4.25

The Ghosted series is one of my favorite contemporary romance collections, and I am so glad to read and review the most recent installment, Wished, highlighting new character Anna Benoit and recurring character Max Barone. For those following along at home, the first MMC is Daniel Abry, and Max is Daniel's sister's platonic best friend (whew! lots of connections to remember!)

As in each book in the series, the FMC is the primary POV. I really liked Anna as a character, she was very honest, down to earth, and relatable. The themes in this romance were insta-love/love at first sight, fake marriage, with a multi-verse vibe. I'd say this book is the most even-keeled in the series; I remember the others having jaw-dropping twists and insurmountable obstacles that really took me for a ride. Wished was lovely, but not as shocking or surprising. There is some spice in the series and in Wished, but not particularly graphic or gratuitous in my opinion. It was exactly what I needed to read this week and I totally recommend it, and the whole series, to contemporary romance readers. Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ALC of Wished, which is available now!

I have loved this series and I love this book in particular! It has all the feels. For me, this series is about fighting for love. Doing whatever it takes to be with the person you love. Like all the books in the series there is magical realism and twists and turns along the way. This story follows Max and his cleaner Anna. Max is a cynic about love. Anna falls in love at first sight. She makes a wish and all her dreams come true. The meat of the story is the ethical dilemma this causes not to mention the importance of the journey to get there. This could be read without the other 4 books, but it is better if you know the whole story. You also get a little glimpse into what everyone from the other stories are up to. This is the spiciest in the series and the spice is good!

The audio is fantastic! The accents are especially good. Amanda does a great job as Anna and her voice for Max is spot on. Will narrates the prologue and epilogue. He has a very sexy voice!

Thank you, Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC, Sarah Ready, and NetGalley for this audio ARC!

3.75 stars

Anna Benoit has been cleaning Max Barone's estate for 3 years. She fell in love at first sight. He barely knows she exists. One day, Anna makes a wish that she and Max are married and for him to love her. She wakes up in a new world where she is Max's wife and must figure out a way back to their reality. But will she get to keep Max's love?

Wished is #4 in the Ghosted series but can be read as a standalone. It's actually the first book I've read from Sarah Ready. The audiobook was done well with dual narration for the FMC and MMC. I found myself wanting to annotate a physical copy at some points early on in the story. The characters felt like they had substance, and I liked how the side characters were tied in with the story progression.

What knocked my rating down was the insta-love feeling from the MMC. After his POV prologue detailing why he didn't want passion and love in his life, I wanted a little more resistance from his character. He was too willing to go along with the alternate realities even when he knew they weren't real. The pacing also felt a little off. By the 70% mark, and the second alternate reality, I wanted the conclusion to hurry up already.

Overall, I liked the concept behind the story and the characters. I would read more from Sarah Ready.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I've really enjoyed many books by Sarah Ready (namely Switched, French Holiday, The Space Between ...) and I was super excited for the opportunity to read Wished! Although it was good overall, I felt it missed the mark on depth for me compared to other books by this author. That's not to say it's bad ... it's a nice, light-hearted book. Many people will love it I'm sure. I just felt that it was heavy on the "hot and heavy" and a little light on the substance. I realize a book about time travel, time loops and/or magical realism ideas can do whatever the heck it wants ... I just personally wanted a little more character development particularly with Max. If you're looking for a light (and steamy) read though, this is a great option!

This was my first Sarah Ready book! I will definitely be reading more books by her! I hadn’t realized this was part of a series, so I do believe it can be a stand alone! I really enjoyed Wished!
The Characters were very well written! I feel like each Character could be related too. Anna’s character reminded me of myself with her values of Honesty & always trying to make others happy.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a feel good, palate cleanser, or just want a little chuckle! Loved it!

Dear Sarah Ready,

American born Anna Benoit is a cleaner. Once a week she attends Max Barone’s chateau in Geneva. Max is handsome, austere and lonely. Anna falls in love at first sight. Max does not see her at all. One day she is cleaning in the library and sees a sapphire necklace in a box on the table next to a note which invites her to make a single wish on the jewels. She wishes she was happily married to Max. It doesn’t go well – initially at least. Max discovers her in the library by which time the necklace has made its way mysteriously into her pocket (she really did not put it there, or if she did, she does not remember it). Fired for attempted theft, Anna’s life changes but not in a good way.

