This book grabbed me by the hand and pulled me in deep. Fated is a magical book that combines romance with the life of loving parents from different worlds. Fiona Abry lives a busy life in Geneva taking care of her daughter and running her family's Swiss watch company. She is given a family heirloom watch that is rumored to be magical and lets you dream about your heart's desire. Fiona finds herself dreaming she's on a tropical island and living a different life. She falls deeply in love with her dream world husband Aaron and two kids. Falling in love with a man in her dreams starts to take over her thoughts in the real world.
Fated left me speechless, crying, laughing, smiling, and kicking my legs in the air. This is in my top books of the year. I was captured by the beautiful writing right off and sucked in by the amazing story. As Fiona became more entwined in her dream family, as the reader, I became more enamored with her dreams. This story of love, family, and living life for the small moments. I absolutely recommend reading this book.

"I'm in love with a dream, with a man who isn't real, and there isn't any coming back from it."

This will be in my head forever. I stayed up late reading this and couldn't put it down. I'm so excited to read more books by Sarah Ready.

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Ready, and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

An example of cringeworthy writing I found throughout the book:

"I shove aside my thick hair, brushing it over my shoulder. It's auburn, tending toward mulled-wine red, and its my most identifiable feature. My eyes are a forgettable hazel, my pale skin is typical of the easily burned, and I'm taller than average, thin."

I could not go forward without seeing more instances of Fiona's internal monologue telling me things instead of showing me.

I used to want you to be happy. Now I want to be happy with you “


Seriously guys, this series is so under hyped. Go read it!

This book destroyed my heart and then put it together again.
Where do I start? It was poignant, cozy, sensual, heartwarming and so rich with all type of love. And so much yearning. God, the yearning!!!!

I just couldn’t stop reading even though I knew it was going to break my heart. I couldn’t predict it at all and at one point I was thinking how the author is going to explain it and when the twist was revealed… boom! My mind was blown.

I loved each and every character in this book to bits! But Aaron and Fiona? They are special.
My only complaint about this book is I wanted it to be a bit longer as the ending felt a teeny tiny bit rushed and at least one Aaron’s POV chapter in the second half.
Otherwise it was an unforgettable book with love, laughter, family, hopes and dreams.

Seriously can’t wait to read Max’s book. He was such an amazing friend and deserves his own HEA.
Special mention to the fantastic writing style.

“I’m in love with a dream, with a man who isn’t real, and there isn’t any coming back from it.”

I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

DNFing at 40%. This book has beautiful prose and descriptions but I am just not feeling it. Cannot pin the exact reason why. Fiona is a compelling protagonist but I am not attached to her. I am also struggling to see who she ends up with in the end. The magical realism of the book also confuses me as well. The watch does not bother me but rather Fiona occupying a completely different body somewhere else in the world and living that woman’s life. Perhaps I’m impatient to learn how it all works.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Sarah Ready and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for granting me a digital arc of Fated in exchange for a fair and honest review. After I read Switched, Sarah Ready impressed me with her ingenuity, authentic storytelling, and magical realism of the supernatural flare she can bring to life in our everyday world. I don't think I have clicked a Netgalley request quicker than I did to get a copy of Fated.

Fated is a tremendously gorgeous book that spins a heart-wrenching love story with a unique plot about dreaming about your soulmate living a life without you – borrowing vibes from two of my favourite romance movies, The Time Travellers Wife and Lake House (only set in a tropical setting). A bit of a slow start, but once the dreams start, we are launched into a gorgeously depicted tropical paradise woven around a magical tale where dreams and reality collide.

Sarah Ready's writing is captivating as it breathes life into a masterfully crafted world of rich characters with personality and heart and transports you to a picture-perfect paradise as a backdrop for romantic scenes of tender kisses, bicycle rides, picnics under palm trees, and stargazing under the canopy of endless stars. I loved the unique plot of dreaming about your soulmate who lived another life from you and the journey it inspires in Fiona and Aaron's lives to fight for what they find in their moments together as she dreams.

