I LOVE this entire series from #SarahReady. Wished was another book that felt like the best hug followed by a warm mug of your favorite drink. A little fantastical and whimsical but rooted in so much reality. If you love love, rom-coms, Hallmark classics, or any combination of the above, you MUST read this entire series. I definitely recommend reading them in order because while the spoilers are minimal, the author does connect the plot lines in ways that would give endings away. I definitely #wished this read into my loved pile for this year!

#netgalley #arc

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audio book and couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed the main characters, especially Anna. She is honest and morally sound. Her questioning whether it was right to wish for someone to love her against their will was definitely needed. I look forward to reading other books by Ready.

4.25⭐
Genre ~ contemporary romance
Series ~ Ghosted #4
Others in the series ~ #1-4
Setting ~ Switzerland & France
Publication date ~ October 1, 2024
Publisher ~ Swift & Lewis
Est Page Count ~ 313 (p+ 36 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 36 minutes
Narrators ~ Amanda Ronconi and Will Watt
POV ~ mostly since 1st, with 2 chapters from Max
Featuring ~ magical realism, billionaire, opposites attract, insta~love, short chapters, some steamage

Anna & Max
Anna has been cleaning Max’s house for years when she makes a wish for them to be married. She never thinks her wish will come true, so why is she waking up in an unfamiliar bed and people are calling her Mrs. Barone? And how is it their 7 year anniversary?

The author takes us on a whirlwind adventure of how they got to where they are today. Is this really their life or is it all a dream?

Gah, Max! He starts off rude, but then you’ll fall in love with him. Not quite love at first sight like for Anna, but slowly his sweetness will win you over. He’s a charmer for sure.

Anna was really sweet and did the right things when it mattered most. One of those people that cannot in good conscience tell a lie.

Overall, I didn’t quite love it as much as I did Fated, but it’s a close 2nd.

Series notes:
We first met Max in Fated, so it might be a good idea to read that one, but I suppose this would be fine as a standalone. Books 1 & 2 characters are not involved here.

Narration notes:
Mostly told by Amanda, who did a lovely job. Will did perfectly fine for his 2 chapters.

I am a HUGE Sarah Ready fan and love her writing. I could not wait to dive into Wished which focuses on Anna Benoit making a wish that she was married to Max Barone, the owner of the chateau she cleans. She has loved him since she laid eyes on him, but Max doesn't even know her name. What's a gal to do????? How about making a wish!?!

That is exactly what Anna does and suddenly *poof* she his happily married to Max. Their lives are exciting, passionate, loving, and fun! But Anna can't quite shake that she has wished this to happen. She tells Max the truth, but will the truth set her free?????

I have enjoyed this series from the beginning and while I enjoyed Wished and found it to be charming, it was my least favorite in the series. All the books have a little bit of magic, but this was lacking that little bit of something that would have pushed my rating higher. What this did have was Sarah Ready's signature humor, sexy lead characters, her steamy scenes and her focus on finding love. This book also had a nice amount of charming supporting characters as well.

I do hope that there are more books in this series, as Sarah Ready is such a great Contemporary Romance writer and I do enjoy the magical realism in this book series. As I mentioned this book is part of a series, but all books work very nicely as stand-alone books.

Although I did not love it as much as the other books in the series, I still found this book to be well written, charming, sexy, engaging and fun!

I thought I was the queen of fun romantic comedies but apparently, I'm not because I couldn't stand this one! I believe this was a stand-alone book but also part four of a series. I have not read the previous books and when I downloaded on my Netgallery account, it did not indicate that it was a series. First, the narrator of the prolog and epilog's voice is awful. You would have been better off having the female narrator read it rather than switching to a voice you can barely understand. Second, the plot twisted too many times for an average person to keep up. Some examples: the second wish was his wish and that's why things didn't return to normal, waking up and traveling all over the globe in minutes, or having one or sometimes both of the characters know they were in an alternate reality. All this made it unbelievable and hard to follow. This is the first time reading this author and I will hesitate about reading another one of her books, series or no.

Rating: ★★★★★

*Wished* is a delightful adult romance filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me hooked from start to finish. The characters are not only likable and relatable but also bring a refreshing authenticity to the story. The quirky yet believable storyline adds an extra layer of charm that makes this book truly stand out.

The audiobook was fantastic, thanks to a great narrator who brought the characters to life beautifully. I especially loved the surprise narration of Max at the end—it was such a fun and unexpected touch!