Anna, 25, lives with her mother and eight-year-old (half)sister, Emmy. They are still paying off medical bills associated with the care of Anna’s late father. Emmy’s father is no longer in the picture. They have a very tight budget and Anna’s salary is necessary for their survival.

The next morning however, it appears Anna’s wish has come true. In fact, the book begins here, with Max being advised that “his wife” is waiting for him in his office. (The story then backtracks to how the pair got there.) Max knows full well he is not married. Max and Anna are the only two people in this world who know the truth and remember what really happened. What starts out as a contentious and mistrustful relationship quickly becomes something more. Max and Anna travel to Paris, where the remainder of the parure is kept (the necklace being only one part of it). The plan is to make another wish to set things right.

Up until this part, the narration is shared fairly equally between Amanda Ronconi and Will Watt. After the second wish, the narration is all Amanda Ronconi, right up until the epilogue.

There is a bit of “wish-ception” in Wished. By the end, I admit I was confused by what was real and what was not, who remembered what and why. It’s a romance so it’s not a spoiler to say they end up happily together. They are clearly very well suited to one another; once they actually start talking it’s clear there is chemistry and more between them. But I had questions about the magic of the story. I didn’t quite understand what the point of the “Checkov’s letter” was given where the story ended up and I got lost in the timeline. Had no time at all passed? How does that work?

Anna is a person of extremely high morals. She will take a bus ride she can’t afford to return a single franc she was overpaid in change. (I believe in honesty but this is overkill Anna.) When she finds herself getting what she wished for she has a moral dilemma about consent and self-determination. I didn’t think Anna needed to be quite so pristine in her moral compass in order to have some serious qualms about this. She wants the love between her and Max to be real. Of course she does.

I wondered how she could possibly fit into a life where she had been married to Max for seven years when she remembers nothing about that time. Can you imagine? Going to a job you’ve been doing for years and everyone knows you and remembers things about the preceding time and for you it’s all brand new? The book largely skips over that. Fair enough. It’s not particularly romantic and the timeframe of the book is mainly the five day break Max had planned for his and Anna’s seventh wedding anniversary. (In this reality they got married very quickly and very young.)

I listened to Wished in three bursts, taking short breaks to listen to podcasts. There were times in the book I was less engaged and impatient for some action. And then when the second wish happened I felt a little exhausted. It felt a little like starting everything all over again but this time oh so much more complicated. I sometimes feel this way when there’s a third act break up or when something happens in a story which feels insurmountable, it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s anything missing in the story. Here, I needed to take a breath because it felt like I’d climbed halfway up the mountain and had slid straight to the bottom. The summit felt very far away and I needed extra energy to tackle it. I understand why the author chose the first wish and the second. If the second wish (I’m trying to be a little vague here because spoilers – the second wish happens somewhere around the halfway point or just after if I recall correctly) had been the only wish, listeners wouldn’t have had a chance to know Max.

The narration was very good and that helped me stay engaged with the story. Amanda Ronconi is a narrator I associate with Molly Harper books. In fact, I associate her so strongly with Molly Harper I sometimes struggle to listen to her reading books from other authors. There’s a kind of cognitive dissonance for me. However, in Wished – and I mean this in the best of ways – Sarah Ready’s writing style was similar enough to Harper’s (similar humour, if less frequent) that I did not struggle at all. Ronconi is an excellent narrator, very good with emotion and humour, pretty solid with accents and is able to depict a broad age range of characters. Will Watt is new to me but also very good. Max, despite being French and living in Geneva, has a British accent (it’s explained in the book). Watt has a deep voice and is a native Brit so the accent lined up well. He also delivered Anna’s softer tones in a convincing American accent, in addition to portraying various French-speaking characters. I’d happily listen to him again.

Wished had a strong premise but I’m not entirely sure it stuck the landing for me. Apart from my confusion, the last part was a little too treacly – and this from a listener who likes to wallow in a HEA. While this audio is my first Sarah Ready, there was enough to like that I’ll be reading or listening to her work again. I have Ghosted (in ebook) on my TBR in fact, which is the first book in this loosely connected series.

Were I to rate the book’s content separately to the narration, I’d give the content a B- and the narration a B+ which means overall:

Grade: B

Regards,
Kaetrin

Wished by Sarah Ready is such a fun, feel-good read that’s perfect for anyone who loves a mix of romance and a little magic. The story follows Anna Benoit, a total hopeless romantic who has been head-over-heels in love with Max Barone ever since she first laid eyes on him. The catch? Max doesn’t even know Anna exists. He’s the super successful owner of a jewelry empire, and she’s the cleaner at his chateau. But for Anna, love doesn’t care about any of that. She believes in fate, "The One," and all those swoon-worthy things—so much so that she makes a wish to be married to Max. And voilà, the next morning she wakes up in a world where they’ve been married for years!

