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Three Wishes
When Lily Jacobs was born, she inherited Fazire – a genie. Her family had three wishes and they’d only ever used one so Fazire was stuck in the human world. This worked since he’d become a member of the family anyway.
Even with a genie, Lily's young life wasn’t perfect. To escape the kids making her miserable at school, Lily buried herself in romance novels. One day, when the teasing was just too much, she used one of her wishes. She told Fazire she wanted to find a man like in her books and she made the most complicated wish Fazire had ever heard. Her wished-for man had to be impossibly handsome, virile, fierce, rugged and ruthless (amongst a dozen other things).
He also had to think she was beautiful and he had to love her more than anything in the world.
Nathaniel McAllister wasn’t born to a life where there were such things as genies granting wishes. His life was filled with drugs, crime and neglect. He was running errands for a gangster before he was in his teens and, even though life and hard work led him to wealth and respectability, he always knew, deep down, he was dirty. When Nate met Lily he knew he was no good for her but as virile, fierce, rugged and ruthless as he was, Nate was no match for the pull of sweet, innocent Lily.
Unfortunately, Lily’s wish included that she and her hero go through trials and tribulations to test their love. And Fazire wasn’t only a good genie, he loved Lily – so he gave her exactly what she wanted.
Even with a genie, Lily's young life wasn’t perfect. To escape the kids making her miserable at school, Lily buried herself in romance novels. One day, when the teasing was just too much, she used one of her wishes. She told Fazire she wanted to find a man like in her books and she made the most complicated wish Fazire had ever heard. Her wished-for man had to be impossibly handsome, virile, fierce, rugged and ruthless (amongst a dozen other things).
He also had to think she was beautiful and he had to love her more than anything in the world.
Nathaniel McAllister wasn’t born to a life where there were such things as genies granting wishes. His life was filled with drugs, crime and neglect. He was running errands for a gangster before he was in his teens and, even though life and hard work led him to wealth and respectability, he always knew, deep down, he was dirty. When Nate met Lily he knew he was no good for her but as virile, fierce, rugged and ruthless as he was, Nate was no match for the pull of sweet, innocent Lily.
Unfortunately, Lily’s wish included that she and her hero go through trials and tribulations to test their love. And Fazire wasn’t only a good genie, he loved Lily – so he gave her exactly what she wanted.
409 pages, ebook
First published April 8, 2011
703 people are currently reading
7383 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Ashley
139 books39.5k followersKristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,099 reviews
March 18, 2015
4,5 Genie Stars.
Lily has a genie in her family for some generations. They were granted three wishes. Her mother having trouble conceiving wished for her. And she wished for someone who would love her unconditionally. When she was 22, broken and handsome guy, Nate appears in her life. But misunderstandings, lies and secrets broke them and kept them apart for 8 years. Now life brought them together again, but nothing is the same anymore, including themselves.
Could this be their second change, or life’s way of saying that some wishes aren’t just possible to fulfill?
Every time I think I’ll probably won’t like a KA book so much, BAM, I love it! That’s what happened with this one. This book suffers from a serious case of Bad Cover and Wrongful synopsis, because who see and read it, can’t even begin to imagine the "amazingness" that is this book. It’s well written (as always), it has amazing characters, an addictive pace and a strong storyline. It’s an amazing love story with some magic elements threw into the mix, and you can’t help but to fall in love with Lily and Nate.
Rating: 4,5 Stars.
Characters Development: I really loved Lily, she was selfless and sweet and impossible not to like her. Nate was great too, and despite one specific “asshole moment” I really liked him as well. Tash was awesome, Fazire was great and I love the rest of the supporting characters. They were an abundant mix of greatness.
Steam: Some hot moments.
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
Lily has a genie in her family for some generations. They were granted three wishes. Her mother having trouble conceiving wished for her. And she wished for someone who would love her unconditionally. When she was 22, broken and handsome guy, Nate appears in her life. But misunderstandings, lies and secrets broke them and kept them apart for 8 years. Now life brought them together again, but nothing is the same anymore, including themselves.
Could this be their second change, or life’s way of saying that some wishes aren’t just possible to fulfill?
Every time I think I’ll probably won’t like a KA book so much, BAM, I love it! That’s what happened with this one. This book suffers from a serious case of Bad Cover and Wrongful synopsis, because who see and read it, can’t even begin to imagine the "amazingness" that is this book. It’s well written (as always), it has amazing characters, an addictive pace and a strong storyline. It’s an amazing love story with some magic elements threw into the mix, and you can’t help but to fall in love with Lily and Nate.
Rating: 4,5 Stars.
Characters Development: I really loved Lily, she was selfless and sweet and impossible not to like her. Nate was great too, and despite one specific “asshole moment” I really liked him as well. Tash was awesome, Fazire was great and I love the rest of the supporting characters. They were an abundant mix of greatness.
Steam: Some hot moments.
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
June 16, 2014
Well, I'm very sad to say it, but I have found a KA book I absolutely did NOT like. It started out great, I loved it, but there were just too many horrible unforgivable things in here for me.
I usually love me some KA alpha males, but Nate was just unlikable. There is one thing to be closed off, a lot of her males are this way to a point, but Nate was like a brick wall encased in cement surrounded by a layer of ice. I just did not get why Lilly was so in love with this guy. They meet, go on one date, ONE, and he is already telling her that she is moving in. They mention several times that they never talk, because it just isn't Nate's 'thing' but still they care for each other...how do you ever get to know someone if they won't talk to you? It doesn't make sense. But OK, this has happened before in other KA books I guess (the moving in quickly, not the non-talking), but on top of the domineering behavior is also usually a LOT of things to like in a typical KA male. Her men usually at times are sweet and gentle and caring and fiercely protective of their women. Nate was all of the bad things, and none of the good ones.
I will just say that originally what tore Nate and Lilly apart I could understand (even though it was a little TOO similar to what happens in Play It Safe, but what comes later and what Nate does and says to Lilly were not only absolutely unnecessary in terms of the story line, but also solidified my hatred of Nate's character. If you want to read all of the many reasons this story is not like a typical KA romance and why you should skip it, read the spoiler.
What he did and the way he treated Lilly was deplorable. I will
also say that the way it was rectified also made me lose ANY respect I might have had for Lilly (see spoiler if you want to know why). Seriously? Have some respect for yourself.
Also, there was also one glaringly huge problem I had (besides all of the other things I mentioned in my spoiler). In Lilly's wish when she was 14 she said she wanted a man to love her more than the world. This, I never got from Nate. At times he does things to completely break Lilly's spirit and actually causes her detest herself. How is this showing someone you love them more than the world? It's not. I have gotten it from so many other KA men, but NEVER from Nate. They love their women, they cherish them, they are fiercely loyal to them and want to protect them at ALL costs. I kept waiting for it, waiting for him to show her, to say something to her, to do something that would convince me of his affection. It never came. Actions speak volumes, and in this book he tells her maybe 1 or 2 times that he loves her, but every other action completely contradicts that statement until the end of the book. Even then it was more cheesy than loving. It was just not like the other KA books I have read. I could NOT bring myself to like or forgive Nate.
I honestly thought there wasn't a KA book out there I could actually detest, but I found it in this one. I would have only given it 1 star but I absolutely loved the beginning and the ending was good (but only because of Fazire). It didn't make up for the rest though. Sadly I would not recommend this book to anyone.
I usually love me some KA alpha males, but Nate was just unlikable. There is one thing to be closed off, a lot of her males are this way to a point, but Nate was like a brick wall encased in cement surrounded by a layer of ice. I just did not get why Lilly was so in love with this guy. They meet, go on one date, ONE, and he is already telling her that she is moving in. They mention several times that they never talk, because it just isn't Nate's 'thing' but still they care for each other...how do you ever get to know someone if they won't talk to you? It doesn't make sense. But OK, this has happened before in other KA books I guess (the moving in quickly, not the non-talking), but on top of the domineering behavior is also usually a LOT of things to like in a typical KA male. Her men usually at times are sweet and gentle and caring and fiercely protective of their women. Nate was all of the bad things, and none of the good ones.
I will just say that originally what tore Nate and Lilly apart I could understand (even though it was a little TOO similar to what happens in Play It Safe, but what comes later and what Nate does and says to Lilly were not only absolutely unnecessary in terms of the story line, but also solidified my hatred of Nate's character. If you want to read all of the many reasons this story is not like a typical KA romance and why you should skip it, read the spoiler.
What he did and the way he treated Lilly was deplorable. I will
also say that the way it was rectified also made me lose ANY respect I might have had for Lilly (see spoiler if you want to know why). Seriously? Have some respect for yourself.
Also, there was also one glaringly huge problem I had (besides all of the other things I mentioned in my spoiler). In Lilly's wish when she was 14 she said she wanted a man to love her more than the world. This, I never got from Nate. At times he does things to completely break Lilly's spirit and actually causes her detest herself. How is this showing someone you love them more than the world? It's not. I have gotten it from so many other KA men, but NEVER from Nate. They love their women, they cherish them, they are fiercely loyal to them and want to protect them at ALL costs. I kept waiting for it, waiting for him to show her, to say something to her, to do something that would convince me of his affection. It never came. Actions speak volumes, and in this book he tells her maybe 1 or 2 times that he loves her, but every other action completely contradicts that statement until the end of the book. Even then it was more cheesy than loving. It was just not like the other KA books I have read. I could NOT bring myself to like or forgive Nate.
I honestly thought there wasn't a KA book out there I could actually detest, but I found it in this one. I would have only given it 1 star but I absolutely loved the beginning and the ending was good (but only because of Fazire). It didn't make up for the rest though. Sadly I would not recommend this book to anyone.
January 14, 2023
🎧 3rd read, December 2021 — 5 stars
i keep bringing up the same topic after i re-read this book, but truly Nate (H) is one heck of a tortured, ungrateful, woe is me, wishy washy bastard. though if i had a genie, i’d most certainly wish for a Nathaniel McAllister too. 🤣✌ this book is just wonderful. its like watching Disney princess movies but the angsty-er, sexy-er version and with a dark forbidding hero (kind of like the Beast type) instead of a white knight. i love it sooo much. i cant wait for my next re-read of the book!
last time, i said that the narrators voice sounded whimsical, but what i mean is she simply has the perfect voice for romcoms (ones that also give you all the feels). cause not only is this story humorous in some parts, its also bittersweet, intense, and angsty at its core. and i think the narrator conveys all the emotions really well. the name is Carly Robins, but she also goes by CJ Bloom. shes done some dark romance/erotica books too, but i think she fits better for this kind of books.
🎧 2nd read, July 2021 — 4.5 stars
romance books with kids makethe MY world better. and this one even has a GENIE 🧞♂️. ugh, book, whydya have to be so cute and whimsical and get me all up in my feels?? the hero did (arguably) unforgivable things, but the angst is really what sells the book - and Fazire. ✨✨
🎧 1st read, February 2021 — 4.5 stars
the romance has tropes that i believe most readers dont favor (including myself); but the concept is lovely (not to mention hilarious 🧞♂️✨), the characters delightful, the humor superb, and the writing excellent. clearly, the ~KA magic~ shines through in this one.
the audiobook narration is neeeaarrllyyy perfect. the narrator’s (Carly Robins) British accent doesnt sound as legit as Abby Craden, but her voice does sound whimsical which I think matches the tone of the book perfectly. overall, this book is ✧puhhfectlyyy splendiddd✧.
i keep bringing up the same topic after i re-read this book, but truly Nate (H) is one heck of a tortured, ungrateful, woe is me, wishy washy bastard. though if i had a genie, i’d most certainly wish for a Nathaniel McAllister too. 🤣✌ this book is just wonderful. its like watching Disney princess movies but the angsty-er, sexy-er version and with a dark forbidding hero (kind of like the Beast type) instead of a white knight. i love it sooo much. i cant wait for my next re-read of the book!
last time, i said that the narrators voice sounded whimsical, but what i mean is she simply has the perfect voice for romcoms (ones that also give you all the feels). cause not only is this story humorous in some parts, its also bittersweet, intense, and angsty at its core. and i think the narrator conveys all the emotions really well. the name is Carly Robins, but she also goes by CJ Bloom. shes done some dark romance/erotica books too, but i think she fits better for this kind of books.
