This is my first book by this author and while I’m still getting used to what books I like to read and ARC reviewing, I’m certain I will be adding more of this author to my TBR.

Wished follows Anna, a cleaner who fell in love with Max without ever talking to him. She just cleaned his house. But when she makes a wish and that wish comes true, while met with push back from Max takes the pair on an unsuspecting adventure together.

I loved this book, the story was brilliant, I found myself in a few spots questioning how this was going to end. I would actuallyyyyyyy love to see this as a movie.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★★★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: October 1 2024
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

From the very first page, I was completely enchanted by Sarah’s masterful storytelling. This book isn’t just a romance; it’s a beautifully crafted journey that captivates the heart and tickles the funny bone. Sarah's writing is nothing short of magical, with each word effortlessly weaving a tapestry of emotion, humor, and elegance. I found myself lost in the story, as if I were living in the enchanting world she created.

The chemistry between Anna and Max is palpable from the start, crackling with an intensity that pulls you in and doesn't let go. Their connection is both electric and heartwarming, showcasing how love can transcend boundaries—social, economic, and personal. Anna’s deep-seated belief in "The One" and her whimsical wish for a life with Max set the stage for a delightful romp through romance that feels both fantastical and relatable.

One of the highlights of the book for me was Anna's seven-year-old sister, Emme. Her charming innocence and quirky antics add a layer of sweetness and humor to the story. Emme’s interactions with Anna and Max are often hilarious, injecting lightness into the more intense moments of the plot. It's a testament to Ready’s talent that even secondary characters leave a lasting impression, adding depth and richness to the narrative.

Sarah skillfully balances moments of laugh-out-loud comedy with deeper emotional beats. There are scenes that had me chuckling and gasping in equal measure, making this book a delightful escape. The way she infuses humor into the romantic tension is a hallmark of her writing style, ensuring that you aren’t just swept away by the romance but are also thoroughly entertained.

What truly sets this book apart is its elegant beauty. Sarah Ready has a rare gift for language; her words flow like poetry, painting vivid pictures that linger in the mind long after the final page. The elegance of her prose amplifies the story's emotional stakes, making every moment feel significant and impactful. It’s as if she conjures an atmosphere where every wish, every laugh, and every tear resonates deeply.

This was a delightful exploration of love, longing, and the magic of wishes. With its dynamic and lovable characters, and the sizzling chemistry between Anna and Max, this book is a captivating read from start to finish. Sarah Ready is an incredible writer whose work feels like a breath of fresh air. I can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone looking to be swept off their feet by a story that is as funny as it is beautifully crafted.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Paranormal romance, fantasy romance, grumpy/sunshine, billionaire romance, opposite attract

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6687996109

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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3317142882

I have been enjoying this series of romance with a touch of magical in the story. Anna has been a maid for Max for 7 years and wished for Max to notice her. Her wish comes true and the story is about her and Max figuring out what is real or part of the wish.

The story is entertaining and I love how Max goes from being such an asshole to the sweetest guy.

The story is mainly told in Anna's POV narrated by Amanda Ronconi and Will Watt as Max. I wished we had more chapters from Max's POV. They did a great job bringing all the emotions to life.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for the ALC.

Perfection. Sarah Ready has a way of weaving magical realism into a perfectly laid out romance.

Wished is the final book in the Ghosted series, and tells the story of Max and Anna. Both characters love so hard. They love themselves and each other and the people around them. Throughout their dream/real life adventures, Max and Anna learn more about themselves and each other, and learn important lessons about the freedom that comes with loving unreservedly.

I loved every single word, sentence, paragraph and page of this.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. Wished is Sarah Ready’s upcoming novel, and it was so much fun to read! Swipe for synopsis. Thank you NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the opportunity to read this via gifted eARC. All thoughts are my own and honest.

I absolutely loved Anna and Max’s story! Anna is so relatable to me and Max is grumpy book boyfriend perfection. I was excited when I learned he would be getting his own book. I loved how he opened up to Anna over the course of the story.

The concept behind this book was very fun! I’ve never read anything quite like it and I love Anna and Max’s relationship developed from the wish. And the cover? It might be my favorite of Ready’s covers.

I definitely recommend if you are a PNR fan!

Thanks for net gallery for early access but this book didn't hit for me I thought the concept was brilliant but the whole back and forth I didnt love.

