Another fantastic book by Elle, everything she writes is amazing!
Her portrayal of autistic characters was, as always, on point.

I loved loved loved this book! My favourite of Elle McNicoll’s yet!

Not only was the story engaging and entertaining, but Elle McNicoll has succeeded once again in making me feel seen in a world where I often feel outcast.

Once I got into this book, I couldn’t stop. I finished at 1am with tears streaming down my face, not because the book is sad, but because in a world where fiction is a space occupied by neurotypical characters, having so many moments of “that’s me!” in Wish You Were Her is such an overwhelmingly lovely experience. To know I’m not alone, to know others stand with me and experience the world the way I do. I felt much like Jonah did the moment he found out Allegra is autistic.

The moments where I can relate to autistic characters feel like a warm hug, it feels like someone holding my hand and telling me there’s nothing wrong with me. I’m exactly who I’m supposed to be, and I’m understood.

Perfect for readers who like Notting Hill and You’ve got mail. Allegra, 18, has been catapulted into fame but has no close friends just her family to rely on. She spends the summer with her dad in a small town helping him at his book shop. She starts an email friendship with someone in the town and there are several misunderstandings along the way. Enter Jonah, a local who works with Allegra’s dad who just can’t get on with Allegra. A perfect rom com featuring several romance tropes and neurodivergent characters. Emotional depth and captivating writing make this a must read!

Although, I was aware of Elle McNicoll's work prior to reading this, I actually hadn't picked up any of her books which is a definite failure on my part. I knew of A Kind of Spark because of the CBBC adaptation, and I had meant to pick up a copy because I knew it featured Autism representation (and was written by an own voice author) but I failed to get round to it.

I do wish I had read Some Like It Cold prior to Wish You Were Her as I realised quite quickly on meeting Jasper that I wanted more of her story and thankfully I realised that it's already been written! A definite win for me there!

On to this book though, it’s the story of actress Allegra Brooks who is spending the Summer with her dad in the small town where he runs a bookshop. Off the back of an article, which makes quite a few judgements on Allegra's character (She's Autistic but this isn't commonly known), she's looking for normality. Of course, small town life is often far from normal but honestly it was such a lovely setting for this book to take place.

In Lake Pristine, she meets Jonah and Simon - two young workers in her dad's bookshop. There's some miscommunication, and assumptions made. At times this was quite frustrating to read - but equally so very understandable. Honestly, I could see myself getting into similar situations to Jonah and Allegra. It was definitely interesting to see how these two interacted with each other, and being able to understand both what they actually felt, but also how it came out in the wrong way.

I really did not like Simon, and his appearances were hard for me to read at times. I really did want him to realise the consequences for the way he treats those around him - particularly Jonah. I so very much wanted him to realise the truth of who Simon is.

I had such a soft spot for Jonah - and I just wanted the best for him throughout the book. I would have liked a little more from his relationship with his mum, as at times it felt like this was going to go further than it did. I loved how his relationships developed as the story progressed. I felt so much for him as he dealt with the changing of his relationship with Brooks Books owner (and Allegra’s dad) George.

As part of the town, I really did love Grace and how she was with Allegra. They just had the nicest friendship, and I adored their scenes together. I think everyone needs a Grace – and a Jasper – in their lives.

As a book person, I loved the bookshop and the book festival setting. It worked so perfectly, and I just wanted to be able to lose myself in that world. I could understand but Jonah and Allegra’s passions when it comes to books and the written word.

And that ending - oh I loved it so much. It just felt like the perfect pay off for this book - and yes it made me cry. There was just something so satisfying about leaving the characters in the place - although I would love to revisit these characters in the future.

I'm definitely going to read more Elle McNicoll! I loved the way she wrote this and the insights she gave in to her characters thoughts and feelings. In reading, the way that Allegra, and Jonah, have to adapt for the world around them I felt seen and I think that definitely added to the emotions of the book for me. Definitely a book I would recommend.

