The premise of this book sounded so cute, and I am normally a huge fan of the fake dating and second-chance romance tropes, but unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I just couldn't get into it and found myself skimming chapters. I struggled to connect with the characters, and while they were funny at times, I found them to be a bit immature. I could tell something was off with the MMC from the beginning, and my suspicions were confirmed at the end of Part 1 with the big plot twist. I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope, and this made me dislike his character even more. There are a lot of really positive reviews for this book, so maybe I am just an outlier.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 Stars!
I'll admit it took me a bit to get into this book, but once I did I couldn't put it down! I adored the FMC! I felt like a really related to her. And I absolutely loved how the MMC was obsessed with her! This book really snuck up on me. I truly didn't expect to like it as much as I did! Fun, quirky and cute read!

ARC Review ~ Old Flames and New Fortunes~

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love a good second chance romance and this one did not disappoint. The author created such a great little world for the 3 Tempest sisters that by the first couple of chapters I was already invested in not only the main character Romina but also in her two sisters that I hope we will see in books to follow. Romina’s story was a lot of fun and the ending was so heartwarming. I can’t wait to see more from this little cozy witchy world and the Tempest sisters!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC!

Are you looking for a book with witchy vibes, springtime, second chance romance...but also with fake dating? Well, this book is definitely for you. In this story, our main character Romina finds herself forced into fake dating her friend when she finds out that her friend's dad is marrying her ex-boyfriend's mom. and did I mention that she hasn't seen her ex-boyfriend since they were in high school?

I found the premise incredibly alluring. However, where this book lost me was current-day Alex. I did not like him for the first 3/4ths of the book. I liked him when we got flashbacks and I loved Romina so I thought there must be something worthwhile in him. However, he was so competitive and I felt kind of belittling to Romina when it came to her magic. He also didn't believe her when she said she was in a relationship (I mean he was right) but I found it kind of pushy.... I don't know.

I think this book is a recipe for success but it just wasn't to my taste, personally. I was also shocked when there was yet another wrench thrown into their relationship around halfway through the book.

All that to say, I can see who would love this book and I can see WHY people would love this book. And, it just wasn't for me at this point of my life I suppose.

Many, many thanks to GP Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the digital review copy of Old Flames and New Fortunes, which came out this week on April 2nd.

Old Flames and New Fortunes is a second-chance romance set in a small town in Ohio, with a slight magical twist.

What I Liked

The small town, Ohio vibes are immaculate in this one. I love the way everyone is in everyone else's business and the gossipy scenes between neighbors felt so real. The relationships between characters also shine, showing real affection and history between the sisters and their local community.

Alex and Romina have excellent banter through most of the book, and I loved watching them get to know one another again as adults who've changed and grown since the last saw one another. The chemistry is real, my friends.

The magic in the book is a light touch, and works well as a result. I enjoyed seeing Romina create her flora fortunes and describe how it feels when she gets them right.

This is only one POV which is becoming more rare for romances, and personally, I loved it. I think it worked especially well for this kind of story, and seeing too much into Alex's head would've made it a very different book.

What I Didn't Like

I don't have many complaints with this one, honestly. It was a gripping story well told.

I will say that some of the dialogue after Alex and Romina really reconnect felt a little cringey to me with the frequent use of "honey" and "sweetheart" which felt out of character for Alex otherwise. That's definitely a personal taste thing on my part, though.

Overall, Old Flames and New Fortunes is a delightful romance full of humor, chemistry, and just the right dash of magic. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a small-town romance or stories about witches.

This feels like the writing of Sarah’s that made me fall in love when I read You Deserve Each Other. I spent the second part practically crying and frantically reading to know how it would all work out. I do wish we had more time to see their first connection in the before, and that they had more on page development to get back there. But that’s a minor critique because I loved how gone they were for each other and how everything played out.

This is my first Sarah Hogle book. I found it cute & charming. Magical vibes with a fake dating aspect, it was a fun way to be introduced to this author. I hope to read more of her in the future

This was my first book by Sarah Hogle and I'm blown away.

