The Lady and the Wish

Faraway Castle #4

by J.M. Stengl

Gillian set her heart on marrying a prince.

Lady Gillian Montmorency is determined to win Prince Fidelio’s heart, but her plans are crashing around her ears. First, Fidelio’s older cousin with a beard like a bird’s nest proposes to her. Next, intimidating Prince Max insists she will be his next trophy.

Worst of all, her parents reveal a financial scandal. To pay off her father’s debt, Gillian must agree to work one year as companion to an old lady at some remote and ramshackle villa.

Fine. She’ll go. But she doesn’t have to like it.

Something strange is going on at Lady Beneventi’s villa. Ghostly people appear, doors vanish, statues come to life . . . and the old lady herself despises Gillian. With the help of a handsome but hostile construction worker, can Gillian solve the mystery of the wishes and return to her proper place in high society? Can she finally snare a prince to marry?

Or might love play a part in changing her plans?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Fairy Tale Retellings, Young Adult, Clean Romance

356 pages, ebook

First published April 25, 2019

About the author

Get a FREE book gift from J.M. Stengl when you visit her website!

Jill Marie is a native of southern California who, after a whirlwind life as a military wife, now makes her home with her husband in North Carolina, where she serves at the beck and call of two cats, one dog, and five adorable grandchildren. Obsessions include all things animal rescue, fairy-tale romances, collecting model horses, and perfecting the perfect pastry crust.

During her former career as a romance novelist, Jill Marie won both the Carol Award and RWA's Inspirational Readers' Choice Award. Now she prefers her novels to include a dash of magic along with the heart-melting romance.

Reviews

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 4 out of 5]

The moment I heard that this was a King Thrushbeard retelling, I knew I HAD to read it. King Thrushbeard has been my favourite fairytale for a long time, and I have never read a retelling of it before.

*** HUGE TANGENT ***

I think one of the reasons fairytales have always particularly appealed to girls is that they are old legends that are mostly ALL ABOUT girls. Many old legends focus on male characters - King Arthur, Robin Hood - which is totally great and I love them a lot; but fairytales have a special place for female characters. Moreover, there are a lot of fairytales about good, strong, powerful girls. Cinderella and all the girls from the Beastly Bridegroom stories (whether Beauty and the Beast, East of the Sun West of the Moon, or my personal favourite The Black Bull of Norroway) win because they are kind and brave, adventurous and persevering. They have agency, they are smart and kind and good enough to make your teeth ache.

King Thrushbeard is all about a girl who is none of those things. She is stupid and unkind and bad, like me. She gets humiliated, and then she rises above it, as I hope to. I love her. I identify with her as I do with no other fairytale retelling: her story has always hit me in the gut.

As I've grown older, I've become more wary of the ways she is manipulated, humiliated, and finally magnanimously pardoned by the all-powerful hero; that kind of thing might work on an allegorical level but is bad, bad, bad for real-life relationships. But the core of what appeals to me in this story remains the same. This is a story about a terrible human being who slowly and painfully learns to grow.

I'm delighted to tell you that this retelling captured the essence of what I have always loved about the story, while gently reconstructing the hero from the original into someone I could thoroughly like. All of JM Stengl's fairytales retellings keep getting better and better, and this one must be my personal favourite so far. It was funny (I laughed till I cried at the statue party), wholesomely romantic, and genuinely moving.

[MK ( MaKayla) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You’ve got to be joking! I don’t know you from anybody and . . . and seriously? Never in a bazillion years would I marry a man with a beard like a giant birds nest!"

The Lady and the Wish is based on my absolute FAVORITE fairy tale King Thrushbeard !
When I discover a retelling of something I love I tend to go through two stages ;

1.) Clutching the book to my heart and crying tears of joy .😍
2.) After reality sets in pessimism and skepticism are close behind and I look at it suspiciously.😯 😒

Most of the time this process ends in me wanting to throw the book across the room and it it's REALLY sacrilegious I may want to burn it .
This time however I was IMPRESSED !
The story stuck well to the KTB tale even with the modern spin.
King Thrushbeard ,if you're not familiar with the tale , is a fairy tale about a Princess who's one wish is to marry a Prince . She riddicules each and every one of the suitors her father brought home . On one such occasion her father brought back a King who she mocked and laughed at calling him King Thrushbeard . Her father grew so furious that he devised a plan to humble his daughter. He declared that the first beggar to be seen at the castle gates would be her husband .
So when the first beggar that came she was married to him . Then after she was made to leave her palace the beggar assigned her tasks to do that she had no idea to do . Eventually she came back the the castle as a kitchen maid ,because she had failed to be good at any other sort of work . There she saw king Thrushbeard the man who she had scorned . It was then that he revealed to her that he was the beggar ,he was her husband .
Then of course they have a happily ever after .

