This one has all of the best tropes, second chance, fake dating and forced proximity. Romina and Alex were high school sweethearts. After eleven years they find themselves together in their home town reliving memories and feelings. To help her best friend and business partner Trevor, Romina is pretending that they are dating and are in love. The problem is that Trevor’s dad is marrying Alex’s mom and there are wedding events that Romina now has to attend as Trevor’s date. Alex and Romina still have some chemistry and some unresolved issues that are threatening to surface and jeopardize her business.

This was a sweet romance full of great banter, grand gestures, magic and a little spice. A perfect read for Spring!!

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

sigh. i was so hopeful for this book. it sounded cool and i loved the cover but man i did not like it.
the MMC was such an arrogant ass and i was like is the author trying to get me to hate him? bc it worked. and i wish there was more magic???? like it was almost like they were making fun of magic bc it’s barely there and i was just not connecting to any of the characters. i found the FMC annoying and she was so back and forth and the MMC was a dick for what he did and i can see why others DNF. i was just not feeling it. 3/5

✔️ Second Chance
✔️ Small Town
✔️ He Fell First
✔️ Fake Dating
✔️ Magical Realism
✔️ Mayhem and Hi jinx

I love the fake dating trope and it was incredible to see it flipped on its head here with Romina fake dating a friend (not the MMC, Alex).

I loved seeing Romina and Alex verbally spar-flirt. Each interaction amps up their attraction while their stubbornness and need to protect their own feelings is really the thing getting in their way.

I loved Alex as the pursuer and that to the readers it was very clear what he was thinking/feeling even though this book is from Romina's POV.

I always say I learn so much from romance and now I can say floral meanings is another thing I picked up. Now I want to take a flower arranging class!

Other things I enjoyed
- small town of quirky folks
- the bf shenanigans with Romina and Trevor, particularly when combined with Alex being upset by it
- flashbacks to them as teens

Highly recommend this hilarious and emotional slow burn. 5⭐️

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

Such a whimsy second chance romance! Romina and Alex were high school sweethearts that broke up before college, life took them both down different paths now it's brought them back under strange circumstances. I really enjoyed it. Now I'm looking forward to reading more Sarah Hogel. Books with playlists are making their way to becoming my favorite thing.

This just wasn't for me unfortunately.

I adore Sarah Hogle's writing style typically. I think she normally has an awesome ability to make the everyday whimsical, yet grounded in real emotion, and make me swoon at the same time. But this was missing the signature spark for me and I felt like the story's direction was a bit all over the place.

I can appreciate some things though. I really was intrigued initially by the MCs and I loved their history. I thought their teenage drama and intensity of that love felt realistic to that first love experience. Even though witch stories are really not my jam, I was into the magic of the flora fortunes and loved how it was described. I also loved their "meet cute" moment and some of the bits of jealousy early on were really good. I also cackled at least once, which is totally par for the course with SH for me.

But the things I didn't like were pretty big for me. First, it took me too long to get interested in the story and I thought the whole premise with the shop was a bit forced. I really didn't care much and there were too many side characters introduced too early and I think the first few chapters do not make you want to read on. Once I got invested though, I wasn't all that into the MMC. He comes off know-it-all, rude, condescending and cocky- in the worst way. It wasn't cute and we don't know him enough as the reader to excuse it. Lots of other reviewers agree with me in that arena. But even trying to look past that, I didn't have fun with the fake dating scheme because it was SO laughably unbelievable. Trevor was over the top in a fun way, but the execution of their fake dating wasn't even half cocked. There were so many cringe moments between Alex being the worst, and Trevor and Romina's fake dating being so obviously fake. It took me out of it because I couldn't suspend my disbelief.

Then, the real biggie for me was the "reveal" we got about the MMC way too far into the book. After that, I had a bad taste in my mouth and the whole mood of the story changed. I didn't like using a child as a conflict in this context, and it made me so sad for Romina because it felt like she wasn't getting the story she deserved. Maybe it's realistic, but I think she can do better than an old flame who shows back up, condescends her, and then neglects to mention he (view spoiler) It's poor taste, and then it wasn't even handled to my satisfaction because she just says "ok then" and it's like it's no big deal. The last 20 percent just irritated me so bad because of this.

But I've also seen rave reviews, so if the premise interests you, you can accept a lot of silliness, and don't mind a dick hero, go for it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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!