Romina and Alex were high school sweethearts that have broken up years ago without a closure. they met again under the pretense that Romina was dating Alex's soon-to-be step-brother.
As much as it was fun to see their romance unfold It was a cluster for Romina. navigating her business, fake dating Trevor, and meanwhile falling for Alex once again.
And Alex was so devoted and understanding about her struggles.
Adding that touch of magic made this book enchanting. I fell in love with all of the characters and Moonville. I wanted to stay there longer and see more of them.

This book is so cute! I love the witchy flower fortunes using the language of flowers. Well written fake dating, second chance romance. Definitely what I needed for a spring read. Can’t wait to read it again

I wanted so badly to love this, but alas, it wasn’t for me…

-the MMC was totally unlikable and I wasn’t sold on the romantic pull between him and the FMC
-the problem of needing the loan was resolved at 50%, and it dragged on from there
-the best friend (who was also the person the FMC was fake dating) was too over the top to really believe (though I appreciated that there was a character from Asian descent)
-there was so much going on (wedding, fake dating, needing to get a loan, reuniting with the old flame, witchcraft, healing from multiple past relationships, etc.) but somehow it didn’t make the story interesting or quick — it just dragged on and on without a ton of meaningful resolve or progression

There were some really great parts that truly tugged at the heartstrings, but ultimately I didn’t enjoy this book at all. I’ll always be a Sarah Hogle fan, though, because “You Deserve Each Other” is one of my favorite books of all time — but I’ll never be a fan of this particular book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Putnam/Penguin Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This book was filled with magical realism and had a lot of interesting world building. This was a second chance romance mixed with a fake romance (not between our lead couple!) Romina and Alex were in young love that seemed like forever...until it wasn't. There are flashes of the before, mixed with the now. Trevor and Romina are friends (and he owns her building where she has a shop.) The two are to meet with Trevor's father to hit him up for a business proposition. Instead, they are met with a surprise engagement announcement between his dad and Alex's mom...moments after the two had told Trevor's cousin they were dating to save face due to his broken relationship with her friend. Hence, the fake dating situation that spirals because Alex also hears the news and did both families.

Parts of this book I really loved. There were some really sweet moments of the past romance and even the present day one. I could have done with some closed-door scenes though. There were some fun times as well. But for some reason I just didn't fully love our couple all the time. Romina holding on to the fake dating situation was too long. Alex trying to prove Romina and Trevor weren't truly dating became a little much especially with the "game show" questions that were out of line...

I did appreciate Alex's sweetness with his wooing at the end. But then while understandable, Romina was so wishy-washy. However, the ending won me back at last.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC of this!

I love Sarah Hogle’s other works, especially You Deserve Each Other. This had a second-chance style romance that kicks off with the FMC fake-dating someone else for jealousy purposes. I loved the witchy vibes, and the writing gave me all the feels, at points I laughed outloud, but other points cried. I also really loved the small town, close family setup.

Okay I really enjoyed this. At first it felt like there was too much going on/I didn’t love the fake dating aspect but thankfully it doesn’t last the whole book by any means. I sort of wish the whole fake dating part wasn’t in it at all or at least was extremely short lived or done a different way (this may also be because I didn’t love Trevor as a character?). But once we get Romina and Alex together, I was in love. Alex is so extremely thoughtful and sweet and completely head overs heels for Romina. This book was definitely wayy spicier than Hogle books and it was done extremely well. The grass scene???? Killer.

Definitely were paragraphs I was skipping through because there was so much backstory or other description happening that I didn’t think were necessary and sort of took away from the story. But I think this is because this book is clearly the first in a series and therefore has to set up the other characters and their background.

I’ve been so excited to read this new book from Sarah Hogle! Thank you to @netgalley and publisher Penguin Group Putnam for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Old Flames and New Fortunes is a second-chance romance with a unique twist. When Romina and her sisters decide it’s time to expand their store, Romina ends up agreeing to fake date the shop owner, Trevor, in an attempt to secure a loan from Trevor’s dad at his wedding. This is complicated enough, but then Romina’s ex and first great love, Alex, returns to the picture. Romina and Trevor try to keep up their ruse to secure the extra funds (and maybe make their exes a bit jealous), but its hard to fool the people who know them best.