This book was just wonderful .
It was magical , funny ,and full of really cool things .
"A plate of cheese blintzes, crisp bacon, and fresh fruit magically appeared before me on the table, along with a glass of water and a cup of tea .“It’s always so weird, how things just appear like this,” I said."

I just want this to be my life 😂 Just for the food 😂
There were also scenes with statues having garden parties ,and old ladies getting to be twenty for a day again . You'll have to read it to find out 😂 (Btw if being 20 is allegedly being in my prime I can't wait to see what not being in my prime is like 😂😂)

One of my favorite elements was actually one of the villains . Prince Max was just so arrogant that it was hilarious . He was always saying stuff like this .

“Smart people listen when I call to them."

What a winner am I right ? 😂😂

"My phone buzzed. I had a message! Oh. My heart dropped. It was from Max. A photo of him at a beach, posing like some calendar model. Yuck! I nearly chucked my phone into the pond. A creep with muscles was still a creep ."
.
Ain't that the truth !! 👏👏👏

I just really love King Thrush beard he's gold . 💛💛
Sorry for how weird ,and choppy this review is . This is why I shouldn't take this long to read a book. Everything gets more scrambled than my brain when I'm looking at a calculus problem !
( and srry for the typos )

[Hannah Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to even start with this book? I had to take a couple of days after reading to step away and think about this. Not because the book was horrid, but because it was AMAZING. Hands down, this is my favorite book in the entire Faraway Castle series. And yes, I've read them all.

The first thing I'll draw attention to is the cover. Let's face it; I'm a sucker for brilliant covers. Especially, good ones like what this book sports. I love it! Love it! After reading the book, I loved it even more. The character was captured to perfection.

Comedy. This is the first word that springs to mind when I think of what this book is about. The humor in this book lasts from beginning to end. Mrs. Stengl wrote this book in first person, and did such an admirable job nailing her character. I sometimes hate first person. Maybe, because we are in the MC's head the entire time, and that, can be irritating. Not so with Gillian, our MC. Gillian is spoiled, entitled, adorable, and clueless. And, absolutely hilarious! I laughed and laughed. I want more books about her! She was just so fun.

There was also a certain element of cleverness in this tale that left me in awe. How the author came up with SO many extremely clever ideas... Well, J.M. is brilliant. From her poodles to statues to- I really don't want to spoil the fun!

Manny was an amazing male lead, and landed himself as my new favorite character in the Faraway Castle series. Perhaps, because he sports a beard through parts of the story (I'm rather partial to beards ;D), or because he's not afraid to dish back whatever Gillian tries to start. Ha! He was the perfect medicine for our spunky female.

This is also a clean read. No language, or even violence. Though there was one scene that I would have gladly snatched the keyboard away and added a wonderful, little violent dose of punches. In love, of course ;D

I am an advance reader for this book, but this review is my own. It's 100% honest. Thanks to the author for a lovely, hilarious read!

[Tricia Mingerink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so adorable! I knew it would be funny and sweet and perfect as the rest of the Faraway Castle series, and it didn't disappoint.

I was super excited for this book. Not only does it feature a fairy tale that isn't retold that often (King Thrushbeard), but the main girl in the book was the mean girl, almost villainess, in earlier books in this series. I was excited to see how the author brought Gillian from the spoiled, thoughtless, prince-pursuing girl she was in the first three books to someone a reader would want to spend a whole book with.

Gillian's change of heart was brought about really well! Her motivations were very clearly shown for why she did the things she did in the earlier books and she started out the book so insufferably self-centered. But there were still enough hints of who she could be that, as the reader, I didn't want to stop reading even when I was annoyed with Gillian.

Lady B was hilarious! And Manny was so adorable! I guessed the whole twist with him right away (I mean, this is a fairy tale retelling. It is kind of obvious). But in some ways, knowing the twist added to me wondering when Gillian would figure it out and how she would react.

