I’m going between 3.5 - 4 stars for this one. I’m a sucker for magical realism and witches so I really enjoyed that aspect of it. I loved the characters and the towny vibe, but I didn’t feel the chemistry between the FMC and the MMC. (Honestly, I was rooting for the FMC and her best friend who she started fake dating)

There was a big secret from the MMC that I really didn’t enjoy - I felt like that should have been shared much earlier on because the way that it was revealed felt like along the lines of the surprise pregnancy trope.

Overall, cute book. I enjoy Sarah Hogle’s writing so I do look forward to her upcoming books.

Thank you Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for allowing me to get an eARC of Old Flames and New Fortunes for an honest review!

This book was a bit slow for me. I ended up liking it more towards the end and would definitely read more books by Sarah Hogle. I feel like the character development felt stagnant for a while and all of the sudden so many things were happening at once. I wish I loved it more but I’m excited to hear more reviews from others!

4.5 stars rounded up. This book is basically the definition of chaotic good. It is a lot -- there is flower magic and witchiness and chaos and spite fake dating and some seriously pent up enemies to lovers action -- and if you can handle all of that, it is absolutely worth the read.

Romina is a flora fortunist, meaning she weaves floral arrangements and crowns and bouquets, carefully selecting the right flowers with the right meanings, for any and all occasions. She is still living in the town where she grew up, along with her oldest sister and niece, and she's content with her life, but she's not really thriving. She's got some baggage, and she's still hung up on her first love, Alex (but if you asked her that, she'd deny it). When her friend, Trevor, who owns the building of the witchy shop where she and her sister work, announces his dad is in town, and they need to go ask him for money, they are surprised when Trevor's dad says he's getting married. Trevor's cousin picks on him because he can't keep a girlfriend, and he immediately makes up that he and Romina are an item, so he can also hopefully make his ex jealous and try to win her back. But who is Trevor's dad getting married to? The mom of Romina's first love. Oops. Cue the jealousy and fake dating shenanigans.

(I wasn't kidding about the chaos of this book.)

There are so many small town shenanigans that ensue with Romina and Alex. They are obviously paired together on a town-wide scavenger hunt, and they are both still so mad at each other (the enemies are enemying!) that the tension is palpable. Without giving the plot away, there are twists and turns, and there's some miscommunication, but the miscommunication is basically all in the past, and once it explodes out of them, Romina and Alex actually do a pretty good job of talking. Including the fact that there is no third act break-up! I admittedly was holding my breath for the last few chapters, but the break-up never came. And you know what? Part of what bumped this book up to 4 and a half stars was the way the ending was handled. Third act break-ups are unnecessary, and it's nice to see two people actually work through challenges and fears and worries by talking about it, even if it's not immediately "solved."

I'm glad I hung through to the end of the book, because I really enjoyed it in the end. I can see how this wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but if you can handle a lot of chaos (and a lot of descriptions of flowers), I think this is a super fun read. (And the couple of 🌶 scenes are fun, too.)

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an eARC of Old Flames and New Fortunes in exchange for my honest review.

One of my very favorite books is Sarah Hogle's Just Like Magic. It is a Christmas book, and I feel quite certain I will be reading it every Christmas. So, when I saw she had a new book coming out, I jumped at the chance to read it early.

So two things - I loved this book, but it isn't the super zany Just Like Magic feel. Hal cannot be duplicated nor should anyone try. And no one tried to take out the Gaineses either. But with that in mind, this book is wonderful and I loved it.

Romina Tempest is a florist of sorts. She uses her witchcraft to create flower arrangements to help people manifest love. In fact, she and her two sisters run a shop in Moonville specializing in their magical gifts. But the shop isn't doing well, so when a potential financial backer comes to town for his wedding, Romina and the owner of the building Trevor (who is I must say a hilarious mess) go to meet with him, only to find out his dad is marrying Romina's high school boyfriend Alex's mom. And now Alex, her great love, is back in town.

So what's a girl to do? Pretend to be dating Trevor of course. Romina can't deny her feelings for Alex. But she also is terrified to let anyone in again like that.

I loved Romina and Alex so much! They have great chemistry. And my favorite kind of second chance romances are high school sweethearts who break up and then reconnect when they are older. I loved the bits of magic but it's like ... light magic? Subtle magic? Anyway, it's fun and sweet and so heartwarming.

