Simple Wishes is a modern day romance with multi-layered themes.  Adele Matin left her home and her mother behind while she was just a teenager.  She made a life for herself in New York, and but for one life-altering error in judgment, she would likely still remain there.

Instead, having no place else to go, she finds herself a cottage in Pennsylvania. Her mother died some years before, and this was the sum total of her inheritance.  It felt like she was returning to the emotional prison of her childhood, yet it proved to be the key to unlocking her future.  Adele meets her neighbors, an elderly couple, Al and Beatrice, and their wayward teenage granddaughter, Kayleigh.  Beatrice is Korean and the book offers the reader some insight to the Korean culture and traditions in a soft and gentle manner, which nevertheless, captures one's attention.  Another neighbor, Hermit Jay, proves to be a romantic subject of interest. That is if Adele can find a way to trust him and open her heart to him.

The intertwining of generations and cultures serve to highlight both the differences and similarities of how men and women find ways to deal with painful situations in life.  Adele’s inner psychological warfare struggles both to contain itself and to retain its power over her, and to allow her emotional floodgates to open, thus risking survival versus not only survival, but a thriving happiness.

This is a romance I found thought-provoking and emotionally provocative.  As I read the book, I found my own emotions somewhat shaken, but later stirred.  The only question I was left asking was "What happened to No Pants Dan?"  Though only mentioned once, he sparked my curiosity.

I recommend this book to romance aficionados as well as readers interested in exploring what family really means and the ties that bind people together through thick and thin.