Of all the books in the series, the book ended with a very soft, somewhat easy ending without some of the danger of earlier books. But I didn't mind. It seemed to fit this book since the plot wasn't so much about stopping an evil princess from waking up or overcoming huge magical barriers, but about Gillian becoming a good person.

I really can't wait for the next book in this series! Each of the Faraway Castle books are so adorable and it has become one of my favorite series of fairy tale retellings!

[Carina Shephard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read April 2021 // 5 stars

what I loved: Gillian's incredible character arc / the statue party was hilarious ( "plaster saints are causing a riot!" ) / what if your wishes came true? (or actually someone else's who maybe did not have your best interests at heart) / how the dementia was handled / the Italian flavor / the characters 💕 / overall it was an original, sweet, and enjoyable read

content: none/mild
violence: none
language: none
sensuality: mild; statues are mentioned as being unclothed, a man described as being predatory and assaults a woman, although that doesn't go beyond a kiss
other: someone has too much to drink

could this work as a stand-alone? probably. I'm ending up reading the whole series out of order and although there are allusions to other books you should be fine reading it by itself.

[H.S.J. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL COVER.

Merged review:

Such an enjoyable and entertaining read! Exactly what I needed to relax and smile.

[Coralie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think it was possible, but the series just keeps getting better and better. I adore The Little Siren; it's so bittersweet and the quirky love story is adorable. I'm obsessed with mermaids and Stengl told the story with such a neat twist that I fell in love. Then the Rose and the Briar took my childhood favorite, Sleeping Beauty, and put such a unique spin on the story. And we all know Briar has long been my favorite character. So, though I've come to absolutely love the Faraway Castle books, I never dreamed Stengl could make me love a story I didn't know and characters I scarecely knew or didn't know at all more than any of the previous books! But she has.

You know, I may be a bit odd here, but I kind of liked Gillian from the start. I know she was shallow and self-absorbed, but...that's all she'd ever been taught. No one had ever given her the time of day to stop and show her she had a choice to do otherwise. She'd never had an example of what truth and nobility looked like and she most certainly had never had anyone pushing her to be virtuous and kind. I didn't pity her, but I did feel curious about her. I wanted to see what happened. And I loved the dynamic between her and Max. Yes, I said Max. I'm a total pushover for that "he creeps me out" vibe because it leaves the door wide open for people like Manny and scenes like the Ganza brothers standing shoulder to shoulder as she faces him. I'm a complete sucker for the protective, chivalrous, noble gentleman. I know it sounds gushy, but I'm a hopeless romantic, and he's my favorite. So saying, Manny stole the show for me. I adore him and would have LOVED to see a few key scenes from his perspective. Truthfully, I'd read the entire book again written from his point of view! His secret wasn't exactly a surprise, but the fun of it was wondering when or if Gillian would figure it out. Manny has given Briar a run for his money, and I'm not sure I can honestly say Briar is still my very favorite. (Sorry Briar!! But Manny!!)

Arturo was fun and he made me smile. I liked how his part of the story ended a lot. I loved the Ganza brothers, too. I'd read a whole series as a spin off of just this one book. I want to know their stories now. I loved the relationships among the villa workers. I loved their interactions with Gillian and watching her grow throughout this book. It was easy to root for her in my mind. Lady Beneventi broke my heart. Her...condition...really hit home for me, which only endeared this book to me even more. My heart went out to her and to her family because I've been there. I've seen what that disease does to people. I suspected it long before any of the characters voiced it aloud, and when my suspicions were confirmed, I could only nod sadly and watch the story play out. The characters in this book are golden. Absolutely golden.

The plot never left me bored! It was a beautiful balance of watching Gillian grow, warming up to Lady B (and worrying over her!), intrigue and curiosity over the wishes, and fairytale fluff! I laughed way too hard for some of the sections in this book and my heart swelled more times than I care to count. I read the book in an evening, staying up far too late! I was so engaged. The wishes were entertaining, too. I loved the statue party so much! And the Biaco fiasco!! Oh my gosh, best part of the whole book!! I won't mention more, but the wishes were one of the best parts of the book. It was so much fun to see how the characters handled each one and reacted to them. The book not only kept my attention, but it warmed me to my toes. I loved everything about this new fairy tale and hope to find more adaptations of it in the future.

