Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5

Soooo many emotions. This story will stay with me for a while. Big journey of heartbreak, but the love stayed throughout the book and I loved seeing that big teddy bear pirate Madigan get emotional. I did read his and Ashley’s book, so it was great to “hear” from them again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Readers like myself who found themselves vibing with the 40- and 50-something main characters of the first two Bluebird Basin novels (Come As You Are and Lips Like Sugar) get to return to Little Timber and Bluebird Basin to see the fallout from “the Big Event” at the end of Lips Like Sugar on the community, and our core couple in Wish You Were Here, Kev and Davis.

Delving into themes of abandonment, isolation, self-care, recovery, and second chances, Wish You Were Here is the story of how Kev and Davis learn to be themselves after Kev’s return to Little Timber from rehab. They’ve missed each other, but their struggles to figure out their own issues as well as communicate their hurts and issues to themselves, their friends, therapists, and, eventually, each other.

When Jess announced this book on Threads, slowly teasing the main couple, quotes, and the emotional world it’s continuing from the previous two installments of the series, I commented that Kev & Davis were gonna break me.

I was right; they absolutely did. But their efforts tot work on themselves AND find their way back to each other reminded me of Japanese kintsugi - a means of mending pottery using urushi lacquer that’s been blended with powdered gold or platinum. The cracks are then highlighted rather than disguised or otherwise hidden, allowing everyone to see the repair as something beautiful and restorative, rather than something destroyed and ugly.

Kev’s backstory is heart-rending, but his foray into Jen’s equine therapy program, and the work he puts into gaining the trust of a wild mustang mare, parallel his work to regain Davis’s trust while rebuilding his own sense of self.

Davis, on the other hand, is at her own crossroads. She’s struggling to forgive her father for his sabotage attempts in Come As You Are; her Masters advisor reaches out with a new research project and lab tech position; training for a 50-mile bike race; and she finds herself drawn to helping the guys from Little Timber’s latest cohort work on self-improvement, like earning their high school diplomas.

Both of these damaged 20-somethings learn the work of repentance and repair on their way back to each other.

Poignant, funny, and tearful, Wish You Were Here is an amazing installment in the Bluebird Basin series … oh, and don’t skip the epilogue or the bonus scene, both of which will make you giggle before your heart melts into a puddle of goo.

A really great love story with very important subject matter! Trigger: drug use

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I’m sorry that my review for this is after the publication date. With life and everything I wasn’t able to finish it before the 22nd, but let me just say It was so good! Kev and Davis’ story was so beautifully told. This book was so emotional and beautiful and you could feel their love through the pages.

I have loved the whole Blue Basin series immensely and yet this one is something special. The way that addiction is handled in the story as well as what being a community looks like is absolutely beautiful. No one in this story is perfect but they are a family and they support each other. I particularly loved the focus on men learning to develop deep friendships and what that means.

I was rooting for Kev and Davis from the go. I don't think any reader could fail to be drawn in by their connection. It is very clear they each lost not only someone they were in love with but their very best friend. Going through any traumatic experience is difficult but it becomes doubly hard when the one person in the world you want to talk to isn't available to you.

This is undoubtably an emotional read but also one that is not to be missed. There are so many stories about love conquering all but this is a story a people conquering things for love which to me felt more real. I would love to see more stories set in this community! If I could move there and volunteer I would do that too.

I liked the book a lot 💙 the road to recovery, the angst, the hurt, the longing, it was all amazing 🥹 it's a good thing that Kev took his recovery seriously, and it's good that Davis had such support around her. I'm glad that they both communicated amd sorted things out between them and got their happily ever after that they wanted with each other 💙 the epilogue was sooooo cuuuute 😭💙💙💙

I felt so many emotions while reading 'Wish You Were Here', and I loved every second of it. I read the first three books of the Bluebird Basin series in a row while I was on vacation, and I enjoyed how each of the stories was connected. Davis and Kev's story was so heartfelt and raw and deep.

Kev and Davis met while he was working at her family's ski resort. Kev is a recovering addict, and when he has a relapse, it deeply affects Davis. While Kev is in rehab, Davis struggles with how to move on without him while contending with the pain that he caused her as well. As Kev returns, he has to determine how things go with Davis.

Initially, she tries to keep her distance from Kev, but Davis discovers that this is impossible. Kev grovels and pines for Davis, and he seeks redemption from his mistakes. Both Kev and Davis go on a journey to figure out who they want to be as individuals and as a couple. They write letters to each other, and the letters made me cry. I felt them on a such a deep level.

