Fantast and magic and romances are some of my favorite genres so when you combine all 3, I'm more than eager to dive in!

"Old Flames and New Fortunes" magical and romantic world, where a chance encounter between a florist and her high school sweetheart sparks a fake dating scheme that may just lead to real love. Hogle's most recent book captures the complexities of relationships and the power of second chances, but with a whimsical and adventurous twist. Romina navigates the ups and downs of fake dating and the chance of rekindling an old flame.

I wish I enjoyed this book more but unfortunately, it was alright....
I do love second chance romance... but this book did not hook me asap

A light hearted story featuring small town and second chance romance....at places I felt the story to be a bit flat but overall a decent one time read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle!

Small Town, Second Chance, nice and lighthearted, this book has it all. I thought it was a sweet story and I genuinely enjoyed picking this one up!

*Old Flames and New Fortunes* by Sarah Hogle is an engaging, lighthearted read with plenty of charm. The story centers around the protagonist’s return to her small town, rekindling relationships with old friends and a former flame. Hogle’s witty writing style is enjoyable, and the characters feel authentic, though some may find the plot a bit predictable. While the romantic tension is sweet, the pacing occasionally slows, and some of the secondary characters lack depth. It’s a pleasant enough book for fans of rom-coms, but it doesn’t offer much beyond the typical genre formula. A solid but not standout read.

I started this book 3 different times then borrowed the audio and I still could not connect. The writing seems good but the characters are interesting and don't have chemistry. It's not for me.

I loved this! Gave me the vibe of the practical magic story but with a bit more romance.
Romina is healing from her last relationship that went bad, she was involved with a single father, and being with the single father she was raising his daughter. However, when Romina finally had her last straw with Spencer she ended the relationship but he used his daughter as a weapon and never let her see the daughter again even though Romina had been the one raising her. Romina also has a dream of being a mother, that is one of her goals that she wants to do. Well imagine her surprise when her friend's father is coming to town to get married but the father is marrying her high school sweetheart's mother.
Back in high school, Alex had broken her heart when he went to college and they broke up, and Romina still has all the feelings when she sees him again. While trying to aid with the wedding and then trying to fake date one of her guy friends she is trying to put space between her and Alex. However, she loves him and she knows she does. Eventually, they begin talking and then it's a push and pull with them for a while and secrets start to come out and Romina realizes she still loves him. However, at the wedding, more surprises are unfolding. Will they be able to forgive one another and start dating? You should check this one out to see how the story unfolds!
This one was a quick read that was interesting and engaging. The only issue I had was Romina was her going back and forth with her feelings and her desire to protect herself from getting hurt, Alex definitely has more patience than I would. A good story that touches home to a lot of people and I would recommend it! Thank you Netgalley and G. P. Putmans & Son for the opportunity to read and review this one! So Good!

I fell in love with Sarah's writing style back when I read You Deserve Each Other. She does charming and whimsical so well. While Old Flames, New Fortunes did not replace You Deserve Each Other as my favorite book of hers, it was a really enjoyable read. While not all aspects hit, it was original and creative and engaging, so big points for that. The strong sister bond spoke to me so strongly, it may have beat out the romance bond. Maybe! Second chance and fake dating are some of my favorite tropes and I loved how they were handled in this quirky tale. I will continue to seek out and read Sarah Hogle books. Also a big fan of this beautiful cover. True rating: 3.5 stars!

I was immediately attracted to the summary. However I felt the setup of fake dating your ex’s future brother in law distracting. I never got attached to any of the couples in this book, and did not find myself rooting for the main couple.

eeeeeek… this was my first book by sarah hogle, and based on what i’m reading from other reviewers, i need to give one of the others a fair chance! but y’all, this one was not it. i listened to the audiobook, and from the very beginning, there were way too many characters to keep up with. i found the main characters to both be very immature to the point that i wasn’t rooting for them? and don’t even get me started on the plot twist…

I think, unfortunately, magical realism just isn't my cuppa tea. I struggled a bit through Hogel's other magic-themed christmas book and even more-so with this read.

Charming and whimsical! "Just Like Magic" was my favorite Christmas book last year so when I saw this new one by Sarah Hogle coming out, I was so excited to get my hands on it. This one didn't quite live up to "Just Like Magic" but it was still a good one! It was very creative and original. The main character, Romina, is a flora fortunist at a magical, enchanting shop called The Magick Happens where her 2 sisters work, too. I enjoyed the strong and loving bond between Romina and her sisters. This book was quirky and eccentric, with second-chance love and fake dating tropes. The magical realism isn't quite as good as "Just Like Magic" but it was still there and added some whimsical vibes to the book. Some of the banter was really immature which I wasn't too crazy about. I saw that this book is being made into a series and I will definitely check out the next book. I also was very drawn to the cover of this one, it's so pretty and aesthetically pleasing! 3.5 stars!

I really did enjoy this book, but it took a minute for me to get into. I am a fan of second chance romance and this book definitely delivered on that.

Thank you to netgalley and Penguin for the arc!

this was the coziest most magical read of my year so far!! i really loved all the magical elements, the banter, the chemistry.. literally everything was so spot on!! our two MC’s meshed together so well, i’ll never get over them!

Sarah Hogle's books are hit or miss for me. I loved You Deserve Each Other and Twice Shy, but was hesitant to pick up another magical realism book from Hogle after really disliking Just Like Magic. However, I ended up really enjoying Old Flames and New Fortunes! Once I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading and finished it one day. Perfect combination of fake dating and second chance romance tropes. The small town setting was charming, the characters were quirky, the banter was fun, and Romina's flower magic was a delight. So happy to see that this is a series, so I can read more abut the Tempest sisters and the magical world of Moonville, Ohio.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the arc of this! I absolutely adored it. I loved the flower theme and how each chapter could correlate to the meaning of a different flower. I loved how hard the MMC worked to gain the FMCs trust back and of course all the hijinks with the wedding. I will definitely be reading book 2 and everything else by Sarah Hogle in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this one! It was a sweet read and I loved the magical elements and the amazing banter between the main characters! Romina was a unique FMC and I loved how she was so unapologetically herself. You really can’t help but love a FMC like that. The banter and chemistry between her and Alex was amazing. I couldn’t get enough of them!

There are some romances where you have a hard time rooting for them as it like of just makes you want to scream at them to get it together! This book had me doing that with the fake-dating aspect between Romina and Alex. As they both had feelings for one another but there were always other people or circumstances in the way hindering them to be together, I was yelling at them to stop denying their feelings for one another and tell each other already! I am glad they got a second chance at love as they both changed since being high school sweethearts. I did enjoy a little bit of a magical twist to this second chance romance with Romina's magical ability of the language of flowers. Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.