[ARC Review] If I Could Wish by Duckie Mack
Benny has been at Penn’s side since childhood. They are connected so deeply, he can’t leave him. He’s tried, but Penn always calls him back. Knowing how strong Penn’s feelings are makes it even harder. What’s more…it’s not one-sided.
When the two cross a line one night, it sends them in a tailspin as they try to figure out what it means. Can there really be something tangible between them?
If I Could Wish is a stand-alone holiday novella with a twist. It features an imaginary friend-to-lover and a dash of Christmas magic.
My thoughts: Before reading If I Could Wish, I had no idea I needed an imaginary friend-to-lover romance in my life, but now I just want more of this trope. Can you just imagine if we all had the holiday magic of Penn? I would have an unspeakable number of book boyfriends to contend with....
Seriously, this was such a sweet MM romance. It simultaneously ends too soon and gives readers the perfect amount of magic and hope. My heart hurt for both Penn and Benny at the beginning; who hasn't pined for someone they could never have? And for Penn and Benny, they literally couldn't have each other since Benny wasn't real. Their happily ever after was that much sweeter because of the trials they both had to go through to get there.
But below the sweet romance, Duckie Mack gives readers a lot to think about. Benny is, underneath it all, a beautiful representation of self-love. Penn created him in his mind when he needed to not feel so alone and unloved. When Penn's parents were absent, Benny was always there. Even when Penn sought physical closeness with others, he emotionally kept Benny close. And thanks to the magic of the holiday season, Penn was finally able to love and accept himself via the physical manifestation of Benny.
Of course, this novella is equally sweet if you take Penn and Benny's relationship at face value; if all Benny is to Penn is a make believe friend made real, Penn still had an unexpectedly beautiful Christmas with someone who has always been there for him.
Coming in at under 100 pages, If I Could Wish doesn't waste any time pulling readers into the love shared between the two main characters. Penn's love and need for Benny shines bright, and even the imaginary friend has enough character development to make Benny's love for Penn abundantly clear.
Anyone looking for a short and adorably sweet MM holiday romance needs to check out If I Could Wish. You won't realize how much you need the imaginary friend-to-lovers trope in your life until you read Penn and Benny's novella.
Thank you so much to Duckie Mack for sharing an early copy of this novella!
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Release date: 12/18/22
Format: eARC
eARC provided via: the author
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