The slow-burn of the romance between Fiona and Aaron is swoony, sweet, and heart-aching with every tender moment they share, the intensity of their longing for one another, and the angst of the bitter circumstance they find themselves drawn to each other as they fall in love in Fiona's dreams. Their emotional connection is so deep, charged, and raw that you forget you are reading a fictional book about dreams. Fiona and Aaron are the perfect couple to be at the heart of this story. They are two loving, caring personalities who sacrifice their dreams and desires, bearing the weight of responsibility for their community and company. They survive through the day-to-day, existing in small moments they can from the heartache and pain hidden away – but have an incredible journey through their experience of meeting Fiona's dreams that open them to being vulnerable and pushing them to take the chance to seize the future they want together.

Fated is a wild and emotional ride to read! I couldn't put this book down – it's like the car crash of a moment that is coming, and you can't look away from it even if you tried. I laughed, smiled, cried angry tears, and raged throughout this story. Sarah Ready can pull incredible emotional responses out of you through the twists and turns of her storytelling. She's an author to watch for – I feel Sarah Ready's books will soon be a phenomenon!

Generally, I enjoy plots that employ magical realism and I was interested in how Fiona’s two time lines were going to be resolved. Also, I liked all the characters (except a couple of them on the island) and cared about what would happen to them. I especially liked Fiona’s island daughter, Amy. Still, because Fiona was going back and forth constantly, it was hard to get deeply involved in one story line and I felt mostly disconnected. I was curious about them and how they’d end up but not totally invested. To be honest, the dream timeline felt more real than Fiona’s actual life. Perhaps that was on purpose? A number of things just didn’t add up for me. For instance, why didn’t Becca and Robert leave earlier? Did they just need to be on the island so that Fiona’s story could play out? Didn’t Becca wonder what was going on when Fiona was absent? In any event, we had a couple of convenient “bad guys” and it’s too bad Becca was nothing more than a shell. Also whose persona hurt Fiona at the party? This seems important to know. Since I’m assuming one person can’t be two people in the same place at the same time.

As other reviewers pointed out, this story was a bit long. The author spends a lot of time describing the scenery. It did make me feel I was in two completely different places - a Caribbean island and Geneva - but I tended to skim over those paragraphs after a while. The story was beginning to feel like a travelogue and I actually tried to figure out if the island was a real place. It was only in the last 20% or so of the story that things really picked up and definitely in a direction I did not predict. I’ll give the author credit. I didn’t expect what ended up happening. If only that same level of intensity could’ve been incorporated at other points, you would’ve had a page turner. I’d give this a B.

Magical romance that will take you on an interesting ride. Really interesting concept that many will enjoy. Great front cover.

Wow! This is my third book from Sarah Ready, and the Ghosted series does not disappoint. The third installment of the series focuses on Fiona Abry as she is swept away by the love of her life. The problem is that he only exists in her dreams. The story contained a few twists that had my jaw on the floor, and a romance that made my heart soar to read. If I could change anything, I would have extended the introduction to the characters and the setting, as I found the beginning sequence a bit jarring when the reader is thrown into the story. If you read this story immediately after Ghosted, you may remember enough about Daniel and Fiona’s characters that this is not an issue. As it is, I would recommend this as part of the series, but it could be a struggle to read as a standalone in the connected Ghosted universe. And lucky me- the next book in the series, Wished, comes out later this fall! Thank you to Swift & Lewis publishing for the ARC of Fated, which is available now.

Fated captivated me with its blend of magical realism and romance. Fiona Abry, swamped with running her family's Swiss watch company, receives a family heirloom that allows her to dream of her greatest desires. These dreams transport her to a serene tropical island where she's married to Aaron and has two kids, starkly contrasting her hectic city life. Fiona's emotional journey enchanted me as she fell for her dream husband and idyllic life despite knowing it was not real. The story beautifully explores themes of desire, reality, and love. This book left me reflecting on the balance between dreams and reality, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a heartwarming, imaginative romance.

