Snuggly Oranges

The Art of Wishing is a sparkling and original story that is just completely enjoyable. Practically from page 1, I was hooked. I was in the mood for something light and compelling, and this book certainly delivered. It's a refreshing take on the paranormal genre with heavy influences from the contemporary, and all around a stunning debut from Lindsay Ribar.

Now, as you can gather from the synopsis, this book is about a genie. Yes. Oliver appears before Margo and can grant her three wishes. I'm not a big paranormal reader, but this was such a refreshing and cute, adorable concept that I couldn't help liking it. It was entertaining from the get go. And genies being largely unexplored so far, I felt like it was much more interesting to gradually find out about the world, its rules, and the "creatures".

Margo was an extremely enjoyable main character, and since I've just read The Distance Between Us, I can't help but compare her to Caymen. Because, yes, she is that awesome. Though not quite as sarcastic as Caymen, Margo deals out her own fair share of wit, and for the rest she's an extremely realistic character. She acknowledges her own flaws and struggles through taking the high road in frustrating situations. She just felt very human and relatable.

Oliver was absolutely adorable. He was just... so sweet and dreamy. He made me giggle. I was literally giggling over this book in public, at the train station. And I regret nothing. Their romance was so cute and wonderfully paced. All of the squees.

He paused, his fork hovering just above his plate. He looked at the waffle in question, and then back up at me. "That was the real reason I decided not to change. Not because I didn't have time, although that was part of it. It was because I already liked, um, waffles." He laughed, squeezing his eyes shut for a second. "I'm sorry, I can't do this. This is a terrible metaphor. I already liked you, Margo, and I liked liking you, and I didn't want to risk ruining it." -The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar

So the story itself read mostly like a contemporary romance, which struck just the right chord with me. The paranormal elements mixed in worked rather well and made it even more enjoyable. My only disappointment, really, with this book was the ending. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that I thought it would have done so much better by going in any other direction. It was the most cliché ending that, all throughout the book, I was hoping wouldn't happen. However, I do like that it didn't really end on a cliffhanger. This book could be read as a stand alone despite it being in a series. And I have no idea where the story will go next! But I am excited!

Summing Up:

This is a solid debut novel from Lindsay Ribar. You can immediately tell her talent for writing and her involvement in the industry just by how this doesn't read like it's a debut at all. Solid writing, adorable characters, original concept, and all around enjoyable. If you need a light read to cheer you up, the perfect mix of paranormal and contemporary, definitely pick this one up.

GIF it to me straight!

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