This was written well and it was a quick read. I read it in two sittings. I didn't dislike it, but almost all of the action takes place in one day - so there wasn't as much character development as in novels that span a longer period of time, and maybe some of the connections made between characters moved a little quickly for my taste. There is an epilogue with a sort of update on what's going on with these characters a year later, so I could swallow the whole "all that happened in just one night?" deal. Actual time does go by before happily ever after, we just don't get to see it all. ( )

A Secret Wish Book #1, Wish Series by Barbara Freethy
ISBN: 9780983651789
Liz is having a birthday celebration, she's just 30, a nurse when she meets a man while taking a break, lighting her birthday cupcake when John scares her and she drops the cupcake. Her wish is just for someone to love her.
They arrived at a hotel where Carole Prescott was having a huge party for her 40th. They walked in as if they belonged and had been invited. Her husband Blake was running for Senator and more than 1/2 of the people there were for his election, not her birthday. Her wish is to have her family back. She finds her husband in the corridor with a much younger woman.
Angela is celebrating her 35th birthday. Family throws a surprise party but she just wants another try at IVF for a baby but her husband Colin had spent his bonus on a cruise for them, a second honeymoon.
All birthdays are linked together at the end. The book follows how each celebrates.
They all dwell where they grew up and want to make amends with family or their past lifes. ( )

It's never to late to change your path in life, nor is one ever too old to make a wish. This book follows three strangers, three women, who all share one thing in common – they all share the same birthday.

First we meet Liz Kelly. She's a nurse freshly off her shift, celebrating her thirtieth birthday alone on the hospital rooftop with a cupcake. Recently dumped by her boyfriend, she has only one wish – to find that special man to fall in love with and be loved back. Before she can make her wish, she is startled out of her reverie by a handsome stranger.

Next is Carole. She's a mother and the (trophy) wife of a politician. Turning forty brings with it the fear that her husband may soon be on the lookout for a younger upgrade. Looking at the guests at her party also makes it glaringly obvious that it's more like a political campaign to hob nob rather than celebrate her. Her children didn't even stick around to enjoy the party, but she can't blame them. She has devoted her whole life to her husband's career and neglected them. When she catches her husband in a compromising situation with a younger woman, she runs away to the one place she ran away from and vowed never to return – back to the shabby neighborhood where she grew up and where her estranged mother still lives.

Lastly we have Angela. She comes from a large family who in turn all have families of their own. Except her. Her and her husband have spent many years and a lot of money trying to get pregnant. Failure is not an option. When her husband receives his annual bonus, she's certain he'll agree to another round of IVF. Instead he surprises her with tickets for a romantic cruise. She's devastated by his unwillingness to give her her dream. She escapes from her party with only one question burning on her mind – is a life consisting of just her and her husband enough for her, and where does that leave them?

Each woman's tale of self discovery cycles through from beginning, middle to the end. They even catch a glimpse or exchange a word or two with one another at different stages of the story but that's about the extent of their awareness of one another. Each story brought a few tears, but none moreso than Liz and John's. He helped her "live a little" while remaining oddly cryptic about himself. All my guesses turned out to be way off base. Their night of hanging out and experiencing new things leads to a night of passion. The morning after, John has disappeared leaving Liz a heartfelt note and a confession. But she won't let her wish slip away so easily.

Carole's journey was predictable, but her struggle to make sense of her life felt believable. I wasn't sure what decision she'd make in the end, but I knew what I was hoping for. Out of all three ladies, I think Angela had the most touching story. I'm glad the author took this arc in a positive direction and made Angela's husband a man of worth, and the proverbial rock to lean on. His disappointment with Angela was honest and not unfounded. Of course both partners have to be on the same page and not dole out ultimatums if they expect their marriage to work.

The epilogue was perhaps a little predictable, but this whole book felt like a tale of hope and faith, that I wasn't surprised at all. While the ladies never officially meet, we get a glimpse into their lives one year later. They're all celebrating their birthday and a year of changes, coincidentally all in the same restaurant. A very uplifting story well told. ( )

BLURB from Goodreads
Three women, three birthdays and one unforgettable night that will change their lives forever.

One night in San Francisco, three women make a birthday wish believing it can’t possibly come true. Liz is turning thirty. A successful nurse, she has a good career, but no man to share her life. All her friends are married, and she’s alone, still trying to outrun a tragedy from her past. Then she meets a handsome stranger.

Angela, a member of a large, loving Italian family, is facing thirty-five with no baby in the nursery. Eight years of infertility treatments have put a strain on her marriage. Will she have to choose between her husband and having a child? When she is mugged by an unexpected assailant, her life takes a new turn.

Carole, a corporate wife, is staring down forty candles. Having grown up poor, she worked hard to get ahead, but when her kids bail on her birthday, and she discovers her husband with another woman, she realizes that she may have nothing at all. She goes back to where it all began, the mother she left behind, and the man whose heart she once broke.

Ena's Review
I think the cover is very fitting with the book, with the San Francisco bridge in the background on the cover and the cupcake with a birthday candle. On a shelf in a bookstore I would have picked up this cover to read the blurb and definitely considered buying it.
As the blurb says the book is about three different women, Liz, Angela and Carole. the theme of the book is birthdays and the secret wish you take when you blow out your candle/candles.
The book travels at a reasonable pace, it's neither rushed nor so slow that you lose interest.
I love how this author Barbara Freethy writes, her descriptions and her plots are in my opinion really good.
I was disappointed when the book ended and wanted to reaad the next installment straight away.
One thing I wasn't keen on was all the advertising of the other book, I prefer my books to be unknown to me until I pick them up and decide to read them, if you know what I mean.
So did I enjoy? Yes, a lot. Would I recommend? Yes, I think it would suit many readers. Would I read more in the Wish Series? Yes I have the next one ready to read!! would I read more by Barbara Freethy? Definitely!

Available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk £0.77 (a bargain, in my opinion!) ( )

Three women, three birthdays and one unforgettable night that will change their lives forever.

A Secret Wish by Barbara Freethy is a refreshing read. Ms. Freethy leads us into the insight of not just one mind, not two, but three different pairs. She did a tremendous job at capturing my attention, holding it, and then releasing it on down to the last minute. I truly enjoyed reading this novel and look forward to more she has to provide.

Four out of five stars. ( )