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This is just the book I needed to read after my wedding. Nothing too heavy. Nothing requiring a lot of thought. Something light and fun with a happy ending. Wish You Were Here fit that perfectly.

Now, let me say that the writing of the book seemed a little, off. Kinda inexperienced or something. I’m not sure. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying it at all. I loved the setting of the story and the background of Beth and Jack working for a touring company. Such fun! And while it was the typical chick-lit story, I just enjoyed Beth and Jack so much! Beth wanted to be so strong when she met up with Jack after 8 years, but sometimes fate just steps in!

This was a great romantic comedy, chick-lit book and I can’t wait to read more by the author!

I don’t normally read general market contemporary romance. I honestly even barely tolerate Christian romances to be honest. But for some reason I felt drawn towards this book. I think it was because it felt more like a chick lit story with romance thrown in rather than a full fledged romance story. Either way, I found myself enjoying it tremendously.

Jack and Beth have a past relationship. They’ve been apart for 8 years when they are reunited with Beth unknowingly applying for a position at Jack’s company. I really like how they really do try to keep things professional for most of the book. They are able to put their private life on hold during work time which is what they really should be doing. Its quite annoying when there is obvious drama between coworkers who are dating/have dated. There’s also quite a bit of talk about their families as well, which helps to understand the characters more.

Ok, I won’t lie. When the sex scene happens, I found myself giggling, not because I’m immature but because just like most sex scenes in books and movies, it’s quite unrealistic how it all happens. Still, it doesn’t happen until almost the end of the book and it’s not really the main focus of the story. There’s a lot of build up and tension toward it but it’s not the defining moment of Jack and Beth’s relationship.

If there was anything that bugged me, it’s one very obvious scene when Beth is getting dressed, can’t find her underwear and of course Jack is pounding on the door trying to figure out what’s going on. Why she couldn’t yell out to him, I’m getting dressed or hold on, and why he feels the need to start panicking there, seemed very contrived to me. All it seem to do was emphasis the fact that Beth is half dressed on one side, with Jack trying to get in frantically on the other.

Overall though, I enjoyed this short sweet story. The writing is fresh and funny and I think the small touches of romance was just what I needed. It’s British too, which makes it even more enjoyable. I think that if Ashley has more books written like this, I’ll be glad to read those as well.

Wish You Were Here was a sweet read; I’m a huge fan of the reunited lovers storyline. I liked both Beth and Jack, they were sympathetic characters and I found I was interested in their story right from the beginning: Beth shines in her role as Product Manager and enjoys living in London, making friends with her co-workers and experiencing big-city life; Jack is the slightly cranky boss who hides his feelings for her.

I was frustrated that we got Jack’s backstory in tiny snippets. We knew he’d loved and left Beth, but we didn’t know why until near the very end. The gradual way it was revealed left me thinking bad thoughts about him. After I got more information about his situation I changed my mind, but it took a while to get me there. Once I knew the full truth I was won over.

I know we’re not supposed to like Beth and Jack’s love interests, and I especially didn’t care for Beth’s almost-fiancee, Marcus. He seemed very one-dimensional and stuffy. I got the impression he was around the same age as Beth and Jack, yet his views on women’s behavior was decidedly stodgy and out dated. Jack’s girlfriend, Camilla, was stereotypically high-maintenance and not suited for life with someone who spends most of their time outdoors.

Beth’s interactions with her father and her father’s friend, Honor, were easy and sweet. You definitely got a sense of love and affection for Beth, and the fact that they weren’t too impressed with Marcus gave them points in my book, lol.

I enjoyed the way Ms. Ashley ended the book - I love happy endings and Wish You Were Here pleased me on several levels.

I have not read this author before, but I was intrigued by the blurb, so I wanted to try it out. I like reunited stories, and I think I can say I even like office romances too.

Here we have Beth and Jack, who met when they were quite young on a trip to Corsica. But after a great time together, and a promise that he’d call, she left the island, to go back home… and of course, never to hear from him again. Life, of course, happens during the eight years in between – finished school, started careers. The point we meet Beth and Jack here, she is looking for a job, and Jack is running the company she is very interested in. There are bumps in the road, especially at first… then try to have a strictly professional relationship, but we know that ultimately, that will be impossible. They are fighting their feeling, from the past and now, they have that tension between them… and then, of course, given this is a travel company, they end up on a research trip to where it all started, Corsica. :)

As for the main secondary characters, I really liked Beth’s family, who she was looking at this job for – her father who was sick, and her sister who wanted to go to a pricey arts school. And there is family friend Honor, who is always cheerful and a little eccentric.

