5/5 stars
1.5/5 spice

Tropes:
Alternate reality/time
Single mom
Magical realism
Fated mates
Slow burn
Single POV

I was in agony with this book. There was angst, sweet moments, and absolute heartbreak. The summary had me intrigued, but I already knew that some type of magical realism would be involved, having read the other two books in this series. I was blown away by the whole plot and the twists, especially at the end. You can read this as a standalone, but the other books are also worth a read.

I got to listen to the audiobook, and the narrator did an amazing job bringing these characters to life. Overall, I highly recommend this book for fans of magical realism and fated mates. This one delivers 🙌🏽

Thank you to Netgalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review an early copy of this book. Fated by Sarah Ready will be released July 16th, 2024.

I want to start of by saying that I LOVE Sarah Ready. Her past two books have been absolute favorites of mine, especially Ghosted, so when I saw an ARC become available to Fated, you bet I jumped on that request button. However, this book did not provide the same amount of excitement and attention-grabbing effects as the past books by this author have. That's not to say that the book was bad - it was a great story, it just wasn't my favorite. The whole idea of dreaming into another life is something that is super interesting to me, but I just couldn't stay focused on this book for the life of me. Towards the end, though, I was really eager to find out how she was going to wrap the story up. Totally worth the read.

I love this series! The premises are always so out there, and even when they seem too far-fetched, I get hooked every single time. Sarah Ready is such a creative writer, there were twists in the book that I did not see coming. If you haven't read this series and you like rom-coms and sci-fi, this is a perfect mix.

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.

Ready does it again!!

Like Switched & Ghosted I found Fated by Sarah Ready just as captivating!

The FMC, Fiona ( older sister to Daniel in book one Ghosted) the CEO of a Family Watch company & workaholic, gets a magical family watch that allows her to dream of a different world, one where she is married with two kids. Only she us also having an affair with her husband’s, best friend. A far cry from her quite single mom life in Geneva, Switzerland and one where she thinks she will never meet her own true love and is contemplating marrying her best friend.

This wonderful story included found family, magical realism and soulmates. It will have you thinking outside of the box, dreaming of tropical locations, fated mates and love meant to be. It also reminded me a bit of some of my favourite movies, THE LAKE HOUSE with Sandra Bullock & JUST LIKE HEAVEN with Reese Witherspoon.

Thank you to the author herself, NetGalley and W. W. Crown and imprint of Swift & Lewis Publishing for providing me with an advanced audio copy and e-copy. Also, a great big thank you to Kelsey Navarro Foster and James Anderson Foster for the amazing narration. I cannot wait for book four WISHED out later this year.

This wonderful book is released on July 16th! Definitely recommend grabbing a copy.

Title:Fated
Author: Sarah Ready

Genre: Romance
Read📕:Audiobook (NetGalley)
Narration:Shakira Shute (I think Shakira was excellent at narrating Fiona)

Rating🌟: 🌟🌟🌟.5
Spice🥵: 🌶️
Tropes: Found Family & Opposites Attract
Language: Light

I'll start off with I haven't read/ listened to the first two books in this series. But I enjoyed listening to this book. Fiona (Main Character) Was a single parent and work at her family's (Father) business. This business was a watch company. She was given a family heirloom that sends her to another time where easier and simpler.

It wasn't hard to follow but most of the story is not in present day its in the form of a dream state. She is kinda in a confusing state of having multiple men at the same time but two of them are in the dream state, while one is present its a bit confusing but I'm sure if you have read the previous two books this one would make a lot of sense with characters and timelines.

Kinda was just hanging on and towards the end I was finally brought in and enjoyed the remainder of the book was a whirlwind of emotions so I would prepare yourself for that.

I do think a character in the dream story line (Max) should be a possible book idea for Sarah as I feel he should get a happy ending.

Overall I did enjoy this book and I'll be looking to listen / read the previous two.

Thank you to the publisher Swift & Lewis, Sarah Ready & netGalley for Advance Copy Read (ACR) IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW🤍

This series: I am really enjoying it and I haven’t really been much of a romance reader! I am also becoming a Sarah Ready fan.

Now Ready brings us the third in the Ghosted series: Fated. Even though this is a series the books can be read as standalones. The connection for Fated to the others is that Fiona is the sister to Daniel, who was a focus in book one. It does seem like possibly that this story occurs before book one.