Well, that ending was unexpected…..
Pretty much a magical romance that will definitely take you on a turbulent and wild ride!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is so great that I stayed up until two am to finish it. The characters are well rounded and the story will grab you and hold on. Wait until the end-it is so unexpected and surprising. A reread for certain.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love a good, romantic, magical realism story and Fated by Sarah Ready delivers! My God where do I even begin? This is my first time reading Ready’s work and it won’t be my last. Her prose was profoundly beautiful and I felt like I was transported to Fiona’s dream everytime she closed her eyelids. I loved how she kept the reader guessing how to solve the dream mystery all the way to the last page. I said it before and I’ll say it again, it was beautiful!
Also, Aaron was such a dreamboat. He had me at the part where he’s salvaging the last bits of Fi’s charred banana pancakes into the tupperware. Just read it already and you’ll see how loveable, handsome, and caring he is. Swoon!
A solid 5 stars for me! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fated touched my heart and I cannot wait to read Max’s story next! Thank you to the author, Sarah Ready, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of Fated in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Ready’s book is mesmerizing, beautiful and magical. It is another example of her stories coming to life. The concept of moving from past to present makes this book a true page turner. I did not want to stop reading/listening. I was captivated & wrapped up in this story that I had the strongest need to finish it. I found the numerous amounts of quotations that can be pulled from the book and are so relevant to both the story and lives today perfectly woven into the story.

I absolutely recommend reading or listening to Ready’s book. It is so easy to connect with all three books in this series because they are beautifully written, creative and magical. Still, this is my favorite one. If you only read one then pick this one.

It has been almost a month since I finished the advanced copy of Fated by Sarah Ready. I don’t think I can accept that Fiona and Aaron’s story is over - it was absolutely magical and breathtaking!

Fiona is a single mom living in Geneva while running the family business, a watch making company. On the surface, it appears that she has it all - a good job, a nice home, a loving family, and a budding romantic relationship with her best friend Max. But underneath, Fiona always felt like something was missing, and this was only amplified after she underwent a traumatic experience. I really appreciated hearing Fiona’s inner narrative, as she did not give me the best impression of her in Ghosted. She really was a perfect representation of “it’s not always as it seems on the surface”.

After receiving a gift from her spiritual mother, Fiona starts to experience these vivid dreams where she is married to Aaron, a dark, grumpy and handsome father and they live on a remote tropical island coparenting their two children. Each time she falls asleep, she revisits Aaron on this island, and their connection continues to grow and deepen. And what is she to do, when she falls in love with the man of her dreams?

I have been a fan of this series since first reading Switched, then Ghosted, and now Fated. And I can say with absolute confidence that Aaron McCormick is 100% my new favourite MMC from this series. Absolute. Book. HUSBAND. Perfection. How could I not swoon for the dark haired, sexy man who adores his children and takes care of everyone in the village? And then there’s the sexual tension between him and Fiona? I am not usually a fan of insta-love but sparks certainly flew immediately.

I don’t know how she does it, but Sarah Ready has the ability to weave together a narrative that seems so impossible, to the point where the reader feels like there is no hope, and then suddenly twisting it all together into a beautiful bouquet of the most pure and achingly beautiful kind of love. That cliff scene was just EPIC and the ending was something else ♥️

Thanks so much to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Fated in exchange for an honest review. I am SO EXCITED for Max’s story in Wished 💕

Fiona Abry gets given a family heirloom which makes you dream your biggest desires. But can dreams become true?
This being the third book in a series of romances with some sort of paranormal element I wasn’t sure how dreaming would work out. And I must say this is not my favourite of the series. To me for a very long period of the book it felt like reading two completely different stories and I just couldn’t see how they would come together. Now they come together beautifully in the end but I found the way towards it a bit rocky. Nonetheless it was enjoyable which is thanks to Sarah Readys writing and her amazing character development. I found of all the characters in this series so far these characters have been the most grown up ones. The most serious ones and I did appreciate this a lot. I did enjoy seeing this element of being parents/ a parent and wanting to find love.
If you are still looking for your summer beach read definitely give this one a try. If you are looking for your Christmas read also give this one a try. It’s cute, it’s deep and it’s dreamy.
Overall 4 stars from me.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

Fated
Sarah Ready

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the third book in the Ghosted series and the third that I've read over the past year.
You may remember, from my previous reviews, that I've had them all on audio book and that my son (who doesn't read!) has also become obsessed with listening to them with me.
Obviously he's around for some bits of most of my audios - but this series is the only one he's insisted that we listen together - which is amazing!!
The only downside - it takes me so much longer to get through them than if I was listening in my own time!!

So, this one actually took me a little while to fully get into - but I'm pretty certain that this is because we started listening at exam time and so had very small slots at the start with.
Now we've had bigger chunks, we, as ever, were completely immersed in both Fiona's real life and her dream life.

