My Beautiful Reality

My Dear Illusion #2

by Sarah Ready

Welcome to the dangerous and secret-laden world of the conjurers where friends are enemies, alliances are made and broken in a heartbeat, and you never know who to trust. In the riveting second installment of the My Dear Illusion series the conjurer world is plunged into the inferno of love, war, and chaos.

Mari Locke lost the battle for her freedom when she betrayed the one man who trusted in her love. Now under the control of Hell Gate, she is a weapon unleashed to destroy everyone and everything she once held dear.

Finn Alterra, now the Smith and wearer of the crown of illusions returned…different. When Finn promises to kill Mari, she realizes nothing is the same, and one of them is the dark and the other the light. Now the two lovers fight on opposite sides of the battle.

In this new world, enemies are friends, and friends are mortal enemies. Mari walks the blade-thin edge of loyalty and betrayal, knowing she can’t trust anyone, including herself.

Genres: Romantasy

990 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 12, 2026

About the author

Author Sarah Ready writes contemporary romance and romantic comedy.

Her books have been described as “euphoric”, “heartwarming” and “laugh out loud”. Her debut novel The Fall in Love Checklist was hailed as “the unicorn read of 2020”. She loves to write fast-paced, emotionally compelling romances about quirky, smart women and the men who love them.

Her works include Josh and Gemma Make a Baby, Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around, French Holiday and romcoms in the Soul Mates in Romeo series. Her debut novel The Fall in Love Checklist was hailed as “the unicorn read of 2020”. She lives in the Caribbean with her family and water-loving pup.

Find more books and interesting tidbits at www.sarahready.com.

Reviews

[Jamie Mcmahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley for the ability to read the Advanced Reader Copy of this amazing book.
My Beautiful Reality is the second book in the Illusion series by Sarah Ready. Both books are just a bit less than two thousand pages which I found daunting but now can say they were absolutely worth the read.
I was completely surprised and blown away by this book. There is a great fluidity and consistency between the two books. The characters are fascinating, the villains being so hateable and the heroes being deliciously forced into morally grey situations.
I think my favorite part, overall, is the love story between Mari and Finn. The way that my heart aches for them is real and intense. The world, based on real places but enhances with magic and history is enjoyable.
The book reads with the ease of a summer romance novel. It is not heavy nor is it too light.
I don’t have a bad word to say about this book and this series. Yes, it is a big read but it is fun and entertaining and includes all the things we love from slow burn romance to trials to found family. I absolutely loved this book and series and have been recommending it to everyone I speak with. Thank you, Sarah Ready for the best books I’ve read this year!
P.S. Have tissues ready at the end.

[bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the second book, I came into this book really excited. The writing was as beautiful, if not more beautiful, than the first one. The magic world is so unique and enchanting, and I found it really interesting.

I did feel all the introduction of new magic stuff didn't really mesh well and wasn't very seamless though. I did like the addition of the monster under the bed and finding out more about mines. But with so much other new things being introduced, it felt like too much happening alongside the plot and I was confused at times. (This also might've been because I read the first book so long ago.) But, the ending didn't really work for me. It felt a bit unrealistic, even in this rich magical universe.

I didn't reread the first book again when it was originally published but the religious elements that popped up towards the end of this book felt a bit out of place. Again, maybe things were changed in the first book to make it cohesive, but i'm not sure. Also, i'm not sure if it was ever really clear who the 'you' bits were addressed to (us as readers or Finn?) or if it's even meant to be clear at this stage, but if it is I found them very confusing... hoping if there's a book 3 then we get some clarification. Overall, I did feel the length of this book, however the writing style and magical world made up for it!

Would definitely recommend reading it, if only for the angst and writing style!

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Help me write a book review for My Beautiful Reality by Sarah Ready. Solid 4 star read for me. I have to say. This book brought me into deep feelings of hopelessness and despair. As the story progressed the helplessness ran deep. I felt like everyone was going to die, evil was going to prevail. Without ruining the story I was definitely saddened by some character deaths. The underlying tale is definitely that of don't lose hope, always embrace the light. Here is the synopsis Welcome to the dangerous and secret-laden world of the conjurers where friends are enemies, alliances are made and broken in a heartbeat, and you never know who to trust. In the riveting second installment of the My Dear Illusion series the conjurer world is plunged into the inferno of love, war, and chaos. Mari Locke lost the battle for her freedom when she betrayed the one man who trusted in her love. Now under the control of Hell Gate, she is a weapon unleashed to destroy everyone and everything she once held dear. Finn Alterra, now the Smith and wearer of the crown of illusions returned…different. When Finn promises to kill Mari, she realizes nothing is the same, and one of them is the dark and the other the light. Now the two lovers fight on opposite sides of the battle. In this new world, enemies are friends, and friends are mortal enemies. Mari walks the blade-thin edge of loyalty and betrayal, knowing she can’t trust anyone, including herself.


