Day’s YA: WISH YOU WERE HER

WISH YOU WERE HER by Elle McNicoll
9781250335586
8/26/2025
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

18-year-old Allegra Brooks needs a break. After bursting into the spotlight at a young age from starring in a popular television show, and constantly hiding her autism diagnosis from the world, she’s tired. She’s finally ready to have a normal, teenage summer–and she hopes to have that summer in Lake Pristine, where her father lives, and where her parents met long ago. Lake Pristine is the picture perfect remote small town, and its annual Book Festival is the massive talk-of-the-town event that Allegra’s father’s bookstore puts on every year. This year, Allegra is ready to help. But the only downside to it all is Jonah Thorne–the unfriendly albeit dedicated bookseller who spearheads the event planning. In no time at all, the two of them are butting heads and exchanging hostile comments, and it’s far from the relaxing, drama-free summer that Allegra had envisioned. But she still has one saving grace: the anonymous and charming bookseller she’s been exchanging personal emails with, who definitely can not be Jonah Thorne. Right?

WISH YOU WERE HER takes us back to the picturesque town of Lake Pristine, where Elle McNicoll’s previous novel, SOME LIKE IT COLD, was set. It’s the perfect companion novel–athough it can still be read as a standalone–and readers even get some exciting cameos from the beloved Jasper Montgomery. Elle knows how to write a beautiful romance, and Allegra and Jonah’s story is no exception. Being autistic herself, Elle has perfectly captured the realities of the autistic experience–from the struggles and hardships that autistic people face, to the joys in finding community with others who are neurodivergent. Allegra and Jonah specifically had such incredible chemistry together that only continued to grow and deepen. The bickering between them only makes them finally getting together that much sweeter, and with them both being autistic, I could feel them grow more comfortable and safe with each other.

And this book shines not just in the romance department, but also in the friendships–from Allegra and Grace’s sweet, immediate friendship, to Jasper taking on a sisterly role for Allegra when she needed it the most. It was beautiful to watch Allegra find new friends and community outside of her career. And with her hesitancy to trust people and their motivations given her fame, it was heartwarming to see her meet people that she could let down her guard with–even as she continued to come across people who only wanted to reap the benefits. But through all of it, she learned to trust in herself, stand up for herself, and be true to herself, even when the world didn’t agree with what they saw on the surface. 

All in all, this is the perfect summer romance to make you wish that you were browsing books and shopping through the main street in a little lakeside town. It’s like BOOK LOVERS, Notting Hill, You’ve Got Mail, and Gilmore Girls all got wrapped up into one perfect gift. You’ll fall in love with these characters–I know I did–and with Allegra’s story. And, well, not much is better than a book festival.

Happy reading!
<3 Margo

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