This book played with my emotions like you wouldn't believe. I love this series so dang much and I feel like it just gets better and better. The whole series is all about unconventional love stories.

This book is about Fiona. Fiona is a single mom who even though she has her best friend Mark, her love life isn't what it could be. After she is shot and almost dies, her mom gives her a family heirloom. That heirloom is a watch that when you dream will take you to that place. The dreams she has are so dang realistic but it's only a dream, right?

Man this book was something else. Mark is a sweetie but the connection and chemistry she has with Aaron is next level. You see Aaron is who she is married to in her dreams. But she's cheating on him with his friend Robert. Bad Fiona dream girl. LOL. I loved Aaron right away and got the ick from Robert but her the other girl loves Robert so whatever. Either way, this book was so freaking amazing but it will mess with you, in a good way. So dang good!

3.5 Stars

I absolutely love books with magical realism and time travel, so Fated was right up my alley. I enjoyed the story! While I knew there'd be a happy ending, I was engrossed in finding out how we'd get there. That's the magic of Fated – it takes you on an exciting journey, and you're just along for the ride.

However, I did struggle a bit with suspending disbelief, especially when it came to how the island's residents could buy things, book airplane tickets, or plan extensive open-water swims without phones, the internet, or visible jobs. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading the ARC of the second book in this series so I was excited to have access to the ARC for Fated, the third book in the Ghosted series.
Each of these books is connected (although I couldn't figure out the connection in this one), and they can all be read as a stand-alone.

Fated follows Fiona (Fi), a busy mother and CEO of a watch company in Geneva, and also follows her dreams, consisting of a completely different life and love upon a faraway island. Due to a magic watch, she is sent to a place that provides her greatest desire.
Sarah Ready's writing is magical and has more dimension than is normal for these types of books. I was surprised at the length of this book but it moves steadily and keeps your interest. I did need to suspend some disbelief in order wrap my head around all the dream world/real world back and forth but maybe I've just read too much Blake Crouch. I was also a little confused at the end but it didn't harm my enjoyment. I know a few people that I would easily recommend this too.

I was also thrilled to hear that there will be a fourth book in this series following a character from this book (whom I will not mentioned due to spoilers) that deserved so much more!

Sarah Ready is very quickly becoming an auto read author for me! I have loved all of the books of hers I've read and this was no exception! I loved the magical elements of this story-- The time travel and dreams were the perfect amount to be interesting while still keeping the story grounded. The characters, both the main characters and the supporting ones, were all so well written and it felt like each one had their own voice and story.

This was a wild, emotional ride! I should have expected by now that Sarah Ready would tear my heart out and put it back together, but boy did she. I could not put this down, especially the second half, I literally flew through the story! I cannot wait for the next book in this series to read about Daniel's love story as well! All of these love stories have just been so perfect. And even though these are part of an interconnected series, you could absolutely read this as a stand alone!

The audiobook was SO well done and the narrator did a wonderful job bringing all of the characters to life!

Fated by Sarah Ready is a captivating story that combines magical realism and time travel, making it an engaging and intriguing read. The author's descriptive prose transports readers to exotic locations like a Caribbean island and Geneva, Switzerland, allowing them to feel the ambiance and atmosphere of these places. The romance between the characters is heartfelt and emotional, drawing readers in and making them feel like they are living the story alongside the characters.

The main character, Fiona, undergoes a transformation from a workaholic CEO to someone who learns to love and dream again, thanks to a magical watch that allows her to live out her dreams. The story is filled with twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they follow Fiona's journey to find love and happiness. The side characters, such as Fiona's supportive brother Daniel and the lovelorn Max, add depth and complexity to the story, making it more compelling and enjoyable.

While some readers may find it hard to suspend belief at times, particularly regarding the logistics of the characters' lives on the island, the overall story is engaging and well-executed. The emotional rollercoaster ride of the plot, combined with the unexpected ending, leaves readers wanting more and eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series.

Overall, Fated is a book that will appeal to fans of romance, magical realism, and time travel. Despite a few minor flaws, the story is well-written, engaging, and emotional, making it a worthwhile read for anyone looking for a captivating and heartwarming love story. I would give this book four stars and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a summer read that will transport them to exotic locales and tug at their heartstrings.

Fated follows the journey that Fiona has to take to find true love. Fi has spent so much time focusing on everything but love, and now is the time for her to learn how to love again. She is gifted an old watch that will supposedly allow her to fulfil her dreams. She is shocked when she finds herself on a tropical island with a husband and two children that she doesn't recognise. She has found the man of her dreams but it's only in her dreams, right?

When I started this read I did not think this was going to be a 3.5 Star read for me. This was my first Sarah Ready novel and found that it was a bit overwritten for me. She goes into great detail about everything that Fiona is feeling and experiencing (as in describing every single sense) and I found that it took away from what was actually happening in the story. I think it was also preventing me from really connecting to a lot of the characters.

By the time I was mid way through, the story wasn't doing a whole lot for me BUT I'm glad I stuck with it because the last 15-20 chapters made it all worth it! The story really needed that twist and I was not expecting it at all!! I was hooked and I had to finish the book in that sitting!