🎧 2nd read, July 2021 — 4.5 stars
romance books with kids make
🎧 1st read, February 2021 — 4.5 stars
the romance has tropes that i believe most readers dont favor (including myself); but the concept is lovely (not to mention hilarious 🧞♂️✨), the characters delightful, the humor superb, and the writing excellent. clearly, the ~KA magic~ shines through in this one.
the audiobook narration is neeeaarrllyyy perfect. the narrator’s (Carly Robins) British accent doesnt sound as legit as Abby Craden, but her voice does sound whimsical which I think matches the tone of the book perfectly. overall, this book is ✧puhhfectlyyy splendiddd✧.
May 8, 2017
I was really, really hesitant to read this book due to the whole geanie in a bottle three wishes concept.....especially after reading the RC, Dream Man, & Burg Series' where we are treated to lots of Sexy Hot Alpha Males!!!!
(Lady) Heather strongly suggested that I HAVE read this book, she assured me that it's fabulous and in fact one of her favorite KA books. I really should have known that KA would not disappoint!!! This was a fantastic, fun, and enduring story that did indeed included the all important Sexy Alpha Male we've come to expect from a KA book.
Thanks Lady Heather for the nudge, I LOVED it!!!!!!!
(Lady) Heather strongly suggested that I HAVE read this book, she assured me that it's fabulous and in fact one of her favorite KA books. I really should have known that KA would not disappoint!!! This was a fantastic, fun, and enduring story that did indeed included the all important Sexy Alpha Male we've come to expect from a KA book.
Thanks Lady Heather for the nudge, I LOVED it!!!!!!!
July 16, 2017
*** 3.75 ***
I needed some romance in my life and KA seemed like a great idea. I wan't wrong:)
I finally got to this book, after putting it on the shelf after a clear KA romance induced overdose. Now, when I have been reading just Fantasy for the last year, I needed a brake from that genre, or I was going to start rating everything below its true merit. And I should know better - over-saturation of anything, no matter how much you love it, can lead to resentment and even can backfire... Clearly, my marathon reading of everything KA couple of years ago put me off of all contemporary romance for ... well, just about 2 years. I needed to get back to it, but I needed a soft lending from the high I am riding on Fantasy, so what better way to do it than a modern day romance with a Genie in it?!
Fazire, a real genuine Genie in a Bottle, has been passed from Lily Jacobs's grandmother, to her mother, who had just used one of the three wishes he would grant before disappearing, and now to Lily, who herself was the wish her mom made. Rebecca, Lily's mom, was not able to carry a child full term and decided to use one of the wishes in creating Lily. She just wanted a healthy child, but Fazire, who has taken to the family as his own and loves them deeply, created Lily perfect! Only, he did so with some conditions, like the one where she would not achieve her full beauty for a while, so she does not grow up vain or spoiled. However, he had no idea how much trouble the kids would give her as a less than pretty child and when she was 14 years old, she made a wish for her perfect love, the way her 14 year old self understood it, being an avid reader of romance novels...
"... “One day, I wish to find a man like in my
books. He has to be just like in one of my books.
And he has to love me, love me more than anything
in the world. Most important of all, he has
to think I’m beautiful.”
“Lily, I need to tell you something.” Fazire
was going to tell her about Becky’s wish and his
mistake and let her look forward to something, let
her look forward to the incomparable beauty she
was going to be.
Most of all, he had to stop her wish now. He
didn’t want her wasting it on some fool idea. He
wanted it to be special, perfect, to make her world
better like she had made Becky and Will’s and,
indeed, his.
But again she didn’t hear him. Her eyes were
bright and they were steady on his.
“He has to be tall, very tall and dark and
broad-shouldered and narrow-hipped.”
Fazire stared. He didn’t even know what
“narrow-hipped” meant.
“And he has to be handsome, unbelievably
handsome, impossibly handsome with a strong,
square jaw and powerful cheekbones and tanned
skin and beautiful eyes with lush, thick lashes.
He has to be clever and very wealthy but hardworking.
He has to be virile, fierce, ruthless and
rugged.”
Now she was getting over his head. He didn’t
think there was such a thing as impossibly handsome.
How cheekbones could be powerful,
Fazire didn’t know. He was even thinking he
might have to look up “virile” in the dictionary
Sarah had given him.
“And he has to be hard and cold and maybe a
little bit forbidding, a little bit bad with a broken
heart I have to mend or one encased in ice I have
to melt or better yet… both!”
Fazire thought this was getting a bit ridiculous.
It was the most complicated wish he’d ever
heard.
But she wasn’t yet finished.
“We have to go through some trials and tribulations.
Something to test our love, make it strong
and worthy. And… and… he has to be daring and
very masculine. Powerful. People must respect
him, maybe even fear him. Graceful too and lithe,
like a… like a cat! Or a lion. Or something like
that.”
She was losing steam and Fazire had to admit
he was grateful for it.
“And he has to be a good lover.” Lily shocked
Fazire by saying. “The best, so good, he could almost
make love to me just by using his eyes.”
Fazire felt himself blush. Perhaps he should
have a look at these books she was reading and
show them to Becky. Lily was a very sharp girl,
sharp as a tack (another one of Sarah’s sayings,
although Fazire couldn’t imagine a tack ever being
as clever as Lily) but she was too young to
be reading about any man making love to her
with his eyes. Fazire had never made love, never
would, genies just didn’t. But he was pretty certain
fourteen year old girls shouldn’t be thinking
about it.
Though, he was wrong about that, or at least
Becky would tell him that later.
Then Fazire realised she’d stopped talking.
“Is that it?” he asked.
She thought for a bit, clearly not wanting to
leave anything out.
Then she nodded.”..."
Yeah... Right... Be careful what you wish for!!! So yes, we have the love, the suffering, the drama and angst, we have the sexual attraction and we have an eventual Happy Ending. At times I wanted to kill the typical KA alpha-male hero, particularly when he purposefully set out to do things which hurt our perfect Lily. And yes, she was perfect, despite being very human. If it was only the romance, this book would have been a 3 star read for me. But it had Fazire and genies!!!! And I fell in love with the idea of him and his role in this family and I am a sucker for a fairytale and it sure deserves at least a star for that!!! Now I wish, I wish.... I wish for a Fazire of my own!!!
Happy Reading, y'all!!!
I needed some romance in my life and KA seemed like a great idea. I wan't wrong:)
I finally got to this book, after putting it on the shelf after a clear KA romance induced overdose. Now, when I have been reading just Fantasy for the last year, I needed a brake from that genre, or I was going to start rating everything below its true merit. And I should know better - over-saturation of anything, no matter how much you love it, can lead to resentment and even can backfire... Clearly, my marathon reading of everything KA couple of years ago put me off of all contemporary romance for ... well, just about 2 years. I needed to get back to it, but I needed a soft lending from the high I am riding on Fantasy, so what better way to do it than a modern day romance with a Genie in it?!
Fazire, a real genuine Genie in a Bottle, has been passed from Lily Jacobs's grandmother, to her mother, who had just used one of the three wishes he would grant before disappearing, and now to Lily, who herself was the wish her mom made. Rebecca, Lily's mom, was not able to carry a child full term and decided to use one of the wishes in creating Lily. She just wanted a healthy child, but Fazire, who has taken to the family as his own and loves them deeply, created Lily perfect! Only, he did so with some conditions, like the one where she would not achieve her full beauty for a while, so she does not grow up vain or spoiled. However, he had no idea how much trouble the kids would give her as a less than pretty child and when she was 14 years old, she made a wish for her perfect love, the way her 14 year old self understood it, being an avid reader of romance novels...
"... “One day, I wish to find a man like in my
books. He has to be just like in one of my books.
And he has to love me, love me more than anything
in the world. Most important of all, he has
to think I’m beautiful.”
“Lily, I need to tell you something.” Fazire
was going to tell her about Becky’s wish and his
mistake and let her look forward to something, let
her look forward to the incomparable beauty she
was going to be.
Most of all, he had to stop her wish now. He
didn’t want her wasting it on some fool idea. He
wanted it to be special, perfect, to make her world
better like she had made Becky and Will’s and,
indeed, his.
But again she didn’t hear him. Her eyes were
bright and they were steady on his.
“He has to be tall, very tall and dark and
broad-shouldered and narrow-hipped.”
Fazire stared. He didn’t even know what
“narrow-hipped” meant.
“And he has to be handsome, unbelievably
handsome, impossibly handsome with a strong,
square jaw and powerful cheekbones and tanned
skin and beautiful eyes with lush, thick lashes.
He has to be clever and very wealthy but hardworking.
He has to be virile, fierce, ruthless and
rugged.”
Now she was getting over his head. He didn’t
think there was such a thing as impossibly handsome.
How cheekbones could be powerful,
Fazire didn’t know. He was even thinking he
might have to look up “virile” in the dictionary
Sarah had given him.
“And he has to be hard and cold and maybe a
little bit forbidding, a little bit bad with a broken
heart I have to mend or one encased in ice I have
to melt or better yet… both!”
Fazire thought this was getting a bit ridiculous.
It was the most complicated wish he’d ever
heard.
But she wasn’t yet finished.
“We have to go through some trials and tribulations.
Something to test our love, make it strong
and worthy. And… and… he has to be daring and
very masculine. Powerful. People must respect
him, maybe even fear him. Graceful too and lithe,
like a… like a cat! Or a lion. Or something like
that.”
She was losing steam and Fazire had to admit
he was grateful for it.
“And he has to be a good lover.” Lily shocked
Fazire by saying. “The best, so good, he could almost
make love to me just by using his eyes.”
Fazire felt himself blush. Perhaps he should
have a look at these books she was reading and
show them to Becky. Lily was a very sharp girl,
sharp as a tack (another one of Sarah’s sayings,
although Fazire couldn’t imagine a tack ever being
as clever as Lily) but she was too young to
be reading about any man making love to her
with his eyes. Fazire had never made love, never
would, genies just didn’t. But he was pretty certain
fourteen year old girls shouldn’t be thinking
about it.
Though, he was wrong about that, or at least
Becky would tell him that later.
Then Fazire realised she’d stopped talking.
“Is that it?” he asked.
She thought for a bit, clearly not wanting to
leave anything out.
Then she nodded.”..."
Yeah... Right... Be careful what you wish for!!! So yes, we have the love, the suffering, the drama and angst, we have the sexual attraction and we have an eventual Happy Ending. At times I wanted to kill the typical KA alpha-male hero, particularly when he purposefully set out to do things which hurt our perfect Lily. And yes, she was perfect, despite being very human. If it was only the romance, this book would have been a 3 star read for me. But it had Fazire and genies!!!! And I fell in love with the idea of him and his role in this family and I am a sucker for a fairytale and it sure deserves at least a star for that!!! Now I wish, I wish.... I wish for a Fazire of my own!!!
Happy Reading, y'all!!!
