Once Upon a Dance Club Wish

by Jessica E. Subject

The card says ‘Make A Wish.’

After several failed relationships, Nelson Connor yearns for a long-term boyfriend who will one day become his husband. Sure he won’t find anything more than a one-night stand at the dance club his friend dragged him to, Nelson makes his wish as he leaves. But he doesn’t expect to step out of the club into a meadow far from the city. And he definitely doesn’t expect to meet a smexy man who claims to be a turtle shifter wanting to take him into the “Enchanted Forest” to meet his fated mate.

It all seems so unreal, but with no place of his own and no job due to corporate downsizing, Nelson doesn’t have anything promising to go back to. He decides to follow the turtle shifter into the forest.

Did Nelson finally find the happy ending he’s looking for? Or will he try to escape back to his world when he learns the conditions of staying in the Enchanted Forest?

Once Upon a Dance Club Wish is the first book in the new MM Mpreg City Wishes & Enchanted Dreams series by USA Today bestselling author Jessica E. Subject. Once Upon a Dance Club Wish is a MM shifter fantasy romance that features a man down on his luck who doesn’t know shifters exist, a turtle shifter who longs for a mate but doesn’t think he’ll ever find one, the wizard who brings them together, and many other fantastical creatures from the Enchanted Forest. If you like fated mates, true love, meggs, baby turtle shifters, and a guaranteed happy ever after, Once Upon a Dance Club Wish is for you! While each book in the City Wishes & Enchanted Dreams series is set in the same world, they can be read as standalones.

Genres: Shapeshifters, M M Romance, Fantasy

97 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2024

About the author

Jessica E. Subject is a USA Today bestselling author of science fiction and paranormal romances, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or a pop star tiger shifter, but also unsuspecting clones and feisty omegas. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to an alternate reality where shifters live among humans.

When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class, listen to BTS, and walk her Labrador Retriever/Border Collie her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two not-so-little children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.

Reviews

[Ashley Carrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice escape from reality

So I was looking for something fast-paced and quick and fun and I got just what I wanted. Add in shifters, an enchanted forest with magic, and men finding the loves of their lives and having babies mixed in with some spice and I got a very needed and appreciated escape from reality. Nelson lost a lot in a short amount of time. His cheating boyfriend, his job, and now he's staying with a different ex and is looking for a new place to stay but is having trouble finding somewhere. He just wants someone to love and who will love him for the rest of their lives. Until one night at a dance club changes his life but not in the way one expects. He's given a card by a strange man with a beard who thinks he could use a change but he doesn't think much of it until he's on his way out of the club to get away from an over-eager jerk. The card says to make a wish and he says his wish out loud and before he knows it is transported to an Enchanted Forest where he meets a nude gorgeous turtle shifter who gives him a tour and lets him know he can stay in the enchanted forest and find a mate to love or he can go back to his world. Nelson is skeptical especially with the information he receives about what is expected of him if he wants to stay. But with no reason to go back to his world and his interest in the turtle shifter, he finds a reason to stay if only Holden gives him a reason. Holden is a turtle shifter in charge of the security of the forest and in charge of his new task of introducing outer worlders to the council and the land. He doesn't think much about having a mate until he learns it's possible to have one one day if he meets the right person. When Nelson emerges Holden is taken with him already but doesn't think he stands a chance. Together both men have to navigate this new situation if they want to be mated and start a family. It isn't easy but with the bond they've created, it's worth it as was reading their love story. A quick fast-paced enjoyable read with a lot of love and cute little turtle shifters of their own

