Wish We Were Here: A 90s MM Romance

"Just let me in. Show me I've made as big of a mark on you as you have on me. Tell me this isn't nothing. You're rewriting my entire friggin' brain chemistry so how can I be nothing to you?" "He's here. He came back for me. No one's ever done that." "Do you think this is a gay retelling of Pretty Woman or something? I'm a w****, remember?" "You're mine, is what you are." "He's home at last. And in him, I find that too." "When you say something out loud it's made real. And being real means it can be destroyed. I don't want this to be destroyed. Even though I know I can't keep it." "I kiss him like I'm going to devour him, like I need him to breathe. I need all of him on me. I need to climb inside his skin." "He's just so...pretty. Even all messy and disheveled, he's so f*****' pretty, like the laws of reality simply don't apply to him." "Maybe you can fall in love with someone over the course of a week and a few thousand miles. The kind of love that sticks, even." "Everything that's hurt him, all these jagged, broken pieces that make him up- I love them, too. He might be a little broken but he's whole in my eyes." "I will get you there, I promise." "Messy boy. You're awfully wet. Like a girl, almost." "Bold thing to say when you've got my d*** in your hands. It's your fault, anyway." "Ash. My butterfly. He's given me so much reason and purpose, made me feel like it's okay to be who and what I am. My razón de ser, as it were." This was a phenomenal and amazing…

Sam and Ash are everything! Everything is so simple, the story flows so easily, their relationship starts slow, Ash with a lot of scars and emotional baggage and Sam is just so adorable with Ash. Sam truly is a good person! He cares about Ash even though he doesn’t know him, because that’s who Sam is. A good person who’s drifting in life, trying to find his purpose. Meanwhile, Ash is trying to start new, he’s leaving his old life behind, trying to find a steady and calm life. He reflects a lot on his experience as a s*x worker and Ash hates it. He doesn’t crave physical intimacy, since a lot of his experiences were bad. So when Sam, the kindest soul, treats Ash with respect, Ash can’t help but fall for him. Sam's internal struggle relates more to his sexual orientation. He doesn’t know if he’s gay or not, but what he does know is that Ash is beautiful and he treats Sam like no one else has before. Likewise, Ash also sees in Sam someone he can be himself. During their road trip, they discuss a lot of themes, HIV is something that is present a lot, since they both know people with this diagnosis and it’s the 90s. Knowing that the people they love are fighting the same battles brings them closer. They are also really young, Ash and Sam are in their 20s, so some things they do are incredibly foolish, but I didn’t mind! Sam was clearly craving some adventure and to do something outside of what people expected him to, while Ash got to experience life as he never had before.…

*I received an ARC of this book and in return here is my honest review/opinions* WWWH centers around a road trip down the east coast taking place in a 90's setting which throws back nostalgia, it makes time almost seems simpler than it is today and reminds you of a time that functioned so different than we do now, and all the music references were a beautiful throwback. But at the center of that there is also the sadness of what was the AIDS epidemic, and for these two, the devastating sadness of the people they've lost or are losing in their lives due to the epidemic. It was done beautifully and respectfully, you felt their pain for the people they love and have lost. This book teeter-totters between a fun road trip of two men learning each other while, they both are just trying to find something to hang on to and find their true selves and who they are meant to be. They are both tender with each other but also hold back and it becomes this beautiful balance of leaning to trust, not only each other but figuring out the lives they want to live and that they are both worthy of that life/love. These characters were so unfiltered and realistic in their personalities. You have Sam, who is so wholesome but in a gritty way, who at his core has no idea of his true identity or is to afraid to acknowledge it. Ash who's defenses are so high in an attempt to protect himself, hanging on to the only behaviors he has ever known to survive, while also dealing with vulnerability of…

4⭐️ Wow, this was so INTERESTING! The 90s vibes were vibing and I had so much fun being in a world with no cell phones? The whole atmosphere of this story really, really worked for me! And let's give this author some major kudos here, because they were willing to tackle some enormous and sensitive topics. S*x work, the AIDS crisis, homophobia, and racism - like the author did not wake up and decide to play it safe. And while I feel wholly unqualified to really make any kind of statement on any of the above, I do feel that these were handled so well in this story, especially through this 90s lens. And I loved Sam and Ash!! I was rooting for them and felt so good about their conclusion! Honestly, the only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is that there were a couple times where I got a little bored and really just wanted the story to move forward, but we weren't moving quickly enough *for me*. Now.. Do I acknowledge that in those pages where we got lots and lots of internal dialogue the author was attempting (and succeeding in my opinion) to guide us through some heavy topics? I mean, yea. It probably makes me the a-hole that I'm even mentioning that I had moments of boredom. I'll accept that. I'll accept it especially because I truly still think everyone should read this story. Honestly I think this would make a GREAT movie. It has all of the pieces! Highly recommend.

3.5 stars I loved these characters. Ash is so vulnerable, so thoroughly wounded, and Sam is so sweet and good - he's still learning who he is, but he clearly can't resist taking care of Ash when he needs it. They both grow. There are a few scary scenes involving physical and sexual assault, just fyi. I'm glad I read this book. I'm sure it'll be on my mind for a while. Ash's backstory is so compelling and sad, and how that affected his view of himself, just devastating. I'm glad he found Sam. I took away half a star because it didn't make me cry and it should have. I think it didn't get quite deep enough for me. Usually I cry - most of the time it's pretty easy for this sort of book to get me there. I didn't quite get there with this one. Still, a solid read!