Anna was instantly attracted to Max, the owner of the house which she cleans for, when she first met him three years ago. One day, she sees a necklace with a message stating that it makes wishes come true.

She tries it out and wishes that she and Max are married. The next day, she wakes up and to her surprise she has been married to Max for seven years. While Max and Anna try to unravel the changes from her wish, they spend lots of time together in close proximity.

Slowly, Max sees the real Anna and realises that during the three years that she works for him, she had been a part of his life unknown to him. Anna also learns about his past and why he was so adamant about not wanting passion in his life. Soon, she makes a new wish to return them back to the reality where they are not married, as she wants true love and not a fantasy one.

The last part of the book is just awesome as Anna is such a standout character and I loved how she acted, putting Max first before herself. The chapters where they traveled to Paris and St Tropez were also beautifully described. I could totally imagine myself being there! The other side characters were also important and every chapter played a part in bringing our couple to their happy ending.

After reading and loving the 3rd book in this series, Fated, I was lucky enough to be gifted with the eARC of this book, which is the 4th in this series. I absolutely BINGED this book any second I was able to sit down and read it.

Anna was a sweet FMC, who you just find yourself rooting for. She has been in love with her boss for three years, ever since she first met him, and ends up heartbroken after she is found to have stolen a necklace and she gets fired. But here's the catch, it's a magic necklace that grants wishes, and Anna never stole it, but she did end up making a wish.

At first, I hated Max. He was just very unlikeable and had a terrible personality. But as the book went on, I started to like him as his personality evolved and he was no longer acting like a stuck up dork.

I loved the idea of a magic necklace that allows people to make a wish to get what they want and the execution of that concept in this book was fantastic. I do have one complaint and that is that the relationship between Anna and Max escalated pretty fast. HOWEVER, it isn't that big of an issue to me because Anna loved him before the wish, and Max has the memories of the marriage, which included several years worth of love for the two of them, which affected how he felt about Anna.

Thank you to Sarah Ready, Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

3.25⭐️

Wished by Sarah Ready is very much a romcom with a touch of magical realism. The story follows Anna who one days wishes to be the wife of the owner of the chateau she cleans! That day then comes true when she wakes up being the wife of Max Barone the owner of a jewelry empire.

The overall plot of this book was super cute! I mean who wouldn’t want a wish of marrying your biggest crush to come true?!

However, it was insta-lovey *tun tun tunnnn*
yeah, insta-love is a trope I absolutely can not get behind with that being said I felt like the love to hate shift happened way too rapidly for my liking which then made it feel like their connection was in some way rushed. I just wish it was slowed down a bit in order to build up that chemistry and have deeper interactions between the two.

But despite it containing one of my least favorite tropes it was still a very fun and light hearted read! The Magical realism was honestly my favorite part it reminded me of the Disney movie 16 wishes if you know you know! (it’s not at all like 16 wishes just the wishes part reminds me of the movie)

If you love romances with magical realism themes and are okay with a more insta-lovey kind of story I definitely recommend this book, it’s the perfect escape from traditional romances.

Sarah Ready never disappoints. This series has captured my heart with such real relationships in such a mystical way. I love seeing max make a return from fionas book, and i really enjoy how he turned from someone not open to love, to the biggest simp in the world. I love these characters and how they find each other. If i had the choice i would read this series again for the first time in a heartbeat.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

Cute quick read with a bit of spice. I liked the premise of this book. I felt like the insta love thing wasn’t super believable. I felt some of the character interactions felt a little forced. The story had plenty of cute moments to keep you going.

“I suppose . . .”—I look back at Max—“I was waiting for you to see me.” “How could I see you when you were hiding?”

Love, even in small portions, is enough to defeat an ocean of hate.

As always Sarah’s books leave me feeling so warm and happy. This story is such a stunning part of the series, it was just such a joyous read. Not only did Sarah have me bawling my eyes out one minute and laughing and swooning the next. She also manages to make me fall incredibly in love with the characters each time she writes a new book.

Our main female character is a super beautiful soul who I felt so much relation to, in her you see yourself honestly it was such a lovely story and honestly one I had been eagerly awaiting to read! I highly highly recommend this read!