The setting! Oh, guys! This was so cool! This was the first time we left Faraway Castle, and we did from like the second chapter-ish. We went first to Gillian's home, then to another country which held a very Italianesque atmosphere. I adored the villa. I loved the gardens, the home itself, and the vineyard. I'd have loved to see the vineyeard more. It was really neat to see the setting expanded yet again. I still stand by what I said: I'd read an entire spin-off series just from this book!!

The few things I would have liked a little more of: the dynamic between Gillian and her family. We kind of sped by this, and while I got enough to realize exactly how she'd been raised, I wanted to see it play out. I would have liked a bit of a deeper look, both before and after the events of the book. Which brings me to the end. In the past, some of Stengl's books have felt a little rushed to me in the resolution. While I did not feel that this resolution was abrupt or rushed, I did wish it had been longer. It felt a little short. It felt natural, but I wanted a little more. It's like the book ended right at the "happily ever after" so to speak, but I sort of wanted to see how the villa workers reacted after she had the big reveal. I wanted to see how her parents reacted. I wanted to see just a little...more. I wanted that last familial embrace between her and her new family at the villa. I even was mildly curious to see her meet the rest of Lady B's family, since she never really did that either. And, of course, I wanted more of the Ganza brothers and a whole lot more of Manny!! (Who knows, maybe we'll get a bonus short or so where we see his perspective of the Biaco fiasco and the Max confrontation! Or perhaps a few other scenes?) Lastly, there were one or two small things I expected to resurface that never did. For instance, Gillian mentions that she hates crowds, but...that never becomes relevant at any other point. (Also, I totally wanted to see the arm-buffering-her-from-the-crowd manuver again!! It would have been a fantastic giveaway!) Or there's mention of her easily burning, but it never pops up again. These weren't big details, but I guess I sort of expected them to become relevant later and they never came up again.

It has been an absolute pleasure to read this book, and it's wormed its way deep into my heart. It will have a special place on my shelves. I would recommend this book until the end of time. Even if you don't read any of the others (which hurts my soul to say--read them in order!), read this one!! It's endearing, strong, and sweet. It's a clean, fun, fairy tale romance with depth and color as you see in few of modern releases. Definitely a new favorite.

No violence, clean romance, and no foul lanugage.

Note: I recieved an advanced reader copy from the most gracious author, but I'm far too blunt to give anything but my honest opinion ;-) Thank you, Mrs. Stengl for this tremendous gem and for the opportunity to read and review the book early.

[Cindy Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were so many aspects of this book that I truly enjoyed, and I was sorry to see the book end. First, Gillian's ever-escalating perils and predicaments kept me completely entertained, and many times, even laughing out loud. Ms. Stengl is truly gifted when it comes to clever and imaginative writing. I didn't want to put the book down because I was dying to see what she came up with next.

Yet even with all those entertaining scenes, what I enjoyed the most was the transformation of the lead character. I thought the parallel with the nasty, unappreciative elderly lady was brilliant, considering that Gillian was essentially staring at the kind of person she would become if she didn't shape up. It was also interesting to see Gillian receiving the same kind of treatment (without the wishes) that she'd been dishing out to others. Which brings me to the aspect of the book that stood out to me the most -- the between-the-lines concept that pure selfishness only harms ourselves, by driving people away and putting a halt to real friendships and relationships.

Finally, I really loved how Ms. Stengl brought the plotline of the book full circle, and the ending couldn't have been better. Funny, but to me, at that point Gillian's story was just beginning . . .

I highly recommend this book and the entire Faraway Castle series for Christmas presents for the avid readers on your list. And I look forward to the next installment of the Faraway Castle series.

[Jenelle Hovde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this novel 😍. The first time I stayed up to midnight to finish it. The second time I read to savor the romance. Gillian and Manny have so much chemistry! Plenty of sparks fly :). Thrushbeard is a tricky fairytale, but this one is perfection. I loved how Gillian grew into her new role as a caretaker of an elderly lady. Manny is a dream, secretly in love with Gillian and holding back because he’s been burned before. The Lady is such a sweet, humorous read. 5💙

[Noonecansinkmyship (Tissa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my ALL time favorites! When I first saw this retelling come out, I had never heard of King Thrushbeard. So like every other curious modern person with internet access, I googled it. As soon as I read the original story, I was hooked and read the entire origin story in one sitting in less than six minutes. In case you couldn’t tell, I was majorly hyped for this book and deafened the ears of everyone in the neighborhood when I finally got my hand on it.