The story itself kept me interested to know how they resolved their feelings and finally got together, but I think it could have been a little shorter, plus we could have gotten to why he disappeared a little sooner. But even with that, I was pretty satisfied with it once I got to the end.

On a level of total escape and reading for pleasure, this book totally fit the bill. The story between Jack and Beth feels tense from the get go, and we get the story from both perspectives as it bounces back and forth between the characters. We don’t necessarily know what happened to separate the two, but you get the sense that there is a serious story behind it all. In short, the tension is still there and they just need to sit down and talk.

I really loved the escape factor of this novel. It was short, it was engaging, it was romantic, it was emotion-driven, and it was set in the UK. All of these led to a great read, in my opinion. Having read Phillipa Ashley’s Dating Mr. December and loving it, I was not disappointed with the newest republication. Ashley has a nice precision to her writing, without sounding too technical or superfluous in her descriptions; she simply tells a great story. There is some sensuality in the novel, but I didn’t think it was overdone nor was it through the entire novel. On the whole, this was a great escape read and one that easily sucks you in from the first chapter. I will definitely be reading more of Ashley’s work, since they’ve both been great reading for pleasure!


ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

Jack and Beth share a summer romance 8 years prior and Beth never hears from Jack again which breaks her heart. Beth, in desperate need of a job, receives an offer from a firm where Jack is the CEO. Her family and financial life is crumbling after her mother dies, her father has an accident and her talented teenage sister wants to go to an expensive acting school. She settles into an unsatisfactory relationship with Marcus, who owns the local used car dealership. And yes, you are right in thinking all used car salesman are alike since I just felt icky even reading about him.

After accepting the position, Beth finds her love and lust rekindled again being around Jack. The job as a travel planner is just exactly what Beth needs and she soon realizes that Marcus isn’t what she needs. The minor characters in this book are spectacular. Freya (after Freya North, maybe?) is an extra sparkling star that provides a lot of comic relief and fun as the office assistance. She provides a reality check for Beth as well and can see that Beth and Jack belong together. Martha, Jack’s personal assistant/mother-figure, knows how to run a tight ship and gets Jack exactly where he needs to be when it comes to Beth, even prodding Jack into hiring her. Oh, and throw in an ice queen in the form of Camilla (who is after Jack) just to make things interesting and get in the way of the reuniting couple. Sorry, but you have to read the book to get the full score.

I simply adored this book. It gets everything right and you bond with the characters after only a few pages. You will dislike (ok, maybe even hate) Camilla and Marcus but even then Ashley redeems them and shows their human side. Beth and Jack just belong together and the chemistry between the two is perfect. The is also a perfect balance between dialogue and description which to me makes the planets align. I think I read this in about 3 hours, so it is perfect for the beach and even has a few exotic locations. I really want to go to Corsica now. If you are looking for pitch perfect beach reading, you can’t do better than Wish You Were Here.


Phillipa Ashley’s latest offering is a tale of second chances—and whether you should take them. Beth met Jack when she was just nineteen and vacationing in Corsica. A whirlwind romance later, he asks her to marry him and she says "yes!" Then he disappears, and she’s heartbroken. Fast forward eight years and Beth is walking into an interview for a job that she really needs. And guess who’s on the other side of the desk? Jack, of course.

Taking this job might be the dumbest thing she ever did, but she needs it. But having to work with Jack—even if it’s only temporary—brings up past memories and past hurts. Can they start over? Do they want to?

I liked Beth—she’s charming, and you can feel the hurt she’s still carrying around. I liked Jack, too. He had his reasons for being a complete cad back then. I even liked the two of them together—there’s snappy dialog and chemistry between them. All in all, a good book to add to your beach bag for light summer reading.

Beth Allen has moved on…

It’s been eight years since she and Jack Thornfield met on an exotic holiday and sparked up a seriously promising romance. But then he disappeared without a trace, and Beth’s life got complicated.