LOVED this swoony enemies to lovers autistic love story. All the best elements of YA romance blend together beautifully with Elle McNicoll's incredible writing that takes you straight to the very heart of the characters and what they're feeling. Makes me so happy to see autistic representation in this genre. Readers are going to love it and they're going to want MORE.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

The autistic representation in Elle McNicoll's books are brilliant!
In this one, I particularly loved the both of the main characters were autistic. We need more autistic love stories.
Allegra was a strong fmc who learned to unmask more and more over the course of the book, along with Jonah. It was great how they grew both as a couple and individuals. I loved being in Lake Pristine again, the new setting of the bookshop and the book festival. Also, it was great seeing characters from the previous book return and to see what they have been up to.
The ending felt a bit rushed as there was a big buildup, but still a great read that I highly recommend.

Wish You Were Her by Elle McNicoll is a heartfelt and poignant romcom about love, identity, and finding someone who truly sees you. With an authentic and refreshing perspective, this book follows Allegra Brooks, an eighteen-year-old actress who has skyrocketed to fame after starring in a hit TV show. But while the world is obsessed with her, no one knows she is autistic. Desperate for a break from the relentless spotlight, Allegra escapes to the remote town of Lake Pristine, where she hopes to enjoy a quiet summer and indulge in her love of books.

At the heart of Lake Pristine is its annual book festival, run by the dedicated but aloof bookseller Jonah Thorne. From the start, Allegra and Jonah clash, their misunderstandings leading to a public rivalry that is far from the peaceful retreat she was hoping for. Thankfully, Allegra has found solace in an anonymous email exchange with a charming bookseller—one she’s convinced is not Jonah.

This book beautifully explores themes of self-acceptance, the challenges of being in the public eye, and the importance of being seen for who you truly are. Allegra’s experiences as an autistic woman navigating fame, expectations, and love bring depth and honesty that make her journey both compelling and moving.

With its blend of humour, romance, and emotional depth, Wish You Were Her is an ode to the power of books, the joy of finding connection, and the courage it takes to be yourself. Elle McNicoll delivers a love story that is both classic and modern, filled with warmth, wit, and an unforgettable central romance.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

We're back at Lake Pristine and we have some 18yr olds figuring themselves out. As much as I can struggle with young main characters at times, I don't with Elle's books. And I think thanks because of the raw honesty she writes into her characters. I was a messy teen, trying to fit in and knowing something wasn't quite right and it's refreshing for me to read that that was a normal (albeit horrible) experience.

She captured this well with her characters in this books - noone feeling too old for their age or seeming too experienced for their years.

This was a bit more of a grownup read I think - more swears and physicality, and I enjoyed that. I swooned at the young love in this as much as I do in most other romances I read, and enjoyed the representation of neurodivergent people in the way it was done.

Also, the subtle tones of advocacy and being ok in your own skin that's peppered throughout will be a balm to many and was not at all out of place in this story.

Despite the 'superstar' element feeling slightly out of my usual reading comfort zone, this is a small town romance at heart. With a grumpy bookseller and a desperate actress who just wants to be a messy teen.

The side characters were great, too. Always enjoy them with this author's books, but Lake Pristine has a bunch of people I think would be a hoot. Good wee read.

This is an absolute page turner of a book. The minutiae of small town life, the importance of a bookshop and a literary festival for bringing in tourists to a town and the love hate relationship with those who swell the town for the festival every year are all told so well. The characters are fab, with flaws and kindness and a real exploration of friendship, especially when the town is small and peole are with each other for decades. There is also a helpful and sensitive look at neurodiversity and what it means for an individual and their relationships and this is done in a positive way that seeks to understand the pain others can cause as well as the glory sometimes.

I absolutely flew through this! Although the fundamentals of the plot were predictable for anyone who knows You've Got Mail/the tropes at play, they were executed in such a delightful way that the book still managed to feel surprising. It's also so lovely to read autism rep which isn't infantalising - that feels obvious given that the author is autistic, but I've been burned so many times that it's still always worth mentioning when done this well! Really enjoyed the return to Lake Pristine after Some Like It Cold too. This was a really lovely read that I'm already looking forward to returning to.

