Member Reviews
This book will take your breath away. This is book 3 in the Ghosted series but can be read alone.
Fiona Abry and her younger brother Daniel run the Abry Watch Co in Geneva, started 180 years earlier by their ancestor. She is a single mom to her 8-year-old daughter Mila and is afraid to love due to a previous bad experience. Fiona is given the first Abry watch made and discovers that she has very vivid dreams when she sleeps while holding it. In the dream life her name is Becca and she’s married to Aaron McCormick, an amazing kind man who loves her and is definitely a dream guy. They have been married 15 years and have two kids - teenage Amy who loves to read and toddler Sean. This appears to be the perfect solution: Fiona can love with her whole heart in her dreams without the risk of pain.
I thought this story was captivating and didn’t want to put it down. It is unbelievably romantic, full of surprises, and unpredictable. You never know where she’s going to end up or what stage her dream life will be at from chapter to chapter, which keeps you wondering and reading and interested. You also don’t know how she’s going to choose between her two lives that are similar but very different, or if the dream life is even real. The audiobook also has an excellent narrator. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of the ebook and audiobook to use for my review.
Content warning: some sexual content, parental abandonment of a child.
I love Sarah Ready, but this was probably a so-so storyline for me. It just didn’t feel as emotionally impactful as some of her other books have. It’s quite possible it’s me and not the book, this time as I am quite stressed so I will revisit it at a different time to see if I can reconnect with it differently.
The third installment in the *Ghosted* series, but don't worry—they're all standalones. This one is hands down the best yet.
Fiona, a watchmaker from Geneva, is dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic event when she's given her uncle’s unique watch. Soon after, she begins having incredibly vivid dreams about an island paradise where the man of her dreams believes she's his wife.
As Fiona navigates her real life while longing for her dream world, she struggles to reconcile her feelings for Aaron, the dreamy island man, and her best friend in real life, who only wants to see her happy. With a touch of time travel and a race to save an island from impending doom, this story is a must-read for fans of magical realism.
This book perfectly captured the kind of magical realism I've been craving. Although it didn’t unfold exactly how I imagined, it’s still a compelling story. I read the book and listened to the audiobook, and I can wholeheartedly recommend either version—both offer an engaging experience.
Thanks to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for providing me with copies of the book and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Now, I made the same mistake with Fated that I did with Switched - built it up so much in my head that I was too scared to read it. So I've finally read it before it expired from my netgalley shelf and, again, I was blown away.
I honestly think this might be my favourite series ever. Admittedly, Ghosted is still my favourite so far, but the way these books are written are just incredible.
This was no different, it made me laugh, made me cry, made me gasp - and each book is so original with a way of working out that at the half way point I'm struggling to figure out how it will get there!
This time, while Fated is fresh in my mind, I already have Wished sitting on my netgalley shelf so I am going to read it immediately.
A gem , a page turner a book that till the last page made you want to read it . Fiona Abry is coming from a family who is creates for 150 years watches . She is vey busy being the CEO and a single mom of an eight year old daughter Mila living in Geneva . When her absent mother gifts her the first watch her great grandfather created and told her that will let you dream your greatest desire at first she is sceptical , but then when she goes to sleep she holds the watch and she is dreaming of living in a island with a husband a teenager daugher and a toddler . In her dreams she is in the body of Becca Aaron wife but while the couple is having trouble she is falling for the amazing man . She realises that she is in love with the man of her dreams and nothing come out of it , or maybe she has it all wrong ?
I received this book from netgalley , the author and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .
Format: Ebook
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
🩷Magical Realism
🩵Dream World
🩷Time Travel
🩵Opposites Attract
🩷Soulmates
🩵Found Family
🩷Love triangle
🩵Single POV
🩷Dual setting Europe🏫/Caribbean🏝️
🩵Single mom
Sarah Ready has done it again! Reading Fated was an absolutely surreal experience. This story will make you want to dream just like Fiona! Her dreamland was so beautifully crafted that I wanted to be a part of it and live those moments alongside her and Aaron.
Fiona and Aaron’s story was masterfully written, filled with ups and downs, and those twists at the end—OMG! I didn’t see those coming at all!
Overall, what an incredible journey!
The premise reminds me of that other book I read last month, if I'm not mistaken. Honestly, I really love the idea of it.
Like that other book I read, this was a miss for me. The writing definitely made a major impression on me, and it's not good at all.
The characters feel bland at all, and I barely feel the romance. The idea is there, but the execution is poorly done.
I was approved of the next one, and I'm kind of hesitant for it, but I still probably gonna read it. I'm just hoping that it's gonna be better.
It wasn't the worst one. It could have been better if the writing was more engaging and characters aren't bland.
This is my first time reading this author. Ms. Ready has a nice way of projecting the two places in time. Her vivid narration really give you the presence of the Lake Geneva area and a tiny Caribbean island.
The main character, Fiona, is a woman who has been devastated in her past. The man she loved and to whom she was engaged to marry, wasn't who he said he was at all. Devastated and pregnant, if not for her brother Daniel and her best friend Max, she wouldn't have been able to raise her daughter to be the happy healthy young girl that she is.
