Thank you for the ARC! I really enjoyed this story, it was laugh out loud funny at times and the FMC was very likeable. However, I agree with all the critiques that I wish this story had an epilogue. I could see the couple being very happy together but I think it was missing that short glimpse into their happy ever after.

I enjoyed this book and didn’t want to put it down. As usually Portia’s writing style made me giggle (especially the beginning), and keep flipping pages.

Honestly this book was not it for me. Why was the company so dismissive of Lana's idea calling it the "dumbest idea ever" when literally millions of people use that idea with their friends all the time! Also Lana's fathers family and him included are just awful human beings who why has Lana not gone no contact with? Like they dont fund her life, pay her flat so why does she put up from all this verbal and mental abuse from her own father, step mother and half sister? The fact none of them give a toss her little half sisters wedding is falling on her 30th is like what? And if daddy isnt paying for Lana to go to Aus for the wedding, why is she going??? Honestly I would give it a miss.

With a family like this who needs enemies. I honestly dnf'd at 30% because if nearly all the characters are going to be a-holes why would I keep reading? I understand one or two but literally this is one of the worst books I have read as how can you jam pack so many unlikeable characters in one book and market it as a rom com, like I just got mad with each chapter so in a way the writing did invoke emotion just not one I expected reading this.

I wasn’t sure what to expect this from this author, since I haven’t I haven’t read any of her work.
This was fun, lighthearted read. Lana and Ethan meet at the beginning of the book and have great chemistry, however they don’t reconnect again until almost halfway through the book (which seemed a little long). I also wish the story was more focused on the main characters than the secondary plot of Lana’s family, since it seemed distracting and didn’t feel like there was closure with that storyline in the end. Overall, the story still ends on a happy note and was an easy read for me.

Would definitely read work from this author again.

Whenever I am in the mood for a fun light read, I run to Portia MacIntosh. I am never disappointed in her books and "Wish You Weren't " was no exception.

Within the first few chapters, I had already laughed out loud several times. Main character Lana is quirky, fun and the type of friend you want to have. Ethan is charming, sweet and also have a fun side to him. Together, however, they seem to cause chaos and as a result, ended their fling.

Fast forward two years later. Lana's sister is getting married in Australia and she is desperate to find a plus one. But, not just any plus one. Someone who will attend the wedding with her and make a scene. Lana is the black sheep of the family and they all think she is going to ruin the wedding "somehow". They even staged an intervention with her to tell her to be on her best behaviour. This, of course, only makes her more annoyed and she figures if they think she is going to be an embarassment, then she shall be one...on a grander level.

Time is ticking and she still hasn't found the most horrific plus one to take. Suddenly, Ethan shows up again at her work place and suddenly, Ethan is now her plus one. They haven't seen each other in almost two years. The electricity is still there but they have to tread lightly because together history has proven them to be a recipe for disaster.

Overall, this is a fun easy read, lots of laughs, smiles and of course cringe moments! It is the type of book you want to read when you don't need to think too hard, just relax and enjoy.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced reader copy to review. Portia remains one of my favourite authors!

As expected, Portia Macintosh delivers witty humor, heartwarming moments, and amazing chemistry. Wish You Weren't Here is a must-read! Set in the gorgeous backdrop of a dream vacation, this novel takes you on a rollercoaster ride.
If you're in need of a quick and fun escape, grab this one. Highly recommend! 💖

First, thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

First things first, overall enjoyed the book. Might be more like a 3.5. Book is mildly steamy for those wondering. Some references to some activities, but no in-depth descriptions.

The first few chapters were good, the “meet-cute” or in this case less cute and more drunk and party, lol. The awkward situations Ethan and Lana got themselves into were funny. I personally understand that feeling of somehow making a mess anytime anything that seems good comes along.

But then it fast forwarded, and felt like it kind of lost itself for a while. Maybe it was me and my ADHD, but I sort of was struggling to understand what the point was and where it was going, and then kept falling asleep. Oops!

I started to enjoy again when she went to her families house for the “luncheon,” made friends with the people at the office, and started trying to find dates on the Red Flags app. Once Ethan was back in the picture it was much better, but definitely an interesting premise for the overall story. I sort of wish the Earl of whatever-it-was didn’t have to be using her because it felt like there was already so much stacked against her already. But I almost secretly wanted him to be using her because he is forced to hide he is gay like one of my fave books “Red, White, and Royal Blue.”

One of my favorite things was discussion of the app and experiences women have when dating and/or around men was refreshing, especially when other woman think it is ridiculous. It’s very common for women to think it’s a certain “type” of woman who ends up in these situations but it literally could be anyone.

Chemistry between Ethan and Lana was +++. Ethan seems like a good guy, but not too good.

Was a decent read overall, but the early middle part might be a deal breaker for many.

This is another fun Portia Macintosh romance. She specializes in heroines who are not exactly killing it in life. This heroine, Lana, seems to be content with her office job that doesn’t seem to be all that fulfilling or going anywhere. She doesn’t get along with her snobby family who cruelly put her down. And she needs a plus one to travel to Australia for her younger sister’s wedding.

Just in time she reconnects with Ethan, the sexy and fun guy she had a lovely, sexy one-night date with a couple of years earlier. Then he went back to London and they haven’t reconnected since. She’s convinced that they are a disaster together due to all the funny situations they found themselves in last time they were together. But she’s very attracted to him and he’s willing to travel to Australia with her. He’s fun and attracted to her so it’s hard to see what her problem is.

