Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well (Aunt Dimity Mystery, #19)
by Nancy Atherton

4 out of 5 stars

A young man from Australia inherits his uncle’s cottage in the village of Finch, and all the village gossips (including Lori) are determined to discover everything there is to know about him. They find an old wishing well in the tangle of the overgrown cottage garden, and the villagers jokingly make a few wishes. They are all amazed when their wishes start coming true! Only Aunt Dimity can help Lori to figure out whether the strange happenings in Finch are just coincidence or wishing well magic.

It was so fun to see the friendship between Bree and Lori in this book! They are both wild and weird and wacky! It was adorable to see how Bree looks up to Lori and seeks her advice, and how Lori feels responsible to take care of Bree. They have almost a mother-daughter type of connection in the way they care for each other.

I enjoyed this book so much! I especially loved the history that is unfolded in this plot, as we get a closer look at the deepest desires of the people in Finch. Their wishes really highlight how precarious their friendships are when people think of their own selfish wants instead of being kind and generous to their neighbors.

The plot has many little details that made it fun and engaging. I still think it’s hilarious that Aunt Dimity is a ghost who talks to Lori through a journal. I still love Lori’s delightfully stubborn character, and her relationships with everyone in her little town. I love seeing Lori meet new people in every book, making friends and enemies, and being her own wild self.

This book in particular has some really sweet scenes with Lori and her husband Bill. They are such a cute couple! I really love how their relationship is stable throughout the series. Bill is reliable and kind, and I love how he is so protective of Lori.

The writing is good, clear, and funny! The characters are adorable and complex. It’s not all fluff all the time with Aunt Dimity, but there are also some really hilarious scenes. There’s an excellent balance of serious subjects with more light-hearted scenes.

I love it all!