Stars

Wished is the fourth book in Sarah Ready’s recent magic-tinged contemporary series, titled Ghosted—but it can be read as a standalone that follows a pair of fresh MCs, who find love with the help of a little magic and fate.

This time around we’ve got an opposites-attract pairing between a lonely billionaire (Max) and his equally lonely house cleaner (Anna), which begins in true series-style with a life-changing wish for love and marriage made on a magical piece of ancestry jewellery.

I really liked Anna and Max. I felt their loneliness and longing for more in life quite acutely. They were both kind-hearted, unassuming sorts, coming from very different backgrounds (one rich, one poor), but fitting together effortlessly like two puzzle pieces meant-to-be.

The beginning of the story was a bit slow for me—perhaps even feeling a bit disjointed or disconnected to the rest of the story up until the point the wish kicked into gear. I was definitely relieved that the story played out the way it did, as it made for a deeper connection between the characters and lessened some of my worries about where the story would go.

Having met and adored Max as a secondary character in book three (Fated), I was eager to get to his story and meet his love match. I especially loved the easy way Max and Anna talked and got to know one another in the scenes after the initial wish was made. The Paris chapters, in particular, were a real delight. I relished in their exploration of the city of love and how it brought them closer together emotionally, and later physically.

The explicit scenes between these two were very nicely done, and quite frankly, smokin’ hot. If memory serves correctly, the sex scenes in the previous books were either super-brief/vaguely shown, or sometimes even fade-to-black—which was completely fine, but I certainly loved the way Max and Anna’s intimacy was explored on-page here, despite it being a bit inconsistent when considering the series norm.

Although none of the sequels in this series have quite matched my fondness of book one (Ghosted), I would definitely say I enjoyed Max and Anna’s story more than I did the middle two sequels, preferring the plot, the characters, the magical tones, and the romance stylings this time around to a greater degree.

My absolute favourite moment though—which convinced me to move this from a 3.5 star-rating to a solid 4—was one paragraph in the Max-POV epilogue, where he was telling his baby girl (swoon) all about his love for her mother and their friends (i.e. all the other couples in the series and their growing families), which I just found so heartwarming and romantic in its reaffirming of all the HEAs found and kept. It was a lovely way to wrap things up and it left me with a nice warm feeling of satisfaction for a series well-read.


***A special thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was really swoony and cute! Just like the other books in the series, this was whimsical and had a magical realism aspect to it.

Sarah's writing is comforting & cheerful.

I enjoyed it, but till date, Ghosted remains my favorite!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25

The Ghosted series is one of my favorite contemporary romance collections, and I am so glad to read and review the most recent installment, Wished, highlighting new character Anna Benoit and recurring character Max Barone. For those following along at home, the first MMC is Daniel Abry, and Max is Daniel's sister's platonic best friend (whew! lots of connections to remember!)

As in each book in the series, the FMC is the primary POV. I really liked Anna as a character, she was very honest, down to earth, and relatable. The themes in this romance were insta-love/love at first sight, fake marriage, with a multi-verse vibe. I'd say this book is the most even-keeled in the series; I remember the others having jaw-dropping twists and insurmountable obstacles that really took me for a ride. Wished was lovely, but not as shocking or surprising. There is some spice in the series and in Wished, but not particularly graphic or gratuitous in my opinion. It was exactly what I needed to read this week and I totally recommend it, and the whole series, to contemporary romance readers. Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC of Wished, which is available now!

Thanks to Sarah Ready for an eARC provided through NetGalley. The following is my honest and personal review of the book.

We saw Max at the end of Fated give up on the hopes of love, and settle for a life revolving around work with no romance or passion. That’s why it’s a shock to him when he’s in his office and receives a call from his assistant telling him his wife was there to see him.
On the other side, Anna works as a cleaning lady for Max. For her, it was love at first sight when she met him. For him, well... he never really noticed her. But when she is met with a magical necklace she makes a wish for Max to love her back and for her to be his wife. The shock was when that wish came true!

I loved Max in Fated. I was scared to trust him at first but by the end of the book I was fully rooting for him to find his happily ever after.
Anna is a perfect match for him. After their fated altercation, I loved seeing their interactions with each other.
One of my favorite things about Sarah Ready’s characters is that they are fairly reasonable people, who would act like you would expect real people to act. So, when faced with a situation where the whole world believes that Anna and Max have been married for seven years, they decide to tackle it together to find a solution.

