CALLING ALL LOVERS OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE WHO ALSO SEE HOW CERTAIN ASPECTS ARE A LITTLE PROBLEMATIC TODAY: You are going to love Shannon Bright's EVERY WISH WAY. The story is a vague retelling, but manages to update the 19th century classic. I especially love how the novel explores what Austen's Darcy would seem like to a modern audience if he existed today and how although Darcy has been heralded over the years as an ideal, desirable man, his portrayal hasn't actually aged that well. This will likely end up being my favorite romance of the year.

The story is just thoroughly enjoyable. This is a start-reading-then-keep-reading-until-you-finish sort of read. I was sucked in by the compelling voice from the first page and could not put the book down. The banter and chemistry between Liza and Beckett is five stars. The tension between Liza and her mother is so real. Everything unfolds delightfully and the ending is so satisfying--both the romance plotline and the tension between Liza and her mother. If you love Austen, magic, and the three wishes trope, you will love EVERY WISH WAY.

Thank you, thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC of this fantastic read.

Cozy ROM COM! This was 5 stars for me! Such a great summer read, with just the right amount of slow burn romance, cozy romance vibes, a love triangle, and 3 wishes to add into the fun! I loved the nod to Pride and Prejudice (the mc is a Jane Austen fan), as well as the super unique way magic and wishes were included. Iza is a successful architect that is failing at love. She’s smart and witty throughout the book and the character development of even the side characters is done so well! I literally could not put this book down, I wanted to know what Iza wished for, if she ended up with Mr. Darcy, and the banter between her and Beckett is just so fire! Iza is so real and relateable! If you get a chance to pick it up when it is released in September, I highly recommend! I’ll be rereading this again and again (coming from a person who does not reread books hardly ever!)

Every Wish Way by @shannonbwrites

Happy reading!

What a cute read!! I love the idea of this book if that makes sense! Mr Darcy was my favorite of course!!

Okay, so I’ve been in such a reading slump ever since I read and loved Katie Robb’s This Spells Love — so thank you to this wonderful book for finally helping me get out of that and allowing me to really enjoy another book again!

This was so fun, my heart was just happy and it was exactly the vibe I needed right now. Think Pride and Prejudice mixed with Aladdin but nothing is as it seems.

The whole story here was super fun and unique, certainly not one I can say I have ever come across before, and I adored it. As a Pride and Prejudice lover, this book made me curious, and I really liked the direction it took and how real Iza felt to me.

As someone who often struggles with the desire for both a high powered career and a life filled with love, I found her very understandable and enjoyed seeing her growth and the evolving relationship with her mother.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’ll definitely be looking to read more from the author in the future! Thank you to the lovely, wonderful author for my ARC copy! This in no way impacted my review.

I really wanted to love Every Wish Way, but Iza's mother kind of ruined the book for me and I just couldn't vibe with the storyline

4 .5 stars
What if the perfect man is not Mr. Darcy, but Mr. Wickham?
What if we found happiness in imperfection?
Here is a romantic story,with just the right amount of humor,tenderness,magic and a few pinches of Pride and Prejudice references that are always welcome.
Recommended for a different read from the usual!

I had the absolute pleasure of reading Every Wish Way by Shannon Bright, and it was a delightful romantic comedy that left me with a heart full of joy. This sparkling debut novel is a delightful cocktail of humor and heartfelt moments.

The story follows Iza, who grew up with a mother whose mantra is "men are trash." Determined to prove her wrong and find a kind and steady boyfriend, Iza embarks on a journey that takes an unexpected turn when she accidentally summons a wish-granting stranger into her life. Enter Beckett, her personal wish-granter, who is far from the sage and generous being she imagined. With his party-loving nature, attitude, and knack for pointing out her flaws, Beckett challenges Iza in ways she never anticipated.

In her quest for love, Iza decides to use one of her three wishes to create her dream man, envisioning a modern-day Mr. Darcy. Armed with Pride and Prejudice as her guide, Iza takes on the role of Elizabeth Bennet, determined to script her own epic love story that will impress her overbearing mother. However, as wishes are made and Darcy becomes a part of her life, Iza discovers that things are more complicated than she initially thought. Beckett's charming smile and unexpected kindness start to chip away at her preconceived notions, leaving her questioning what she truly wants from love.