What’s so amazing about this book? Well we were introduced to Gillian since Book 1 and have seen first hand the petty snobbish cruelties she enjoys so much. She was the definition of a self absorbed, spoiled, shallow rich girl born with a diamond spoon in her mouth and without a care in the world beyond the next party. I was exceptionally curious to see how the author would pull off her redemption arc and dang if the author didn’t nail it! It’s rare to find an engaging book that’s simultaneously deep, hilarious (not kidding I laughed so hard so many times that my stomach ached haha), fun and relatable. We’ve all made mistakes in our lives before and I think this book and Gillian is the perfect reminder that no matter what unpardonable mistakes we’ve committed in the past, there’s still hope for our future if we seek to be better.

The book starts off with a bang and we get an idea of what kind of person Gillian is from the start. There wasn’t a slow moment in this book. The plot is super unique and the setting is described so beautifully. It was also so fun to watch Manny give her advice (politely too) that we would think is common sense and see how it completely befuddled her. In a way, Gillian is also very mature, but doesn’t fully grow into it until she hops off her high horse and sees people for who they are and not their material value. (Gotta love Manny though!)

This is an adventure about growth, hilarity, appreciation for the small things in life and a teenage girl trying to figure out who she is away from the toxicity that is her family. Shallow self absorbed negligence is its own type of abuse after all.

[Amanda Mantonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy fairy-tale retelling but set in a modern day era with phones and social media- at first I wasn’t certain how much I would like it, but the author pulled it off in a very realistic way!

This was such a sweet story. King Thrushbeard, Taming of the Shrew but with wishes and magic involved.

[M.H. Elrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t think I would like this one because Gillian is a terrible person. However, her stubbornness grew on me, as well as the interactions with the other characters which resulted in hilarious adventures. Great book!

[Bess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful story of self-discovery and identity!
I'm sure it is a retelling of something but I have no idea what.
Gillian is the daughter of an earl. She's shallow, spoiled, entitled, snobby, rude, hateful, selfish, and I could go on but I think you get the point.
She's just been proposed to, also. But of course, thinking this man was beneath her, she shunned his proposal and basically laughed at him.
Then, she finds out her father faces jail time for embezzling and she could lose her title and lifestyle unless she becomes a companion of an old dowager. She reluctantly agrees.
Well, it wouldn't be JM if there weren't some magic running amuck! And there is!
Manny is the construction worker/grandson (unbeknownst to Gillian) of the dowager vicountessa. Lots of craziness ensues, you just have to read it to believe it!
Turns out Gillian falls for Manny, a man so decidedly beneath her, she's appalled at herself. But she grows and changes a lot in this book. I liked that immensely.
Trial, trial, trial; bump, bump, bum, HEA!
You will want to add this one to the re-read shelf! It was cute, fun, quick, and full of laugh out loud moments and there were "OH NO!" moments too.
Can't recommend enough!

[Lisa Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to J.M. Stengl's Advance Readers list, I had the privilege of being one of the first to read the latest addition to her Faraway Castle series, The Lady and the Wish. I believe this book will be available to the public next week, so my review will be just a bit early for those of you who are interested in reading it right away. Unlike the other three books in the series, which were based on popular fairy tales that have had many adaptations created, The Lady and the Wish is inspired by the obscure Grimm fairy tale "King Thrushbeard," which I had never seen adapted in book or media format before this point. I was familiar with the fairy tale prior to reading this book, but it had never been one of my favorites, which might be why I didn't enjoy The Lady and the Wish quite as much as the other Faraway Castle books. Regardless, it was still a very creative and original take on the story while still remaining faithful to its theme of a prideful woman's capacity to learn humility after adjusting to a less extravagant lifestyle.

The Lady and the Wish is the story of Lady Gillian, who starts out as a bit of a snob but is by no means beyond redemption. Though she wasn't mean-spirited or difficult to relate to as I feared, she still didn't possess the magical qualities of the heroines from the previous three books, which made her less interesting to me. I guess I got a little spoiled after reading about a girl who maintained magical creatures, a girl who was really a mermaid, and a girl who could control plants. Gillian is more like your average modern teenager who is obsessed with social media. The world of Faraway Castle brilliantly incorporates modern customs with fairy tale elements by maintaining the nobility class system of the past in today's world at a castle resort that blocks cell phone service. Since most of this book takes place outside the resort, there is a lot more about Gillian checking posts on social media and obsessing over how many "likes" she gets from princes she was interested in. Spending time away from her life at court to serve a senile old woman with a troublesome magical ability helps Gillian to realize how superficial her friends are.

