This was unfortunately just not my jam. I didn't enjoy the writing style, the story didn't flow well so I struggled to keep turning the pages. I'm a sucker for a 2nd chance romance, so I certainly enjoyed Alexa and Romina finding each other again after so much time, but even their reunion and subsequent love affair was anti-climatic for me.

This one was just not my cup of tea. Couldn’t connect with the main characters and didn’t much like them either. It all felt “close but not quite there” if that makes any sense.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

I really loved the magical realism of this book and the flower fortunes. I had a hard time connecting with the characters though, and I feel like the book was in constant chaos and I had trouble keeping up. I also was not a fan of the MMC's "secret."

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

I was so excited to see a new book from Sarah Hogle, and was thrilled to get an advanced copy. The beginning of this story held all the Sarah classics: quirky characters, deep emotion, and snarky banter with amazing humor. The magical realism of this story didn't hit as well for me as with others. I didn't like these characters as much and their quirky banter veered too often into hurt for me to be super on board with this pair.

Mina was flighty and I never understood why, even after the reveals on why she made her decisions, Alex gave her another chance immediately. I wanted more from Mina's flora fortunes and the magical bit of magical realism. It seemed like it was always right at the edge of impacting the story truly, but this seemed to do more with the Victorian language of flowers than her fortunes helping people. I was disappointed in her relationship with her sisters. It felt like it sat by the wayside until we needed them to talk some sense into her.

I liked Alex's character but I just worried for his bruised and battered heart when he gave Mina all the tools to truly, deeply hurt him. Then ending was satisfying in the sense that I wanted everyone to be happy and thriving but the journey to get there felt less like an adventure and more like a slog.

A small, magical town tucked away in rural Ohio, Moonville is the perfect place for floral witch Romina Tempest to use the language of flowers to help the hopeful manifest love in their lives. After giving up on her own big romance eleven years ago, at least she can bask in others' happily ever afters.
When the shop’s potential financier shares news of his wedding, Romina jumps at the opportunity to discuss the business . . . even if it means she has to fake-date her chaotic colleague Trevor to get an invitation. But all hell breaks loose when she discovers Trevor’s soon-to-be stepbrother is none other than Alex King: her high school sweetheart. Her greatest love. The boy who broke her heart.
What starts as an innocent misunderstanding becomes a weeklong fake-dating scheme, as Romina quickly finds out she can’t deny her connection with Alex. Caught between her livelihood and her heart, Romina must decide if taking a second chance on first love is worth the risk.

Initially I was really feeling this book and thought for sure I would love it. The old Sarah Hogle banter was present and it seemed to contain some of the cutesy magical realism of Just Like Magic. But the more I got into it, the less it was holding my interest. The big secret reveal from Alex was a doozy and while it obviously rocked Romina she seemed to get over it pretty quickly, making out with Alex up against the side of the barn not long after finding out. Alex and Romina started off with some zingers back and forth and even though he was kind of a jerk, I was digging it, but his personality just kept getting worse and by the 80% mark I just didn't like him anymore. I also felt like the pacing in this book was odd. And considering it was supposed to be magical realism it really....wasn't? Other than some intuition the magical part of this was really nonexistent. Nothing actually magical or otherworldly happened, unlike it did in Just Like Magic. This was just normal people owning witchy items and calling themselves witches. Did I miss something here? Romina is a floral fortunist which basically means she puts nice bouquets together for people based on what the specific flowers mean and they're supposed to help people fall in love. No magic involved. Calling yourself a witch and being a witch are not the same thing. The main problem I had with this book was that it was boring. The entire book revolves around Romina's old flame's mother getting married to her friend Trevor's father and thus Alex is back in her life again - with his "secret" in tow. Oh, and the sisters and Trevor are trying to get money from Trevor's father for their "magical" shop which conveniently gets solved when Romina offers to do flowers for Kristen's wedding. They go on a scavenger hunt, they got to the rehearsal, they go to the wedding, and by this point around 70% I was bored to death. Nothing happened. I'm sad to say I had to DNF this one, which is disappointing because it started out so promising. I also am not a fan of books about children, especially when the characters themselves seem way younger than what they're supposed to be. Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review. This was a miss for me, but others may really enjoy it.