Four stars

I was excited to read Wish You Were Her, as I loved Some Like It cold by the same author which had some of the best autistic representation I have ever read, and I wasn't disappointed. I loved the autistic representation, which also included important conversations about masking as an autistic person and how exhausting it can be. I also loved returning back to Lake Pristine and the You've Got Mail vibes. My only critique is that the ending felt a bit rushed and I wish it was at leat 50 pages longer, but overall I would definitely recommend Wish You Were Her and I can't wait to read Elle McNicoll's next books.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for a preview digital copy of this book! I immediately downloaded it and it pulled me out of my reading slump. I couldn't put it down. If you enjoyed "Some like it hot", then you will love Elle McNicol's newest book. It has a similar feeling and style, but it still it's own individual book.

Allegra is a superstar - recognised and well known but with some secrets too. This summer she decides to go to a small town where her father lives. It's the break away that she is craving but small towns aren't always as they seem. Allegra has been emailing a bookseller...one who lives in the town. Who is he? Is she falling in love with him?

Allegra has a lot to work out, about being true to herself and finding some friends in the world around her - which is hard to do when you hide and when you are famous.

A real feel good book with characters you just can't help but fall in love with, who you just hope will get a perfect ending...but do they?

This was small town You've Got Mail and Notting Hill vibes!

I read in all in one night and loved it. Autism rep too!

Another insight into what being autistic can feel like from Elle McNicoll, but with a very different feel from A Kind of Spark and Keedie.

Allegra is an 18 year old film star and she’s autistic. She decides to spend the summer in the quiet town of Lake Pristine where her father owns a book shop and is gearing up for the annual book festival.

At first, the town allows Allegra to truly ‘get away from it all’ and she is able to make friends and behave like a teenager for the first time in her life. Relations with the two guys who work for her father in the bookshop are more complicated and both Simon and Jonah start to have issues with her presence…

I admit that at first I was thrown by the American setting rather than the Scottish one this author’s books usually feature. (When Jonah exclaims that Allegra’s more than 4.5 million Instagram followers is ‘almost more than Scotland’, I wondered whether the author had forgotten that this was an American teen speaking!) However, the setting was needed for the story that unfolds and I don’t think a Scottish one would have worked!

The secret email author storyline resonates with both a film (Love Again) and a book (Rebecca Yarros’ The Last Letter) that I’ve read this week. Each one has been different but has highlighted the importance of honesty and trust…the latter all the more so in this case of celebrity and autism.

I found the idea that the main characters in this story were only 18 didn’t ring true towards the end… but maybe that’s because I’m too far from that age(!)…and perhaps the celebrity angle would change things to that degree.

I have worked with a number of students who are autistic and, whilst I appreciate the insight that McNicoll’s writing provides, I couldn’t help but feel that the descriptions/explanations towards the end of this book were a little over done. However, I’m also aware that books like this may be the only insight some people will read and there is much to be done to increase understanding and awareness.

Grateful to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan Publishing for an eARC.

I'm a sucker for adaptations of Parfumerie/The Shop Around the Corner etc, and this one didn't disappoint. I enjoyed Elle McNicoll's first YA romance, but I loved this one and raced through it in a few days. Just what I needed to help me get out of a major reading slump.

Like with the previous book set in Lake Pristine, I do find the mix of UK and US terms and complete lack of any specificity in place irritating (I'm that sort of autistic, sorry), but I appreciate that is just a personal preference. The characters are relatable, nice to see some returners from Some Like It Cold; the writing flows easily, and all round I had a good time. I will be wholeheartedly recommending this to my students when it comes out.

4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)

A return to Lake Pristine for another romance. I have to admit that I was a little unsure about it being set in the same place with a similar premise, thankfully it was different enough to pull it off.
Lots of the romantic tropes are here, those key ingredients for a love story. Allegra is a superstar actress, who takes time out from her career to rest and help out her dad with his small town book festival. It is there that she meets Jonah, a grumpy bookseller who seems to dislike her on sight. There are elements from classic romances, like ‘You’ve Got Mail’ with the email exchanges between Allegra and Jonah not knowing they are communicating with each other. There is a lot about social media and the toxicity around celebrities. Once again, Elle has done a brilliant job of highlighting the autistic experience and showing how it can be very positive in some situations but also how it can make things harder in others. Love stories are for everyone, it’s all about finding the right person for you. My only criticism is that towards the end it did seem to veer into what I felt was slightly preachy territory., but maybe that is exactly the messaging my neurodiverse daughter needs. I will definitely be buying this for her when it comes out.

