Marnie Fairchild has poured her entire adult life into her business, Wish & Co., which offers a discreet, bespoke gift-buying service. When the historic shopfront her grandfather once owned comes up for sale, Marnie is distracted and makes a grave error: she mixes up the gifts intended for a wealthy client's wife and his mistress. Marnie, terrified of losing her financial footing and her reputation, promises to help her client win back his wife. With Love from Wish & Co., the warmhearted third novel from Minnie Darke, follows Marnie as she chases her dreams and considers how far she's willing to go for success.
Marnie is justifiably proud of the business she's built but has long ignored the sticky moral dilemmas surrounding her customers' complicated lives. Yet as she works to help her client, Brian, repair his marriage, Marnie finds herself falling for his son, Luke, who doesn't hesitate to question Marnie about her professional ethics. Although Marnie understands what makes others tick, she gradually realizes she doesn't know herself quite as well.
Darke (The Lost Love Song; Star-Crossed) creates likable characters with distinct motivations; Brian and Luke's complicated father-son dynamic is well-drawn. Brian's wife, Suzanne, emerges as the novel's secondary heroine, as she considers her future in light of Brian's actions and her own desires. Meanwhile, Marnie must decide what kind of person--and businesswoman--she wants to be. With Love from Wish & Co. is an entertaining girl-makes-good story, but it's also a thoughtful meditation on the practice of gift giving and a heartfelt tribute to second chances. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams