3.5/5 ⭐️
The premise and the way the magic works was really cool in this book, however, I liked the first half of this book way more than the second. In my opinion, what should’ve been the full story arc occurred in the first half. After that, it just felt like tacking things on or dragging things out. I think instead it could’ve delved more into the magic and into doing things to win Trevor’s dad over on giving them a loan for the shop. All that was resolved before the halfway mark. I also loved the idea of the second chance romance, however, it was really weird how obsessed her old love, Alex, was on proving she and Trevor were faking. Like what if they had been real? I also think her last relationship could’ve been cut. That was brought up a lot, but didn’t really add anything to the plot or add tension.
Overall, this was fine. I did smile at certain moments. Sadly most of my smiling occurred during interactions between Romina and Trevor more so than with Alex. But it was fine and cutesy. I think it had the potential to have been excellent if it simmered for a little longer. Like it felt like there was a lot of great ideas but needed someone to help weed some out while fleshing other aspects. But it was fine. Enjoyable enough.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam Books for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

I’ve enjoyed immensely Sarah Hogle’s precious three titles and I was really excited for this one. She does witty banter and clever hilarity so well!
Unfortunately I did not realize the premise of this one would be so strongly focused on witchcraft. I was expecting more of a general magical realism approach, similar to Just Like Magic. For the main reason of witchcraft content, I will not be finishing this book.

what a cute, cozy little book this is. i continue to be extremely impressed with how well sarah hogle writes a second-chance romance. old flames and new fortunes is the perfect read for the upcoming spring season! (i mean, come on, look at that gorgeous cover!) the writing style, the plot, the atmosphere, and the characters make you feel right at home in moonville. romina and alex's love story was precious. the split timelines and flashbacks to their first relationship as teenagers made their growth and their relationship at the end even more special (and emotional for me). the entire cast of characters have captured my heart (trevor specifically, he reminded me so much of schmidt from new girl but five times more dramatic. i could not get enough of it.) and i cannot wait for this series to continue! as always, thank you netgalley and putnam for kindly providing me with an arc!

Thank you @netgalley @PutnamBooks for an advanced copy of Old Flames and New Fortunes (to be published April 2, 2024) in exchange for an honest review.

Old Flames and New Fortunes is a witchy/magical second chance rom-com with some hilarious side characters. Trevor was a hot mess but an endearing one. The banter between Romina, her sisters, and her niece was also a highlight. The book starts fast, which caught me off guard. You get a sense of the characters immediately so it felt a little overwhelming but the book mellows out. I love myself some revenge so I was all about Romina's plan though it could have been drawn out more to prolong the burn and hilarity. Alex was a little too perceptive which tempered the fun - party pooper. He was my least favorite character because of it.

I WAS NOT expecting the little twist in the end of part I. I HOLLERED. It didn't cause enough tension for me but I liked the turn the plot took and it made me look forward to reading the rest of the book. No third act breakup surprisingly.

3.5/5

Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy.

It's safe to say that You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle is one of my favorite romance novels. I love the infusion of chaotic characters, eccentric small towns and sweet love stories that celebrate simple moments over dramatic grand gestures. You get all of that in Old Flames as well as an increase in spice and magical flower fortune telling.

Romina is an endearing fmc, and probably Hogles most damaged one to date. Alex is a bit cocky reminding me of YDEO Nicholas, at times a little too unlikeable. But then he'd jump back to being sweet, open with his feelings and his straightforwardness made him the conflict of the story (towards the end) come across as mature and reasonable. The two of them together have great chemistry and plenty of banter. The fake dating is much more messy in this book as a trope and I was here for it. It's one of my least fav tropes and it was fun to see someone (Alex) not at all buying it.

The one twist that drops later in the book honestly didn't bug me the way it has with other readers. It's late in the book but only about 5 days later in the plot so why would Alex tell her something so personal when she has been lying to him every day?

In the end, this is an angst filled second chance romance. Maybe spoil yourself on Alex's secret and go in open minded, prepared for Hogles oddball humor and I'm sure you'll enjoy this too.

Sarah Hogle can do no wrong in my book, and this book is no exception! I loved the whole setting with the sisters' magic shop, and really loved the way flowers and their meanings were used in Romina's job. The second chance romance was fantastic, and I'm looking forward to spending more time in this world (hopefully!) in the future!

My toxic trait is comparing all of Sarah Hogle's new releases to [book:You Deserve Each Other|50027029]You Deserve Each Other, which continues to rank as one of my all time favorite books ever. ANYWAY – that aside, I really enjoyed this one! The way Sarah writes ensembles of characters makes me feel happy, and the chemistry between Alex and Romina is palpable in the best way. There was a lot of development in their relationship throughout the course of the story, and I look forward to getting to see them again in the next book(s)!

This is the perfect book for spring! Sarah Hogle’s delightful “Old Flames and New Fortunes” features a floral witch, Romina Tempest, who uses the language of flowers to cast love spells. It’s also a fake-dating and second chance romance story with a complicated setup — Romina is fake-dating Trevor (she’s his cover when a mean girl challenges him). Trevor is also necessary to the future of her (and her sisters’) business plans — his dad holds the keys to a loan, but dad shows up in magical Moonville announcing that he’s getting married to the mother of Romina’s “one that got away” Alex King.

Once you get the characters straight in your mind, the story takes off. You’re actually not sure until the end if Romina reunites with Alex (he has a big secret he needs to reveal first). The language of flowers is ever-present and for a gardener like me, that made the book even more enjoyable. 4 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES, sort of. Alex King’s eyes are “beautiful blue with sun flares of green-yellow around the pupil.”
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): Hmmmm… Every chapter is enchantingly named after a flower and there are a LOT of flowers named. But in the very first chapter, a real gardener knows that hellebores and bleeding hearts never bloom at the same time. But, it’s a magical garden, so anything goes.

