I was really taken by the cover and description and fortunately, I wasn't let down! The story of Auri and Nix is full of all the things that make for a compelling adult romance. Especially the fact Auri is in her mid twenties!!
It reminded me in some ways as For the Wolf, which I say as a very good thing.
I loved Auri's family and Nix's was complicated but his brother isn't necessarily what he seems. Also there's a god that turns into a dragon so what more can you want??
The excerpt at the very very end has me quite looking forward to the next book in 2023.

Alexa play Another One Bites the Dust by Queen because I am yet again disappointed by a book I was excited about.

The whole time I was reading this book I kept hearing “This ain’t no rated motherf*cking PG shit, this shit rated PORN.” And this book isn’t necessarily spicy, I’d say. There wasn’t anything crazy, just sex. Which on my scale is not smutty.

Anyway, let’s get into why I did not like this book. Everything started great, you know? This book was slowly but surely taking me out of my reading slump and I was shitting rainbows because of how much I enjoyed it. Then everything went downhill and I can’t believe I’m saying this but all because of the author’s obsession with making this book erotica rather than a fantasy.

It is great when fantasy, romance, and smut go hand in hand. I did enjoy From Blood and Ash for that very reason. But the author’s try to make something like that failed miserably because mediocrely written porn overshadowed the actual plot and the characters.

Also, the main deal-breaker for me was insta-love. This is a preference, of course, and I am not obsessively into slow burn but I do like and look for a genuine connection.

Nix was cool but always horny. His random sex thoughts bothered me. He should be able to function without being horny. I know I'm expecting a lot from a man here but yea.

Now, here comes the other MC, Auri. First of all, She accepted her faith and that she was stuck in the key with Nix way too easily. She was like "I can't go? Oh well… Okay, I might as well enjoy this.” and that was it. She started living her best life in a literal magical prison.

For her, nothing ever matters outside. She doesn’t care about her parents, her sisters, and brother, all the people who might've been worried sick or might be in trouble because of her. Just because, you guessed it, she was horny. GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT GIRL, I SWEAR.

One last thing, this girl went through something truly traumatic. I can't explain without giving spoilers but like REALLY traumatic after the first wish but she didn't even care. She was okay and horny and that was it. Since as a character she didn't care, I couldn't care less so it made the whole traumatic event useless. Which also made the whole Nix’s "You'll end up hating me!“ tantrums also pointless. She could've at least had some inner conflict or shown the effects of what happened to her but nope. Since I couldn’t grasp the gravity of the situation, the whole wishing something and getting something bad in return situation was just bland to me. I wasn’t even scared of the outcome of the wishes at all.

So in the end, this book started great for me but ended up being a spicy disaster.

Take the authors note at the beginning to heart. It makes some of the more uncomfortable scenes understandable in what is being accomplished and why but still blurs the lines of consent and some readers may really not enjoy that. In a way it reminded me alot of the show Lucifer.

There's sexual awakening (and alot of it) and I'm glad that the author gave the protagonist agency over that; it's also more graphic than fairy tale sex scenes so if you like your steam to basically be blinding, it's for you (I skimmed over most of those scenes bc I'm more of a slow burn type and I enjoy the fantasy/retelling elements more). But the book is dark, and Grimm fairy tales are known for that. There is romance, mystery, fantasy and magic and I hope we spend more times in some of those realms in the subsequent stories.

2.5 stars; now that the world has been set, I think the balance between fantasy and spicy sex scenes will even out.

The intriguing plot: a land where marriage is forced at 26 and Auri and her sisters are nearly the deadline, was 100% and completely irrelevant.

Auri finds a magic key and is transported to the magic prison where Nix lives, the rest of the book is spent there. Trapped together, with only each other, therefore insta love!
Auri has three wishes, despite knowing her family is worried about her and her sisters are under a time crunch, Auri enjoys her vacation from poverty in what is basically Beauty and the Beast mansion.

This was spicier than I thought it would be, but the author used an abundance of dream scenes and "the curse made me do it" scenarios to shoe horn scenes in there that didn't fit. The plot and romance did not stand on its own and the spicy scenes were used as a crutch.

I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did. I’m genuinely obsessed! I finished the book at 4:44 this morning and don’t regret staying up that late. Wow.

