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Title details for Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner - Available

Wish I Were Here

by Melissa Wiesner
Helen Laser
Audiobook
3 of 3 copies available
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3 of 3 copies available

Opposites attract when a buttoned-up professor and a carefree doorman team up to restore a missing identity in this magical romance, perfect for fans of Sophie Cousens and Ashley Poston.
Type-A mathematician Catherine Lipton's carefully calculated life goes awry when a university's human resources system rejects her employment paperwork. Soon after, her credit card is declined. At the Social Security office, Catherine makes a shocking discovery—she's disappeared from the government's records, and there's no evidence she exists at all.

The one person who offers to help is Luca Morelli, her attractive but aggravating doorman who spends more time flirting with Catherine's neighbors than he does enforcing the building rules.
Left with no other options, Catherine reluctantly agrees to enlist the help of Luca's well-connected Italian family. Soon, she finds herself following Luca into a smoky bar to meet the Mafia, breaking into the records room of a local hospital, doing a little light stalking, and having a surprising amount of fun–all while growing closer to Luca.
As Catherine begins to unravel the mystery behind her missing identity, she may discover that the "real" Catherine is someone she never expected.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 15, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781668643693
      • File size: 270730 KB
      • Duration: 09:24:00

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      May 1, 2024

      Wiesner (The Second Chance Year) offers a slightly speculative rom-com. College professor Catherine lives an ordered life, until that life seems to vanish--even the Social Security Administration says she is not real. She turns to her doorman, the charming Luca, for help, and the two launch an investigation that might remake her life. Prepub Alert.

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Library Journal

      August 1, 2024

      Catherine Lipton's childhood was filled with uncertainty as her loving but flighty father bounced from job to job and apartment to apartment. She learned to love rules and order, keeping track of school schedules and rent due dates amid her father's freewheeling chaos. Now she's an adult, with a new job as a mathematics professor and a quiet apartment she loves, even if the building's doorman, Luca, is prone to misplacing her dry cleaning and leaving the front desk unattended. On her university's orientation day, Catherine is stunned to learn that all her meticulously filled out paperwork has been rejected, and her identity declared fraudulent. Faced with the prospect of joblessness and imminent homelessness, Catherine agrees to accept help from happy-go-lucky Luca and his sprawling Italian family. The more she's forced to bend her rules, the more Catherine begins to wonder if her strictly regimented, calm, and quiet life is what she wants after all. VERDICT In Wiesner's (The Second Chance Year) latest, the combination of methodical workaholic Catherine and easygoing Luca makes for a compelling opposites-attract love story with a central message about finding meaning and happiness in life.--Meagan Day

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 12, 2024
      This charming and nuanced tale of opposites attracting from Wiesner (It All Comes Back to You) follows Pittsburgh math professor Catherine Lipton, who likes her life to be precise and ordered—something she never experienced while growing up with a free-spirited father who largely makes his living through juggling. Now Catherine’s up for a tenure track job at the local university—only for it to be discovered, much to Catherine’s shock, that there are no government records of her existence. Her Social Security number doesn’t exist. Her birth certificate is a fake. Catherine enlists help from her building’s carefree and charismatic doorman, Luca Morelli, who seems to have a family connection in every local government agency, as well as some in the mob. Luca’s seeming carelessness drives Catherine crazy—until he demonstrates that he has hidden depths, true empathy, and a talent for getting to the truth. As they look into Catherine’s mysterious origins, Luca also shows Catherine the benefits of enjoying the little things in life. The characters feel fully three dimensional, their connection rings true, and their investigation keeps the pages flying. Wiesner will have readers hooked.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Helen Laser narrates this opposites-attract romance, which follows a perfectionist math professor, Catherine, and her doorman, Luca, on a search for Catherine's lost identity. Before starting her new teaching job, Catherine finds out that her personal information has mysteriously disappeared from all government and academic records. Desperate for help, she reluctantly teams up with Luca, the always-late, perpetually cheerful doorman in her new apartment building. As Luca tries to fix Catherine's problem, she realizes he may not be the person she thought he was and allows herself to imagine a different future for herself. Laser captures Catherine's seriousness and adds just the right amount of tenderness and humor to the story, especially when dealing with Catherine's father, a circus performer, and her elderly neighbors. C.A.P. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      April 1, 2025

      Wiesner (It All Comes Back to You) offers a moving tale of self-discovery balanced with an engaging opposites-attract romance. The narrative centers on Catherine Lipton, a meticulous math professor who is shocked to learn from her university's human resources department that none of her credentials--not her Social Security number, her birth certificate, or even her academic record--seem to exist. Catherine loses her job and reluctantly accepts the help of her building's well-connected and flirty doorman, Luca Morelli, to help her find her identity. The novel's examination of identity and self-worth is complemented by a number of endearing, tender moments. Although several aspects of the story risk veering into sentimentality, the audio's emotional resonance saves it from being too sappy. Narrator Helen Laser skillfully conveys the charm of Luca and Catherine's growing romance, making their relationship feel full-bodied and natural, with particularly well-captured banter and chemistry. VERDICT Wiesner's latest stands out both as a romance for those craving a good love story and a reflective novel for anyone seeking a tale of personal transformation. A comforting, feel-good audio for those who enjoyed Denise Williams's How To Fail at Flirting.--Jessica Siddharth

      Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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