Just like the "King Thrushbeard" fairy tale, the book starts off with Gillian rejecting a proposal from a prince because of her repulsion to his beard that looks like a bird's nest. She learns later that the proposal was set up by her family because they are heavily in debt, so she agrees to work for the eccentric Lady Beneventi in order to restore their position. She is given the title of "companion" rather than "servant," but spending so much time around the elderly lady's other servants gives Gillian a kinship toward them. She gradually stops wearing pretty dresses in favor of more comfortable jeans and starts paying more attention to the people around her. It doesn't help that Lady Beneventi has a mysterious magical aura that grants her senile wishes every time she speaks them aloud. Some of them are harmless, such as bringing her late husband back from the dead, but others are dangerous to Gillian, such as when she finds herself magically cut off from the lady she was hired to accompany on more than one occasion. Fortunately, a mysterious helper from the estate named Manny is always willing to provide as much assistance to her as he can and is never more than a phone call or text message away.

I wasn't as big a fan of the romance in this book as the others, but that might have to do with the fact that I never thought "King Thrushbeard" was a particularly romantic fairy tale to begin with. The heroine in the fairy tale had no romantic interest in King Thrushbeard at the beginning of the story, and their relationship from that point on was based entirely on lies. This book thankfully made the romance a little more believable, but Manny did not appeal to me in the same way that the other love interests in the Faraway Castle series did. He was not as sincere as Omar from the first book, as grounded as Tor from the second book, or as passionate as Briar from the third book. It had always stood out to me how realistic J.M. Stengl makes her male love interests, and this one didn't quite get there. Part of the problem was that Gillian had so many other suitors that Manny was only the best by comparison and not because of any particular spark between them. There was even a Gaston-like character who attempted to force Gillian into a disturbing romantic relationship with him.

Overall, I would say that The Lady and the Wish feels more like a story about a modern-day teenager with some supernatural elements than like a fairy tale. It's a brilliant analysis of how social media can create superficiality and pride in certain types of people, and it's also a great story of growth and redemption for Gillian that mirrors the themes of the "King Thrushbeard" story. If you are a fan of the other books from Faraway Castle, this one is very different. There's less of a focus on magic and romance and more on personal growth. I found it to be more a character study than a magical and exciting adventure like in the first three books. Even though this is my least favorite book in the Faraway Castle series thus far, it is still clever and creative for what it was.

[R.J. Rodda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

If you are in mood for a light fantasy romance this is a bit of fun.

It’s a mean girl redemption story. A stuck-up young Lady is forced to work as a companion for a grumpy self-centred aristocratic old lady whose wishes come true making for some funny moments.

There’s also this handsome tradie who keeps hanging around, but girl with her eyes set on marrying a prince can’t fall in love with him, can she?

[Shantelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This turned out to be such a sweet, fun tale! It had me giggling aloud several times. Gillian was so arrogant, immature, selfish, and mean at first that it was hard to enjoy the story. But then things started to change… A mysterious and delightful fairytale retelling! Look forward to continuing the series of FARAWAY CASTLE.

[Jannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love a good redemption story
Way better than the sap of 1st book

[Monica Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's magic, a dreamy male lead and some ups and downs for the main character Gillian and I loved it! I hadn't read or heard of the King Thrushbeard story before this book and I'm so glad! It made everything even more of a surprise. I've read the Siren and the Scholar (which I adored) and some of my favorite characters may have made an appearance in this book... Once I started reading The Lady and the Wish I couldn't stop until the end!

[Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah!
This series just keeps getting better! Definitely my favorite story so far, which is suprising considering I wasn't all that excited about having Gillian as an MC, but boy did she have some great character growth!♡♡♡

Loved Pike & Nora's cameo! Stinking love those two-and now also these two! ;P

[Jordan (jojobooklover) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was really good! At first I thought it was going to creepy, but it turned out pretty great. I can’t wait for the next book!

[Racheal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book got a soild 3.5 stars.

