Life in a Day: Can Wishes Come True?

by Barbara Eberhard

Four friends.
Four wishes.
Four lives.
Forever changed.

An encounter with a gypsy leads four best friends to a place where wishes can come true. But be wary of the consequences...

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2026

About the author

Barbara Eberhard (1962-) has an M.A. in composition theory from Georgetown University, and her original life plan was to be an English professor and write novels. Happily, for her 50th birthday, she accomplished the second of those tasks, self-publishing her first novel, Life Reimagined: A What-If Kind of Love Story.

Reviews

[Meisha Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised to win this in a giveaway. The book title was interesting, and so was the premise behind the book. Four besties hanging out and then going to a gypsy to get their fortune read and then granted one wish each. Their wishes were unanswered questions which were really "what if" glimpses into how their futures could have been. Though the premise was ripe for a great novel, the story fell short for me. It was interesting seeing either their current lives (1 friend) or the "could've been" lives (other 3 friends). The stories flowed well. However, each wish had a consequence portion that they had to watch to get the entire scope of their wish. This is the part that caused the disconnect. It was missing something. It just kept telling the "what if" story, nothing consequential. Nothing that made them believe that the "what if" story would have been better or worse. Also, the ending was surprising, but also lackluster. NO SPOILERS, but the ending could have gone so many more fantastical ways. I think it's a good read - really a 3.5, but bc it was a prize I gave it a 4. I struggled through the book bc of the dullness. However, my favorite part of the book was that all the girlfriends had boy nicknames. That was cute.

[Melissa Strasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received *Life in a Day: Can Wishes Come True?* through a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

The premise immediately hooked me: four lifelong friends each receive one wish that reveals a "what if" version of their lives. It was interesting to see how their choices shaped different futures, and the story flowed well. However, I was left wanting more. The consequences of each wish never felt impactful, and the emotional payoff didn't quite deliver. While the ending was surprising, it felt underwhelming and missed the opportunity to take the story somewhere more memorable.

Overall, this is a unique, thought-provoking concept with a heartfelt message, but the execution fell a bit flat for me. An enjoyable read, just not as compelling as I had hoped.