Member Reviews

Excellent story with a "new to me" plot that kept me hooked, once I was able to get past the initial start of the book. It started off rather slow and, at times, it felt like the author was a little too focused on setting the scenery. Given the number of lavish details she provided, I could quite literally play this book (and audio) in my head as a live action movie. You could tell that the MMC wasn't just a grump. He was a grump who was desperately clinging onto the notion that he couldn't handle love or passion, not that he didn't want it. However, the moment he got even a glimpse of it, he was done for. You see this play out in the back third of the book and it broke my heart for him. It broke for the FMC as well, as you could see that she is unable to let go of the idea that he wants her only because of the wish, not because of who she has become to him in such a short amount of time. I would have loved to have gotten the MMCs POV, outside of the Prologue and Epilogue. From the perspective of the written text, it would have rounded out the story for me. Or maybe it's because I loved the MMC that much. I was able to listen to this as an audio book as well and given that aspect, the single narrator worked out just great either way.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sarah Ready for the opportunity to listen/read to this ARC.

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I love Sarah Ready titles. She takes the "what-if" we wonder about and put ALL the words and feelings into them. This was a great read and I'm currently reading another of her titles!

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I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an ebook and audiobook ARC of Wished by Sarah Ready. All opinions are my own.

Wished feels like a Hallmark movie, just without the Christmas festivities, in the best possible way.

What I enjoyed:

-The writing is imaginative and descriptive enough to place you right in the middle of the story. It's very beautiful and whimsical, no matter their destination.
-The FMC is selfless and kind and the MMC is brooding and aloof, an amazing start to the story.
- I was surprised several times with where the story went, expecting the obvious to happen and being taken off guard in several instances - something which boosted my rating tremendously.
-The female narrator's voice was pleasant, even when she was doing the male voice.
-I loved the male narrator's voice, although it was only used in the beginning and the epilogue.
-I really liked the boss and the sister and their dynamic.

What I didn't enjoy:
-I felt like there was something missing from the initial POV from the MMC and him just accepting the magic of this wish and sweeping her away to see where it would lead. It felt out of character, even for the brief moment we actually got to know him outside of the FMC POV.
- There were several times where words were repeated back to back (nipple being an offender during specific chapters), sometimes 3-4 times in the same paragraph which took me out of the story. It's a bit nit picky but since I listened to the audiobook for the majority of the story, it stood out.

Overall, if you love the charming warm fuzzies of a Hallmark movie, you will love this story and the characters within.

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𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 & 𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
4.2 ☆
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I don't know if it was just me, but this book gave me "Howl's Moving Castle" vibes with the entire LOVE wish. And I really enjoyed it. The spicy scenes were *chef's kiss*.
The audiobook was good, I just wish we got more of the male POV narrator. I think we only heard him maybe twice. I wanted more of Max's POV and how he felt about the wish. The female narrator did a great job bringing the story alive. Highly recommend.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬:
•Contemporary Romance
•Love at first sight
•Magical
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Oct.1
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Thank you, Netgalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing for the eBook and audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced read.

My Grade: C+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Great scenario and the FMC was a joy to read. Sadly I felt that the story became too full of Insta-Love and was missing chemistry. It needed a slow burn to help me want the characters of Annie and Max end up together.

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 5. Great amount of spice! Nicely done, even if Max was a bit too perfect.

The Good:
-Wonderful premise! I loved the idea of a magical necklace and the history behind it.
-Alternative universes is one of my favorite tropes.
-Billionaire/boss romance.
-Immersive descriptions of the scenery were beautiful. They were a bit much at times, and kept the plot from moving forward.

The Meh:
-Insta-love is huge in this book. I was confused as to why Anna was in "love" with the confusing personality of Max, especially considering how rude and mean he was to her.
-The outpouring of "love" that came from Max was way too much and came off really creepy and obsessive.

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"Wished" by Sarah Ready is a contemporary romance novel that delves into themes of love, self-discovery, and second chances. The story follows the protagonist, who makes a wish that leads to unexpected and transformative changes in her life. Ready's writing combines emotional depth with engaging storytelling, exploring how desires and choices shape our personal journeys. The characters are well-developed, and the romance is both heartfelt and realistic. If you enjoy romances with a touch of magical realism and personal growth, "Wished" might be a compelling read for you.

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Sarah Ready is an automatic read author for me. I love her books and writing. Another masterpiece. I have absolutely loved this series. (All can be read as standalone). The paranormal elements in each book are so well written! When reading the first book I was hesitant, but after finishing it, it became an absolute fav! This book is just the same. The story is easy to follow along with, even with everything going on. It is full of heart, plot, humor, and sadness. I was laughing the entire time. Anna's friend/boss was hilarious. I was able to get both the kindle and audio for this, so I listened while reading along. Max was so sweet and loving. It was so cute watching their relationship grow.

