Wished (Ghosted #4) by Sarah Ready

 

5*

I’m guessing this is the final book in Ready’s Ghosted series, and it is such a heartwarming, truly romantic read. Ready has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary romance writers with her well-written, heartfelt, and engaging stories.

After poor Max was rejected by Fiona in Fated, I was hoping he’d find a woman who inspired passion and made him trust that love didn’t have to be destructive. Anna is the perfect love interest for him, but it takes an impulsive wish on her part using an antique necklace as a talisman for Max to even notice her. For her, it was love at first sight when, as his housecleaner, she accidentally interrupted him working from home. However, because she was so good at hiding herself with baggy clothes and oversized glasses, he never would have noticed her if it weren’t for the wish fulfillment: she wakes up the next day learning that’s they’ve been married for seven years and everyone but Max believes it. She knows it isn’t real, but Max has memories that he can’t explain. As they embark on a trip to Paris and St. Tropez with a plan to reverse the wish, they begin to realize that a housecleaner and a wealthy jeweler might have more in common than they’d ever imagined, but is it real, is it magic, or is it just a dream?

As with the other books in the series, Ready beautifully blends magical realism, romance and a bit of mystery to create unforgettable love stories that transcend space and time. Anna and Max are fully realized and the chemistry between them is off the charts. One of the most endearing elements of the book is how they see the best in each other which gives them the space and security they need to let go of the past and allow room for happiness, love, and laughter. Although this can be read as a standalone, I encourage readers to start with Ghosted and go from there. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Swift and Lewis Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Next Best Fling (Librarians in Love #1) by Gabriella Gamez

 

2*

I found this book really tedious and repetitive and was tempted to not finish it several times. I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope, and with all of the main characters lying through most of the story, I was bombarded with it. Overall, I felt that they were all immature, especially with the excessive drinking, and I just couldn’t buy into the premise of pining for 8+ years with unrequited love. Marcela’s love interest and Theo’s younger brother Ben is a manipulative, narcissistic jerk whose actions traumatized Theo and whose controlling interference in Marcela’s love life (which she, sadly, allowed) kept her emotionally tethered to him. His fiancé Alice wasn’t much better, in my opinion, although her actions were just selfish. The fake relationship between Marcela and Theo made sense, in theory, but they were lacking the chemistry to take it to the next level and spent too long clinging to their crushes, especially Marcela when this blinders for Ben were coming off. They also didn’t really seem to have anything in common, her a librarian who doesn’t care for football and him an ex-NFL player who doesn’t read. Overall, just a miss for me. Not recommended.

 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Forever Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.