If you can suspend your belief in natural physics and trust that love can be found in other realms that one can return to night after night then this book is for you. Fiona Abry is a CEO of a famous Swiss watch company. She keeps herself busy, busy, busy for a reason, she has been hurt and abandoned by important people in her life and keeping a full calendar helps her not dwell on her inner pain. One day she is gifted a famous pocket watch made by the founder of the Abry watch company. It is supposed to be able to help its bearer to dream of their greatest desire when the watch is set. All Fiona really wants is to love and be loved and has not been lucky in that area of her life so far. So one night she takes a chance and sets the watch, goes to sleep and... to her great surprise wakes up in an alternate reality on a tropical island where she is married with two children! As she returns to this island to dream each night with the help of the watch, she begins to open her heart and fall in love with her 'husband' Aaron McCormick. But is the dream world real, are Aaron and her children and the islanders real. Fiona will have to learn to really trust and this is an important component of what she must learn so she can find true love and happiness. I enjoyed this magical novel very much. I really had to let my imagination take flight so the story could work for me and accept that magical realism can actually exist. A very fun read, recommended. 4 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks for a chance to listen/read an ARC copy of this audio book.

Thank you Swift & Lewis Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy via audiobook. I really enjoyed the narrator for this novel but otherwise the story didn't capture my attention. I didn't like the theme of "infidelity" with the dream vs. real life concept in this novel and the main character, Fiona, I found annoying. This was a very long audiobook as well that felt like it dragged at the end.

Another great magical realism (my fav) read from Sarah Ready.
I have already read book 2 in this series, but the books can be read as standalones. I really must read book 1 ASAP, as it is about Fiona’s brother Daniel.

Fiona and Aaron have a wonderful and slightly strange relationship, as he gets to know her while she “is” Becca.

I enjoyed the book being (mostly) set in Geneva, which is such a “fresh” location when reading a lot of romance books.
I was also pleasantly surprised about the watchmaker’s angle! That was such a new occupation for a FMC to have, really enjoyable.

I did notice I got some “eat the rich” feelings when describing the wealth displayed at the Christmas gala and Max’ casual making and gifting of jewellery. A very stark contrast with Aaron’s island life.
Thankfully the story did not lean (too much?) on, successful city woman gives up everything to live in a (literal) hut for a man, because true love. Ugh.

Also, unfortunately the book was too long for me (it could have done with some cutting out of elements without losing the plot) and I was not as invested as I had hoped.
Still an enjoyable read.

3.5 stars rounded down.

Read as an audiobook.

I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.

Fated is book three is Sarah Ready's Ghosted series. Just like Ghosted and Switch, Ready's third installment is a fun, enjoyable read. If you are looking for a light, funny romance with a healthy dose of magical realism, Sarah Ready continues to be the author to gravitate to.

Although I was skeptical when I picked up the first of these books, the author changed my mind on magical realism in my romance novels.

Thank You, Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC and NetGalley for a copy of Fated in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! I normally stick to non fantasy romance novels. But this was a great introduction to the genre. I was very hooked by the typical romance aspects of this novel!

HOW?? THIS STORY IS SOO *GOOD*.

It started off slow, sorf of: “eh, okay?” But past the 60% mark, I didn’t want to stop reading!!! And then everything that I had read in the first half started clicking into place.

I actually sort of figured all the twists out before hand, even the ones with no clues at all about them, idk, i had a hunch sort of, but still that could not spoil the fun of it for me.

The story as a whole is really really cute, I very much liked Aaron and Max’s character. Fiona really, i was just waiting for her to figure it out because I had understood most of it, nonetheless her character is really charming!

And, NO I WANT THAT DAMN WATCH TOO!!!

Absolutely Recommend!!

This terrific book is an atypical contemporary romance. Main character Fiona lives in Switzerland, successfully running a family watch company she and her brother inherited when their father died. She seems happy raising her daughter with help from her brother and best friend Max. Her abandonment issues have kept her from risking a passionate relationship.

Then her hippie mother returns to gift her with a stolen family watch that lets her dream her heart’s desire. After using the watch to dream, Fiona finds herself on a tropical island married to Aaron, a man she loves, with two children.