I've enjoyed every one of Ellie's books and was extremely excited to hear she was writing another YA romance, and even more so when I realised it was set in Lake Pristine (the same setting as Some Like It Cold) with characters from that book also reappearing.
Ellie does romance so well. Much like, Allegra (female lead in the book) argues when speaking of genre fiction- she treads some familiar ground (enemies to lovers in particular will always be a favourite trope of mine) but through a new lens. And what book lover does not/ has not dreamed of a bookshop romance.
The small town setting works and once again reminded me of Rainbow Rowell - fans of one will surely love the other too.
It also has some interesting things you say about celebrity culture, the internet, and media more generally which I enjoyed.
Characters are great and the side cast come alive with the same care as the leads.
Will definitely be buying for my school library (and myself too.)

I've been a fan of Elle's work since her debut middle-grade novel A Kind of Spark and have read everything she's published since. I'm waiting for an assessment for autism, and love the brilliant representation of neurodiversity that each of Elle's books has. Whether diagnosed or not, I regularly see a lot of myself in her characters, and have loved reading all of the books.

When this was announced a few days ago, I saw that I had been auto-approved by the publisher on Netgalley. Once I finished my current read, I moved straight onto this one. It's taken me a couple of days and has been a joy to be back in Elle's writing, especially as this one takes place in the same universe (or... in Lake Pristine) as her debut YA novel, Some Like It Cold. I'm here for the Elle McNicoll cinematic universe, completely.

Whether you're like me and need to see something that seems a little bit like your own experience in a book (OK, I'm a little beyond young adult, but I'll read anything) or you just want a great YA romance, this is for you. I can't wait to get this in store and to keep spreading the love for Elle's books!

A little over a year ago, I was diagnosed as autistic – an event that was not heralded by breaking news headlines and gasps of shock or surprise, at least not from me, and a few days later I read Elle’s debut title for young adults, Some Like it Cold. Having read and loved all of her middle grade stories, this felt like a much more personal read. Here I was, an autistic woman reading about another, much younger, autistic woman’s experiences, something that at the time threw up all sort of emotions, not least of which was recognising some aspects of the protagonist Jasper’s life.

A year on and here I am, far more comfortable in my own skin and trying to gather my thoughts to write a review for Elle’s second YA novel and not just full of admiration for her ability to write stories that I know many want to read, but also the impact she has had on the lives of so many autistic individuals through doing so. Here, she has taken us back to Lake Pristine in a story that follows Some Like it Cold chronologically but that is intended as a standalone – a story that is warm, keenly observed and that is – if anything – even better than last year’s offering.

At the age of 18, actress Allegra Brooks is wise beyond her years – the result of her speedy rise to fame and the inevitable commodification of her that has accompanied it. In desperate need of a break from the circus that her life has become, she makes plans to head to her father George’s hometown for the summer, where he owns bookshop Brooks Books, which will be hosting the annual book festival that sees the otherwise quiet Lake Pristine swarming with visitors for its duration. Hoping to spend a few weeks relaxing in the same way as her peers, Allegra emails the bookshop for details from an account that doesn’t reveal her identity, and her curiosity is piqued by the reply she receives back so that before long, there is a steady stream of messages going back and forth between her and the also anonymous bookseller.

Breaking the news of his daughter’s imminent arrival to employees Simon and Jonah, George tells them that Allegra will be helping out in the shop and with the festival – news that excites Simon, who is only too aware of Allegra’s fame, but not Jonah who is concerned that her presence will interfere with the many systems he has put into place to ensure the smooth running of the business. When Allegra arrives, he fails to recognise her and badmouths her – an act that, quite naturally, immediately upsets and annoys her and the two of them take an instant dislike to one another.

As Allegra tries to take the break that she needs, her relationship with Jonah fails to improve and she seeks consolation in her continued email correspondence with the still anonymous bookseller, increasingly convinced that it is Simon with whom she is exchanging messages. When she arranges to meet up for a blind date with her online friend, will she be delighted to discover who is behind the emails, or will it in fact make things much more complicated…?