Book Review: Old Flames and New Fortunes
Stars: 4 X 5
Author: Sarah Hogle
Publisher: Penguin Group/G.P. Putnam Sons
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

Romina is what is called a Flower Whisperer who lives in the small town of Moonville, Ohio. She uses flowers to help manifest people’s love lives. Romina also has a beautiful and amazing flower shop. Romina is great at matching people but she has no luck for herself. Romina shares her business with her sisters, Luna and Zelda. Zelda runs a “paranormal bookshop” and older sister Luna runs a candle shop. Trevor is one of Romina’s best friend and investor. The sisters treat him like a kid brother. Opening market is coming soon and the girls need a bit of cash influx to get ready for it. The ask Trevor for a bit more money but Trevor needs to go to his father Daniel, as his is the real investor, Luna decides to with Trevor to meet up with Daniel. When heading out to meet up with Daniel they find Trevor’s ex and her cousin.. Knowing how Trevor feels about her, Romina ends up blurting out that her and Trevor are dating. While meeting with Daniel he tells them that he is getting married again to Romina’s ex- Alex’s mother. Alex King was Romina’s first love and he broke her heart. Trevor’s ex then mentions to all that Trevor and Romina are dating. Romina and Trevor decide to go along with the fake dating for a while. The at Daniel’s wedding Trevor announces to everyone that he loves Romina but only as his best friend. Well this opens it back up for Romina and Alex. Romina and Alex have history and the romantic tension that is between is great. As time goes on both of them realize that the feelings they have for each other area real. Alex has a secret that he needs to tell Romina first. This secret almost ruins the chance they have but after talking Romina does decide to give Alex another chance. This was a great second chance love story. I so enjoyed this book

I am a Sarah Hogle superfan. I have loved watching her work develop and seeing her grow into her voice in books. I feel like this one might be the most Sarah book yet.

Old Flames is the story of Romina and Alex. He is her first love and when they unexpectedly have to spend the week before his mother's wedding together as she pretends to date his soon to be step brother. It is lighthearted and silly, but also warm and cozy and sweet and tender. It's steamier than her previous books but the connections she builds and the banter she writes are the perfect set up for it.

what an absolutely delightful rom-com. i love witches, enemies to lovers, second chance romance & all the things involved in this. it was full of magic and whimsy, with excellent banter and a fun plot. i found myself cackling quite often because this book is sneaky funny. the premise of floral fortunes was really fun. i totally swooned over the fact that alex was still in complete awe of romina even though they broke up 11 years ago. his absolute love for her shone through on every page he was on. i just got all the best vibes and feelings from this one and that's what i love to see in my rom-coms.

What a magical and heartwarming story! Books like this are why I love the romance genre, it will put you in your feels! And that twist?! It will leave you reeling!

Hi, my name is Lindsey and I love witches, second chances and men written by Sarah Hogle. When I started this I foolishly thought I would be able to read just a bit, but that wasn't the case. I had to see how the story played out because I was so invested in Romina and Alex getting their second chance.
Romina works at a magic store with her sisters and they are in need of capital. When her friend and store owner, Trevor, goes to ask his dad for an investment, all while pretending Romina is his new girlfriend so that he looks more responsible, they don't plan on his dad having a suprise in store for them. Trevor's dad announces he is getting married, to none other than Alex's mom. Seeing Alex, and his mom for that matter, after so many years sends Romina into a tailspin. It will be helpful to let him think that she is with Trevor so she can have some room to breathe. Fate has other plans for the couple though.
The ruse doesn't last too long in the book and you also see glimpses of the past. Alex was just floored by Romina and continues to be. This is told from Romina's POV but there is no lack in seeing exactly what Alex wants and feels. He wants her. He always has and he always will want her. There are complications that pop up but there is also no third act break up, which is something to celebrate. Alex is constant and when I finished this book I was crying with just how happy I was. I am crying now just thinking about it. These are the feelings I want to have while reading a love story. All the stars.
Thanks to Penguin, Netgalley and Sarah Hogle for an early copy.

i wasn’t really enjoying this at first, because there was lots of tension in the first half, and i don’t really like books that stress me out, and i definitely don’t expect too much stress from sarah hogle. the fact that it’s second chance probably contributes to that, and i don’t usually care for second chance, but i just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this book, mostly because of the cover. the second half really made the book for me. it was so sweet and special and soft. since there was a good amount of tension in the first half, i LOVED the lack of a 3rd act breakup. i also felt like i really understood the characters’ motivations. i didnt love alex’s secret, but it didnt ruin anything for me. and i loved the detail of romina wanting to be a mother so bad; it was so sweet and heartfelt and genuine.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book was cute, but overall it confused me. The pacing felt slow but I read this quickly. It also was feeling whimsical and then suddenly fairly smutty. Maybe the spice just wasn’t for me?

I also didn’t connect to the characters which was a bummer.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a palette cleanser romcom. 2.5 stars

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Romina Tempest is, decidedly, doing alright. Sure, love isn’t exactly in the air for <i>her</i>, but it is for her Flower Fortunes customers– and that’s good enough, right? Okay, maybe the loss of her family’s long held business was a tough pill to swallow, but she likes the new owner, Trevor, and he lets her and her sister’s essentially still in the shop. And fine, their attempt at expanding the business backfired when they declined the inspection, but everyone has setbacks. Right?