It’s hard to find a strong female character you don’t want to strangle but Auri is it.

Also… Nixus?! Ugh I love him.

Check your content warnings on this one. It’s not a dark fantasy romance but there are some darker moments. No detail or anything but just in case, be safe.

The writing at moments didn’t feel like it fit. I was confused as to what time-period this was. The language they used. Whether they were dressed in modern clothing or dresses and tunics like the olden days. I think it’s modern but like women had to wear dresses with modesty and stuff. Tbh still a little confused but that’s okay.

The romance and the “wanting” started right away. I was a little confused at first but then there was a realization made that explained their almost instant attraction and I squealed. They didn’t act on it right away though they were mistrusting of eachother. I love the trope. Their chemistry was amazing too! Ugh so hot.

There isn’t a lot of world-building as most of the story takes place on like another plane of sorts in which Nixus can conjure up literally anything he wants but I didn’t mind it at all. It felt like another world that my imagination could help finish.

There’s a spicy book in this spicy book!

My thoughts are all jumbled because I did finish reading this at 4am but hope this helps you decide to definitely read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mixed Plate Press for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With a touch of Grimm's fairy tale, In the Shadow of a Wish is a beautifully crafted The Golden Key reimagined. The magical cover is the first thing that hooked me in. Worry not, the story is even more compelling and engaging to read. The book follows Auri Fareview, the youngest daughter of a poor family in Sevens. In their kingdom, women are forced to marry by the age of 26. After discovers a golden key deep in the woods, she may or may not have just released the god of night that trapped inside a key. I loved the worldbuilding, the wish making concept, the forced proximity and the growth and development of the characters. Please check TW before proceed to read this because some scene create a tense and uncomfortable situations but neither graphic or glorified.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

In a bleak world of fantasy, in a kingdom where women are seen as objects of reproduction and pleasure and are forced to marry by the age of 26, our main heroine, Auri wishes for a way to rescue herself and her sisters from this cruel fate. However, when she comes across a golden key in the forest and the irresistibly handsome god who is trapped because of a curse within it, little does she know, that she is about to change not only her fate but also Nixus’s.

All in all, this is a well-written and captivating story of romance and elements of fantasy. Auri is a well-rounded character and is characterized by her cleverness and her selflessness, attributes that ultimately help her to exploit the three wishes of the curse not only to help her family but also to save Nixus from his confinement within the curse. Nixus, is a characteristic example of the morally grey, broody but undeniably charming male character that we readers love, who rediscovers–thanks to Auri- not only hope, but also love. I also believe that Aurora handled their relationship expertly from the way they slowly built the trust between them to the strong attraction and passion that they felt for each other and also, the explicit scenes were written in a very sensual but also tactful way. Additionally, there are some plot twists along the storyline that make the book even more exciting.

Ultimately, this was such an easy and enjoyable read that is why I give it a 4 out of 5 star rating and I am looking forward to read the next one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mixed Plate Press for the ARC.

thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.

i’d never heard of the fairytale the golden key but it’s got all the classic sort of elements you’d expect from a fairytale retelling!

i’m definitely a sucker for beauty and the beast retellings and this had elements of that in it for sure.

this was fun and the romance was interesting and i’m intrigued to see more writing by this author in the future!

In The Shadow of A Wish to me is a New Adult Fantasy read. It's also a retelling of the golden key. Big TW for SA and dubious consent in this book. At times I liked the spice, other times I was a bit confused/uncomfortable. This is a book about a girl living in a world where you're forced to marry by age 26 if you are a women. Her world has pretty barbaric rules. I will say I liked that she had a good family in this book. Our main character, Auri, finds a magical key one day in the woods where she's transported into Nix's curse. His brother accidentally cursed him to keep giving women wishes and to free him they can make a sacrifice or they can just leave. The wishes also come with consequences. The pacing in this book starts off so slow. We only reach the first wish like halfway through the book! It picks up after that. I'll read book two. I recommend if you like the plated prisoner series.