My Beautiful Reality by My Beautiful Reality by Sarah Ready was a solid 4-star read for me. This book pulled me deep into feelings of hopelessness and despair in a way that almost felt suffocating at times. As the story progressed, the sense of helplessness only grew stronger. I truly felt like evil was going to win, that no one was safe, and that the light was slowly being extinguished.

Without spoiling the story, some of the character deaths genuinely hit hard and left me heartbroken. The emotional weight of this book is heavy, but that’s also what made it so compelling. Beneath all the darkness, chaos, and betrayal is an underlying message about never losing hope and always fighting to embrace the light, even when everything feels impossible.

Mari and Finn’s journey was especially gripping because of how completely their relationship shifts. Watching them stand on opposite sides of the battle, unsure of who could be trusted, added so much tension and heartbreak to the story. The world Sarah Ready has created is dangerous, unpredictable, and emotionally intense, where alliances change in an instant and every decision carries consequences.

If you enjoy fantasy romance filled with emotional turmoil, morally gray choices, betrayal, and high stakes, this sequel delivers all of that while keeping you emotionally invested the entire time.


Not suffocating in a sense that it was bad. Like it made me appreciate the book more because it could evolve such a deep feeling


My Beautiful Reality by My Beautiful Reality by Sarah Ready was a solid 4-star read for me. This book pulled me deep into feelings of hopelessness and despair, but in the best possible way. The emotions were so strong and immersive that it made me appreciate the story even more because of how deeply it was able to make me feel. As the story progressed, the helplessness ran deep. I truly felt like evil was going to prevail and that no one was safe.

Without spoiling the story, some of the character deaths genuinely hurt. The emotional weight throughout this book is heavy, and Sarah Ready did an incredible job creating an atmosphere where the stakes constantly felt real and overwhelming. Beneath all the darkness, betrayal, and chaos is a powerful underlying message about never losing hope and always embracing the light, even when everything feels impossible.

Mari and Finn’s journey was especially gripping because of how drastically everything changes between them. Watching them stand on opposite sides of the battle added so much tension, heartbreak, and emotional conflict to the story. The world of the conjurers continues to feel dangerous and unpredictable, where alliances shift in an instant and trust is almost impossible to hold onto.

If you enjoy fantasy romance filled with emotional turmoil, morally gray choices, betrayal, heartbreak, and high stakes, this sequel absolutely delivers while keeping you emotionally invested from beginning to end.

Thank you to Netgalley and W.W. Crown for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5/5. It broke my heart. I literally cried after finishing this book, just thinking about it.

It's going to be incredibly difficult to write a review without spoilers, but I'm determined to try, because I don't want to ruin the fun - or heartbreak - for anyone. I will be as vague as possible.

I'm going to start this with explaining why not 5 stars - there are some small inconsistencies that bothered me regarding Mari's actions in spite of Jagger's orders, and her overall abilities - how drained she is after disentangling knots for long periods of time. Also, if you bring back too many people who were supposed to be dead, death kind of loses meaning and there's less dread, less 'oh my god, are they going to make it?'. Ultimately, I'm happy they came back, it lead to some interesting plot twists, but it did also make me care less about any possible danger, because I stopped believing in true consequences. And, the last thing, my feelings about the main couple haven't changed much. It's fine, on some level I want them to find their way to each other, but I don't really care one way or another.

But, that being said, this is one of the most compelling books I've read. I love the lore and the way it's described by our two narrators. The wind being one of them gives a unique perspective into everything. Nobody is omniscient, but we learn a lot of bits and snippets about everyone and get to put the puzzle together.

I had a big problem with the first book being too long for it's own good and full of flowery, useless language that didn't add to the story and repeated itself too much. This one's long, too, but doesn’t feel like a waste of space. Everything is in its place. There are very few repetitions, and most of them serve a purpose and are well-timed. I don't truly know if I've changed or the writing style changed, but I adored it this time.

There's so much drama happening and it's so well-spun that it's unputdownable. If I didn't have a job that takes up most of my time, I would just sit and read without breaks. After spending so much time with these characters in the first book, getting to know them, you can't help but wonder what happens to them. It's such a colorful bunch, each person so intricate and fascinating. If you give me a wide cast of side-characters, this is exactly what I want to feel - I want to be excited to learn more about everyone. And I do, I am.

The plot twists were insane sometimes, in a good way. Not all of them ended up with a happy ending, but all of them were interesting and made me feel things, varying from excitement to heartbreak.

