Name: The Wishing Game
Author: Meg Shaffer
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Date published: 2023
Genre: Fiction, adult, romance, contemporary, mystery, books about books
Pages: 283
Rating: 4/5
Make a wish...
Lucy Hart knows better
than anyone what it’s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In
a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in
books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a
twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of
reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old
Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his
parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the
idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper
funds and stability.
But be careful what you wish for...
Just
when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he’s finally
written a new book. Even better, he’s holding a contest at his home on
the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants
chosen to compete to win the one and only copy.
For Lucy, the
chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means
everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with
ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome
(and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books.
Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate
twist ending that could change all their lives forever.
... You might just get it.
- From Goodreads.
This story was whimsical and delightful but also able to deal with some darker and more emotional themes. Anyone sensitive to themes around childhood abuse and neglect may want to tread carefully with this book as it is a big theme. The foster system and adoption are also mentioned because of Lucy's struggle to adopt Christopher, and there is a lot of discussion in general of the terrible things children can go through. Lucy's sister is ill throughout their childhood so that is also something that is dealt with. As well as that, and this is something that does not happen to any of the main characters, and it is just mentioned in backstory as happening to a child that one of the characters knew, but there are mentions of sexual abuse and the death of a child. I thought it was all dealt with well and with sensitivity and thoughtfulness but these things can effect everyone differently so you may just need to consider your own tolerance levels to these topics when picking up this book.
I liked the concept of the book in general, the idea of the eccentric author of a fantasy series actually living on an island like the one from his books and inviting people there to take part in a game also as from his books was a lot of fun and entertaining to read.
I really loved the romance in the book. Hugo and Lucy were really sweet together and it was lovely to see them open up to each other and understand each other. I think it would have been nice to get a little more focus on their romance towards the end, maybe a scene or two more with just the two of them, but overall I was really happy with how their story ended.
The only other thing I thought could have been improved was that some of the side characters and minor characters did not feel completely fully rounded out and like they needed a little more development to feel more like real people. They were not completely flat, I think they just needed a little more work to feel like they were not just waiting in the background until they were necessary. All of the main characters felt fully developed though, all of them were interesting and I was happy to follow their journey through the book.
Overall, while it was not perfect, I still enjoyed the book a lot, I thought it was very wholesome and had a great message to it. I might pick up another book from the author in the future if she writes a similar romance.