However, when the opportunity to hit a few birds with one stone presents itself– Romina unintentionally finds herself twisted up in a fake dating scheme, while trying to avoid her new “boyfriend’s” stepbrother… her first love and greatest heartbreak.

OLD FLAMES AND NEW FORTUNES is an utterly charming romance (hopefully the first in a new series!) featuring some trope classics: fake dating, second chance, found family, and (unfortunately) miscommunication. This book has garnered mixed reviews– and I can understand why it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But I thought the hilarious (and admittedly sometimes overwhelmingly) cast of characters, the steamy banter between Romina and Alex, and (yes) even the hotly contested secret made for a fun and heartwarming story about true love and self growth.

I honestly loved this !! The banter was great and I loved the characters.
The one thing I didn’t love was the fake dating aspect but seeing Alex get jealous was worth it 🤭
I want more !!

I tried to push through all the extra details and flowery language, but it proved too much for me and I had to regretfully DNF it.

A new high-water mark for Hogle. I have come to expect plenty of whimsy and humor when picking up something by her, and this book contains that in spades, particularly in showcasing the combination of witchcraft and flowers used at The Magick Happens. However, what I didn't expect was the deeply satisfying emotional ride that the second chance romance took me on, with a gut punch saved for the penultimate chapter. The first half of the book is a very busy slow burn complete with some fake dating that doesn't fool anyone for a second but is amusing, while the second half narrows its focus on Romina and Alex by relaying details about their past relationship while detailing them coming back together in the present day. At first, I found him a little too arrogant and cocky, yet this feeling receded as the book progressed and I got to understand his character better. I like how the passage of time results in a personality shift between Romina and Alex as to who is more bold and who is more quiet within the pair, and how even though a maddening amount of years have passed since they were together, the time apart resulted in some goodness. Many negative reviews zero in on Alex's secret, and while it is a big thing to keep under wraps, I don't see a graceful way for him to have brought it up before being revealed, and it provided an interesting wrinkle to his and Romina's rekindled connection. This is both enchanting and meaningful, and I would love it if the other Tempest sisters also received books about finding love, especially if Zelda's is about her and Morgan since their dynamic is teased here.

This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Hogle, and it did not disappoint. I love the relationship between floral magic and Romina. The second chance romance between her and Alex. How he helps her remember who she really was and what she wants in life. How she makes him become more of himself as well. They compliment each other so well. The misunderstanding between the two in the past is resolved. Such an amazing storyline

Overall, I think this was a good contemporary romance book. There were some chapters that were a little slow to get through especially in the beginning. Then others were so good and had such cute moments between Romina and Alex! I think I had trouble connecting with the main characters at first and was expecting a bit more witchy vibes. However, I love the premise of the shop Romina runs with her sister and did enjoy those family moments. My favorite parts were actually the flashbacks to the start of Alex and Romina’s relationship in high school and wish we could’ve had more of those!

The present day relationship sometimes had too many obstacles that it got a little annoying to read but I am also not a fan of the miscommunication trope and sometimes the second chance romance trope so I think that was more of my personal take. I thought the chapter titles were very creative using the flowers to relate to the theme of the chapter and I really liked the concept of flora fortunes. I would recommend this book if you like contemporary romance as your main genre because there are good elements and I can see others enjoying it more than I did.

I’ve never read this author before. But I totally thought this book was a cute and fun read. It was well written and I loved the characters!

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up to 4 here.

First of all I want to talk about what I really liked about this book.
🌸 I loved the concept of the flower fortunes as Romina’s magic. It was such a unique and whimsical concept that was woven through the story.
🌷 I loved Alex. I read some reviews where people thought he was an asshole, but I didn’t think that. I loved his cockiness, I thought it was hot. Idk, nerds with high self esteem are my exact type. 😂
🌼 I liked the side character’s and their friendships with each other. Honestly wish we could have seen even more of that and look forward to seeing it in the rest of the series

The reason this got 3.5 stars from me instead of a higher rating is because I was super into this book for the first 80% and then the last 20% felt like it dragged and I struggled to keep my interest. And I really can’t put my finger on what caused that switch exactly.


…………


I keep seeing reviews of people saying they hated one of the plot twists because Alex “kept a huge secret from Romina” and I just didn’t have the same problem with that that other people seem to have.

It’s not like he had been lying to her for months, or even really at all. They had been back in each other’s lives for less than one week and for all but 12 hours of that, Alex thought that Romina was in a relationship. She had not asked him anything about his life. And at that point he was under no obligation to tell his ex girlfriend every detail about himself.

He finally learns that Romina is in fact single, and the very next day she learn his “secret” - and when she finds out he’s not acting guilty or like he was trying to keep her from finding out. He very much acts like he intended for her to find out all along. - so yeah, that specifically didn’t rub me the wrong way like it seems to have other readers. 🤷🏻‍♀️