A huge chunk of what I enjoyed most is connected to my favorite character. I won't say their name to avoid spoilers, but the relationship they had with both the narrators was touching, their presence in a scene made me giddy every time, and the tentative side-romance they were part of was beautiful. What happened to them by the end of the book is what ultimately broke me. Enjoy.

As a small detail - I really liked the passenger pidgeon's anecdote. It resonated well with the story.

I really recommend giving this one a try if you're a fan of intrigues, plot twists, impossible choices and huge casts of characters with colorful personalities. Honestly, I'm not that big on some of those, and I loved it, so that should tell you something.

A big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for letting me read the ARC!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think of a jigsaw puzzle. You’ve already got the edges, thanks to the previous book, and now you’re filling in the middle, piece by piece. Gradually, the picture is revealed - but are all the pieces placed correctly? And is the picture actually complete or is it part of a bigger one that’s still unknown?

Puzzle metaphors aside, there’s a lot going on here. It has a different feel from the first book: freed from the confines of the conjurers’ games, the tone is darker, the twists wilder. The battles exist on several levels: not only between illusion and reality and between conjuring families and the inhabitants of Hells Gate, but on a personal level where the darkness within seeks to eclipse the light. It’s still Mari’s story as the only first-person narrator, but I actually found myself less invested in her and Finn, and more interested in the other characters as seen from the perspective of the wind. For me, this was where the writing truly excelled and evoked all the emotions, partly in the descriptions of New York and wider environs, partly in the small moments. A man issuing offhand instructions before entering the stronghold of his adversary. Love stories that are delicate and beautiful and heartwrenching. The wind itself discovering, abruptly and brutally, that it has more of an affinity with human emotions than it ever imagined. All of these moving parts finally come together in a giant, breathless set piece that causes shocks, ties off some threads and leaves others tantalisingly loose. Is it the end? I suspect not, but where these characters go next is a puzzle that’s still obscured.

[Pinki · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Second installment of the My Dear Illusion series. I loved reading the first book, so I was naturally excited to dive into the second. The story picks up right where the first book left off. This time, Mari is a mine now; she is trapped; she has lost her freedom and has become a weapon for Jagger and hell gate. Fynn is a changed man; he is now a Smith, owns the crown, and wields great power. He wants to kill both the conjurer and Mari. This time, the stakes are higher; Mari and Fynn need to figure out how to end this without killing each other and find a way to reach each other.

This book is longer, and it includes a lot of detailed descriptions, though at times it feels a bit excessive. The characters are complex, which I really appreciate. I enjoyed the unique magic system, and the world-building was fascinating. We are introduced to new characters, such as Monsters Under the Bed and Slipshots, and we see more conjurers as well. Through Mari, we learn more about the Mines, which are bound to serve the Hell Gate and Jagger. The plot twist was well-executed, and I liked how Mari and Fynn reached their conclusion.

There were many events taking place, which sometimes left me feeling confused. Not everyone receives a happy ending, and that’s okay, but I felt that some characters who appeared throughout the story had unresolved endings; we don’t know what ultimately happened to them.

Overall, I believe it’s a fantastic sequel to the first book. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend this series.

[Booked & Dreaming · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐3.5-star review:
A big thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of My Beautiful Reality by Sarah Ready! I have to say, I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, the story, characters, and the world are super intriguing! It’s clear a lot is happening, which is why I kept turning the pages. Even during moments when I wasn’t fully hooked, I just had to find out how everything would unfold, especially with all that tension between Mari and Finn.
That said, the writing style didn’t quite click with me. I often found it hard to stay engaged because the book tends to meander a bit too much. I think it’s trying to create an immersive atmosphere, but for me, it had the opposite effect. I found myself losing focus during those sections, which slowed down the pacing. I really feel that if the story were just a bit tighter and more concise, it could have made a bigger impact.
But don’t get me wrong. I still enjoyed reading it! The emotional stakes are definitely there, the world is captivating, and the shifting loyalties between enemies and allies keep things exciting. It’s just not the easiest read at times.
Overall, I think it’s a solid continuation with plenty of strong ideas, but you might need a little patience. I definitely recommend checking out this duology; just go in knowing that it’s a slower, sometimes slightly confusing ride, one that ultimately feels rewarding in the end!

[Lisa A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a big book! I love details and this book certainly delivers. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and was on the edge of my seat at times, although it took me a few chapters to settle in to the writing style - it's very different to what I usually read. Overall, an addictive read with complex characters, a great plot, great world and character building and some unexpected historical references sprinkled throughout. I never expected to be Googling about rubble from Britain being transported to New York while reading a fantasy book! I look forward to more books and maybe, hopefully, another instalment in this series from Sarah Ready.

