I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I was excited to start this story. The plot sounded great and I love stories of djinns and the supernatural. I had to take a few days after finishing this story to write this review to stop myself from going into a full rant. So many things I want to point out and vent about, but I will try to keep this short and spoiler free.

The plot was not original, but obviously had me request this book, I mean based on the description. What I found was a story that was so predictable, with so many little nuances of social commentaries that are never fully fleshed out or developed. Then the plot conveniences began and all I could think about when I was reading it was “oh goodie, that worked out well”.

The main character was supposed to come across as heart broken, but she was an angry, ill-tempered, rude, selfish and boring naïve girl. She doesn’t learn one thing. There was no character development and the love interest was nothing more than a typical cardboard cut out of a perfect guy.

The writing was at times too detailed. There were also a lot of spelling mistakes in my version of the book and the repetition of descriptions and even entire scenes started to grate on my nerves.

Overall, I felt like this story was supposed to bring out some clean, but steamy scenes with almost kissing and good morals. I really wasn’t sure what the author was trying to achieve and it all fell flat at the end with an overly drawn out conclusion that really wasn’t a conclusion and predictable outcomes. This wasn’t my cup of tea and I wouldn’t recommend it.

One Wish Away is a magical, quick read full of action, romance, and twists. In it, we follow Marielle, a young adult who just lost her grandfather and perhaps even her sanity. Unsure of what to make of the hallucinations and creepy eyes that seem to follow her everywhere, Marielle is left on edge and unsure of everything she has ever known. Mix in a djinn named Faris, and Marielle's world seems to flip upside down, because now she has more problems that she can't simply wish away.

The premise intrigued me. I don't usually read about djinn, but I know this author from previous works so I was really excited to delve into this one! Full of mystery and magic, One Wish Away kept me engrossed and on the edge of my seat! What I enjoyed the most was the curse. Faris is a djinn because of a curse placed on him, and he believes Marielle could be the key to lifting the curse. Drawn to her as she is to him, they struggle to balance their past problems as well as the present ones.

Romance wise, the couple that gets together is adorable! Each page with that blossoming romance, and you'll find yourself glued to the scene unraveling in your mind. I will admit however, that the attraction was instant. It was just a matter of one character admitting their feelings to themself before anything actually happened.

The writing flows well, it is easy to fall into the story and let the characters take over in your mind. Easy to follow and enjoy, you'll find yourself nearing the end of the story before you're ready! Even when some twists are predictable, you'll find yourself enjoying the story. I will admit however, that the world building has a lot of potential to be expanded on, such as where djinn live and why they hate humans so much and just an overall image of where the characters currently are.

Overall, One Wish Away is an engrossing read that you won't be able to get enough of! Mysterious occurrences and battles with magic will keep you entertained for sure.

A review of this title is avaliable through Goodreads - and later through my blog. The Goodreads link is available below!

One Wish away hat mir gut gefallen. Es ist das erste Buch der Djinn Empire Series. Das Englisch fand ich recht gut verständlich. Generell ist die Schreibweise recht beschreibend, so dass man sich die Situationen und die Umgebung gut vorstellen kann.

Die Protagonistin hat 3 Wünsche frei. Die Autorin spielt damit, dass ein Djinn ins Spiel kommt, der doch recht viele Geheimnisse hat. Was mir richtig gut gefallen hat, ist die generelle Mischung aus Fantasy, Romantik und Spannung. Das Ende ist ebenfalls in sich abgeschlossen und lässt einen als Leser zufrieden zurück.

I thought that the story had a ton of potential but it was a little slow. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Over all I did enjoy the book.

One Wish Away has very interesting plot. Marielle who gets to hear about the Djinn from her grandfather since she was born met the Djinn after her grandfather died. This book excites me because there is genie and I thought it's a refershing book. However, it bores me. I gave it so many chances but I really can't connect with the characters. I finish it for the sake of finishing it and well I keep hoping that romance between Marielle and Faris is something but it's not. And as I continue reading I started to hate Marielle because of her irrationality and selfishness. I don't hate this book but I don't like it either, it has predictable outcomes. One Wish Away has so much potential though.

