Image via Courtney Milan
Her Every Wish by Courtney Milan
So this was a hard choice because Milan’s latest contemporary, Hold Me, was also one of my faves of the year, but Her Every Wish feels particularly necessary right now despite being a historical. The opening scene finds Daisy Whitlaw publicly vying for a bequest that would allow her to fulfill her dream of opening up her own shop. As the only woman competing for something traditionally only allowed for men, she is of course met with derision, and oh, this scene is TOO REAL.
One voice in the crowd speaks up on her behalf and forces everyone else to listen; Crash, whose swagger and confidence once drew Daisy to him for entirely different reasons. Crash offers to help Daisy learn to sway the judges into giving her the bequest, as he pursues his own velocipede-speeded dreams, and Daisy accepts; with a sick mother and no other hopes for her future, she’ll risk anything, even losing her heart once more. This novella is a beautiful second chance romance not only for Crash and Daisy but also for their hopes and dreams. By the end, the reader can’t help but know in their bones that their own dreams are also within reach, and that’s no small feat.
Recommended for any time at all, but especially when the bastards have ground you down and you need a resupply of hope.