Fiona and her brother are the owners of an exclusive watch manufacturing business, Abry watch making.
Fiona, through a family heirloom watch is able to dream of her greatest love.
While I liked the storyline, the novel took a while to capture my attention.
This was a sweet romance and I would be willing to explore another book by this author.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for this ARC. Opinions expressed are strictly my own.
Ich habe mich über das Buch sehr gefreut. Es ist nicht nur fließend zum lesen sondern auch sehr spannend.
I struggled to get into this book initially, but I’m glad that I stuck until the end. Right of the bat, it was clear that this installment differed from the previous two and, and I ended up enjoying it for a different reason as well.
Fated follows Fiona Abry, a single mother of Swiss and British descent, who runs her family's renowned watch company with her brother, Daniel. Initially, I struggled to connect with Fiona since her character was a departure from the two protagonists of the previous books. Unlike Serena and Jillian, she is more serious. Her distinct personality strongly influenced the tone of this story, making it more emotional rather than comedic. I needed to adjust my expectations a little bit. But once I understood the story’s direction, I became really engrossed in the book.
I am so very much like Fiona in many ways than one so it didn’t take long for me to get invested in her character. Fiona is a dreamer who lost her spark and she’s now determined to rediscover herself. I resonate with her struggles and aspirations so I found myself rooting for her throughout the story. I also admired Aaron’s character for his maturity, emotional stability, and compassion. He's easily my favorite love interest in Sarah Ready's books. The side characters are well-written as well, especially Amy and Max. They definitely stood out as supporting characters that added depth and richness to the story. On top of that, I love books that involves a time element to its plot, including this one! I liked the concept of this book and how it utilized dreams as a plot device.
The only thing that didn't work for me was the ending: It felt rushed. I wished we could've witnessed more of Fiona's interaction with the other characters. Some parts of the middle could have been condensed to allow for a more satisfying conclusion. Regardless, I still think this is worth the read!
Thank you so much NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Interconnected series that can be read as a standalone. Fated brings the dreaming world into the waking world and will make you want your own family heirloom. Suspend your belief for one afternoon and I promise you won't regret it.
Beautiful writing and a story that captures the audience with a solid plot.
I'll be picking up the rest of the series along the way and can't wait to see their stories unfold.
Ready is quickly becoming an "instant-read" author for me. I loved this book, loved how it felt similar to her other ones but in a good way. Definitely pick this up if you're a romance reader!
“Fated” by Sarah Ready is a stand-alone book in her Ghosted series. It’s not necessary to read these books in order. They have a similar theme but can be enjoyed separately. In this book, Fiona Abry is a single mother, running her family’s watchmaking company in Switzerland with her brother. Her mother (who had basically abandoned her on her father’s doorstep when she was a small child in order to go “find herself”) gives Fiona a watch that seems to have magical powers. Fiona’s nightly dreams bring her into an alternative life which is so vivid and full of passion and love, she runs the risk of literally falling for the “man of her dreams”. But of course, this isn’t reality at all. Or is it?
I’m not a huge fan of fantasy/romance/magic, but I do enjoy Sarah Ready’s books with their snappy dialog, fast moving plots, and believable characters. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel. My opinions are my own.
Fated is a dreamy rom com with a sci fi twist.
I was immediately sucked in with the intriguing premise. However I have to confess I had some trouble relating to Fiona and Aaron, and struggled to make sense of some of their choices. The relationship dynamics throughout had a bit of a cheating feeling to them, which felt uncomfortable, and isn’t my cup of tea.
Having said that I love the creativity of Sarah Ready’s novels and really enjoy the playful sci fi that underpins her rom coms. While not my favourite of hers for the above reasons, it was an engaging and easy read, and I can see it being really enjoyable and accessible to a wide variety of readers.
I enjoyed it both as an ebook and audiobook, and thought the narration really helped to provide context to the story, with great characterisations of Fiona and Aaron. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
Thank you Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC and NetGalley for this book. Opinions expressed are my own.
𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 | 𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐇 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪
I— where has Sarah Ready been all my life? This book! this series! Her writing is so wonderful so whimsical so freaking magical that I am always in awe.
I’m kind of reading this series backwards ,
I read the ARC of 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 the fourth in this series first and I was lucky enough to snag a copy of this ARC on Netgalley which I didn’t know was already released.
In 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 I fell in love with the characters and everything in that book. Then I realized the third book was about Max’s best friend Fiona and gosh I didn’t think I’d fall even harder for him. well this book prove me wrong. I— Anna was right when she was shocked when she was told Fiona did not accept Max’s proposal. Which was explained and then I met Aaron, Fiona’s love interest.
I was completely enamoured by this unique plot, the love story omg the chemistry was pulling my heartstrings and let’s forget the found family an absolute game changer for me. I was so addicted to this I stayed up all night to finish it because I didn’t get the chance to complete this in one sitting.
And as always she leaves the plot twist, the heart attack at the end. But this was so close I cried after she toyed with my feelings and gave me the happily ever after they deserved.
Sarah Ready’s men are so dreamy good gracious!
I don’t know how to express or explain who Aaron is but all I know is if I ever met him in real life I won’t run away. And that is something!!