*I received a copy of this ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This is my second foray into the world of Djinn/genies (I’m assuming I can put them together?). It is completely different from the other series I’ve been reading, and I’ve enjoyed them both.

The main characters, Marielle (19) and Faris (19 for centuries), were both developed well, and I liked them. Marielle was distrustful and rather stand-offish, but it all made sense when her experiences were considered. It was more difficult to get to know Faris because there were a lot of things he couldn’t say due to his curse, but I was quicker to like him
than Marielle was.

The supporting characters were weaker, though, which I think was one of the book’s main flaws. Abby was basically the slutty friend. Jeremy was, to avoid spoilers, far worse than a big jerk. Zet was a monologuing villain.

I kind of suspected a few things, but maybe they weren’t supposed to surprise anyone but Marielle.

I’m happy where the book ended, but I’m also excited to see it’s a series. Hopefully I’ll be able to find it somewhere.

Note: Some swearing, including an f word. Mentions of sex (not discussions). Attempted rape.

This topic is no longer of interest to me and I will not be finishing this book.

In this young adult paranormal romance, Marielle runs a plant nursery with her grandfather. When her grandfather passes away, she is left with his will and a stone that he has told her houses a Jinn who will grant her three wishes. Faris, the Jinn is a handsome 19 year old, but they learn that his evil twin brother Zet is out to get him - through Marielle. Her grandfather had told her not to trust the Jinn, but she finds herself falling in love with him. I think that people who are fans of the Twilight series may enjoy this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Weapenry Co-Op for giving me this book to review.

One Wish Away is an enjoyable and fast paced paranormal book. While some parts of the book were light, I found it was much darker than I was expected. I found this story very predictable especially as most of the story twists where mentioned in the synopsis.

Marielle struggles with trust issues and has a fear of abandonment and because of this she can be emotionally distant, but she is also selfless and kind. Faris is cocky, sensitive and emotional but he is a bit too protective and it is almost creepy.

This is an enjoyable book and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I would recommend One Wish Away to fans of YA paranormal romance novels like Smokeless Fire by Samantha Young.

One Wish Away by Ingrid Seymour is the first book in a Series called Djinn Empire. This paranormal romance is followed by the second book: Two Hearts Asunder.
Marielle is waiting to go to college when her grandfather dies and leave her with an enchanted rock and a nursery. The rock is the home of a Djinn.
Marielle needs to make three wishes as soon as possible and trap the Djinn, named Faris, back into the rock before things get complicated. However, she makes friends with him.
She is one wish away to uncover why her grandfather was friends with Faris but ended up being angry at him. She is one wish away from uncovering a brother rivalry. She is one wish away from discovering what her grandfather did that changed people around her. She is one wish away from breaking Faris’s heart and becoming part of a mortal combat between two spell-bound Djinn: Faris and Zet. She is one wish away from dying.

Marielle is a girl down-to-earth facing ordinary problems who happens to live in a world of magic. She is not a chosen one, and she does not blindly embrace the Djinns gifts. The characters felt real and three-dimensional. The pace of the novel developed naturally. Nothing was rushed or going at breaking neck speed, but each page contained its own mysteries and the secrets kept piling on top of the other.
What I liked two things in this book: first, the way the author refreshed the Djinn trope, and second, the way she complicated everything, even the simplest of things. For example, when Marielle uses one wish to heal someone, it doesn’t foster the reaction she hopes for. Being good isn’t as simple as that.
The author surprised me by the twists and unexpected encounters. I suggest this novel to writers who want to understand how to work tension into their stories. Seymour crafts each scene so well, they keep the reader on the edge of their seat. The characters are hindered in their progress by their past and the memory of traumatic events. It feels realistic.
If I had to change anything in this novel, I would have liked Marielle to explore more deeply the main theme: if you had three wishes, what would you be, selfish or selfless? Marielle seems to look up to her grandfather as a role model and wants to get rid of her task as fast as possible. In a way she sounds younger than her age. It’s not really explained why she actually opens the box where the Djinn is contained because she seems so opposed to it. She could have left it untouched. This part could have been more believable in my opinion.
This being said, there are so many layers in this story, it feels more than the ordinary paranormal romance. There are several mysteries going on at the same time to keep track of. Nothing is straightforward, so if you decide to try this novel, do not take anything for granted.

