Thank you NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ARC of this book.

This is my third Sarah Ready book and she has now become an auto-buy author for me! I have loved everything of hers that I've read. She is a magical realism master.

Fated has two timelines (of sorts) with one person, Fiona, in both. She moves between her real life and a dream world that she travels to in her dreams via an old pocket watch. The end became a bit confusing during the big reveal, but overall, the two timelines worked well.

Fiona is faced with a difficult life decision - settling for a gem of a man that she knows isn't her one, or keep looking for that love she believes is out there. She actually finds him, but he's in her dream timeline. What's a woman to do when your perfect match is living in your dreams?

This book was just fantastic. I loved Fiona's journey. And I really appreciated her end decision. The two opposite settings (Geneva and a tropical island) gave the best of both worlds. All of the characters were loveable and kind and it made it hard to decide who to root for. This was a solid romance that I highly recommend!

The narration of the book was great! She had the prefect accent for both timelines and all the characters. It's not often that a female narrator can do a top notch male voice as well. I thought it was great!

Thank you to the author, #Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of Fated in exchange for an honest review. I rotated between the ebook and audio formats.

I always start by saying, I leap at the opportunity to read a Sarah Ready book early! Especially one in the Ghosted series! I absolutely loved Ghosted, really enjoyed Switched and now can’t stop thinking about Fated!

I didn’t realize initially that this story begins prior to when the story of Ghosted took place. That was a pleasant surprise! It was SO lovely to see Daniel come to life again on the page and this time as a loving brother and uncle.

Fated is overall incredibly creative. Sarah Ready was able to vividly depict both worlds (real life and dream world) of which the main character, Fiona was living. Every scene on the island felt palpable. Aaron/McCormick was swoon worthy! It was so riveting to see where Fiona would be when she reentered the dream and what occurred in that world while she was awake. My brain tends to be overly analytical (even when reading), so a healthy dose of magical realism is needed from time to time and this delivered!

I loved the complexity of the familial relationships in both worlds. I was happy that Fiona and Max had each other and part of my heart pulled her in his direction. Although Fiona’s mother was not there for her how she needed throughout her life, I could still feel the genuine love she had for her daughter. The story about acquiring the watch was funny! I loved how devoted of a mother and mother figure Fi was. She had such a big heart!

I thought this would follow the format of the first two in the series and have an epilogue from another POV. I think it would’ve been interesting to hear from either Aaron or Max.

The narration was absolutely beautiful!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book especially the style of writing this author has mastered. Sarah has a unique style of including so much description in every sentence that your imagination is really turned on. The story kept me engaged from start to finish. I look forward to her next book.

Unfortunately the audiobook archived the same day I was approved. Luckily I was sent a book copy to read and review. Please check out my actual review under the book version. I'm looking forward based on other reviews I've read.

Fated by Sarah Ready is the third book in the Ghosted series. I haven’t read the first book, Ghosted, yet (despite owning it), but I’ve read the second, Switched, and while I enjoyed Switched overall I took issue with many elements. Because of that, I was nervous about my opinion post-reading book three.

I. Am. So. Glad. I. Did!

Fated is exciting, thrilling, romantic, and perfect. At the end/climax, I alternated between gasping, crying, and gripping my steering wheel until my hands were white. I listened to the final 70% during a three-hour round-trip drive and struggled to focus on traffic while our FMC dove into the remarkable, titillating, and nerve-wracking ending.
~well-written
~so, so engaging throughout
~excellent narrator
~just read it!

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Ready, and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the advance listener copy!

This was my second book I have reviewed by Sarah and oh my gosh; I genuinely really enjoyed this book. With two interlinking worlds, there were so many characters to love & enjoy. The idea of the storyline was so smart - and each step of the way more & more questions were answered. Fiona's character was suffering from grief, shock after an accident and a prolonged heartbreak. So when her dreams start giving her what she needs, her reality starts to have a spring in its step. But at what point do you make the choice into moving forward in your life of spending your time building you 'dream' life (pardon the pun).
This book put tears in my eyes and I couldn't stop listening to find out what happened to each of the characters. The plot twist BROKE me, and I think this is 100% worth the read.
Thank you to Sarah Ready, Swift & Lewis Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Fated is a beautiful, take your breath away love story.

