Guest post written by Wish I Were Here author Melissa Wiesner
Melissa Wiesner’s mother didn’t allow her to watch much TV as a child and instead, made her play with paint, colorful pipe cleaners, random bits of fabric, and all manner of other crafty things. This set Melissa up for a lifetime of creative pursuits, and it was only a matter of time before things took a bookish turn.
A night-owl, Melissa began writing novels when her early-to-bed family retired for the evening. She is the award-winning author of contemporary romantic comedies and emotional women’s fiction. Her work has earned praise from Kirkus, Booklist, Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly, and has been featured in Women’s World, The Knot, and Book of the Month. Melissa’s novels will soon be translated into a dozen languages.
About Wish I Were Here: In this witty and charming love story perfect for fans of Sophie Cousens, Ashley Poston, and Josie Silver, a buttoned-up math professor is forced to rely on her carefree doorman when her identity mysteriously disappears.
Are you the type of person who has ever wished you could go back in time for a do-over of the past? Or maybe you’ve wondered what it would be like to look into the future and change your fate. If you find yourself nodding your head, then chances are you’re a fan of magical and timeslip movies like Groundhog Day, 13 Going on 30, About Time, and Palm Springs. And you’ll probably love all the magical romance novels published recently!
There’s so much that draws us to magical tropes! They pull us out of ordinary life and show us what could have been if we’d made different choices. They let us imagine taking charge of our futures. They reassure us that love can be destined. If you’re in the magical romance mood, consider checking out these books that are perfect for fans of wishes, time travel, and fate!
Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner
I love magical tropes so much that I even wrote a couple of books about them myself! My upcoming novel, Wish I Were Here is the story of Catherine, a Type-A math professor who carefully calculates everything from her daily to-dos to her afternoon snacks. But one day, she wakes up and discovers her entire identity has mysteriously disappeared. There’s no evidence Catherine ever existed.
With no other options, Catherine reluctantly accepts help from her exasperatingly laidback—and infuriatingly attractive—doorman, Luca Morelli. Before long, by-the-books Catherine finds herself bending all the rules with the charismatic Luca…and in the process, discovering that losing herself might just be the key to finding where she truly belongs.
The Backtrack by Erin La Rosa
The Backtrack is the story of Sam, a pilot who returns to her childhood home after more than a decade away in order to help her grandmother move. In the process, Sam finds an old mix CD that her childhood best friend and “the one that got away” made for her in high school. To her astonishment, Sam plays the CD and discovers she can revisit her past and experience how her life might been if only she’d stayed instead of left all those years ago.
This book is the pitch-perfect mix of heartwarming second-chance romance, nostalgic music, and a hint of magic. It will appeal to anyone who has ever looked back on their first love and wondered “what if?”
Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb
Speaking of nostalgia… dreamy, early-aughts actors like Adam Brody and Joshua Jackson are having big moments in the spotlight this year, and their fans won’t want to miss Prime Time Romance! This book has all atmosphere and charm of a small town early-2000’s teen drama, but with a sexy, magical twist.
Brynn, a 30-year-old recent divorcee finds herself suddenly plummeted into the world of her favorite teen TV drama along with her sexy new roommate, Josh. To get back to their real lives, Brynn and Josh have to fulfill the happy ending that never happened on the show. But when they begin falling for one another, they deliver a plot twist that jeopardizes the show’s perfect ending. Any reader who has ever rooted for the bad boy to get the girl, or for the girl to get her long deserved happily-ever-after will fall for this book.
Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin
Witchful Thinking is another perfect choice for anyone who loves the charm of a small-town romance about “the one that got away.” Think of it like a Hallmark movie with magical beings and a whole heap of chemistry between a witch and a very sexy merman!
Lucy lives a pretty ordinary witchy life until Alex unexpectedly comes back to town. All of a sudden, his presence—and her impeding high school reunion—has Lucy wishing for more out of life. When her wish turns to a spell, Lucy finds herself magically opening herself up to all sorts of new experiences…and a romance with her old love. Witchful Thinking is the first of three books in the Elemental Love universe, all of which are out now…just in time to binge for Halloween season!
Happy Medium by Sarah Adler
Happy Medium is a fresh, original, and entertaining story about a fake spirit medium named Gretchen who is hired by one of her elderly clients to “cleanse” the property of an old friend. It turns out that the friend is a 30-something smokeshow named Charlie, and the property is populated by a real ghost.
The moment I encountered the back cover copy of this book, I knew I had to read it, and it did not let me down! This book puts the “com” in romcom, and it genuinely had me laughing out loud!
Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen
Red String Theory is the dreamy, romantic story of Rooney, an artist whose whole life has been guided by fate, and in particular, the Chinese legend that everyone is tied to their one true love by an invisible red string. When Rooney meets Jack—her perfect match—on an idyllic New York night, she’s sure she found The One…until she learns he’s a skeptic who doesn’t believe in destiny.
Rooney is hired as an artist-in-residence at Jack’s workplace…which if you believe in fate, you’ll know is no coincidence! And even more enchanting, Red String Theory is set at NASA so there are literal planets aligning and stars shining down on the couple. Readers will feel the magic on every page!