I'm looking forward to the second book in this series.

So much fun to read – a hot djinni who falls in love with his “master” (and vice versa) – set in Louisiana? Sign me up :D
Marielle’s life revolves around her grandfather and his shop as she takes a year off before college. Her life changes on a time when the djinni her grandfather warned her about shows up in her shop. Along with Faris the djinni, the reappearance of her alcoholic father, and an evil djinni, Marielle’s lost at what to do next.
Marielle’s character cracked me up – honest, straightforward, and someone I’d want to befriend (despite her friendship issues). A quick and clean read, and while it wasn’t overly complicated, it was perfect for the time I read it.

I'd read others in the series for sure.

3.5 stars

Interesting introduction to the Djinn Empire. Interesting enough that I immediately searched for Farris (0.5) to get more information on the beginning of his curse and interesting enough that I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series.

The only reason I didn't give it a full 4 stars was that the storyline seemed to wander a bit at times. The horrible ex and the parts of the story surrounding him felt unnecessary and distracting from the real story.

Tighten the focus a bit in the next installment and you're onto a great series

There are parts of this book I enjoyed and other parts not so much. I think for me this book fell a little flat possibly a rating of 2.5 stars. There were a few aspects of the book that I did not enjoy.

One main one is the fact that Faris is many centuries old and has interacted with Marielle’s grandfather years before she was born. This aspect just made the book kind of creepy for me. It is the same way I feel when thinking of Miss Peregrines Peculiar Children.

Another aspect that I half see as good half bad is the inclusion of sexual assault in the book. On the one hand it showed that Mairelle learned that what happened in the past was wrong but on the other hand an incident felt like it was there so a certain person could play hero.

I did however think the plot was interesting as I have only read one book featuring a Djinn in the past and the first I have seen with a Djinn in the modern world. The curse was also an interesting factor.

All in all I was slightly disappointed by this book and I don’t think I will continue with the series when book 2 comes out.

The best thing Ingrid Seymour has going for her is that she keep writings books with ideas that are either original or aren't commonly explored. I've rarely seen books feature a djinn (off the top of my head I can think of maybe two YA books in recent years I've seen with them and then I remember there being one in Dragon Rider) and I've little experience with them in stories, so naturally I was curious to see how the idea would take in this tale.

To be honest, I was expecting... more of everything, really. More fantasy, more action, more romance. But this book sort of falls flat. It's mostly just Marielle being angry, Faris trying to be nice, and complications popping up that make Marielle more angry or cause Faris to need to swoop in and be a hero. I think focusing more on curse breaking and romance and what not would have made this tale better. I mean, I don't think this is a horrible book or anything, and for a younger audience it'd probably work well enough, but I felt let down by the development I saw in the story. It's like all the events were sorely downplayed and simplified, the elements made into simply cut pieces to fit together like a children's foam mat puzzle. The blurb built this up to be something really cool, but what this really is is a tale of an angry girl who inherits a djinn who falls in love with her and whom she slowly starts to fall in love with and how her anger, distrust, and life problems and then Faris's curse/brother continually keep them from kissing.

I also was not a fan of an attempted rape being used as a plot device to ensure Faris was able to play hero and then go into "protective knight mode" (like please is there no other way to show that Faris was a good person or let him do some magic djinn stuff?) nor did I like that the book slut shames the cliched "mean girl" for wearing a short skirt and tank top and even insults fast food workers (yeah, it's not a great job , but it's not cool to write if off as a job only terrible/stupid/lazy people have). I also found Marielle's relationships with her friends weird; like she calls Abby her best friend but never talks to her and she says Maven's a friend but he's always at arm length and both of them never seem to confide in one another or hang much so I don't even know why she calls them 'friends' when it's clear these people are just acquaintances to her.

But I digress.

I did like the book well enough to get through it, and I can see younger people enjoying it (though Marielle and Faris are like 18/19) and I think Ms. Seymour's writing is pretty good. I just think the plot development could have been much more than what it was. It wasn't bad for what it is, but I wanted more so I feel disappointed. I don't think I'll be looking into the next two books.

