A Review of The Right Wrong Number by Barbara Delinsky

This was my first time reading a romance short story by Barbara Delinsky, and I found her writing to be emphatic and easy to follow. The story centers around Carly Kelly, the owner of Plant People, a nursery and flower shop. She's offered a potentially life-changing opportunity to partner with Mayer’s, a major home store chain.

With only four days to decide, Carly calls her friends Bibi and Hank to share the news—but she accidentally dials the wrong number. On the other end is a stranger named Charlie, whose sexy, intriguing voice catches her off guard. Instead of hanging up, Carly keeps talking. Charlie is kind, curious about her shop, and genuinely supportive. Their conversation flows effortlessly, and she finds herself opening up to him. Just as their connection deepens, disaster strikes—her phone drops into a bucket of water, cutting the call short.

With no way to recover the number, Carly tries various combinations on her new phone but can't reach Charlie again. Still, his advice sticks with her. She consults a lawyer (also a customer) to review the Mayer’s deal, and together they make adjustments that protect her business interests. Yet, Charlie lingers in her thoughts, and she keeps searching for him online.

Then, in a serendipitous twist, on the final night of celebrating her independence as a businesswoman, the store phone rings. The voice on the other end stops her in her tracks—it’s Charlie. He’s been trying to find her too and finally tracked her down. He asks her out to dinner... and that’s where the story ends.

Overall, this was a quick and delightful read. Though the ending felt a bit abrupt (I would’ve loved a glimpse of their dinner!), I enjoyed the story’s charm and simplicity. I especially appreciated the mutual drive between Carly and Charlie to reconnect. I’d definitely read more from Barbara Delinsky.

Rating: 4 Stars

Some of my favorite lines:

The voice on the other end held an audible smile. “I think I would love that. Who is this?”

That quickly, Carly went from relief that she’d said it all to mortification—because now that he’d spoken more than just a hello, she could hear that the man on the other end wasn’t Hank. This man’s voice was deeper. It was slower and more relaxed. Definitely more sexy.

“Oh dear,” she said, totally mortified. “And my speech was so good.”

He laughed. “It was great. That’s a really neat opportunity you have.”

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