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Title details for Wish You Weren't Here by Christy Schillig - Available

Wish You Weren't Here

A Novel

by Christy Schillig
ebook
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1 of 1 copy available
In this transportive debut, a woman spending a summer in Italy finds her world completely upended–but it may be the kick she’s needed to figure out who she truly wants to be, perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle and Tessa Bailey.
Ava Graham's ducks are in a row as she heads off to Italy to complete her final law school credits and fulfill a promise she made to her late mother five years ago. Ava expects her long-term boyfriend to propose before her trip, but instead of giving her a ring, he suggests they use her time abroad as a “break” before settling down. 
When James Massini arrives–late–to the airport to pick up Ava as a favor to his aunt and uncle, he’s surprised to find that she’s not a young co-ed, but a fascinating woman approaching thirty with a serious superiority complex and a habit of underestimating him. When she’s assigned to his class as a TA, he becomes determined to prove to her that there is more to life than plans and lists, no matter how hard she fights with him–or how annoyingly charming he finds their banter. 
Despite the sudden disaster of her life, type A Ava might actually enjoy Italy—if only annoyingly carefree James wasn’t there, too. As Ava reluctantly lets James try to show her a different way of life in Italy, she begins to find beauty in the chaos. Of course, it’s when things begin to make sense again that her past comes storming back.
With a humorously relatable protagonist and a rich Italian setting, this debut novel is an escapist treat and a necessary reminder that life doesn’t always care about the plans we’ve made for ourselves.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 21, 2024

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781639107087

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781639107087
      • File size: 1650 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 18, 2024
      Schillig whisks readers to the beautiful Italian city of Urbino in her effervescent enemies-to-lovers debut. As American law student Ava Graham heads off to a European law seminar, she’s proud to have her life plan on track: “Father-approved job? Check. Mother-requested experience abroad? Golden check. Everyone-approved fiancé? Rapidly approaching platinum check.” But before she boards her plane, her boyfriend surprises her not with a marriage proposal but with the suggestion that they consider her time away as a break from their relationship. When her host parents’ nephew, James Massini, arrives an hour late to pick her up from the airport, he receives the brunt of her bad mood. In the face of Ava’s ire, James, a well-known local photographer and professor of art history, is both infuriated and attracted. After Ava’s program is canceled, the pair are further thrown together when Ava is assigned to be James’s teaching assistant. Schillig lets the sexual tension simmer as Ava and James wittily goad each other, making their compatibility obvious to everyone but the sparring hearts themselves. Readers will be eager for these two supposed opposites to put their fears and differences aside and recognize their true feelings. Schillig should win fans with this one. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Word One Literary.

    • Booklist

      May 1, 2024
      Ava Graham has a plan. She'll take an international law class at the university in Urbino, Italy, a trip she promised her mother she'd take, and then she'll come home and marry her boyfriend. But instead of an engagement ring, he gives her a calling card, telling her to sow her oats and call him when she is sure of their relationship. Ava thought she was sure, so she unloads on her Italian-speaking driver when she arrives in Italy. Except the driver is actually American James Massini, raised in Urbino, who understands every word. Later, a mix-up at the university has Ava assisting James with his art history class. James thinks Ava is uptight; Ava thinks James is duplicitous. But the sumptuous Italian countryside and a mutual love of art has them breaking down their walls. Readers will forgive the somewhat flimsy premise that keeps Ava and James in each other's orbits as debut author Schillig envelops them in the food, art, and scenery of Urbino. This warm-hearted romance also features a lovely found-family subplot.

      COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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