These books are on the upswing.

I enjoyed the first but didn't care for the second.

Three was better, and this one, Four, was my favourite so far.

I enjoyed a dark and broody MMC. I don't think the MFC quite qualifies as a Sunshine, but I liked her strength and honesty.

I loved the settings of both Geneva and St Tropez, but would have loved the story to be a little tighter.

So. Many. Wishes.

Can't wait to see what this author cooks up next, and which character gets their HEA.

Thanks to NetGalley, and Swift & Lewis Publishing for this magical ARC.

This was a great story. I didn't realize when I requested it from Netgalley that it was actually the 4th in a series but I listened anyways and it was great. Very engaging, a little steamier than I expected but I loved that and a really cute storyline with likeable main characters. I can't wait to go back and enjoy the beginning of the series. Thank you Netgalley for an E-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book offers a fun and imaginative take on romance, with Anna Benoit finding herself in a world where she's married to Max Barone, the owner of the chateau she cleans. The story has an interesting premise, and the contrast between their lives adds to the charm. While the concept was engaging, some parts felt a bit rushed, and certain scenes could have been developed further. Overall, it's an enjoyable read for those who like a light romantic story with fantasy elements/ twists added

I liked this book. It was enjoyable, but I didn’t love it.

The characters were alright. The plot was interesting, but for some reason, it didn’t hold my attention or make me want to know what happened next.

I loved listening to the narrator’s. They both had very nice and enjoyable voices.

It was a good book to read once and I hope it finds the right audience. However, it was not for me.

Wished by Sarah Ready

Anna is a cleaner in a house that feels unlived and the man who lives there… doesn’t see her but her heart has loved him for years. While cleaning his office she sees a necklace on his desk… upon which she makes a wish. The whole world now believes she is married to Max.. only Anna and Max remember the real world…

It’s so good. I’m already a fan of this series but this one is the best so far. Max was annoying until the last part of the book but I adored Anna. I love the idea of magic intervening to bring people together. I am a hopeless romantic.

The writing style is perfect for me and the audio is really well done. You have to be open to the beauty of love and not be looking for realism. This book will take you places if you allow yourself to be swept away in the charm.

4 stars

I absolutely loved this book!!! The narrators were fantastic, and the author’s writing style is very enjoyable.

Anna moved me deeply throughout the story because she is disarmingly honest; she puts others before herself so much that her mother constantly tells her it’s okay to be selfish sometimes.

Max made me feel sad because he has this cold and unreachable demeanor, yet deep down he feels desperately alone.

I really enjoyed their story. The development of the plot is very coherent, and you can feel their affection, love, and despair.

There’s just one point that left me perplexed because it contradicted the events, but it’s so subtle that you can easily overlook it.

The dialogues are excellent, and I loved the character of Dorine as well as Max’s assistant.

It’s the fourth book in the GHOSTED saga, but it can be read as a standalone.

Firstly, I need to thank Sarah Ready, @netgalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing Ltd for allowing me to listen to an arc of this book.

This is my first book by Sarah Ready and I was sadly a bit disappointed, hence the 2 stars. Although, I do feel she made an excellent choice of narrators for the two main characters. That actually earned it 1 of the stars.

The story line is great and would normally be right up my street but, I found this all too higgledy piggledy. Not only the jumping backwards and forwards, but the reality versus dreams. All in all it's quite confusing. Also, I love a good plot twist but I feel that this just had far too many. Do they fall in love? Do they actually get married? and who on earth is the child in the supermarket? Honestly, I have no idea.

#sarahready #sarahreadyauthor #wished #arc #audiobook #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #review #bookreview #bookstagram #Wished #ghosted

Am a sucker for a romance. And this lived up to my expectations.
Really enjoyed this story. Wasn't to much but also didn't leave me disappointed.

Dnf. I really wanted to like this book, but I had an incredibly difficult time connecting enough to the story to want to listen to more to find out what happened

I am grateful for the opportunity to review the ARC audiobook for Wished.

