This story centers on Fiona Abry and Aaron McCormick. Fiona is a single mother, successful CEO of a watch company in Geneva. She has sworn off love after her last relationship ended poorly, and now is consumed with motherhood and work. Fiona was an easy protagonist to like -- she loves her child, she was born into a family with an abundance of wealth but the story doesn't really read as a person who isn't like the rest of us. The one thing that Fiona is missing is love. On the Summer Solstice, Fiona's mother gives her a long lost family heirloom that will help her find what she truly desires (in her dreams). That night, Fiona goes to bed and meets McCormick. Each night she goes back to see McCormick and you get to watch as their love grows on the page.

There were lots of things that I thought were so cute about this book. I smiled so much while reading it, as it all felt so sweet. However, the pacing of the story felt like it dragged at times, and while there wasn't cheating, it occasionally felt like cheating (everything is just a dream). There were some plot points that were left unresolved that are minorly frustrating as I don't believe that in any of the future books will those loops be closed. However, I would definitely read the rest of this series and the future books to come.

If you're in the mood for a fun beach/summer read (or just a cute romance), I would highly recommend.

This. THIS. This book has my heart.

I received an arc of this book thanks to NetGalley. I hadn't heard of the author before and, although this is part of a series, it is the first one of the bunch that I read. Let me preface my review by saying that you can absolutely read this book without having read the other two. While some characters that appear in this book also appear in Ghosted (I haven't read Switched yet), I can tell you that you are not missing any vital information by starting with this one. (I am sure you will run to read the other two afterwards anyway because that is certainly what I did.)

Fiona is a hard working woman in desperate need of a break. After receiving a family heirloom that is supposed to let you dream your greatest desire, Fiona does just that. She dreams and dreams of a tropical island with a husband she falls in love with, two very nice kids and a broken life that she is happy to fix. I loved Fi as a character. She seemed very real, in a way. Because let's be real. If you were to meet the man of your dreams in a ... dream ... you would not believe it to be real instantly either, right? I loved to read about her company, her relationship with her brother Daniel (the main LI of book one, everyone!), her thoughts on her family life and her growing feelings towards Aaron.

And this is the only complaint that I have. Aaron felt...not entirely human? I don't know how else to explain it, but it felt like he was not a finished character. While I understood his motivations, I couldn't quite connect to his lack of feelings? Especially in the first few dreams, he seemed like a pushover who would just let everything happen to him, come what may. His life wasn't really his in a way. This changed for the better the more often Fi visited him, he really received more of a personality. I do have to say though that while reading the book, this didn't bother me all that much. So I don't feel like it warrants subtracting a star. It is just something that I noticed once I started thinking about it for this review.

I especially enjoyed the last 20% of the book. The way that events started happening more and more quickly, the rising stakes, the plot twists that revealed themselves. I don't want to add any spoilers into this, so just know, I couldn't put the book down. :)

This story centers on Fiona, single mother and CEO of a successful watch company in Geneva, who has chosen to focus on her daughter and her career as opposed to looking for love. When she comes into the possession of a family heirloom that lets you dream your greatest desires, she begins to wonder if she should change her outlook and perhaps redirect her life. When she really begins to fall in love with the specific life she experiences in her dreams, it complicates things when she's awake. I love that this romance revolves around main characters in their 30s and real themes of found family and hope. This book really makes you think about whether it's better to protect your heart by giving up on love versus seeking something potentially amazing with the risk of experiencing hurt. There are some really poignant moments in this book--I teared up twice. My heart broke once. My mind changed multiple times on who I wanted Fiona to end up with. The mystical element of this book was interesting. I was intrigued the entire time I was reading this book and still have a hard time really articulating why I like it, but I did like this book very much.

Fated by Sarah Ready is a meet cute rom-com that is book 3 in the Ghosted Series, but can be read as a stand alone as all the characters are new. Meet Moonbeam Clover Fiona Abry, or Fi for short. Fiona and her brother Daniel inherited Abry Watch Co Ltd. when it was almost bankrupt and spent the next years working to bring it back to the success it is today. Unfortunately, it also meant sacrificing their personal lives and never finding the one person they were meant to be with.

*Fiona's mom is a hippy-type, free spirit who wants to see her daughter be happy. She steals the Adolphus Abry's pocket watch from Fiona's father's great-uncle Leopold. This watch was create by Adolphus Abry and "Family legend says the first watch he crafted on his own held all his dreams". This watch is said to "make all your dreams come true". So, Fi decides to fall asleep with the watch and see what happens. In comes Aaron and his family Amy and Sean who live on a far off island with no internet or phones. Soon Fi and Aaron form a connection, but it is only in her dreams. What are they telling her?