Wished is part of the Ghosted series by Sarah Ready, and while it mentions and includes characters from other books in the series, it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. I'm a big fan of Sarah's work, and her ideas for these books are unique and entertaining, with some unexpected twists. While I admit that Fated is still my favorite, I thoroughly enjoyed Wished. Max, who appeared in Fated, finally gets his story in this book, and I love it. I only wish we got more from Max's perspective rather than at the beginning and epilogue. Anna's character was interesting and down to Earth. She isn't selfish or self-absorbed. She was a refreshing and relatable character. Overall, I found this book delightfully entertaining, and I finished it in one sitting. I'm already eagerly anticipating the author's next book.

I've had Josh and Gemma Make A Baby on my TBR for a while now so when I saw author Sarah Ready on NetGalley, I immediately requested the arc.

I'm a rom com reader through and through and one of the categories I've come to love is magical realism. What happens when you accidentally find a magic necklace, make a wish, get fired for said necklace being in your possession, drink your sorrows away and wake up....to a wish come true? Well you find out what happens in Wished! Anna's wish? That Max was her husband. Max - the same man who just got her fired from her housekeeping job.

Anna's wish come true is a little complicated. As a confused Anna remembers their real history and Max seems to recall a little bit of both, albeit blurry, Max challenges them to just dive on in to the marriage while searching to undo the wish. The adventure they take was fun to read. Is marriage with Max everything Anna WISHED for?

I enjoyed this story and plan to read the rest of the series.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Firstly I'd just like to say thank you to Sarah Ready and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this arc

3 stars :)

First of all, I would like to say I really liked the plot, and I found the twists an interesting concept, but I feel like the ending was rushed and this could be more pulled out and in-depth. When I was reading this, I didn't really like the writing style, but I see why other readers might. I feel like if one of my favourite authors had written this, I'd probably find it more interesting.
We never really got anything on Dorene or her family and I would've liked to hear more about her as well.
Also, there wasn't a lot about the necklace, and I fully believe there could've been more about that as well.

But anyways, I had fun reading this :)

Oh my gosh, this book held me completely by the whims! The writing was so beautiful and powerful that I felt every emotion the Anna went through. I could totally relate to her struggle between what her heart wants and what her mind tells her. It's that painful, messy war where no matter which side wins, you feel like you're the one who loses. I was on such an emotional rollercoaster, and honestly, I didn't want to get off. As someone who more often than not suffers with guilt for the smallest things, I felt seen, understood, and just so connected to her journey.
And don't even get me started on Max! I am *obsessed*! He may come off as a total jerk in the first chapter, but trust me, he's an absolute gem underneath. The way he loves—so deeply, so truly—it's unlike any other male lead I've come across. What really sets him apart is that he actually *thinks* things through!
He didn’t blame her, *instead* he took the time to *learn* about her. That’s what makes him so special! Even though she made a wish that completely flipped his lonely existence into one filled with memories of love filled life with her, he didn’t throw her a fit like I expected. Instead, he was curious, patient. He wanted to see if she was truly *the one*, even if the memories they shared weren’t real. That level of emotional depth and understanding? It’s rare, and it made me fall even harder for him. He wanted to see her for *who she is*, not just because of some memories, but because he wanted to know *her*. Ugh, he's just perfect!
This book absolutely *wrecked* me, but also wrapped me in such a comforting warmth at the same time. The way the author described the architecture and cities was so intricate and vivid, I felt like I was *right there* with them, surrounded by the beauty and the tension in the air. It was like I could feel the dew of love and affection settling over everything, making every moment more intense and real. Even though I've never been to Paris, it was like being transported there regardless, in its grasp a dream that I never wanted to wake up from. I’m still not over it!
I’m beyond grateful that I got to read this book. It wasn’t just a story—it was an experience that *taught* me to let myself *live*, to allow myself to *feel* without holding back. It gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, I could be loved too. The emotional impact this book had on me is something I’ll carry with me forever. I’ll never forget how it made me feel—both the heartache and the warmth. This story will always hold a special place in my heart.

And I thank you author, Sarah, for writing this whimsical love they have, for making *me* believe that sometimes it's okay to wish, to hope, for myself. You've left a lasting impact with your amazing skills as a writer, and I *wish* you the best as a reader who's witnessed your magic.

Wished is the 4th book in the Ghosted series. This has been a great series, in my opinion. This book is a 4.5 rounded up to a 5 star read for me.

The whimsy of believing in wishes is something that has always evaded me, and I think that played a part in my rating of this book. I liked the premise that they were meant to be, even though they came to be super unconventional. Love at first sight is definitely one of my favorite tropes because I fell for my husband very quickly, maybe not at first sight, but close to it.

