Good grief, she's done it again. This series requires you to suspend your disbelief and then rewards you with a story that is by turns tender, humorous, heart-wrenching and breath-stealing. Fiona and her brother Daniel, who spend their lives running their family watch company, agree that they will both open themselves up to the possibility of love, but she doesn't expect to find it in her dreams. Are the dreams pointing her towards what she needs to do in her real life, or is there something more to their vivid detail, and Aaron in particular?
All of the characters are so well realised, particularly the main ones. Fiona is understandably closed off considering her history, but still a warm and loving mother, sister and friend (and I am so glad Max is getting the next book, because I had a lot of sympathy for him). Aaron is so steadfast and resilient in the face of everything thrown at him (which is a lot, really) and the chemistry between him and Fiona shines off the page. The locations are described with intricate detail, enabling the reader to visualise life on the island and in Geneva equally well, and I loved how the theme of time - passing, pausing, running out - was played with. It threw me a little that this book takes place before the events in Ghosted, the first in the series, but there are a couple of little foreshadowing moments in there and it was kind of nice to see Daniel knowing what's in store for him. The story builds to a glorious conclusion via some extremely emotional twists and turns, and it'll stay in my memory for quite some time.

This book gave me literal chills...I was already loving it from the start, but it had me in a chokehold during the last 15-20%. I cannot recommend this book enough...as well as the other books in the Ghosted series. I also loved the other books, but this one was just simply BETTER! The quotes were *chef's kiss*!!!

You get lots of appearances from Daniel, who is the main character in the first book (Ghosted) and it seems like this book is set in a time before Daniel met his wife, Jillian. I'm so happy to see that Max will get his own story in Wished. I didn't feel the chemistry between Max and Fiona and I'm glad they can remain friends despite Max professing his love for Fiona. I'm actually surprised that Serena and Henry didn't make an appearance in this book, but maybe I missed it? Regardless, this series is un-put-down-able!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Ready, and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for the opportunity to read and review an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion.

i read this after reading quite a few heavy reads and this was the perfect book after those! it’s such a light and heartwarming read that was easy to get into.

i really felt immersed in the story and i think the character development really carried this for me, it did feel a bit slow at times but i loved seeing how fiona in particular grew over the course of the book.

i never knew what to expect with this and it really kept me on my toes. i really did love this and i am so excited to see what the author releases next!

thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc 🫶🏻

This book came along at the right time for me. I needed a quick, light hearted read that I knew would fully consume me and this book did just that.

Sarah Ready is a go to author for me. Her books never disappoint and this might just be my favourite book of hers. It swept me away.

McCormick is the perfect hero in my opinion, and just like Fiona, I fell head over heels for him.

If you want a romance that bends all the barriers, is a little bit quirky with so much heart then you can't go wrong with this book. I loved every page.

This book was amazing and I devoured this book in just a few sittings! I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

I found the first part of this book a bit slow, but once Aaron was introduced, I sped through. The premise of this book is so unique that you can’t help rooting for the characters and hoping they’ll end up with a happy ever after.

I am so excited for the next book in this series!

This was so much more than a love story, such a powerful meaning and I loved every minute of it. The dreams felt so feel and the world building was honestly surprisingly brilliant for a romance story. -Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced book.

***I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***

Wow wow wow wow wow. I have so many thoughts and they're all jumbled together. This book took a massive turn at the end that I was NOT expecting and it was a whirlwind but so incredibly good.

I had a completely different picture in my head of what this book was going to be than what it actually turned out to be. For a little bit, it felt slow and I wasn't really understanding what was going on. The characters lived basic lives and then a watch was mentioned and then a little bit of magic and I was like okay, so are we like a fantasy/magic book? Or just a romance book? I wasn't sure. AND THEN..... AND THEN.

It got depressing and I was convinced that the book was going to end up being a sad Nicholas Sparks book but... Holy cow. The twist was so wild and felt a little Harry Potter but I loved it. I ate it up. I was so excited. I was so sad... and then the very ending had me in TEARS. TEARRRRRRSSSSSS. I don't ever cry when reading books but my chest felt tight and my eyes started to water because I just couldn't do it.

I'm so impressed with the wild ride this book took me on and I loved it. I'm not sure I would consider it paranormal but it's fine.