This book was based on a cute premise and I did enjoy it. It took me on several twists that I didn't actually see coming, which given it was a rom-com that is not typical for me. I felt that the book at times was a bit tiresome at times and it just kept dragging out. I did like that there wasn't the typical machoism that is found in many of the rom-coms that I have read. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the tagged publisher for my copy of Fated by Sarah Ready, the third book in the Ghosted series.

A captivating tale of love and the supernatural in Fated by Sarah Ready.

I liked how Fiona Abry's journey to find love was portrayed in this book, although it did have a slower pace compared to the previous instalment of the series. The connections to the last book, especially the part about the bet, were fantastic. The story explores the romance between Aaron and Fi, revealing that things are not as perfect as they seem when Fi enters Aaron’s life. It has a great premise and a fresh, sweet feel, delving deeply into paranormal themes. Fiona, a busy working person, Fiona dreams of a different life with Aaron and the children by the beach, adding an intriguing twist to the plot. Aaron is a particularly compelling character, and Fiona's relationships with her brother, Daniel and her best friend, Max, truly add depth to the story. I'm eagerly anticipating the fourth book in this series.

#ParanormalRomance #BookReview #LoveStory
Hashtags: #Fated #SarahReady #GhostedSeries #RomanceNovel #BookLovers #Supernatural #Relationships #ExcitingReads #Bookworms

I should have learned after Ghosted what I’d be getting into with this book of the series. But, WOW! I was not prepared but full heartedly loved every bit of this! I was so into finding out how things would play out and I was ugly crying so hard I scared my entire family. Absolutely devoured this book and highly recommend it, but don’t forget the tissues. I LOVED this story!

Ahead of the release day tomorrow, July 16th, I am delighted to share my thoughts on Sarah Ready's latest book Fated. Delighted may be an understatement. Throughout this book I couldn't help myself from smiling away at my kindle and hoping beyond hope that McCormick (Aaron) and Fi could find a way to make the stars align for them.


Thanks to Sarah Ready and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the advance copy through NetGalley.


Synopsis:

Fiona Abry is a high-powered business exec at the family Swiss watch company, Abry, a high-powered mom to her eight year old daughter, Mila, and a high-powered friend and sister. The only thing her high-powered life is missing is love. Her mother comes out of the woodwork to gift her a family heirloom that causes you to dream your heart's deepest desire.


Spoiler Alert!


She does.


What I Loved:

The Mystery of the Watch: Ready kept me on the edge of my seat for the near entirety of the book to understand what happens to Fi when she enters the dream world and what her role is in their lives. Though Fi initially assumes that the people in her dreams are not real, they are written with such a complexity and are distinctly impacted by the character that Fi takes over in her dreams ("Becca"). From the introduction of the island, I felt torn between outcomes. I wanted Aaron, Amy, and Sean to maintain their lives on the Island (with Fi!) and I wanted Fi to maintain her life with Mila in Geneva running Abry (with Aaron, Amy, and Sean!). It didn't seem like it was possible for these two realities to coexist.


The uncertainty of how the two timelines would co-exist in the non-dream world was a juicy mango for me to sink my teeth into and a snapper I wanted to pull the guts out.


The Connection Between the Characters: Aaron and Fi have a connection when she first wakes up on her dream island. Initially, it is the connection of having been married for 15 years and grown up together on an island with no internet and limited access to the outside world. Over dreams, the connection between the two grows beyond the reality of their experiences. It transpires time and space and defies the odds. At the risk of sharing too much, I have to restrain myself.

What I Wanted More From:

Development of the Secondary Characters: When I say this, it is not a criticism of the development or plot decisions of Fated. Moreover, I am looking forward to the direction Ready will chose to go in future books to develop the stories of Max and Daniel. After Fi's story, I feel like I have lived her experiences (in Switzerland and Frying Pan Island) and I wait with anticipation for when I can read what twists might befall them as they search for their own happily-ever-afters (Tsunamis? Hurricanes? Am I stuck thinking too far within the confines of Fated?).

Fiona Abry leads a busy and full life in Geneva as a single mom who is also the CEO of luxury watch brand Abry Watches. When her mother gifts her a family heirloom pocket watch said to show you your wildest dreams, Fiona is skeptical. But then she begins dreaming of being on a tropical island with a husband and two children. Fiona knows her dreams aren’t real since she wakes each morning back in Geneva, so why does it feel like she’s really falling for her dream husband?

