enjoyed it

Would I listen to it again: probably
Did the story keep me engaged: yes
Was I invested in the characters: yes
What did I like about the story? This is a twisted, re-envisioned take on the Arabian Nights. It has a good plot, the main characters are interesting and there is a lot going on (intrigue, drama, magic, relationships) to keep the story moving.
Was there anything that didn't work for me? not really

I enjoy Alex Anders narrating his own books, he knows the heart of his characters and this comes through in his narration. I had no problem distinguishing characters or feeling the emotions of the story.

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I loved it!!

This is very, very different to the story we grew up with. In children's fairy tales situations are glossed over for a child's understanding. In this story, Jasmine is basically a prisoner. No one is even allowed to look at her. Her father is uncaring and has no desire to know his daughter, much less care how she feels. I loved how Aladdin rescued her from a beating and just kept her. Of course, he thought she was a boy but he still took care of her. I loved the Genie and how compassionate he has become over the centuries. I read this in one sitting. Lost a bit of sleep, but it was well worth it.

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I'm the Author/Narrator

Hi,
I'm Alex Anders, the author and narrator of 'Her Two Wishes' and I wanted to share some of the things that are special about this book that you wouldn't be able to get from the description or the sample.

Like every review on Amazon, which I encourage you to check out, I will say that this is not your chlidhood fairytale. 'Her Two Wishes' is based on Aladdin, but not just the Disney version. In fact, it's based more on the 'Arabian Nights' story than Disney. The 'Arabian Nights' story is very different. It is much closer to the original Aladdin story which was, surprising, very erotic.

Examples of the differences in the 'Arabian Nights' story are that the princess is Chinese, and the story take place in China. Introducing that cultural aspect allowed 'Her Two Wishes' to go places it couldn't if I had made her Arabic or based in elsewhere. And, drawing on the 'Arabian Nights' story allowed me to structure it in a way that allowed for all of the twists and turns in the story. What is true about all of my MMF romances is that you will not be able to guess where the story is going, and this is especially true with this story.

The final thing I would like to mention is that, writing this story literally changed my thinking about relationships. It's not giving anything away to say that, in this story, Aladdin struggles with this attraction to men. The way he resolves it within himself is unique. In fact, once I wrote it, I literally stopped typing and immediately join a particular dating site. Going through Aladdin's thought process, literally reshaped my view of myself and the way I thought about my attraction towards men and women.

Again, this is not your childhood fairytale. It's unexpected and very steamy. I hope you get as much from listening to it as I got writing it. And if you like this book, you can check out my upcoming MMF romances which will be coming out soon, as well as my 49 other sexy audiobook titles. :-)

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5 people found this helpful

A Charming, Boundary Pushing Adventure

This is the first A. Anders book I have listened to, but it probably won't be the last. I found him through his excellent podcast "Bisexual Real Talk." "Her Two Wishes" is a very satisfying story. I immediately cared about the characters, was engaged by their adventures, and and my thoughts were provoked by the themes. Anders manages to explore a surprising number of dualities in a simple story including false privilege/true freedom, slavery/sovereignty, truth/illusion, and shame/acceptance. He also draws from the Arabian Nights version for his source material, which is set in China, and gives a different perspective than the Disney version. This prompted a Wikipedia search into the murky origins of the tale, and now I'm intrigued to learn more.

There are some very hot and creative erotic scenes which are NOT cookie cutter. The scenes are MF, MM, and MMF, which is wonderful, but I was hoping for some FF or FFM as well. That is not this story though. It says MMF on the cover, so I shouldn't've been surprised. Anders also poignantly delves into the psychological and emotional experience of navigating relationships as a bisexual. He posits some very daring ideas about sexuality, identity, and redefining relationships.

While the main characters of Jasmine, Aladdin, the Jinni, and the Vizier are vivid, the other characters are not well defined and seem to serve as means to ends. I think Jasmine is the only female character who speaks, and while her actions drive the story initially, she quickly takes a backseat as the male characters take over. Also, I hoped for vulnerability in the Vizier, but he is all Big Bad. I took stars off for these things.

Alex is a talented and expressive narrator. It is easy to tell which character is talking and I feel their voices fit their personalities with the exception of Jasmine. Granted, I know it is challenging for a grown man to voice a young woman, but I think in his effort to soften his voice he overshoots it and makes her sound weak and unsure even when she delivers bold and daring lines. Nevertheless, I commend him for expressing his characters' hearts, keeping me engaged, and exploring complex emotional themes within bisexuality, friendship, family, and society.

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Great Listen

I enjoyed this narrator and this story. Both together make one delicious audiobook. It will be put on my list for relisten.

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Awful and Offensive

One of the worst audiobooks I've read. A rip-off of Disney with squeaky voices and terrible accents. Background characters are the most offensive stereotypes possible, and the main characters are insultingly stupid. I turned it off in disgust when the casual rape started.

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