Customer Reviews

Wish You Were Here

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Summing up Wish You Were Here, by Lani Diane Rich, in one word is endearing. Lani Diane Rich is a best-selling author, with such titles as: Crazy in Love, The Comeback Kiss, Maybe Baby, Ex and the Single Girl, and Time Off For Good Behavior. She resides in New York with her family.
Freya Daly has developed what she likes to call "a condition." She couldn't quit crying. She is so very close to getting everything she wants- to take over her father's Boston real estate business when he retires, and now this "condition" was ruining everything, including her reputation. Her father sends her to Deer Creek, Idaho to purchase a run-down campground to prove her capability, the last hoop in a long line of trials. The problem is, Nate Brody won't sell. Nate promised his dying father that he wouldn't sell the land. Freya finds herself enchanted by Nate and his ten-year-old daughter, Piper, making her hoop even harder to jump through. As they search for a valuable heirloom, a treacherous secret from generations past is about to put them all in danger, forcing Freya to choose between her old, comfortable, boring life and the love she never dreamed imaginable.
This is my first time reading a title by this author, and I very well might pick up more. Lani Diane Rich has a candid way of laying out raw emotions and practical characters that you can relate to. She has a clever and witty sense of humor which had me laughing aloud quite a few times. The characters were realistically flawed, including the secondary ones. I particularly like the ending, where you got closure without changing who they were and altering the personalities greatly. I love a good romance that is not over-gushy and littered with cliché's, to which she proves immeasurably well here. The setting was richly portrayed, making you want to jump right in. You can tell that she thoroughly enjoyed writing this book.
Wish You Were Here, by Lani Diane Rich, is a humorous, charming, and satisfying read. Lani Diane Rich is emerging on the romance scene and I see great things in the future for her. Readers will delight in this light-hearted page-turner that will leave you with a smile on your face and restoration in the contemporary romance genre again.

Kelly Moran
Author and Reviewer

Just one last hoop to jump through and the business would be hers. Freya Daly was so close to being selected as her father's successor that she could taste it.
As soon as she had the property purchased she could return home triumphant and secure in her new position as head-honcho for Daly Developers Incorporated.
With the amount of money she was authorized to offer Nate Brody for his property, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he would sell! Unfortunately for Freya, she came to Deer Creek, Idaho less then prepared.
Nate Brody didn't have any real ties to the land his father left him, but the promise he made on his dad's deathbed sure meant something to him!
When Nate flat out refuses all of Freya's offers to buy the land, Freya just sees it as a challenge that she she'll win if she works harder at it.
Nate and his daughter Piper share the main house with his father's ex girlfriend Ruby. The brusque older woman wants nothing more then to...


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Im a huge fan of Lani Diane Rich and I have loved every book I've read of hers until now. I dont think there was much romance for it being a romance book. There was more emphasis on the purple mystery item than anything else. I really hope her next book will be equally as great of some of her previous ones.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
There is a lot of good conversation and some heartwarming lines. I was chuckling several times and laughed out loud a few times. I loved the interaction and conversations between Piper and Freya. Nate was a neat guy, open, sensitive and honorable. The author did a decent job creating the bad guys. The plot was good.

STORY BRIEF:
Richard Daly is a wealthy real estate developer. His daughter Freya wants to take over his position when he retires. She is hardened, tough, and a successful, savvy real estate negotiator who recently developed some emotional weaknesses. She can't prevent her frequent bursting into tears. Her father sends her to a run down campground in Idaho to negotiate buying it. He is willing to pay much more than it is worth but won't tell Freya why.

Nate inherited the campground from his father. On his deathbed the father made Nate promise to find a purple item but died before he could say more. Nate won't sell until he finds whatever his father was talking about. He was married briefly and has sole custody of his daughter Piper, now 11 years old.

DATA:
Story length: 280 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 3. Length of sex scenes: 0.2, 1.2 and 5 pages. Setting: current day northern Idaho and Boston, Massachusetts. Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic mystery.

OTHER BOOKS:
To date, I've read the following Lani Diane Rich books.
4.5 stars. Wish You Were Here. Copyrt 2008. Review Date 11/2/08.
3 stars. Crazy In Love. Copyrt 2007. Review Date 5/25/09.
2 stars. A Little Ray of Sunshine. Copyrt 2008. Review Date 5/25/09.

Freya Daly is ready to take over her father's company when he retires. Unfortunately her father does not think Freya is ready and wants her to prove her worth. So he sends Freya to Deer Creek, Idaho. If Freya can get the owner, Nate Brody to sell his campground then Freya's father will let her run his company. For Freya this will be just another walk in the park. She buys up businesses all the time. Once Freya sees the campground and how run down it is; she knows she has this deal in the bag.

Nate made a promise to his father before he died that he would run the campground. All Nate needs in his life right now is some meddling daddy's girl. If Freya never saw Nate again it would be too soon. One person though that has warmed her way into Freya's heart is Nate's, Piper. Will this princess run back home or will Freya become camp counselor?

I loved Freya. She was so kooky and fun. Plus who knew there was an eye condition that could make someone cry unexpectedly. Nate is so patient, kind, and has a heart of gold. Piper was one of my favorite characters. Wish You Were Here is a fun, up-beat romance story. This was a quick read. Lani Diane Rich is a new author for me. She was such a dream to read. I enjoyed every minute of this story. Readers better watch out as Lani Diane Rich is a force to be reckoned with in the contemporary romance world.

This author was recommended by another Amazon reviewer and I have been devouring all her books this past week. In this book Freya Daly strong business women heads to Idaho to finalize a real estate deal for her indifferent father. She thinks if she finlalized this deal she will be made CEO - but before that can happened she has to get past Nate Brody. Nate is stuck in Idaho until he unravels the mystery his father gave him on his death bed. This books had it all , laugh out loud moments, mystery , murder, romance all leads to a great read!

If you enjoy this genre I would also suggest; Crazy in Love (Warner Forever) ( Flynn Daly's Story) and The Comeback Kiss (Warner Forever).

The latest offering from Ms. Rich is engaging and well written. I love how she handles Freya's relationship with both Nick and his daughter.

I highly recommend all of her books- her heroines are quirky, spunky and the books are all great reads.

Her father Richard, owner of Daly developers, wants the Deer Creek, Idaho campground property owned by single father Nate Brody, who refuses to sell. He sends his daughter Freya Daly to obtain the land although she has no idea why her dad covets this dilapidated campground in the middle of hell. Cincinnati restaurateur Nate explains to Freya he cannot sell because he made a death bed pledge to his late dad. He also says he will sell once he completes his vow to find an heirloom.

Freya's dad demands she increase the pressure as he needs that land now. She is confused by his attitude and soon learns there is more to her father's deal than he told her. As she falls in love with the father and his preadolescent daughter Piper, Freya has family issues to confront while Nate and Piper want her to return to Ohio with them as part of their family.

The charming contemporary romance between the lead couple is enhanced by several fascinating subplots that tie back to the prime story line including a unique rare condition in which Freya cries for no apparent reason. The relationship between father and daughter is a model of honesty; quite the opposite of that between Freya and her dad. Except for her dad's mayoral name, WISH YOU WERE HERE is a terrific sequel to CRAZY IN LOVE.

Harriet Klausner