Fated is book 3 of the Ghosted series and has the same heart and charm of the first two with an adventure wholly its own! I love this series and find the way that Sarah Ready weaves magical realism with romance to be so ✨dreamy✨

My heart ached for Aaron McCormick throughout this love story. It was easy to see why Fi fell so hard for him. It truly felt like the hands of fate at work getting them to each other in the dream world and real life. The resolution to the story was so beautiful and perfect for these two! I highly recommend this for readers who enjoy magical realism and romance!

4.5 stars
Content warnings: gunshot and subsequent trauma, cheating, mentioned past unplanned pregnancies, toxic relationship with a side character, parental abandonment, parental and friend deaths talked about, a natural disaster described

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

I've been a huge fan of the Ghosted series, and Fated didn't disappoint - though I was scared it was going to in the beginning. I liked Fiona's setup as a career-focused single mother. We're instantly given the image of someone who has good standing in society now, but has had to work for it, and doesn't know how to relax as a result. That, along with the shooting incident at the start of the book had me invested in her character. But then we enter the dream world, and everything's really messy in comparison. Fiona, now in the body of another woman called Becca, is left to navigate a 15 year old marriage of convenience, her body's counterpart has been cheating with someone close to said husband, and every time she's transported to her dreams, she has to restart her journey at Aaron's side. Now, I'm not someone who likes reading about cheating, and thankfully Fiona isn't a fan of it either after her past love experience. But I did find myself dragging my toes a little and really hating Becca (and Robert). I get what this setup did for the overall storyline, and I accept it now that I'm finished, but my annoyance at Becca and her lack of empathy and very self-absorbed personality - along with how everyone let her do whatever without consequence - had me wondering if I would come out the other end of this book not a fan.

But it was actually this setup, Fiona's way of dealing with it all, and how she comes up with her codeword with Aaron that morphed this into a great read for me. I liked that she didn't allow Becca's toxic traits to infiltrate her time with Aaron and his children in her dreams, and unlike some reviewers, I liked that the dreams followed her back into her living life, and the way she invested time into finding things to learn and take back into the dream world for Amy or thinking of Aaron when it came to her standards of love.

Of course, the nature of this world is fantastical, so you have to come to the dream state with a bit of an open mind since this does end with an HEA outside of the dream world. I enjoyed the plot twists and how the dream world worked around the events in Fiona and Aaron's lives. I would have liked to spend more time with their relationship and see Fiona and her daughter's initial actions around Aaron's children outside of the dream space, but it was a really cute ending and a very believable romance between Aaron and Fiona. I liked their passion just as much as their emotional connection, which isn't always something I find balanced in a romance these days.

I did drop half a star because I struggled to get past some of the story's setup, mostly with Becca, and the completely unnecessary strained romantic storyline with best friends Fiona and Max. However, I am glad to see that he will get his own book because I didn't enjoy him enough as a side character in this one. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Ready has me utterly captivated with these romantic tales with supernatural/fantastical elements.

After finding out her fiance was already married and living a double life, Fiona is left pregnant and jaded. Now, years later, her daughter and her family's watch company are her life with no chance at romance and broken hearts. Then she's given a family heirloom watch that's rumored to make her dreams come true. That night she's dropped onto a paradise island and a life with a husband and two children. How can this dream world feel so real? How can life here go on even when Fi's not dreaming it? And how is it that she's fallen for a man that doesn't exist?
This story was so unique and I was pulled into Fi's dreamworld and all its wonderful characters. The fact that her real life was so unemotional and flat made the dream even more magical. When the dream ended I felt just as bereft and confused as Fi, just as anxious to see Aaron again and live the dream in her real life. Their HEA was everything I hoped for!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up.

This is book #3 in Sarah Ready’s Ghosted series. I think this might be my favourite in the series and I can’t wait to read book #4! I love Sarah’s writing style and find her books hard to put down.

I love the bond Fiona has with her brother Daniel, and her best friend Max. There are some beautiful, tender, heartwarming moments along with some heartbreaking moments that will shatter your heart before you have it stitched back together again. Such a roller coaster of emotions! The subject matter is relevant – loss, betrayal, grief, emotional trauma, family bonds. The characters are well developed and relatable, I felt their joy and their pain. There are the occasional ‘intimate’ references, but they aren’t out of place and not what I consider to be too steamy... easy to gloss over those parts if that's not your thing. Each of the books in the series offers something different, and this book feels more serious and emotional than Ghosted & Switched. It’s missing some of the humour that I loved in the first 2 books, but in saying that, I loved it and highly recommend it if you enjoy this genre.

