Review: Little Wishes by Michelle Adams

Do you ever wonder about those that you were close to, after you drift apart? What if they left little messages every year? Michelle Adams explores both of these questions in her heartbreaking new book, Little Wishes.

First of all, I love the idea of leaving little notes for the other to find. That’s super cute and I’d love that myself! Secondly, would you investigate when all of a sudden they stop all of a sudden? I absolutely would! I love this premise so much and I wish more books had this.

Whilst those little notes (or wishes) were tender, we also have heartbreak, where Elizabeth finds that Tom is terminally ill. This actually made me cry. Elizabeth is headstrong, but also cares tremendously, and is willingly to grant all the wishes Tom left for her. With the flashbacks, we see Tom as a young and fragile man who saved Elizabeth’s mum from drowning in water. This is where Elizabeth meets Tom and has had an attraction to him since, despite being engaged.

I loved how the story swung between the past and present in a way that made sense logic and story-wise, and it made me feel a connection to the story that may have not been there otherwise. I also loved that the writing was well suited to the tone of the book, and it matched the imperfect events and characters, even though they are near realistic, and I do love that in a good contemporary. I also really enjoyed the full suite of emotions that were used, and it really felt like this one was written from Adams’ heart!

I enjoyed the double trope presented in this book - both the fate/star-crossed lovers trope, as well as the missed/second chance trope. Both were executed really well, and it didn’t make the book feel cheesy at all! I was also really glad the tropes weren’t presented as cheesy because it would’ve taken the meaning away from the book. It also kind of felt a little bit like Romeo and Juliet, with the parents not liking Tom and Elizabeth hanging out with each other.

Both Tom and Elizabeth were both found to be likeable characters to me, in their own special ways. Tom wasn’t giving up on his love for Elizabeth, and I admire that; whereas Elizabeth was more nurturing and showed her heartbrokenness after Tom left. May I add, that 49 years of wishes sent from Tom shows determination and a willingness to connect, and I seriously cannot believe that Elizabeth snubbed him for that long! Speaking of characters, I loved how the characters’ lives collided, as Alice (Tom’s daughter) slowly warmed up to Elizabeth, even though most of what she knew was from Tom’s tales. I also enjoyed reading about Elizabeth’s daughter, and how they all interconnect. I love that all the characters in the book end up questing to make up for lost time, dare I say - they all have been given a second chance!

One of my favourite things about this book was that it was easy to follow through the different time points, and how the characters felt, making it one of the easiest contemporaries I’ve read in the past while! The characters were likeable, and the storyline was definitely one that evoked many emotions, but that also made me cry at times! I recommend this one for anyone who’s looking for a sweet missed/second chance romance contemporary, just be sure to have tissues with you when you read this one!

Rating: 4/5

Note: I received a copy of this book thanks to The Nerd Daily. This review also appears there.