Thank you for the copy, this is my honest opinion.

Forgive me if it's hard to type this review, as I'm still covered in goosebumps upon finishing this book! Oh...my...goodness! I've relished every book in Sarah Ready's exceptional Ghosted series, and this one is no exception!

Anna is in love with Max. But he doesn't know she exists. She's been cleaning his home, quietly adoring him, for three years. But one day she makes a wish on the invaluable necklace in his office, and the wish changes EVERYTHING. Suddenly Anna has everything she's ever wanted, namely, Max Barone, as her HUSBAND. Having one's wish granted should be simple, but Anna has found that it's anything but. Now she needs to navigate this new life in which the lines of love and reality blur.

Sarah Ready takes us on another journey, this time Geneva, Paris, and the heart. (Yeah I said it! It's cliche but I don't care! It's just too true!) The tension between Max and Anna was some of the hottest I've read in AGES. I actually had to stop reading after their ridiculously intense love scene. I was like, "I need a minute to regroup!" 🤣 I love how Sarah Ready takes this modern twist on a Cinderella story and makes it extra compelling, with the reader questioning how the story will conclude. We know, since it's romance, that it's going to be a happy ending, but I love not having a CLUE as to how we'll get there. I literally cried. I literally got goosebumps. This book made me FEEL all of the feelings! I love how all of the characters are complex, but have good hearts at their core.

Now I'd like to make a wish...that I could read this book again for the first time! It was THAT good. I had the pleasure of listening to this book, and it was another level of fun! The narrators did a tremendous job performing their parts. Our male narrator began and ended the story to perfection, while our female narrator did the bulk of the work, bringing Anna to life.

Trigger warnings: alcoholic parent (before story begins), abusive father (before story begins), father dying of cancer (before story begins), dysfunctional family dynamics (before story begins)

I'd like to thank Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC., Independent Book Publishers Association (IPBA), Members' Audiobooks, and Netgalley for the audio ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Recommended: sure
For exactly the kind of light wishy romance it sounds like it'd be, for a very simple story, for a great comfort book to read when you need something new that is still very familiar

Thoughts:
Overall this was an easy fun read, but I did find myself kind of skimming parts to get past excessive description and continue with interactions and conversations. It didn't blow me away, but it was enjoyable and delivered exactly what it promises with the wish-love premise.

It should be no surprise that you need to take this one with some suspension of disbelief. Some choices make no sense, but function to get the characters together. Just roll with it! Primarily the change that took us from Max saying he hates her and will call the police if he ever sees her, to planning a trip to Paris together is so nonsensical. I feel like both of them also knew it was flimsy as hell and just wanted an excuse to follow up on something they were both interested in.

Sex, being what they're both interested in. The opening scene from Max's perspective is him remembering dirty sex with her in his office, and it doesn't really let up from there. Chemistry between them is a huge focus all throughout for both of them, and it gave it a bit of that "magically fated compatibility" vibe that is again, maybe requiring some suspension of disbelief. But they do have sex, and it is open door, and probably on the lower end of spice for open door.

Plot-wise this moves forward pretty well, and there's some focus on family as a kind of sideline plot to define Anna. It did take a turn I didn't expect in one of the later arcs of the story, so that was fun to see what happened and how Anna would handle it. The lovey-dovey-ness was pretty over the top, but that also became a plot point that was addressed so it served a function even as I was side-eyeing a bit.

Besides pieces of this being tough to buy into, my biggest issue was that it was very meandering which drove me crazy. There was often WAY too much description of every single building that ever exists, to the point where I had to wonder if the author was close to someone who is an architect or had to beef up word count or something. There were also lots of situations where someone asks a question and then we go on a three page unrelated thought tangent before coming back to answer and I'm like wait what was even the question now?? I started skipping a lot of those moments towards the end of the book because it felt like it wasn't adding anything to the story or characters for me. 😑

In the end, it's a magical wish-granting romance so I'm not going to die on the hill of some parts of it not being super believable. If you like over the top romance with some sexual tension and little elements of magic, then this is going to fit the bill.

Thanks to Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC for an advanced copy of Wished.

Anna just wants Max to notice her. She has been cleaning his home for a few years and she cannot get him out of her head. Then one day she makes a wish to be married to Max and it comes true. She thinks she has everything she has ever wanted except she does not feel it is what Max wants.

This book just did not do it for me. I was not a fan of the main characters and the premise was a little juvenile in my opinion.