When I went for my autism assessment, the subject of Mr S came up and the clinical psychologist with whom I was talking told me that it is unusual for an autistic woman to be married to somebody neurotypical – autistic people tend to migrate towards one another. I don’t know if this is true – I have no reason to doubt her – but here both Allegra and Jonah are autistic and, as in the case of all romcoms where the enemies to lovers trope crops up, they are eventually inevitably drawn to one another after sharing the very strongest of mutual dislikes. Where Jonah’s autism diagnosis is fairly common knowledge within Lake Pristine, Allegra’s has been shared on a strictly need-to-know basis so that neither initially knows the other is neurodivergent and they fail to recognise that what annoys them so much about one another is, to a certain extent, down to their shared experience of trying to negotiate a world that is very much not geared up to support them.

Anyone who follows Elle on social media will recognise parts of the life she shares online in this story. Allegra’s comments on there being no disabled authors invited to the book festival echo those that Elle posted on Instagram only a few days ago and the ableist attitudes of some throughout the book will be easily recognised by many readers. For girls and women in particular, the constant masking that is expected from those who are neurodivergent in an attempt to fit in and, very often, to pass as neurotypical, is addressed here, making this a book that needs to be read not just by those who fall under the neurodiverse umbrella but perhaps more importantly their friends, families and contemporaries who need to see just how much work is involved in doing so and how utterly exhausting it can be.

A wonderful read for a teenage audience, I gobbled this up and am hoping for a further visit to Lake Pristine in the not-too-distant future. My enormous thanks, of course, go to publisher First Ink, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, and to NetGalley for my advance virtual read. Wish you Were Her publishes 5th June.

18 year old Allegra Brooks has a glittering career in TV and film; she's the star everyone is talking about but nobody knows she's autistic. As the summer approaches, all she craves is the time to be a normal teenager so she decides to head to Lake Pristine for the summer, to spend time with her father in his book store. Determined to ensure her whereabouts are kept secret, her father insists that his staff don't share Allegra's location; however, with the town's annual book fair looming, this could be trickier than they think. Factor in that she and one of the booksellers have been anonymously emailing each other and have formed a friendship, and this may not be the quiet holiday Allegra was imagining.

Oh my goodness, Elle certainly knows how to write YA romance. Her first YA, Some Like It Cold (you can read my review here), blew me away so when I received an email on Valentine's Day to say I'd been preapproved to read Wish You Were Her, it immediately by-passed my reading pile (huge thanks to Charlie Morris at Macmillan Children's Books for making my weekend). I curled up with it on Saturday evening, staying up until I could stay awake no longer, and then stayed in bed far too long on Sunday morning, lost in its pages - it was simply wonderful.

Allegra is living what many teenagers would feel is their dream life: fame, fortune and an acting career to marvel at. But it comes at a price (no privacy, no time to herself and no friends). This is made all the more difficult for Allegra who is autistic and only a handful of those closest to her know. With some time to herself, she wants to spend the summer doing what other teenagers do, which is why she heads to Lake Pristine. At first, everything is great: she's spending time with her father whom she hasn't seen in years, she's making friends and the emails she's exchanging with one of the booksellers are definitely making her smile - but are her assumptions about who it is right?

As with Some Like It Cold, I find myself struggling to write my review; not because I didn't like it, quite the opposite - I absolutely adored it and I find myself unable to grasp the right words to express myself, so I'm simply going to list everything that made my heart sing:

I love that Allegra is very relatable;
I love Jonah - everybody needs a Jonah in their life;
I love that Jonah is very different when writing to in person (I can relate to that!);
I love that I got to head back to Lake Pristine: it felt familiar, homely and safe;
I love that you get to catch-up with some familiar characters as well as meet new ones;
I love that neurodivergence is woven seamlessly into the story;
I love that the book had me talking to myself and willing characters on;
I love that I completely escaped the real world whilst reading it;
I love that the book made me cry;
I love that it's one of those books I needed to just sit with after I'd finished reading it to allow myself to absorb everything;
I love that it left me with a massive book hangover and I've yet to start another book (those of you who know me, will know how rare that is)...

I could go on and on.

At its heart, Wish You Were Her is an enchanting love story full of warmth and hope that captivated me and made my heart sing. Publishing on the 5th June, it's guaranteed to warm even the coldest of British summer days.

I still don't think my words have done the book justice, but hopefully you get the gist!