Cursed Wishes

Three Wishes #1

by Marcy Kennedy

A compulsively readable fantasy debut by award-winning author Marcy Kennedy. Packed with slow-burn romance and fresh mythological creatures, CURSED WISHES is perfect for fans of Brigid Kemmerer and Stephanie Garber.

Be careful what you wish for…

Ceana Campbell’s life changes in an instant when a malevolent fae forces her to make three wishes—ones where the man Ceana loves will receive the opposite of everything she wishes for herself.

But sacrificing him for her own benefit isn’t something Ceana can live with. Instead, with her first two wishes, she gives him happiness and success and dooms herself to misery and failure. The fae warns her that the consequences will be even worse than she imagines. The only way for him to be happy is if he forgets Ceana ever existed.

Facing a future where she’ll have no allies and no hope of breaking the cursed wishes alone, Ceana makes a desperate gamble with her third wish. She wishes he would dream of her every night.

Be wary of dreams come true…

Gavran Anderson wakes every morning missing a woman who only exists in his dreams. Or so he thinks, until he finds someone who could be her twin, near to death in a ravine. A woman who claims he knows her. That they meant something to each other once. That she needs his help to hunt down a supernatural beast.

Is she mad? Is it a trick? Or has everything he believed about his life been a lie?

And if she’s telling the truth, what will they have to do to defeat a monster so powerful she changed history?

Genres: Fantasy

241 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2024

About the author

Marcy Kennedy is a science fiction and fantasy author who believes there's always hope. Sometimes you just have to dig a little harder to find it. In a world that can be dark and brutal and unfair, hope is one of our most powerful weapons.

She also writes award-winning mysteries under a pen name, but that's a secret. Shhhh...

Marcy lives in Ontario, Canada, with her former Marine husband, Boxer mix, eight cats (all rescues), and budgie. In her free time, she loves playing board games and going for bike rides.

Reviews

[Chad Barrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart wrenching tale of a poor girl mistreated by her father who is trying to earn money to save her mother and brother but all the money she makes her father takes and drinks up. Ceana encounters a Fae in the prequel, Three Wishes, where she could have wished good fortune on herself. However, she was not alone at the time and was saved by her long time friend and her secret longing to be more than that, Gavran. When told the good she would receive would turn out to be the opposite for him she wished the good for him since he and his family had always treated her kindly.

This story opens with her near death and Gavran finding and rescuing her from death. She finds the curse is negated if they stay close together even though her family now doesn’t remember her and think she’s a witch. Her father and another ties her up to take her away but Gavran follows and cuts her loose and they hear of another who may be able to break the Fae spell. This then is that journey and the trials and tribulations and success and at the end heartbreak as Ceana gives up being close to Gavran to save his life; being captured and believing her life is over only to find she is reunited with the one person again who may be the only one who can help her break the curse the Fae cast on her.

This is a story of hardship and suffering but indomitable spirit and will power which even though it reaches its breaking point is saved because of the bond between two people who have known each other since they were children. They have loved each other even if it hasn’t been expressed in so many words but by their actions towards each other.

I look forward to reading the continuing story and seeing Ceana and Gavran reuniting and what new challenges they will be facing in leading up to meeting the Fae again and getting her to remove the three wishes curse she has placed on Ceana and on Gavran by him receiving the blessings wherein she received the curses.

It will tug on your heart strings so be sure to have some kleenex handy! I recommend this book though for it is a memorizing tale of grit and determination of success and failure but through it all the determination to succeed for Ceana to find her brother and have the curses removed from her are her two main objectives! I think, though the love both have for each other will burn brighter in the coming books especially when the curse is finally broken and they can honestly remember what each meant to each other!

[Daniel Porter II · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you sacrifice for the ones you love? That’s the question that Marcy Kennedy leaves us with after reading this book. Ceana Campbell has sacrificed practically everything for the ones she loves, but was it worth it? Now under the curses she has come to find that she may have sacrificed everything for nothing. Now what would she give to change everything. One she sacrificed for is Gavran Anderson, who thanks to the blessings has never had to worry or sacrifice anything. But now he’s drawn into that fantasy adventure of friends to enemies to friends and potential lover. And now that he is, what is he willing to give up or sacrifice to help Ceana break the curses and make things right again. This is a book that draws you in and makes you hunger, waiting for the next one to see what new twists and turns will arise for Gavran and Ceana.


Disclaimer: I was given this book for free to review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong start. I found one of the main characters easier to like, though they both had their positive qualities. I'm hoping it feels as though more progress towards the stated main goal is made as the series continues. It did seem as though we were taking a long time to reach every mini-step. Hopefully, things feel like they're moving along a little more next time.

What I liked best about this story was that it surprised me with the types of questions it raised: Can someone have any justification for blaming others for the awful consequences of their own generous action? How many people would choose an artificially happy life if they could, even if it meant they wouldn't be aware of any real suffering around them? I wasn't expecting questions like that to come up here. It was a nice surprise.

Looking forward to seeing what's next.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Jacqueline Corral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Their’s is no ordinary tale, and it captivated me from the start! We meet Gavran first and he immediately comes across as a good man: he discovers Ceana, and takes her home to his family.

The ups, downs and roundabouts that follow are so skilfully crafted, I believed I was living it with them. I’m desperate to find out how it will end for all.

I received my copy for free, and am happily leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lauren S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Self sacrifice meet low self-worth. The main character suffers from more than a fae curse. Two friends are forced to work together for the betterment of many with danger at every turn. Recommend reading "Three Wishes" the prequel but it's not necessary.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kennedy crafts a rich tapestry of Scottish folklore, blending Seelie and Unseelie Fae into a narrative that feels both grounded and magical. The fae's influence on human lives adds a layer of complexity, as Ceana's sacrifices intertwine with Gavran's altered reality.

[Ani Birch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Marcy Kennedy read, and it came at the perfect time. I needed a cozy fantasy, and this delivered with its fairytale feel. The stakes were high, but never stressful—no breath-holding tension, just the right pace I could handle in a busy season of life.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing fantasy story to please everyone. Mythological creatures at their finest to keep you wanting more.

[Amy Dooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Self sacrifice meet low self-worth. The main character suffers from more than a fae curse. Two friends are forced to work together for the betterment of many with danger at every turn.

[David Congdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book.

I really enjoyed this book after I got into it. I learned new words which is always a good thing. I am downloading the next book right now

[Annemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ceana and Gavran really are star crossed lovers. The wishes Ceana gave to him have a dark side to their generosity. Because she wished for him to never suffer hurt, Gavran has lost his empathy. He no longer sees the misery of others so his capacity for compassion is gone. When the two are together, they cancel each other out, so Gavran "feels" again and Ceana can actually have good things happen to her. Once they are a distance from each other, the curse takes hold again.
Seelie and Unseelie Fae are often at war with each other and neither side really minds using Humans to achieve their goals.
Will Gavran remember and keep his promise to Ceana this time, or will he forget yet again?

I received a free copy of Cursed Wishes through BookFunnel and have chosen to leave a review.