Whispered Wishes


Romance - Contemporary
294 Pages
Reviewed on 02/21/2020
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Author Biography

I’m a “Geordie lass” from Newcastle upon Tyne, in the north east of England, not far from the castles and beaches of the stunning Northumberland coastline. The city is famous for Newcastle United - our Premier League football team has major aspirations but zero results! It’s a university city and a well-known weekend destination if you’re wanting to party or “shop until you drop”. I’ve always written, usually when I’m meant to be doing something else. I’m that woman talking to herself on the bus, scribbling ideas with a purple pen.

Whispered Wishes was inspired by a real-life event - the scene on the train where Olivia meets Lucas again. The guy was a surf-dude, the girl looked prim, like a lawyer. They bickered for three hours but by the end, they were all over each other and clearly heading for a hotel. I was intrigued and tempted to follow them. But I reined in my stalker tendencies and wrote a novel instead.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite

In Whispered Wishes by Sue Lilley, when Olivia moves into Willow Cottage after her relationship ends, she finds her new neighbor, single father Nathan, is far from happy to see her. Both Olivia and Nathan are determined that the barriers they have built up from their pasts will remain. Nathan's only focus is on raising his daughter, Katie. But when Olivia meets his old adversary, a self-assured reality TV star, Lucas Jax, Nathan is enraged with jealousy. As Olivia learns the painful truth behind Nathan's distant behavior, she realizes how much she cares for him. Nathan slowly opens his heart to Olivia and allows himself to trust again. Now Olivia finds herself caught between two sworn enemies and when Katie disappears, Nathan believes only one man is responsible. But in order to find his precious daughter, he must face his enemy and make a drastic decision.

Unlike many romance novels, the characters in this book are riveting and have many layers to their personalities. I thought Nathan and Olivia were both charismatic and very likable. Their behavior and dialogue perfectly portray individuals who have faced heartbreak. Sue Lilley captures Nathan's pain so subtly but powerfully. The development of the relationship between Olivia and Nathan is gradual and, again, very realistic. Donna was also a very strong character and a friend everyone deserves. There are moments of heartbreak, suspense, and surprising revelations. Whispered Wishes by Sue Lilley is a very good example of how people change their behavior when they have been hurt or abandoned emotionally. Sometimes you can put up barriers so high that you forget how to trust and love. A beautiful, engaging story that will be hard to forget once you turn the final page.

K.C. Finn

Whispered Wishes is a work of romantic fiction set in contemporary times, and was written for adults by author Sue Lilley. Settling into the medium heat range of romance for its moderate sexual situations and use of some explicit language, this sizzling love triangle plot sees old enemies pitted against one another when the stakes are high. Lucas is a celebrity photographer who has ruined Olivia’s life, but he also has a beef with her attractive new neighbor, the reclusive millionaire Nathan. So when Nathan’s beloved little girl goes missing, it’s anyone’s guess as to how the three will work together to solve the mystery and figure out their differences.

Author Sue Lilley stirs up a delightful amount of trouble in this highly engaging contemporary read, which is sure to delight fans of the romance genre looking for feisty new characters to fall for. Olivia makes for a highly accessible protagonist, brought low by the fame-mongering of Lucas and his foolish actions, and reluctant to let anyone new ruin her life. But the pull of Nathan’s charms is strong indeed, thanks to some excellent atmospheric writing from Lilley, which draws readers in and makes for a truly cinematic experience as we imagine the scenes playing out. The heat rises with a great progression as the plot thickens, bringing both suspense and sizzle to the table for a real page-turner effect. Overall, Whispered Wishes is an engaging and highly recommended read for the romance fans amongst us who want more intrigue and intensity in their reading experience.

Ruffina Oserio

Whispered Wishes by Sue Lilley is a beautifully written romance with great characters. Nathan and Lucas are two friends with deep-seated grudges and it only gets worse when Olivia Wilding comes into the picture. Nathan is into Olivia, and even when experiencing intimacy with another girl, his mind is still on Olivia. Nathan knows it and it eats deep into him. Everything changes when Nathan’s daughter goes missing. It is a moment of crisis, and while they have already reported this to the police. Nathan, Lucas, and Olivia must go out into the wintry weather and look for her. Can working together in search of Nathan’s daughter bring about the healing of old wounds? And can they be able to find the little girl?

Sue Lilley crafts a beautiful story that is rich in drama and in plot. The characters are well developed, and I liked how the author handles the female characters and the hostility between Lucas and Nathan. Olivia is the epitome of a woman caught amid diverse desires. The reader wants to find out if she can give her heart to a single man. The novel contains mature content, but it is so skillfully handled that it only serves to showcase character development and to fuel conflict. The prose is highly descriptive, with dialogues that are crafted to build the drama. I loved how locales are described, the landscape in which the characters carry out the search for Nathan’s missing daughter and how the setting affects the other elements of the story. Whispered Wishes explores the very center of human desire, with themes of love, lust, and friendship, and second chances. A heartwarming and delightful read.