#BookReview: THE WISH LIST by Sophia Money-Coutts @sophiamcoutts @HQstories

Publication: 6th August 2020 – HQ

‘You want me to write a list? Like a shopping list?’
Gwendolyn nodded. ‘Exactly. But for what you want from a man, not ASDA.’

Florence Fairfax isn’t lonely. She loves her job at the little bookshop in Chelsea and her beloved cat Marmalade keeps her company at night. She might have been single for quite a while – well, forever actually, if anyone’s asking – but she’s perfectly happy, thank you. And then Florence meets eccentric love coach Gwendolyn, and everything changes.

When Gwendolyn makes Florence write a wish list describing her perfect man, Florence refuses to take it seriously. Finding someone who likes cats, has the sexual athleticism of James Bond and can overlook her ‘counting’ habit? Impossible! Until, later that week, a handsome blond man asks for help in the bookshop…

Rory seems to fit the list perfectly. But is he ‘the one’, or simply too good to be true? Florence is about to find out that her criteria for Mr Right aren’t as important as she thought – and that perhaps she’s been looking for love in all the wrong places…

AMAZON

WATERSTONES

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I have been reading Sophia Money-Coutts’s novels since the very beginning and I can honestly say she is one of these authors whose book I buy without blinking. I love her writing style, clean and articulate, and I can’t help but adore the protagonists of her stories.

The protagonist of her new novel, The Wish List, is Florence Fairfax. She works in a bookshop in Chelsea and she lives with her two stepsisters in Kennington. She likes her simple life among books and a few close friends and family, but when her sister Mia announces her engagement, her stepmother convinces her to meet a love coach who performs rituals and makes her write a list of all the qualities her ideal man should have. Of course, shortly after, she meets Rory, a man who seems to have all the qualities on her list. Is it a coincidence? Or is it fate? Or is he simply what she needs rights now?

I loved the character of Florence, not only because she is honest, loyal, and witty, but because I could really relate to her. Her insecurities, her doubts, her mistakes, they all felt familiar and I found we had a few things in common, not only the love for books. I liked the other characters in the story, at least most of them, especially her colleague Eugene and her sisters who created some of the funnies scenes in the novel.

The Wish List is addictive and funny. There is a scene with a dog that had me with tears in my eyes and I still laugh every time I think about it, and there is a lot of comedy, romance, and a few emotional moments, too. It is easy to see where the story leads, but I still kept reading captivated by Florence’s life and I really loved the ending and the choices she made.

The Wish List is a fantastic and engaging read that will give you a few hours of entertainment and it will make you forget the world out there. Already looking forward to the author’s next book.

A huge thank you to HQ and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the novel.