April 13, 2018
I didn’t like the book. 😐
Kristen Ashley Always wrote Alpha Heroes and I am ok with it as long as they weren’t forcing anything big or doing something unforgivable. But here the hero wasn’t an Alpha male; he was simply a cold-hearted dominated one.
Kristen Ashley's writing is always good and this one wasn’t any different. She is a good writer, but I didn't like the story. The hero ruined the book for me.
*** Spoilers
The story starts with grief-stricken Sarah who lost her husband in the war. Her husband's last gift to Sarah was a bottle. Sarah had a daughter named Rebecca. Sarah was crying and remembering her husband while at the same time rubbing the bottle and from that, a Genie named Fazire came out. He wished to fulfill her mistress three wishes, but Sarah passed her wishes to Rebecca (Becky).
Many years later, Becky was married to Will but unable to conceive a baby so Becky wished a baby from Fazire and Fazire heals Becky's womb and then the heroine Lily born.
Fazire’s helps create Lily and Fazire made her perfect (Every Character in this book thought her perfect but I wish she was.... Alas!!! ) 🤦
1. The story moved too fast when hero and heroine first meet. She was a virgin, but they slept together during their first date. Not only they slept together but also heroine moved into hero's flat after their first date. 😑
2. Hero wanted to bind her with him so he tried to impregnate her intentionally.
3. She got pregnant and because of some misunderstanding heroine thought the hero was dead so she left.
4. The hero thought she found out about his dark past and left him. So he didn't try to find her. And he didn't know that his intention to impregnate the heroine was successful. So, the hero moved on in his life. He found other women's.
5. One of the things I definitely hated about him was he dated shallow women and those shallow women tried very hard to get pregnant and trap him. He despises that thing, but still intentionally try to impregnate the heroine. Hypocrite. 😠
6. Then 8 years of separation, the heroine was celibate and obviously, the hero was not. Heroine thought he was dead. She struggles, struggles and struggles in her life. She had a bad pregnancy; she literally died during labor, after that, there was the financial problem.....
7.After their 8 years of separation, When the hero found out he had a daughter, he directly contacted his lawyer to take the daughter from the heroine.
8. When the hero found out the truth, he demanded marriage cause he lost 8 years of his daughter and the heroine so he can't lose anymore. Losing My ASS !! ... If he is so in love with her then why he waited for 8 years.
9. The heroine agreed to get married, he behaved like a bastard for two continuous weeks... All of this and there was no groveling. There had been just one chapter explaining why he did that bullshit... Then happily ever after...
*** And I don't want to talk about the perfect heroine... 😒
The only character I liked was Fazire(genie) and yeah, Tash was adorable...
Kristen Ashley Always wrote Alpha Heroes and I am ok with it as long as they weren’t forcing anything big or doing something unforgivable. But here the hero wasn’t an Alpha male; he was simply a cold-hearted dominated one.
Kristen Ashley's writing is always good and this one wasn’t any different. She is a good writer, but I didn't like the story. The hero ruined the book for me.
*** Spoilers
The story starts with grief-stricken Sarah who lost her husband in the war. Her husband's last gift to Sarah was a bottle. Sarah had a daughter named Rebecca. Sarah was crying and remembering her husband while at the same time rubbing the bottle and from that, a Genie named Fazire came out. He wished to fulfill her mistress three wishes, but Sarah passed her wishes to Rebecca (Becky).
Many years later, Becky was married to Will but unable to conceive a baby so Becky wished a baby from Fazire and Fazire heals Becky's womb and then the heroine Lily born.
Fazire’s helps create Lily and Fazire made her perfect (Every Character in this book thought her perfect but I wish she was.... Alas!!! ) 🤦
1. The story moved too fast when hero and heroine first meet. She was a virgin, but they slept together during their first date. Not only they slept together but also heroine moved into hero's flat after their first date. 😑
2. Hero wanted to bind her with him so he tried to impregnate her intentionally.
3. She got pregnant and because of some misunderstanding heroine thought the hero was dead so she left.
4. The hero thought she found out about his dark past and left him. So he didn't try to find her. And he didn't know that his intention to impregnate the heroine was successful. So, the hero moved on in his life. He found other women's.
5. One of the things I definitely hated about him was he dated shallow women and those shallow women tried very hard to get pregnant and trap him. He despises that thing, but still intentionally try to impregnate the heroine. Hypocrite. 😠
6. Then 8 years of separation, the heroine was celibate and obviously, the hero was not. Heroine thought he was dead. She struggles, struggles and struggles in her life. She had a bad pregnancy; she literally died during labor, after that, there was the financial problem.....
7.After their 8 years of separation, When the hero found out he had a daughter, he directly contacted his lawyer to take the daughter from the heroine.
8. When the hero found out the truth, he demanded marriage cause he lost 8 years of his daughter and the heroine so he can't lose anymore. Losing My ASS !! ... If he is so in love with her then why he waited for 8 years.
9. The heroine agreed to get married, he behaved like a bastard for two continuous weeks... All of this and there was no groveling. There had been just one chapter explaining why he did that bullshit... Then happily ever after...
*** And I don't want to talk about the perfect heroine... 😒
The only character I liked was Fazire(genie) and yeah, Tash was adorable...
May 29, 2017
Wishes alone won't bring happiness
How is it that a story that leaves me weeping one minute and murderous another, can be one of my favourite stories? It could easily be explained by looking at the author. Kristen Ashley has a knack for bringing out my emotions and Three Wishes covers them all.
I don't know about you, but I spent many of my younger years watching I dream of Jeannie and dreaming that someone would make all my wishes come true. Now, I'm a wee bit older and wiser, I realise that my childhood wishes wouldn't have given me long term happiness. Reading/listening to Three Wishes proved that getting what you wished for isn't always the easy way.
Honestly, I wanted to hate Nate, but I can't. He's a hard hero to love but somehow he comes good in the end and I loved him.
Really enjoyed the audio and thought the narrator did a good job. My overall rating stays the same.
How is it that a story that leaves me weeping one minute and murderous another, can be one of my favourite stories? It could easily be explained by looking at the author. Kristen Ashley has a knack for bringing out my emotions and Three Wishes covers them all.
I don't know about you, but I spent many of my younger years watching I dream of Jeannie and dreaming that someone would make all my wishes come true. Now, I'm a wee bit older and wiser, I realise that my childhood wishes wouldn't have given me long term happiness. Reading/listening to Three Wishes proved that getting what you wished for isn't always the easy way.
Honestly, I wanted to hate Nate, but I can't. He's a hard hero to love but somehow he comes good in the end and I loved him.
Really enjoyed the audio and thought the narrator did a good job. My overall rating stays the same.
May 14, 2023
First read: April 28-30, 2012
Re-read April 11, 2013
Dear Diary,
I've been thinking about Lily and Nathaniel for a while now, and I've FINALLY given in and re-read their story.
Once again, I was hooked right from the start.
The Beginning...
The year is 1943, and this is a beautiful tale of Sarah, a school teacher living in Indiana and her little three year old daughter Rebecca. Sarah is waiting for her husband Jim to return home from war.
Months go by, and she receives a package from her husband that he sent to her from England. She opens the package, and inside is a beautiful bottle. A couple of weeks later, she is informed that her husband is dead. Sarah realizes that this bottle is the last thing her husband ever touched (for her), and the last present she'll ever get from him... ever.
She begins to vigorously rub the bottle until it almost turns obsessive compulsive. Finally, a genie pops out of the bottle and tells her he can grant her three wishes. Sarah thinks she's gone mad, and packs up Rebecca and leaves to stay with her mom for a couple of days. After a couple of days, she returns to find Fazire (the genie) waiting for her.
What seems like for-ev-er, Sarah finally believes that Fazire is a genie, and the only thing she wants back is her husband... one of the few wishes Fazire CANNOT grant. Sarah then says she'll pass her wishes onto her daughter, and Fazire says, "That could take forever." To which Sarah says, "I know."
Rebecca grows up, marries a man named Will. They are truly in love and desperately trying to have a baby. Unfortunately, after many years of trying and many miscarriages Becky asks to be able to have a healthy baby. It didn't matter if it was a boy or a girl. It doesn't have to be perfect, just someone to love.
This is the first wish to be used by the family.
But Fazire didn't do exactly what Becky wanted. "He did make her perfect. He made her bright and funny and very, very talented. He made her sweet and thoughtful and very, very caring. He made her generous and kind and very, very loving.
He decided not to make her beautiful, at least not at first, because she should know humility and not grow up with conceit. Though, she would become a beauty, a splendid beauty beyond compare. Just...Later."
Many years later....
Lily is 14 years old, and lately, she's been really sad. The reason being Fazire realizes that he should have made her beautiful a lot quicker. He didn't realize how cruel children were at human schools. Though Lily was not ugly, she was plain. And being so smart, she made the other children think she was strange, and they made fun of her.
Today, in particular, was the worst. A boy she really liked called her fat. And today, she was going to use the second wish.
Lily's wish is as follows: "One day, I wish to find a man like in my books. He has to be just like in one of my books. And he has to love me, love me more than anything in the world. Most important of all, he has to think I'm beautiful.
He has to be tall, very tall and dark and broad-shouldered, and narrow-hipped. And he has to be handsome, unbelievably handsome, IMPOSSIBLY handsome with a strong, square jaw and powerful cheekbones and tanned skin and beautiful eyes with lush, thick lashes. He has to be clever and very wealthy but hard-working. He has to be virile, fierce, ruthless, and rugged. And he has to be hard and cold and maybe a little bit forbidding, a little bit bad with a broken heart I have to mend or one encased in ice I have to melt or better yet... both!
We have to go through some trials and tribulations. Something to test our love makes it strong and worthy. And.. and... he has to be daring and very masculine. Powerful. People must respect him, maybe even fear him. Graceful too and lithe, like a... like a cat! Or a lion. Or something like that.
And he has to be a good lover. The best, so good, he could almost make love to me just by using his eyes.
... Don't forget the part about him loving me more than anything on earth... and the part about him thinking I'm beautiful!"
And Fazire granted lovely Lily her wish.
Eight years later, London England. Lily meets Nathaniel
Lily's went to university in England (Oxford) on a scholarship and has decided to stay.
One day, Lily is walking down the street when a boy snatches her purse.
Nathanial McAllister is also walking down the street with his father when he witnesses Lily's purse being snatched. When his eyes move to Lily, he freezes. While he's drinking in the vision of Lily, nobody moves into help her (not even him) to get her purse back.
Lily finally gives up screaming and asking for help (because no one's helping her) and charges right after the boy. Then Nate watched in stunned surprise as Lily jumps onto the boy's back. The boy staggers back and then slams Lily up against the side of a building. Her head snaps back so hard, you can hear it crack.
That is when Nate moves.
He grabs the boy, slams him into the building, then moves his hand around the boys throat, lifting him until he's wheezing.
"Drop the bag," Nate orders. The boy drops Lily's purse.
Lily says, "I'll call the police."
When their eyes meet, Nate is drawn into her eyes, and Lily looks at him as if she recognizes him.
This is when Lily realizes she's met 'her wish.'
This is the beginning of Lily and Nathanial's heartbreaking, volatile, inspiring, courageous, loving journey.
I laughed, I cried (the last chapter in the book.. again had me a blithering idiot).
I was frustrated to no end with Nathanial at times, and yet I understood his pain.
I loved reading about Lily's strength, sacrifice, courage, and love for Nathanial and Tash. (Read the book, and you'll find out who Tash is)
... and I fell in love with Lily and Nathanial all over again!
This is my favorite Kristen Ashley of them all (so far). I don't know why, but something in the story just 'digs deep' because it's also a story about second-chances and redemption....BEAUTIFUL!!
