arc review — the problem with wishes

what would you do if you found a genie at work and recklessly wished to replace your boss, just for it to come true? 

the problem with wishes by hazel calder takes "be careful what you wish for" into the corporate world, full of photo shoots, filled calendars, and hard times in positions of power. however, pacing issues kept this book from being my next favorite. thank you so much to netgalley for providing me with the advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for a spoiler-free review! 

in the problem with wishes, we follow scarlet monroe, who wants a change at her fashion magazine job after watching her promotion go to another employee. When she opens a perfume bottle and a genie appears, an impulsive wish put her in the epitome of stress: the boss's chair.

the strongest part of the book was that scarlet was very relatable, especially as being an american in the job system. i also thought that her mindset was very much in sync with her age and maturity, likewise her reasoning. sahir was caring with a side of fact and of fun, he was never too boring and never played the wise one in the book, he was just in the middle and i enjoyed that balance. together, i liked their dialogue and how they seemed to understand each other.

the main reason i didn't enjoy it as much was because even though the general idea was alright, the execution has a very slow start in my opinion. once the wish is made, things do get more interesting and the momentum picks up, but the stretched-out beginning unfortunately held it back from being rated higher.

rating: 3.25/5 stars