I did struggle with this one, but I wanted to continue it. Once it got to about 80% the direction of the story changed and I became fully and 1000% invested! It even makes me want to start the novel again at some point, because… well…. Spoilers, so I can’t say! Part of my issue may have been the narrator with her accent. I did check and there have been different narrators for each book in the series.

I really have enjoyed this series and was very excited to see that there is a fourth book coming out October 1: Titled Wished and I hope it lives up to the others in the series. Ms. Ready, it seems like you are trying to turn me into a romance reader, which is something since I have just gone through a divorce!

And I have to say: I REALLY LOVE these covers!!!

Many thanks to the publisher for granting me an alc to listen to and review! I’m hoping to be able to get a listen in on Wished!

thank you so much to netgalley for providing me an early audio copy in exchange for an honest review!!

the fact that i ate it up in three listens says a lot about what i feel about this book 😱😱
i just couldn't stop listening!!! the drama was so interesting and i adored the minimal fantastic element in it. it didn't feel like the third book in the series at all so it can be read as a standalone, and apparently it's even better because it sort of happens before the first book?? either way, it can stand on its own.
at first i was kinda sceptic because i was liking the two guys, both sweet and interested in the wellbeing of the MC. but then Aaron slipped into my heart and i couldn't wait until the next time he would show up, he was just THEE guy 😍😍😍
THE THIRD ACT DRAMA???? NAAAH COME OOOON, I WAS LITERALLY SHAKING AND SWEATING MY HANDS BECAUSE I WAS SOOO NERVOUS, I WASN'T EXPECTING IT AT ALL 😱😱😱 but i adored how it got resolved, how the MC finally managed to open her heart, though every time she said "this is a dream" i wanted to strangle her and say NO, YOU DUMBASS LISTEN TO MEEE 😭😭😭
just a really good romance. and the narrator did an excellent job at the voices and the narration. i adored it from start to finish, pleaaase read it!!!

4.5 rounded up
Tears were shed. playlists were made. I loved this so much and I'm so happy about it!
This is the third book in the series -it can be read as a standalone though- and it's my favorite so far. I enjoyed the narration, Shakira Shute did a great job. I loved the romance, it was sweet and heart-warming. I loved the side characters too, they were memorable (which is really important to me). I think it could've been a little bit shorter if the descriptions weren't so lengthy, they were beautifully written and I enjoyed them but I couldn't help zoning out sometimes because there were a lot of them.

I received the advanced audiobook recording of the publication via NetGalley. It comes out July 16th!

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.

What a wonderful love story!

I could totally feel the connection between the love interests, and the author definitely knows how to keep the readers at the edge of their seats.

This book will tuck at your heartstrings in such a new and imaginative way! No clichés needed! I had some doubts in the beginning, but both love interests are such incredible and genuine characters that you can't help but root for them. A lot of the side characters, especially all the children, are also very likable and well-rounded. Paired with the amazing island and Geneva atmospheres, this is a feel-good book with some definite suspense.

I did not realize that this book was a part of a series, but you can absolutely read this book as a standalone. After reading a bit into it, it seems that each book in the series is a love story that is supernatural in some way or other, but the supernatural occurrence is always different, so you'll be surprised each time around. I enjoyed this book so much that I will go back and read the two previous books as well, so if you're only starting, it is probably worth it, to read the other books in the series as well.

I can recommend listening to the audiobook. The production is very well suited to the plot and was easy to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC for gifting me this ALC of the audiobook to review. All opinions are my own. I was not paid to leave this review.

Fated (Ghosted Book#3)-Fiona the heroine is Daniel's sister from book 1, but it can be read as a standalone

By Sarah Ready-I've read Ghosted & Switched 4 & 5 ⭐ reads

Setting: Geneva, Switzerland

Publication date: 7/16/24, Read 7/12/24

Format: 437 pgs. & Audio length ~ 13 hours 36 minutes

🗣️Narrator: Shakira Shute

I thought Shute did a great job of bringing a voice to each character. They fit the characters with standouts from Fiona, Buttercup, and Daniel. Their voices were the most distinct, but I could easily tell the difference between all characters. The reading style brought the story to life and the pacing flowed easily with the story. The narration and the author were in sync. The narrator paused and announced every time a new chapter came. The book had a table of contents which helped me follow along with the e-book and audio.

