I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cozy, heartwarming, delightful book. I really enjoyed it!

As we visit Dee, Gina and Rosie again, the the unlikely friends take a trip to New York for Dee's 70th birthday.
The trip becomes bittersweet for Dee as it stirs memories of fun times with her late husband Joe and question her feelings for old flame Yiannis.
A lovely read with some bold and fun characters, with lots of twists and turns along the way, I couldn't put it down!!

I have read a lot of Alex Browns books in the past and I felt her whole style had changed in this book.
Not realising this was a second in a series I still enjoyed it.
DeeDee is fast approaching 70 and feels after losing her husband Joe 4 years ago she needs to do something to mark the occasion.
After recruiting her 2 friends Rosie and Gina to go back to New York where she feels closest to Joe they embark on a trip which turns out to change DeeDees whole life.
A heartwarming story about true friends and how they can stand by you no matter what.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this lovely warm book.

This was an equally sad and hopeful read. The main character came across as strong and beautiful and the description of the beach house had me longing to move there. I was routing for the main character to find love again and the fact that it happened with her best friend eventually was beautiful.

DeeDee travels to New York to catch up with friends to celebrate her seventieth birthday, she is now a widow and her travel agency business is floundering, but whilst in New York she discovers that her late husband has left her is childhood home, a beach house. This story takes you along her journey of self discovery with the help of her best friends.

I couldn't get into it from the very beginning. I typically like stories of a fresh start, second chance, late-in-life new beginning. But the writing style wasn't for me. The main character wouldn't speak up when she should, and I cant imagine at that age not having found your voice. I DNF'd it.

Wish You Were Here by Alex Brown
This was an interesting read.
Turning seventy isn’t easy, physically or emotionally.
Deedee Meriman is trying to revitalize her travel agency, and looking for her next chapter as her big birthday approaches.
A widow that has avoided rejoining the world, she heads to New York with her friends, Gina and Rosie, to celebrate and hoping to find a new path.
Secrets were unwrapped as the celebration continued over several days.
This was a story of celebrating love and a full life, and finding new love with second chances.
Deedee gets more than she bargained for when she discovers a big secret left behind by her late husband.
The beginning was slow and a little hard to connect with. There was so much reminiscing that it somewhat blocked the reader, leaving them to feel like they missed the story. It wasn’t until the last 1/3 that things got really interesting and redeeming. I enjoyed it, but overall, it was just okay for me. I didn’t connect with the story like I would have liked to. 3/5⭐
I would like to Thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this novel.

Such a heartwarming story. I love the main character. I love the references to her late husband and navigating life after his departure, whilst also trying to navigate life as an aging woman. This story definitely had laughs, romance, emotions, depth, character development. All the things you hope for in a good book.
I found it very easy to read. I feel my age group might be too young for the target audience but I would definitely recommend it to other age groups in my life. They would love this!
Thanks NetGalley

It took until half way through this very slow moving book for something interesting to happen. The pace did not really pick up, but it was more enjoyable to read. The latter chapters held some lovely surprises.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book—it was such an engaging and relatable read. While at its core it's a romance, what stood out to me most was how beautifully it celebrated the strength and importance of female friendships. Just when I thought the plot was going in a predictable direction, a twist came that completely shifted things and kept me hooked right through to the end. I did find the ending a little brief, but the epilogue did a great job of tying up the loose ends in a satisfying way. The New York setting added so much charm and atmosphere—I could practically picture the streets as I read. A lovely, heartfelt story overall.

While I enjoyed Wish You Were Here, it really didn’t set my heart on fire. This is a gentle, reflective story about learning to live with grief and loss, about friendship and about lifting others up when they need a boost. It is set mostly in New York City and highlights some of the attractions there. The plot has enough twists to keep you interested but I thought it lacked tension and never felt compelled to read on when other aspects of my life cropped up.
I loved that Deedee, the main character in this story, was nearly seventy. It’s wonderful to see people of around my age taking centre stage in novels, and Deedee certainly does that. While she’s still missing her husband Joe four years after his death, she’s still a vibrant woman and a force to be reckoned with. Her two friends, Rosie and Gina are wonderful supporting characters and I loved that while Rosie was able to help Deedee with some of her problems, DAeedee was also able to help Rosie. The male characters in this story are also beautifully rounded and interesting.
While I wasn’t driven to keep finding out what happened next, I did finish the story and it ties itself up nicely at the end. If you’re into gentle, meandering stories with nice characters, this book should suit you well.

