"Romance on an enchanted island."

When astronaut Yeager Gates is seriously injured in a motorcycle accident he is removed from the space program and loses his chance to be the first pilot of the Millennium program's lunar module. Faced with the loss of everything he has been working for and plagued by continuing health problems, he agrees to accompany his friend Deke to a small resort island off the coast of California. While there he hopes to recover his health and make sense out of it all, at the same time avoiding the press.

Zoe Cash and her sister, Lyssa, are the proprietors of the bed and breakfast where the two men plan to stay during their visit to the island. Zoe has a reputation as a matchmaker on the island, albeit an unsuccessful one. She has plans to repair her reputation by creating successful matches between these two handsome men and two local island residents. Unfortunately Yeager spoils all her plans when he decides that Zoe is the only woman in whom he is interested.

WISH YOU WERE HERE is a charming, sometimes touchingly sad story of two vulnerable people trying to find their way back to life and love. Yeager feels lost, with no idea of what the future holds for him. Zoe has had some rough times in the last several years and feels that if only she can keep things on the island from changing in any way, she will be safe. It is a difficult struggle for each of them to let the other have a part in their lives.

There is also a strong secondary romance between Lyssa, who knows at first sight that she and Deke are destined for each other, and Deke who tries to stay as far away from Lyssa as possible.

At times the development of the two relationships paralleled each other too closely, which I found distracting. But over all I enjoyed this book.

Reviewed by Janice Bennett
Posted March 10, 2002

Summary

As unofficial matchmaker for beautiful Abrigo Island, Zoe Cash practices her own form of no-risk romance. And when Yeager Gates arrives in town for a little R & R, Zoe decides that he'll be her latest project. But the secure world Zoe's created for herself is turned upside-down when she finds herself falling for the sexy fighter pilot. Yeager's flying days might be over, but spending time on Mother Earth with tantalizing Zoe is putting him back on solid ground. Yeager makes no secret of the fact that his island stay is temporary, but when the time comes will he really be able to leave Zoe behind--for good?