Then Jack and Beth run into each other again… while she’s applying for an exciting new job in London-at his company. For necessity’s sake, but against her better judgment, she takes the job, and from that moment on, complicated doesn’t even begin to describe it…
(from the back of the arc)


What if you applied for an unbelievably brilliant job, only to find out when you were being interviewed that the company was ran by your ex-boyfriend? Not only is he your ex, he’s the same ex who vanished from your life without rhyme or reason, he did not even leave you a simple goodbye post-it note. Because of certain financial circumstances, you have to accept the job, now you are confined in the same building-the same floor- with the man who broke your heart. You tell yourself that you have moved on. That this is a simple business agreement; you are to be treated strictly as a colleague. Funny, when you thought of the word colleague, you never envisioned that would mean sharing your boss’ flat on the same night you accepted the job.


Eight years have passed by since Beth Allen last laid eyes on Jack Thornfield, the man she met and fell head-over-heels for on an exotic vacation in Corsica, now she finds herself standing in front of him in waiting to be interviewed. Pushing aside that last eight years, she is determined that she will make this job work. Yet when she finds that she will be headed back to Corsica to check out the trip for her exploration company, she never imagined that Jack would be along for the ride. Things go from complex to complicated when the two other trekkers flee from the trail, leaving only Jack and her. Will the two be able to sort out the mess he made eight years ago?

My Thoughts:

This was one of the best books that I have read. A breezy summer read with a brilliant plot and characters that shine. I simply could not find fault with this book and I devoured it in tone sitting.

The plot- WOW! I love the idea of two ex-lovers being placed together in a work environment. Both having to act as though they have just met, yet both experiencing these feelings that are undeniable. Then returning to the place in which they fell in love. I was simply brilliant.

The characters- I loved both Beth and Jack. They were a matching set divided, struggling to find their way back together. You could feel the tension and the longing, as well as the hurt. Very well composed. The same goes for the secondary characters, they all seemed to fit comfortably into the story without feeling forced or out of place.

Overall: Would I read this again? Most definitely!

I do have to say that I wished this book were a bit longer due to the fact I hated to see it end. It was truly one of those books that could have gone on forever.

Phillipa Ashley has a knack for crafting contemporary romance novels that leave readers flushed and swooning. Her latest novel, Wish You Were Here is no exception. Set against the backdrop of London and Corsica, this book has a European feel that readers will fall in love with. Ashley’s descriptions of both cities will have readers seeing the London fog and feeling the Corsican breezes on their faces. A great summer romance!

Beth Allen went on vacation never expecting to meet the man of her dreams. After a whirlwind romance in Corsica that ended with a marriage proposal Beth is beside herself. When Mr. Right, Jack Thornfield suddenly disappears without a trace, Beth is left heartbroken. When she returns home she finds that her father has had a stroke and with her sister still in school she’s needed there now more than ever. It’s been eight years since she’s seen Jack and she has no idea he is the CEO of the company she has just applied to for a job. After she gets the job she’s shocked to find Jack at the helm. They come to an uneasy understanding, where they sidestep their attraction for each other to have a working relationship. But is the magic still there? Will a trip back to Corsica renew their old love?

Phillipa Ashley does a wonderful job of identifying what her target audience is looking for with this book. Wish You Were Here is all about second chances and how the circumstances of life sometimes get in the way. Both main characters, Beth and Jack have some heavy personal issues come into their lives that drove them apart.

Jack basically fell off the earth and disappeared and Beth had no idea what happened to him. Jack is a very strong character and my only criticism about this book is the fact that he chose the easy way out in not contacting Beth after he suddenly exited her life. It just didn’t seem in congruence with his character. He didn’t seem the type to do that kind of thing. But that is the entire crux of the book. Everything hangs on the fact that he was there and then he was not. Though it is a pivotal moment, I don’t think it takes away from the overall book. Ashley then shows the reader what kind of man Jack really is and lets them make their own conclusions on his behavior in the beginning.

I love second chance love stories and this one really hit the spot. One of the best parts of reading for me is escaping to some place I’ve never been and sinking into the sights and sounds that a book brings out. Ashley’s descriptions of London made me wonder what it would be like to walk in the light rain on my way to work or see the fog rolling in. She gave the reader a sense of actually being there and walking along with Beth. Then with her descriptions of Corsica readers got to feel the wind in their faces and their toes in the sand. Ashley’s attention to detail really made this a great read.