I think one of my favorite parts of this book was the setting itself! I loved the small, witchy town of Moonville and how its citizens really believed in the magic it’s so well known for. I thought all the lore and little stories woven throughout about the town was a unique touch! I think for me, the plot got a bit needlessly complicated at times. This made it hard for me to focus on all the great elements that I enjoyed about the story and also made some parts seem a bit long or repetitive. I loved Romina and definitely connected to her as a character, but Alex took some warming up to for me. He was a bit cocky, which led to some cute banter, but made their relationship have an air of immaturity that I found hard to get over. I did enjoy their story though (especially the second half) and thought the ending was cute in how it wrapped up!

If you liked You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle, I think you’d enjoy this one, too. Second chance romance with lots of great banter is something she seems to do very well!

Old Flames and New Fortunes was Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic with fake dating and a second-chance romance, and I loved it! At this point, I will read anything Sarah Hogle writes, but I think this book is one of her best. Romina Tempest is a magical florist seeking to expand her family's business when her high school boyfriend Alex returns to town for a wedding. Alex and Romina have insane chemistry, and they are surrounded by a cast of delightfully quirky side characters. The book sets up a prophecy that Romina and her two sisters will all find love within a year, and I am already excited to see how that plays out in the next book!

This was a cute and charming read, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I've loved the earnestness of Hogle's characters in the past, and her last novel Just Like Magic is one of my favorites. With Old Flames and New Fortunes, Romina and Alex's love did not have the heart I was hoping for. This may be more for those who loved You Deserve Each Other, and less so for those who gravitated to Twice Shy. But still, a decent read, even if the tone didn't quite land where I'd have hoped.

*4.5

I don't know why but I expected more magic in this book. Alex was such a good man and I kind of wish we got a few chapters in his pov. The way that the two of them never stopped loving each other even after all those years was sweet. I understood all of her fears in being with a dad again but Alex did such a good job of calming them.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I’ll start by being upfront that this is the first Sarah Hogle book I have started and actually finished. I do not have the best track record with her novels, which perhaps makes it even more encouraging when I say I couldn’t finish this book fast enough. It’s deeply chaotic in the best ways, so much fun, and a really good depiction of second chance romance. Romina and Alex are so made for each other that it was hilarious to watch her fake-date someone else in the face of his skepticism.

I really loved the flora fortunes, the way magic works in this book, and the world she created in Moonville. At times it felt like she was setting up a potential series, and I hope she follows through. Romina’s sisters deserve their one HEAs, and I loved to see how Romina and Alex are doing in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!!!! I requested this gorgeous beauty because 1) I am obsessed with You Deserve Each Other and therefore Sarah Hogel and 2) This cover is stunning, cute, gorgeous, adorable. I enjoyed this!!!! I however am sad to say I didn’t love it. I couldn’t feel the connection between Romina and Alex like I did with Nick and Naomi and maybe that’s on me for comparing them/going into this with NickNaomi expectations. I’m not entirely sure how I felt about the plot twist as I feel like it kind of came out of nowhere but then kind of settled and did sort of make sense so I’m like in a neutral, take it or leave it zone with that plot point. I don’t know I think overall it was good not great which pains me to say but I’m still a huge fan of Sarah Hogle and YDEO!!!!

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really didn't enjoy this. At all. From start to finish, it was not my vibe.

It took me almost a month to read, which is 100% a sign of how bored and disinterested I was throughout. It clocks in at almost 400 pages because of all the filler and flowery language. I didn't care about any of the characters. The plot was messy. The quippy dialogue was okay in some parts, but mostly unappealing.

I didn't like the plot. I didn't like the characters. I didn't like the romance.

Where is the Sarah Hogle of books past? I'm talking You Deserve Each Other. Or even Twice Shy. This felt like an entirely different author.

While I can appreciate authors taking chances with their writing, I kind of miss the old stuff. Hoping her next venture steers away from the magic schtick and focuses on what she's known for -- witty banter, complex characters, and a plot that moves well! In my opinion, this one's lacking all of the above.