What I particularly loved about Every Wish Way is the author's brilliant blend of elements from Aladdin and Pride and Prejudice, adding a unique and refreshing twist to the story. It evoked a delightful sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of the beloved romantic comedies from the early 2000s, and I found myself fully immersed in the lives of the characters.

If you're in the mood for a cozy, slightly magical read that celebrates heartwarming female friendships, offers laugh-out-loud moments, and explores love in a light-hearted and entertaining way, then Every Wish Way is the perfect choice. Shannon Bright has crafted a delightful debut that will leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a digital ARC of the book. It was an absolute pleasure to experience Every Wish Way, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a charming and uplifting romantic comedy.

I love the idea of this story. I really wanted to love the story as a whole. But I almost DNFed after the first chapter, Iza’s mother was just borderline mentally abusive (IMO), and Iza just bowing down to her all the time was hard to swallow.

I did continue, obviously, but I could barely focus throughout the whole book, because it was not MY cup of tea, but if you like a funny rom-com with a lot of lightheartedness then this book will definitely be for you. It is basically a new age Aladdin meets pride and prejudice. But the relationship with Beckett, the genie, felt very forced imo, there were no real organic scenes between them. Darcy who should be extremely important to the story just disappears, not really, but he should be in the story a lot more imo.

This is all just my take however, the writing style is phenomenal to me. The idea was amazing. For me, some characters were just not likable or relatable. The plot jumped in a few different directions. And I just feel like it was lacking a few things. Would I read it again though? Yes, by the pool or lying in the grass. It is perfect for a quick sunny afternoon read.

Thank you Netgalley and Shannon Bright for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely still be purchasing the book when it comes out.

This one just didn't land for me. I found the main character unsympathetic and the plot half-baked -- I forced myself through it rather than feeling eager to read it, which is a dismal reading experience. I hope this book finds its audience, because it's not me.

This was an interesting read for me but I thought that there was just something that was missing. The main characters were interesting to read about but the book in general got a bit confusing at times. I think that there could have been something else added or maybe fixed that could have made this a five star read for me.

3/3.5⭐️ I really liked the concept of this book. The main characters had struggles that I could relate to in some way. The reason that I rated this book 3/3.5⭐️ is because even though at the end I did enjoy the book it took me a very long time to get into it.

Thank you NetGalley and alcove press for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Super cute! Love this story and concept! Very original! I’m so lucky to get an advanced copy of this! Made me laugh out loud a few times. Perfect romantic comedy. I usually like spicy books but I still enjoyed this!

"If Jane Austen were alive today, writing romance novels about career women, she wouldn't make them sacrifice anything for their relationships. It must be possible to have independence, an occupation, and love."

Do you love Erin Sterling and Kate Johnson?
Do you love silly, sweet and a little steamy romance?
Do you ever wonder if your classic romance novels are really that romantic?
Do you want to read something easy and fun but thoroughly entertaining?

Well, your wish is granted.

Every wish way is a magical love story that is absolutely chaotic, full of silly mishaps, bad choices, cringe-inducing mistakes and so much light-hearted fun. Our main character was a delight; she had dreams of a whirlwind romance, of her own Mr Darcy to experience a kind of epic love but didn’t ever expect how she’d find it. I could’ve done with a little more magical mayhem, the fantasy elements are a little loose but still a great way to give a twist to a classic romcom.

This was comforting and cosy, with familiar tropes, lovable characters and a satisfyingly warm happy ever after. I adored Iza even when she infuriated me - she had her insecurities and problems, she was a little lost and confused in such a relatable way. I loved how refreshingly honest she was about how she had no clue what she was doing most of the time juggling a busy career, an asthmatic cat and just generally trying to survive as an adult. But most of all how much love she had to give and wanted to give — if only she could find someone worth giving it to who didn’t expect her to choose between love and independence.