Thank you to Penguin/GP Putnam and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love a good non-Halloween themed witch book. And this one is so cute and perfect for spring.

The start of a series this one features Romina in a second chance romance. The story was cute and I really liked the characters but at times the book felt a bit tedious to read. I’ll probably still read the next book in the series cause the writing outweighed the moments I felt the book dragged.

3.5 stars // In regular SH fashion this was witty and hilarious. I loved the entire cast of characters. There were a few points in the pacing that felt a bit disjointed but all in all this novel was super cozy. The magick shop setting was amazing and I wish I could go buy me some flora fortunes irl.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

Old Flames and New Fortunes is a cute second chance romance. There were a few parts that felt slow to me but as a whole it’s good. Alex is too smart for his own good and I would’ve liked a little more insight to his years away from Moonville.

I think this is the start of a series since there’s a “prophecy” about a moth and each of the three sisters are part of it. This is only Romina’s story and I don’t have any indication that this is fact so it’s just a hunch at this point.

I received a copy of Old Flames and New Fortunes via NetGalley to read and review.

I liked this quite a bit. I like that the resolution did not come right away, and that Romina divulged all her problems and concerns from her time with Spencer. The flower language was very interesting, and i look forward to the other two sisters becoming involved in relationships

Any time I pick up a book by Sarah Hogle I thoroughly enjoy the experience. Old Flames and New Fortunes is no exception, and I really loved watching Romina and Alex’s love blossom on the page. This is the book for you if you enjoy second-chance romance and the MMC falling first. The way Alex woos Romina and just crumbles all the wall she’s built around herself was just *chef’s kiss* I also really loved the relationship between Romina and her sisters, and how meddling everyone could be. Overall, it was a fun and enjoyable read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Sarah Hogle and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited for a romance read with a witchy spin on it and was very let down. Romina and her sisters live in the enchanting town of Moonville, Ohio, where witches and magic are all around. Romina herself is a flora fortunist - she uses the magic that speaks to her to create enchanted flower arrangements to help the receiver’s romantic dreams come true. When her landlord/friend Trevor learns his dad is getting remarried, he and Romina start fake dating to impress his cousins(???). And of course Trevor’s dad is getting married to Romina’s high school ex boyfriend’s mother.

It felt like the book lost the plot halfway through. I know there were two parts to it, but it just didn’t feel connected enough to me. It was like once it switched we forgot about the main plot and the bulk of the characters involved.

I also couldn’t stand a lot of the characters. Some of them were annoying (Trevor…) and others were just unnecessary (Morgan, Romina’s niece, etc.). I would’ve loved more witchy-ness in the book - I wanted to be transported to the world of Hocus Pocus and I was let down.

I agree with other reviewers that it felt like Romina had one thing she was avoiding and ended up having to suck it up and deal. Alex went from being a pretentious prick to being head over heels in the span of a week or two it seemed. There was just a lot in this book that fell flat to me and eventually I wanted to get to the end just to say that I did, not because I cared about the characters or what would happen.

This book felt almost literary in its writing and descriptions. She's a beautiful writer! Extremely humorous in parts and a little sad in others, but will definitely appeal to romance lovers and Hogle's fanbase. Really sweet and sexy vibes and definitely steamier than what I was expecting based on the author's previous books but I wasn't complaining!

.Sarah Hogle’s witty banter always leaves me giggling.

This second-chance romance, set in the ‘magical’ town of Moonville, follows florist Romina Tempest as her world turns upside down. When she discovers her high school sweetheart, Alex, is now her colleague Trevor's soon-to-be stepbrother.

very light on the magic.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!!

Set in the small town of Moonville, Ohio, a flower whisperer and her high school ex reconnect around the wedding of his mom and her friend's dad.

Romina and Alex's romance includes:
- second chance
- fake dating (but with a twist)
- small town
- a sprinkle of magic
- glimpses of the past
- single POV

Rating: 4/5

Open door / mild steam

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Romina and her sisters are living their witchy lives in Moonville. But when an opportunity to get an investor in a night market coincides with her "one that got away" ex, magical things are bound to happen.

I love Sarah Hogle and her quirky sense of humor. This book brought me right back to You Deserve Each Other with the banter and humor. Here's what I loved:

It's funny in that quirky way. The humor in this lies in the dialogue. It's sarcasm mixed with over exaggeration mixed with satire and I'm here for it!!! I know when I pick up a Hogle book that this is exactly what I'll get.

Romina and Alex. The way these two were perfectly suited for each other....Perfection. They just get each other which is magical. I loved every time they were on the page together.

The town. This is book one and I'm excited for the rest. I'm hoping Romina's sisters get books because I'm excited to see their happy endings! I adored all of the side characters (especially Trevor. He was so funny.).

All in all, this was classic Hogle, a romcom with such wit and sarcasm.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

3.5 - I’ve got mixed feelings on this one. I love Sarah Hogle and have devoured all her books. I think her banter and the chemistry she creates is top-tier. I wasn’t as much a fan of the second-chance high school sweethearts set-up in this one. I just generally felt like this was a bit messy- we had so much going on and things moved fast. But the romance and banter made up for most of those feelings I was having.

This was a charming and witchy romance that was also laugh out loud funny! I enjoyed every minute of watching Alex and Romina find their way back to each other & the happy swirl of family around them both. I loved the small town setting, the trio of sisters and their wonderfully real relationship and the magical shop they are working so hard to turn around. The floral elements added so much to the rich, evocative world Hoyle has created. So good! Releases April 1st.