Highly recommend!
READ THIS STORY!!
Re-read April 11, 2013
Dear Diary,
I've been thinking about Lily and Nathaniel for a while now, and I've FINALLY given in and re-read their story.
Once again, I was hooked right from the start.
The Beginning...
The year is 1943, and this is a beautiful tale of Sarah, a school teacher living in Indiana and her little three year old daughter Rebecca. Sarah is waiting for her husband Jim to return home from war.
Months go by, and she receives a package from her husband that he sent to her from England. She opens the package, and inside is a beautiful bottle. A couple of weeks later, she is informed that her husband is dead. Sarah realizes that this bottle is the last thing her husband ever touched (for her), and the last present she'll ever get from him... ever.
She begins to vigorously rub the bottle until it almost turns obsessive compulsive. Finally, a genie pops out of the bottle and tells her he can grant her three wishes. Sarah thinks she's gone mad, and packs up Rebecca and leaves to stay with her mom for a couple of days. After a couple of days, she returns to find Fazire (the genie) waiting for her.
What seems like for-ev-er, Sarah finally believes that Fazire is a genie, and the only thing she wants back is her husband... one of the few wishes Fazire CANNOT grant. Sarah then says she'll pass her wishes onto her daughter, and Fazire says, "That could take forever." To which Sarah says, "I know."
Rebecca grows up, marries a man named Will. They are truly in love and desperately trying to have a baby. Unfortunately, after many years of trying and many miscarriages Becky asks to be able to have a healthy baby. It didn't matter if it was a boy or a girl. It doesn't have to be perfect, just someone to love.
This is the first wish to be used by the family.
But Fazire didn't do exactly what Becky wanted. "He did make her perfect. He made her bright and funny and very, very talented. He made her sweet and thoughtful and very, very caring. He made her generous and kind and very, very loving.
He decided not to make her beautiful, at least not at first, because she should know humility and not grow up with conceit. Though, she would become a beauty, a splendid beauty beyond compare. Just...Later."
Many years later....
Lily is 14 years old, and lately, she's been really sad. The reason being Fazire realizes that he should have made her beautiful a lot quicker. He didn't realize how cruel children were at human schools. Though Lily was not ugly, she was plain. And being so smart, she made the other children think she was strange, and they made fun of her.
Today, in particular, was the worst. A boy she really liked called her fat. And today, she was going to use the second wish.
Lily's wish is as follows: "One day, I wish to find a man like in my books. He has to be just like in one of my books. And he has to love me, love me more than anything in the world. Most important of all, he has to think I'm beautiful.
He has to be tall, very tall and dark and broad-shouldered, and narrow-hipped. And he has to be handsome, unbelievably handsome, IMPOSSIBLY handsome with a strong, square jaw and powerful cheekbones and tanned skin and beautiful eyes with lush, thick lashes. He has to be clever and very wealthy but hard-working. He has to be virile, fierce, ruthless, and rugged. And he has to be hard and cold and maybe a little bit forbidding, a little bit bad with a broken heart I have to mend or one encased in ice I have to melt or better yet... both!
We have to go through some trials and tribulations. Something to test our love makes it strong and worthy. And.. and... he has to be daring and very masculine. Powerful. People must respect him, maybe even fear him. Graceful too and lithe, like a... like a cat! Or a lion. Or something like that.
And he has to be a good lover. The best, so good, he could almost make love to me just by using his eyes.
... Don't forget the part about him loving me more than anything on earth... and the part about him thinking I'm beautiful!"
And Fazire granted lovely Lily her wish.
Eight years later, London England. Lily meets Nathaniel
Lily's went to university in England (Oxford) on a scholarship and has decided to stay.
One day, Lily is walking down the street when a boy snatches her purse.
Nathanial McAllister is also walking down the street with his father when he witnesses Lily's purse being snatched. When his eyes move to Lily, he freezes. While he's drinking in the vision of Lily, nobody moves into help her (not even him) to get her purse back.
Lily finally gives up screaming and asking for help (because no one's helping her) and charges right after the boy. Then Nate watched in stunned surprise as Lily jumps onto the boy's back. The boy staggers back and then slams Lily up against the side of a building. Her head snaps back so hard, you can hear it crack.
That is when Nate moves.
He grabs the boy, slams him into the building, then moves his hand around the boys throat, lifting him until he's wheezing.
"Drop the bag," Nate orders. The boy drops Lily's purse.
Lily says, "I'll call the police."
When their eyes meet, Nate is drawn into her eyes, and Lily looks at him as if she recognizes him.
This is when Lily realizes she's met 'her wish.'
This is the beginning of Lily and Nathanial's heartbreaking, volatile, inspiring, courageous, loving journey.
I laughed, I cried (the last chapter in the book.. again had me a blithering idiot).
I was frustrated to no end with Nathanial at times, and yet I understood his pain.
I loved reading about Lily's strength, sacrifice, courage, and love for Nathanial and Tash. (Read the book, and you'll find out who Tash is)
... and I fell in love with Lily and Nathanial all over again!
This is my favorite Kristen Ashley of them all (so far). I don't know why, but something in the story just 'digs deep' because it's also a story about second-chances and redemption....BEAUTIFUL!!
Highly recommend!
READ THIS STORY!!
September 12, 2012
Intentionally getting someone pregnant so they stay with you is repugnant. Being controlling, forceful, not taking "no" for an answer when it comes to physical "affection," having INSANE anger issues with a smattering of violent behavior thrown in is not ok. From the description, I thought this would be a fun, silly book. Instead I am left pissed off at another modern romance novel presenting an ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP as something desirable and swoonworthy. I am repulsed. If your significant other exhibits the behaviors that Nate does in this novel, get the fuck out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2017
DNF
Mini review:
I had heard about this book through GR. It sounded interesting so I downloaded a sample before I bought it. Unfortunately I did not enjoy it.
I really didn't like the writing style. Also I felt that Lily was very dumb. I couldn't bring myself to continue.
Do not recommend.
Mini review:
I had heard about this book through GR. It sounded interesting so I downloaded a sample before I bought it. Unfortunately I did not enjoy it.
I really didn't like the writing style. Also I felt that Lily was very dumb. I couldn't bring myself to continue.
Do not recommend.
March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024
I still love this book!! KA wrote the prototype Alpha male in the early 2010's. A lot of authors try to follow this formula. Some successful, some not. I wonder how well this book would do as a new release today though... Happy reading.
3rd read September 19, 2018
Still love it!
Reread Review June 2017
5+ "Be careful what you wish for." Stars!
I love this story. The idea of the genie is great. Lilly is so sweet and Nate is such the romance book hero! I loved them. Perfect time for this reread. Happy reading!
Original review March 2014
Wow, wow, wow, another great story from Kristen Ashley. I have not read one that I didn't at least like. This one I LOVED!! The whole genie idea is wonderful to me. This story is magical and sweet and romantic and heartbreaking and hot and finally triumphant. Nate and Lilly are both great characters. Nate is everything I want in a romance book hero. Which is exactly what Lilly wished for. Quite simply he is perfect, but in the beginning broken. Lilly is sweet and loving and strong and stubborn, but forgiving and again loving. Plus she doesn't do anything stupid to mess up her HEA. Obviously I recommend this book. Happy reading!!
I still love this book!! KA wrote the prototype Alpha male in the early 2010's. A lot of authors try to follow this formula. Some successful, some not. I wonder how well this book would do as a new release today though... Happy reading.
3rd read September 19, 2018
Still love it!
Reread Review June 2017
5+ "Be careful what you wish for." Stars!
I love this story. The idea of the genie is great. Lilly is so sweet and Nate is such the romance book hero! I loved them. Perfect time for this reread. Happy reading!
Original review March 2014
Wow, wow, wow, another great story from Kristen Ashley. I have not read one that I didn't at least like. This one I LOVED!! The whole genie idea is wonderful to me. This story is magical and sweet and romantic and heartbreaking and hot and finally triumphant. Nate and Lilly are both great characters. Nate is everything I want in a romance book hero. Which is exactly what Lilly wished for. Quite simply he is perfect, but in the beginning broken. Lilly is sweet and loving and strong and stubborn, but forgiving and again loving. Plus she doesn't do anything stupid to mess up her HEA. Obviously I recommend this book. Happy reading!!
June 1, 2017
There was just something so special, so poignant, so perfect about this book! I know it's hit-or-miss with many KA fans, but for me it was a hit. And, even now after all this time, I still *sigh* when I think about Lily and Nate and Fazire.
October 10, 2014
I can't say that I love all of her books now...
This story just didn't WOW me like all of the author's others.
It was a bit drawn out in parts and just felt too long and lacked the typical KA excitement. (This was over 1,000 pages on my Nook)
I liked the genie though...
This story just didn't WOW me like all of the author's others.
It was a bit drawn out in parts and just felt too long and lacked the typical KA excitement. (This was over 1,000 pages on my Nook)
I liked the genie though...
October 8, 2013
This book was excellent. Once again KA doesn't disappoint. I was a little skeptical about it being about a genie however the storyline worked. The main focus was the love story not about a genie. My biggest complaint is that I waited so long to read this book. I wish I would have read it sooner. For all of you KA fans who haven't read this it is a must read. For readers in general don't miss out on this little gem.
May 19, 2021
2021 audiobook reread. Thought it was time to return to one of my all time favourite KA’s once again. I like this narrator except for when she tries to do an English male; literally every English man sounded Russian in this. Seem to recall the same issue with the Ghosts and Reincarnation series, must’ve been the same narrator. This time though, I skipped the end where things got daft and it was a much more satisfying read for it. Must remember to do that next time.
In spite of that unpromising sub-heading ('Every family needs a genie') this was actually a really good read that gave me the warm and fuzzies for the most part. It did have the feel of a fairy tale about it, right up until our alpha, Nate, came into it and then the PG fairy tale gave way to steamy smut.
Fazire is a genie who has been with one family for three generations. This is unusual for typically, most people get their three wishes in very quickly and then enjoy the good life. As this was a KA family though, they were far less materialistic and grabbing than that and far more interested in family and so the wishes were handed down from generation to generation and only used very sparingly. Obviously, I would do exactly the same thing and not the grabby, materialistic thing too should Fazire ever appear out of a bottle for me. But I digress.
Once Lily turns 14 she uses her wish to ask for her dream man to come to life once she's old enough. As Lily is addicted to romance novels she wants nothing less than an alpha male with a solid jaw, dark hair, tall and rich but madly in love with her. As Lily is clearly a KA fan, she also demands that she has to work a little to get through to her dream man because she knows all decent romances have a conflict that tests the mettle of the couple's true love and proves its worth.
And so Fazire does his bit and we have a classic KA tale. I must admit, like with a few of her other PNR tales, it went a bit daft towards the end and lost its grip on reality, but I was enjoying myself so much that I rolled with it. Apart from that, I smiled, I swooned, I laughed and I winced through the angsty sad bits and I just really enjoyed this one. Recommended.
In spite of that unpromising sub-heading ('Every family needs a genie') this was actually a really good read that gave me the warm and fuzzies for the most part. It did have the feel of a fairy tale about it, right up until our alpha, Nate, came into it and then the PG fairy tale gave way to steamy smut.
Fazire is a genie who has been with one family for three generations. This is unusual for typically, most people get their three wishes in very quickly and then enjoy the good life. As this was a KA family though, they were far less materialistic and grabbing than that and far more interested in family and so the wishes were handed down from generation to generation and only used very sparingly. Obviously, I would do exactly the same thing and not the grabby, materialistic thing too should Fazire ever appear out of a bottle for me. But I digress.