I loved the whole concept of Wished. It’s like a fairy tale with a modern twist, and you can’t help but get sucked into Anna’s topsy-turvy world where her wildest dream seems to have come true. She’s finally married to Max, but there’s that underlying question: Is it everything she thought it would be? This isn’t just a simple "wish granted" story. It dives into the whole idea of wanting something so badly but not knowing if it’s really the best thing for you.

Anna is such a relatable character. She’s sweet, optimistic, and a bit naïve when it comes to her idea of love, but that just makes her all the more lovable. Max is more of a mystery at first—brooding, rich, and very much out of Anna’s league—so it’s fun watching her navigate this new version of their relationship. As the story goes on, you start to see a different side of Max, and it keeps you guessing about how he really feels.

What really stood out to me is how Wished isn’t just about the fairytale romance; it’s about figuring out what you really want out of life and love. It’s funny, sweet, and even a little emotional at times, especially when Anna starts to question whether getting everything she wished for is actually what’s best for her.

Sure, the plot has some predictable moments, but the magical, dreamy vibe and the heartwarming romance make up for it. If you love romantic comedies with a bit of magic thrown in, Wished will definitely hit the spot. It’s a light, entertaining read that’ll make you smile and maybe even think a little about your own wishes and dreams.

What would you do if you woke up in your hot boss’s bed, discovering you are married to him? Not only that - but you have been married to him for SEVEN YEARS?

Anna never thought her wish would come true. But suddenly it has, and her entire life has flipped upside down. The best part is that Max, the boss she’s been in love with for years, also wakes up with the same memories from the past seven years - and they did not involve having a wife!

I am such a fan of this series and have been looking forward to listening to Max’s story after my heart warmed for him in Fated. And per usual - it did not disappoint! I loved Anna’s strength and fearlessness, and though I wanted to punch Max at times, I couldn’t help but love him. He was so arrogant at times but also such a softie. He was also such a dirty talker - dang Max! 🥵

Per usual, Sarah Ready kept me on my toes throughout the book, never knowing what to expect. She always brings me to the brink of heartbreak before healing it again ❤️‍🩹

Will Watt and Amanda Ronconi did a wonderful duet narration. I love listening to this series in audiobook version because the narrators always do such a phenomenal job, and this one was no different.

I hope this series never ends, it’s so good 💕

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced listener copy of Wished in exchange for an honest review.

“Live with passion, love with your heart”, better advice than “steal a car…naked”. But this book has a few gems in them, all of which made me smile. It’s a nice, feel good read, about wholesome characters. But the spice was a nice departure and the buildup was exceptionally written.

Wished by Sarah Ready is book four in the Ghosted series. If you like love at first sight, magical necklace, wish granting, whirlwind romance, spicy, hate to love, she falls first he falls harder, opposites attract, billionaire romance then you will absolutely love this book.

Wished is Anna and Max’s story and it was amazing. Anna cleans Max’s house and is secretly in love with him. Max is a billionaire who is so focused on work, not relationships, and doesn’t know Anna exists. One day while cleaning she comes across a beautiful necklace and makes a wish that she and Max are in love and married. Max catches her with the necklace and fires her on the spot. The next morning she wakes up and her entire life has changed…her wish came true.

Sarah as usual did an amazing job with Wished. I want to know what it’s like in her brain to write these creative and unique stories. The Ghosted series has become one of my favorite series and Wished did not disappoint. She did an amazing job with the storyline and a plot that has magic realism in it. I loved all of the characters. I was able to listen to this ARC audiobook and it was perfect. Anna was narrated by Amanda Ronconi and Max was narrated by Will Watt and they were perfect for their parts. I really enjoyed the audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley, Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC, and Sarah Ready for letting me listen to this ARC. Definitely a must read!!

I messed up by not reading the first three first, but I digress- I really enjoyed this!
I loved the narrators for it and the story line + the magical surrealism.

It’s almost insta-lovey, but also not because she loved him before she made the wish and then he fell in love with her after the wish.

More thoughts to come, but 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4⭐️/2.5🌶️

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this audiobook!

First, I LOVED the mmc voice actor. The opening prologue was delivered so well, as was the epilogue. Overall the voices were great and I’m happy with this delivery.

