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Swann Sisters Chronicles #1
Wishful Thinking
How do you ditch your Fairy Godmother?
Philomena Swann needs to find out--and fast. Why? Because Phil and her two sisters are 1/8th Fairy--not enough to give them magical powers but sufficient to rate them a fairy godmother from hell--so reckless with her wand they all live in fear of the birthday wishes she grants.
All Phil wants is to make a wish so small and insignificant it won’t mess up her life. But after a horrible day she accidentally shouts out a wish to speak her mind…and then finds she can’t stop. Between telling everyone exactly what she thinks and trying to deal with her eccentric grandmother who’s been brewing botched love potions to catch herself a man, Phil has her hands full.
When she starts finding out some startling things about the people in her life—such as how her hot and hunky co-worker and best friend Josh really feels about her—Phil knows she’s made a wish that will change her world forever.
If it doesn’t ruin her life first.
Philomena Swann needs to find out--and fast. Why? Because Phil and her two sisters are 1/8th Fairy--not enough to give them magical powers but sufficient to rate them a fairy godmother from hell--so reckless with her wand they all live in fear of the birthday wishes she grants.
All Phil wants is to make a wish so small and insignificant it won’t mess up her life. But after a horrible day she accidentally shouts out a wish to speak her mind…and then finds she can’t stop. Between telling everyone exactly what she thinks and trying to deal with her eccentric grandmother who’s been brewing botched love potions to catch herself a man, Phil has her hands full.
When she starts finding out some startling things about the people in her life—such as how her hot and hunky co-worker and best friend Josh really feels about her—Phil knows she’s made a wish that will change her world forever.
If it doesn’t ruin her life first.
Audible Audio
First published November 18, 2008
167 people are currently reading
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About the author
Evangeline Anderson
297 books5,048 followersEvangeline Anderson is a registered MRI tech who would rather be writing. And yes, she is nerdy enough to have a bumper sticker that says “I’d rather be writing.” Honk if you see her! She is thirty-something and lives in Florida with a husband, a son, and two cats. She had been writing erotic fiction for her own gratification for a number of years before it occurred to her to try and get paid for it. To her delight, she found that it was actually possible to get money for having a dirty mind and she has been writing paranormal and Sci-fi erotica steadily ever since.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
April 5, 2019
3 Really Annoying (some parts cute) stars
Evangeline Anderson is an up and down author for me. Sometimes she can whip up an entertaining read and sometimes, those reads can be REALLY REALLY Annoying.
The overall premise of the book is funny. There’s three sisters and they have a fairy Godmother (not to be confused with their grandmother). But their fairy Godmother isn’t really good on magic because the spells she casts doesn’t go according to plan.
Philomena’s, Phil, birthday is coming up and every year she must make a wish to her fair Godmother. She’s had some bad wishes in the past, like not able to speak her mind and being docile.
Okay, so the problem I had with this book is that the main character, the Heroine wasn’t ever herself because of all of the wishes! The wishes are kind of funny and it always messes up the plans, but she was never her true self and so I couldn’t get into the story.
For example:
Phil is with a horrible boyfriend / fiancé. She’s obviously horrible, but she’s too stupid to do anything about it. I found this too unbelievable. But she’s docile, she never speaks her mind and why wouldn’t her horrible fiancé not leave her? See where I am going with this?
Then the wishes keep on changing.
And Phil keeps on changing and it just makes the book really angsty and annoying to read.
Phil is unhappy throughout the WHOLE book and she can never get a break. Her sister gives her grief, her co-workers give her grief, her fiancé gives her grief, the only person who is good is the Hero, her best friend.
So Josh is a great Hero, he’s kind, a nerd and he does ANTYHING for Phil.
OH and major trigger warning,
Why is there a half naked man on the cover when the book doesn’t get steamy for a long time? I don’t know. I find these books false advertising and really annoying and I wish authors stop doing it.
Towards 60% of the book I speed up the book and I could still understand it because the book is REALLY REALLY REALLY repetitive. Was this book even edited? Phil complains about the same thing over and over and to every person that will listen to her.
I found the female narrator fine. She wasn’t really memorable, but her acting was fine. She didn’t hinder my experience.
Honestly the book could have been edited down 30% because of all of the repetitiveness.
Evangeline Anderson is an up and down author for me. Sometimes she can whip up an entertaining read and sometimes, those reads can be REALLY REALLY Annoying.
The overall premise of the book is funny. There’s three sisters and they have a fairy Godmother (not to be confused with their grandmother). But their fairy Godmother isn’t really good on magic because the spells she casts doesn’t go according to plan.
Philomena’s, Phil, birthday is coming up and every year she must make a wish to her fair Godmother. She’s had some bad wishes in the past, like not able to speak her mind and being docile.
Okay, so the problem I had with this book is that the main character, the Heroine wasn’t ever herself because of all of the wishes! The wishes are kind of funny and it always messes up the plans, but she was never her true self and so I couldn’t get into the story.
For example:
Phil is with a horrible boyfriend / fiancé. She’s obviously horrible, but she’s too stupid to do anything about it. I found this too unbelievable. But she’s docile, she never speaks her mind and why wouldn’t her horrible fiancé not leave her? See where I am going with this?
Then the wishes keep on changing.
And Phil keeps on changing and it just makes the book really angsty and annoying to read.
Phil is unhappy throughout the WHOLE book and she can never get a break. Her sister gives her grief, her co-workers give her grief, her fiancé gives her grief, the only person who is good is the Hero, her best friend.
So Josh is a great Hero, he’s kind, a nerd and he does ANTYHING for Phil.
OH and major trigger warning,
Why is there a half naked man on the cover when the book doesn’t get steamy for a long time? I don’t know. I find these books false advertising and really annoying and I wish authors stop doing it.