Auri lives in Sevens which has these awful marriage laws that do not benefit the women. After an incident at Market Auri and her sisters are kept near their cottage. While Auri is out in the woods she comes across a golden key and finds herself trapped in a spell with Nixus, God of Night. In order to break the spell Auri will have to make three wishes and pay three prices and then make a sacrifice to completely break the spell. As she is drawn closer and close to Nix her goals shift to changing her family's fate to saving this trapped god.
I enjoyed the little bit of spice and the darker themes very slightly explored, and I enjoyed the sisters. However - I don't believe it continue on with future books.

This was so good. Although it is a 500 page book, it was surprisingly a pretty fast read. If you like retellings, forced proximity, fated mates, top tier banter and spicy scenes, this is for you.
Auri was a good female lead, although she felt very basic and generic in the beginning. She's the typical not-like-the-other-girls (literally described by Nix as "different"). However, she was still a likeable character.
Nix, however, was a great character. Loved him so much, I love that he's imperfect. His POV was my favourite. Book boyfriend material.
Nix and Auri had the best banter and tension. Immaculate. The romance did feel a little insta-lovey, but I liked that they took time to first become friends and then fall in love. Also, the spice in this book was probably the best part, in my opinion. 10/10 spicy scenes (although the spice factor might be a 3/5).
I enjoyed the plot, as a whole, even though it was slightly predictable. The plot twist were ok, none of them really shocked me or anything, but they weren't bad.
I liked the mystery aspect with the ribbon and how the excerpt at the end of the sequel gave us a sneak peak of that mystery possibly being unraveled.
Also, the underlining message was great - women should be allowed to be curious, to know and speak their minds, to be comfortable in their own skin, to explore and to decide for their fate. Lovely.
Overall, fun fantasy book and I would 100% read the sequel.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for sending me an eArc of this book!

In the Shadow of. Wish follows Auri Fairview who, along with her sisters, are forced to abide by the marriage law in the Kingdom of Kaloma. With this, women are to be married by the age of 26. However, Auri and her family live in an outer region of the kingdom and potential suitors are far and few. Auri and her sisters feel trapped by the marriage law but when Auri comes across a key while out in the forest, she realizes there's a chance to save them all.

As Auri becomes the seventh key keeper, she's whisked away in an enchantment where she must make three wishes and decide whether to free Nixus--an imprisoned god--from his spell. Nix has learned not to hope for freedom as Nix doesn't believe Auri will be any different from the last six key keepers.

The more Nix is surrounded by Auri, the more he can't deny she is different from the rest. Despite their better judgements, the two are drawn to each other. But with the wishes looming over Auri's head, Nix knows she'll never forgive him for what is to come.

This story was a very pleasant surprise, and I found myself entertained throughout its entirety. However, there were moments where I found myself wanting more. The plot was very up and down. I felt the beginning started off strong and once Nix was introduced, there was a lag in the story. The first wish wasn't made until nearly halfway through the book, and the entire time before that was spent with repeated entries of how these wishes would break Auri.

As for the romance, I liked Auri and Nix. There wasn't anything too complex about either of them and while I liked their relationship, I wasn't blown away. I feel the characters in themselves were very generic but despite this, I was able to grasp somewhat of a connection that helped me glide through the story.

While this book didn't blow my mind, I did have a good time with my read and I'm looking forward to the second book. I can't wait to see what the author has in store!

A decent story but definately a bit too racy for my liking. I usually read these sort of books with my older grand daughters but so glad I didn't with this one. They would have been outraged with the misogyny and the idea of giving up the rights to their own bodies , and that is without the embarresment of the smutty bits.

Thank you, NetGalley and Mixed Plate Press for the chance to read and review In the Shadow of a Wish by Maci Aurora!

I absolutely loved this romantic fantasy novel by Maci Aurora! I loved the trapped with wishes thing, and the book was also pretty well edited. A lot of publishers can end up putting up weirdly formatted copies of the book on NetGalley, so I appreciate that this was well done.

I loved what happened between her and Nix! The way they came together and chose each other and trusted each other! The whole sexy broody man thing worked! More authors should do a bath house thing. Criminally underrated. I also really liked Nix's sister, and I want more of her in the next book!

I didn't particularly like the wish at the end. I feel like that just got far too complicated for me to make sense of and enjoy in a romantic fantasy. I'm also looking forward to the author developing the sister's relationships with one another in the coming books. I'm particularly curious about the eldest two; I mean in this book, one was sort of spared and the other made to sit in the marriage market. Who made that decision?