Once Lily turns 14 she uses her wish to ask for her dream man to come to life once she's old enough. As Lily is addicted to romance novels she wants nothing less than an alpha male with a solid jaw, dark hair, tall and rich but madly in love with her. As Lily is clearly a KA fan, she also demands that she has to work a little to get through to her dream man because she knows all decent romances have a conflict that tests the mettle of the couple's true love and proves its worth.
And so Fazire does his bit and we have a classic KA tale. I must admit, like with a few of her other PNR tales, it went a bit daft towards the end and lost its grip on reality, but I was enjoying myself so much that I rolled with it. Apart from that, I smiled, I swooned, I laughed and I winced through the angsty sad bits and I just really enjoyed this one. Recommended.
June 16, 2017
I don't know why I waited so long to read this book...I'm such an idiot !!
I thought it was part of a series, which it's not.
Anyways, I was a bit worried about the storyline...never read about genies before, but I should have known, my worries would be for nothing. This is Kristen Ashley after all !!
Absolutely loved it !! It had a strong and sweet heroine, an awesome alpha hero and amazing Side characters. There was love, heartbreak and healing. It made me laugh, swoon, cry and swear.
It is now definitely one of my favorite KA books and I will be reading it again and again, just like all the others :))
5 stars from me !!
I thought it was part of a series, which it's not.
Anyways, I was a bit worried about the storyline...never read about genies before, but I should have known, my worries would be for nothing. This is Kristen Ashley after all !!
Absolutely loved it !! It had a strong and sweet heroine, an awesome alpha hero and amazing Side characters. There was love, heartbreak and healing. It made me laugh, swoon, cry and swear.
It is now definitely one of my favorite KA books and I will be reading it again and again, just like all the others :))
5 stars from me !!
December 15, 2015
3.5 it would have been 4 but I just finished Walk Through Fire Stars
I have fallen into a Kristen Ashley hole and it seems I’m never coming out.
P.S. Don’t send help, I like it here.
P.P.S Do send sandwiches because I forget to eat when I read these.
P.P.P.S I need a Genie, If I find one I'm never making any wishes.
P.P.P.P.S I also just finished Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir hence all the P.S.s it was that or Dear Victor. You're welcome
P.P.P.P.P.S This review isn't really for anybody but me and maybe my fellow BB&Bers that read this with me.
I will write a full review...eventually (which probably means tomorrow)
I have fallen into a Kristen Ashley hole and it seems I’m never coming out.
P.S. Don’t send help, I like it here.
P.P.S Do send sandwiches because I forget to eat when I read these.
P.P.P.S I need a Genie, If I find one I'm never making any wishes.
P.P.P.P.S I also just finished Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir hence all the P.S.s it was that or Dear Victor. You're welcome
P.P.P.P.P.S This review isn't really for anybody but me and maybe my fellow BB&Bers that read this with me.
I will write a full review...eventually (which probably means tomorrow)
July 21, 2023
3 Stars
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise, the daughter, the ending (though not her best).
The Not-So-Good: The . Seriously?! What a dumb choice.
The Bad: The grovel. Not nearly enough!
Overall: This has been on my tbr list for a long time. I've almost run out of the older KA books that I haven't read yet. I thought it was just okay. Both of the characters were likable but I also struggled with them at times. I felt like the H needed to grovel much more and the h was too dazzled by him to make him work for it. I wouldn't say she was a doormat, but she definitely toed that line a few times IMO. I'm glad I read it, but I don't think it'll be one of my faves or a re-read like so many of KA's books are for me.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Lily and Nate's story. Lily inherited a genie and two wishes from her mother and grandmother who got from her husband before he died. When she was younger she wished for her perfect man, and years later she meets Nate and knows instantly that he is the answer to her wish. Only she said they'd have to go through trials and tribulations during her wish, and her genie Fazire doesn't skimp on the specifics. There are some cute scenes, some sad moments, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between mainly focusing on Lily and Nate in 3rd person narrative, but it does follow some side characters too.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: Yes.
H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Nate. I liked him, but he let his damage mess up their relationship more than a few times.
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Lily. I liked her, but there were times where I wanted her to hold a little more firm with the H.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed some tears but never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a good place with what I would call a HEA ending
Safety: This one should be either Safe or Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise, the daughter, the ending (though not her best).
The Not-So-Good: The . Seriously?! What a dumb choice.
The Bad: The grovel. Not nearly enough!
Overall: This has been on my tbr list for a long time. I've almost run out of the older KA books that I haven't read yet. I thought it was just okay. Both of the characters were likable but I also struggled with them at times. I felt like the H needed to grovel much more and the h was too dazzled by him to make him work for it. I wouldn't say she was a doormat, but she definitely toed that line a few times IMO. I'm glad I read it, but I don't think it'll be one of my faves or a re-read like so many of KA's books are for me.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Lily and Nate's story. Lily inherited a genie and two wishes from her mother and grandmother who got from her husband before he died. When she was younger she wished for her perfect man, and years later she meets Nate and knows instantly that he is the answer to her wish. Only she said they'd have to go through trials and tribulations during her wish, and her genie Fazire doesn't skimp on the specifics. There are some cute scenes, some sad moments, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between mainly focusing on Lily and Nate in 3rd person narrative, but it does follow some side characters too.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: Yes.
H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Nate. I liked him, but he let his damage mess up their relationship more than a few times.
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Lily. I liked her, but there were times where I wanted her to hold a little more firm with the H.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed some tears but never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a good place with what I would call a HEA ending
Safety: This one should be either Safe or Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
June 21, 2017
Narrator review: 5 Stars! A narrator can make or break a book for me and Carly Robins did an excellent job. I had no problems distinguishing the different characters.
Story review: I debated about 3 Stars or 4. I can break this book up in 3 sections and I really only enjoyed the one.
First part is the separation. I'm NOT a fan of long separations and there is 8 years separating them due to manipulations of Nate's brother and sister. I also think he gave up on her way too easily but this is explained due to his shame for his younger years.
However, I was pleased to see Nate try to right the wrong of his family when they do finally get back together and this is the part I loved. Nate and Lily together and happy with their daughter was the best part of the story. I loved how Nate tried to make up to Lily the lost time and how he tried to pamper and spoil her and his daughter. This was lovely to read about.
I do want to mention that I really hate how unfair it is to make a point in stating Lily stayed true to Nate in the 8 year separation but Nate did not. Either let them both move on or both stay true, but why is it that the woman is the only that stays true?
Now for the third part. Nate's shame is coming back to rear it's ugly head and in the process treats Lily horribly to push her away while still pursuing her. Yeah, that can really mess up someones head. This almost ruined the book for me. I just plainly don't enjoy it when an H hurts the h on purpose to "save" her especially after they just reconciled the 8 year separation.
The good part of them all happy together does outweigh the irritations of the story for me so I'm going to rate this 4 stars. Not sure if I will be interested in reading it again though.
Story review: I debated about 3 Stars or 4. I can break this book up in 3 sections and I really only enjoyed the one.
First part is the separation. I'm NOT a fan of long separations and there is 8 years separating them due to manipulations of Nate's brother and sister. I also think he gave up on her way too easily but this is explained due to his shame for his younger years.
However, I was pleased to see Nate try to right the wrong of his family when they do finally get back together and this is the part I loved. Nate and Lily together and happy with their daughter was the best part of the story. I loved how Nate tried to make up to Lily the lost time and how he tried to pamper and spoil her and his daughter. This was lovely to read about.
I do want to mention that I really hate how unfair it is to make a point in stating Lily stayed true to Nate in the 8 year separation but Nate did not. Either let them both move on or both stay true, but why is it that the woman is the only that stays true?
Now for the third part. Nate's shame is coming back to rear it's ugly head and in the process treats Lily horribly to push her away while still pursuing her. Yeah, that can really mess up someones head. This almost ruined the book for me. I just plainly don't enjoy it when an H hurts the h on purpose to "save" her especially after they just reconciled the 8 year separation.
The good part of them all happy together does outweigh the irritations of the story for me so I'm going to rate this 4 stars. Not sure if I will be interested in reading it again though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2024
i love Kristen Ashley books but was a little hesitant to read this one because it had a genie in it. i was afraid it might be silly or corny. should have known KA wouldn't disappoint. this was absolutely wonderful. i loved the story and the characters. i absolutely loved Lily and Nate, Fazire and Tash. i could not put this book down until i finished it. i laughed, cried, rejoiced; it’s an emotional journey of love, loss, and loyalty to an incredible HEA. i'm so glad i gave it a chance! i wished for a really good read, and that wish came true ❤️
June 6, 2018
4.5 – 5 Genie Stars
When my husband got the e-mail notification that I got this book he laughed at me and said I was branching to different genre.
The reviews are right, Three Wishes is an adorable, yet slightly angsty read. I did the audio version and I couldn’t have it any other way. To my surprise, I listened to this book EVERY MOMENT I got because I simply couldn’t put it down.
The narrator is amazing and I love love love her voice. She is the perfect Lily’s voice and even though the book is written in 3rd POV, she does voice transitions very well. I will be stalking her audio page very soon.
Kristen Ashley always knows how to write a good romance book and this book is filled to the brim with romance. It will have you laughing, crying and laughing again. It’s cute, it will have you pulling your hair out and it’s 100% magical.
The story is about a family, a family with a genie. You see this family isn’t a normal family because their genie is kind of part of the family.
Long story short, Lily asked for one thing in her life, she asked to be loved by the perfect man. BUT the thing is, she didn’t want an easy relationship and of course, like a good genie, the wish was granted.
This is not a super-natural book. Sure there’s a genie and sure there is magic here and there, but what this story is about is love. It’s Lily and Nate’s not so easy, but beautiful relationship.
Even though this book is light and I giggled a few times, it’s not an easy book to read. Lily and Nate go through MANY hardships and those were the hardest parts of the book to read. I at times wanted to stop listening and just read through those parts so I wouldn’t have to listen to them. BUT it wouldn’t have made the book what it is if it wasn’t for the hard parts.
If you are a Kristen Ashley fan, you really need to listen to this book.
When my husband got the e-mail notification that I got this book he laughed at me and said I was branching to different genre.
The reviews are right, Three Wishes is an adorable, yet slightly angsty read. I did the audio version and I couldn’t have it any other way. To my surprise, I listened to this book EVERY MOMENT I got because I simply couldn’t put it down.
The narrator is amazing and I love love love her voice. She is the perfect Lily’s voice and even though the book is written in 3rd POV, she does voice transitions very well. I will be stalking her audio page very soon.
Kristen Ashley always knows how to write a good romance book and this book is filled to the brim with romance. It will have you laughing, crying and laughing again. It’s cute, it will have you pulling your hair out and it’s 100% magical.
The story is about a family, a family with a genie. You see this family isn’t a normal family because their genie is kind of part of the family.
Long story short, Lily asked for one thing in her life, she asked to be loved by the perfect man. BUT the thing is, she didn’t want an easy relationship and of course, like a good genie, the wish was granted.
This is not a super-natural book. Sure there’s a genie and sure there is magic here and there, but what this story is about is love. It’s Lily and Nate’s not so easy, but beautiful relationship.
Even though this book is light and I giggled a few times, it’s not an easy book to read. Lily and Nate go through MANY hardships and those were the hardest parts of the book to read. I at times wanted to stop listening and just read through those parts so I wouldn’t have to listen to them. BUT it wouldn’t have made the book what it is if it wasn’t for the hard parts.
If you are a Kristen Ashley fan, you really need to listen to this book.