I wasn’t sure I’d like the magical realism, but the book
is so well-written and the plot unfolds so believably that I loved it. Descriptions of locations in Switzerland and on the island are so detailed and realistic, they were easy to imagine. I loved how Fiona and Aaron’s romance unfolded. Along the way, author were a number of well-developed secondary characters who added to the story. There were so many twists and turns, I wasn’t sure how the book would end. I loved the ending.

This book is the third book in a series; however, it’s not necessary to have read the other 2. This author is such a great writer, I definitely plan to read her again. I loved how the cover captured the 2 locations. I listened to the audio version, which was enhanced by the excellent narration.

I love how wonderfully the author blend in sci-fi and romance 🤌 this combination is so unique and I have found only this particular author writing stories with it and I love it.
The characters development is remarkable as we read the plot, bit by bit along with the story we get to witness the progress in the relationship between the characters and also in the characters growth.
I will be looking forward to more works from this author in the future.

I absolutely LOVED this book. It's incredibly captivating. I was more and more enthralled the more I read. This was so beautifully written, so magical, and such a great read!

I didn't know how this was gonna end until the last minute, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this as well as listening to the audiobook.

I see myself reading this again, that's how much I loved it.

You really feel the emotions and predicaments of Fiona as if you're in the same situations. Her emotions and her traumas are incredibly relatable. I love how descriptive the writing was, you are able to truly picture the scenes as if you're in them. Such incredible writing!

Beyond grateful to have been given this ARC (advanced reader copy) of this book in both eBook and Audiobook versions to read & listen to for a review. I look forward to reading more by Sarah.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Sarah Ready, Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and Members' Audiobooks.

I really enjoyed this book! This was such a unique storyline and I felt that it was done so well! The pacing was perfect, and even though Fiona is only seeing Aaron in her dreams, the author made it feel SO real! Overall, I had such a good time with this story.

Fated, the third in Sarah Ready’s Ghosted series is a quick, frothy rom com (to be fair, not a lot of Com but plenty of Rom) with a touch of magic. I do enjoy Sarah Ready’s brand of romance.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank You NetGalley for the ARC. This book was ok, if you like magical realism you will enjoy it. The current aspect of her life left me a bit confused and I couldn’t follow it thoroughly. I have not read the other books in the series so I’m unsure if that had anything to do with me not fully understanding the current parts.

Fated by Sarah Ready is a captivating and dreamy love story, only enhanced by the touch of magical realism. It touched on ideas of self-discovery, and how our dreams and reality often war with each other to shape us.

I felt particularly drawn to the idea of a 'real' dreaming work and resonated with Fi's character. It's often a lot easier for us to take big leaps in our dreams and fantasies, but we're often cautious to do so in real life; I loved the idea of our dreaming being as real as our waking lives and if we would be as bold then, if we knew.

The start was a little slow but as the story picked up I was really swept into it.

after several attempts at trying to read the digital copy of books from this author i requested the audio but it still did not resonate with me. I just do not like the writing style that the author uses. I believe that the books will and mostly likely are well loved but unfortunately i just cannot get through a book by this author.

I loved Ghost series and I was thrilled to receive ALC for Fated, the third book in the series. Highly recommend reading through audiobook! The narration was spot on and was so emotive, it felt like the main character was right beside me, sharing their joys and sorrows, bringing each moment to life with such sincerity and depth. It completely tugged at my heartstrings that resonated deeply with me. It's one of those stories that grabs hold of your heart and doesn't let go.

The plot was beautifully crafted, with twists and turns that kept me hooked from start to finish. It delved into themes of love, friendship, and resilience in such a raw and touching way. There were moments that made me laugh out loud and others that brought tears to my eyes.

Overall, this audiobook was a rollercoaster of emotions in the best possible way. It's stayed with me long after I finished listening, and I find myself recommending it to everyone I know who loves a good story that touches the soul. If you're in the mood for something that will make you feel deeply and leave you thinking, give this audiobook a listen, it won't disappoint!