I recommend you read book one first and note down characters, which family they belong to and the Wind's name for the characters. I read My Dear Illusion before it was published last year and I wish I'd skimmed over the last few chapters again prior to reading this one as I'd forgotten a few important details. There are a lot of characters, each from different families, and the Wind has different names for those characters, so I found it hard to keep track at times.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of the audiobook. My review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

[Stephanie White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this story.

It was defintely different - I came into Book two - and sometimes you can just fall into a book and pick it up, in a series, and kind of know what is going on - but for me that wasn't the case.

I mean I got the big things - people are dead and are either working for "Satan" but then even that is kind of weird -is Jagger Satan? Or they are with God?

I know that their world runs parallel to the human world - but humans can't see them -although some of the characters were beloved by humans?

And then they have "death marks" think Jumanji with the Rock- and after you have so many deaths you become the ultimate bad guy working for Jagger? And if all these folks - the ones working for God and Satan how did they all know each other and then marry in one case?

Even the ending kind of left me itching my head, was this all in her head all this time or was it reality? Because honestly I think it can go either way.

[Lindsey]

DNF at 23%.

I read the first book about 8 months ago and I’m not going to reread it before I start this one. I’ll let you know if I advise this method. Probably not, but let’s see.

Notes while reading.
Yeah the first book needs to be fresh in your mind before u start this one. I’m so lost. I don’t remember the small details or actions of all the characters or who betrayed whom. I remember Mari and Finn and the trials but not the intricate web of backstabbing or alternative motives.


I never know who the wind is talking about and it’s getting old. “The boy” “the man” etc…

On page 75 and still just really confused. Everything is half conversations or talking without actually saying anything.


200 pages in and I am just confused. So bummed bc I enjoyed the first book but I don’t have the patience to sift thru the intricacies of this book.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOW HOW HOW IS THAT THE END!??!

This book was … is? I don’t know but I loved it deeply, and almost as fiercely as I hated some parts too. It’s a love story in the same way Grimm fairy tales and eulogies are, but it’s also a love story like an epic poem.

And the wind.

Oh the wind.


More please.

[Jill (readinginpjs)]

omggg I NEED THIS!!! After finishing My Dear Illusion, I'm left with so many questions & wanting so much more of ALL of these characters 🤯🥹

💫 review of book 1: My Dear Illusion

[Janna Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Beautiful Reality takes the chaos, betrayal, and emotional intensity of the first book and pushes everything to a much darker and more dangerous level. Mari’s struggle after losing her freedom creates such a tense emotional core, especially as she’s forced into becoming a weapon against the people she once cared about. I really enjoyed the shifting dynamics throughout the story, where loyalties constantly change and no one feels entirely trustworthy, making every alliance feel fragile. Finn’s transformation added another layer of tension and heartbreak, especially with the lovers-to-enemies conflict driving much of the emotional weight of the story. The conjurer world continues to feel immersive and unpredictable, filled with secrets, manipulation, and high-stakes confrontations. While some plot turns felt a bit dramatic at times, the emotional conflict and constant sense of danger kept me fully invested. This is an intense and addictive sequel full of betrayal, romance, and chaos that leaves you eager to see what happens next.

[Ali's In Literature · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Bridget Book Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to process. Review coming

[iris [updating reviews]]

The way I rushed to NetGalley the moment I got the notification 😭🙏

[sads · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to NetGalley for the arc - it was a great ending to the duo! the plot was kept me hooked, the characters had me rooting for them but the writing style still wasn't for me :( the pacing was off at parts and it was a bit confusing at times.

[Dima · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The wind sighed and drifted into a crack in the pavement. It curled in on itself, shuddered, and then wept. Was it happiness? Was it grief? Was it joy? Was it sorrow? What did the wind know? Those were human things. Human emotions."

How do you even begin to review the book that made you feel all the feelings the wind did? Do you say that it is the best book you’ve read so far this year? Potentially the best book you’ll read all year? The perfect sequel to another favourite? Do you say this is only the second book to ever make you cry, and it’s been 15 years since the last time that happened? These all seem like empty words that won’t do it justice.
I will say this though: this book combines phenomenal world buildings, complex characters that are so human it hurts, a spectrum of emotions that you cannot help but feel, and the most beautiful and poetic writing. The story is being told from the perspectives of Mari and the wind, each with their own motivation, priorities, and narration style. This book will leave you satisfied and wanting more at the same time, so buckle up!

Going into this book was even more enjoyable the My Dear Illusion - a perfect book in its own right - because you go in knowing the real relationship between the different characters. This is what makes the events have a more profound impact. I cannot wait for the third book to come out!