He’s a great guy. It’s not exactly clear what he sees in her. They’ve only known each other a few days total, but apparently that’s enough.

If you like a fun, quick read that makes little sense in real life, you’ll enjoy this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This was a quick, fun read. The chemistry between Lana & Ethan was fun. This writer did not disappoint.

Rated 4.75/5

The writing was light and humorous. You never quite knew what was going to happen next! The chapters were fairly long so you got a good chunk of the story before moving on. There was a good flow between the chapters with two main timelines making up the story (one bit set in 2023 and the other set in 2025). The pace was slowed down by the first timeline, but it was needed to really set the scene and to get you interested. It was an interesting way of introducing the two main characters.

The characters were great. I loved how they had multiple layers and how we got to explore them, with little tidbits of information gradually coming to light throughout the story. I really felt for the main character at times, with the minor characters having certain viewpoints that were detrimental to the main character's personality and life choices in every way. I really wanted her to have a happy ending.

Lastly the settings. I loved following around the rich characters and ending up in Australia. I don't read many books based on Australia so that made a nice change. The settings were only lightly mentioned as it was a character focused story, but there was enough there to ground the story and to make you feel what the main character was feeling.

Overall an enjoyable read.

NOTE: My Blog post and other social media reviews will be published on 27 December.

This was an easy, lighthearted read for the most part. I loved the British wit and humor throughout (very Bridget Jones-esque). I also think the concept has some great potential.

HOWEVER.

Lana and Ethan were very insta-lust/love and I struggled to find their connection meaningful. There was a random love triangle that felt as though it got chucked in for the sake of it being in there, and the third act (mini) break-up (pet peeve) felt forced. The pacing also off, especially at the end. I was left with the sense that the author had a deadline and needed things wrapped up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the chance to read this e-ARC.

I think this is the seventh book I’ve read by Portia Macintosh and I think it might be my favorite yet! The chemistry between Lana and Ethan was so good right from the start. I adore them together and was rooting for them the entire time. The rich family aspect was so frustrating to me because they just misunderstood Lana the whole time. But hey the book ended even better than I expected. Another super quick read but again this is probably my favorite read by Portia so far!

First book I've read by Portia MacIntosh, I really liked the writing, but I just didn't connect to the story very much. I really liked Lana and Ethan and the meet cue they had, but I felt like the relationship fell a bit flat in places. It was a fun and easy read. I received this as an arc through Net Galley!

I really struggled with this book I've had to dnf it. I couldn't connect with the characters, I felt their connection wasn't there at all and there was just so much about trying to find a date it didn't need to be that long. I tried to read it but I just couldn't, had to stop at 52% in.

Really sorry, other people will enjoy it but but it's just not for me

I was hooked within the beginning of the book but I felt as the story progressed even further, I didn't believe in the chemistry between the two main characters or even cared for them to root for their relationship.

Thank you netgalley and Portia Maclntosh for sending me this arc!!

I was totally hooked by the first 10% of this book! It was a fun, chaotic read, and my first by Portia MacIntosh. However, I just didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters. The buildup to their relationship felt flat, and I found myself not really rooting for them. The characters came off as a bit immature, which made it hard to connect. Overall, I think this book just wasn’t for me.

Loved it!!! Definitely worth a read. It's the kind id happily go back and read again and again. Wasn't too serious and genuinely was a nice read.

Thanks to Boldwood Books for allowing me access to an ARC via NetGalley.

I really tried to finish this book, because it's an ARC, but I gave up and DNF'd at 50%. I just could NOT get into this book - t feels like a rought draft and not an actually finished book that's about to be published (and other reviewers apparently agree). The writing is lacking, a lot; the story jumps all over the place, and since this is a closed door romance, it jumps even more; and the premise doesn't really match up with what I was reading. MMC and MFC go on TWO dates, have a bit of a bad time (I would NOT call that "chaos", especially since half of it was their own damn fault for playing that game), and immediately call it quits "for the best"... and then 2 years later (and halfway through the book), they run into each other again. This is the point at which I stopped reading. I was expecting an intro to the MFC, then she runs into MMC again, and we get history mixed into the story as the plot proceeds.... Not this. Also, every single male character in this book is an a-hole or super immature apparently? And the MFC has no friends until she befriends her 2 coworkers, and no goals so she sticks with this terrible job with Jennifer? I just couldn't read anymore, sorry.

Lena and Ethan. Yes please for a happy ever after for these two.
I really enjoyed thise witty,charming and feel good book.
Portia had a way of charming me from the start. Her very way of writing made me feel lighter and giggly, sometimes even when there wasn't a comedic line. She has a spirit to her storytelling and a lightness.
Which was just aswell given how much I wanted lena to just leave her family in the dust! Toxic yes yes and yes.
And yes I did want the clichéd hero to come save her from them or tell them what's what.
If you read one of Portias books I have a feeling you'll want to read more.

When Lana and Ethan mix, things happen!

As a result, Lana tries keeping Ethan in the "friends category".

I really enjoyed Wish You Weren't Here, and especially liked Ethan.

Lana's privileged step-sister is getting married on Lana's 30th birthday in Australia. Lana's dad's new family is a little over the top and Lana wants to have the right date (to spice up) the wedding. Getting to spend some time seeing a bit of Australia is a bonus with this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read the advance review copy of Wish You Weren't Here in exchange for an honest review. Aprox 292 pages, publication date is Jan 8, 2025.