I'll be honest, I was apprehensive about the story. I wasn't so keen about reading a book about a dream. But it's by Sarah Ready, and I'm a huge fan of hers. I have read everything she has written since I first discovered her work with Josh and Gemma Make a Baby. So I trusted her and her amazing work. Her track record speaks for itself, for me I have given 100% of her books 5 stars.

The dream section felt like What Alice Forgot, one of my favorite books. It was like a second chance at a love story.

Then the story took an unexpected turn, it took my breath away. This is a magical fantastical love story and I couldn't have loved it more.

It's one of my favorite love stories of all time.

It's super low spice but not quite closed door.

I absolutely love this book! It started off a little slow, but you quickly get roped in. You are enthralled trying to figure out what is going on as Fiona travels back and forth between the two worlds. Aaron in the dream world is absolutely amazing, it's hard not to fall in love with him. I would say this book is a good mix of mystery and romance. It is also part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
Highly recommend!!

This was such a sweet story - soulmates. Meeting her dream man through her dreams. So sweet and heartfelt. I enjoyed this ALC.

This was soooo good! It honestly started slow and seemed a bit boring…but then when the traveling happened and the ‘dreams’ started, I WAS HOOKED!

Fiona is a hardworking single mom, who doesn’t believe in love. However, after falling into a depression following a disastrous Christmas party, she is gifted a watch allowing her to live out her desires. However, she believes that these experiences that she has are only a dream, and so she is determined to learn what live truly is, and apply those lessons into her real life. But…what happens when she has to ‘end’ the dream, but can’t let go of this amazing man she loves?

This audiobook took me on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey, making me happy when she’s on the island, and then sad when she had to return to her real life. And then…that twist of fate was so sad! I felt for Fi, and I wanted her to have a happy ending and have the truest love she could.

THAT ENDING THOUGH! Like some things I could see coming but that last 15% of the book really takes your emotions on a wild ride, making you happy, sad, relieved, happy, sad, then happy once again. Honestly the whole book really does this, but the end of it takes all your feelings to the EXTREME! But I loved this book completely and totally. The emotional connection I had to all the characters, especially to Fi and Aaron…it made the experience of listening to this book so much more engaging and fun.

I HIGHLY recommend this book. Honestly, I had not read the previous books in this series, and this does very well as a standalone. I don’t think anyone who loves some magical realism books would want to miss out on this masterpiece of a book!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC and ALC of this book. I have been loving the last few books in this series and this was no exception!

These books are so fascinating to me because they really make me think about the beyond and how entwined our lives really could be.

This book is set in the here and now and then in dreams and I really loved that. I loved Fiona's characters and her love interest(s) as well. It truly made me question everything - I don't want to spoil anything though!

While I received both the ebook and audiobook, however, I unfortunately didn't realize that the audiobook archived 11 days before release, so I wasn't able to listen beyond the sample, so I cannot comment too much on the narration. Other than I was intrigued by the narration in the sample. I will be purchasing the audiobook to listen and review when it comes out!

Once again, Sarah Ready brings us love, with a little bit of magic.

Fiona Abry knows the importance of time. Head of her family's multi-generational watch company and single mother, she is constantly trying to get the most out of each day. If that means forgoing self care, so be it. Romance? Never heard of her. But between her brother's insistence that she take a break, and the mysterious heirloom watch that promises making you live your heart's desire, Fi decides to give her dreams a chance. Now suddenly, every time she goes to sleep, she awakes in a new life. Workaholic Fiona by day, and carefree Fi by night, she finds herself learning what's most important in life. The only problem? Falling in love with the man of her dreams—who only exists in her dreams.

I felt that this book took a bit to get into. Fiona is a serious, somewhat boring, narrator. No doubt she loves watches, and now I know more than I ever expected about their manufacturing. But it was an important bit of foreshadowing, and the whole book is really about time itself. Once things got going, the speed picked up, and I couldn't put it down. Like the previous Ghosted books, the story climaxes with life-or-death dramatics, and I genuinely didn't know how things were going to end. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Ready's other books, stories about love through time and space, or just want to see dreams come true.

Fated is the third in this universe, though takes place before the previous two books in the series. It can be read as a standalone.

This books didn't hit as hard for me as Switched, even though the premise is just as intriguing. It took much longer than I expected to get to the crux of the story, the dreaming, and I feel rather disconnected from it. The writing itself is as strong and fresh as ever, I just don't think this book is right for me. Also: justice for Max.