The story centres on DeeDee who is stuck in her life. She misses her husband and her travel business is floundering.
The story is set in New York and was well described you felt you were there.
Her friendships are important and they are supportive and show it isn't always blood relatives who are the closest or the ones who see you through.
The Hamptons beach house makes you want to go there.
Just a really nice story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

When I first started Wish You Were Here I kept thinking that these characters felt really familiar. Then one of them mentioned how they met and I realized it was the women from Alex Brown's other book that I read called. Bring Me Sunshine. It was so fun to visit with the women again as they enjoy their friendship and come together in NYC to celebrate DeeDee's 70th birthday. It's especially great they came together as she's been having a really hard time after the love of her life passed away. A well written book that takes them all over the island and to a few other secret places as they catch up, have fund and deal with some painful and surprising things from the past.

thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I devoured this book in a day. Alex’s descriptive writing of the scenery and the crystal clear sea was just amazing.
Wish You Were Here by Alex Brown is an emotional, romantic story about female friendship and finding love after loss in the city that never sleeps and the sand dunes with stunning sunsets of the Hamptons.
Such an amazing story of self worth and friendships.
Alex’s writing is always top class and real page turners.

I am likely in the minority, but this book didn't work for me.

From the start, I felt very out of touch with Deedee. Perhaps it's an age thing as the main character is 70, From the start the story brought me down a little. The despair over turning 70, her business falling off and her lack of any sort of life started the book off in a disappointing way. No matter what came next, the book didn't recover for me. I finished it, but even the change of scenery from New York to the Hamptons didn't make this book any better. I'm sorry to say this did not work for me. I'm sure other will love this book.

Wish You Were Here is the first book I've read from Brown and on the strength of this alone it's definitely not going to be my last.

I love books that have an older person at the helm. They make you realise that life is for the living whatever age you are.

Brown's characters are realistic and those friendships were goals. Dee Dee reminded me so much of my Mum, who is still very much lively and has the mindset of someone younger.

Little did I know this is actually the sequel to another of Brown's books, Bring Me Sunshine. This didn't distract from my enjoyment of the book in anyway. But for further backstory on the friends is one I'll definitely be reading soon.

A thoroughly enjoyable escapism read. Full of friendship and fun.

The narrative is about Deedee Merriman, an owner of a travel agency who is reaching a milestone birthday and pondering the future of her life. In a quest to indulge in a younger spirit, she invites her long-time friends Gina and Rosie on a celebratory vacation to New York, which is a city that has great meaning since it reminds her of her deceased husband, Joe.

However, the trip holds more than just birthday celebrations. A surprise awaits Deedee upon arrival: a small, rundown beach house in the Hamptons, a place where Joe spent his childhood. This unexpected gift becomes the catalyst for uncovering long-held secrets that promise to alter everything Deedee thought she knew.

Alex Brown adeptly interlaces themes of women's friendship, loss, and the potential to rediscover love. The relationships between Deedee, Gina, and Rosie are real and nurturing, and they provide the emotional foundation of the story. Their path of discovery, whether in the active city environment of New York or the peaceful vistas of the Hamptons, is compelling and accessible.

The author emphasizes the emotional depth of the story, specifically Deedee's journey of navigating life after loss. The contrast between the bustling city of New York and the Hamptons' soothing "sand dunes with breathtaking sunsets" sets a rich stage for Deedee's emotional and love life exploration. The aspect of a secret surrounding the beach house provides an intrigue that keeps the reader engaged to find out what is true with Deedee.

'Wish You Were Here' is an engaging and moving tale of female friendship, coping with loss, and discovering new horizons. Alex Brown guarantees a read full of emotion, romance, and the beauty of city and seaside life. Readers who love tales of powerful female friendships, second chances, and a dash of mystery against the idyllic settings will find themselves enthralled by Deedee's tale and the mysteries to be revealed in 'Wish You Were Here'.

The friendships in this book are amazing. Deedee has the friendships that women dream of. Gina and Rosie understand what Deedee needs before she even knows it herself. They give her space when she needs it, keep her company when needed, and always support her. I love that their friendship is on the new side, but it feels like it has years of understanding and knowledge.

I have never visited New York but it is on my list of places to be visited. I love how Gina and Rosie chose where to go. Visiting movie locations is a great way to see a city with so much to offer. The surprise that Joe, Deedee’s late husband, left her made me cry.

This is my first Alex Brown book and I am excited to read more.

In 'Wish You Were Here' we meet and follow DeeDee. An adventurous and outgoing woman about to celebrate her 70th birthday. With the big day fast approaching, DeeDee longs more and more for the love of her life, her late husband, Joe. When things take an unexpected turn of events, DeeDee is forced to come to terms with her loss, her mortality and maybe even her second chance.

This was a very sweet story. I enjoyed reading it quite a bit. I got caught up in my feels while reading it. My only issue with it, is that the main character did not read as a 70-year-old woman. It felt like I was reading about someone much younger. This didn't affect my opinion of her, I still adored her, it just threw me off a little bit. There's so much I just want to gush about but it would be too many spoilers. So I will just say, this book will make you smile and break your heart. I positively adored it. I'll be thinking about this one for a little while before I let it go.

Thank you to the author & Rachel's Random Resources for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.