This book was set before Ghosted and so we get to revisit Daniel's character - but we see his life before, in Geneva, with his sister Fiona.
It was great to have a bit more background on him and it introduced Fiona and the business nicely.

Fiona's story centres around horology and the family heirloom that comes into her life.
Having read the blurb - this is pretty much all I'm willing to say about the storyline because there's, as ever, so much going on here that I couldn't do it justice without major spoilers being spilled.
This was another crazy ride though and one that you really need to read to fully appreciate!

We are in agreement though that there was a little less humour in this book than the other 2. This was much more a beautiful love story and emotional rollercoaster and the ending was just perfection!
Fiona was completely dedicated to her work at Abry and as such was a much more serious and thoughtful character.
This married up the writing style with Fiona's personality perfectly.


We follow Fiona's life at work, with her daughter and her friendship with Max and this storyline runs alongside the dream storyline, both woven together perfectly to enhance and progress the plot as a whole, until close to the end when the two start to pull together.
Such a clever plot overall - brilliantly executed and beautifully written.

We were, once again, blown away and I'm so excited to have spotted that there's going to be a fourth book in the series - we cannot wait to get hold of this and listen together again!




💕Thank you to the author and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

I did enjoy the concept of Fated, the third book in the Ghosted series and there were parts of the book that I loved such as the concept of a workaholic businesswoman by day, living out her own personal fantasies in dreams that resembled a day time soap opera by night, complete with a carefree lifestyle that seemed something her hippy mother would approve of . But there were other parts…… well not so much. I felt the story dragged a bit but the main thing with Fated was I just didn’t like the characters. Fiona seemed quite cold and closed off and I felt she’d kept poor Max dangling on a string and in dreamland Aaron…...well he came across as weak and a bit of a wimp. On the whole I struggled to finish this book but finish it I did and thats only because I initially felt the same way about the two previous books in this series but eventually enjoyed them both and I hoped that Fated would be the same.

Fated by Sarah Ready is the 3rd book in the Ghosted series. Once again, we have some romance mixed with magical realism or fantasy. I greatly enjoyed the first two books, but Fated was a slower read for me in part because the events in this book happen before the other two books.. The structure of this one also slowed the pace, and I honestly felt like we could have lost at least 50 pages. Ultimately, we do get the happy ending, and I enjoyed that part of the story.

I’ve loved all the books in this series so much! Fated was every bit as enthralling as switched and ghosted. I love the way Sarah writes these tipsy-turvy worlds. Her characters have incredible connection and are so relatable. I just adore the way her mind works.

Fated is Ghosted Series book 3 by Sarah Ready. Sharing some characters with the first book in the series, Ghosted, this novel has taken the threads and ideas of the storyline to new heights.

Fiona Abry, one of the two heirs to the Abry Watch Company in Geneva, Switzerland, is a single mother to young Mila, devoted sister to Daniel, and solitary soul keeping to herself. Literally dropped off at the family chateau by her mother Buttercup to stay with the father she didn’t know as a 6 year old, she has spent a lifetime protecting her heart except for when she willingly gave it away to an unworthy bigamist resulting in her treasured daughter. Now Fiona handled the business side of the watch company while Daniel is the face of the company and involved in marketing.

After a harrowing Christmas Eve incident, Fiona is visited by Buttercup, who gives her an antique pocket watch with an outrageous mythology stating that you would dream your heart’s desire when holding the watch. As a lark Fiona does this, albeit she may have simply fallen asleep with it in her hand. After the first night Fiona is drawn into a dreamworld that captures her imagination as well as her heart. For night after night she is in the form of Becca on a small Caribbean island, wife of record holding long distance swimmer Aaron McCormick, and mother of teenaged Amy and toddler Sean. But it doesn’t seem like a happy marriage. That is until Fiona makes the effort to turn it around. But the biggest turn around is when Fiona takes what she learns to turn around tragedy.

This is truly one of the best stories I’ve ever been immersed in. Fantasy spun with reality to create a story that sticks with the reader. Great characters, perfectly described settings, and a plot spun out of hope and love makes this a book to recommend, and I wholeheartedly do recommend it!