If you're looking for a romance that’s both heartwarming and full of surprises, *Wished* is a must-listen!

⭐️ 5/5
🌶 2/5
🩷 4/5
🎧 5/5

📚 Where do I even begin?! Sarah Ready just blew my romance brain open and then put it all back together with some swooning.
This story was it - 100% what I want in a soul-mate romance.
Anna makes a wish for Max to love her, but after getting everything she wanted, was the price even worth it? Anna decided it wasn't. But after waking, she had to decide if it was real or all just a dream.
There were moments when I thought it would be predictable, but I was proven wrong over and over. What felt like something cliche, actually turned out to be a 5-star written romance story with so much anticipation and desire.

🎙 The narrators were incredible! The male was British, and the female was American. What I loved most was how well they both emulated each other's accents - BRAVO 👏 🙌 They were so emotive and I really felt their character's emotions through their delivery.

🎧 This audiobook was top tier romance quality for a dual-style narration.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫Audiobook Review

The perfect read for lovers of magical realism and romance. I enjoyed this book a lot! This is part of the Ghosted series by Sarah Ready. We meet the MMC Max in the last book of this series called Fated. I have been wishing for a happy ending for Max since I read the last book. So it was really fun to read this one and see what happens next. The FMC is Anna and I really enjoyed her character. Anna has been in love with her boss for years and one day wishes they were married.

I just loved this premise, the author did such a fabulous job with it. There was so much beauty in the relationships in this book. The author truly portrayed the joy and charm of building a true relationship. There is a lot of sweetness in this book with some spice. This spice suited the book and enhanced it. Also these covers are just too gorgeous, each one is so beautiful and they portray the series so well.

The book was narrated by Will Watt and Amanda Ronconi. These narrators were so good and really enhanced the listening experience. Truly enjoyed it.

Enjoyable content:
💜 Magical realism
🩵 Contemporary romance
💜 Wish come true
🩵 Set in Paris and Geneva
💜 Rich and poor
🩵 Love at first sight

Quotes:
"Tomorrow this may not be real. But it's real today and I've always thought the best way to live, is in the moment."

"Live with passion, love with your heart."

Spice- 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to the author Sarah Ready and NetGalley for the advanced listener copy of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing and author Sarah Ready for this audio-ARC

A super cute rom-com that kinda reminds me of the movies I watched growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s. Unrealistic, cute. romantic and kinda whimsy - absolutely loved it!
4.5 stars

Loved it! I requested this book as I read book 3 in the series and loved it as well. Each book can be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed the writing style of the author. The narration of the book was amazing as well.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️
Audiobook: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
A mash up of the movies “Big” and “Maid in Manhattan” but the MCs are both aware of the wish, and it’s set in Geneva and Paris. Thank you to Net Galley, Sarah Ready, and all involved in producing this audiobook for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review. It comes out 10/1/2024.

MMC Max, mid 30s, old money. Owner of an iconic jewelry business (think Cartier) and a chateau that have been handed down through the generations.

FMC Anna, 25 American, moved to Switzerland when 11 years old, has been working as a house cleaner/maid for three years.

Setting: Geneva, Switzerland—so why is the cover Mont-Saint-Michel, a World Heritage Site in Normandy, France? Fear not Francophiles! A substantial portion of the book takes place during a vacation to Paris & St. Tropez.

This was actually my favorite part of the book—the care Ready used in describing Paris and the date-like activities they did there. The reader gets to go on vacation without the expense and jet lag.

The concept/fantasy aspect of this story was interesting, but regrettably fell flat, as did their romance. I was left with constant whip lash—tracking how each character felt about one another became tedious and led the romance portion to be unbelievable. This is ultimately why I rated this book so low.

Spice: There is one explicit open door scene, but it didn’t actually make sense for either MC to want to have sex (apart from being horny). The reader isn’t actively routing for them to get together like in a slow burn. I’m normally down for a One Night Stand/insta-lust book, but this scene just felt off.

Audiobook: really well executed. Amanda Ronconi has an American accent, does alright with British accents, and pronounced French words perfectly. Will M. Watt only voices the prologue & epilogue. He has a British accent and pronounced French words correctly.

Audiobook - Romance

This is a go-to series for Romance lovers!

I am not normally a fan of mystical realism, but this series handles it well. Anna is the cleaner for jewelry magnate Max Barone. She fell in love with him the first time they spoke and has been pining for him the last 3 years. One day, while cleaning the library, she notices an unusual item on the desk. When she opens the box, she finds a gorgeous sapphire and diamond necklace. Underneath the box is an old paper that tells her to wish for her heart's desire. She figures why not and wishes to be Max's wife.