The audio was perfect as well. The narrator was perfect for Anna's voice. She also has a voice that is nice and easy to listen to. Not one that made me want to fall asleep lol.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sarah Ready for this ARC!

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Cute storry with interesting backdrop of it being her wish and really not his. I would recommend both the book and audiobook.

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I always look forward to reading Sarah Ready books and although I didn't love this one as much as the other books in the series, I did enjoy it it was a little too spicy for me, but that's just me. I enjoyed the two main characters and the fantastical elements. A warm hug of a read.

A 3.5 rating rounded up to 4. I look forward to more books by this author.

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Anna Benoit has been in love with Max Barone since the first day she saw him while she was working, cleaning his chateau in Geneva. Max has never noticed her. When Anna has a chance to make a wish on an enchanted necklace, she wishes to be married to Max. She wakes up the next day with her wish come true, but she quickly learns that getting everything you want magically doesn’t feel the same as if it had happened in real life.

Wished is book 4 in Sarah Ready’s Ghosted series and has the same mix of delightful magical realism and romance that the others do! I really enjoyed this one, but I think that Fated (book 3) is still my favorite in the series.

Max was a bit of a frustrating character in the early part of the book. His decision to shun love and passion based on his history made sense but also made him seem cold and unfeeling. The way he treated Anna when she was his cleaner was pretty terrible, and though he did redeem himself ultimately it wasn’t a great start.

I did love the ending and how the magic and real world collided. I don’t want to spoil it so I won’t say how it all works out, but it felt like a fitting happy ending for these characters and this universe which has really charmed and delighted me!

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

The newest and final installment of the Ghosted series is here- and Max Barrone finds his love. This is a wonderful follow up to Fated- in which he does NOT, in fact, get his girl.

Once again, Sarah Ready takes us on a magical realism adventure powered by a family heirloom. I enjoyed the journey between multiple wishes made by both our FMC and MMC to try to just get it right.

What I love about Sarah's magical realism is that both main characters are often in on the glitch. This feeds into killer communication and a huge lack of cringe when the 'secret' blows up. Love it.

While this is a series, I do believe all four books can be enjoyed as standalones.

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I've been captivated by Sarah Ready's storytelling since I read Ghosted earlier this year. Her romcoms are consistently witty, lighthearted, and endearing— and this one is no exception. Wished follows Anna Benoit, a maid for Max Barone. She has been cleaning his chateau for years, but he barely acknowledges her existence. One day, Anna finds a magical necklace and wishes to marry Max. Her wish comes true… but soon she begins to wonder whether this is what she truly wants in her life.

I'm always up for a magical realism romance, so I was really excited to read this book! I really liked Anna, the protagonist, because she's both admirable and relatable. I appreciated her honesty and her love for her family. Her desire to grant people's wishes while feeling unworthy of having her own wish come true is something I can resonate with. Max was.... okay. I enjoyed learning about him and his struggles with love but I didn't like him as a love interest.

This book falls into the insta-love trope, and I think it was too fast for my liking. I wasn't fully invested with their relationship. The romance felt a bit contrived and lacked depth. It seemed like their feelings for each other developed too quickly and without much buildup. The romance felt rushed and lacked the emotional depth and connection that I've come to expect from Sarah Ready's other books. I hoped the book was at least 50 pages longer so that we get to see the characters interact more and get to know each other.

Overall, Wished was a fun read, but it wasn't as strong as the previous books in the series. The concept was intriguing and the characters were enjoyable, but the romance didn't quite deliver what I hoped it would. Thank you so much NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Release date: October 1, 2024

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Make a wish and find yourself in an AU where it's a reality? Yes please! But is it all it cracked up to be?

This is an adorable story and a really interesting concept that I enjoyed exploring through the book. I will pick up the rest of the series as well now.

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Rounded up from 3.5
Anna has been cleaning Max's chateau for three years, but he never really knew she existed. One day, she finds a necklace that seems magical and decides to make wish: to be married to him. And when her wish gets granted she should be elated... right?
This billionaire, opposites attract romance with magical realism is book 4 in the Ghosted series. I'm glad the author listened to the readers from reviews of the first 3 books in this series and made this one shorter, it made a world of difference! However, I felt like the pacing was a bit off. I'm also not so keen on the fact that the MMC is pining over someone else for a good chunk of the book? I feel like some things are left unexplained, but I enjoyed it over all.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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What would you do if one wish flipped your world upside down and turned your wildest dreams into reality?

That’s the magic and chaos in Sarah Ready’s Wished!

Anna Benoit is a hopeless romantic with a heart full of love for the swoon-worthy Max Barone, a man she admires from afar.
Max? He’s the owner of a jewellery empire, and Anna is just the chateau cleaner... until one fateful wish changes everything.

