title: Wish You Were Her
author: Elle McNicoll
publisher: Wednesday Books
publication date: August 26, 2025
pages: 352
peppers: 2 (on this scale)
warnings: vomit, overstimulation, meanness
summary: Allegra, who's an eighteen-year-old star plans to work at her father's small-town bookstore for the summer to get out of the spotlight. Before she goes, she sends an email to the bookstore's account, thinking her father will answer, but she ends up in a sweet email exchange with one of the store's young employees. When she arrives at the store, she is greeted by two employees around her age, both good-looking, but only one of them is nice to her.
tropes:
- epistolary exchange
- anonymous love
- movie star
- enemies-to-lovers
- small town gossip
what I liked:
- autism representation
- small-town scenes
- showing the downside of fame
- books rule
what I didn’t like:
- minor characters are too one-dimensional
overall rating: 4 (of 5 stars)