Synopsis:

A heartwarming novel about what we are prepared to give–and give up–in the name of love, from the author of Star-Crossed and The Lost Love Song. 

Two boxes, both alike in size and shape . . .

Marnie Fairchild is the brains and talent behind Wish & Co., a boutique store that offers a bespoke gift-buying service to wealthy clients with complicated lives. Brian Charlesworth is Marnie’s most prized customer, and today she’s wrapping the perfect anniversary gift for his wife, Suzanne . . . and a birthday present for his mistress, Leona. What could possibly go wrong?

For years, Marnie’s had her heart set on moving Wish & Co. to the historic shopfront once owned by her grandfather. When the chance to bid for the property unexpectedly arises, Marnie–distracted–makes an uncharacteristic mistake. Soon Brian is in a fight to rescue his marriage, and Marnie is scrabbling to keep her dreams alive. With the situation so complicated, the last thing Marnie needs is to fall for Brian and Suzanne’s gorgeous son, Luke. In the end, will it be her head or her heart that wins out?

My second novel by Minnie Darke, I couldn’t resist the charm of With Love From Wish & Co., but I did have some reservations about this one. I’ve read Darke’s previous novel, The Lost Love Song, which I adored, so I was excited to pick this one up, as well. With Love From Wish & Co. is beautifully written, with layers of storytelling, but this is a story that creeps into those gray areas of what we consider moral and ethical. It’s a novel that will have you thinking about some deeper issues, which isn’t a bad thing. BUT, I’m not sure I agree with some of the character’s ultimate choices. However, It is one I’ll probably be thinking about for a long time!

Marnie is in the business of gift-giving. And several of her clients are wealthy men with both wives and mistresses who don’t know their gifts aren’t chosen by the giver. Desperate to build her business with the hopes of being able to afford the historic storefront that once housed her grandfather’s business, she doesn’t think twice about providing for her client’s needs. She’s only focused on the end goal. But Marnie is sweet and kind and I find it hard to believe that providing this service isn’t an issue that she hasn’t ever considered before. She’s only forced to consider it when her distraction leads to a mishap with her biggest client of five years, Brian Charlesworth. The gift Marnie intends for his 40th anniversary with his wife Suzanne ends up being delivered to Brian’s mistress, while his mistress’s birthday gift ends up being presented to his wife. And Marnie is good at her job. Both gifts are too personal to easily dismiss.

I enjoyed the actual mixup, the missteps Marnie took to get herself into this unfortunate situation, and the fallout because of it. The story is told from multiple points of view, including Brian’s, his wife’s, and his mistress’s (although mostly from Marnie’s). And while that did help me to see the story from their perspective, I didn’t have much sympathy for any of them in the beginning. I did grow to like Suzanne as she seemed to grow more of a backbone.

Marnie has not only been buying gifts for Brian’s wife and mistress, but for his grown children, as well. Because of the mixup, Marnie meets Brian and Suzanne’s son Luke, who she already feels as if she knows. This is another one of those morally gray areas. So Marnie can pick the perfect gifts for people she researches or “stalks” them on social media. And while she doesn’t cross any lines, only looking at what is available to the public, it still kind of creeped me out. It’s only because Marnie’s heart is pure that I know she has only the best intentions. We do get Luke’s point of view, as well, and I couldn’t help sympathizing with him when he had issues with Marnie’s job. Luke also has a side storyline that I adored. I won’t spoil it, but it’s one of my favorite aspects of the book.