I enjoy anything from this author! Of course this wasn’t her usual genre, but I think she nailed it!

The book is pretty long and it’s slow to get into at first, but the world building and the backstories were good to have!

I think the concept was unique and original and I will look forward to reading anything else this author writes

Sarah Ready is an automatic read for me. In the past, I’ve loved everything she wrote. Her Ghosted series is still one of my all time favorites ever. This book…this one disappointed me. Honestly, if Ready’s name wasn’t on the cover I wouldn’t have known it was her book.

My review will be vague, because I’ll be honest and say I only made it to the 15% mark before giving up. Here are the things I found wrong with this novel:

1. Too much information and monologue. I don’t need to know the backstory of every character, family, and superpower we encountered. It could have been way more basic, especially since this takes place in our current world (in a sense).

2. The parts where the FMC/narrator addresses the reader is weird. Maybe she is talking to someone else…but it made me fall out of the story.

3. I didn’t like Finn. I’m not sure how a romance is supposed to blossom if he is with Cora…maybe this ends up being fake? The romance is with someone else? Not sure, but Finn is a druggy that 8% in was groping his fiancés’ naked chest in front of people and saying stupid things. Didn’t like him.

4. This book is too long. I just want a fantasy that is to the point and isn’t trying to become the next Sarah J Maas novel. Short and simple works too.

Maybe I would have gotten more out of this if I’d kept reading, but I just can’t. While I won’t continue with this series, I’ll be keeping my eyes open for any of Ready’s books in the future.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

This is a romantasy with a bang - there's lots of heavy detail in the beginning to grasp, its the sort of book you need to invest a few hours in to get started, it's not the sort of book you can pick up and drop before bed as there's a lot of complex world building to get your head around before the story really begins.

Mari is our main character who's about to enter the Hundred Year Game, partnered with Finn, they navigate the trials while building a connection with each other. There are twists and turns throughout the book, it's an exciting read with lots of drama.

I chose this book because of the interesting name and the book cover. I was really curious what it was about and after reading the small excerpt provided, I decided to dive into this world.

The world building is very unique and the mix of characters is also quite interesting. However, I do have a reason why I gave this book 2 stars. Although the world building and the intricate "magic" was very detailed and unique, it was hard to follow. The pacing was fine, however, it was hard for me to connect to the story and the plot due to the constant change in narration. First we had Mari narrating and then suddenly the Wind was narrating and then Justice. I was able to eventually follow along due to context clues, however, it was a bit of a bigger mental lift to stay on track.

The characters were also difficult to understand and connect to as well. Little detail was given about why Mari was tethered to Jagger and I feel like I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I was given a more elaborate back story of the characters.

Understandably, this is definitely a high fantasy book in which the reader must be fed information throughout the entire book to understand the world better, however, I found that the writing was also too focused on the sceneries. I would have loved to know more about Hell Gate and what it looked and felt like they gave more details on the Bard mansion and the truth-telling room.

Unfortunately, it was difficult to connect with the story, characters and plot line as I read further into the book.

I really like the concept and originality of this book, that’s what sucked me into it.

That being said, I think this book could’ve been shorter. The author does a really great job of giving detailed descriptions and history of this world she’s created, where it’s our current, modern world, but full of illusions and magic, but I personally feel like the amount of description wasn’t balanced well with the rest of the plot.

The plot itself is also intriguing, it’s a game of trials of a sort between warring families of conjurers to gain the ultimate power. Our protagonist, Mari, is thrust into this world of illusions and betrayals at every turn. I can easily say that I never truly knew what to expect while reading. I did think the twist for the main characters was predictable quite early on, but I still found myself intrigued at the “how” and the “why” of it all.

That being said, the pacing of this book felt all over the place, and I think it’s because of the amount of description or internal thoughts. I love getting into a characters head so that we see what they’re feeling, but there were big moments that happened and then it kind of seemed anticlimactic because then there would be a page or two of pausing and reflecting before getting back to it. It tended to take me out of the story and those tense moments.