Towards 60% of the book I speed up the book and I could still understand it because the book is REALLY REALLY REALLY repetitive. Was this book even edited? Phil complains about the same thing over and over and to every person that will listen to her.
I found the female narrator fine. She wasn’t really memorable, but her acting was fine. She didn’t hinder my experience.
Honestly the book could have been edited down 30% because of all of the repetitiveness.
October 14, 2018
I liked it. A bit of Charmed mixed with Liar, Liar, the books plays out like a TV dramedy and for a Sunday afternoon, it suited me fine. There are cringey moments, and frustrations with the heroine’s tendency towards wishy-washiness (though it is justified by the way her Fairy Godmother’s interference in her life, which affected her personality and even her physical looks). The Firsts are what held me back from rating this higher, since there are questionable things that happen during it all. But if you're into light and airy bit of magic with your wacky romances, you may enjoy this.
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January 11, 2010
"Wouldn't it be great to have a fairy godmother? The Swann Sisters would disagree. Every year, at the minute of their births, they must each make a wish. And nearly every year, these wishes go wildly wrong as their fairy godmother (annoyed that the sisters are only an eighth fairy) twists their wishes to have unanticipated consequences. On top of that, their fairy godmother recited rhymes at each of the sisters' births that completely shaped their looks and personalities. Philomena (Phil) Swann's rhyme left her with ""a lamb's mild nature"", never making waves. When she wishes that she could really speak her mind, the consequences of that wish will change her life forever - but for better? Or for worse?[return][return]I wish I could remember what inspired me to pick up this ebook at Books on Board. Maybe it was just that I was shopping with that fresh new ebook reader feeling. Whatever the reason, I'm glad I bought the book, because it was such a surprise and a delight - I found myself laughing out loud more than once. Evangeline Anderson's writing is smooth and, once you pick up the basics in the first chapter or two, her clever story sweeps you along with a perfect balance of humor and steam. Recommended - and I'm already looking forward to the next book!"
September 9, 2023
I thought it was funny and sweet. This book had me laughing out loud several times, and I almost had tears in my eyes at one point.
Josh, the hero, was super dreamy, and it was cute to see him try to hide his feelings for Philomena.
I'm too tired to write more, but I am excited to read Cass's book and disappointed Evangeline's muse didn't make her write a third book. I realize she has a thing for men's smells because, in the Kindred books, it's a big deal: their Bonding scents.
I'm glad I like her books even when they're not about aliens, lol.
The only things I didn't like were some typos, the previous love interest never being able to find the heroine's clit, "not even with a flashlight and a map", (she uses a similar phrase in all her books), and the slight slut shaming.
Josh, the hero, was super dreamy, and it was cute to see him try to hide his feelings for Philomena.
I'm too tired to write more, but I am excited to read Cass's book and disappointed Evangeline's muse didn't make her write a third book. I realize she has a thing for men's smells because, in the Kindred books, it's a big deal: their Bonding scents.
I'm glad I like her books even when they're not about aliens, lol.
The only things I didn't like were some typos, the previous love interest never being able to find the heroine's clit, "not even with a flashlight and a map", (she uses a similar phrase in all her books), and the slight slut shaming.
October 10, 2018
3.5 stars
July 21, 2020
A light and fun read.
March 5, 2015
If I didn't find this parts of this book hilarious, I would have rated it 1 star. The plot was okay and predictable, and the characters were completely flat and boring.
This is one of Anderson's earlier works, and it definitely shows in the writing. It was forced and not very good.
What I liked was that it was a light read, and that I got the comedy which I was expecting (from reading the blurb).
This is one of Anderson's earlier works, and it definitely shows in the writing. It was forced and not very good.
What I liked was that it was a light read, and that I got the comedy which I was expecting (from reading the blurb).
December 10, 2019
There were things about this book that were positively delightful. So much so that I wondered to myself why it is that it’s been so long since I’ve read a book by Evangeline Anderson - someone whose work I know I used to really love. So I gave this book a chance and I was happily reminded of all the reasons why I was just a little addicted to Anderson for a while. But of course, as these things go, I was also reminded of why I got bloody sick of her as well (similar reasons I believe, to why I also got violently sick of Eve Langlais - only it was worse with her).
These are why we can’t have nice things (in no particular order):
1. The “curvey”/BBW cliché
I really don’t care what size my heroine is, or how much she weighs - I like to be made aware of what she looks like but I don’t want it constantly rubbed in my face. Because I. Don’t. Care. It really doesn’t matter to me if she’s a size 0 or a size 16. It’s not important to me beyond knowing initially just so I have a full picture of what she looks like.
Now Anderson really isn’t so bad with this, but there are many pitfalls to this cliché. It’s not just the constant obsession with body image, it’s:
Thinking less of herself, even on a subconscious level, just because of her size
Frigging, what the hell are you trying to say about all the other people who are a similar size to this? That they should be ashamed too? Of course, fair’s fair; the opposite of this also gets on my nerves - where she’s so confident about it as to be over compensating. So everything is about protesting too loudly that she’s sexy no matter what she wears - she could wear a potato sack and still walk the bloody runway. Why can’t we just have someone normal? Why does it have to be that if someone’s looking at her it either has to be that they’re judging her or they’re just so wildly jealous of her that they simply must be frothing up at the mouth on the inside? If she’s “curvey”, why does her size always have to define her?
Projecting that insecurity onto other people and assuming they’re equating her worth as a person to her size
I just touched on this very briefly, but is it such a bogus idea that maybe some people, other than the hero who’s scripted to fall in love with her no matter what, just don’t care what size she wears? That they might think she’s great just because she’s smart, or funny or even just generally pleasant to be around? Anderson makes her secondary characters flat when she succumbs to this - as though something as arbitrary as what size someone wears should be the be all and end all of others’ opinion of them.
