A magic lamp + a genie = not always Aladdin

Synopsis

What if wishes really could come true? 

When Jinnie Cooper is dumped by her fiancé, and exiled to a job in an antiques shop in a sleepy Scottish village, little does she know a battered old lamp is about to shake up her life. 

Genie Dhassim grants wishes. But he also wants a few of his own to come true. Letting him explore the outside world proves nerve-wracking as Dhassim has an uncanny knack of putting his pointy-slippered foot in it. 

As Jinnie grows closer to her employer Sam, Dhassim discovers his time on earth is running out. 

Can both Jinnie and Dhassim find true happiness? Or are those wishes that cannot be granted?

My review

After being dumped by her fiancé, Jinnie decides to move to a new town and get a new job. It may seem as an extreme action, but her fiancé was her boss AND they were leaving together…

Trying to get her life back on track, she starts working part-time at an antique shop for Sam. There she finds a lamp that somehow she’s attracted to.
When suddenly a real genie appears from the lamp, ready to fulfil her wishes, her world turns upside down!

This story gave me two main emotions: happiness and compassion.

Happiness, because there were moments I laughed really loud (sorry family, you know me!). the situations with Dhassim are so hilarious! The genie is does not understand how to keep low profile, causing embarrassing moments for Jinnie.
And the moments with Wilma, Jinnie’s grandmother were just wonderful to read!

And compassion, because there are some other characters you cannot feel anything else but sorry… It shows how unfair sometimes the world can be…

Jinnie in this story is an insecure woman, after a relationship with a man who thought he was better than Jinnie. But being out of that toxic relationship, she becomes more independent. Yet she remains a bit insecure.
Because when she finds herself attracted to two men, she believes she’s not good enough for either of them!
While when we get to know her better, we know she’s just an amazing person. And proof is the wishes she makes. She doesn’t make wishes just for her own benefit, but wishes also things for the people around her, as she wants them to be happy.
And when she makes 1 wish truly for her own benefit, well, the result was so sweet!

Dhassim will of course not make you forget the most famous genie of the world, but he’s a good second place! He is also heart – broken yet he tries to be the best genie he can be for Jinnie!

All the other characters, no matter how tragic they are, add to the magic of this story. If you would remove just one person from it, it would still be a good story, but not a complete one…

This story was about starting all over, finding yourself and accept yourself just the way you are. And that yes, there are some nasty people on the world, but there are so many good people, ready to take you in and help you wherever they can. This small community was perfect for Jinnie, making Jinnie feel home.

And that when you have your heart at the right place, love always pays you back!