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really cute story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It’s about Nelson who is a gay man from what those who are from The Enchanted Forest called an outer-worlder, he meets a wizard outside of a gay dance club and is given a card and told to make a wish for something that he really wants. Nelson on leaving the club wishes to find someone who will love him and who will make him happy and find himself in The Enchanted Forest. When he discovers that he is in a different location from the nightclub, he is scared. Nelson notices a naked man heading towards him and learns that he is Holden, who is a turtle shifter in a place called The Enchanted Forest, his job is to make sure that the forest was safe.
Holden takes him to the village where he introduces him to everyone thinking that he is the mate for the leader of the village. Nelson doesn’t want anybody else but Holden and they go onto begin their relationship together and towards their mating. They get to know each other before Nelson decides that he is ready to become his mate. Once the mating ceremony went through, Nelson discovered that his body had been changed, and he could now give birth. he has trouble with his eggs and another outer-worlder was needed to help him lay his eggs which ended up being three eggs. Once these eggs hatched, they had three baby boys and they go onto live happily ever after.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susi June · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of this book is great. I like the idea, that somebody wishes for a better life and gets transported to the enchanted forest!

While the idea is great, I had a few issues with this story. The book was very short, so the world building was not enough for me. It left more questions than answers. If they need someone from earth to create babies, where are all these people/beings from? Where are their parents? There is only one person from earth because everybody left, so they either left their kids or there are just 2 generations left (including the kids). I don't know, a lot either didn't make sense to me or needed more descriptions.

They also kinda acted like fates mates, it felt pretty insta lovey, but they choose their mates themselves? Why are they immediately obsessed with each other basically when there is no mate bond or whatever.

Also they had to learn from somebody from earth to care for their turtle kids (which felt all way too animal and pets like to me), why didn't the turtle shifter know this stuff? Where are his parents or siblings? Like I said so many questions.

Overall cute idea, I didn't dislike it, but I also didn't love it I guess.

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fairly new to me author and I really enjoyed this book. This is the story of Nelson and Holden. Nelson is having his life fall down around him. At a dance club a wizard gives him a card that says "Make a wish". Thinking it is is for fun he makes one to find someone who would love him forever. The next thing he knows, he is in another world and he meets Holden. Who tells him that he is in the Enchanted Forest. Believing himself to be dreaming, Nelson is overwhelmed when Holden shows him that shifters are real by shifting into a turtle. This is their story. I liked the world building that the author has done. I l loved watching Nelson and Holden's relationship develop. Even if Holden doesn't believe that Nelson is for him. He doesn't believe himself to be worthy of having a mate before others. Good thing that Nelson is there to clear things up for him. The book is very well written and is easy to read. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nina Diab · Rating 5 out of 5]

'I couldn’t believe a hot, nearly naked man had me on his shoulder, and carried me through a forest with his hand on my [behind]. If this wasn’t some kind of strange fantasy, it was pretty close to one. If only Holden would stop at the clearing ahead, have a blanket magically appear, and ravage me on top of it.'

I really enjoyed this book. It was such a fun romance. Great world building and wonderful characters. This story was interesting from the start and wasted no time taking off. I loved both Nelson and Holden. This was my first time reading of a turtle shifter. I also liked that Nelson found himself in the Enchanted Forest where shifters and mythical creatures could be found, rather than shifters secretly living in human society. I also liked that Holden was a little awkward around him, as customs were a little different. I felt that Nelson's reaction to realizing that what Holden was telling him was true felt believable and not an instant acceptance- but denial also didn't drag out. I was quickly charmed by the characters and sucked into this adventure. 5 stars.

[Shelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a little different than the normal mpreg, and has a fun spin on finding a mate. Nelson and Holden are a very sweet couple that finds their HEA after some misunderstandings. I like how this book lets the character decide to "wish" for love using a card given to them by a wizard and how they arrive at the possibility of love. There are also the barriers between the outer world and current location, asking can the "wisher" adjust? There are so many possibilities within this world, and I cannot wait to see what comes next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Once Upon a Dance Club Wish by Jessica E. Subject. It's the first book in the City Wishes & Enchanted Dreams. I liked Holden and Nelson's story. I liked that Holden was a turtle shifter, which meant that Nelson would lay eggs instead of having a live birth as he would have if he had mated to a mammal shifter. I liked the idea that the shifters in the Enchanted Forest needed to find out-world human males to mate with to perpetuate their bloodlines and how the wizard was helping them with that problem.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Patsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once Upon a Dance Club Wish is shifters MM romance. Where a person from our world make a wish be in love with a person rest their life. Nelson just wants to be with Holden but Holden thinks he meant for someone else but Nelson knows he only wants Holden. Together they work getting to know each other and falling in love. They have a few complications with unknown pregnancy but their magic finds help from them. Recommend this story if you like shifter in Enchanted Forest. I received this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a unique, and creative take on paranormal mates. While I got the sense that there was a fated component, it was not directly addressed inside the story. That did not, in any way, detract from the incredible characters and the interplay between them.

