Wish You Were Here tries to explore the very difficult topic of grief in a compassionate and honest way while creating an easy-to-read storyline of three friends enjoying their time in New York.
The Synopsis of Wish You Were Here
Your perfect escape awaits! Three friends. Two secrets. And a holiday to remember forever.
Deedee Merriman loves her job running a travel agency, but with turnover down and a big birthday fast approaching, she’s thinking about the next chapter of her life and the changes she wants to make.
Determined to stay vibrant and keep a youthful outlook on life she invites her friends, Gina and Rosie, to celebrate with her in New York, one of her favourite places and where she feels closest to her late husband, Joe.
On arrival, there’s a surprise, secret gift in store for Deedee of a small, ramshackle beach house in the beautiful Hamptons where Joe spent his childhood. But the house isn’t the only secret and discovering the truth will change everything….
Wish You Were Here 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.
More About Wish You Were Here
Deedee has been without Joe for four years now. She misses him dearly every day, and the sadness is only amplified by the fact that she is about to turn 70, and he isn’t here to celebrate. They met each other later in life, after two failed marriages on Deedee’s part, and whilst they still had 20 years together, she felt life was cruel, taking the love of her life far too quickly. They were meant to be enjoying retirement together, but instead, here she is, turning 70 and still struggling to keep her travel business afloat. The thought of losing her business on top of everything else fills her with dread, and she knows she needs to make changes but doesn’t know where.
To prevent herself from feeling overwhelmed with grief and bitterness about her situation, she arranges a girly trip to New York, the place where she first met Joe and where so many happy memories were made.
Of course, Gina and Rosie quickly say yes to the trip. They might only be in their 50s, but after meeting for the first time last year, the three of them have become fast friends, and they cannot think of a better way to celebrate.
They have all been to the Big Apple before, and so they decide to leave the main sights behind on this occasion, opting for a film and TV show theme, which Rosie goes full-steam ahead to plan – expect scenes from Sex in the City, When Harry Met Sally and many more to be the inspiration for this trip!
However, as with all good things, nothing truly goes to plan, and when they reach New York, Deedee feels wholly drained and opts for a quiet night alone. After that, she has to give herself a peep talk, telling herself that her friends have flown out to spend time with her on this special occasion and to stop moping. This works until she gets a call from Joe’s solicitor, Harry, who has something he needs to share with her. At this point, all the feelings of loss and grief come flooding back, and she doesn’t quite know how to deal with it.
Will what Harry has to say help? Will she be able to claw back out of the blue funk she now finds herself wallowing in?
My Thoughts on Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here is a novel that explores the bond of female friendship and the emotional rollercoaster associated with grief.
Deedee, Gina, and Rosie are all strong female characters. Each demonstrates different traits and how a friendship dynamic can work when three very different people come together.
Deedee may be the lead, but without the others by her side, the depth of this story would be lacking. Alex has the ability to add extra details about the women without impacting the flow of the narrative too heavily, making for a seamless read.
The other significant theme of this novel, which is also handled with great care, is that of loss and grief and how a partner is left to continue after losing the love of their life. Throughout, the struggles that Deedee faces have been sensitively explored; the trope offers insights into how grief isn’t linear but, in fact, comes and goes and doesn’t ever truly go away. The reader is there with every struggle Deedee faces on this girly holiday, and I love how all the novel’s other characters rally around her to help and support her through the difficult times.
I picked up this book originally thinking that it would be quite a light-hearted read, looking more at how someone might deal with ageing; however, within the first few pages, you soon realise this is less about ageing, whether graceful or otherwise, and more about a whole mixture of different issues we are all likely to face in future years. I have a feeling that tissues will be needed for some reading this.
About Alex Brown
Alex Brown has, to date, written 12 novels and 3 short stories, selling over one million copies worldwide and making her an international bestselling author. In 2023, she was also shortlisted for the RNA Award when her novel, A Postcard from Capri was described as the best escapist fiction.
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Have you read Wish You Were Here or any other novels by Alex Brown that you would recommend?
I was gifted a copy of this novel as part of a ‘Rachel’s Random Resources‘ book blog tour, but as always, all views are my own.
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