The second part after Max makes his wish broke my heart a bit. It was rough seeing Anna reject love because she doesn’t want to take Max’s freedom of choice. And having picked up on Max’s wording for his wish, I was expecting things to go sideways, but seeing them both struggle was felt deep.
But in the end, and after many sacrifices, I was glad to see that both of them had gotten their wishes come true, found ever-lasting love, and all ended well.

I also learned about Acrostic rings, which was fun! But now I want one!

Wished by Sarah Ready is a charming romance with a dash of magic that will leave readers smiling. The story follows a lovable protagonist whose unexpected wish sets off a series of delightful, events with Max Barone. Ready’s writing is light, engaging, and filled with heart, making the book a joy to read. The blend of romance and wishes gives the story a real enchanting feel. It is the first book I have read by Sarah Ready and I really enjoyed, however, I do feel like there could have been a bigger build up for their romance than there was.

The warmth of the characters and the sweet, uplifting message shone throughout the book. If you’re looking for a feel-good romance with a magical twist, Wished is the perfect book to get lost in for an afternoon.

3.5 stars = i liked it. Wished is the final book in Ready's series of magical romances. All.of the books work fine as standalones - though there is a final bow for past leads here for those who have read the other 3. I have really enjoyed the books and am sad that we've reached the end.

The magical foundation for the story this time is a wish made by the heroine Anna that she, a cleaning lady, be married to the boss who doesn't notice her existence. That boss is Max, the best friend of the leading lady from the previous book. She gets her wish, but not the way that she'd imagined because Max has two sets of memories- one where they've been married for 7 years and one with a very unfortunate incident that left him with a less than favorable picture of Anna's character. Max is really not a happy person and doesn't believe in or want love, but those other memories reel him in and make him give Anna a chance. Here's where we really get to see what a lovely person Anna really is.

There are other twists and turns and other wishes on the way to the HEA, but I really liked the way it turned our with Max regaining everything he'd lost as a result of the wish and so much more as well.

ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley, Expected publication 0ctober 2024.

What would you do if you woke up in your hot boss’s bed, discovering you are married to him? Not only that - but you have been married to him for SEVEN YEARS?

Anna never thought her wish would come true. But suddenly it has, and her entire life has flipped upside down. The best part is that Max, the boss she’s been in love with for years, also wakes up with the same memories from the past seven years - and they did not involve having a wife!

I am such a fan of this series and have been looking forward to listening to Max’s story after my heart warmed for him in Fated. And per usual - it did not disappoint! I loved Anna’s strength and fearlessness, and though I wanted to punch Max at times, I couldn’t help but love him. He was so arrogant at times but also such a softie. He was also such a dirty talker - dang Max! 🥵

Per usual, Sarah Ready kept me on my toes throughout the book, never knowing what to expect. She always brings me to the brink of heartbreak before healing it again ❤️‍🩹

I hope this series never ends, it’s so good 💕

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Wished in exchange for an honest review.

Anna and Max. I've read most of this series and this one might be my favorite.
While working as Max's house cleaner, Anna sees the mystery man that she cleans for in all his eccentricities around the house - the books he likes, the food he enjoys, the order he keeps, the way he speaks to others on the occasional times he works from home. She has a little crush on her boss, though he clearly doesn't see or notice her and that won't change anytime soon. Max, on the other hand, runs one of the oldest jewelry companies in Geneva, witnessed bad love and refuses to take part in any kind of passion only to get burned by it. When he leaves a necklace on his desk and it's discovered by Anna as she cleans, a lighthearted wish has both Max and Anna waking up as husband and wife.
Throughout their tale of trying to undo the wish granted by the family heirloom necklace, seeing what their lives would look like in other lights and lifetimes, and all the joy that's possible together, do they want the wish to be undone? and what happens when it does?

It was such an enjoyable read for all the lifetimes or dimensions or whichever descriptor their friends prefer. And the end... chef's kiss.