The next day her world is turned upside down and she becomes Max's wife. She and Max know it's not true, but everyone else thinks it is. They decide to spend time together until they can find a way to reverse the wish. This is where the story gets a little farfetched. Otherwise, this is a sexy relationship story and fits very well with the series arc.

The books in this series do not need to be read in order.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC audiobook! Such a cute little romantic read. What would you do if your wildest wish came true overnight? The FMC Anna wishes that she could be married to the handsome owner of the house that she cleans. When she wakes up she finds that wish has come true. However as Anna gets to know Max and fall in love with him for real, she realizes Max never wished for this and is unaware that this is her wish come true. I definitely recommend the audiobook version because it allows you to really get into it. Definitely a 4 star read for me.

I had never read a Sarah Ready book before this one, and I am now hunting down the rest of this series. I could connect to Wished without reading other books in the series because each book is about a different couple. I listened to the audiobook version, and it did not disappoint!
The storyline is creative. Who hasn't thought about what would happen if their wishes came true? Every time I thought I was getting close to the end of the book, I didn't want it to end! However, the true ending is very satisfying. A few moments of spice are just right for this book.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. Just like Fated, this book is so wholesome—a sweet little story of romance and magical realism. An item imbued with magical powers finds its way to our protagonist's hands and soon enough she finds herself in an alternate reality with the love of her life. But can she return to her real life and also keep her love?

Great romance and the perfect palate cleanser. The narrator really brought the story to life and had me fully engrossed in the story.

Anna has developped an instant crush on her employer, Max Barone, the owner of the Château where she works as a maid. Three years into this one-sided love story, nothing remarkable has happened. But everything changes when Anna makes a wish and finds herself in an alternative reality, where everyone believes that she and Max are a happily married couple... Well, everyone except Max. Together, they try to find a way to get back to their "normal" lives, but do they really want things to go back the way they were ?

This was a fun read with wholesome Christmassy vibes (I know, it has nothing to do with Christmas, but I can picture a Hallmark adaptation of this for the Holiday season). I should've rated it 2.5, but I'll round it up to 3 because I feel like I have to acknowledge the author's efforts to create an emotional bond between Anna and Max. I liked how the protagonists took the time to talk to each other (and it was real conversations, not just the usual trauma dumping that we often see in the romance genre), it helped make their feelings for each other more believable.

However, I find it extremely odd that there was not a single mention or allusion to their class difference. Yes we're in the 21st century, but the guy is a billionaire, he comes from old money, and she is a maid. How come he didn’t think at any moment that she was after his money ? Given his upbringing and the fact that he never was close to anyone outside the super rich, how is he so cool with the idea ? I'm NOT saying he shouldn't be cool with, I'm saying that it doesn’t seem credible to me that no one in this book addresses the massive classist elephant in the ballroom.

Also, Anna seemed very immature to me, her believing to be "in love" with someone she basically doesn’t know, then starting to do embarrassing (or should I say creepy) things like reading what he reads and learning about his hobbies is giving middle school crush at best (or disingenuous, manipulative gold digger if we don't give her the benefit of the doubt).

🎧 Audiobook : 2/5 just because they subjected me to that awful prologue. What was that ? The woman's voice was fine though.

Thank you NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for providing me this e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC Wished by Sarah Ready. It was a cute romance book. That's really all I can say about it. It didn't wow me, it was a good read.

This one wasn't for me. The male voice narrating was too quiet and difficult to make out at times. The story on the whole was unbelievable.

I loved the plot of this book! I absolutely LOVED the male narrator I could listen to him read all day. He brought the story to life and had me wanting to listen to his chapters on repeat. I love this fairytale type vibes this storyline gave off.

Sadly, this was my least favorite of the "Ghosted" series. Every other book I have loved. "Wished" was still entertaining and kept me listening, but I didn't buy the relationship between Anna and Max. I felt like they never had a real connection in their actual timeline.

Even at the end when she finally got back to her original life and saw Max again, Max remembered her from the two days they spent together in the alternate universe. In that alternate universe, he started developing feelings for her because of the memories he was having of their marriage in that lifetime. So when it ends Max's feelings are still kind of based off of "wish" timeline Anna, who was his wife.

I'll still continue to read the series if there are more, this one just wasn't for me. Thank you, NetGalley for the advance Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.