This can be read as a stand-alone novel. If Fated is your first in the series and you decide to read the others, make sure you read Ghosted before you read Switched, as characters from Ghosted appear in Switched and there are spoilers. While Daniel is a main character in Ghosted, there aren’t any spoilers in Fated, so it's safe to read Fated before reading Ghosted.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Ready, and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for a free digital arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Fiona has been avoiding love for years. Ever since her fiancé broke her heart and left her pregnant, she has closed herself off to the idea of romance and forever. She has focused on her business, her daughter, and her brother. And that has been enough. Until it isn't. A near-death experience realigns her feelings about the future. She can no longer avoid it. She's lonely and wants to fall in love. Her family's antique pocket watch comes into her life and shows her a man that she simply cannot resist. But he's only in her dreams, right?

I loved this book! I adored Switched, but this.....this is something else. My jaw dropped at some of the parts of this book. It broke my heart. It made me happy. It had it all. The audio was also very well done and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4.5⭐
Spice: 0.5🌶️

Since reading Switched (previous book in series), I have been highly anticipating Fiona's story. Sarah delivers once again with a romantic take on magical realism and I could not help but enjoy the ride! ✨

Fiona is an heiress to her family's Swiss watch company, fully committed to running it - meaning all work and no play. Never mind a love life, she doesn't even have time for a holiday!
When her mum presents her with a family heirloom for her "birthday", story has it that the watch will let you dream your hearts true desire. Soon, Fiona is living the life as Becca, on a secluded beach with a husband and two children. Knowing this dream would never become a reality, she decides to fully immerse herself. When Fiona starts falling for her dream husband, she knows she needs to cut her losses before she's in too deep. A dream is a dream... but what happens if it's not one after all?

I was literally left hanging on the edge of my seat with the suspense in this book! Fiona is strong and independent, doesn't do love or attachments because she thinks it makes her vulnerable when the other decides to leave. Meeting McCormick and spending time with him changes all that for her and boy, does she chase after her dreams! McCormick is such a charming character who just wishes the best for everyone (but himself) due to guilt he still holds from many years ago. My heart really felt for him!

There was seriously times when I thought 'this could never work' but Sarah proved me wrong! I loved how the ending came to be (my heart, gahhhh🩷🫠) and cannot wait for Max's story, next in 'Wished'.

Thank you to Sarah and Netgalley for the eARC, in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏻

Upon initially delving into this novel, I encountered a reading slump that hindered my immediate immersion in the narrative. However, as I gradually became absorbed in the story, I found myself truly captivated. In fact, I was so engrossed that I ended up devouring the entire second half of the book in one uninterrupted session. Unlike its preceding installments, this latest addition to the series adopts a more somber and reflective tone. It ventures into the complex themes and emotional intricacies inherent in time travel romance, rendering it a riveting choice for enthusiasts of this genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this ARC. My opinions are my own.

Fated is part of a series but can be read as a standalone novel.

Fiona lives in Geneva, Switzerland and runs her family's watch company with her brother, Daniel. Her mother visits and gives her a watch that is a family heirloom and will make her dreams come true. She soon starts dreaming about a man who lives on a tiny island and sees Fiona as his wife, Becca. In the real world, she has to decide whether she could see her best friend, Max, as more than a friend.

I loved the chemistry between Fiona and Aaron but I thought the book was a bit too long. I want to read the previous books in the series though because I like the magical realism aspect of the series. The final 20-30% was well worth it. Sarah Ready is going on to my list of must read authors.

Wow. They are really for each other. Soulmates through and through.

I honestly don't usually read fantasy-romance but this one nailed at the fated/soulmates trope. The element of fantasy here is really magical. The storytelling is very interesting though I feel like some parts are dragging. I also liked the world-building done by the author, the descriptions of the magical island and the way of living there, it is very detailed and you can easily imagine it.

The romance has its highs and lows and the fmc has some questionable ideas/decisions at first but she has great character development. I also loved the children of both MC's (they are both parents) they made the story more interesting to me. The climax was so good and that plot twist? Well, I didn't see that coming, honestly. Also tw: cheating (not of the heroine but an importsnt character) now this cheating might really bother you cause' well...you have to read the book to find out but it has its purpose.

I found the ending a bit too rushed and the epilogue a bit too short however I think that's because the MC's here might still appear for the next book in this series (which is about the FMC's bff). Buttt oh my the reunion! Loved it. I also found the craftsmanship of watches/clocks a lot more fascinating because of this book. I also think it was so creative of the author to be able to make clocks/watches and time to have a huge symbolism or connection to the story. A very fresh take on an old concept really. I loved how these two are just fated.

