Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
A year after the divorce from his wife, Nick Paine is only stepping into the dating scene because his friends are at his back shoving him into it. A night out with the guys leads to a surprise Nick never expected when one of Danny’s customer’s shows up talking about a moody artist. An artist Nick knows. Nick fell in love with Adam when they were young, then they both left for college and life happened. At least that’s what he told himself.
Adam Azzi has only ever loved one man. His life has been full of ups and downs, addictions and lows. The light of his life, though, is his daughter and she saved him from self-destruction. His current dilemma is finishing the final piece to his new show, but the piece will close a chapter to his life he’s afraid to leave behind. Nick.
Reunited by happenstance, Nick and Adam find more than one coincidence, be it fate, destiny, or the course of nature, which led them to this point. Their lives have gone in separate directions only to bring them back together, but with two little girls and a gaggle of nosy friends as well as nosy mothers and a jealous ex-wife, Adam and Nick have their work cut out for them if they truly want to be together.
I adore everything S.A. McAuley. What I love is the way she reaches for new boundaries with every story and this one is not like any of her other books, and still, it’s fabulous. From the contrast in religion and race, to the coincidence in hometown and children and careers, Where Wishes Go is truly a beautiful story.
Adam is a wonderfully damaged character. He’s an addict who lives with who he is and what he’s done, but doesn’t let it own him. That doesn’t mean he’s not afraid of relapse or weakness, but for the most part, he overcomes every day because of his daughter. I love it because to him, he feels like he could crack under pressure at any moment, but the truth of it is, to anyone looking from the outside in, Adam is the strongest of the pair. He’s the rock.
Nick, on the other hand, seemingly held things together for years. He has an ideal job and place in the community. But where he looks to have the strength and confidence, he’s crumbling under the pressure until Adam shows up in his life. Don’t get me wrong. He’s a fabulous character, full of depth and complication. But he finds himself in his support of Adam. I love his growth and who he becomes when Adam shows up in his life. From this fragile flower to this beast of a man who will take down an entire city for a little girl and for his family. It’s quite beautiful.
This story is heart wrenching. A true friends-to-lovers, second chances story with the happiest of endings. I loved family and community feel of it. I adored the group of friends that surrounded these guys, and I’m hoping for stories for some of them as well. But best of all is the girls. Every nuance of this story is touched by Adam’s and Nick’s daughters—their hearts, their humor, their personalities. I laughed and cried. But most of all, I fell in love.
I loved this story and can’t wait for more. I hope so much that there will be more with these characters in the future because I’m not ready to let them go. I highly recommend Where Wishes Go by S.A. McAuley.
A review copy of this book was provided by Dreamspinner Press.