A spellbinding debut, definitely worth putting on your wish list.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Let me start by saying that not all books are for all people, so if you want to throw this review in a dumpster with Iza’s common sense and Fitzwilliam Darcy’s characterization, go for it lol.

This book spins up a world of jumbled feminist ideas, half-baked mommy issues, confused multiverse travel, and off-kilter workplace comedy, then sets worryingly stupid characters free within its confines. This is one of those books that makes me genuinely question the author’s familiarity with human behavior. But the worst part is the criminal misreading of Pride & Prejudice that underpins the entire plot.

Iza is an architect who wants true love but can never find it because the number one thing she looks for in a man is whether he will please her mother. Her mom, meanwhile, is an emotionally abusive misandrist who had Iza using a sperm donor because she hates men so much. She’s also high up in a multilevel marketing scheme, for some reason — I think this is to show that her focus on Iza’s career is dumb, since her career is basically fake. Okay! So with this toxic relationship ruining everything, Iza needs a way out. That comes in the form of a frat boy genie, Beckett, who gives Iza three wishes to fix her life. Iza’s drunken solution is to wish Mr. Darcy into real life existence, because her mom said she liked P&P one time. That leads to all kinds of hijinks as Iza learns what’s really important in life.

It’s hard for me to explain how many nonsensical things happened without spoilers, but suffice to say I was in this weird headspace of knowing what was going to happen a mile off while also being SO confused about why anything was happening the way it was. Nobody in this book seems to be at all competent at their jobs—Iza’s coworker tries to build a partnership with her using nonconsensual pranks (I hate pranks) and it *works* to win her over; Iza’s best friend is a vet who lets random people into her operating room when she’s working on large, dangerous animals. Any of these absurd plot points might work on their own, when given appropriate time to breathe and contrast with quieter moments, but when the entire story is just absurdity after absurdity mashed together you end up with motion sickness.

But let’s talk about Mr. Darcy. The plot hinges on our collective fave not being who we thought he was. I obviously don’t know what the author’s personal opinion on P&P is, and it doesn’t necessarily reflect that of her characters, but I’ll just say that “Darcy is a sexist jerk and Wickham is a misunderstood hero” is a HOT. TAKE. Like, damn. What??? I’m still upset about Darcy being done dirty in this way. I feel like, again, this kind of modern Austen remix may have worked in a less cluttered plot, but there just wasn’t time for motivations and characterization to play out in a way that was satisfying. There’s a part where Iza says, “Why would I assume Austen had no idea what was going on beyond her own pages?” And, like…there IS nothing going on beyond Austen’s own pages. SHE CREATED THESE CHARACTERS AND THIS STORY, AND…this is hurting my brain so much. There needed to be a lot more time and intention put into crafting this plot like so it made any kind of sense, lol.

But anyway. Beckett was probably my favorite character. He had a pretty simple arc—he was selfish, and then he was cursed to be a genie, and meeting Iza gives him the chance to be selfless. The problem was, with everything else going on in the book, his struggle and his history couldn’t be fleshed out adequately. I think there was a lot to work with to make Beckett a compelling, complex character, but he ended up getting sidelined due to all the antics.

The writing itself was tough for me as well. It was full of wacky metaphors that are sort of in the Emily Henry school of romance writing — firework shows while kissing, thoughts like an upside down game of connect four (???)—but less successful. Of course, the writer had her tic that drove me crazy—in this case “swallowing hard.” I cannot with the amount of hard swallowing in this book (and no, it’s not the fun kind of swallowing). There was also quite a bit of hammering home lessons and epiphanies much more than I thought was needed. There is no way you’re going to miss how the characters have grown and changed, because they will tell you explicitly!

There were some moments between Iza and Beckett that make me think the author does have a lot of potential for romcom writing—genuinely funny innuendos, sweet and sexy banter—but this book had such a convoluted plot, those moments couldn’t shine as much as they should have. There was also very little steam in this book. The closest thing to a sex scene takes place at the 96% mark, and it’s fade to black.