I also didn't get she's not fully mortal part, and that thing with the wizard, in the end, was weird.

All in all, I'm really looking forward to the next book and I can't wait to have my questions answered!

This was a surprise gem of a read, and not quite what I expected-- in a good way.

This an adult fantasy romance, with a heavy dose of smut. I am not sure why it surprised me, but it did.
It was all well written and crafted.

The concept felt original, and it's what brought me to the book and kept me engaged from start to finish.
Auri and Nix were equally intriguing, complex, and likable protagonists. Words matter, and I found myself holding my breath as they tried to find the right ones to ensure the best outcome for each wish.

While there is closure in one facet of the story, there is still much left to be told, and the ending had me brimming with anticipation as to what that story may be-- and who will lead it.

While I very much enjoyed this story, at times I felt its own potential was being held back. I would have liked more-- I'm not sure how to explain what that 'more' is, but there was something in the narrative that felt a bit lacking but also felt it was right there to bring more life to the page, if only it could be unlocked. The potential captivated me regardless. Although there is a very good reason for it, I wish the romance between Auri and Nix was a bit more slow burn. It took me a bit longer to genuinely care about the romance because I am not a big fan of instant love/lust/connection. Nevertheless, this content brought Auri into exploring her sexuality for a large part of the story in a way that was very empowering and overall positive, which I absolutely enjoyed reading.

I am grateful the book begins with a page concerning trigger warnings. Please do not skim over the warnings, and be sure to heed them if you do not think you will be comfortable with the content. There were moments that did make me uncomfortable, in how Auri's agency was taken away from here due to the obligation of wishes. But Aurora takes great care in writing these topics, always ensuring Auri's agency is returned to her, and always empowers her.

Thank you NetGalley and Mixed Plate Press for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

4 1/2 stars and 3 spicy peppers!

This book is an adult retelling of the story "The Golden Key". Auri finds herself quite tired of being enforced by law to find a husband to procreate. She believes her and her sisters deserve the love their parents have. One day, she stumbles upon a key in which Nixus, god of Night is trapped in a spell. Auri will get her freedom back once she makes 3 wishes and pays the consequences of each, but what about Nix? (Please check TWs)

There's a second one on the way which I for one can't wait to read!

It's a charming story about a girl in a world where marriage is compulsory by age 26 for women and 37 for men, which forces women to be offered on booths at the Marriage Market just like any other produce to sell, an unfair law imposed by, who else, an invading neighbour kingdom bent on imposing their ways on the smaller one where Aurielle and her sisters live.

Not willing to be sold like that, and after a terrible first day of humiliating exhibition at the Marriage Market, Aurielle stumbles on a magical wood where she picks up a golden key, that forces her to become its guardian and be at the mercy of the god that key keeps captive. This is how she comes to meet Nix, who adds the fun and bantery bits to the story, as Auri is rather stuck up at times.

I don't have "The Golden Key" all that fresh in my memory to assess how closely this follows it, but I can tell it has enough to be recognisable to those who have read it, and it also has elements borrowed from "Beauty and the Beast," though these are only recognisable if you look very, very closely. I liked the originality of the plot concept and the execution, but felt the characters are a bit too generic and the storytelling isn't even because half of the book is slow and lacks a grab-you-by-the-throat quality and the other half is much better. Overall, it's a lovely read for when you want something not too complicated for a weekend, though I should tell you this is only the first book in a series and although it's mostly self-contained, it ends in a way you'll want to jump to the next to see where it goes, and also that this isn't quite a "clean" read (I know some of my friends here only read clean romance, so this goes for them).

In the Shadow of a Wish is the beginning of a new four-book series that twists a fairytale cliche: instead of a human girl that needs saving/rescuing (even if the girl has the ability to rescue herself), it's a god who, because of a spell, is trapped and can't be freed unless the key-keeper/wish-maker makes the choice to free him.

It has a feminist edge to it as Auri (and her sisters) dislike the idea of the Kaloma Marriage Laws, which essentially treats them as trophy wives and baby-makers with very few alternative options. Through Auri's internal thoughts and dialogue, the book mentions the unfairness of the law towards different genders and how women should be given and be allowed to make the same choices as men (yes!) (like education, whether they want to marry, who they want to marry, how many partners they want etc). Through her encounter with Nixus, Auri has a chance to make a change for the better for all women.