One thing I really love is that there are THREE sisters and a prophecy about them all finding love. And so I'm thinking there are going to be 2 more books in this universe for the other 2 Tempest sisters and I love it.

This amazing book is out tomorrow so run get it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Hogle for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this read! Romina was so relatable, especially as someone who so desperately wants to be a mom. My only real complaint is that the miscommunication trope felt really dragged out, but it also goes back to when the MCs were teenagers, so it made sense in the context of the story, just my own personal least favorite thing. Overall though, it was a really fun read, and I am looking forward to seeing what’s next in Moonville!

A major misunderstanding
Set in the magical town of Moonville, Ohio we meet our two main characters Romina Tempest and her first love Alex King. High school sweethearts, they broke up before college. Now years later Alex is back in Moonville because his mother is marrying Romina’s best friend Trevor Yoon’s father. Add in a few more characters and plot twists and you have Old Flames and New Fortunes.
I felt that the book was too long, I was ready for the best parts at about the halfway point-I continued reading but it seemed to take forever to get through to the “meat and potatoes” of this second chance romance. I did enjoy the book, and the detailed plot, but the MFC Romina did annoy me at times. By the end all the plot points were dealt with, and a satisfying finish happened. If Sarah Hogle writes more books set in Moonville with the other characters I will read them, her writing is good and her characters interesting.
I received and ARC through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed Old Flames and New Fortunes. I read Sarah Hogles first two books a few years ago and liked them so I figured I’d give this one a shot too. I loved the cozy floral magical setting. The story line was fun but also had heart. It was a second chance romance that was believable and I was rooting for. I’d definitely recommend it.

This was a really fun, quick read! I enjoyed all of the witchy earth fairy vibes, the SPICY scenes, and the fun shenanigans and hijinks the characters got up to. I wished the male MC would have been more fleshed out; we don't learn much about him beyond his parental status and his decade-plus obsession with the female MC. I also wanted a little bit more of a peek into the three sisters and their relationship. At the conclusion, this felt somewhat like a loose end. But overall I would recommend if you are looking for a romance to escape into!

I wanted to like this one so much more than I did. My main problem was the MMC, Alex. He came off as instantly unlikeable. When that’s the case, it’s hard to root for the romance as much as I’m rooting for her to give it up. I didn’t sense their chemistry and his secret really, really turned me off to him even further. For the positive, the book had a gorgeously springy vibe. I love witchy romances and loved the world Sarah built. I also loved Romina as a character!

You deserve each other, and twice shy are both amazing romance books that I really enjoyed, so I was so excited to read this one, but sadly, I couldn’t enjoy this one.
 

I'm in the middle of a reading slump, so I had to really force myself to finish this one—something I had promised myself I would no longer do.🤦🏻‍♀️ I sincerely hope that my lack of enjoyment from this book was due to my reading slump. Regardless, I will give it another go after my reading slump passes, and hope I can give this a much better rating!!🥹🤞🏼


𝚂𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎: 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝙼𝚈 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚝.🫂


!!𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 & 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗡 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗣 𝗣𝘂𝘁𝗻𝗮𝗺 & 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗰 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!!

I wasn’t too sure about a book and magic, but I love Ms. Hogle’s work so took a chance. It took me a bit at the beginning to like the story but then became invested. There is so much angst, loss, and grief for the main characters, but the story was beautiful. Second chance romance is one of my favorites so that along with the fake dating, family members, co-workers, friends, and a charming small town made this an intriguing story.

I enjoyed the chapter headings named for flowers. The flirty and fun banter. The miscommunication between Romina and Alex from years ago was just heartbreaking and one of those – if only – and their lives might have been different. When they unexpectedly meet again, neither knew quite how to act but they had such a strong connection and were drawn to each other. Alexander’s words to Romina were just so touching and then to read her thoughts and feelings – sweet and magical.

With the miscommunication years previously, those pieces are shown a little at a time throughout the story and so sad how their words and actions affected each other. How so many events happened that affected their lives. Then a big surprise for me left me wondering how they could move forward. I don’t want to give specific details, but I felt so many emotions throughout this story. I love a HEA and, while there wasn’t an epilogue, the story left me feeling Romina and Alexander have a wonderful life ahead.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this new work.