Davis and Kev's story is unlike anything that I've ever read before, and it touched my heart in such a deep way.

Jess Hardy is one of my favorite romance writers. Her latest, Wish You Were Here might just be my new favorite.

Jess K Hardy really knows how to get to the emotional truths of her characters. This was such a deeply moving story about redemption and second chances. It's also about addiction and how it also impacts on loved ones and their tender spots. I adored Davis and Kev, and the tiny steps they needed to take to find their way back to each other, but also for Kev to build himself a steady foundation to enable him to remain sober. I must confess that I was much more drawn towards Kev's chapters more than Davis's, I think because he had such a journey to work on himself after a traumatic childhood. The relationships he has with Madigan and the other men was just beautiful. I loved how they all worked on supporting each other and moving past toxic traits seen as what men should be.

Be warned, the epilogue may cause rain in your eyes.

Thanks to Victory Editing Co-op and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and The publisher for providing me an arc copy of this book with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I had the two other books in the series in my TVR list and jumped at the opportunity to review this book. I realize I put the baby before the bathwater as the relationship of the MCs was previously introduced in the other books. However I would say you would be safe reading this as a standalone.

This is Kev and Davis's love story. Kev has just gotten finished a rehab program after he relapsed on drugs and Od'd. Davis was there when he was saved with narcan and found another woman snuggled against him on the bed.

Davis is traumatized and is trying to let Kev go from her life. She thought he was a her best friend and her forever before the incident but feels betrayed by him relapsing and thinking he was with someone else.

Kev wants her back and thinks he may have a chance when he's moved to a recovery program in the same small town she's in.

Davis isn't so sure she can forgive him and go back to the way things were.

Will they restart their relationship again and heal? I would recommend reading to find out.

I found this book to be really angsty and engaging. I really related to Dacis's hesitation . Keve's healing journey and different avenues of therapy such as equine therapy was really well described.

I was really excited when I received the email saying I got this ARC! This is the third book in the series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone, which I appreciated.

One of the things that really spoke to me while reading was how imperfect the characters are. Their flaws made them feel so real—and honestly, it made me love them even more. I could relate to them on a deeper level because of that. The banter, sarcasm, and wit between the characters had me smiling constantly. It gave the story so much personality and charm.

I also really appreciated the representation of mental health and addiction. The author handled these sensitive topics with so much care and respect—it never felt preachy or forced. It added a layer of depth to the story that made it even more compelling.

The book was hard to put down. Between the engaging plot and the lovable, complex characters, I was completely hooked.

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

I was thrilled to get an opportunity to read an ARC of Wish You Were Here. This book WRECKED me. I’ve been waiting to read Kev and Davis’ story, and it was even more emotionally devastating than I anticipated. Kev relapses, completes rehab and is determined to change and make things right. He has been through many struggles and the reader feels his pain as he confronts his demons. Davis and Kev love each other deeply, but have been hurt in many ways. This book is life-affirming and healing as the reader watches both Kev and Davis transform and move forward in their lives. I loved both Kev and Davis’ determination to meet their goals. The equine therapy that Kev completes is a beautiful addition to the story. This is a story about growth and redemption as much as romance. I recommend reading the first two books in the Bluebird Basin series before Wish You Were Here, and have tissues close by while reading. Wish You Were Here is a beautiful, gut-wrenching book, and the epilogue is the best of the series.

Wow. This book broke my heart and put it back together in a beautiful way. Kev and Davis (MMC and FMC, respectively) put in the WORK and chose each other over and over. Read this book for pining, yearning, mooning over someone, and other synonyms for being down bad but feeling like you can't have/don't deserve the object of your affection.

Kev is coming back to his sober living house, where Davis lives with her family who runs it, after a relapse. He's ashamed but determined to prove to Davis that she can trust him again. She's terrified because she believes in some ways she caused his relapse and she's also really hurt that he seemed to have chosen drugs over her. There are some additional misunderstandings that I'll let the reader discover.

This book is heavy, and I definitely cried multiple times, but that's what makes this genre so amazing. I knew Kev and Davis would find their way back to each other and figure it out, and they had the most amazing support systems that provided comic relief and comfort. Their internal dialogues are also genuinely funny considering the circumstances. "'Can you belief we actually saw a moose?' he asked, because what else do you ask someone you just saw a moose with while fighting an erection?" Like come on, lol.