#arc
#netgalley
#wished

Spicy, male female, contemporary romance with a bit of a fantasy element. This is the 4th standalone book in the series Ghosted. Sarah Ready is a new to me author, and I really enjoyed her writing style. The premise of this book was original and entertaining. I found this to be a very satisfying read, and I plan on reading the previous books in the series.

4.5 stars rounded to 5

I liked this story -- t felt very akin to the first two in the Ghosted series, although with some different characters. At first I didn't realize that the MMC was from the previous book since, IMO, he seemed to have a different personality. I liked the version of him in this book better than the one in Switched; he seems more sure of himself and likable despite his grumpiness. The storyline flowed well and the characters were slowly fleshed out. It was a fun romance with a fantasy twist and a great plot weaved in.

I loved the pacing of this book & it definitely made me want to read the others in the series as well! It can be read as a standalone though.

The chemistry was great. Its a good light read, a fantastic palette cleanser.

This was a very good book. I like that this book had a different type of twist on making a wish and having it come true. The characters were amazing, and the plot was so good. This romance was a very cute romance. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for a review.

I went blindly reading this mainly because the cover is gorgeous, i had never read a book from this author before but i'm pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it a lot. The main characters had good chemistry which to me is important in the genre of romance and i loved the magical element to it. However, what made me extract a star is that i'm not really a fan of the love at first sight trope, i like a good slow burn and the build up that comes with it but it wasn't a deal breaker to me so it's fine.

Every time i see Sarah announce a new book in this series i get so excited. These books are my favorite Magic Realism romances, i don’t think any other books can top these for me. This was almost topped Ghosted for me but i fear that one will forever be my favorite.

I absolutely loved Anna, Max & their relationship. I listened to this book in one sitting & i don’t regret it at all. This book kept me entertained the entire time & that’s all i need.

This series is just so sweet. I've enjoyed each book, they're so magical. But not too magical as to be labeled fantasy. And so whimsical. Each book can really be read on their own, but it's sweeter when we get to know all of these people who've been touched by magic.

Anna Benoit is a sweetheart. She takes care of her mother and sister and her crazy neighbor/boss Dorene. She's also madly in love with Max Barone. Problem is that he has no idea who she is. Even though she's known him for years and cleans his house. He couldn't even pick her out if a line up. When some damning evidence brings his attention to her it's definitely not love he feels. It's anger.

Anna herself has no idea how the situation happened but she's heartbroken when Max now knows who she is but he wants her gone.

When she wakes up though, it's not gone from Max's life. She's in his house. With people calling her Mrs Barone. Max has no idea how this happened. But Anna does.

Life however slowly bleeds together with this new reality. The new reality is beautiful. But not real. What happens when you get what you want but you know it's not the truth?

Remember though, Anna is a sweetheart. And so, so honest. There were times when I was like... does Max even deserve her?

Like I said before it's so whimsical. And to get a glimpse of the love that you deserve but to know it's all wished? Heartbreaking. Would you do the right thing? Or live in a made up world?

Thank you to the author, #Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of Wished in exchange for an honest review. I rotated between the ebook and audio formats.

I am the biggest Sarah Ready fan. Getting to read her books early is always such a treat! The Ghosted series as a whole has just been such a lovely world to get lost in. Wished shot to the top for me. It is my second favorite after Ghosted. I loved the references to characters from each of the previous books. A favorite line being “This being a dream is as likely as time travel or switching bodies!”🤣

Where do I even begin!? I was so excited that Monsieur Maximillian Barone got his own story. I was a little surprised at how cold he was to Anna at the beginning. It definitely served the purpose of character and relationship growth, but he didn’t show that side in Fated. He was always the dependable and loving friend. After learning more about him and additional insight into Anna, it all made sense in the end.

It was such an adventure after the initial wish was made. The Paris section was just my ultimate favorite. It was so creatively done how Max and Anna had this unique bond as they navigated life after the first wish. There were some twists and turns along the way, but I felt like nothing was left out. I love that feeling of satisfaction after reading a book that just checked all the heartstring boxes. I loved how honest Anna always way. She was an incredibly likable FMC.

I am SO happy this went back to the format of the first two in the series and have an epilogue from Max’s POV. This even had the prologue by Max, which I thought was spectacular. I loved how their POVs connected. Email subscribers also get a bonus epilogue!