I love this story and plot. Housekeeper Anna makes a wish while working at Max’s home, a man she’s been in love with for years (while he’s never noticed her), and this story is basically her whole adventure about learning about the power of love and wishes. It was very adorable and unique.

The time structure of jumping around got to be a little confusing at times. I guess the story itself is more just a slow burn because not too much happened in the first half of the story, but that’s okay! The 2nd half was fast and chaotic and I enjoyed it in contrast. The spice was 🥵 and the love/romance was just soooooo good. I love a good passionate man who’s so desperately in love it hurts 🫣

Max, my dear little closeted hopeless romantic, I loved him so much. The life lessons of passion vs “love” was interesting and I really enjoyed watching Anna grow as a person too.

Overall would recommend!

Anna and Max. I've read most of this series and this one might be my favorite.
While working as Max's house cleaner, Anna sees the mystery man that she cleans for in all his eccentricities around the house - the books he likes, the food he enjoys, the order he keeps, the way he speaks to others on the occasional times he works from home. She has a little crush on her boss, though he clearly doesn't see or notice her and that won't change anytime soon. Max, on the other hand, runs one of the oldest jewelry companies in Geneva, witnessed bad love and refuses to take part in any kind of passion only to get burned by it. When he leaves a necklace on his desk and it's discovered by Anna as she cleans, a lighthearted wish has both Max and Anna waking up as husband and wife.
Throughout their tale of trying to undo the wish granted by the family heirloom necklace, seeing what their lives would look like in other lights and lifetimes, and all the joy that's possible together, do they want the wish to be undone? and what happens when it does?

It was such an enjoyable read for all the lifetimes or dimensions or whichever descriptor their friends prefer. And the end... chef's kiss.

#arc
#netgalley
#wished

Anna has been secretly in love with Max for three years. One day she makes a wish on an enchanted necklace. She wished they were in love and married. The next day she woke up to find the wish come true.

This was just as enjoyable as the previous books in this series. What I like about these books is the atmosphere and the description of emotions and places. It always feels like I'm right there, experiencing everything with these characters. Anna and Max are absolutely adorable together.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was great. This is the fourth and perhaps last book in the Ghosted series, but these books do not need to be read in order.

Thank you to net galley for giving me the audio of this book. The readers transported me so I felt like I was watching the story.
This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Ready but I can say with certainty that I will be open to reading others by her.
I loved the concept of this book. So heartwarming and light. The perfect easy read that is still engaging.
The book follows Anna who made a wish on a necklace… little did she know that it will come true. Will the man she has secretly loved love her back or will her wish go to waste?

So she cleans his house and one day she finds this necklace while cleaning and it says that you can make a wish. She wishes to be married to Him. She falls asleep and the next day wakes up in his house in his bed and things are crazy and fun!

4⭐️
🌶️: 22 & 24

This was such a fun read and I really enjoyed the characters and their adventures. I read this as an advanced reading copy and I am so excited to get to read other books by @sarahreadyauthor

I love how these stories have a magical aspect to them!🍂


#netgalley #wished #sarahready #sarahreadyauthor #books #bookreview #bookrecommendations

4.5 stars rounded to 5

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, as I have for the other three books in the series! Amanda Ronconi did great bringing her character to life. Her narration fits in well with the story, character, and the rest of the series. Will Watt, while I loved his voice, read way too slow. I've never listened to a book in 2x speed before but this one I had to or else my brain would explode. It was enjoyable once I sped it up, though.

I did like the story itself. It felt very akin to the first two in the Ghosted series, although with some different characters. The storyline flowed well and the characters were slowly fleshed out. It was a fun romance with a fantasy twist and a great plot weaved in.

I really enjoyed this book. I didnt realize it was a interconnected series but could be read as a stand alone. I loved both caracters as well. The book was Well put together and tied up the loose ends at the end.

Every time i see Sarah announce a new book in this series i get so excited. These books are my favorite Magic Realism romances, i don’t think any other books can top these for me. This was almost topped Ghosted for me but i fear that one will forever be my favorite.

I absolutely loved Anna, Max & their relationship. I listened to this book in one sitting & i don’t regret it at all. This book kept me entertained the entire time & that’s all i need.

This was a very fun, creative, and witty story that was excellently narrated by Amanda Ronconi! This can be read/listened to as a standalone and will not disappoint. I thank Swift and Lewis Publishing for the opportunity to listen to and review this fun audiobook.