POV: 1st person h

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Paranormal

Tropes: Christmas, magical dreams, time travel, cheating, right person/wrong time

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley & Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC for the E-ARC and ALC🩷! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

💭Summary: Fiona Abry is a single mother who works for the family's Swiss watch business. She's given a pocket watch family heirloom that transports her into a dream world where she's married with two children living on a tropical island.

I loved the idea of a magical watch that makes dreams feel like a reality. The description of the island was an Internet- free utopia. Fiona/Becca's husband Aaron McCormick was a loving father and husband that didn't deserve what Becca and Robert did to him.

I enjoyed Fiona and Daniel's sibling bond. They worked together and helped raise Mila. They also held each other accountable trying to have a life outside of work.


Maximillian "Max" Barone was Fiona's BFF in the present while McCormick and Robert were in her dream. He was in love with Fiona, but was willing to marry her without love. I hope the next book gives him a HEA.

Rating : 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am completely speechless. I adored the first two books in the series, but somehow, this one managed to surprise me even more. First off, Daniel makes an appearance in this book since he's Fiona's brother, and honestly, I've been weak for him since "Ghosted." I just love him so much.

I'm a huge fan of paranormal romance novels, and this one hit all the right notes. There's something about the full circle in these stories that makes you feel so complete. I was absolutely captivated by Fiona's character. Her resilience and logical mindset were so strong that she didn't believe her dreams could be real until the very end.

If I loved Fiona, I was absolutely feral for Aaron. His character is the epitome of strength and selflessness. His love for his children and the sense of peace he exudes despite the immense grief he's endured is truly inspiring. He felt like a calm anchor in the midst of a storm.

Watching Fiona decide to love Aaron with all her heart, thinking it's just a dream, was absolutely beautiful. But Aaron's pain at losing her when she wakes up, and his confusion dealing with the two personalities inhabiting his soon-to-be ex-wife, was so raw and heartbreaking.

The children in this book were incredibly cute and relatable, adding so much to the story instead of detracting from it. They made everything so much better.

And that plot twist? It made me gasp out loud! I cried so much, but I'm so happy with the happy ending. I absolutely can't wait to read book four in the series because I really loved Max in this book.

I loved the feeling this book gave me. I felt like I was wondering around in a dreamlike state while listening to it and for a few days after I finished it. The chemistry between Fi and Aaron was fairytale like and dare I say, dreamy? It got a little slow towards the end and I couldn’t figure out how the author was going to get these lovers together in real life but she pulled it off effortlessly! Definitely worth the read or listen!

DNF at 35%. I was fortunate to listen to the first two books, but I am just feeling this one. I feel like the stakes are a bit different in this book, the potential fallout of ruining so many people’s lives from the actions taken by the fmc.

This book, for me has a hard beginning. I almost dnf it but I remember another review saying to have patience and this review is correct. It took about chapter 17 to 20 before something interesting happened. Before that, the book is just an aimless meandering in Fi's mind and life.
When things do happen though, it will go so fast that when the ending came it came at a surprise, at least for me.
I read the other book in this series, Switched, and loved that book. That book is a perfect romantic comedy. This book, Fated, however, is all the way romance. In any other circumstance the difference might make one book better than the other. However, both of them left a good impression for me.
So, Fated has Fiona dreaming of a man she thought was just a dream. She fell heads over heels in love and I do not blame her. Her leading man can match her weigh for weight and I am glad they found each other. Their path to each other is....truly fated for its impossibility. In the right mood, this book will break your heart, shatter it to million pieces and then put it together - better.
Thanks to netgalley for the audiobook.

I loved this one and will be buying a copy as soon as I can! Already recommended it to a few friends! The behind was a bit rough but the last 20% were again

I’m generally a major fan and supporter of Sarah Ready, and the first two books in the Ghosted series were both incredible! However, this one, Fated, left me scratching my head and wondering if it really came from the same imagination. It felt different than all her other books (I’ve read many, but not all), and just didn’t live up to my hopes and expectations, based on the previous two and the blurb.

