Really enjoyed the twist and turns throughout the book it kept you guessing throughout about what would happen. A super light and easy read the entire time, a super cute romance book.

With a unique premise and a compelling story, Fated by Sarah Ready is about a woman who visits an isolated island and falls for a man in a dream brought to her by an ancient watch made by her ancestor.

Summary: Fiona "Fi" Abry is afraid to love. When her mother gives her an ancient watch that supposedly lets her dream of her greatest desire, she uses it. She finds herself on an isolated island married to a gorgeous man named Aaron McCormick with two children. And she falls in love with this dream.

Tropes/Genres:
• strangers to lovers
• fantasy
• contemporary romance
• set in Geneva, Switzerland

Review: This book has a highly unique premise, and I'm here for it. It has such a dreamy vibe, and I love how the author handled this concept. Even though the plot was filled with fantasy elements, it felt so realistic. The writing is so descriptive, and it simply draws readers in and compels them to want to know more even if the story can seem a bit confusing. It's confusing in a good way. I love it.

Aaron and Fiona are so cute. I love how the author handled their love story – a woman and a man who seems to only exist in her dreams and not in real life. It's such an interesting premise. It's so interesting to read this story from Fiona's POV, following her through this confusing dream, through falling for this man who seems to only exist in her dreams, and through every other thing that unfolds along with the plot. It's just such a beautiful and unique romance journey to follow.

I love Aaron's steadfast and unwavering love for Fiona. He and Becca (who Fiona was in the dream) were married but acted as friends who co-parented two children while she was not-so-secretly cheating on him with his best friend Robert. But whenever Fiona was Becca, he could feel it and his love for her. He could feel her presence and loved her for who she was inside Becca's body. Even when he was faced with the whiplash of the changes in Becca's personality, he loved Fiona the best he could.

As I mentioned above, the writing is so good. It's so magical and realistic at the same time. For example, the confusion Fiona felt when she first entered this dream-like state was so genuine, and throughout the story, I completely understood everything she thought and did. The author did an amazing job constructing the plot and characters. Even the side characters are lovable and memorable. The pacing is also great.

This book seems to be set before the events of Ghosted because it seems that Daniel didn't have Jillian in his life. It was mildly confusing at the beginning, but that's such a small issue. It's just that one would normally expect that a sequel would be set after the previous book. I love this story either way!

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to readers who are willing to try out this unique premise. It's a very interesting romance novel that doesn't really fit into any romance trope, but the author did a great job blending the romance and fantasy elements. Let's just say... this book is such a dream!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the read!

I have read several of Sarah Ready’s books now (a fan!) and this one did not disappoint! Thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Ready and Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC for this very interesting and fast read!

The premise of this story was very interesting and I was so happy to be approved to read it. Fiona and her brother, Daniel, have inherited their father’s watchmaking empire and have turned it into a once again profitable company. Her life is full in Switzerland, with her sweet and precocious daughter and her best friend Max. But Max wants to be more. However, after the gift of a rare watch, Fiona starts to dream of an island where her name is Becca and she is married to a handsome man named Aaron. The dreams feel incredibly real and soon feel as real as her other life.

I really enjoyed this book so much! It was a very quick read because I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed learning about clockmaking and Lake Geneva. This book will be published July 16, 2024 and highly recommend you pick up a copy. It’s wonderful!

The romance was intense and emotional, the plot made me want to keep on reading. And, I am left wanting more from this world. I can’t wait enough for the next book already.

I love Sarah Ready! I was so excited to read her new book Fated. It was really good. This is the first book by Ready that I've read that I didn't end up a sobbing mess. I missed that a little with this book, but I still really enjoyed the book. She does a great job of getting the reader invested into the characters to the point that I wasn't quite ready to let them all go. I can't wait for the next book!

Sarah Ready’s Fated is a whimsical and heartwarming exploration of love, dreams, and the intersection of fantasy and reality. This enchanting novel takes readers on a journey through the dreamscape of Fiona Abry, a woman whose life changes in the most unexpected ways thanks to a magical family heirloom.

Fiona Abry is a successful, driven woman who runs her family’s Swiss watch company. Her life is meticulously organized, leaving little room for personal indulgences or romantic entanglements. However, her structured world begins to unravel when she inherits a family heirloom rumored to reveal one's greatest desires through dreams. This intriguing premise sets the stage for a beautifully crafted story that balances the rigors of reality with the allure of fantasy.

As Fiona drifts into sleep, she finds herself on a tiny tropical island, living a life that starkly contrasts her bustling city existence. She is married, has two children, and resides in a vibrant beach cottage. The dream life is idyllic, filled with leisurely swims in turquoise waters, picnics under palm trees, and star-gazing nights on the beach. Ready’s descriptive prose brings this dream world to vivid life, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in Fiona’s nightly escapades.