Author: Sarah Ready
Series: Ghosted # 3
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Shakire Shute
Publisher: Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC ~ Member of the ‘Independent Book Publishers Association’ (IBPA)
Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: July 16, 2024
My Rating: 3.7 rounded up
Pages: 437

Although I am not a big romance fan, I am A Sarah Ready fan and this is my seventh novel.
My favorites were "Josh and Gemma Make a Baby" as well as "Josh and Gemma Second Time Around" which were laugh-at-loud and such fun reads. Also liked " The Space Between|" and " French Holiday" - So YES! I do love Sarah Ready’s stories.
This is Book #3 in the Ghosted series. I read the other two which were okay but since I enjoyed Josh and Gemma so much I was hopeful this series might be as humorous.

In this story we follows Fiona, Daniel’s sister, and Aaron, a mysterious man she encounters in her dreams.
Yes Fiona meets the man of her dreams in her dreams.

Fiona Abry is the CEO of Abry Watch Conpany; a family owned Swiss watch company she and Daniel inherited from their late father. Fiona closed herself off from love after being abandoned by people she trusted the most. When Fiona’s mom gives her a family heirloom that has been missing years ago and tells her that not only did she steal the watch but that it can make dreams come true and show what your heart’s desire. Fiona’s But then she’s given a family heirloom rumored to let you dream your greatest desire.

In her dream, Fiona is on a tiny tropical island. She is with a man named Aaron who turns out to be her husband – they have two children Shawn a toddler and Amy fourteen and live in a cottage on the beach.

This dream life is so different from her busy life - Fiona decides to live her dreams to the fullest.
I have always been fascinated with dreams. This story is different than the other two in this series and I actually liked it the best.

Fiona takes the lead in this story but I sure we will be hearing more from the other regulars in the next story!

Want to thank NetGalley and Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC - Member of the ‘Independent Book Publishers Association’ (IBPA) for granted me this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 16, 2024.

This was my second book by the author, I read the second in this series first and then this one. I'm pretty sure they can be right out of order because they don't seem to go together? I was really into the story, I am a very vivid dreamer. I got about halfway through or so when the audiobook version just stopped and went back to the main page. This happened with another audiobook I was listening to, but kept going up in chapters and eventually found one that started to play. This one did not. I will definitely be getting the audio for this when it comes out because I want to finish the story. And from what I read so far I would give it a four-star. I'm dying to know what happens, I just wish the audiobooks wouldn't have this glitch.

I have enjoyed all of this series so far with each having a different type of magicalism in the story. This one is almost like sliding door with Fiona living as a single mom in Geneva and Becca on a small island with her family. The story is told in both state and her relationships in these places. I liked how Fiona gets to know herself better in both places. All the characters were well developed and I enjoyed how the story ended. The only thing I missed was why Becca/Aaron married and stayed together. I sort of wished we got to see a bit of Becca - she seemed like a self centered person and we really don't know anything about her.

Shakira Shute did a great job with the narration and bringing Fiona to life.

Thank you the publisher for a copy of the book.

I adore magical realism in romance, and having already read Ghosted and Switched, I knew that I could trust Sarah Ready to keep me on tenterhooks with this one too. This follows Fiona, who is sister to Daniel, the MMC from Ghosted, in a timeline that's prior to his story. The book kept me hooked and wondering how everything was going to resolve itself, but there were a few points that stuck out that made it difficult to completely suspend my disbelief.

1. Why does everyone on an island in the Caribbean speak with a British accent? Is this a narrator issue/choice? It took me out.

2. I hardly knew what anyone other than Fiona and her alter-ego, Becca, looked like. We really didn't get enough descriptions.

3. It felt too weird that when Fiona went to the island in her dreams, she was essentially taking over someone else's life and making choices for them. Ultimately Becca wasn't a good person so it's a little easier to take that Fiona is trying to make better decisions, but it still feels like an odd case of taking over someone's autonomy.

At one point Fated made me think of the film Inception--was Fiona slipping so far into her dream world that it was becoming an addiction for her? It was something she didn't seem to want to leave--and yet she had people she loved in her real life, including her daughter. I felt quite conflicted.

One might argue that many romance novels published lately are "all the same" and in that manner, this book absolutely sticks out as unique. I appreciated the love story and the range of emotions Sarah Ready took me through to get me to their happily ever after.

Thank you to Swift and Lewis Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While this book wasn’t for me I think for people who have read the others in the series they will really enjoy it.