Using those projections to skinny-shame
What the actual hell?! Why are so many of these authors who use this sub-genre so susceptible to this poisonous cycle? If she’s fuller figured, it must be that something’s wrong. And the world is to blame. The media, who makes us all feel like we’re less for not looking exactly like Victoria Secret models permanently confined to keto-diets, is the Devil. Only we shouldn’t ignore it and move on with our lives because no one is actually expecting us to look exactly like ballerinas who exercise 3 times a day and count calories - not even models, which is why they have air brushing - we should treat it like the over inflated institution it is and give it more power by paying as much attention to it as possible. Internalize it, let it propagate like a disease then try to spread it to other people who maybe don’t care what they look like, are health enthusiasts because it makes them happy and physically feel good, or can’t help being slim or skinny because it’s just in their genetics. If you don’t like the institution, why would you give it power like this? If you don’t want people to be shallow and insensitive; don’t want them to find fault with things that really just don‘t matter as long as you’re healthy and you physically feel ok, don’t want people to have the unmitigated audacity to fat shame you, then why the hell would you turn all that on somebody else and skinny shame them?! Frigging don’t perpetuate problems!
2. TSTL heroines
Now for the sake of this rant I think I should re-establish: the reason humanity has even been able to survive this long - survive hunting and gathering in the frigging iron age, competition by other hominid species, the frigging Ice Age, while everybody else died out is because (among a couple other things) we’re not just able to adapt, we were built for it.
With that in mind, explain to me how this moron of a heroine and her younger moron sisters made it to 25 suffering a birthday wish every year up to this point, but none of them have yet learned that they need to be careful how they word things when talking to full-blooded fairies. No. They think rather than exercising any actual brian power being specific in their wording, they’ll just wish for something simple every year, use colloquial language and implication in their speech because it’s what they’re used to, and hope their wretched swine of a fairy godmother who obviously doesn’t give a rat’s backside about any of them despite having known them all their lives takes the energy to read between the lines to give them what they actually want .
This kind of behaviour I’d understand from small children wanting to avoid, and hence are in denial of, the pressure of being held responsible for their actions and are desperate for affection from someone who’s supposed to care about them. Not adults who’ve gone through this excrement year after year with the proof that this woman hates them for her own reasons and is always going to hate them, and so should realize that they need to act in their best interests to protect themselves. There was no feasible reason for this foolishness, not even denial - which they made it quite clear they weren’t suffering from - so it’s just poor writing for convenience of the plot.
What’s worse, the heroine exclusively blamed the fairy godmother for her problems - as though her own culpability in this is such a radical concept as to be preposterous. So that made me hate her a little.
Then of course there was the whole bury-food-in-the-backyard-right-next-to-where-she-buried-the-love-potion fiasco, but it was asinine and I don’t feel like getting into it.
3. The author’s ignorance and small-mindedness which here expressed themselves in three ways:
3a. Borderline homophobia
There was a gay secondary character. He was treated fairly well in the novel - Anderson made him the most gorgeous guy the heroine had ever seen, she thought well of him for being very professional, and he was in line to get a huge promotion that very few people in that company could get. So far so good. But then Anderson ruins all of that because it turns out she only used those things to play up the shock value for when he was forced to “come out” as gay. Like his sexual orientation is so appalling and terrible. Why was this treated this way?! Anderson doesn’t even have the passive excuse of this book being published before wave of awareness and acceptance of the LGBTQ community. This was published in frigging 2018 - where do you get off making a spectacle of who this man chooses to date?! It’s none of anyone’s business, it doesn’t particularly matter either way for anyone but him in fairly specific situations, and it doesn’t define him any more than being straight should define the heroine.
3b. Judging niche followings
Something else that was used purely for shock value: the heroine’s immediate boss was a “furry”. Now I’m not fond of this genre myself, but it is a very popular niche full of quite passionate people - all of whom Anderson risked offending by making the characters sound like they knew next to nothing about it every time it was brought up, and like they were thoroughly disgusted all the same. Dickson being a furry doesn’t make him a bad person. Dickson being sexist, piggy-backing off other people’s hard work to avoid any effort of his own, and delighting in sexual harassment make him a bad person.
3c. Slut shaming
A woman in the heroine’s office named Alison was apparently conventionally pretty, had a body that’s celebrated by the media as being near ideal in this century, liked high heels and liked to dress to show those things off. So of course the woman must be a witch. Time to hunt.
I had several issues with this. Nothing is wrong with 5 or even 6 inch heels as long as the platforms aren’t prominent enough to be inappropriate for an office environment and you can walk in them. Nothing is wrong with dressing fashionably or to accentuate your body type - that doesn’t automatically make you shallow or slutty or even overly materialistic. I will admit that showing your bra in the work space is inappropriate and having a skirt that ends more than halfway up your thighs would be as well, but nothing is wrong with a woman wanting to dress in a way that makes her feel good about herself or wanting to accentuate the things she likes about her body (as long as she’s not too naked in the office). Why the did this automatically make her a slut? Why, just because aesthetically she mirrors physical ideals for this century and dresses to accentuate it, does she have to be a slut? And why, even if she does actually like to explore her options for sexual partners, does that automatically mean she must have daddy issues?! Why is her sexual history even anyone’s business?! Nothing is wrong if she likes to sleep around! She’s a free woman; it’s her business - it’s fine as long as she’s enjoying herself and no one is getting hurt!
To knock even more holes into this crumbling foundation, the heroine turned around and did the same things Anderson was making her judge Alison for. Apparently Alison’s so terrible and slutty for dressing in fashionable clothes that show a little more skin and she (rather inappropriately) propositions men at work, but the heroine is being daring to try on bikinis (so scandalous!) and other swimsuits that are more string than material, and having loud oral intercourse in very public changing rooms.
