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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. **
I absolutely adored this book! It was reminiscent of some great movies like The Lake House and Your Name, where two people are meeting each other across time and space, and aren't sure why. Fiona Abry is a busy businesswoman who runs her Swiss watch company by day and cares for her young daughter at night. She inherits a watch that is rumored to give you your heart's desire in your dreams. When Fiona goes to sleep each night, she finds herself transported to a beautiful island where she's married to a gorgeous man named Aaron, with two beautiful children.
I fell in love with Aaron, with his dedication to the people living on his small island and love for his family, no matter what. I sympathized with Fiona's difficulty dreaming of a perfect life and fear for taking chances on happiness.
The descriptive storytelling in this book is absolutely beautiful. The author does a wonderful job painting a picture of idyllic Switzerland and breathtaking, dreamlike Saint Elegius Island in the Caribbean. I could visualize them in my head, making me want to visit both places. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering if they'd ever get together in real life. It took some surprising and nailbiting twists and turns.
I absolutely adored this book! It was reminiscent of some great movies like The Lake House and Your Name, where two people are meeting each other across time and space, and aren't sure why. Fiona Abry is a busy businesswoman who runs her Swiss watch company by day and cares for her young daughter at night. She inherits a watch that is rumored to give you your heart's desire in your dreams. When Fiona goes to sleep each night, she finds herself transported to a beautiful island where she's married to a gorgeous man named Aaron, with two beautiful children.
I fell in love with Aaron, with his dedication to the people living on his small island and love for his family, no matter what. I sympathized with Fiona's difficulty dreaming of a perfect life and fear for taking chances on happiness.
The descriptive storytelling in this book is absolutely beautiful. The author does a wonderful job painting a picture of idyllic Switzerland and breathtaking, dreamlike Saint Elegius Island in the Caribbean. I could visualize them in my head, making me want to visit both places. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering if they'd ever get together in real life. It took some surprising and nailbiting twists and turns.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I should have learned after Ghosted what I’d be getting into with this book if the series. But, WOW! I was not prepared but full heartedly loved every bit of this! I was so into finding out how things would play out and I was ugly crying so hard I scared my entire family. Absolutely devoured this book and highly recommend it, but don’t forget the tissues. I LOVED this story!
This is one of those reviews where it is very difficult not to spoil anything about it. At the end of the day, I loved this book/story. Sarah has a way of writing characters that you just can't help falling in love with and rooting for. I so desperately wanted to know what was going to happen with Fi, I truly couldn't stop listening/reading.
I don't know if I should say this, but about halfway through this book, I skipped to the end to see how it was going to end before I could go back to finish it. I knew when I was doing it that I should just trust that Sarah was going to get the characters where I wanted them to be, but I didn't trust that. I've read a few books from this author at this point, and she's never let me down, so I should have known this book was going to end exactly as I wanted it to, and it 100 % did. All this to say, trust the process, Fiona will end up exactly where she's meant to be.
This was a great addition to a series I'm really enjoying, and I'm so excited it's not ending with this one. I'm very excited to see how Max's story plays out in Wished. If you enjoy fantasy/paranormal romances, I would definitely suggest reading this one. I know my reviews normally include a listing of tropes, but doing that now would spoil too much. So, just know it's a fantasy/paranormal romance, and there is a HEA guaranteed.
*I received an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I don't know if I should say this, but about halfway through this book, I skipped to the end to see how it was going to end before I could go back to finish it. I knew when I was doing it that I should just trust that Sarah was going to get the characters where I wanted them to be, but I didn't trust that. I've read a few books from this author at this point, and she's never let me down, so I should have known this book was going to end exactly as I wanted it to, and it 100 % did. All this to say, trust the process, Fiona will end up exactly where she's meant to be.
This was a great addition to a series I'm really enjoying, and I'm so excited it's not ending with this one. I'm very excited to see how Max's story plays out in Wished. If you enjoy fantasy/paranormal romances, I would definitely suggest reading this one. I know my reviews normally include a listing of tropes, but doing that now would spoil too much. So, just know it's a fantasy/paranormal romance, and there is a HEA guaranteed.
*I received an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
5/5 stars
1.5/5 spice
Tropes:
Alternate reality/time
Single mom
Magical realism
Fated mates
Slow burn
Single POV
I was in agony with this book. There was angst, sweet moments, and absolute heartbreak. The summary had me intrigued, but I already knew that some type of magical realism would be involved, having read the other two books in this series. I was blown away by the whole plot and the twists, especially at the end. You can read this as a standalone, but the other books are also worth a read.
I got to listen to the audiobook, and the narrator did an amazing job bringing these characters to life. Overall, I highly recommend this book for fans of magical realism and fated mates. This one delivers 🙌🏽
Thank you to Netgalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
1.5/5 spice
Tropes:
Alternate reality/time
Single mom
Magical realism
Fated mates
Slow burn
Single POV
I was in agony with this book. There was angst, sweet moments, and absolute heartbreak. The summary had me intrigued, but I already knew that some type of magical realism would be involved, having read the other two books in this series. I was blown away by the whole plot and the twists, especially at the end. You can read this as a standalone, but the other books are also worth a read.
I got to listen to the audiobook, and the narrator did an amazing job bringing these characters to life. Overall, I highly recommend this book for fans of magical realism and fated mates. This one delivers 🙌🏽
Thank you to Netgalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars
Content warnings: gunshot and subsequent trauma, cheating, mentioned past unplanned pregnancies, toxic relationship with a side character, parental abandonment, parental and friend deaths talked about, a natural disaster described
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.