I'm really surprised at how much I ended up liking it. The story was very unique and I really enjoyed it. Be patient with it, it's worth reading!

I also thought I'd mention that I read it as an audiobook and the narrator was great!

🐦‍⬛🦋⏱️Fated⏱️🦋🐦‍⬛
I see a new Sarah Ready book and I’m all the way sat. Fated is the 3rd book in the ghosted series, but can be read as a standalone. Like the others in the series, Fated is just as whimsical and captivating. Sarah wraps you up in her spellbinding writing, shreds your heart into itsy-bitsy pieces, and then puts those pieces back together in the most magnificent way possible.
If You Fancy:
🔮Contemporary/Paranormal Romance
🔮✨Magic✨Whimsy✨
🔮Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Stuff
🔮Dual Timeline
🔮Single Mom/FMC in 30’s
🔮Self Discovery
🔮Found Family
🔮So Much Angst
🔮Slow Burn
🔮Love Square?
🔮Ugly Crying
🔮Heart Wrenching
🔮Spectacular Character Development
🔮Unique Plot That Keeps You Constantly Engaged
🔮Superb Setting Details
then you’ll fall absolutely head over heals for Fated like I did.
✨Shakira Shute does an absolutely phenomenal job with the audio.
Format: 🎧Audio
Time: 13hr 34min 1.25x
Listened on: NetGalley 🎧
Audio Release: July 16, 2024

“If you ever need me, if you ever find yourself awake at night wanting me, I’ll be here. I’ll be here loving you.”
“You said you’d let me go”
“I lied. I’ll be here, my hand held out to you. All you have to do is take it.”
#Sarahready #fatedbook #mustread #paranormalromance #netgalley #audiobook #ghostedseries
Thank you so much for the opportunity to listen to this book! It is greatly appreciated!

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ARC audiobook of "Fated" by Sarah Ready in exchange for an honest review.

Please be aware, there may be small spoilers within this review.

Straight off the bat, this book called to me. I loved the fact that Fi was so lost within herself. She thought she knew what life was, but until she slept, she didn't know what living was. Aaron was a gorgeous and such an understanding MMC, wanting what was only best for Fi, or in his eyes, his wife Becka.

There was such a twist within the story that I was not expecting, but Ill say that I feel that it was executed in such an amazing way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this ARC and am looking forward to reading/listening to other works by this author.

4.5 Stars
Fiona is a watchmaker from Geneva, Switzerland who is given a family heirloom watch that is said to show you your desires in dreams if you sleep with it. She dreams of a lush, tropical island and a man named, Aaron who she quickly falls deeply in love with. She splits her time between “real” life and her “dream” life. Even though she longs to be with Aaron always, she knows that this is just a dream and it eventually it must end. But is this love real? Is Aaron real?

Fated is the 3rd book in the Ghosted series and is my favorite. There are so many deep feelings interwoven into the story: longing and passion, guilt & uncertainty, overcoming fears. It’s about loss and sacrifices, rediscovering yourself and learning how to love and to heal. I was brought to tears ready this book more than once. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read the next in the series!

Thank You NetGalley and publishers for this ARC.

Another gut wrenching book by Sarah, if you love time jumping, magic and romance this book is for you.

The complexity in the romance and the way she handled it was very poetic, you care for the characters and want that at the end everything be fine.

I need the next book ASAP.

They say not to judge a book by its cover, but I went into this expecting a fluffy, surface level book. This ended up being a lot more than that! This was a beautifully written story, and I really enjoyed it. I thought what was particularly strong was exploring many different kinds of relationships - siblings, friendship, and parenthood in addition to just a romantic storyline. Fiona was a thoughtful and well constructed main character, and I liked hearing about her journey - a couple of plot twists I didn’t see coming, so that was fun and kept me on my toes! There were a few world building inconsistencies and question marks I had about the time travel of it all, but for the most part I was happy to overlook these for the sake of the story. I’ll definitely check out Sarah Ready’s other books in the series after this.

Thanks to Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this story. This was the second book by Sarah Ready I have read, and it was even better than the first one. Can’t wait to read the next one.
The story was very well written. Fiona got an old watch from her mother that was supposed to let you dream your greatest desire. I really liked the “dream your greatest desire” magic, and the interactions between Fi and Aaron (the dream husband). It was a very sweet story that both tugged on my heartstrings and made me gasp. I highly recommend it!

The audio version of this book was great. The narrator did an excellent job. Easy to listen to and follow along with.

4 Stars! ✨❤️

Thank you to Swift and Lewis Publishing, and NetGalley for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can always count on Sarah Ready for a well-executed whimsical romance and “Fated” was no exception ❤️ This was *chef’s kiss.*

In this story we follow along with the POV of our main character Fiona. She is a very busy, determined woman who runs a Swiss watch company along-side her brother. On top of that she is a single parent who does not believe she has the time or capability to open herself up to love. On one fateful evening her mother gifts her an heirloom, a watch meant to show you your heart's desire. In her dreams, she is o a tropical island with little to no exposure to other parts of the world (and social media.) She is married and has 2 beautiful children. She slowly starts to care for this other family, but this is only in her dreams, right? Why does she feel so strongly for a life that isn’t real?