Frigging hypocrisy.
This actually makes me so sick. Why do these female authors keep finding reasons to slander other women? It’s sexist and hateful. I hated this caricature of a character and I most certainly did not think it was funny if that was what Anderson was aiming for.
4. The unnecessary disparity in character between the love interest and the heroine’s initial fiancé
This seems to be a thing now where authors go the extra mile to make the male competition look like absolute scum to emphasize what a paragon the love interest is. Obviously this makes for much flatter characters - because how could it not when the entirety of the other guy’s characterization is lying, cheating, selfish, sexist, patronizing opportunist with a superiority complex. And as much as I should have more of a problem with this (and for some authors I do, but Anderson just knows how to sell these to me so I find it hard to really complain), paragon love interests whose only flaw is that they’re a bit indulgent with their libido when it comes to the heroine - and let’s be real, this is a romance novel so that’s not really a flaw - are just as flat. It’s poor writing but it makes it look like the authors have no faith in their main guys. Like they need to make the other guy look worse than the dirt on the bottom of my shoe to really sell the love interest. Believe it or not, I don’t need the other guy to be a serial rapist for me to want a guy who’s considerate, good looking, screws like an animal and stands up for the heroine.
5. The author dating the work by demonstrating ignorance of general modernity
It happens all the time but it gets on my nerves when authors show their ages with anachronisms because they can’t be bothered to really keep up with the times if only for the sake of the novel. So they’ll have really dated slang all over the place and constantly make characters wink at each other. GOD DELIVER ME FROM PEOPLE WINKING AT EACH OTHER! For Christ’s sake, I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone, in real life or in any kind of media other than these bloody novels where all the authors seem to be exchanging notes at weekly meetings over wine, honest to goodness wink at anyone else for any reason other than to be exaggeratedly ironic. And even that is exceedingly rare. Stop it.
Or, as in this book, they’ll have character inexplicably use really outdated technology.
Do you really expect me to believe that in this day and age where people are obsessed with owning the newest things, even if they cost upwards of $1000USD and they know they can’t afford them - what’s worse in a country like the United States where companies are obsessed with inventing the next amazing thing for the technological market so they can frolic in the ensuing excrement storm of capitalism, that anyone is going to contentedly be using an iPod Nano? For any reason at all?
I don’t buy it.
So how, in the face of all these things that will be repeat offenses across many Anderson novels, do I manage to have a bit of an addiction for her work?
Because Anderson knows how to deliver:
1. Her love interests are almost always fantastic.
They basically always epitomize the physical traits that make me weak: very tall and muscular (with the added bonus thrown in of a short heroine), they’re generally quite good looking, they’re usually considerate and reliable and just great people all around. It’s genuinely hard for me not to love them even if they aren’t complex characters.
2. Height difference between the H and h.
It’s worth mentioning twice.
3. Anderson has some good lines sometimes that I actually find hilarious.
4. Her love scenes are usually fairly hot.
They’re descriptive and I know what’s going on, she mostly doesn’t ruin her own sexual momentum, and she makes me believe that the girl is really enjoying herself (rather than the scene being a glorified excuse to use purple language to give the novel more of a “romantic” feel) and that the guy genuinely wants to connect with her and please her.
5. Dirty talk.
Yes, thank you.
6. She sells the chemistry between the characters.
I believe it well enough that the sexual tension makes me actually breathless sometimes - and for me that can be quite hard to find. It’s a little embarrassing and I live for every second of it.
That is how even while she does junk terrible enough to make me so angry I tingle, I still give her a 3 star rating with fond memories to keep bringing me back. I recognize that some of the things I love about Anderson’s work are quite specific so they won’t do it for everyone, but the combination and her execution really do it for me...at least until the first 5 things I listed get on my nerves too much and I need a break from her again for another few years.
Tl;dr: A bunch of stuff in this novel (and in Anderson’s work in general) is really offensive, ignorant and anachronistic...but it’s hot, so what can you do?
These are why we can’t have nice things (in no particular order):
1. The “curvey”/BBW cliché
I really don’t care what size my heroine is, or how much she weighs - I like to be made aware of what she looks like but I don’t want it constantly rubbed in my face. Because I. Don’t. Care. It really doesn’t matter to me if she’s a size 0 or a size 16. It’s not important to me beyond knowing initially just so I have a full picture of what she looks like.
Now Anderson really isn’t so bad with this, but there are many pitfalls to this cliché. It’s not just the constant obsession with body image, it’s:
Thinking less of herself, even on a subconscious level, just because of her size
Frigging, what the hell are you trying to say about all the other people who are a similar size to this? That they should be ashamed too? Of course, fair’s fair; the opposite of this also gets on my nerves - where she’s so confident about it as to be over compensating. So everything is about protesting too loudly that she’s sexy no matter what she wears - she could wear a potato sack and still walk the bloody runway. Why can’t we just have someone normal? Why does it have to be that if someone’s looking at her it either has to be that they’re judging her or they’re just so wildly jealous of her that they simply must be frothing up at the mouth on the inside? If she’s “curvey”, why does her size always have to define her?
Projecting that insecurity onto other people and assuming they’re equating her worth as a person to her size
I just touched on this very briefly, but is it such a bogus idea that maybe some people, other than the hero who’s scripted to fall in love with her no matter what, just don’t care what size she wears? That they might think she’s great just because she’s smart, or funny or even just generally pleasant to be around? Anderson makes her secondary characters flat when she succumbs to this - as though something as arbitrary as what size someone wears should be the be all and end all of others’ opinion of them.