Unfortunately, I did not have an overall good time with this book. It took me a long time because I didn't want to pick it up. The writing and prose was done well and a few moments were very cute and immersive, but that's about the only thing I enjoyed.
I didn't enjoy the insta-love aspect which seemed to take place for both characters whether it was magic induced (with a flaw so why did he fall so fast? It was only supposed to be a week) or love at first sight. And it didn't quite make sense to me that in a later chapter, our FMC said "oh no, I've fallen in love with him" when the whole premise of the book is that she's in love with him and so she makes a wish to marry him.
I feel the plot was very cute, bright and shiny, while also having at least one plot hole that was never solved. Why did the wish not work on him fully the first time and he was the only one? It worked on everyone else so why would he still remember?
I felt like Anna's inner monolog also ripped me out of the story at points for the questionable things she decided to focus on in the moment (like waking up in a strangers bed, which would be a big deal to figure out, but she's very focused on the silk on her nipples...) and for the absurd mental gymnastics trying to get herself to believe she got drunk enough to go back to an ex-employers house and fall asleep there... I've been drunk, and I don't think that's how it works for anyone and seems self deluded or (sorry) naive to the point of dumb. I wish for characters who make wishes and then understand what they've done.
Also Max was a little too good hearted for a billionaire, I don't think there are any billionaires who would go back and return a penny just cause it would inconvenience the worker.
Anyway. I need to write the review for this to increase my percentage on netgalley and it's very unfortunate that I didn't like this book very much.

Reading this book and trying to articulate my thoughts has put me in a “reading slump” as many would call it.

It just wasn’t for me. I didn’t like any characters. I think our main female character having a physical relationship with the man that she wished into loving her felt icky and borderline nonconsensual…

I will say the way the author wrote our setting was beautiful and so full of life. One star is for the beautiful descriptions.

I'm a sucker for European romance stories and Wished by Sarah Ready fit the bill perfectly taking us from Geneva to Paris, to the south of France. It is the story of Anna, a hopeless romantic looking for her happily ever after, but the man for whom she's fallen head over heels for is her employer, Max, she is one of his housecleaners. One day Anna made a wish and it seemed that her dream came true, they were madly, passionately in love, or were they? Anna is the type of character that you love from the start, while Max first came across as a complete jerk, but as the story went on he became lovable as well. This is an enchanting, engrossing story that I fully enjoyed.

Wished is a fun, whimsical romance with a bit of magic. It’s fourth in a series, but much like previous installments, it works just as well as a standalone. It makes for a nice light read whenever you just need a touch of magic and a gentle (if slightly spicy) romance.

Amanda Ronconi and Will Watt did an excellent job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Sarah Ready, Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

First a big thanks to the Author, the Publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

So, I really needed some time to get into this one.
I found Max not so sympathetic (both here and in Fated) and he really needed to grow on me.
Wasn't a fan of Anna either.
So I was really glad I got the ARC for the Audiobook, although I wasn't a fan of the voices or accents either, It was A LOT easier. Otherwise, this might have been a DNF for me.

The book still delivered on entertainment, and I found it interesting how it explored the idea of getting what you wish for, only to question everything about it including what love really means and if it could actually be real.

I think there was a bit of a twist. But overall the storyline went exactly where I thought it would go.
I did like Fated more, the characters where a bit more likable and there where "more" twist and turns.

Notes:
We first met Max in Fated, so it might be a good idea to read that one.
I was a bit confused when Max listed a couple of names, I've never heard of, at the end of the book.
Turns out these where the couples of books one and two. (had to check Goodreads for that one...)

Overall I did enjoy it but if Goodreads would have let me, it would have been a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

I'm thrilled with this story and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys likable characters, scenic settings, a hint of magic, and two fantastic voice actors. It was an amazing story—definitely 5 stars!

Wished is a whimsical romance that takes you on a charming journey through love, wishes and the complex desires. Anna Benoit is a helpless romantic whose wishes seem to be coming true after she makes a wish about her employer that she cleans for, Max Barone. But when her wish comes true where does that leave Max, because this wasn't his wish or reality. Sarah Ready is always the best at writing well-rounded romance that leaves you with little hearts in your eyes. If you ever wished upon a star or just made a wish this book is for you!