Generally, I recommend this for 16-year-olds and above due to the various sex scenes. Speaking of, I didn't exactly expect this book to dive into that aspect so quickly. I was also expecting more resistance to the romance and letting it slow burn its way through the novel (especially considering that it's a series) but the two main characters pretty much fell in love with each other at first sight. However, it did take time for the two to really grasp their feelings, allowing their friendship (and the yearning) to unfold before the romance (thankfully).

The book contains non-consensual scenes, some of which were sexual, but it's explicitly stated that it was down to the spell's obligations that forced Auri into those situations. These scenes were portrayed as violations and were fortunately not meant to be seen as something that's okay. The characters were actively aware of their circumstances and communicate as frequently as they can to check in on each other (the spell prevents them from stopping these obligations from being carried out, but they have their ways during the obligations to briefly stop it...).

I enjoyed the thread of mystery surrounding Auri's ribbon and her magicalness-despite-being-mortal being weaved throughout the story. The thread has its first big payoff at the very end of the novel. It somewhat justifies that feeling of "I'm not like everyone else" that I got from Auri due to the magical mystery surrounding her. It's also a nice way to build up anticipation for what will happen next, and hints at the larger scope of the story as the series progresses!

Quick-fire notes:
- I like that Auri is thoughtful with her wishes; this trait also reinforces her role as the 'hero' of this fairytale. Also, her thoughtfulness means that she is always logically considering her choices and observing her surrounding. So, no silly illogical decisions were being made here!
- Auri being the hero is a not-so-subtle link to the feminist topic of the book; women should be allowed to control their lives, their stories.
- I enjoyed Nixus's torturedness; his fear of giving in to hope and his desire to be free. The former is especially fun to read when it's in conflict with his growing feelings towards Auri.
- The book's summary positions Nixus as the villain (and he's self-aware that he's the villain to the past keykeepers) but honestly he never seemed like one to me. That's probably because... he isn't and it's just his perception of himself (cue the hugs).

Overall, an enjoyable read!

Thanks to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was definitely not my cup of tea…

The basic premise of this novel is that men and women must marry by a certain age; the Farview sisters are running out of time as they near the age of 26 in the small village of Kaloma, a place of few eligible suitors. After stumbling across a key lying in the forest, Our protagonist Auri finds herself trapped in the curse of the god of night Nix.

The Shadow of a Wish is more of a romance that takes place in a fantasy world than it is a classic fantasy novel that has romance. While I was initially intrigued by the premise of this novel (expecting a strong heroine who defied the laws of her reality and was sent down a path of adventure), it diverged down a path I was not expecting…

The relationship felt forced, and at times beyond inappropriate, in terms of questionable outlines of consent. If you are looking for a book with questionable ethics and the use of words such as “growled” or “devoured” this book might be worth giving a chance.

I urge those thinking of reading this book to look at the trigger warnings before reading, as it does include some sensitive topics that may be triggering to some.

-
Triggers of sexual assault and questionable consent.

“And though he knew being a voyeur to her pleasure without her knowledge was vile, and he hated himself for it, he just didn’t hate himself enough not to replay it over and over in his mind.”

“The price for your wish, Auri,” he said, “is the loss of the freewill over your body in all ways.”

The cover of this book puts off YA vibes of innocence and fantasy. The fantasy is there for sure, a world that's beautifully crafted and interesting in its details with laws that make you feel for the characters, gods, and magic. The YA vibes don't go past the cover, though, and this book had far more spice than I honestly expected when going into it (not at all a complaint).

Aurora did a wonderful job of keeping the story interesting, which is challenging when you don't have much outside of two characters forced into a spot away from others. This easily could have become boring, but wasn't at all! I was impressed by the almost ease there seemed to be with keeping things interesting with minor additions of things like the book being read, the changing scenery, etc.

I liked the sisters introduced in the beginning so I'm looking forward to getting more with them in what comes next for this story! Though this is going to be a series, with the end provided you could easily stop and be content with this story if you aren't a multiple books sort of reader.

Give this one a try!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy so I could provide my honest review.