How can a woman’s heart and life broken by grief and loss, ever believe in love and happiness?
A shattered heart. A broken life. A box of wishes. What can save her? Love and the wishes could help, but Callie Ward is terrified of more heartbreak. Sweet romances are central to the question of can a woman broken by tragedy journey through her own past to reclaim her future? It is a poignant exploration of the power of love and hope, resilience and redemption against human suffering.
Romantic encounters and relationships (love-oriented, clean romance) are integral to her learning and healing if she has the courage to engage with them and open her fragile heart. The novel is a high drama, emotional read of Callie’s life filled with tragic loss from the age of twelve.
Her wishes and dreams have crumbled under life-long grief. It’s safer for Callie to hide from the world than face more loss and betrayal. At twenty-eight, amidst life and wedding crises, a box of wishes arrives from her past to help nurture and heal her with loving guidance, requests, and tangible, material support. But they mean facing her past from which she recoils at having to dredge up traumatic events.
Her escape into solitude spirals into entanglements with others who have their own wounds and secrets. She's encouraged by meeting caring, helpful women, but fearful of men who challenge her guarded heart—one who's hidden his true feelings, a wounded hero recovering from trauma, and a third is an intelligent charmer who seems too good to be true. Battling memories and anxiety, Callie must choose to confront, or run from, the wishes and her traumas, and the men who could either shatter or heal her. Will it be fate or her own decisions that determine who she is and the rest of her life?
Callie’s journey through broken lives from charming New England to the Florida coasts, to the majestic Grand Canyon will either save or devastate her. Join Callie as she navigates the treacherous terrain of the heart in a fight for her future.
Please note: there is death as part of Callie's losses, but it is off-page, not graphic, not violent. It is presented as memories; one is current but natural and serves as a guiding light for her healing journey.
"… WISHES is one of the best books I've ever read. Fans of Nicholas Sparks will want to read this unforgettable tale."
- N. N. Light's Book Heaven Review
"Samuelson's latest novel is… [an] entertaining novel of romance, renewal, and healing from past trauma... with a deepening awareness that what truly matters in life is worth the effort."
- BookLife Review
"... Blending romance and psychological drama, WISHES focuses on Callie's emotional journey and personal growth... successfully capturing the different stages of grief… and—most importantly-hope."
- IndieReader Review