*I also listened to this book and loved the narration by Amanda Ronconi and Will Watt was just what this book needed. They did a wonderful job of bringing this book to life.

Title: Wished
Author: Sarah Ready
Series: Ghosted # 4
Format: 🎧
Narrators: Amanda Ronocni and Will Watt
Publisher: Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC ~ Member of the ‘Independent Book Publishers Association’ (IBPA)
Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Pub Date was: October 1, 2024
My Rating: 3.2
Pages: 346

I usual state – ‘I am not a big romance fan, However, I do like sweet romance stories one that~ gives the sense that things are going to get better – the hope of something to look forward to.
Plus I do like author, Sarah Ready - this is my eighth 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' as well as " French Holiday". - So YES! I do love Sarah Ready’s stories.

This is Book #4 in the Ghosted series. I have read the other three – I enjoyed two and since I loved Josh and Gemma I was hopeful the humor that was in the series will pop up in this series.

This story starts with billionaire Max Barone, heir to a jewelry empire who is told his wife is waiting for him. However, he is surprised by this as he isn’t married.
Turns out Anna his house cleaner Anna makes a wish that she and Max were married and in love. She doesn’t realize that she made the wish while cleaning his grandmother’s heirloom necklace that is reported to have magical powers.

One reader’s recommendation that had me saying okay – one more go at this series!
This book is 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.

This statement made me laugh and I thought okay since I love magic as well as a sweet romance - I’ll go for it.

I do have a great imagination; however, Ms. Ready’s descriptions are great. I completely enjoyed her telling of the beautiful areas visited, I totally felt like I was there- especially Paris as I have never been.
Although I do love and enjoy a sweet rom-com - I don’t love raunch-com – IMO what goes on in bedrooms (or other intimate place) is private and I don’t need to hear or read about it.

I did like the narrators. I have listened to Will Watts’s performance in the Enchanted Highlands Scottish series and he was great! His accent usually adds to the story.

Want to thank NetGalley and Swift and Lewis Publishing LLC - Member of the ‘Independent Book Publishers Association’ (IBPA) for granted me this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date was October 1, 2024.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️.5

This was a cute book. I didn't love it as much as I loved Fated, but I still enjoyed it. Only 4 stars instead of 5 because the insta-love (on Anna's end) in this book was too much for me. I loved the audio; Amanda Ronconi is an excellent narrator.

Thank you to Swift and Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of Wished.

4.5 rounded down to 4.

Sarah Ready makes you feel like you're wherever her characters are. Her descriptions are so vivid and clear she takes you along on the journey with her.

Anna and Max were adorable. I didn't immediately feel they belonged together which made their ending all the more special. I loved their roller coaster relationship and it truly was a surprise on which timeline they would end up in. I didn't think it was an automatic given!

How does Sarah come up with her magical ideas? They're always so fresh and complicated in the best possible way. And epilogues make me so happy!

The narration was stellar. I loved both of the narrators! And I wanted so much more of Max's deep, low, masculine voice.

4.75 beautiful stars!! I dock .25 for teasing me with Will Watt as a narrator, and having him honestly doing only about 5% of the overall story.
This book had such an interesting concept, and I absolutely ate it up! Wishes, alternate reality, love, more love, THE SPICIEST OF SPICES, and just a dash of sadness. I felt the feels, laughed along, and “awe” swooned in all the right places.
Anna was a very likeable and relatable character, and Amanda Ronconis narration was stunning. Her accents were delivered delicately, which I really respect. Nobody wants to hear ridiculous, and obviously faked and forced, French accents. Her narration of Max, in, um, “those scenes”, was delicious lol. I definitely got a bit warm under the collar.
Max. Oh Max, what can I say about him? My emotions ran the gamut with this man. In the beginning, I was super anti Max Barone. He was kind of a grump, but not even in a cute way? Who wants a guy that is against passion and love?! Well, spoiler, it’s Anna. And me, eventually lol. Will Watts narration at the end had me 100% sure of my utter devotion to this man, hearts in my eyes, the whole bit.
As a whole, I absolutely loved this book. You do not have to have read the other books in this series to love and appreciate this one. Narration is excellent, story is entertaining and engaging. Well done!