Book Review: With Love from Wish & Co. (ARC)

Author: Minnie Darke

Two boxes, both alike in size and shape . . .

Marnie Fairchild is the brains and talent behind Wish & Co., a boutique store that offers a bespoke gift-buying service to wealthy clients with complicated lives. Brian Charlesworth is Marnie’s most prized customer, and today she’s wrapping the perfect anniversary gift for his wife, Suzanne . . . and a birthday present for his mistress, Leona. What could possibly go wrong?

For years, Marnie’s had her heart set on moving Wish & Co. to the historic shopfront once owned by her grandfather. When the chance to bid for the property unexpectedly arises, Marnie–distracted–makes an uncharacteristic mistake. Soon Brian is in a fight to rescue his marriage, and Marnie is scrabbling to keep her dreams alive. With the situation so complicated, the last thing Marnie needs is to fall for Brian and Suzanne’s gorgeous son, Luke. In the end, will it be her head or her heart that wins out?

With Love from Wish & Co is my first novel by Minnie Darke, but it will not be my last. There was a nice lightness and ease to the story where it was enjoyable yet not overly complex. For me, this novel is a nice balance to some of the heavier stories that I sometimes read. This story follows Marnie Fairchild, who runs the personal shopper/gift giving shop Wish & Co. in Australia. As the description of the story states, things for Marnie go awry when she is tasked with buying a gift for Suzanne, her client Brian Charlesworth’s wife, and another gift for his mistress, Leanna, and the two gifts get switched.

After Brian finds out, Marnie sets out to make things right with the support of Brian and Suzanne’s son, Luke. Brian is a very influential client, and his sway can make or break Marnie’s business, so she ends up agreeing to help Brian fix his marriage. This sets three stories, where Marnie is trying to save her business, the Charlesworth family drama and secrets, and the blooming romance between Luke and Marnie. As Brian and Suzanne attempt to repair their marriage, it is interesting to learn more about their past, present, and potential future. There are a lot of emotions and feelings that run deep with both, and it is interesting to see if they will ultimately reconcile.

The story is very descriptive, so it was not difficult to picture the setting for the characters. There are multiple POVs in this story, but they all remain distinct enough for the reader to know who they are following at any given moment. It is mainly a character-driven story with each character dealing with their own issues. While there are a lot of descriptions in the story, I would have liked a little more focus on Luke and Marnie’s relationship. While I could feel their chemistry, there are a few issues between them that I felt needed more time and exploration before they could potentially be resolved.  Overall, this was a lovely escape read that is perfect for the beach, a café, or a cozy night at home.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**