Fiona’s dream husband is a central figure in this narrative. Their relationship, developed through dream sequences, is tender, passionate, and deeply moving. Ready skillfully captures the nuances of falling in love, even when that love exists in a dream. The chemistry between Fiona and her dream husband is palpable, making the reader root for a romance that defies the bounds of reality.

However, as Fiona becomes more attached to her dream life, she faces a profound internal conflict. The dreams provide an escape from her hectic reality, but they also pose the risk of her falling for a life and a man that do not exist outside her subconscious. This tension drives the narrative forward, raising poignant questions about the nature of desire, the definition of reality, and the courage it takes to open oneself to love.

Ready’s storytelling is compelling, weaving together elements of romance, magical realism, and introspective drama. Fiona’s character is richly developed, showcasing a woman grappling with her deepest desires and the dichotomy between her real and dream lives. Her journey is one of self-discovery, as she learns to balance her ambitions with her need for personal fulfillment and emotional connection.

The novel’s pacing is well-managed, with dream sequences that are as engaging as the real-world developments. The transitions between Fiona’s two worlds are seamless, maintaining the reader’s interest and investment in both aspects of her life. The supporting characters, though primarily existing within Fiona’s dreams, add depth and dimension to the story, enhancing the emotional resonance of her experiences.

Fated is a delightful read for anyone who has ever pondered the power of dreams and the complexities of the heart. Sarah Ready has crafted a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is enchanting, offering a unique perspective on love and the choices we make in pursuit of happiness. With its blend of romance and magical realism, Fated invites readers to dream alongside Fiona and explore the possibilities that lie beyond the waking world. This novel is a testament to the transformative power of dreams and the enduring hope that love, in any form, can bring.

4.5/5 Stars

First off, I want to say a huge thank you to Sarah Ready, NetGalley, and the publishers for gifting me an ARC of this book!

I walked into this book blindly, not having read the others in the series, and boy am I glad I gave it a shot. This book had me smiling, laughing and crying throughout it. It’s not often a book will make me gasp out loud, but this one did (iykyk😭)

All of the characters felt so full and well rounded, and I did not have to work hard to imagine them. I found Fiona to be a great character and really appreciated the flaws laced throughout. No one likes a “perfect” character. Sarah’s writing is easy to understand, yet she has such a way with words that I found myself instantly picturing the locations of the book.

My only criticism of the book is that I wish there were maybe one or two extra chapters at the end. I just want a few more moments with Fi and her dream man❤️

I received an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't expecting this to make me feel so much?? In the beginning it was alright, I was aiming for 3 stars just like with Switched. But then everything suddenly changed right around the 80% mark and I felt a rollercoaster of emotions while reading. Sarah you'll pay for my tears.

Max deserved better and I'm glad the next book in the series is about him because I need to see him get his happy ending. I cannot wait for Wished.

Also one of the stars is for Jillian's and my husband Daniel🤭

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc.

Because of a few minor issues, I did not rate this book five stars. I was troubled by Fiona's accidental brutality to Aaron—not giving him the truth about herself—and the great anguish it caused. It's also annoying because this story takes place before Jillian and Daniel Abry's meeting, denying readers the opportunity to experience their relationship as a huge fan of the Ghosted duo.

However, Sarah Ready continues to develop remarkable partnerships that defy logic, time, and space. There are so many twists and turns in this third novel in the Ghosted series that readers will be left guessing until the very end whether Fiona's dream guy, Aaron, is real but exists in another dimension, or if he is simply a creature of her imagination. Strongly recommended!

I just finished this and I'm not sure I have the words to do this book justice, so I apologize for that. Fiona and Aaron are meant to be together. I love the magic aspect in Sarah Ready's work. I loved it in Switched and I love it here. I'm mad at myself that Ghosted is still on my shelf unread, but I'll take care of that very soon. Fiona is a single mom who is a workaholic. She resists finding love, but worries that her brother won't find it. She has a wonderful relationship with her brother and loves her daughter very much. Her mother left her with her father when she was 6 and has been in and out of her life ever since. Fiona is shot on Christmas Eve at a party and that sets everything in motion. There's a magic watch, beautiful dreams and heartbreaking realizations. I usually see twists and connections coming from a mile away, but I truly only caught 1 of the many that were there. I found myself holding my breath for the last 25% of this book. I wish I was better with words, but all I can say is, READ THIS BOOK, YOU WILL LOVE IT. There, I'm done yelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for allowing me to read an ARC of Fated by Sarah Ready, in exchange for my honest review.

