Customer Reviews

If Wishing Made It So (Signet Eclipse)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you came into possession of a genie shortly before your 10 year high school reunion, what would you wish for? The return of your high school true love perhaps? I got about halfway through, but I didn't finish this. I've certainly finished worse before, but I just didn't want to put forth the effort when this didn't have pretty prose to make up for the characters' deficits. I think I would have liked it more if the genie had turned out to be the love interest. I found Big Mike (yes, Big Mike; I read classy books!) to be quite the sleazy hero, always ready with a convenient excuse just plausible enough to keep him from the depths of slime.

It's all well and good to bring two people back together after a few years and have them bond; I've had some pretty fun experiences with that myself. The idea itself holds some merit. It's quite another thing to have a terribly successful and wealthy male lead but leave the female a miserable, pining spinster who has failed to follow any of her dreams and is still yearning after the one that got away even though she caught him with another woman ten years earlier. Have some dignity and ambitions of your own, woman!

This was available for borrowing at the beachfront condo I stayed at for vacation, so I went ahead and picked it up. It is a fast, easy read.

Cons:

Mike, as the male character, didn't do that much for me. It was good that he had honest career aspirations, as well as strong positive feelings about hometown and family, because otherwise he was a bit of a pansy several times in not standing up to his fiancee, who was obviously manipulating him (as the author clearly wrote). Though I can somewhat symphatize that it is not easy to leave a relationship, that still was a turn-off to me.

The main character was the "other woman," so obviously there was also cheating involved, so perhaps not the best romantic read if you're smarting from being cheated on. (Thus, in order to make this work, they really had to make the other woman vile, and that did happen).

One other thing I read irritated me a bit. There were a few instances when the writing seemed off. For example, the main character goes to her favorite pizza spot and orders the Caprese, and then states something like, "You know the one with the tomatoes, and the sausage, etc." Well, she says this to the owner of the pizza shop, so yeah, I'm pretty sure he knew what his pizza's toppings were. (This might have worked in a movie where the speaker is just absolutely oohing over the ingredients, kissing the fingers at the yumminess, but in the book, it seemed rediculous to me).

The story had predictible parts, and I'm not just talking about the general ending. I saw the main threat made by the photographer (other woman) to Hildy a mile away.

Lastly, as you might be able to tell, the book is fairly forgettable. I read it a week ago. Haven't read much else since, and I already can't remember the main characters' names.

Pros:
Despite all this, it was still an enjoyable read. I was slightly addicted to it while reading it. Even with the above cons, I never felt like putting it down. I'd just kind of roll my eyes and move on.


I wouldn't necessarily seek out another book by the author, but if I came across one anyway at a cheap price, I'd likely read it if the story sounded interesting.

Hildy Caldwell wants to make changes before she heads to her tenth high school reunion. She's a teacher in the same town she grew up in, and as for her romantic life, well, she's still not over her first love, Michael Amante.

While visiting with her sister in a casino in Atlantic City, Hildy finds a beautiful bottle tucked away near the slots. Suddenly, her luck is changing - she wins at slots and she runs into none other than Michael Amante.

When she gets home, she discovers the bottle holds a genie. Shocked, she doesn't know what to do with him. But even more surprising is the fact that a mobster also wants the genie - and he will go through Hildy if he has to.

If Wishing Made It So is not your typical genie story. For one thing, the genie likes to be called Tony G. But this is a fun, quick read, perfect for when you want something light and entertaining. Hildy and Mike's relationship is fully realistic, even in fantastical circumstances. The genie is a little opinionated, but that's a good foil against Hildy's good natured-ness. Overall, If Wishing Made It So reads like a literary dessert - light, fluffy and satisfying.

Niki Lee
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Yup, this is total beach fluff with a plucky heroine, a high school boyfriend carrying the torch for her for ten years, clumsy and evil mobsters, etc. What made it appealing to me is that it takes place on Long Beach Island, a New Jersey shore community, where I just happen to be this summer. For the most part, the author gets her geography, stores (real names) and beach/bay stuff just right and that makes it fun. She also does a fine job of creating credible, flawed characters, even if one character "screeches" just a few too many times.

A decade ago, Hildy Caldwell was voted the Girl Most Likely to Succeed at Lake Lehman High School by her class; now with the ten year reunion coming she feels like a failure as she never followed her dreams to paint in New York or Tahiti. Instead Hildy teaches English at her Alma Mata and has no man or children in her life; she lives with two cats.

She never forgot her high school boyfriend, Big Mike Amante, who is attending the reunion accompanied by his fiancée, famous celebrity photographer Tiki, Kiki, Wiki whatever. Seeking a change, she rents a summer cottage on the Jersey shore; there she finds an antique bottle in which a genie calls home. He will grant her wish, but sometimes you get what you ask for.

The Genie plays critical but small role in this whimsical lighthearted second chance at love tale. Hildy is wonderful with her reflections on her marmalade life, her unfulfilled teenage dreams, and her men; for instance the last hunk made her choose between her cats and him; no contest. Big Mike is a fine significant other though it takes a bit of magical glitter at times to enhance love.

Harriet Klausner