The frame narrative did add a very interesting turn to the story, knowing that Mari was talking to someone, but never really knowing who. I did appreciate the bookends of the story both being in that frame narrative style, it was very unique.

I almost wish we’d gotten more hints at what was really going on throughout the book, instead of getting the pages of explanation in the last 100 or so pages of the book, if not less. With this book being over 600 pages, it started to feel like it was taking too long to get anywhere without anything truly happening to push the plot forward. I almost feel like I needed more hooks along the way to keep me going the same way I was hooked on the beginning.

I think the other, more omniscient, point of view threw me for a loop as well. I’m not sure if it’s just because I haven’t read anything for a while from this point of view, but I found myself not really enjoying those chapters. That’s when the description and the prose seemed really heavy and I lost interest quickly. It was an interesting addition to be able to get a look into the other characters and what they were up to when Mari wasn’t around, but the switching viewpoints seemed like they happened at really unfortunate moments. What would’ve been really big and dramatic moments between the main characters seemed to dim in this “outside” viewpoint, and I didn’t really understand the vision behind this.

I think some plot points got overlooked really easily, where Mari would discover something and then just get over it really quickly. Or something would be said or done in one chapter and then get ignored or the characters move on too easily from it after. It just felt very clunky and disjointed at some points.

Overall, I am intrigued in the story and the characters and the way the story ends and would like to read the next book. I just wish it hadn’t taken me 500 pages to understand what was happening. I’m okay with being confused at what’s going on in a book, it helps to build the anticipation, however this book made me confused for a good majority of it, which is what made it difficult for me to fly through it as easily as I wanted to.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read an ARC of this novel!

This was an amazing fast-paced fantasy romance book. The plot is engaging from the start, following Mari who has had to hide all her life because of her rare ability. However, Mari finds herself in a deadly event full of illusions, difficult alliances, and choices that will change the course of her life.
The slow burn romance had needing to keep reading. Along with the romance, the world building was done seamlessly with so many twists I didn’t see coming.

Thank you to Netgalley and W.W. Crown for this e-arc!

DNFed at 20% (157 pages).
This moved painfully slowly. Lots of info dumpy world building, I feel like the story barely progressed in the amount I read. There was also a whole paragraph that was just a list of different coats.
Disappointing because this world is actually intriguing but I just found myself incredibly bored and having to drag myself through.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eArc to review.

This story was so unique and different than her normal!

Mari has spent her life hiding from the conjurers, masters of illusion who thrive on chaos. But when she’s thrown into the deadly Hundred Year Games, she’s forced to team up with Finn, a half conjurer she’s meant to help win… then betray.

I loved this one!

The world building was so good. It felt different from her usual stories, but her writing still shined!

The slow burn romance absolutely delivered. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite love stories she’s written

If you’re into fantasy with layers,this one’s for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Sarah Ready for the ARC!

I can see why this book gets so many great ratings. This was a brilliant Romantic Fantasy and was my first Sarah Ready book - I really enjoyed it.

This is a big book and has in depth world building as well as really strong characters.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. :)

3.5 ⭐

Mari Locke es una joven de 22 años con una habilidad poco común: puede ver a través de las ilusiones. Abandonada al nacer con tan solo una nota, fue criada en un mundo clandestino de magia y engaños por el enigmático Jagger, quien la convirtió en una ganzúa, alguien capaz de deshacer los nudos mágicos de las ilusiones más complejas. Mari es descrita como físicamente olvidable, una cualidad que se vuelve su ventaja más poderosa en un mundo donde ser invisible es a veces lo único que puede salvarte la vida. Pero no solo eso, puede revivir, aunque esto se limita a 10 vidas y pasado eso no se sabe que le ocurrirá.

