02 Aug Book Review: Wish You Were Here by Renée Carlino

Renée Carlino’s Wish You Were Here is a deeply emotional and beautifully written romance that explores grief, trust, and the bonds we build even when the odds feel stacked against us. Carlino is known for her tender, character-driven storytelling, and this novel is no exception. Crafted with warmth and emotional honesty, it’s a story that lingers in your heart long after the final page.

What’s it about?

The novel centers on Hope Sutton, a 36-year-old woman nursing a broken heart and shattered dreams. Recently engaged and planning her wedding, she’s abruptly plunged into devastation when her fiancé, Ben, is killed in a tragic accident. The world she’s meticulously built fractures, and she returns home to California—barely keeping herself together in the house she once shared.

Hope doesn’t expect much from life beyond numbness, but her therapist suggests she attend a grief support group to find connection and purpose again. Reluctantly, she agrees. Enter Sullivan Sullivan—known as Sul—a charming, kind-hearted man with his own scars. He shows up every week with warm smiles, gentle jokes, and a quiet understanding. Hope is defensive at first; she’s learned that promise doesn’t always equal permanence. But Sul’s steadiness starts to crack through her barriers.

Their friendship blossoms slowly: after meetings they grab coffee, share memories, and discover unexpected common ground. Sul, rebuilding his own life after a divorce, too understands loss, and there’s something safe about that shared space. Hope begins to open again—to laughter, to hope, to vulnerability.

Carlino alternates between Hope’s present-day journey and tender flashbacks to her life with Ben: late-night conversations, shared dreams, intimate details. We see what she’s lost—and also what she’s learning to risk again. Ben isn’t overshadowed; rather, he becomes part of her emotional legacy. Sul isn’t a rebound—he becomes a new kind of hope.

As their relationship deepens, Hope grapples with guilt and confusion. Can she honor her past while embracing a future that includes someone else? Sul isn’t pushy—he listens. He waits. He’s real where practice of trust still feels hard. Eventually, the couple faces a turning point: Sul plans a small getaway, hoping Hope will say yes—but fear makes her hesitate. Their moment of crisis isn’t about betrayal—it’s about whether she can step forward into new grief, new love, and unknown territory.

One emotionally resonant scene features them exploring an outdoor hot springs: Hope’s anxiety surfaces in her silence, and Sul holds her hand under the water. It feels like forgiveness—of herself, of life’s unpredictability. The climax isn’t dramatic: it’s a quiet moment of choosing to live again.

What This Chick Thinks

Grief That Doesn’t Get in the Way of the Story

Carlino writes loss with authenticity—raw, aching, but not overbearing. Hope’s grief is respectful, woven into everyday life, not used for melodrama. It makes every step forward feel earned and profound.

Sul Is Made of Gentle Strength

He’s not perfect, but he never needs to be. He shows up. He listens. There’s no grand gestures—just kindness and patience. Watching Hope realize that vulnerability doesn’t have to mean danger is the heart of the book.

Love with Room to Breathe

This isn’t insta-love. It’s slow, sometimes hesitant, and deeply communicative. Carlino gives Hope space to choose—space to miss and move on. That makes the relationship richer, and more real.

A Few Circling Moments

Some scenes—nightly glass of wine, well-worn dialogues—felt slightly repetitive. But they also ground the story in realistic rhythms: grief doesn’t end with one night of tears; it lingers.

Emotions That Stay

I’ve read many grief-to-love stories, but with Wish You Were Here, I felt like I was walking alongside Hope. You feel every gentle breakthrough and every tremor of fear. That emotional continuity is rare and beautiful.

Final Thoughts

Wish You Were Here is a soft, thoughtful story about the messy, beautiful process of learning to love again when you thought your heart was closed forever. Carlino’s prose is gentle, authentic, and heartbreakingly hopeful. If you’re after a romance with emotional depth, genuine grief, and a second chance that feels like a gift rather than a replacement, this one’s worth your time.

Rating: 8.5/10

Try it if you like:

• The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo – A tender, emotionally nuanced romance shaped by loss and what-ifs.
• The Gravity of Us by Brittainy C. Cherry – A sweetly raw love story woven through grief, music, and fate.
• Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid – A parallel-universe romance that asks: what choices define love—and pain?