Sweet second chance romance. Witty banter and flirting. The setting and descriptions of flowers makes for the perfect spring read!

This is a cozy, witchy mystery from Hogle! She's always done great characters and second chances that feel true to life, and this book is no different. Highly recommend for a summery, cozy read!

I loved reading this story! The magical feel from the first page swept me off and transported me into a green house of magic and wonder. It was beautiful and I firmly believe that one needs to travel to their local flower stand market after reading this story or each chapter. I appreciate Hogle’s creative touch to add the chapter headings after flowers and their meanings. It added more depth to Romina’s heart behind her flower business.
On that note I do wish we found out what happened to the sister’s business plan and if they got their wish granted or not. They were funny and quirky and dearly missed once the story closed. Hopefully we will get to see them again? I don’t know but I remain hopeful.
This is my second book from Sarah Hogle and I can’t wait to continue to read more from her!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and the author for this ARC.

Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle is a whimsical second-chance romance filled with small-town charm.

This story follows Romina Temptest, a florist who knows the secret language of flowers. She uses their magic to channel the emotions that her customers are looking for. She helps others find their happily-ever-afters but can’t find one of her own. She remains stuck in the past, dwelling on a broken heart from her first love, Alex King.

Romina finds herself in a lie after the pressure of seeking additional funds to open the new night market. She winds up fake dating her spirited investor, Trevor to make both of their exes jealous.

This is a quick, delightful read that has loveable characters and a magical small town.

If you are in the mood for a heartwarming, chaotic, magical, and steamy romance then this book is for you!

Many thanks to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Sarah Hogle for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars, rounded up

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think I liked this? But it was really long for a rom-com book and some parts definitely felt like they dragged.

Also, the only word I can use to describe this book is chaotic. From the story structure to the main character’s narrative to the pacing to the relationship between our 2 MC’s, it was just very wacky and inconsistent, to the point where I almost feel like it was intentional?

I liked the cast of characters in this book, I liked the silliness, I liked the second-chance romance, it was just so weird.

But maybe that’s what makes Romina and Alex so good together, they have matching weird, chaotic energy and who am I to judge?

This is the third book I attempt to read by Sarah Hogle and it confirms that maybe this author isn’t for me. I didn’t love this book. Couldn’t connect to the story or characters. 😔

DNF @ 20%. This book just wasn't for me (and that's fine because not every book is!). I really struggled through the beginning understanding the "flower magic" and it just didn't keep me interested. I also felt like a lot of the characters were written immaturely. I was bummed to not like this one, but think it could be a great read for people who typically like "witchy" books. Despite being a DNF, I still think it would've been 3 stars if I continued on. Just can't bring myself to read books I'm not loving these days considering how long my TBR is.

i want to live inside a sarah hogle book: full of magic and baked goods and romance and small towns and banter and everything that's good on earth. you deserve each other is still the only romance novel i've ever given five stars. no one is doing it like her.

my only complaint from this book is i wanted MORE: more sisters, more nieces, more small-town cuteness, more pastries, more quirky landlords. i want to know if the sisters get their business back, i want to read about our couple's happy family farm-y future. (i love alliteration.)

this book is a lot — A LOT of big feelings from the get-go, a lot of grand declarations, a lot of over-the-top quirkiness. all of it would've bugged in another book. but here, as with every hogle book, all of it is fun and weird and wonderful.

It’s been years since I read a Sarah Hogle book so when I requested this ARC and realized she was the author I was so excited! I loved this book, quite literally everything about it was top tier.

The town of Moonville and its magic was so cute and charming, I adored the setting.
Romina and her sisters/niece and their friends are so quirky and funny and lovable, I loved everything about them and their relationships.
Alex and Romina are such a powerfully matched couple, their chemistry was palpable all throughout and I loved getting to see the old Alex, the new Alex, and the new Alex coming back into his old self. I really was rooting for their HEA the whole time.

The plot twist in the second part wasn’t necessarily my favorite, but I did understand how it was necessary to the story and I love how it all came together.

My favorite little touch was the chapter headings being different flowers and their meanings. It really set the tone for the chapters well and tied into the whole book and Romina’s job/life really well.
I do believe this is going to be a series, especially with the small hints dropped towards the end about one sister, so I’m absolutely excited for the next installment, if so.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 4/2/24