I Dream of Genies by J. Fennell

I Dream of GeniesI’ll be honest, I expected Judi Fennell’s I Dream of Genies to be something like the 1960s T.V. show I Dream of Jeannie.  While there was some of the old-school charm, I Dream of Genies was unique in its own way. But even with its unique take on genies, the book itself fell flat.

Matt Ewing would gladly hunt down a fortune in lucky pennies if he thought it would help save his business. But for all his hoping, Matt’s clueless when his long-awaited lucky charm falls in his lap in the form of a beguiling genie. He just can’t believe that this beautiful woman could be the answer to his prayers…

Spending 2,000 years in a bottle would make any woman a little stir-crazy. So when Matt releases Eden from her luxurious captivity, she’s thrilled to repay him by giving him the magical boost he needs…

But for all her good intentions, Eden’s magical prowess is a little rusty and her magical mistakes become more than embarrassing. And though Eden knows falling in love will end her magic and immortality, she can’t help but be drawn to the one man who wants her just for herself…

I Dream of Genies had a slow start, focusing more on the characters than any action. Eden spent a lot of it complaining about how Sidney Sheldon (the T.V. show’s creator) got Genies wrong in his show. However, the plot did eventually pick up speed and gave the story a little bit of an adventure.

I thought that the characters themselves were pretty mundane for a book that was trying to be so unique. Eden was a sweet, yet down on her luck, kind of gal who was fighting to regain her independence.  Matt had a White Knight complex, wanting to take care of everyone else while not letting them take care of him. While they did have some depth there was no extra oomph to them.

Although Matt and Eden did have some undeniable chemistry. Everything about the other was perfect for them as a couple. Matt’s stubborn pride kept him from accepting Eden’s gift of a free wish. His refusal made her love him all the more. Eden’s wonky magic made it so that sometimes Matt would have to save the day (like he liked doing, with his White Knight attitude) but others times, she’d be the one saving the day. They were the perfect match for each other.

One of my biggest problems with Matt and Eden, however, was the fact that nearly every single obstacle that they faced was easily overcome. None of Eden’s magical mishaps caused any lasting damage (each one either explained away with a sentence or ended up actually being good); Matt almost always had an answer for every problem they faced on their quest for Eden’s freedom (or Eden would accidentally solve the problem). Don’t get me wrong, I do like to see the hero and heroine of any book kick butt, but when nothing ever slows them down or even comes close to stopping them, I lose interest in the book.

Overall, in my opinion, I feel that while I Dream of Genies was a sweet, cutesy novel, it was excessively sweet. Eden and Matt had perfect chemistry, everything they faced was easily defeated and nothing bad ever stuck around. In other words, it was too sweet, too perfect, and there was too much happy for me to actually enjoy it.

Read Order:
I Dream of Genies
Genie Knows Best

About Casey 203 Articles
Casey is the founder of Heart Full of Ink, Director at Reading Until Dawn Con, and a full time cheese addict. She's been ranting and reviewing for Literary Escapism since 2010, and is part of the trio #3Bloggers1Series podcast. When she's not reading, looking for new books, or stalking authors online (waiting for more books), she can be found binge watching Netflix. But really, her life is all about DEM BOOKS!