Starting off with what I liked:
-The magic of the wishes was well done and made for an interesting read. I absolutely loved the statues when they came to life.
- Lady B was an interesting character that I really ended up liking.
-I loved the character development for Gillian in that she went from being a really selfish person to someone who genuinely cared for others.

What I didn't like:
-Max. His character didn't make sense to me and he never felt like a real threat.
-I had A LOT of confusion regarding what time frame this book took place in. It started off with an old time feel and then BAM! We have cell phones, laptops and we're in modern times. I was really scratching my head at this throughout the book.
-While I get that Manny was the main love interest, I never felt connected to him or much interest on his part. Which was really disappointing. I felt like his character could have been written in a better manner to show his feelings instead of a brick wall that you're left guessing at.
-While this is supposedly a King Thrushbeard retelling, I don't totally see it other than Rauol shaving his beard. If it is based on it, then it's a veeery, very loose retelling. If you're looking for an excellent retelling, I suggest trying 'The Scarecrow King' by Jill Myles.

Overall, this was a decent book, but not my favorite either.

[Chrissy Garwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my favourite, so far, in the Faraway Castle series, but then again, I think that about each one of the stories when I get to the final page. I was delighted to discover Lady Gillian was the leading character. She had been a strong bit player in each of the earlier tales. Her determination to capture herself a Prince, and the strategies she had previously employed, made her the perfect woman for the kind of magical adventure she was about to embark upon. I especially enjoyed the unravelling of the mystery behind the wishes that caused so much trouble, and the way the happy-ever-after was written was great. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy a little magical mayhem, some imaginative chaos, and a story that explores the dangers of living in the modern social-media obsessed world.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This hard for me to give it a 3. When I started reading I imediately got pulled into the story. However I did not like the world that was created. Maybe it was because I had not read the other books in the series. It is like a standalone, with special appearances from other characters from the series. I also didn't care for how detailed the main character was with leaving message specifically on social media pages. I feel like I read social media a lot and it just didn't flow for me. However, the main character did show some great character development. The story was also a clean read with some lessons learned which is also great.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like all J. M. Stengl's books. She takes fairy tales & gives them a twist no one, in my experience, thought of before. Not only making them modern, but keeping the magic, and setting (most of) them at an exclusive resort.

I really liked what she did with this one. Taking a character who appeared in previous books. Once as the evil "stepsister" and giving her a character arc that helps her grow to be a better person.

I'm looking forward to seeing if she does that with any of the other resort guests. 😁🥰

[C. Richter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful Book!

I loved this book ❤ and I definitely hated to see it end. I think it's been one of my favorite books I've read this Summer. I loved the whole premise (and would love to know what was the author's inspiration for this book). The humor was quirky, just like I adore ... it really made me laugh alot. The characters were wonderful, the plot very imaginative & funny, and many unexpected twists abounded ... it was a delight to read. I can thoroughly recommend this book to you.

[Hunter]

DNF - I just wasn’t loving it, and MC was so horrible in the beginning that I didn’t get why the guy would even be interested in. I am assuming since it’s a thrushbeard retelling Gillian gets better, but I just couldn’t stick it out. Also the world setting seemed a bit out to me.

I will say this, it was well wrote and flowed well. I would definitely try another book by this author, or maybe even come back to this one if I am in the mood for a thrushbreard retelling.

[Sennin Kellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging addition to a fun series

This book was a joy to read. The main character goes from detestable to loveable and wonderful characters are developed throughout the entire book. Some of the growth in the main character seemed sudden with no middle scene to explore the change, but overall this was a great read!

[Sara Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was nervous, but it turned out wonderfully!

I read the others in the series first, and I was a bit sceptical when I saw that Gillian was the heroine in this novel. I know this is an odd statement, but I was so proud of the turnaround she made! It took a lot to get through to her, and Lady B had some issues to overcome as well, but they made it to a fantastic happy ending!

[Lucy Winton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Gillian made several appearances in previous 'Faraway Castle' books, and the impression she left was...well, she wasn't very nice, to put it lightly. Now she's got her own story, and her development was amazing. She started as a selfish girl and ended the story as a selfless young woman.

I loved this story.

[Kimberly Gordon-Bercich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiled Brat

Gillian was worse than a spoiled brat. Not that she had any example to be any different, but she needed a good slap in the face a month of mucking out horse stalls. She met her match with a dementia influenced grandmother.