Using those projections to skinny-shame
What the actual hell?! Why are so many of these authors who use this sub-genre so susceptible to this poisonous cycle? If she’s fuller figured, it must be that something’s wrong. And the world is to blame. The media, who makes us all feel like we’re less for not looking exactly like Victoria Secret models permanently confined to keto-diets, is the Devil. Only we shouldn’t ignore it and move on with our lives because no one is actually expecting us to look exactly like ballerinas who exercise 3 times a day and count calories - not even models, which is why they have air brushing - we should treat it like the over inflated institution it is and give it more power by paying as much attention to it as possible. Internalize it, let it propagate like a disease then try to spread it to other people who maybe don’t care what they look like, are health enthusiasts because it makes them happy and physically feel good, or can’t help being slim or skinny because it’s just in their genetics. If you don’t like the institution, why would you give it power like this? If you don’t want people to be shallow and insensitive; don’t want them to find fault with things that really just don‘t matter as long as you’re healthy and you physically feel ok, don’t want people to have the unmitigated audacity to fat shame you, then why the hell would you turn all that on somebody else and skinny shame them?! Frigging don’t perpetuate problems!
2. TSTL heroines
Now for the sake of this rant I think I should re-establish: the reason humanity has even been able to survive this long - survive hunting and gathering in the frigging iron age, competition by other hominid species, the frigging Ice Age, while everybody else died out is because (among a couple other things) we’re not just able to adapt, we were built for it.
With that in mind, explain to me how this moron of a heroine and her younger moron sisters made it to 25 suffering a birthday wish every year up to this point, but none of them have yet learned that they need to be careful how they word things when talking to full-blooded fairies. No. They think rather than exercising any actual brian power being specific in their wording, they’ll just wish for something simple every year, use colloquial language and implication in their speech because it’s what they’re used to, and hope their wretched swine of a fairy godmother who obviously doesn’t give a rat’s backside about any of them despite having known them all their lives takes the energy to read between the lines to give them what they actually want .
This kind of behaviour I’d understand from small children wanting to avoid, and hence are in denial of, the pressure of being held responsible for their actions and are desperate for affection from someone who’s supposed to care about them. Not adults who’ve gone through this excrement year after year with the proof that this woman hates them for her own reasons and is always going to hate them, and so should realize that they need to act in their best interests to protect themselves. There was no feasible reason for this foolishness, not even denial - which they made it quite clear they weren’t suffering from - so it’s just poor writing for convenience of the plot.
What’s worse, the heroine exclusively blamed the fairy godmother for her problems - as though her own culpability in this is such a radical concept as to be preposterous. So that made me hate her a little.
Then of course there was the whole bury-food-in-the-backyard-right-next-to-where-she-buried-the-love-potion fiasco, but it was asinine and I don’t feel like getting into it.
3. The author’s ignorance and small-mindedness which here expressed themselves in three ways:
3a. Borderline homophobia
There was a gay secondary character. He was treated fairly well in the novel - Anderson made him the most gorgeous guy the heroine had ever seen, she thought well of him for being very professional, and he was in line to get a huge promotion that very few people in that company could get. So far so good. But then Anderson ruins all of that because it turns out she only used those things to play up the shock value for when he was forced to “come out” as gay. Like his sexual orientation is so appalling and terrible. Why was this treated this way?! Anderson doesn’t even have the passive excuse of this book being published before wave of awareness and acceptance of the LGBTQ community. This was published in frigging 2018 - where do you get off making a spectacle of who this man chooses to date?! It’s none of anyone’s business, it doesn’t particularly matter either way for anyone but him in fairly specific situations, and it doesn’t define him any more than being straight should define the heroine.
3b. Judging niche followings
Something else that was used purely for shock value: the heroine’s immediate boss was a “furry”. Now I’m not fond of this genre myself, but it is a very popular niche full of quite passionate people - all of whom Anderson risked offending by making the characters sound like they knew next to nothing about it every time it was brought up, and like they were thoroughly disgusted all the same. Dickson being a furry doesn’t make him a bad person. Dickson being sexist, piggy-backing off other people’s hard work to avoid any effort of his own, and delighting in sexual harassment make him a bad person.
3c. Slut shaming
A woman in the heroine’s office named Alison was apparently conventionally pretty, had a body that’s celebrated by the media as being near ideal in this century, liked high heels and liked to dress to show those things off. So of course the woman must be a witch. Time to hunt.
I had several issues with this. Nothing is wrong with 5 or even 6 inch heels as long as the platforms aren’t prominent enough to be inappropriate for an office environment and you can walk in them. Nothing is wrong with dressing fashionably or to accentuate your body type - that doesn’t automatically make you shallow or slutty or even overly materialistic. I will admit that showing your bra in the work space is inappropriate and having a skirt that ends more than halfway up your thighs would be as well, but nothing is wrong with a woman wanting to dress in a way that makes her feel good about herself or wanting to accentuate the things she likes about her body (as long as she’s not too naked in the office). Why the did this automatically make her a slut? Why, just because aesthetically she mirrors physical ideals for this century and dresses to accentuate it, does she have to be a slut? And why, even if she does actually like to explore her options for sexual partners, does that automatically mean she must have daddy issues?! Why is her sexual history even anyone’s business?! Nothing is wrong if she likes to sleep around! She’s a free woman; it’s her business - it’s fine as long as she’s enjoying herself and no one is getting hurt!
To knock even more holes into this crumbling foundation, the heroine turned around and did the same things Anderson was making her judge Alison for. Apparently Alison’s so terrible and slutty for dressing in fashionable clothes that show a little more skin and she (rather inappropriately) propositions men at work, but the heroine is being daring to try on bikinis (so scandalous!) and other swimsuits that are more string than material, and having loud oral intercourse in very public changing rooms.
Frigging hypocrisy.