El conflicto central gira en torno a una lucha por el poder entre familias mágicas en un juego llamado Hundred Year Games, donde quien gane portará la Corona de las Ilusiones y dominará durante cien años. Jagger tiene un plan para ganar el juego, y Mari es pieza clave en esa estrategia, pero su propio viaje podría desviarla de lo que todos esperan de ella.





No sé qué calificación darle porque la historia me pareció interesante y el final me sorprendió (para bien). Sin embargo, el libro es muy largo y, al final, el narrador tiene que explicar todo lo que ocurrió, ya que hay demasiados secretos y solo la autora conoce la verdad. El lector permanece en la oscuridad durante casi toda la trama.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

My Dear Illusion is Sarah Ready’s dive into romantic fantasy, and it is nothing like any of the previous works she’s written. The story follows Mari Locke, who has the ability to untie illusions. When Mari is partnered with Finn, a half-conjurer and half-human, to compete in the Hundred Year Game, she has a difficult decision to make, kill Finn in order to save herself and the world or see past her convictions and illusions that the games are projecting and differentiate between what is reality and fantasy.

Mari and Finn’s chemistry was a slow burn, yet there were obvious signs of their connection and attraction to each other. Their character development and growth were both gradual and definite as the story progressed.

This was a thick book and packed with extensive worldbuilding, fantastical elements, and a cohort of characters. My Dear Illusion was such a fascinating and exciting read, and the ending left me impatiently anticipating the next book. Truly a satisfactory read and a stellar beginning to a promising new series.

Thank you so much to W.W. Crown and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

So My Dear Illusion totally pulled me in. It’s this fantasy romance where the main character, Mari, has this rare power to break through illusions, and she gets thrown into this intense competition called the Hundred Year Games. Think Hunger Games meets magic and royal politics.

She’s supposed to help this guy, Finn—who’s half-conjurer and kind of the underdog—win the whole thing… and then betray him. But of course, things get complicated because he’s not just charming, he’s actually a decent person, and their connection starts to feel real.

There’s so much going on—twists, betrayals, magical duels—and you’re constantly questioning what’s real and what’s not, which totally fits the theme. The romance is slow-burn but emotional, and the stakes just keep rising.

If you like fantasy with strong character dynamics and a little romantic tension, I’d definitely recommend this one.

I’m a huge Sarah Ready fan, so I knew I was going to love My Dear Illusion—but I didn’t expect to devour it in one sitting and then immediately want to reread it.

This story had everything I adore about her writing: witty banter, emotional depth, and characters that feel so real you want to text them when you're having a bad day. The romance was the perfect blend of slow burn and swoon-worthy moments, with just enough tension to keep me grinning (and maybe yelling at the pages a bit).

The characters had amazing chemistry, and even the quieter moments hit hard in the best way. Sarah just gets how to write messy, complicated people falling in love, and it’s never boring. I laughed, teared up, and finished the book with a full heart.

If you’re already a fan, this one absolutely delivers. And if you’re new to Sarah Ready—this is a perfect place to start. Loved it, loved it, loved it.


*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Mari grew up in Hell Gate hiding from conjurers because of her rare ability to untie illusions. She is thrusted into the hundred year games which decides who will rule the world. She is ordered to get Finn to win the crown and steal it afterwards by killing him.

More magical than the writer's Ghosted series. More romantic too. Love the twisty plot... the suspense.... Really enjoy Mari and Finn together.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

My Dear Illusion is the perfect blend of paranormal, romance and talented storytelling. The paranormal side keeps the reader guessing with it's twists and illusions of not knowing what is real. The romance is deep and builds until you don't want to let go. A new Romantsy that is highly addictive!

This story is a trap in the most beautiful way. I love how cleverly the story plays with perception. It’s layered and unpredictable, full of shifting truths, moral knots, and raw human emotion. The writing is tense and elegant, never letting you feel entirely safe; just the way I like it. And, the romance is aching and so angsty. I never wanted out. Loved it.