June 30, 2017
6/30/17 Re-read. I didn't enjoy it as much this time. Probably would have given it 3 stars today if I hadn't already rated it.
Pure KA Magic just when I needed it!
Pure KA Magic just when I needed it!
February 27, 2017
4.5/5 stars
Immediately after completing the book:
WOW! This was such an emotionally charged, intense and bittersweet story. I am so not in control of my emotions right now! My hands are shaking as I type this...I'm pretty sure that's not normal. I also think my heart is about to explode, my emotions just aren't ready to write this review.
Two days later:
Okay...I think I'm calm now. I mean, my heart is no long pounding like crazy, I don't have any urges to scream into my pillow and I am no longer fantasising about Nate...well that last one is a lie, but you get the point. I never thought I'd be reading a romance book with GENIES! This is just so far out of the norm for me and made for such a unique read!
Lily has never known of a life without Frazire, her inherited genie. Her family had been given three wishes from a genie and had used only one, so the wishes along with the genie were to passed down until all wishes were fulfilled. Lily doesn't plan to use Frazire and the wishes he brings, but one day the bullying about her appearance and weight pushes her over the edge. Lily's fourteen year-old romance book addicted self wished for the perfect man, a man who just like from the books she reads. She isn't unrealistic though and know that her and her lover must go through hardships in order to strengthen their love. Only, hardships aren't as poetic and powerful as they seem on the novels and instead bring pain and suffering.
This book is phenomenal! It ripped my heart out so many times and crushed it into tiny pieces. But, it also took those pieces, fixed my heart and made it swell like you wouldn't believe. I was happy, I was sad, I was frustrated and I felt all that the characters felt. I wasn't just a reader, but an actively affected bystander watching an epic love story unfold before my very eyes. Kristen Ashley is my most read author and I can safely say that this is one of my favourite books of hers. It's so different from her usual characters and style, but it seems as if all of my favourite KA specialties were combined into one book.
That scene punched me right where it hurts. It seriously broke my heart!
Nathaniel and Lily went through so much together and I'm just so glad that they finally came out the other side victorious. They had so much heartbreak, misunderstandings, miscommunications and just plain bad lack. This book spans more than eight years and is definitely an epic and intense second-chance love story. I really loved Nate and Lily together and my reasons why changed throughout the book. At the start I was just so consumed by their fiery chemistry which just blew me away. Every small look and small touch sent my heart into a frenzy. Later on in the novel I valued their relationship because of their supportiveness, maturity, trust and their overall familial vibes. Their relationship is one of the best that I've read this year and truly makes me smile every time I think about it.
I don't normally include any negatives in my four-five star reviews but I fell that it is vital for this particular book. There were quite a few things that I specifically noticed and didn't like about this book. They're mainly petty and I'm not going to get into them in too much detail since I'd much rather talk about why I love this book. The main few things that I didn't like were the OTT ending, constant reminders of Lily's outer beauty and most notably, the one problematic and almost abusive sex scene that I just can't seem to forgive. I'm not mentioning these to undermine how much I loved this book, I just felt dishonest if I didn't mention them and how I don't find this book perfect. For me, all of these things were overshadowed by the sheer strength of the emotions I felt for the characters and the story.
I feel like I've made this book seem overly serious and without humour, which it isn't. I was most affected by the rollercoaster of emotions in the book, but the story also had many humorous, cute and heartwarming moments. The minor characters, as well as Nate and Lily, shared many funny moments with snarky or witty comments. As always KA has a talent for writing very relatable and humorous internal dialogue, especially for her heroines. This book really made me feel all the emotions from anger, to sadness and even to pure joy. There was devastation, hope, love and redemption...and I was addicted from the very first page! I am just shellshocked with the sheer beauty of this book!
“Whatever you want, just ask and I’ll get it for you. You’ll never need for anything, want for anything, not while you’re with me. I’ll take care of everything.”
Immediately after completing the book:
WOW! This was such an emotionally charged, intense and bittersweet story. I am so not in control of my emotions right now! My hands are shaking as I type this...I'm pretty sure that's not normal. I also think my heart is about to explode, my emotions just aren't ready to write this review.
Two days later:
Okay...I think I'm calm now. I mean, my heart is no long pounding like crazy, I don't have any urges to scream into my pillow and I am no longer fantasising about Nate...well that last one is a lie, but you get the point. I never thought I'd be reading a romance book with GENIES! This is just so far out of the norm for me and made for such a unique read!
“One day, I wish to find a man like in my books. He has to be just like in one of my books. And he has to love me, love me more than anything in the world. Most important of all, he has to think I’m beautiful.
Lily has never known of a life without Frazire, her inherited genie. Her family had been given three wishes from a genie and had used only one, so the wishes along with the genie were to passed down until all wishes were fulfilled. Lily doesn't plan to use Frazire and the wishes he brings, but one day the bullying about her appearance and weight pushes her over the edge. Lily's fourteen year-old romance book addicted self wished for the perfect man, a man who just like from the books she reads. She isn't unrealistic though and know that her and her lover must go through hardships in order to strengthen their love. Only, hardships aren't as poetic and powerful as they seem on the novels and instead bring pain and suffering.
"We have to go through some trials and tribulations. Something to test our love, make it strong and worthy"
This book is phenomenal! It ripped my heart out so many times and crushed it into tiny pieces. But, it also took those pieces, fixed my heart and made it swell like you wouldn't believe. I was happy, I was sad, I was frustrated and I felt all that the characters felt. I wasn't just a reader, but an actively affected bystander watching an epic love story unfold before my very eyes. Kristen Ashley is my most read author and I can safely say that this is one of my favourite books of hers. It's so different from her usual characters and style, but it seems as if all of my favourite KA specialties were combined into one book.
“You told me you’d never let me go,” she whispered but it was an accusation.
His eyes closed and the pain in them swept over his entire face and settled there like it would never, ever leave. Then he shocked her again. He dropped his forehead to hers and kept his hands on her. Something out of her control made her continue. “You told me,” she said in a shaky voice, “you’d always take care of me.”
That scene punched me right where it hurts. It seriously broke my heart!
Nathaniel and Lily went through so much together and I'm just so glad that they finally came out the other side victorious. They had so much heartbreak, misunderstandings, miscommunications and just plain bad lack. This book spans more than eight years and is definitely an epic and intense second-chance love story. I really loved Nate and Lily together and my reasons why changed throughout the book. At the start I was just so consumed by their fiery chemistry which just blew me away. Every small look and small touch sent my heart into a frenzy. Later on in the novel I valued their relationship because of their supportiveness, maturity, trust and their overall familial vibes. Their relationship is one of the best that I've read this year and truly makes me smile every time I think about it.
I don't normally include any negatives in my four-five star reviews but I fell that it is vital for this particular book. There were quite a few things that I specifically noticed and didn't like about this book. They're mainly petty and I'm not going to get into them in too much detail since I'd much rather talk about why I love this book. The main few things that I didn't like were the OTT ending, constant reminders of Lily's outer beauty and most notably, the one problematic and almost abusive sex scene that I just can't seem to forgive. I'm not mentioning these to undermine how much I loved this book, I just felt dishonest if I didn't mention them and how I don't find this book perfect. For me, all of these things were overshadowed by the sheer strength of the emotions I felt for the characters and the story.
I feel like I've made this book seem overly serious and without humour, which it isn't. I was most affected by the rollercoaster of emotions in the book, but the story also had many humorous, cute and heartwarming moments. The minor characters, as well as Nate and Lily, shared many funny moments with snarky or witty comments. As always KA has a talent for writing very relatable and humorous internal dialogue, especially for her heroines. This book really made me feel all the emotions from anger, to sadness and even to pure joy. There was devastation, hope, love and redemption...and I was addicted from the very first page! I am just shellshocked with the sheer beauty of this book!
“You get in that bed with me and it’s anything like what I felt the first time I laid eyes on you, anything like when you first touched me, anything like that kiss in the park, I’m never letting you go. Do you understand me?”
December 29, 2012
I just sat down and told my husband the basis of this story. He sat and listened and then sort of looked at me in a way that said "how could you be so entranced by such a rediculous storyline?".
I have to admit, this story is fantasical. Genies? A Genie tied to one particular family for so three generations?
The answer my dear Robert (husband) is that the author seems to be able to take any sort of situation, even a fairy story of wishes and Genies, and make it incredibly emotional and engaging.
Ond day, I wish to find a man like in my books. He has to be just like one of my books. And he has to love me, love me more than anything in the world . Most important of all, he has to think, I'm beautiful......
So begins the wish of the century, a list a mile long, tall dark, broad shouldered, narrow hipped... but along with the good she also wishes for the bad ...
We have to go through some trials and tribulations. Something to test our love, make it strong and worthy
Little did she, Lily, know the trials and tribulations that she would go through. This is really a book of be careful what you wish for, because boy does Lily ever get EVERYTHING that she wished for. The good and the bad.
This beautiful, heart wrenching story had me on the edge of my seat.Both these characters had to go through so much to get what they both already thoroughly deserved. Neither should of had to fight so hard for their happily ever after.
I am yet again astounded (why I don't know because I should be used to it by now) by Kristen Ashley and her ability to weave such beautiful romance stories. Family tales, frienship tales, tragedies and comedies this lady does it all.
I am also once again kicking my own but for not having read this sooner. I recommend this book to all romance lovers, even if supernatural or kooky stories aren't your thing you will still love this book.
I have to admit, this story is fantasical. Genies? A Genie tied to one particular family for so three generations?
The answer my dear Robert (husband) is that the author seems to be able to take any sort of situation, even a fairy story of wishes and Genies, and make it incredibly emotional and engaging.
Ond day, I wish to find a man like in my books. He has to be just like one of my books. And he has to love me, love me more than anything in the world . Most important of all, he has to think, I'm beautiful......
So begins the wish of the century, a list a mile long, tall dark, broad shouldered, narrow hipped... but along with the good she also wishes for the bad ...
We have to go through some trials and tribulations. Something to test our love, make it strong and worthy
Little did she, Lily, know the trials and tribulations that she would go through. This is really a book of be careful what you wish for, because boy does Lily ever get EVERYTHING that she wished for. The good and the bad.
This beautiful, heart wrenching story had me on the edge of my seat.Both these characters had to go through so much to get what they both already thoroughly deserved. Neither should of had to fight so hard for their happily ever after.
I am yet again astounded (why I don't know because I should be used to it by now) by Kristen Ashley and her ability to weave such beautiful romance stories. Family tales, frienship tales, tragedies and comedies this lady does it all.
I am also once again kicking my own but for not having read this sooner. I recommend this book to all romance lovers, even if supernatural or kooky stories aren't your thing you will still love this book.
May 26, 2017
This story was really bloody annoying. Nate was a complete and utter asshole and Lily was a big bushy doormat. It made me quite angry but also gave me that feeling that I needed to keep reading just to see what new shit was going to hit the fan. So, I kinda liked it but wanted to punch them both at the same time.
June 18, 2017
A gripping, emotionally charged second chance romance.
One of my favorite novels, ever.
If you want to know about the kind of book that is so me. The kind of book that will grip me wholly and bring me to tears. The kind of book I know I’ll remember always because the love story is that epic. Then read THIS book. Finding a gem like this one is the reason I read.
Three Wishes blew me away. I want to shout about it from the rooftops and make everyone I know read this beautiful story. It encapsulated all my favorite elements: a brooding hero who is super smart and impossibly handsome, a heroine with relatable vulnerabilities but who is also incredibly resilient and strong, wonderfully complicated family dynamics, and a bit of a supernatural twist, all wrapped up in a story that is my personal weakness… a second chance romance.
