its “magic”. This was a great story of friendship and healing.
4,572 reviews31 followers
September 7, 2022
This series continues to bring us interesting characters, wonderful wishes and clever ways to get them answered. I love that the romance in Linden Falls involves those out of their 20s and 30s. Love is for everyone. I love Loretta and her need to return items left at the Inn. Jessie Newton has given us new characters in Lois, Sally, Alex and even Red. I loved this installment to the story.
Profile Image for Beatrice Followill.
1,615 reviews41 followers
September 11, 2022
Wonderful

I absolutely loved this story of three woman, each with a wish to fulfill. Loretta, Lois and Sally are wonderful characters, loved each of their stories and the way they came together as friends . The wishing tree is a amazing concept , not only for the town but for the residents. This story made me laugh and cry .Perfect !
3,352 reviews18 followers
September 15, 2022
Another great book in the series with a story line that will hold your attention from the start. The characters are enjoyable, easy to get to know and you feel like you've known them for years. A great weekend read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Mary Barrett.
810 reviews11 followers
December 10, 2022
4.5. Stars

I have been binge reading this series of books. Each one a treasure, however this one really spoke to me. Being widowed and turning seventy eight months later I related well to Red. It's refreshing to read of love and friendships in later life. This book was beautifully written and the characters so realistic! Well done!
Profile Image for Ann.
2,635 reviews3 followers
August 29, 2022
This book was so good! It's so good to return to Linden Falls and meet new people. It's a sweet clean heartwarming story that you don't want to miss. This book can be read as a stand-alone.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jacqueline Johnston Cotton.
2,201 reviews38 followers
September 3, 2022
I love this series. This book is clean, wholesome, heartwarming story with an awesome storyline. You will love the storng, charming characters. It is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Paulette Reecer.
224 reviews
September 22, 2022
.Gone Wishing

New adventures to Linden Falls, VT and the big Linden tree in the middle of town that everyone makes their wishes on. Three more ladies adds their wishes to the tree Loretta, Sally and Lois.
Profile Image for Amy.
333 reviews4 followers
November 27, 2022
A Stunner

I was so apprehensive about this book in the series. It just felt off compared with the others in the series.
However, I was about 25% in when I caught the groove of it and I absolutely loved it. Couldn't wait to finish it! Highly recommend
Profile Image for Christina Burrus.
355 reviews25 followers
September 2, 2022
I truly enjoyed Gone Wishing by Jessie Newton. A story about friendship and making wishes. I can't wait to read Jessie's next book. Enjoy!!!
2 reviews
September 8, 2022
dull and uninspired

I didn’t find this story as captivating as the previous books, I found it a little dull and rather uninspired.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews

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