This actually makes me so sick. Why do these female authors keep finding reasons to slander other women? It’s sexist and hateful. I hated this caricature of a character and I most certainly did not think it was funny if that was what Anderson was aiming for.
4. The unnecessary disparity in character between the love interest and the heroine’s initial fiancé
This seems to be a thing now where authors go the extra mile to make the male competition look like absolute scum to emphasize what a paragon the love interest is. Obviously this makes for much flatter characters - because how could it not when the entirety of the other guy’s characterization is lying, cheating, selfish, sexist, patronizing opportunist with a superiority complex. And as much as I should have more of a problem with this (and for some authors I do, but Anderson just knows how to sell these to me so I find it hard to really complain), paragon love interests whose only flaw is that they’re a bit indulgent with their libido when it comes to the heroine - and let’s be real, this is a romance novel so that’s not really a flaw - are just as flat. It’s poor writing but it makes it look like the authors have no faith in their main guys. Like they need to make the other guy look worse than the dirt on the bottom of my shoe to really sell the love interest. Believe it or not, I don’t need the other guy to be a serial rapist for me to want a guy who’s considerate, good looking, screws like an animal and stands up for the heroine.
5. The author dating the work by demonstrating ignorance of general modernity
It happens all the time but it gets on my nerves when authors show their ages with anachronisms because they can’t be bothered to really keep up with the times if only for the sake of the novel. So they’ll have really dated slang all over the place and constantly make characters wink at each other. GOD DELIVER ME FROM PEOPLE WINKING AT EACH OTHER! For Christ’s sake, I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone, in real life or in any kind of media other than these bloody novels where all the authors seem to be exchanging notes at weekly meetings over wine, honest to goodness wink at anyone else for any reason other than to be exaggeratedly ironic. And even that is exceedingly rare. Stop it.
Or, as in this book, they’ll have character inexplicably use really outdated technology.
Do you really expect me to believe that in this day and age where people are obsessed with owning the newest things, even if they cost upwards of $1000USD and they know they can’t afford them - what’s worse in a country like the United States where companies are obsessed with inventing the next amazing thing for the technological market so they can frolic in the ensuing excrement storm of capitalism, that anyone is going to contentedly be using an iPod Nano? For any reason at all?
I don’t buy it.
So how, in the face of all these things that will be repeat offenses across many Anderson novels, do I manage to have a bit of an addiction for her work?
Because Anderson knows how to deliver:
1. Her love interests are almost always fantastic.
They basically always epitomize the physical traits that make me weak: very tall and muscular (with the added bonus thrown in of a short heroine), they’re generally quite good looking, they’re usually considerate and reliable and just great people all around. It’s genuinely hard for me not to love them even if they aren’t complex characters.
2. Height difference between the H and h.
It’s worth mentioning twice.
3. Anderson has some good lines sometimes that I actually find hilarious.
“He rubbed his chin, making a sandpapery sound and pretended to consider. “Well, she was pretty hot but I was kind of afraid my grandma would make me wear one of the little sparkly ‘birthday’ tiaras all the other girls were wearing and you know I’m just not the tiara wearing type.” He gestured to the apron. “This is about as girly as I get—sorry if that ruins your image of me as a domestic goddess.”
4. Her love scenes are usually fairly hot.
They’re descriptive and I know what’s going on, she mostly doesn’t ruin her own sexual momentum, and she makes me believe that the girl is really enjoying herself (rather than the scene being a glorified excuse to use purple language to give the novel more of a “romantic” feel) and that the guy genuinely wants to connect with her and please her.
5. Dirty talk.
Yes, thank you.
6. She sells the chemistry between the characters.
I believe it well enough that the sexual tension makes me actually breathless sometimes - and for me that can be quite hard to find. It’s a little embarrassing and I live for every second of it.
That is how even while she does junk terrible enough to make me so angry I tingle, I still give her a 3 star rating with fond memories to keep bringing me back. I recognize that some of the things I love about Anderson’s work are quite specific so they won’t do it for everyone, but the combination and her execution really do it for me...at least until the first 5 things I listed get on my nerves too much and I need a break from her again for another few years.
Tl;dr: A bunch of stuff in this novel (and in Anderson’s work in general) is really offensive, ignorant and anachronistic...but it’s hot, so what can you do?
September 5, 2019
Unlike the last book I read, this one have very few good points and a lot of things I didn't like.
Let's start with the good ones. It's going to be quick : there are only two of them. First, the hero, Josh, was a great one : kind, caring, sweet, and yet very strong and male, I really liked him. He was just a tad bit too perfect, but I'll forgive him. I'm nice that way. And he deserved better than that, by the way.
The other thing I liked was the pitch : the idea of getting screwed over by a lazy fairy godmother was a great one. It's a pity it was so poorly executed, because it had a great potential.
Then with the bad. The main character was awful. She went from doormat to bitchy to lost little lamb so fast my head hurts. And the "but-it-was-only-the-wish" excuse does'nt apply. The wish made her show her true self and it wasn't pretty. I liked her younger sister ok, but the other one was kinda bitchy and the grandma just plain silly... as all the supposed-to-be-funny scenes with her lousy attempts at magic.
Finally, the other characters were just plain caricatures. Between the pervert boss, the slutty and the silly colleague, the heroin is in good company. But the hero deserved so much better.
1.5 stars
Let's start with the good ones. It's going to be quick : there are only two of them. First, the hero, Josh, was a great one : kind, caring, sweet, and yet very strong and male, I really liked him. He was just a tad bit too perfect, but I'll forgive him. I'm nice that way. And he deserved better than that, by the way.
The other thing I liked was the pitch : the idea of getting screwed over by a lazy fairy godmother was a great one. It's a pity it was so poorly executed, because it had a great potential.