Also! For anyone who might be triggered, the ex-boyfriend is a rapist who attempts it twice in the book and apparently had succeeded at other times. There's nothing really graphic; the attempt on Marielle is him pinning her to the couch and making some references and the attempt on another girl happens away from Marielle's perspective so we don't do anything more than find out it happened "off camera" so to speak, but this topic pops up in the book several times so if the idea of a minor character being this way bugs you, I'd skip it.

*I received a copy of this title for free via Net Galley but in no way does that affect my review and the opinions expressed for better or worse*

I'm glad I gave this story a chance and even more glad that I've read Faris, the novella, first. It explains what happened between the brothers, Faris and Zed, and how they came to be in the state they are today. I have to say that I don't know much about djinns, aside from Aladin stories, so this story and plot was really refreshing. You don't get to read that much of this type of stories thesedays. Usually it's vampires, dragons and shifters, so again, I really enjoyed the new supernatural creatures.

This is pure YA and I'm surprised that I liked it that much. I usually read NA, because I want the 'whole package', if you get me, but this time it was actually better for the author to draw the line at YA. Otherwise I think it would've been a bit weird for me, plotwise and all that. I won't give away much plot, besides the fact that there's bad blood between these two brothers. One is good and one has completely submitted to rage and revenge. I loved Faris, he's just amazing. Super cute, considerable, mature adn simply has a good heart. I obviously didn't like Zet much, but at times I did feel bad for him. The only character that really did get on my nerves is Marielle. She's so immature and stubborn, I just couldn't stand her way of thinking. She is full of anger and mistrust, and she reflects that onto other people by hurting their feelings and with Faris she's just way to selfish. Also, making out with a boy just to make someone jealous and feeling hurt, not cool, not cooll at all! I did not like her at all! That is also the reason why I gave this story only three stars. Had she been a better, more mature character, I would've definitely given the story more points.

But don't get me wrong, it's still a good read and maybe you will like Marielle more than I did. Just give it a try and see for yourself.

Marielle has grown up with tales of the djinn of her grandfather and she's memorized his rule: The djinn wants to get out and he will trick you'. Now that he's passed, she's left in charge of his shop and unfortunately the stone that contains a djinn. A runaway father, a dead mother, a jackass ex boyfriend and now a dead grandfather, Marielle isn't really in the mood to deal with a magical djinn...

Marielle has trust issues, and i get where she's coming from with all the dudes in her life being total douches except for her grandpa...But at times i was just confused at what she was doing and why she was doing it...especially her interactions with her friend Maven were a little weird. But in all she was a courageous character and had a stroke of genius in the end! She was quite selfless but not in the conventional way-that made her way more realistic-she struggled with making her wishes and sometimes thought about making selfish ones before she changed her mind. Really mature character!

Faris was quite an interesting character. He had the cocky sexy role down but one thing that was super unique about him was that he was really sensitive. He was easily hurt and he seemed at times quite fragile. I loved the contrast of his endearing and teasing attitude to his insecurities and soft side. He was so sweet and kind!!! I also liked the fact that he hates being a djinn, it's the first book i've read where the djinn hates being a servant and is bitter about it. He did sulk a bit so it ended up being kinda cute when you thought about an immortal djinn sulking!

As for the plot itself, you don't have to wait at all, from the first few pages you get swept into the action. But i felt that the real plot came a little too late in the story...I would have liked to have seen much more of Zet because he was a really interesting character. And there was quite a rush of explanation at the end. I also hoped we explored more of the djinn world because there are a lot of questions! The whole brother drama between Faris and Zet came a little too late, i wish we'd seen more of that.

There was a great build up to the romance. Marielle wasn't easily swayed and she kept her head firmly on her shoulders throughout the book. Marielle has really bad experiences with the men in he r life including her father so she's not that easily won over. She's distrustful and tends to push everyone away to avoid getting hurt and Faris, with his never ending kindness and sweetness was just what she needed to restore her faith in guys!

Overall it was a quick read but i'm not sure i was gripped by the plot :/ Nevertheless enjoyable!