*3.5 stars rounded up*
Fated is the 3rd book in the Ghosted series, though it takes place before the other books, so I think it could easily be read as a standalone.

I wanted to love this book... the premise was interesting, with beautiful settings and great descriptions. The pacing felt a bit slow for my taste, and I think I would have liked to see more of Fiona in the real world. The dream world definitely had more drama and complications than I was expecting. I think I felt a little uncomfortable with the premise of Fiona basically living the life of another person (Becca) in the dream world, who seemed to have different intentions when Fiona wasn't there. Meanwhile Fiona is dating her friend, Max, in the real world while she falls for Aaron in the dream world. All that said, the end of the book really takes a turn that tugs at the heartstrings and kept me more invested in the story. I was happy about how it ended and like the hints toward the next book in the series.

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles, Sarah Ready and NetGalley for the advance review copy of Fated! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

📚Arc Book Review 📚

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶
Genres: Romance / Magical Realism
Narration: First-person POV
Pub Date: July 16, 2024

Thank you NetGalley for granting me this arc💖

This book narrates the story of Fiona, a young woman who starts having vivid dreams of a life different from her own after receiving a family heirloom. She had always felt like something was missing in her life until she had the chance to have a different life in her dreams. She sees it as an opportunity to do whatever she always wanted without worrying about anything else, and maybe in the process she’ll find what she has always been looking for.

She has always been afraid to fall in love after a bad experience, but she doesn’t want anything to stop her from doing it in her dreams. So she starts living a new life, where she lives on an island with a man who is supposed to be her husband, along with her daughter and son. Far from her responsibilities in the real world, where she owns her father's company along with her brother and takes care of her daughter.

What I loved about this book was that you never knew what to expect, for me it was sometimes confusing when it went back and forth between her dream and real life, but you get the hang of it after a couple of chapters. I loved how the feelings were portrayed between the FMC and the MMC. Everything was so unexpected. It was also heartbreaking to see all that Fiona went through and still was going through sometimes. Let us not forget how this book broke me, patched me up together, and then broke me again. But it was all worth it in the end!

I loved this book. It is very different from most books I have read but I found that intriguing and I loved that the MCs were a love match that was meant to be. I really rooted for the FMC Fiona to find love. I also really enjoyed being immersed in these locations I’ve never visited. The settings were so well described and the characters were so fond of them that it made me want to visit them someday. I now need to read the two other books in the series (Ghosted & Switched) and I am looking forward to when Wished comes out.

Fated by Sarah Ready arc review I got this advanced reader copy though net galley this book was a excellent and entertaining and full of twist and turns I didn’t see going that had me guessing how it was going to end till the last second. It a story of second chance and fate and magic. What if you had the chance to see what your greatest desire could be. Would it be everything you wish for or would it be to good to be true. This was a great version of magical realism. I enjoy the main character she was smart and brave she follow her heart to the fullest. I enjoy read this book it was really interesting and kept me guessing what was going to happen next. It comes out July 16 definitely go give it a chance.

I was nervous to start this one since I wasn't a fan of the description of the story, but I absolutely loved the story. Sarah Ready hits it out of the park every time.
I loved the relationship between the two characters and I cried a couple times. Can't wait for the next installment!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this!
I LOVE Sarah Ready and the "Ghosted" series has easily become one of my favorites. This iteration, Fated, follows Fiona (a watch executive who struggles in love) as she falls for a man, truly, of her dreams. The juxtaposition between her life in Geneva and her life on the island is beautifully written, the chemistry between her and Aaron is just explosive (it really doesn't get steamy till the very end), and her interiority dealing with abandonment and love is just beautiful. You root for them so strongly but are also completely accepting of the reality of her dream world.
The 'twists' and magical realism are done really well and never once feel gimmicky. Yes, this requires a good deal of suspended belief, but this is JUST the right amount and I found myself completely falling down their rabbit hole.
This might be something that only matters to me: but the imagery and descriptive passages about time and watches really pulled me in. I love the concept of someone being so profoundly impacted by time and feeling that connective pull to counting minutes. It is something I love too so it just drew me in even more.

I wasn’t expecting this to be so emotional but Fated really hit me where it hurts! This series has been hit after hit and this was no different.