Thank you so much for netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this latest addition to Sarah Ready’s Ghosted trilogy, although this can absolutely be read as a standalone. Magical realism is so well done in these books, each one with its own unique situation that feels absolutely believable and well executed.

I found the magic system very compelling here. Although I normally gravitate towards shorter/faster paced romances, the slower pace here worked fantastically well for this story. I was really able to sink into the characters and the world, all of which felt very well-developed. The cast of characters was great, and all of them felt fleshed out.

This would be a fantastic choice for a summer read!

Hopeful romance about what happens when you find love, but only in your dreams.

“Falling in love was always my fear”

📚 dream world
📚 magical realism
📚 single mum
📚 standalone in a series

🌶️

|Thoughts|
This is my second dive into the Ghosted series, and its such a beautiful written and though evoking series. I intend to go back and read the first book in the series.

“If you ever need me, if you ever find yourself awake at night wanting me, I’ll be here. I’ll be here loving you”

I was a little skeptical at first, as I hardly come across stories that are able to tie together a dream world/ fake family with reality. But this story was able to come to a highly satisfying ending, that didn’t diminish the character growth.

“McCormick can’t leave me - he isn’t real”

An additional bonus were the quirks of the story being set in Geneva. Also, I feel like this could be counted as a Christmas story as the story is bookended by the festive season.

”In dreaming we do all the magical, wondrous things we are afraid to do in waking life”

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher & author for this arc in exchange for this honest review.

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‘In dreams, we experience everything we’re afraid to in real life. In dreams we can fly, we can defeat dragons, we can go back in time, we can see our loved ones who are dead and gone, we can talk to a crowd while naked on a stage, and we can even fall in love. But then we forget our dreams and we’re left with only a feeling.’

Oh, how we love the Ghosted series by Sarah Ready! We honestly feel giddy with excitement every time she releases a new book in this ‘suspend all belief’ series of pure romance with a dashing of suspense, angst, broken hearts, and ultimate dreams of ‘the one’!

Every book so far has won our hearts and Fated has now completed the perfect trifecta by this Author in the Ghosted series. If you’ve not jumped on the Sarah Ready -fan train- yet you simply must, we implore you. She can write anything, and it’s guaranteed that we fall in utter book love. If you ask us, the Ghosted series is quite different, oh so romantic, emotional, and funny as well as wonderfully unique and, whilst others have written in a similar vein, this magnificent Author is definitely a favourite!

‘Dream. Dream. Dream. Let me dream of him. One more time.’

Fated is another interconnected standalone in the Ghosted series and we’re back in beautiful Geneva, by Lac Leman, taking in the fresh mountain air and the wonderful flower scents of the Jardin Anglais, flower clock. Fated is the story of Fiona Abry who, alongside her brother Daniel (who we met in Ghosted book #1), runs the family Swiss watch company. Fiona is a dreamer at heart, though is you ask her she’ll deny it. She guards her heart fiercely whilst living a very self-controlled organised life that’s focused on her business as well as her daughter. Fiona has not been lucky in love, in fact she stays well away from it, as people who are meant to love you always leave you.

‘How is it that you can be in the arms of someone you love, yet feel so lonely?’

Now, what Sarah Ready excels at is showing just what will happen if you’re helped along the way to seek your heart’s desire. Your soulmate. What Fiona desires most is a fervent love that’s pure, honest, and unselfish. And as things would have it, sometimes the path to wondrous love turns out to be incredibly unconventional and instigated by the person we least expect.

‘If you ever need me, if you ever find yourself awake at night wanting me, I’ll be here. I’ll be here loving you.’

Fated is beautiful, agonisingly emotional, just pretty perfect. We had tears in our eyes as we read with gigantic smiles on our faces. Our hearts raced and our hearts broke. What an immensely beautiful story with such lovable characters. To be honest, our expectations were high when we started Fated but unsurprisingly Sarah Ready matched and exceeded them in a heartbeat!

“When I kiss you, I always think you smell like a butterfly.”
“Butterflies don’t have a smell.”
“They do. Every day butterflies visit hundreds of flowers. Over their lifetime they land on millions of blooms, dancing in the pollen, drinking the nectar. I think butterflies smell like the perfume of a million flowers dusted on their wings. Like you.”

loved this book so so so SO much!!! I will be thinking about it for months. I loved the unpredictability of it all. I had no idea where it was going or what to expect and I loved every second of the wild ride.

Sarah had me in stitches with laughter and wheezing through tears. I don’t know how she does it. She’s a MASTER!! I will read every word this amazing author writes!

Read this now!!! Just trust me, thank me later. Your heart will burst with joy and you’ll be squealing in glee you’ll love it so much.