I was left wanting so much more or maybe just something else out of this story - it was OK but I really didn’t enjoy the dreaming scenario and wondering how everything would play out, and if Fiona would wind up with her best friend in reality, Max (sort of a love triangle bit there, which I don’t like), or with the dream sequence guy McCormick and the other life she seems to fall into, and his friend Robert... When the twist is revealed I was really disappointed - plus, the multiple love triangle aspect really turned me off (as it always does)…

I’m sure there will be many who enjoy this one, but even though I’m mostly a Ready fan, she still has a title or two in her catalogue that I don’t jive with (and that’s ok). She has others that are my fave books, so I’m sure that the next release (Wished, in October) will be one of those new faves! Still - you should give this one a try, even though it didn’t work for me.

Narrated by Shakira Shute, who always does a great job, she couldn’t increase my impression of this one. She gets a good rating for her performance, however! I do always enjoy hearing from her.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing (IBPA), and this is my honest feedback.

The narrator was FANTASTIC. I enjoyed the book a lot more because of how fantastic the narration was. I usually don’t pick up stuff with kids but this was written so well! Would HIGHLY recommend the audiobook!

The characters were so loveable, and I teared up at certain points. It was a really good read! I would definitely read more books by this author and would also check out more books narrated by Shakira Shute!

I received a free copy of this audiobook and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Much thanks to Sarah Ready, Swift & Lewis Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book. I did not want to stop listening; I know that's over used hype for most books these days (I can't believe we've made "unputdownable" a word), but I honestly was loath to stop listening, to the point that I had headphones on while watching TV with my family, which I almost never do because it feels super rude and exclusionary to me. But I was dying to know what the fuck was going on here.

I'm sure there are oodles of plot holes if I cared to look for them; there usually are in plots that mess with time. Some things I plain don't understand---What the heck was she doing with a gun? What was the point of shooting herself? What was Becca experiencing while Fiona was in her body? (Did it not weird Fiona out to be in someone else's body??)

And a couple things really tested my suspension of disbelief. No one else was concerned by Becca's suddenly split personality? No one considered she'd developed DID? I refuse to believe a person wouldn't have been tempted to google some things out of sheer curiosity, to find out if they're real. I've never had a lucid dream, so I can't speak from that angle, but if your dream felt that real, contained so many details, and you could remember it all when you woke, wouldn't you wonder?

But I loved the story, the characters, so much that I did my best to ignore all that. Fiona might not be the most relatable of characters as far as her circumstances---the rich CEO of a Swiss watch company--but her lack of self-confidence and hesitancy toward relationships, her general compassion and sympathy for others, endeared her to me.

When we first met Aaron, I thought he would be one of those super sexy, gruff-to-the-point-of rude, controlling alpha males we see so often in novels. But no, he was actually quietly vulnerable, very sweet, mature, and lacking in self-confidence, but not in a way that made him needy or whiny. He was fully aware of his flaws and countered them with selflessness, doing everything he could to help other people and atone for his mistakes.

I. Loved. That. Man. When I found out . . . There were tears. Many tears.

I do wish I'd gotten to know Becca better, let her speak for herself. We really just heard a bunch of gossip about her, other people's opinions about her, and were left to make assumptions. I had such mixed feelings about her.

I loved all the children, though I wanted to shake Amy for going back for a book. I understand, I'd be tempted, too, but books are replaceable. Max seemed like a great guy, but I was rather indifferent to him; he wasn't Aaron. I liked Daniel in this book better than I liked him in his own book!

Yes, this book seems to take place before Ghosted, which makes my eye twitch a little; I went back to Ghosted and scanned the end for mention of Fiona having a husband or children but couldn't find any, at least not without rereading Ghosted in entirety. So there aren't any major continuity issues, but there isn't an obvious connection, either, aside from the Abry thing, of course.

This was a long book, but I was not ready for it to end. The epilogue we got was cute, but I needed more---how did they decide to live their life together? On the island, in Geneva, both? Did Aaron keep being a man of all work and swim on the side, or swim the most and tinker in his downtime? No way was Fiona able to continue working as much as she was used to. What was the custody situation like going forward? Did Fiona and Aaron have more children?

Sigh. Hopefully there will be another book in the series, perhaps focusing on Max, and we'll get to revisit Aaron and Fiona. Overall, highly recommended, but you'll enjoy it more if you can let the wonky bits go.