I’d take a story about young Dorene or even Madame Blinken just to never leave this world of splendid magical realism!

The narration was great!

I loved this book! I loved how fated they were and how they couldn't help but finding each other sarah is such a good author.

Wished is Sarah Ready’s fourth book in her popular paranormal romance Ghosted series. While it can be read as a stand-alone, Wished will be enjoyed more if read after Ghosted, Switched, and Fated.

Anna Benoit is a house cleaner at a beautiful chateau who daydreams about the enigmatic owner, Max Barone. She’s a romantic who believes in The One and Love at First Sight. The second she saw Max Barone she fell desperately, hopelessly in love with him. She dreams about being married to him. The funny thing is that he doesn’t even know she exists.

So one day Anna touches a piece of Max’s jewelry and makes a wish on it. The next morning she wakes up to find out that she is married to Max Barone. He owns a jewelry empire and Anna isn’t prepared for the differences in their lifestyles. There’s a lot of ups and downs in their relationship as they make sense of things.

Wished is a romantic fantasy that involves time travel, which is not normally a genre that I like. However I love Sarah Ready’s stories and this Ghosted series has kept me enthralled. Wished is really gripping and will make readers laugh, cry, and hold their breath as they wait on Anna and Max to figure things out. It’s an incredible and unpredictable story; readers need to plan a weekend of uninterrupted time to devour this book.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯. 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦.”

Wished was my first Sarah Ready book and all I can say is WOW! This story had me hooked, and it definitely won’t be my last from this author. I’m almost kicking myself for not discovering her Ghosted series sooner! This was easily one of my favorite reads in September. 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄, 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑴𝑪𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 “𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒚.”

Max Barone is one of the wealthiest men in Geneva with his expansive jewelry empire. When he crosses paths with Anna Benoit, his quiet housekeeper who has loved him from afar for three years, Max barely knows she exists. However, Anna has learned all about his life and how lonely it is through her work. But when a mysteriously beautiful necklace appears in the Barone library that Anna is cleaning, her wish sets their lives on a course that will intertwine their paths forever.

From the very first chapter, told from Max’s POV, I was sucked into the character's lives and the stunning city of Geneva. The story’s premise is incredibly engaging, with a single wish creating an alternate reality for Anna and Max. And the character development? So. Much. Fun! There were so many profound moments between the two that I found myself pausing to reflect on how I might navigate the same situations.

I also love, love, loved how the story so beautifully illustrates the way bonds form quickly between people and captures that magical shift when you begin to truly see the other person, falling for the small details that make them who they are. Watching Max begin to see Anna, and watching Anna fall even deeper for Max, was just so perfect.

“𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦?”

“𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘦.”

“𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨?"

Seriously, this story is absolutely enchanting, and I didn't want to put it down. I also paired my reading with the audiobook, which was fantastic—one of my favorite narrators, Amanda Ronconi, brought it all to life perfectly!

If you’re looking for a great love story with some spice, heartwarming passion, and a protagonist who loves with all she’s got, do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

“𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴,” 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘺. “𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨.”

𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘹 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦—𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴.

(4.5⭐s rounded up)

𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:
✨ Billionaire romance
✨ Genie-like wish-granting
✨ Pseudo memories
✨ Love at first sight
✨ Whirlwind romance
✨ Great Spice
✨ Opposites attract

After reading Fated, book three in the Ghosted series, I really felt bad for Max. His best friend turns down his marriage proposal because she has found the love of her life. Granted, Max wasn’t madly in love with her, he just thought she would be a good fit. My heart still broke for him. I was really excited to find out that book four was Max’s story. I think I enjoyed this one more than Fated.

Anna Benoit is adorable and honest to a fault. She has a great family and support system. While working for her employer, Max, she makes a wish that comes true - that she is married to Max. Max and Anna are the only ones in this alternate reality aware that things have changed, so they have to work together to get back to reality, if they want. This story line gave me some Hallmark movie vibes where someone makes a wish and they get to see how love changes everything mixed with Cinderella. Sarah Ready took these, mixed things up, and gave it some needed spice. The chemistry between Anna and Max is absolutely magical.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the advance readers copy of Wished.