OH MY LANTA. I think I love Sarah Ready. She has such a beautiful poetic writing style with luscious world building that really captivates me and draws me into her stories. I could feel the push and pull between our main character's 2 worlds. This was phenomenal.

The chemistry between Fiona and Aaron just felt so natural and easy. There was tension, sparks, and loving moments that felt like they had known one another for a lifetime. I just held onto hope that these two were truly meant to be.

The characters who lived on the island were a hoot. I truly loved them! ❤️

I do hope that Max will one day find his happy ending. He deserves happiness, and sparks. Maybe in a future story?

If you love a romance that keeps you on the edge of your seat and wanting more - you need to read this. ✨

Is it live or is it Memorex? Fiona is a single mom and is gifted a watch. Not just any watch. She is transported to her dreams. Much of this book is ethereal. Once I got the gist, it was unputdownable and absorbing. The conflict for Fiona of real life and dream life was a clincher. Max, one of her love interests is swoon worthy!

#3 in a series and can be read as a stand alone. This was a great read between heavier books. I would classify it as magical realism and a delightful escape.

The audio narration is great, she did a great job with the characters. The perfect voice for Fated. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

While this is book 3 in the series, I read this as a standalone without any issues. I am interested in checking out the other books in the series now.
This was really good. I was hooked. I wasn’t sure if I liked the idea of being in someone else’s body. I didn’t like Becka. She was terrible wife and an even worse mother. I do wondered whhatt happened to Becka when Fi was there. I would have liked to see more on how this worked. The family heirloom was interesting but I didn’t love this concept, maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had more information on how this worked.
I love the relationship between Fiona and the kids. It’s definitely what they needed. The relationship and chemistry with Aaron was great! The ending was good. The growth Aaron has is amazing. I enjoyed the children and broken home aspect of thee story. It give a take on real life relationship dynamics.
The narration was great! I am adding her to my favorite narrators list.

This is the second book I read by Sarah Ready, and it will not be my last.
I have read book two in the ghosted series already and I really liked it so I obviously wanted to read the next book in the series.
Fated is a really good book and I liked the characters and in general the whole idea, especially the ending.
Overall, I think it was a great book and I am looking even more forward to read book one (and of course book four when it gets published)

4

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Well, the book certainly had a compelling plot, which kept me wanting to know what the main character is going to do next the entire time, but I don't think I could connect to her. Her journey of self-discovery and finding wasn't interesting, and I'm not gonna blame this on the story or the author, because I suppose it is my fault for not being a fan of the 'love triangle' trope.

Despite my dislike for the romantic plot (which, could be blamed on my personal preference), I did find the plot interesting, the people of the island, the dilemma, the questions, and of course, the lines between reality and the dream.

I hope this doesn't sound offensive, but the narrator's voice for Sean was kinda really weird everytime I had to hear the "mammamamama". But it could be just me not being a fan of a certain kind of baby voice?

3.5 stars.

Fiona has had her heartbroken a few too many times and has given up on love. When her mom comes back and gives her a watch that will help her find heart’s desire. She thinks her mom is crazy until she falls asleep holding the watch and meets him.

He’s absolutely perfect in every way but is he real or is he just in her dreams. Fiona goes on an adventure of the lifetime to figure that out

This book started off okay, the middle was great, the third act breakup was unnecessary but the ending was like finally. Took you long enough. I really wanted to like this book but Fiona had me up a wall. I just wanted her to be happy and she was like spouting off about how it’s not real and it drove me crazy!

But I love a good happy ending and Fated gave me that.

For fans of found families, true love, time travel, magic and everyone deserves a happy ending types you will find exactly what you need in this book

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC of this book

In Fated by Sarah Ready, Fiona is a busy executive juggling her work life balance while running her family's respected Swiss watch company. After a life-changing experience, she receives a family heirloom that lets her dream of things she doesn't feel she can wish for when she is awake. When she sleeps, she lives a simple and beautiful life on an island with a husband and two kids. As she begins to fall in love with the life she is dreaming, she realizes she must learn how to do the same with her real life.

Listening to this audiobook was so enjoyable. When I wasn't listening to it, I was wondering when I could listen to it. The magical aspect of the MC dreaming their desires was so fun and would feel so familiar to anyone who has woken up from a dream they did not want to leave.

I was a bit conflicted about the main character and the speed at which it felt like they were changing. Given the plot line of the book I don't think the aim was for the character development timeline to be realistic.

I enjoyed how this storyline surprised me at times and am looking forward to going back and reading the first two "standalone" books in the Ghosted series. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to get lost in a dream for a while.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Sarah Ready, and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the ARC.

I enjoyed the originality of this book. It was super easy and enjoyable to listen to it. Great narrator. I do think Daniel should have been already married since he was on book 2 of the series.

Thanks for this ARC!