Member Reviews
I am a sucker for any kind of Pride and Prejudice re-telling and this book did not disappoint! The way Bright writes Iza’s yearning for love-romantically and in her relationship with her mother-will resonate with readers, as it did for me in many ways.
My favorite character of the book though, has to be Beckett. He is a golden retriever of a man who looks into the metaphorical eyes of Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy and dares to say “I can do better, bro” and DOES. He’s a merciless flirt with flaws abounding. But, he is also generous, thoughtful, and he owns his flaws without his pride getting in the way.
I enjoyed the magical realism of this book. The lore Bright created on how Beckett came to be a wish granter was unique and well put together. While the wish granting was obviously central to the plot, the writing never became hyper focused on the mechanics of the magic, and instead stayed focused on Iza’s journey towards love.
In all, I really enjoyed this book. It was a heartwarming story featuring self acceptance, finding love in the least likely of places (and people), and a fair amount of glitter.
I loved the fairy tale Aladdin like feel to this story. This story was a whimsical unreal escape that I couldn't put down. It was fairytale with a bit of fantasy. A genie in the nail polish bottle was a fun way to start the story off. Both characters grew and developed over the course of the story. I rooted for Beckett and Iza the entire story. The slow burn took it all the way to the end. I was hoping for more than fade to black, but I very much enjoyed spending the last two days with these characters. I would gladly read a sequel or another book in the same storyverse.
Great fun read, and it was lighthearted and fun. I liked the character development and execution I think it made Iza so relatable. I liked that it had humor and all the things to make it a quick fun read for sure. I do wish it had some more umph to the plot but overall it was great.
Every Wish Way is an amazing, silly read. Obviously, you need to believe in magic for it to work. I think it's so beautifully written, and the storyline progresses so organically. This book doesn't have to be complicated, but it can be if you want to read more into it. Loosely based on Pride and Prejudice, Every Wish Way highlights a girl named Iza (do not call her Eliza) and her navigation through her love life. Her mother has always told her that love is a waste of time and that she needs to grow up. A man can only bring you down, and you will only live in his shadow. However, Iza is determined to prove her wrong. As she grabs some old stuff from her mother, a magic 'genie' called Beckett comes out of an old nail polish bottle. He is here to help, and Iza now has three wishes at her disposal. Even though she's skeptical, she plays along.
Okay, first thing's first. Iza's mother is insufferable. She is so set in her ways that she doesn't see that she's hurting Iza in the process. Their relationship is so frustrating, and it makes me want to yell at Iza to stand up to her mother. But her mom is all she has left, so Iza lets it slide. On the other hand, Lola is one of the greatest best friends a girl could ask for. She doesn't question a single thing that Iza says, and she knows everything will be alright. Iza's relationship with her coworker Kalyan is hilarious. They have a prank war going on in their office, and their love-hate relationship is to die for. I'd love to have a friend that makes work more interesting in my life. It's no secret that Iza uses her first wish on a 21st century version of Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. That book and movie hold a special place in Iza's heart. But like the book, Mr. Darcy is certainly a character.
Now, I have never read nor watched any of the movie adaptations of Pride and Prejudice. I do think some background knowledge of the storyline would be helpful because I didn't know anything. However, it definitely made me see perfect Mr. Darcy in another light. I have heard such swoon-worthy things about Mr. Darcy. But his character is hard to love for me. I love a grumpy x sunshine storyline, but there's a difference between grumpy and just straight up mean. Beckett, on the other hand, is a fun-loving character, and this makes it easy to find him hilarious and nice. But there are some things we learn about his condition that make it hard to look past and be completely vulnerable.
This book checked all my boxes. It was lighthearted and fun. It made my heart flutter when I read the interactions between Iza and the love interests. Iza is flawed, but she's relatable, which I think makes it better. If you believe in magic, there was a realistic conflict and resolution. I loved all the twists and turns in the plot. It made this so much better to read for me. There were not too many storylines going on at the same time, and there were not too many tropes either. I think there was a great mix of dialogue and monologue, which is really what I find the best in reading a good book. The chemistry between Iza and all of the other characters was amazing. I laughed and cried throughout this book, and I loved every second of it. I didn't put this book down, and I felt compelled to figure out how it ends. This book was amazing to read, and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy when it comes out. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC. To Shannon Bright, this book was amazing. Please keep writing, maybe a story about Lola's love life?
This is a whimsical book about what could happen if you were able to make three wishes that could completely change the trajectory of one's life. Although it is very farfetched in terms of how Beckett came into Iza's life, her struggles to find love and longer require approval of others can certainly be relatable. It is only when she grew a backbone and went after what she deserved and wanted did the book certainly pick up speed. This is a great beach read.
Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book. Below is my honest review.
Iza’s mother doesn’t want her to waste her time on a husband because her career is more important. But, Iza is lonely and wants it all—both a career and her own Mr. Darcy. After going through an old box of her things, she finds and shakes a bottle of glittery nail polish she wore as a teen and … poof. Frat boy Beckett appears.
Beckett, in essence, is the genie from Aladdin in the form of a stereotypical dudebro. Needless to say, prim and proper Iza doesn’t believe in magic and is less than amused by Beckett’s antics. She doesn’t even want to use any of her three wishes. Beckett cannot leave until she does, and therefore, moves in across the hall to await her first wish.
Eventually, Iza caves and wishes for her own 21st century Mr. Darcy. Will Darcy be the man of her dreams? Will Iza claim her other wishes? Will she fall in love? What happens to Beckett?
When I read the summary of this book I knew I had to give it a read. I love a good P&P retelling and wanted to see where the author went with Iza, Beckett, and the genie in the nail polish bottle.
This book did not disappoint. It had heart, humor, wonderful characters, and a hysterical prank war. Kayden was, surprisingly, my favorite supporting character. Beckett definitely stole my heart. I highly recommend for anyone who wants to read a fun new take on Austens most famous work.