I didn’t know what to expect with this novel. I decided to cheat on my reading schedule and read a KA book, and this wasn’t at the top of my “KA TBR ” list. However, the girls in my reading group pushed me to try it out and it was the best kind of surprise. Others in my group were not drawn to the genie element, but let me tell you that this story is all romance and the genie element simply adds a richness and humor that makes it more memorable in the end. This story is about dreams and wishes, hope and sorrow, love and loss, heartbreak and second chances. It’s a story about the past tainting the present and a future rife with tribulations.
At fourteen years old, Lily Jacobs’ heart was broken. She had been on the receiving end of insults and name calling from the kids at school. She was pudgy and kept her nose stuck in romance novels, dreaming of the day she’d find a hero of her own who would love her more than anything on earth. Luckily, her family had an unusual house guest that had been there for generations—a genie. Fazire had grown attached to this family and loved Lily as his own. Her wish would prove all too real… as hurtful as it was wonderful.
While studying at Oxford on a scholarship, Lily met Nathaniel McAllister, as fate and wishes collided unexpectedly one night.
Nathaniel’s life had not been shaped by wishes, his had been shaped by hunger, neglect and necessity. He had grown up on the wrong side of the law with his day-to-day life marred by drugs and alcohol and a mother who couldn’t take care of herself, much less him. A twist of fate had him pulled off the streets, but he always felt indebted to his saviors, and dirty and unworthy deep inside.
Lily and Nate’s love story was stormy from the very beginning, but it was real and it was like nothing either had ever known. The two of them were opposites… Lily was soft and kind-hearted, while Nate was rough and toughened by life. Lily was open and energetic, Nate was brooding and enigmatic. Her exuberance was a sharp contrast to his dark intensity, but they were exactly what the other needed.
I don’t want to divulge a single thing of what happens next, but I’ll tell you that fate indeed unleashed tribulations more painful than anticipated, and for years, these two people carried a hurt that would not ebb… until again they met and nothing was the same.
My heart clenched and ached and shattered during so many moments in this book. I am not a cryer, but this one brought me to tears multiple times. It felt real and epic, as if the characters burrowed into my heart and soul, gripping me in a way that wouldn’t let go. I say it every time I review a Kristen Ashley book, and I’ll say it again. She is a master storyteller… consistently delivering what we’ve all come to love, but expertly fine tuning the levers to give us an entirely different experience each time. I loved the flawed characters who felt so intensely. I love the family and friends that stood resolutely at their side. There were moments that were so unbelievably charged that I held my breath as the story unfurled. Three Wishes had that perfect amount of push and pull, conflict and happiness, that made the happy ever after all the sweeter. It delivers all the feels you can imagine. I urge you to read this book. It’s one of my absolute favorites this year, one of my absolute favorite KA books and one of my absolute favorites ever.
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Follow Vilma's Book Blog: Website | Facebook | Twitter
One of my favorite novels, ever.
If you want to know about the kind of book that is so me. The kind of book that will grip me wholly and bring me to tears. The kind of book I know I’ll remember always because the love story is that epic. Then read THIS book. Finding a gem like this one is the reason I read.
Three Wishes blew me away. I want to shout about it from the rooftops and make everyone I know read this beautiful story. It encapsulated all my favorite elements: a brooding hero who is super smart and impossibly handsome, a heroine with relatable vulnerabilities but who is also incredibly resilient and strong, wonderfully complicated family dynamics, and a bit of a supernatural twist, all wrapped up in a story that is my personal weakness… a second chance romance.
I didn’t know what to expect with this novel. I decided to cheat on my reading schedule and read a KA book, and this wasn’t at the top of my “KA TBR ” list. However, the girls in my reading group pushed me to try it out and it was the best kind of surprise. Others in my group were not drawn to the genie element, but let me tell you that this story is all romance and the genie element simply adds a richness and humor that makes it more memorable in the end. This story is about dreams and wishes, hope and sorrow, love and loss, heartbreak and second chances. It’s a story about the past tainting the present and a future rife with tribulations.
“One day, I wish to find a man like in my books. He has to be just like in one of my books. And he has to love me, love me more than anything in the world. Most important of all, he has to think I’m beautiful.”
“We have to go through some trials and tribulations. Something to test our love, make it strong and worthy.”
At fourteen years old, Lily Jacobs’ heart was broken. She had been on the receiving end of insults and name calling from the kids at school. She was pudgy and kept her nose stuck in romance novels, dreaming of the day she’d find a hero of her own who would love her more than anything on earth. Luckily, her family had an unusual house guest that had been there for generations—a genie. Fazire had grown attached to this family and loved Lily as his own. Her wish would prove all too real… as hurtful as it was wonderful.
“… at fourteen years old, she didn’t understand that all those terrible troubles the heroines in her books went through in real life hurt. That the words were just words on a page, but in real life, the pain was immense. Trials and tribulations to prove your love were exactly that, trials and tribulations.”
While studying at Oxford on a scholarship, Lily met Nathaniel McAllister, as fate and wishes collided unexpectedly one night.
Nathaniel’s life had not been shaped by wishes, his had been shaped by hunger, neglect and necessity. He had grown up on the wrong side of the law with his day-to-day life marred by drugs and alcohol and a mother who couldn’t take care of herself, much less him. A twist of fate had him pulled off the streets, but he always felt indebted to his saviors, and dirty and unworthy deep inside.
“Nate never expected a woman like that, like Lily, to so much as look at him. At least, not the way she looked at him. As if he was conqueror of nations, creator of worlds.”
Lily and Nate’s love story was stormy from the very beginning, but it was real and it was like nothing either had ever known. The two of them were opposites… Lily was soft and kind-hearted, while Nate was rough and toughened by life. Lily was open and energetic, Nate was brooding and enigmatic. Her exuberance was a sharp contrast to his dark intensity, but they were exactly what the other needed.
I don’t want to divulge a single thing of what happens next, but I’ll tell you that fate indeed unleashed tribulations more painful than anticipated, and for years, these two people carried a hurt that would not ebb… until again they met and nothing was the same.
“You told me you’d never let me go,” she whispered but it was an accusation. His eyes closed and the pain in them swept over his entire face and settled there like it would never, ever leave. Then he shocked her again. He dropped his forehead to hers and kept his hands on her. Something out of her control made her continue. “You told me,” she said in a shaky voice, “you’d always take care of me.”
My heart clenched and ached and shattered during so many moments in this book. I am not a cryer, but this one brought me to tears multiple times. It felt real and epic, as if the characters burrowed into my heart and soul, gripping me in a way that wouldn’t let go. I say it every time I review a Kristen Ashley book, and I’ll say it again. She is a master storyteller… consistently delivering what we’ve all come to love, but expertly fine tuning the levers to give us an entirely different experience each time. I loved the flawed characters who felt so intensely. I love the family and friends that stood resolutely at their side. There were moments that were so unbelievably charged that I held my breath as the story unfurled. Three Wishes had that perfect amount of push and pull, conflict and happiness, that made the happy ever after all the sweeter. It delivers all the feels you can imagine. I urge you to read this book. It’s one of my absolute favorites this year, one of my absolute favorite KA books and one of my absolute favorites ever.
“He was meant for her and she was meant for him, they belonged to each other, they belonged together.”
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Follow Vilma's Book Blog: Website | Facebook | Twitter
October 9, 2014
Three Wishes is another great Kristen Ashley story. Was it my favorite KA story? No. Did I enjoy the hell out of it? You betcha! Nothing better then a classic KA love story to pick you up when you are feeling down!
Three Wishes is the story of a magical genie named Fazire who finds himself in the hands of a good old american family in Idaho. Jim (a deceased soldier) sent his wife Sarah the bottle. He expects to pass off his three wishes and be on with it. However, fate has another path for him. Sarah doesn't really want anything but her husband back. Since the genie is forbidden to bring back the dead, he ends up hanging around for a while. Sarah's daughter wants nothing more than to have a child. She and her husband have been trying and it just isn't happening for them. The genie is finally able to grant a wish. Lily is born.
Lily is a bit awkward growing up. After having her heart broken by a silly boy, she decides to make a wish of her own.
“Fazire, I wish one day to find a man like in my books . He has to be just like in one of my books. And he has to love me, love me more than anything in the world. Most important of all, he has to think I’m beautiful. We have to go through some trials and tribulations. Something to test our love, make it strong and worthy.-Lily”
Fazire grants her wish. Lily continues to grow in love and flourish into a beautiful woman!
Meanwhile across the pond (in London), Nate is growing up in a kill or be killed environment. His mother is a drug addict and he has landed himself in a bit of trouble. He is doing whatever it takes to stay alive. Then something miraculous happens and he is adopted by an affluent couple in London. He grows to be a dashing, wealthy, hard working man.
Lily and Nate meet. It is romantic, it is sexy, it is just about everything we love about Kristen Ashley's characters. (Be forewarned it isn't quite as steamy as her other reads and although Nate is still an excellent alpha- he doesn't curse as much either.) Once Nate brings Lily back to his house, he is hooked!
“You get in that bed with me and it’s anything like what I felt the first time I laid eyes on you, anything like when you first touched me, anything like that kiss in the park, I’m never letting you go. Do you understand me?”-Nate
Of course we know the story can't end happy right there at the 25% mark.
Because of some pretty unbelievable reasons Nate and Lily are separated. It is pretty hard to understand why in this modern world something like that could happen. But this is fiction....and it happened!
Lily is heartbroken. But she is not alone. She still has Fazire and
Eight years pass. Lily is struggling to get by. She is dealing with health issues and every day is difficult. Nate has moved on and is more successful then ever. Finally, the star align and these two meet again. (For those of you that hate for the hero and heroine to spend too much time apart, don't worry the separation and reunion happen pretty quickly!)
When Nate realizes what has happened, he wants to do anything he can to fix things. Even though he still ha a tight reign on his heart, he knows Lily is it for him. Fazire is violently protective of Lily. After all, it is because of his granted wish that she is going through so much pain. However, Nate is not a quitter.
“What you don’t know, Fazire,” Victor proclaimed, “is when my son wants something, he finds a way to get it.”-Victor
And get her he does. These two go through some tender ups and downs before they are able to make things right. In the end, Nate and Lily are able to find their HEA!
Overall, I found Three Wishes to be funny, romantic, and heart warming. Nate and Lily are both highly lovable and together they are dynamite! It took a some time for the book to really take off. But when it did, it was just fantastic! The secondary characters are another great bonus to this book. Nate's parents and Fazire were great!
Three Wishes is the story of a magical genie named Fazire who finds himself in the hands of a good old american family in Idaho. Jim (a deceased soldier) sent his wife Sarah the bottle. He expects to pass off his three wishes and be on with it. However, fate has another path for him. Sarah doesn't really want anything but her husband back. Since the genie is forbidden to bring back the dead, he ends up hanging around for a while. Sarah's daughter wants nothing more than to have a child. She and her husband have been trying and it just isn't happening for them. The genie is finally able to grant a wish. Lily is born.
Lily is a bit awkward growing up. After having her heart broken by a silly boy, she decides to make a wish of her own.
“Fazire, I wish one day to find a man like in my books . He has to be just like in one of my books. And he has to love me, love me more than anything in the world. Most important of all, he has to think I’m beautiful. We have to go through some trials and tribulations. Something to test our love, make it strong and worthy.-Lily”
Fazire grants her wish. Lily continues to grow in love and flourish into a beautiful woman!