Suddenly, Anna wakes up as Max’s wife! Cue the pinch me moments, fairy-tale settings, and undeniable chemistry. But what starts as a dream come true soon leads Anna to wonder…what happens when the fantasy starts feeling a little too perfect? Is this the life she really wants, or is something missing from this wish-come-true romance?

Sarah Ready’s writing Is simple but poetic. She masterfully mixes whimsy, heart, and humor in this topsy-turvy love story.

Highly recommend If you're a fan of magical realism, slow-burn romance, and fairy-tale vibes with a twist.

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In Wished we follow Anna who cleans Max barone’s chateau for a living.As Max's housecleaner she has fantasies of the man she thinks he is by simply cleaning his home. You could learn a lot about someone by entering the most private areas of their home
The only issue is, he does even know she exists. Until Anna makes a wish on a magical necklace that they would be married.

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Thank you to Netgalley and Sarah Ready for granting me a digital copy of Wished in exchange for a fair and honest review. I've become hooked on Sarah Ready's storytelling since I read Switched earlier in the year. I've bought the entire series on Kindle and eagerly look forward to her next supernatural-influenced romance in the Ghosted series.

Sarah Ready writes fun, quirky plots with magical realism and heartwarming romances with plenty of humour, witty banter, and sizzling tension. Her engaging and compelling writing style creates a story in which you can quickly lose yourself. Her descriptions of the landscapes and cities visited in Wished are spellbinding, and you feel like you are walking alongside the characters in your imagination.

The characters in Sarah Ready's books never fail to be complicated beings with personalities, and she pairs couples together to make sparks fly. Her love interests have plenty in common and lots of differences to ensure we get a dynamic full of sizzling chemistry and heartwarming connection. Anna Benoit and Max Barone are another couple who are worlds apart but have more in common below the surface than they can see of each other until their misadventure opens their eyes and hearts to one another. Anna is a strong, kind-hearted dreamer who falls in love at first sight but longs for true love and is willing to sacrifice anything to care for those she loves. Max might lift a few eyebrows for any reader who knows him from Fated, where he comes across as charming, caring, and funny. There is a difference between night and day in Wished; he's cold and callous at the start of the book and downright cruel to Anna. I think he's allowed to be miffed about being forced into marriage by a wish not of his making.

The plot for Wished takes the old saying 'Be careful what you wish for,' spinning a story with a Cinderella dynamic between the romantic pairing of Anna and Max brought together by her wish, binding them in marriage in an alternative reality. I loved seeing Anna and Max aware of their real timeline in this alternative world created by her wish, adding delicious tension and conflict to the plot. Showing the lack of free will and choice as part of the story's themes cleverly constructs tension and conflict between Anna and Max. Creating a fraught dynamic between them, fraught with prejudices, sizzling love-hate chemistry, and emotionally charged feelings. At times, I wondered if we could ever get to a happy ever after for Max and Anna – there was so much anger and guilt for them both to overcome to allow trust and love to start to bloom. Don't worry; love triumphs in the end!

Wished blends a magical realism rollercoaster ride of a plot to create a nail-biting, sweet supernatural romance that will give you heart palpitations and fluttery feelings in your chest as you read. If you want a romance that keeps you on the edge of your seat with lots of ups and downs, Wished needs to be on your TBR. I'd recommend checking out any of Sarah Ready's Ghosted series, as they are all fantastic reads with different magical elements from being a ghost, body swaps, dreaming of your soulmate, or wishes gone wrong.

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This book was such a cute read 💗
I didn’t know what I was getting into when I started the book, it was pleasant surprise. The book intrigued me from the start.
Anna is like a hopeless romantic and grew on me as I read more.
Max I didn’t like him at the start because he is just so silent and didn’t utter any words, but he became my favourite.
I didn’t like the insta-love, but I get why is it like that. What would I do to be in Anna place and wish for Love like fictional man?
I loved the part where Max takes her Paris and did all things together.
I loved everything about the book, but the descriptive details and monologues are a bit too much!
The ending was as beautiful as it can get.

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I’ll start by saying I’m a huge Sarah Ready fan. And have loved the other 3 Ghosted books… but this one was just a like.
Namely: the characters. Max bothered me. I know other readers love a guy like him but not me. I also felt like Anna wasn’t fully developed. It’s a crush that because of magical realism and a wish, becomes a marriage. But it never really made sense to me?

Anywho, that’s me. I still love the author and enjoyed it fine. Just not my fav

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Ah-ma-zing!! Sarah's books just keep getting and better!! She has officially made her way to my #1 must read author!! I dont know how she manages to make her characters come alive so well. I am amazed, in love, and already miss this book! Definitely ordering for my bookshelf! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!!

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