This was so good and heart breaking! I have read this authors other books in this series and this one has got to be my favorite so fare. I really love these characters and their story and the heartbreak that they go through. It’s fantastic.

I was expecting this story to be happening after Ghosted and Switched but it wasn’t so I was a little confused. The story was great though and I liked Fiona. I thought it wasn’t very fair that the person Fiona jumped into in the dream was a cheating jerky woman and kept wrecking everything for Aaron and Fiona. Some of the logistics of the dreaming was a bit far fetched but it was easy to look past that and just enjoy the story. I felt bad for Max but all’s well that ends well. Maybe Ready’s next book will have Max finding the love of his life. The ending was fabulous and really fun to read.

I’m so glad this book was read by the same narrator as the rest of the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sarah Ready for a copy of this audiobook.

Fated pleasantly surprises with its blend of contemporary romance and subtle magical realism, part of the Ghosted series where each installment focuses on different couples. As a standalone read, it holds its own, offering a compelling narrative without relying heavily on previous books in the series.
The story revolves around Fiona, a driven single mother managing her family's prestigious Swiss watch company. Scarred by abandonment in childhood and a heartbreaking past romance, Fiona guards her heart fiercely, hesitant to embrace love fully. However, when she unexpectedly receives a long-lost heirloom watch, her reality shifts into a parallel life. Here, she meets Aaron, a soul mate she never knew existed, along with his endearing children. Their connection is instant and profound, drawing Fiona into a world where she feels truly at home. She can't wait to sleep each night to be in this life with Aaron and his children.

The characters, especially Fiona and Aaron, are intricately crafted with emotional depth. Fiona's journey from guarded vulnerability to embracing love is portrayed with sensitivity, making her relatable and endearing. (Although I did feel bad for the best friend, Max. Hopefully, he will get his own story during the series.) Aaron's complexities as a devoted father and a man grappling with his own relational challenges add layers of authenticity to the story.

What makes "Fated" stand out is its delicate handling of magical realism. Rather than over-explaining the fantastical elements, the narrative allows readers to piece together the magic themselves, enriching the experience with imagination. While the plot takes time to unfold, once it gains momentum, it becomes difficult to put down. The blend of romance, family dynamics, and mystical elements creates a narrative tapestry that leaves readers feeling warm and fulfilled.

I have loved this series so far but when I found out that this book was about dreaming, I was super keen to read this. I dream a lot and often remember my dreams. So I was really interested to see where this book went. The plot twists were heart wrenching and I cried, more than once! I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was fabulous. I really loved the characters, and the character development was wonderful. I was so invested in these characters and this story. So much love for this one! I can't wait for the next installment - bring on Max's story!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing, Independent Book Publishers Association, and Sarah Ready for this early release copy in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely LOVE every book in this series!

Fiona and her brother Daniel are the heirs to a huge Swiss Watchmaking company. They live in the city and love their jobs. BUT, neither one of them has ever really found love.
When her estranged mother appears with a gift of 'time', she is intrigued. She states that the watch she is giving Fiona lets you live the life you dream to have.
So, Fiona goes to sleep one night, and wakes up in another world. Another time. Another life. In this alter life she is married and has two kids...but there are problems.
BUT the good news is...it's just a dream! Right??

When her real life starts to give her some hard curve balls, she decides to go back into her 'dream life'. But when she returns this time, nothing is the same...

Now she is on a mission to try to change things back to the way they were...and find out what the heck is really going on!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #SwiftAndLewisPublishingLLC for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
**** The book releases in about a week on 7/16/24. *****

#Fated by #SarahReady and narrated beautifully by #ShakiraShute.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!!

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Fated - ALC — by Sarah Ready
Release date: July 16th

When I first started this audiobook, (and if you are like me and need to put subtitles on for a movie with accents,) it takes some time getting used to the narrators British accent. But once I slowed it down to 1.7x speed and got into it, I was invested.

This book gave me all the feels, I was happy, I was sad, I was frustrated, I was yelling at the characters to hurry up — I was so torn between her reality and her dream, that I really felt for the FMC.

This book is set between the FMC’s real life and her completely different life in her dreams. You want to root for both, but ultimately need to choose, as she does.

Overall I think this was a 3.75⭐️

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I seriously do not think Sarah Eeady can ever make a book that is not purely amazing. Skip reading the blurb and just read this book.