Meanwhile across the pond (in London), Nate is growing up in a kill or be killed environment. His mother is a drug addict and he has landed himself in a bit of trouble. He is doing whatever it takes to stay alive. Then something miraculous happens and he is adopted by an affluent couple in London. He grows to be a dashing, wealthy, hard working man.
Lily and Nate meet. It is romantic, it is sexy, it is just about everything we love about Kristen Ashley's characters. (Be forewarned it isn't quite as steamy as her other reads and although Nate is still an excellent alpha- he doesn't curse as much either.) Once Nate brings Lily back to his house, he is hooked!
“You get in that bed with me and it’s anything like what I felt the first time I laid eyes on you, anything like when you first touched me, anything like that kiss in the park, I’m never letting you go. Do you understand me?”-Nate
Of course we know the story can't end happy right there at the 25% mark.
Because of some pretty unbelievable reasons Nate and Lily are separated. It is pretty hard to understand why in this modern world something like that could happen. But this is fiction....and it happened!
Lily is heartbroken. But she is not alone. She still has Fazire and
Eight years pass. Lily is struggling to get by. She is dealing with health issues and every day is difficult. Nate has moved on and is more successful then ever. Finally, the star align and these two meet again. (For those of you that hate for the hero and heroine to spend too much time apart, don't worry the separation and reunion happen pretty quickly!)
When Nate realizes what has happened, he wants to do anything he can to fix things. Even though he still ha a tight reign on his heart, he knows Lily is it for him. Fazire is violently protective of Lily. After all, it is because of his granted wish that she is going through so much pain. However, Nate is not a quitter.
“What you don’t know, Fazire,” Victor proclaimed, “is when my son wants something, he finds a way to get it.”-Victor
And get her he does. These two go through some tender ups and downs before they are able to make things right. In the end, Nate and Lily are able to find their HEA!
Overall, I found Three Wishes to be funny, romantic, and heart warming. Nate and Lily are both highly lovable and together they are dynamite! It took a some time for the book to really take off. But when it did, it was just fantastic! The secondary characters are another great bonus to this book. Nate's parents and Fazire were great!
February 3, 2016
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
Lily Jacobs inherited a genie from her mother, who inherited him from her mother.
If you're thinking that genies aren't usually passed along bloodlines, you would be correct.
When Sarah discovered the last gift her husband sent from Europe before he went missing (during WWII) held a genie, she immediately bequeathed her wishes to her infant daughter Rebecca, who didn't make use of any of them until she was an adult and several years of trying to have a child proved fruitless.
Rebecca and her husband didn't wish for a beautiful, intelligent girl or a strong, handsome boy. They simply wished for a child to love.
But the genie, Fazire, had come to love these people, his family (even if he had yet to recognize either feeling or attachment---genies are notoriously arrogant creatures), so the child he created for his Becky and her Will was perfect.
Though he meant well, Fazire, being immortal and having a limited understanding of humans, didn't take into consideration that children are cruel . . . and the combination of Lily's extreme intelligence (she graduated two years early) and her plainness made for an unhappy childhood in regards to her peers.
She spent her free time devouring romance novels, and after a particularly nasty adolescent encounter, teenaged Lily made a rather rash and specific wish. It was a several paragraphs long wish, but it boils down to this:
Nathaniel McAllister did not grow up surrounded by a loving family or a well-intentioned genie.
His father could have been one of a multitude of men his mother used for drugs and money, but Nathaniel was a remarkably clever boy and he learned quickly how to survive in dangerous environments.
How to steal so he could eat. How to disappear so he didn't get caught . . . or worse.
When he was eleven, he stumbled into a job running errands for a local crime boss. A crime boss who took him in and with his wife raised Nathaniel as their own when his mother was killed by one of her boyfriends.
Victor saw potential in Nathaniel, potential that was absent in his own spoiled children, but despite his abrupt change in socioeconomic status, despite the genuine love and affection that developed between himself and his adoptive parents, despite how he excelled at everything he did, and despite Victor's successful transition into a legitimate businessman (the decision to do so directly related to his desire to create something of substance he could proudly pass on to his protégé), Nate never forgot his ignoble beginnings.
SO. We have the unaffected and unaware of her stunning beauty, etc. Lily, the damaged romantic hero Nate, a naïve girl's wish for trials and tribulations to strengthen and prove their love, and a genie who takes his work seriously . . .
What could go wrong?
THREE WISHES is one of Kristen Ashley's few standalone novels, and it's one of my favorites. Lily's story will break your heart in typical KA fashion, but it only makes her HEA all the more lovely, and Nathaniel McAllister makes my Top Five KA Alphas list (one of the most difficult lists I've ever made---b/c I love ALL THE KA ALPHAS). Highly recommended.
Lily Jacobs inherited a genie from her mother, who inherited him from her mother.
If you're thinking that genies aren't usually passed along bloodlines, you would be correct.
When Sarah discovered the last gift her husband sent from Europe before he went missing (during WWII) held a genie, she immediately bequeathed her wishes to her infant daughter Rebecca, who didn't make use of any of them until she was an adult and several years of trying to have a child proved fruitless.
Rebecca and her husband didn't wish for a beautiful, intelligent girl or a strong, handsome boy. They simply wished for a child to love.
But the genie, Fazire, had come to love these people, his family (even if he had yet to recognize either feeling or attachment---genies are notoriously arrogant creatures), so the child he created for his Becky and her Will was perfect.
He made her bright and funny and very, very talented.
He made her sweet and thoughtful and very, very caring.
He made her generous and kind and very, very loving.
He decided not to make her beautiful, at least not at first, because she should know humility and not grow up with conceit.
Though, she would become a beauty, a splendid beauty beyond compare.
Just . . . later.
Though he meant well, Fazire, being immortal and having a limited understanding of humans, didn't take into consideration that children are cruel . . . and the combination of Lily's extreme intelligence (she graduated two years early) and her plainness made for an unhappy childhood in regards to her peers.
She spent her free time devouring romance novels, and after a particularly nasty adolescent encounter, teenaged Lily made a rather rash and specific wish. It was a several paragraphs long wish, but it boils down to this:
“One day, I wish to find a man like in my books . . . We have to go through some trials and tribulations. Something to test our love . . ."
Nathaniel McAllister did not grow up surrounded by a loving family or a well-intentioned genie.
His father could have been one of a multitude of men his mother used for drugs and money, but Nathaniel was a remarkably clever boy and he learned quickly how to survive in dangerous environments.
How to steal so he could eat. How to disappear so he didn't get caught . . . or worse.
When he was eleven, he stumbled into a job running errands for a local crime boss. A crime boss who took him in and with his wife raised Nathaniel as their own when his mother was killed by one of her boyfriends.
Victor saw potential in Nathaniel, potential that was absent in his own spoiled children, but despite his abrupt change in socioeconomic status, despite the genuine love and affection that developed between himself and his adoptive parents, despite how he excelled at everything he did, and despite Victor's successful transition into a legitimate businessman (the decision to do so directly related to his desire to create something of substance he could proudly pass on to his protégé), Nate never forgot his ignoble beginnings.
SO. We have the unaffected and unaware of her stunning beauty, etc. Lily, the damaged romantic hero Nate, a naïve girl's wish for trials and tribulations to strengthen and prove their love, and a genie who takes his work seriously . . .
What could go wrong?
THREE WISHES is one of Kristen Ashley's few standalone novels, and it's one of my favorites. Lily's story will break your heart in typical KA fashion, but it only makes her HEA all the more lovely, and Nathaniel McAllister makes my Top Five KA Alphas list (one of the most difficult lists I've ever made---b/c I love ALL THE KA ALPHAS). Highly recommended.
July 12, 2021
Re-read:
Again, a lot that is inherently wrong, but it tickled my fancy, made me cry, and I do love the sheer riddikulus-ness of Fazire and the Spectacle of Genies.
Original review:
So many things right, and a few things wrong.
A magical realism fantasy tale from KA with no chin lifting from the men. It's hard to imagine a KA hero with a British accent and a Duccati rather than a Harley.
What's to love:
Sweet and open heroine.
The awesome and adorable genie who protects her and her family.
Cute daughter.
Nice angst with some comeuppance for the evil doers.
Wrong:
An self-absorbed alpha hero who blows it with a my past makes me unworthy guilt trip.
Again, a lot that is inherently wrong, but it tickled my fancy, made me cry, and I do love the sheer riddikulus-ness of Fazire and the Spectacle of Genies.
Original review:
So many things right, and a few things wrong.
A magical realism fantasy tale from KA with no chin lifting from the men. It's hard to imagine a KA hero with a British accent and a Duccati rather than a Harley.
What's to love:
Sweet and open heroine.
The awesome and adorable genie who protects her and her family.
Cute daughter.
Nice angst with some comeuppance for the evil doers.
Wrong:
An self-absorbed alpha hero who blows it with a my past makes me unworthy guilt trip.
February 6, 2017
4 Gracias a Dios lo terminé Stars
Siempre hay momentos para todo en la vida hasta para leer un libro y creo que cuando lo empecé a leer hace meses no era ese momento adecuado lo tuve que dejar en stand by porque nomás no podía avanzar y me volví a decidir a leerlo porque ya no lo quería ver en mi lista de libros que estaba leyendo y que bueno que lo retomé porque me encantó, es un libro que está lleno de clichés por donde lo veas pero eso está por demás si los personajes te agradan y a mi me gustaron mucho y la historia tiene momentos muy lindos está llena de magia y fantasía.
Es una historia sobre un genio que ha pertenecido a tres generaciones de una familia hasta que llega a Lily que pide un deseo, quiere al hombre de sus sueños de esos que lee en sus libros y se le ha concedido pero lo pide tan complicado con pruebas y tribulaciones que tiene que pasar por mucho para poder al fin ser feliz
Nate es el típico galán y protagonista de los libros rico oscuro con un pasado tormentoso un poco torturado frío que están sexy y hot que es un moja-bragas y te da un orgasmo nomás de verlo pero que tiene esas acciones que hacen que caigas rendida a él.
Lily me gustó mucho es tan dulce y pero también tiene carácter es fuerte se da a respetar y me encantó que hizo sufrir un poquito a Nate. Y la relación de ella con su genio fue muy linda.
PS. El último deseo para mi fue un desperdicio se me hizo tan sin chiste me hubiera gustado otro
Siempre hay momentos para todo en la vida hasta para leer un libro y creo que cuando lo empecé a leer hace meses no era ese momento adecuado lo tuve que dejar en stand by porque nomás no podía avanzar y me volví a decidir a leerlo porque ya no lo quería ver en mi lista de libros que estaba leyendo y que bueno que lo retomé porque me encantó, es un libro que está lleno de clichés por donde lo veas pero eso está por demás si los personajes te agradan y a mi me gustaron mucho y la historia tiene momentos muy lindos está llena de magia y fantasía.
Es una historia sobre un genio que ha pertenecido a tres generaciones de una familia hasta que llega a Lily que pide un deseo, quiere al hombre de sus sueños de esos que lee en sus libros y se le ha concedido pero lo pide tan complicado con pruebas y tribulaciones que tiene que pasar por mucho para poder al fin ser feliz
Nate es el típico galán y protagonista de los libros rico oscuro con un pasado tormentoso un poco torturado frío que están sexy y hot que es un moja-bragas y te da un orgasmo nomás de verlo pero que tiene esas acciones que hacen que caigas rendida a él.
Lily me gustó mucho es tan dulce y pero también tiene carácter es fuerte se da a respetar y me encantó que hizo sufrir un poquito a Nate. Y la relación de ella con su genio fue muy linda.
PS. El último deseo para mi fue un desperdicio se me hizo tan sin chiste me hubiera gustado otro
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