It’s short and compact and would make a great beach read on a sunny day. The romance between the main characters is sensual and fulfilling. It’s not rushed or full of too much fluff. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary romances and those who love chick lit from British authors. Ashley’s style is smooth and she has a great ability to develop characters that readers can identify with. Who hasn’t been heartbroken at one time or another in their life? Who hasn’t made a bad choice that could have cost them their chance at love?


It’s been eight years since Beth and Jack met on an exotic holiday that sparked a seriously promising romance, but then he disappears without a trace, and Beth’s life moves on. Now newly appointed CEO Jack Thornfield can’t believe his eyes when Beth’s resume drops onto his desk- and he’s never forgotten her. Office romances can be tricky and messy, but can these two make up for eight years and keep up their jobs?

Beth’s father has had a stroke and her little sister is still in school, so Beth needs to find a job to help with expenses. But she never expected to work for Jack!

Ms. Ashley’s main female character is Beth, a strong young woman who is facing a lot of challenges at home and in her personal life. Beth is vulnerable, ready to find a man to settle down with but not satisfied with the one who wants her, and quite formidable at work.

The main male character is Jack, who is good looking and in great shape and who has a past with Beth. He spends all his time working now and has no time for a relationship. However, that doesn’t stop him from being pursued by a beautiful blonde journalist.

Part of the charm of this story is watching the two main characters attempting to discourage the dates that are pursuing them and avoiding the attraction between them. They keep finding themselves in sticky situations where the sexual tension heats up to a foregone conclusion – and then getting interrupted!

Author Phillipa Ashley lives in the UK which gives the story a European flavor. Ms. Ashley used a few words I wasn’t familiar with, but that’s part of what makes reading stories from other countries more fun. You learn new terms as you read along. The author uses Corsica as the setting for the ending of the story and her words give you a verbal image of the island and its beauty.

The story has good continuity, a lively romance and foreign travel which makes it entertaining to read. I really enjoyed this tale of two star-crossed lovers who find their way back to each other.




While holidaying in Corsica, eight years ago Beth Allen met and fell in love with Jack Thornfield. He apparently felt the same way as he proposed and she accepted. Only he vanished without a word. Heartbroken, Beth returned home to England’s Lake District.

Beth obtains a position running the European Sector of Big Outdoors travel agency. She is euphoric as the job seems great and her family needs the income ever since her father was injured in an accident. However, her excitement collapses when she meets the CEO, Jack. Stunned Beth agrees to work there only if Jack agrees never to mention dumping her and their relationship is to remain strictly business only. Beth and Jack still have the deep feelings but he tries to adhere to her stipulations until she heads to Corsica. Jack accompanies her hoping the magic will give him a second chance.

This is an entertaining second chance contemporary romance starring a strong cast to include the lead antagonists, her family (her dad and sister Lou) and the office. Readers will want to know the reason he dumped her although the cause of Jack’s vanishing without a regard to Beth’s feeling as he owed her an explanation is weak for such a strong person. Still, fans will enjoy his attempts to regain the trust he nuked in vividly described Corsica.

Beth’s father has had a stroke and her little sister is still in school, so Beth needs to find a job to help with expenses. But she never expected to work for Jack!

Ms. Ashley’s main female character is Beth, a strong young woman who is facing a lot of challenges at home and in her personal life. Beth is vulnerable, ready to find a man to settle down with but not satisfied with the one who wants her, and quite formidable at work.

The main male character is Jack, who is good looking and in great shape and who has a past with Beth. He spends all his time working now and has no time for a relationship. However, that doesn’t stop him from being pursued by a beautiful blonde journalist.

Part of the charm of this story is watching the two main characters attempting to discourage the dates that are pursuing them and avoiding the attraction between them. They keep finding themselves in sticky situations where the sexual tension heats up to a foregone conclusion – and then getting interrupted!

Author Phillipa Ashley lives in the UK which gives the story a European flavor. Ms. Ashley used a few words I wasn’t familiar with, but that’s part of what makes reading stories from other countries more fun. You learn new terms as you read along. The author uses Corsica as the setting for the ending of the story and her words give you a verbal image of the island and its beauty.

The story has good continuity, a lively romance and foreign travel which makes it entertaining to read. I really enjoyed this tale of two star-crossed lovers who find their way back to each other.

Once upon a time, Jack Thornfield and Beth Allen had a great time on an exotic holiday trek in Corsica. That was the beginning of a steamy romance that held great promise; and, in fact, it lead to a marriage proposal. But, suddenly, one day, Jack disappeared from Beth’s life — with no explanation, with no good-bye, and no looking back.