I don't recall having read anything by this author before, but I am definately looking forward to more of her works in the future, especially the continuation of this series. I received a gift copy of this book and voluntarily provided this review. Happy Reading Y'all 📚

[C.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful! Nelson, has a history of being unlucky in love. He longs for a long term boyfriend and eventually his forever man. He is offered an opportunity to make a wish to have his dreams comes true. Does he take the chance? He lands in an enchanted place and meets turtle shifter, Holden. New world, new dating realities, adjustments, culture clashes and a few misunderstandings. Nelson's inner dialogue are hilarious. Fun story, Nelson and Holden are delightful. Nice beginning to a series. Well done! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cynthia Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nelson is tired of one night stands and broken relationships, so when he's leaving a dance club he wishes for his forever love. when he goes out the door he ends up in the Enchanted Forest. Holden, a turtle shifter who lives in the Enchanted Forest, is security that sees who enters into the forest. When he sees Nelson he wants him but believes Nelson will be a mate for someone on the council. Nelson doesn't want anyone from the council he wants Holden and no one else will do. I really enjoyed this book.

[Nicole Deanne Veracruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was completely different than any other MPEG book I've ever read and I've read a lot. I absolutely love the whole new Dynamic of changing worlds. Nelson was down on his luck he had lost his job he was staying with an ex he had been cheated on and he just wanted somebody that would love him. Holden lived in the Enchanted Forest and felt like he had no hope of ever having a mate. This was a very pleasurable book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deb Swietek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your wish came true. Now what do you do?

This is a charming story! I loved the wish that carried Nelson to a magical world. A world so different from ours, but it captures your heart. Having Holden be a turtle shifter where his "shift" is from turtle to human is genius. When all is said and done, this is a beautiful love story. Yes, there will be sex. And eggs, and babies. You will be enchanted by this book. Get it. Now!

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb pulled me in but I stayed for the story. It was so sweet while also being entertaining and interesting. I love the idea of how the Enchanted Forest works and appreciated how the mating developed between Nelson and Holden. I am very interested in seeing what happens in the next book.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Debbie Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. It is an interesting introduction to a new series. I like that free choice is important. Nelson unhappy with his current life makes a wish and is given a new life. Holden is the greater and security who meets him first. Everything gets explained to Nelson eventually and he chooses Holden as his mate.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK tale, I totally misinterpreted the 'wish' in the title, had no clue it was a shifter story, but I soldiered on. A nice but slightly drawn out story, Nelson was the prospective mate for someone in the village but he wished it could be Holden, his guide, who is a total sweetheart. A nice light and fairly angst free read.

[Leonie Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good story. Unique in it's own world. The main characters are great, the secondary characters all work to make this story a fun and interesting read. I really enjoyed it. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

I absolutely loved this story. This was an excellent start to what I think is going to be a fantastic series. The world building was wonderful and the characters were so fascinating I can’t wait to read more in this series.

[Akasha721 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start to what I hope is a great series. Nelson made a wish and found a mate and a family. His new home called to him and he followed his heart to happiness.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Daryn Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rtc

[Jemi Fraser]

My first foray into MM Mpreg and shifters - and it was so entertaining. A charming and enjoyable read!

[angela gunstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once upon a dance club wish

Couldn't put it down loved the characters and the storyline so it's a well deserved five stars and I would recommend this book to everyone

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually expect shifter romances to be super spicy, but this was pleasantly sweet.