I wouldn’t recommend this book for anyone who’s attached to Pride & Prejudice, lol, which was the whole reason I picked it up. But there are definitely pieces of Every Wish Way that will appeal to some readers. Just proceed with caution.

Shannon Bright's Every Wish Way is a total time travelling brain twist exploring what happens when you've been granted a wish and you wish for unlimited wishes. Beckett's poor choice decades ago led him to becoming a genie, trapped in liminal space until someone makes a wish. This leads him to Iza, desperate for love and raised by a mum who believes men are trash.

I loved this story of two people growing individually and combined through their forced proximity to each other. Beckett is flippant and glib, having lost life as he knows it due to his self-absorption. Iza has a difficult relationship with her mum and craves to be loved unconditionally, worshipping fictional Austen hero, Fitzwilliam Darcy.

This book was one I couldn't put down. The chemistry between Iza and Beckett was divine, hitting the right note as they learn to be partners in Iza's wish fulfillment and then as love interests. This book was a delightful slow-burn, with a touch of magic. I look forward to reading Shannon Bright's next book.

Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Overall, do I like the characters in this book. Yes. But there is a lot of story concept going on that don’t always mix together well. It was like the author loved so many different story main ideas and wanted to see what would happen if you meshed all of those into one story. Would it work? I guess in the end the answer is yes in the sense that the book wraps up nicely. Did it work for me as a reader over all, not really. I just kept trying to figure out why all these story concepts needed to be meshed together. I still don’t think they do. Outside of that the romance is a sweet one. I like that Beckett really takes the time to get to know Iza. The real her. That is just a lovely idea. I think this book was a meh for me in general mostly due to all the mashups that were going on. If you took those out or toned them down a bit, I would probably be able to give this book a higher rating.
Thank you to Alcove Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I always love a good Pride and Prejudice story, and this one has a delightful twist. Iza accidentally summons Beckett, a man cursed to live in vessels and bestow wishes. When she wishes for Mr. Darcy in real life, she at first thinks that she is getting the hot, grumpy man of her dreams. But Mr. Darcy in the 21st century isn’t necessarily the dreamy, mist walking hottie of her dreams, and she finds herself embarrassingly attracted to Beckett, who is more than the brotastically obnoxious wish granter that she initially misjudged him for.

This was charming and well-paced, and I read with delight. I particularly enjoyed Iza’s character journey as she navigated her difficult relationship with her mother, and her excellent friendship with the roommate and bestie who takes all of the sudden magic in stride.

Thank you so much to Alcove Press for the eARC!

FIVE FULL BRILLIANT STARS. I can’t believe how hard my heart wenched during the few angsty chapters, and I cried, god, I seriously cried. Normally I would stay away from anything that involves even one bit of angst, but I’m glad I stumbled across this book. Personal opinion: this plot deserves an award. Of course, I can’t say it’s perfect, there are still some parts that I find a bit rushed (Lola bought the “I’m from the future” story a bit too fast, and in reality I don’t think it would be THAT easy for Iza and her mom to fix their relationship. But well, it’s fiction, and I’m not sure how much more angst I can handle.), but pushing all those aside, this book has so much worthy of praise. It’s not another cliche Pride and Prejudice retelling, but the whole plot is built based on it. The characters GROW, they learn, they grow, they fall in love, they make tons of mistake, their personalities and personal journeys fully developed. The characters are so fleshed out that it makes this whole story so much for real and so much more heart-wenching but good, all at the same time. This book is such a masterpiece.

If you're a Jane Austen fan this book is for you. If you like magic and are into genies this is definitely for you. Overall I felt it was a predictable read. She wants a man who her mother will like. She thinks Mr. Darcy is her prefect man. She wishes for him but during the process comes to a realization.

2.75 stars.

********************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from Net Galley.*************************************************

I'm really sorry to do this. This book was definitely not for me.
I was highly tempted to close it and DFN it as I ended the first chapter: Iza is childish, immature, and has way too many mummy issues for a horrible and cruel person who couldn't care less about her.
"Her plan" was so stupid and frankly embarrassing. I was hoping the romance aspect of it all would save the book, but it fell short and had nothing substance to it.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.