The other men in the sober living house, Madigan who runs the place, and Davis' mom and grandmother are all rooting for them and it's such a warm, funny found family.

I didn't read the first two books in this series, but I am definitely going to go back, and I can't wait to see how Jen's story is handled.

We’re back at Bluebird Basin, where it’s time for Davis and Kev’s much-awaited second chance at love! Unlike the first two books in the series, this features MCs in their 20s - Davis is the daughter of Ashley from book one and Kev is back for the program after a relapse and rehab.

Both Davis and Kev have a lot of work to do on themselves before they are ready to start over, and trust needs to be rebuilt. Jess handles their angsty love story with love and care, and I was rooting for them and the future they deserved. I received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
✰ 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
✰ 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺
✰ 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
✰ 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨
✰ 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤

What an emotional heartwarming story!
Wish you were here is a book about healing, redemption, personal growth and support. Kev and Davis broke my heart and pulled it back together.
Seeing them go from being pretty much strangers after his relapse to them slowly finding each other again was beautiful.
This is a cowboy romance but definetely an original one. Being set in a recovery for addicts was something I haven't read in a romance before. I also found the relationship between the men to be endearing and supportive. How it should be really.
Unlike a lot of the books I have recommended lately, this is definetely emotional and deals with a heavy subject matter and I felt like that was handled with such care. And I appreciated that too.
Which is why I highly recommend this book.

*arc kindly provided in exchange of an honest review

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
✰ 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
✰ 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺
✰ 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
✰ 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨
✰ 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤

What an emotional heartwarming story!
Wish you were here is a book about healing, redemption, personal growth and support. Kev and Davis broke my heart and pulled it back together.
Seeing them go from being pretty much strangers after his relapse to them slowly finding each other again was beautiful.
This is a cowboy romance but definetely an original one. Being set in a recovery for addicts was something I haven't read in a romance before. I also found the relationship between the men to be endearing and supportive. How it should be really.
Unlike a lot of the books I have recommended lately, this is definetely emotional and deals with a heavy subject matter and I felt like that was handled with such care. And I appreciated that too.
Which is why I highly recommend this book.

*arc kindly provided in exchange of an honest review

Jess K Hardy can do no wrong.
I've loved every book in this series and couldn't wait for Kev and Davis' story.

If you're looking for a story of self-discovery and mutual discovery, one that can rip your heart out with angst, pain, and longing, this has it all.
I'm glad we got a glimpse into their lives after having them be side characters in the previous two books.

This story takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, and it's one that you will be thankful for, even if you hurt. It's the best kind of book/story when it impacts you so strongly.

Thank you, Jess, for these novels.

Angsty books usually aren’t at the top of my reading list, but there was no way I could pass up this one up. It’s an emotional read that can’t help but have you rooting for both Kev and Davis.

This is a story, of anger, healing, forgiveness, and self-discovery the Author did a fabulous job conveying to the reader.

ARC received for my unbiased review.

This is a good second chance book! It was heartwarming to see the growth and love the characters had for each other and for other people in their life!

Have you ever loved a story so much that you struggle to put your thoughts into words? This is how I feel about Wish You Here by Jess K Hardy.
This story of Kev and Davis is one of love, respect, devotion, betrayal and redemption for both you and your relationship with those you love. If you have not read any of the Bluebird Basin novels yet, that’s ok, but just know that readers have gotten a glimpse of Kev and Davis’s romance in the previous two books – Come As You Are and Lips Like Sugar. Davis works alongside her mother at their family’s ski resort and Kev is a resident of Little Timber Sober Living where he works as a member of the crew assisting at the resort. The novel opens as Davis is dreaming of their relationship, it’s decline and Kev’s recent relapse and overdose. Her fear and heartbreak is palpable in Jess’s writing. I’ll stop here to say if you have experienced addiction yourself or with a loved one, this novel may be triggering. I am in the throes of it with a family member right now, and I had to take breaks between chapters.
Kev has finished rehab, and with Davis’s ok, he is returning to Little Timber and Bluebird Basin. The remainder of the novel is a beautiful story of two people who desperately love each other finding their way back together. It is not easy or pretty, but Jess presents an honest, heartbreaking and heart mending story. Every revelation Kev had about himself and his addiction had me cheering because it meant he was healing and “doing the work”. We see cameos of our favorite characters, and of course, Madigan is there as the dad we all never knew we needed.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ – it is the slowest of burns, but the mutual pining is chef’s kiss and when it finally burns, it is so good!