I've been a huge fan of the Ghosted series, and Fated didn't disappoint - though I was scared it was going to in the beginning. I liked Fiona's setup as a career-focused single mother. We're instantly given the image of someone who has good standing in society now, but has had to work for it, and doesn't know how to relax as a result. That, along with the shooting incident at the start of the book had me invested in her character. But then we enter the dream world, and everything's really messy in comparison. Fiona, now in the body of another woman called Becca, is left to navigate a 15 year old marriage of convenience, her body's counterpart has been cheating with someone close to said husband, and every time she's transported to her dreams, she has to restart her journey at Aaron's side. Now, I'm not someone who likes reading about cheating, and thankfully Fiona isn't a fan of it either after her past love experience. But I did find myself dragging my toes a little and really hating Becca (and Robert). I get what this setup did for the overall storyline, and I accept it now that I'm finished, but my annoyance at Becca and her lack of empathy and very self-absorbed personality - along with how everyone let her do whatever without consequence - had me wondering if I would come out the other end of this book not a fan.
But it was actually this setup, Fiona's way of dealing with it all, and how she comes up with her codeword with Aaron that morphed this into a great read for me. I liked that she didn't allow Becca's toxic traits to infiltrate her time with Aaron and his children in her dreams, and unlike some reviewers, I liked that the dreams followed her back into her living life, and the way she invested time into finding things to learn and take back into the dream world for Amy or thinking of Aaron when it came to her standards of love.
Of course, the nature of this world is fantastical, so you have to come to the dream state with a bit of an open mind since this does end with an HEA outside of the dream world. I enjoyed the plot twists and how the dream world worked around the events in Fiona and Aaron's lives. I would have liked to spend more time with their relationship and see Fiona and her daughter's initial actions around Aaron's children outside of the dream space, but it was a really cute ending and a very believable romance between Aaron and Fiona. I liked their passion just as much as their emotional connection, which isn't always something I find balanced in a romance these days.
I did drop half a star because I struggled to get past some of the story's setup, mostly with Becca, and the completely unnecessary strained romantic storyline with best friends Fiona and Max. However, I am glad to see that he will get his own book because I didn't enjoy him enough as a side character in this one. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Ready has me utterly captivated with these romantic tales with supernatural/fantastical elements.
Content warnings: gunshot and subsequent trauma, cheating, mentioned past unplanned pregnancies, toxic relationship with a side character, parental abandonment, parental and friend deaths talked about, a natural disaster described
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.
I've been a huge fan of the Ghosted series, and Fated didn't disappoint - though I was scared it was going to in the beginning. I liked Fiona's setup as a career-focused single mother. We're instantly given the image of someone who has good standing in society now, but has had to work for it, and doesn't know how to relax as a result. That, along with the shooting incident at the start of the book had me invested in her character. But then we enter the dream world, and everything's really messy in comparison. Fiona, now in the body of another woman called Becca, is left to navigate a 15 year old marriage of convenience, her body's counterpart has been cheating with someone close to said husband, and every time she's transported to her dreams, she has to restart her journey at Aaron's side. Now, I'm not someone who likes reading about cheating, and thankfully Fiona isn't a fan of it either after her past love experience. But I did find myself dragging my toes a little and really hating Becca (and Robert). I get what this setup did for the overall storyline, and I accept it now that I'm finished, but my annoyance at Becca and her lack of empathy and very self-absorbed personality - along with how everyone let her do whatever without consequence - had me wondering if I would come out the other end of this book not a fan.
But it was actually this setup, Fiona's way of dealing with it all, and how she comes up with her codeword with Aaron that morphed this into a great read for me. I liked that she didn't allow Becca's toxic traits to infiltrate her time with Aaron and his children in her dreams, and unlike some reviewers, I liked that the dreams followed her back into her living life, and the way she invested time into finding things to learn and take back into the dream world for Amy or thinking of Aaron when it came to her standards of love.
Of course, the nature of this world is fantastical, so you have to come to the dream state with a bit of an open mind since this does end with an HEA outside of the dream world. I enjoyed the plot twists and how the dream world worked around the events in Fiona and Aaron's lives. I would have liked to spend more time with their relationship and see Fiona and her daughter's initial actions around Aaron's children outside of the dream space, but it was a really cute ending and a very believable romance between Aaron and Fiona. I liked their passion just as much as their emotional connection, which isn't always something I find balanced in a romance these days.
I did drop half a star because I struggled to get past some of the story's setup, mostly with Becca, and the completely unnecessary strained romantic storyline with best friends Fiona and Max. However, I am glad to see that he will get his own book because I didn't enjoy him enough as a side character in this one. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Ready has me utterly captivated with these romantic tales with supernatural/fantastical elements.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
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!
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!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
Fiona Abry has a wonderful life, but she never dreams of what could be. That is until her mother arrives for her “birthday”. She gifts Fiona with the missing pocket watch created by Adolphus Abry, founder of the watch company Fiona and her brother inherited. There is a legend associated with the ancient watch. Unable to ignore the lure of the beautiful timepiece, Fiona falls asleep holding it.
Ready's depiction of Fiona's dreams was so vivid and realistic. I felt drawn into life on the island just as Fiona was each night and felt sad each morning when she woke. I could feel the chemistry between Fiona and Aaron, even though I could feel how much she cared for Max. I did not want to stop reading this book! I love anything by Sarah Ready, but she’s outdone herself with this magical story. 4.5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC, IBPA for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Ready's depiction of Fiona's dreams was so vivid and realistic. I felt drawn into life on the island just as Fiona was each night and felt sad each morning when she woke. I could feel the chemistry between Fiona and Aaron, even though I could feel how much she cared for Max. I did not want to stop reading this book! I love anything by Sarah Ready, but she’s outdone herself with this magical story. 4.5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC, IBPA for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.