Fast forward eight years. Beth is suddenly in a position to need to help her family out. Her father has had a terrible accident which has forced him to take time off from his business, and her sister has just gotten into university. Beth submits her résumé to a firm in London that organizes travel adventures, and - surprise! - the job reports to none other than Jack!

Because of the necessity of her familial situation, she begrudgingly accepts the job, but only upon the condition that Jack treats her as any other employee and that he put aside their history. He readily agrees to the condition, but they find that neither of them are particularly good at forgetting the past. However, Beth and Jack manage things just fine (Beth has a boyfriend and Jack is seeing a woman) until they end up scouting a new potential travel package together... in Corsica.

This book was a fun, flirty, fast read. The ending was a bit predictable, but it also ended as it should have, so I can’t complain too much. The characters were well-developed, even Beth’s boyfriend Marcus, who is as shallow as they come. The relationship between Beth and her assistant Freya is fun to watch develop, and the bond between Beth and her sister is the type that children long for.

Overall, this was a great book, and would make the perfect beach read, in only the best sense of the term, as most of the book focuses on vacation getaways. As one reads this on the beach, one could imagine other vacations in other far off places.



Beth travels to London for an important interview for a job, when she finds herself in the office of the man who dumped her 8 years earlier and finds out he is the CEO, and about to interview her for the position.

She is an adult, it was a long time ago, and she can put the past behind her. She wants no favours and is happy to keep things on a strictly professional basis with Jack when she gets the position.

Set in London, the story takes Beth and Jack off to Corsica to check out a new holiday package, for the travel company. The trip stirs up memories from the past.

Can the past stay in the past? After all, it wasn’t just a holiday romance

This will they, won’t they romance is just right for the beach, plane or even a weekend in the garden.

If you haven’t tried British chick-lit/modern romance before, this is an ideal first read.

This was a UK version of the book from my own TBR shelves.



Phillipa Ashley reunites former lovers in Wish You Were Here. Eight years after she’d been loved and left by dashing travel guide Jack Thornfield, Beth Allen runs into him again—when he interviews her for a job she urgently needs. After her widowed father’s serious accident, Beth has been looking after the family business, her dad’s recovery and her younger sister. With her sister accepted at a prestigious drama school, Beth is eager to shore up their finances by taking a six-month job with an adventure travel company in London. But she’s shocked to discover that her would-be boss is the exact same man who asked her to marry him so long ago, and then promptly disappeared. Though he persuades her to take the position, Beth knows her heart won’t trust him again. As they work together, however, old yearnings resurface. Now older, wiser and still not over Beth, Jack wonders if their romance might be rekindled. But their past is in the way, not to mention current love interests who present more obstacles to a happy ending. A sun-drenched expedition to Corsica adds sparkle to this charming story.

Once upon a time, Jack Thornfield and Beth Allen had a great time on an exotic holiday trek in Corsica. That was the beginning of a steamy romance that held great promise; and, in fact, it lead to a marriage proposal. But, suddenly, one day, Jack disappeared from Beth’s life — with no explanation, with no good-bye, and no looking back.

Fast forward eight years. Beth is suddenly in a position to need to help her family out. Her father has had a terrible accident which has forced him to take time off from his business, and her sister has just gotten into university. Beth submits her résumé to a firm in London that organizes travel adventures, and - surprise! - the job reports to none other than Jack!

Because of the necessity of her familial situation, she begrudgingly accepts the job, but only upon the condition that Jack treats her as any other employee and that he put aside their history. He readily agrees to the condition, but they find that neither of them are particularly good at forgetting the past. However, Beth and Jack manage things just fine (Beth has a boyfriend and Jack is seeing a woman) until they end up scouting a new potential travel package together... in Corsica.

This book was a fun, flirty, fast read. The ending was a bit predictable, but it also ended as it should have, so I can’t complain too much. The characters were well-developed, even Beth’s boyfriend Marcus, who is as shallow as they come. The relationship between Beth and her assistant Freya is fun to watch develop, and the bond between Beth and her sister is the type that children long for.

Overall, this was a great book, and would make the perfect beach read, in only the best sense of the term, as most of the book focuses on vacation getaways. As one reads this on the beach, one could imagine other vacations in other far off places.