Please please like go read her books, it’s a breath of fresh air, something new, something original and something we desperately need. Her books are a masterpiece!
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘐𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
From the very first page I was HOOKED. Right off the bat you are sucked into the world of Geneva and this family. You are dropped right in and wondering how the heck this is going to work. By day Fi is a single mother, running a bougee watch company with her brother and scared to love. By night, she’s living a completely different life, in a different body! Fi takes dreaming and a dream man to a whole other level. Then again who wouldn’t dream about Aaron McCormick.
If you love a slightly mystical premise with some a fantastic line up of characters that leave you enthralled and ready for more, please take a chance on Fated. So far this series has not let me down once. Truly an entertaining read that will keep you captured until the absolute end.
-Mackenzie Bibliophile
Oh my goodness, I loved this book SO much! I'm going to admit, I started it and after a few pages wasn't into it, and moved on to another book. I've loved all her previous books, so I went back to it, and I am so glad I did! Sarah Ready writes like nobody else! The way I laugh, cry, sigh, and sit on the edge of my seat on every book is crazy! I became obsessed with all the characters, and strongly considered taking a sick day to stay home and read the book in one sitting:) Definitely a 5 star book in my opinion! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Fiona Abry is a hardworking single-mother, living in Geneva and co-running the Abry watch company with her brother Daniel (MMC of book one, Ghosted). She has little time for love and even less time for a vacation, despite her brother's prodding and meddling.
But when Fiona's free-spirited mother gifts her an old family heirloom—a supposedly magical timepiece that lets the owner dream their greatest desires—Fiona begins having vivid dreams when she goes to sleep each night, of a very different life to her own, filled with the kind of love she never thought she’d find and sparking joy and purpose in her life anew.
Not much more can be said about this story without spoiling things, but much like the first two stories in the series, the magical realism at play in this romance is weighted in destiny and meant-to-be enchantment. It all takes a bit of suspension of disbelief, but that’s the fun and charm of this series, making the reader believe in the impossible and the wonder of fate.
This story was set before the events of book one and two, so, I guess, it can be easily read as a stand-alone, even though release order would be my preferred recommendation. I loved seeing Daniel pre-Jillian, all charming playboy with a lonely heart, and I enjoyed meeting Max, Fiona’s best friend and fellow socialite, who will be the MMC of the fourth series instalment, Wished.
This was the first work I have read by Sarah Ready, but it won’t be my last.
Fated is the third book in the Ghosted series. This book can be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the first two, but I was able to follow the story perfectly.
The world building is phenomenal. I felt like I was transported to the beach or to Geneva. I could almost feel the sand under my feet as I was reading. I adored the characters. I really enjoyed all the characters, especially the FMC, Fiona. Her love and empathy for others shines through with everything she does. I also enjoy how nerdy she is about watches. The MMC, Aaron, is perfect. His words are heartfelt and poetic. So many times the interactions in this book brought me tears of joy or heartbreak. I would say this book definitely picks up after the first half. I could not put it down. It picks up even more after 75%, at which point you may want to seclude yourself so no one interrupts you.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you’re a fan of romances with a Hallmark feel to them, this is definitely for you.
Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Ready, and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for providing me with an ARC for exchange of an honest review.
Fated by Sarah Ready
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶
What I loved:
⌚️The premise and magical realism.
⌚️The ending twist that I did not see coming!
⌚️Aaron.
While I have been loving all things Sarah Ready, I was nervous about this because I didn't like Switched, the prior book in this series. I had no need to worry. Fated is everything I've been loving about these magical realism romance stories.
I absolutely loved this premise. I loved the idea of falling asleep and being transported to your true love. Aaron was such a swoon worthy MMC. The MCs were great together. The chemistry and tension were on point. My heart broke for Aaron so many times. How he recognized Fiona even when she wasn't in her own body stole my heart. I also really, really loved the found family in this for Fiona. She had a great arc, too.
If there's one thing I consistently love on Ready novels, it's the descriptions. She perfectly captures her settings and characters. I felt like I was on the beach with Aaron and Fiona. I could see the Abry offices. I could effortlessly picture the characters. The writing was beautiful and transportative.
The end was insane in the best way. I didn't see the twist coming, and my heart broke for Fiona. I loved the falling action and resolution. It was an incredible ending that made the book that much better.
While I loved most everything about this, there were a few things that bothered me. One thing that annoyed me was how long it took for Fiona to figure out it wasn't a dream. It just dragged on too long. Also, the beginning was quite slow and was difficult for me to get into. I understood Fiona freaking out the first time she dreamed, but some of her reactions felt ridiculous. Another thing is the ending. It felt so rushed. This I'd a common complaint from me for most of Ready's novels, though. The resolution needs more than an epilogue. It's always so quick and leaves me slightly dissatisfied.
Overall, I surprisingly enjoyed this. After Switched and the slow beginning, I was nervous, but once the book got going, I was hooked. This was such a cute, fun, and unique story. Plus, I'm a sucker for magical realism, and I love how Ready incorporates it into her novels. I am so excited to read the next one, and I recommend to anyone looking for a little magic in their romances.