This one was…interesting?

Lana and Ethan have a hook up on Valentine’s Day that ends in disaster and decide to part ways before they destroy anything else. We quickly fast forward to right before Lana’s 30th birthday which she will be spending in Australia for her step sisters wedding. Lana doesn’t fit in with her posh family and wants to make a statement. She tries to find a terrible date to bring, can’t find anyone, and then oh! Ethan magically appears again to go with her.

The writing in this book felt very lost and the pacing was weird. I liked the concept but by the end I was kind of glad it was over. I’ve really enjoyed other Portia MacIntosh books, so I’m not really sure what’s going on with this one.

Thank you as always to Netgally and Boldwood Books for the arc.

1.5/5

Two years ago, Lana and Ethan spent a few days together in a wild, passionate fling that ended in disaster. Fast forward to now, Lana is getting ready to celebrate her 30th birthday when her younger sister announces she's getting married...in Australia...on Lana's 30th birthday. As if that isn't bad enough, she lays out a list of rules that Lana is to follow at the wedding since Lana is the "irresponsible" and "trashy" one of the family, and they don't want her to embarrass herself. To spite her family, Lana tries to find an inappropriate date to the wedding and meet each of their expectations. However, when no date is found, there is Ethan. And, he is just as dreamy as before. Lana fears the repercussions of spending any time together, let alone pretending to date at a destination wedding, but she has no other choice.

This was not the book for me, unfortunately. From the beginning, I started to notice the quality of the writing was not there, and this theme stayed true for the rest of the book. When Ethan and Lana meet for the first time, it was completely insta-love. There was no true connection shared between the two, outside of physical; the fling that they shared was based on sex alone. The pacing was off; the plot of the entire book (fake-dating trope) is not even hinted at until 53%. Dialogue and family dynamics felt unbelievable. The characters themselves were extremely immature and emotionally childish. The entire storyline (Lana spiting her judgemental family by proving them right with inappropriate and trashy behavior) is absolutely mindboggling. A reasonable person would have ~communication~ which I know is so crazy OR kindly stop interacting with such people. But no, not Lana. Ethan is characterized as smart and charming, but he only eggs Lana on in her ridiculous ways. On the plus side, this book was completed closed door; of course, things are alluded to but no graphic descriptions which I appreciate. However, I am very sad to report that I was thoroughly not impressed.

Still so grateful for NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this eARC! All opinions are my own

This was a little sexier than I’m used to with Portia MacIntosh’s novels, but it totally worked for me. I loved that there was an instant connection, both physically and emotionally, between Lana and Ethan. I tend to struggle with the second chance trope, but the reason they weren’t together did make sense to me and it made sense why they reconnected.

I didn’t love the kind of unexpected love triangle. There were some cute moments with it but overall I would have rather have seen that time spent with Ethan more, just because I loved them together. I also thought the ending was a bit rushed. I really liked the way it ended, but even just a short epilogue a year later or something would have been perfect. So that’s why this was a 4 star read for me instead of a 5 but overall, I am super glad I read it and definitely would recommend it.

Oh, and I loved the part about too much emphasis being put on the family you’re born into and that it’s okay to be on the outside looking in. Lana’s family was kind of terrible to her, and while there were hopeful moments, it just felt very real for her to accept that and not let it get her down.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lana is the black sheep of a Saltburn-esque family who broke up with Ethan after realising they're too chaotic together. When her younger half-sister gets married in Sydney on her 30th birthday, she goes on the hunt for a plus one who'll help her stick it to her family.

I really like this book, it was so much fun and I breezed very quickly through it. Ethan was delightful and I loved the way he and Lana vibed straight away. I love a cinnamon roll hero who stands up for the heroine when everyone treats her like garbage. I loved the banter between them too.

The second half was a bit odd though with Lana, out of nowhere, changing her plan. However, the biggest frustration for me (hence I deducted a star) is her unwillingness to stand up for herself with her family who were horrible to her and complete hypocrites. This is something in a lot of the author's previous books (e.g. Gigi in The Suite Life or Cara in The Plus One Pact/Fake it or Leave it with her hideous cousin and aunt) and for once I'd like to see her heroines setting solid boundaries and cut off family who don't apologise. As such, an epilogue set a year later to learn about her business idea and how much better she is without her terrible family wouldn't have gone astray.

Overall this is another solid fun escapist romp com that is perfect for holiday reading.

Thanks to Boldwood and NetGalley for the ARC.

I’m a sucker for the fake dating trope and this book definitely delivered!
I found the FMC to be relatable, but she was quite frustrating at times. She only made up her mind about her feelings in the final few chapters.
I did love the banter she had with MMC. He was very chaotic golden retriever energy.
My only complaint is that I think it would have benefited from a few more chapters. The third act felt a bit rushed and we didn’t get to see the HEA.
I still had a great time reading this book (finished it in one sitting). Would have loved to see another 30 or so pages to even out the pacing.

Overall, great book! I will be checking out more of her work!

I loved this!
Super quick and easy read and I really appreciate that it had a few twists and turns so it wasn’t predictable!
I loved the MMC, gold retriever energy
The FMC was a bit wishy washy for me and who gets to thirty without knowing how love is suppose to feel????

The main reasons it’s not a 5 star is her family doesn’t get called out for treating her like crap her entire life and no epilogue!
No glimpse of a big HEA?????

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book!! It had me hooked from page one! I couldn’t put this down. I finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. This was a first for me by this author but it will not be my last!!

I've loved pretty much everything by Portia Macintosh so I was thrilled to get to review Wish You Weren't Here! This book was so much fun! I love the fake dating tripe and this is that but amped up. Absolutely loved it!

Great book. Believable plot and characters. She’s one of my favorite authors. This book did not disappoint.