Enchanting! Sarah Ready's writing is amazing! The characters, dialog, imagery, all of it! Throw in a little magical realism, and voilà, a whimsically euphoric story!

I definitely recommend this book!

This is my first book from this author and I found the writing a bit too descriptive for my liking. It's an interesting premise for a romance, if not entirely unoriginal (a woman who dreams a parallel life, in which she inhabits the body of a different woman and has a husband and children - then falling for said husband)

It has good, tight pace, making it very readable and accessible. I think my reading experience suffered from not having read the previous books in the series - there is a lot of referencing, and some of the investment banks on knowledge of the characters and their relationships.

Just after Fiona Abry and her brother Daniel make a bet over who will find and accept love first, Fiona’s hippy dippy mother Buttercup, who abandoned her at age 6, comes for a very brief visit and gifts her a long-lost family heirloom, the first pocket watch made by Adolphus Abry, founder of the family’s watch company. According to her great-great-uncle Leo, who gave her mother the watch to pass on to her, if Fiona falls asleep holding it, “it will show you your heart’s desire. And then once you’ve dreamed it, you can grasp it.” Next thing she knows, she’s waking up on an isolated Caribbean island in bed with a stranger, Aaron, and mother to two children. To further confound things, she looks like the woman whose body she seems to be possessing. Over the course of the summer, she revisits the island nightly in vivid dreams, never knowing how much time has passed, if any, and slowly falling for Aaron.

There were a couple of minor issues that kept this from being a 5* read for me. It frustrated me how unintentionally cruel Fiona was by not being honest with Aaron about who she is, causing him such incredible hurt. Also, as a huge fan of Jillian and Daniel Abry, the couple from Ghosted, it is disappointing that this story takes place before they meet, so readers don’t get to revisit with them.

As always, though, Sarah Ready does an incredible job of crafting romances that defy time, space, and logic. In this third book of the Ghosted series, there are so many twists that readers are left guessing until the end whether Fiona’s dream guy, Aaron, is real but in another dimension or just a figment of her imagination. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Swift & Lewis Publishing through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

What if your dreams were real?! This book was so magical and makes you believe more in dreams. I love seeing an incite into Fi's HEA after reading the first two books. And I have to say I feel like this one is my favorite. It's so unique and full of wonder but still has twists to keep you guessing. The writing and the characters were great and had you fully invested in their story. I just loved this story ❤️

Emoji Summary 👉 ❤️‍🩹🏊‍♂️👨‍👧‍👦👩‍👧🥭⌚️⏳️🌊📚💭

I 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.

this was so fun! I honestly didn't expect the paranormal stuff but it fit really well! I loved Fiona's character and how she lives her dreams

I am becoming such a huge fan of Sarah Ready and am going to catch up on her backlist now. This book was incredible! I love these types of stories so much that transcend reality and feel so romantic and fated. I eat them up. This was just perfect and I need a copy for my home library!

This is the 3rd book in a series, which can be read alone.

Sarah is very descriptive and her words guide you through each scene. Her love of reading, poetry, and watchmaking jumps off the page through her characters and their development.

Sarah continues to build a world that dances on the edges of reality and fantasy by weaving the two together.

To eliminate any confusion, this book takes place before Daniel’s book (Book 1 in the series: Ghosted) — so need to be devastated by thinking Daniel is single.
It took until about 30% in for things to start to click for me with Fiona’s story. I couldn’t put it down because I wasn’t sure where Ready was going with this book.
If I didn’t read the prologue or the previous 2 books, I’d have a better grasp from the start on things.

I do not want to post any spoilers, but the structure of Book 3 kept it from being a 5 star read for me. I’ve enjoyed this series, but this book felt very disconnected for the first 30%.

Thank you NetGalley and WW Crown Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC, and Sarah Ready for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! What a story! Sarah Ready really wove us an intricate web of possibilities here. With many romance novels- as we read we desire the most obvious happily ever after. With this story- I was so torn wanting her to have it ALL and not to settle from less than! I truly did not know where this story was going to end up at any point!

As far as the series goes- I've read Switched, loved it. Now, Fated. I do believe they can all be read alone but both are so good that I absolutely will go back and read Ghosted.

"Fated" by Sarah Ready is a captivating read that made me smile, laugh, and experience a range of emotions that few books manage to evoke. The twists and turns kept me on my toes, and I found myself wishing I could read it again for the first time. I raced through it, setting a personal record for how quickly I finished it. While the detailed descriptions at the beginning slowed the pace a bit for me, the engaging plot and well-developed characters more than made up for it. This book is fantastic, and I'm eager to dive into more of Sarah Ready's work.