I've read all of Sarah Ready's previous books and I fall more in love with her stories each time. I've read reviews that say "it's so far fetched" and "not believable" but I love the character, whimsy, and magic that she bleeds into each of her books.

Fiona is a very likable FMC, which is sort of rare these days when I read modern romance books. She's got money, is the CEO of a luxury watch company, a goofy brother, and a best friend who is in love with her. And yet, she wants the sparks. As most of us do. She finds the sparks by receiving (albiet from her thieving mother) a family heirloom watch which gives the person in possession of it the ability to live their dreams. It's in her dreams that she meets Aaron as she fills the body of a woman named Becca. Becca is an asshole - cheating on her husband with her husband's best friend and also hates her kids (including a badass daughter that reads Dostovesky in the mornings).

This book was so full of longing and heartbreak and happiness and sorrow. It was all the emotions combined. I wanted so desperately for Aaron and Fiona to get together but not as "Becca"... as herself. You'll just have to read the book to see what happens.

This book made me want to dream again myself. It was heartfelt and lovely and should be on any dreamer's bookshelf. Here's to you, Ready, for another well done novel.

Thanks to Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this. Absolutely loved it. There's so much I want to say but it would be a lot of spoilers. This story will tug at your heart in ways that bring tears and so much hope. This is why i refuse to do the most when it comes to love (in all forms) because I know the universe will choose wayyyy better than me!!

A favorite of the year for sure. A sweet love story that bends the norms of 'time'.

Wow....This book was beautifully written. I request this as an ARC from Netgalley because I have read and enjoyed Sarah Ready's previous books. This book had a unique premise which really intrigued me. I don't want to say too much in the review because it is very easy to give away things. I will say the main characters were really well written and developed. I typically like banter, but this book had a different feel and I didn't find myself missing the banter. The side characters added to the story and were also well developed. There were certain scenes that were so detailed in description I could easily visualize it, and felt I was there. This book kept me wondering for a good amount of time where we were going, and I LOVE that. I can usually figure it out pretty early on. This was a bit of spice but mild. This book is more for the love story and it was so worth the read for me!

Fi has taken over the family watch company. She hasn't been around her mother in years but leave it to her mom to hand over a family heirloom that she had "taken" years ago. The watch is able to make Fi's dreams reveal her greatest desire in life. Fi begins dreaming of a man, McCormick and his family. What is the oddest part, Fi is married to him. Those kids are her kids. She lives on a beautiful island and lives the most simple life. And she is the happiest she has ever been. When she awakes in the morning she can't get this family out of her mind. She is falling for McCormick. But it's just a dream.
Fi finds herself wanting to revisit her dream again and again every night to see McCormick, Amy, and Sean. Back in her real life, she is realizing maybe her dream means she needs to give a little more to her relationship with her current love interest, Max. Maybe she is finally ready to make more of a commitment. But she can't stop thinking about McCormick. How can she fall in love with a man she doesn't even really know?
Oh Sarah Ready.....She is the best dreamy, romance writer with a little bit of paranormal mixed in! This is another book in the Ghosted series but I don't think you need to read either of the first two books to enjoy Fi and McCormick's story. I read this book in just a few days and I haven't stopped thinking about it and the power of our dreams. I loved this story and will always be on the lookout for other works by Sarah Ready. I will definitely be recommending Fated to all my other reading friends. I love her shorter chapters, easy to read dialogue, amazing storylines, and fun, lovable characters. Special thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Ready, and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 big stars for me!
#Fated #NetGalley

Fiona Abry has a wonderful life, but she never dreams of what could be. That is until her mother arrives for her “birthday”. She gifts Fiona with the missing pocket watch created by Adolphus Abry, founder of the watch company Fiona and her brother inherited. There is a legend associated with the ancient watch. Unable to ignore the lure of the beautiful timepiece, Fiona falls asleep holding it.

Ready's depiction of Fiona's dreams was so vivid and realistic. I felt drawn into life on the island just as Fiona was each night and felt sad each morning when she woke. I could feel the chemistry between Fiona and Aaron, even though I could feel how much she cared for Max. I did not want to stop reading this book! I love anything by Sarah Ready, but she’s outdone herself with this magical story. 4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC, IBPA for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.