Then with the bad. The main character was awful. She went from doormat to bitchy to lost little lamb so fast my head hurts. And the "but-it-was-only-the-wish" excuse does'nt apply. The wish made her show her true self and it wasn't pretty. I liked her younger sister ok, but the other one was kinda bitchy and the grandma just plain silly... as all the supposed-to-be-funny scenes with her lousy attempts at magic.
Finally, the other characters were just plain caricatures. Between the pervert boss, the slutty and the silly colleague, the heroin is in good company. But the hero deserved so much better.
1.5 stars
October 1, 2018
A Maliciously Obedient Fairy Godmother – Too Funny!!
Philomena (Phil) has a birthday coming up. She is nervous as she and her sisters are 1/8th fairy and must each have an annual birthday wish granted by their fairy godmother. Except wishes granted always go “wrong”.
Phil has been engaged to Christian for 4 years, helped put him through law school and is ready for “her turn” now that he has a good job. Phil has a crappy paralegal job where her best friend Josh works, and that’s about the only good thing about working there.
When Phil goes from a “meek lamb” to saying everything she thinks she gets into much hot water. When the wish is “reversed” things do not improve. Can Phil resolve her punitive wish granting and find the right direction for her heart?
Humor, fireworks and some well-deserved karma can be found within!!
*** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book ***
Philomena (Phil) has a birthday coming up. She is nervous as she and her sisters are 1/8th fairy and must each have an annual birthday wish granted by their fairy godmother. Except wishes granted always go “wrong”.
Phil has been engaged to Christian for 4 years, helped put him through law school and is ready for “her turn” now that he has a good job. Phil has a crappy paralegal job where her best friend Josh works, and that’s about the only good thing about working there.
When Phil goes from a “meek lamb” to saying everything she thinks she gets into much hot water. When the wish is “reversed” things do not improve. Can Phil resolve her punitive wish granting and find the right direction for her heart?
Humor, fireworks and some well-deserved karma can be found within!!
*** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book ***
October 2, 2018
What another amazing story that has been brought to us. I can already tell that this is going to be one amazing series and I can not wait to read about the other sisters.
I felt sorry for Phil. She did not have much fairy in her but enough to curse her with a fairy godmother. Yeah I said curse. Every year she had to made a birthday wish and every year it seemed to go wrong. Things had to be worded just right.
Now let me to you there was so many things that happen in this story that made me die laughing especially the grandmother.
I could not stand Christian in this book. You want to shake Phil but thank god for happy endings
Who could not help but fall in love with Phil’s best friend Josh. He was like the perfect guy and he could truly make you swoon. I loved the attention he paid to Phil.
This was a great story and glad I got to read the book.
I felt sorry for Phil. She did not have much fairy in her but enough to curse her with a fairy godmother. Yeah I said curse. Every year she had to made a birthday wish and every year it seemed to go wrong. Things had to be worded just right.
Now let me to you there was so many things that happen in this story that made me die laughing especially the grandmother.
I could not stand Christian in this book. You want to shake Phil but thank god for happy endings
Who could not help but fall in love with Phil’s best friend Josh. He was like the perfect guy and he could truly make you swoon. I loved the attention he paid to Phil.
This was a great story and glad I got to read the book.
January 29, 2018
I wasn't sure what I expected when I picked this up a few years ago for a few pounds but after a considerable time lost in the ether of my kindle, I finally read it. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how funny this book was, I found myself laughing out loud in some parts. Perhaps it sheer surprise as facing humour from an erotica but it was pleasant to say the least.
To be honest, I don't actually know what I liked about it since it was pretty predictable, there is no character development and for an erotica, it wasn't exactly 'steamy' but I hardly think this is a book you'd read for literary genius but if you're looking for a quick flick that might drag one or two uprisings chuckles out of you then this might be for you.
To be honest, I don't actually know what I liked about it since it was pretty predictable, there is no character development and for an erotica, it wasn't exactly 'steamy' but I hardly think this is a book you'd read for literary genius but if you're looking for a quick flick that might drag one or two uprisings chuckles out of you then this might be for you.
October 2, 2024
Philomena (Phil) & Josh
This book made me laugh out loud. Stop everything I was doing, and force other people to listen to a quote, and was all around a feel-good book, aside from one biggish issue. The MC is in a serious, committed, long-term engagement with another man for the majority of the book.
Also, I hated that Philomena was called Phil throughout most of the book. Phil is such a dude's name to me and it often brought me up short.
Of course, we know he's no good for her, of course we know she's going to end up with Mr. Right, but it still rubbed me the wrong way.
Triggers: cheating
This book made me laugh out loud. Stop everything I was doing, and force other people to listen to a quote, and was all around a feel-good book, aside from one biggish issue. The MC is in a serious, committed, long-term engagement with another man for the majority of the book.
Also, I hated that Philomena was called Phil throughout most of the book. Phil is such a dude's name to me and it often brought me up short.
Of course, we know he's no good for her, of course we know she's going to end up with Mr. Right, but it still rubbed me the wrong way.
Triggers: cheating
January 14, 2019
That was all sorts of hilarious.
A fast-paced funny story, a hero/love interest that’s actually a nice guy (so rare!!!), and a lazy and petulant Fairy Godmother...
I have to forgive Phil for being a major doormat in the beginning, since it’s clear the FG’s stupid ‘blessings’ didn’t allow her to be anything else. Once that’s lifted by the dreaded birthday wish, Philomena becomes a very likable person.
The wish-induced hijinks are just too funny.
“Open mouth...insert foot.”
That just about covers it.
A fast-paced funny story, a hero/love interest that’s actually a nice guy (so rare!!!), and a lazy and petulant Fairy Godmother...
