Review: The Problem with Wishes by Hazel Calder

September 29, 2026

Synopsis:

A Beauty editor in NYC gets three wishes. A sexy genie comes with them. What could possibly go wrong?

Passed over for a career-defining promotion and stuck in a going-nowhere relationship, beauty editor Scarlett Monroe is tired of waiting for her life to begin.

Everything changes when a vintage perfume bottle lands on her desk, and Sahir emerges. He is devastatingly handsome, impossibly charming, and claims to be a real-life genie.

A no-nonsense NYC girl would never believe in magic … until one reckless wish later, the perfect life she’s spent years chasing suddenly comes within reach.

But what if the perfect life she’s been granted isn’t the one she truly desires?

With only three wishes and everything on the line, Scarlett must decide whether to hold on to the life she wished for… or let herself fall for the man she never saw coming.

Warm, witty, and irresistibly escapist, The Problem with Wishes is a sparkling romantic comedy about ambition, love, impossible choices, and one very sexy genie.

Review:

I did not expect to enjoy this one as much as I did, and I’m very happy about that.

Scarlett is a character I liked instantly. She’s been with her company and doing her job for 10 years. When a promotion becomes available, she is hopeful, but her dreams are crushed when it goes to someone else. As a consolation prize, she is given a campaign, which comes with an unexpected surprise: a real-life genie who offers three wishes.

Is this a completely new concept? No. Does it come with a very unique and entertaining twist? Absolutely. The disclaimer for the wishes alone made me chuckle. When Sahir made it clear what could not happen, it showed that someone must have tried all of these things before, and that they had gone horribly wrong. Better safe than sorry 🙂

The interactions between the two of them were so much fun, and it felt more like a therapy session where a motivational friend was trying to convince her that she could do whatever she wanted if she started believing in herself. Him supporting her every step of the way and doing everything he could to make her journey just a little bit easier was so kind and caring that I wished I had someone like this in my life.
It was a very entertaining read, and with it being on the shorter side, I finished it in one sitting. It’s a perfect book for making you feel better in the moment, and the banter was one of my highlights.
I also applaud the absolutely stunning cover.

🌙 Recension: The Problem with Wishes by Hazel Calder
📚 Genre: Magical Realism, Romance
📅 Release Date: August 3, 2026
📱 Read as: Kindle
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
💸 I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 246
⭐️ 4/5