I have to forgive Phil for being a major doormat in the beginning, since it’s clear the FG’s stupid ‘blessings’ didn’t allow her to be anything else. Once that’s lifted by the dreaded birthday wish, Philomena becomes a very likable person.
The wish-induced hijinks are just too funny.
“Open mouth...insert foot.”
That just about covers it.
March 2, 2023
Second-hand embarrassment, a novel.
That's it. That's the whole book.
I wanted a goofy silly romance book with a magical twist and all I got was the most embarrassing book of all time. Every scene had me cringing away from the page.
I did not care about any of the characters, they are all idiots, aside from the poor main character who just needs to hop into another book because she deserved none of this.
Also, her grandmother? Jail, straight to jail. That woman was a menace and I hated her with all my heart.
That's it. That's the whole book.
I wanted a goofy silly romance book with a magical twist and all I got was the most embarrassing book of all time. Every scene had me cringing away from the page.
I did not care about any of the characters, they are all idiots, aside from the poor main character who just needs to hop into another book because she deserved none of this.
Also, her grandmother? Jail, straight to jail. That woman was a menace and I hated her with all my heart.
September 30, 2018
This story is so hilarious! From the beginning the FG messes with Phil’s wish leaving her in a bind that’s serious at times, hilarious at times, romantic at times, and sexy sometimes too. Josh is the ideal Prince Charming and understands more than her fiancé and truly loves her. Their story is fantastic and I cannot wait to see what happens with Cass and Rory.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 2, 2018
by Jeanne Mead
Phil and her sisters try to balance the crazy with the mundane in their day to day not so normal lives.
Josh has been Phil's " everything good" in her world of unexpected chaos.
Sometimes your vision of what you think you want is blocking what you really need.
Whimsical and full of laugh out loud moments!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
October 2, 2018
I really enjoyed this story of Phil and Josh. Josh was everything a girl would want in a best friend and a partner and the chemistry between them was amazing! I loved the scene at the park. Oh my! The cast of supporting characters including Phil’s nana, Phil’s sisters, the dreadful Christian and the staff at BB&D were well developed and added another layer to the story. An enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 10, 2018
This was such a great read. I laughed out loud more times than I can count. The heroine was stuck in a crappy relationship but couldn't justify leaving.
Well, then she makes a wish that throws her whole world upside down!
I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down! Can't wait to read the next sisters book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Well, then she makes a wish that throws her whole world upside down!
I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down! Can't wait to read the next sisters book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 29, 2018
This is the first book in the wonderful Swann Sisters Chronicles and I'm hooked. The idea of having a Fairy Godmother to grant a birthday wish might sound like a good idea, but nothing could be further from the truth. This book is steamy hot and kept me turning the pages right to the end so I could see where it would lead me. I can't wait to see what happens to Phil's sisters! Book two here I come.
December 23, 2019
This book has a very interesting premise. You're very godmother who doesn't like you very much forcing you to take a wish you don't want every year that ends up badly. And that's technically not a spoiler because it pretty much says that on the read-in. But the storyline did keep me interested and I will probably read the other two books to find out what happens with the two other sisters. But I'm not 100% sold yet
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2018
At first it was like a carnival ride, the sort that slowly chugs to the top then wheeee... free falls. I was thinking bring me back the Kindred but by 30% I was hooked. It was hilarious, and funny doesn't always translate across the world. This was an entertaining Sunday afternoon read and I want more...but I want aliens too lol
September 30, 2018
I really enjoyed this story on fairy godmothers. What happens when your fairy godmother (gf) really doesn’t care and purposely messes up your wishes. For Philomena it means an eye opening event when she speaks everything she thinks. And her gf only keeps making it worse. I found the story to be hilarious. You know it will have a happily ever after, but the journey to it was quite fun.
October 12, 2018
Who wouldn't want a fairy god mother? Well, after reading Wishful Thinking I certainly would think twice! I loved this book. It was comical, raw and had all the emotions in a book that you could wish for. It's a quick read, but sometimes that is exactly what you wish for. Do yourself a favour and grab this book today and read all about Phil's adventurous birthday.
October 12, 2018
I loved this book soooo much. I love Philomena and her sisters... can't wait for their books!!! This story was so good. It was so funny and romantic. Loved Josh's character and the friendship then chemistry with Phil. So glad the story worked out in the end. Loved their grandmother too she was so funny and always causing chaos lol.
November 5, 2018
Well this wasn’t what I was expecting, however still really enjoyed it and will be looking forward to the next book in the series. Definitely different to the kindred books, but nice to have something different to read and Evangeline never fails to entertain with fabulous writing.
Would definitely recommend.
Would definitely recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2021
This is a cute, sweet, funny story. What else are you supposed to do when your FG is wonky?? Figure out how to make it work. Phil has a quirky few days and then add in Josh, not to mention Nana, and you have this story. Some parts just wants to make you laugh out loud.
Thanks for the read Evanegline.
Thanks for the read Evanegline.
August 12, 2022
I ADORED this story.... spoilers ahead...
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I'm SOOOOO HAPPY Phil & her man got their HEA!!! She was such a fun character to read and I'm such a fan of Evangeline's other series about the Kindred Brides... Do yourself a favour and read one of her amazing books... You will NOT be disappointed!!!!
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I'm SOOOOO HAPPY Phil & her man got their HEA!!! She was such a fun character to read and I'm such a fan of Evangeline's other series about the Kindred Brides... Do yourself a favour and read one of her amazing books... You will NOT be disappointed!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book 📚, it is a delightful romantic comedy. I can't wait for the next book in this series. I received this book as a FREE ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.
October 12, 2018
The characters in this book are very relatable. This book has great twist in the story line. You'll be rooting for Phil (main character) though out this book. Evangeline Anderson never disappoints. Must read!
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