So cute!!! I loved this so much! I loved the fake dating aspect, and that it was a side character that was involved, so many funny moments because of that! Throw in second chance romance, some family drama, a wedding, witchy sisters and their magic shop, and sprinkle it with spice! Chef’s kiss! I’m hoping to see more from Moonville and the other sisters, and also revisit the Luna Moth prophecy in future books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I have loved all of this author's books but this one was a miss for me. I couldn't connect with these characters. I look forward to more from the author. I think the right audience will enjoy this book.

I loved this book. I find I am enjoying the fake dating troupe more and more. I enjoyed the storyline and characters in this book. I would definitely recommend this book.

A very fun and cozy read. I was really wanting the vibe of something light but still engaging and this one really hit the nail on the head for me.

Second chance romance and lovers to enemies to lovers. I loved the banter while the couple was fighting however the second half or last third felt a little slow to me. The magical aspect didnt add much to the story imho. Will continue to read anything by this author

Get ready to be swept off your feet by this amazing romance, where the perfect mix of tension and flirty banter will have you smiling and giggling. The clever use of the fake dating trope added an exciting twist to the story, which I absolutely loved. I found how the main male character showed jealousy and inner turmoil compelling. It made me yearn for that passion because when a man is jealous, it's a touching reminder of how deeply he desires and cherishes the woman in his life. Every woman deserves to feel desired and wanted, and these emotions can be a powerful confidence boost.

I just loved the FMC Romina! She's so sweet and fun, and her lovable personality made me feel a strong attachment. The MMC Alex was absolutely fantastic. I truly admired his direct honesty. He makes it undeniably clear how deeply he adores and longs for Romina, and I completely fell for him. The magic of this story truly captivated me.

I look forward to reading more books by Sarah Hogle.

Tropes:
second chance romance
funny banter
opposites attract
Small town with magic

Love Always, Catherine

I just want to take a moment to express my gratitude to Netgallery, Penguin Group Putnam, and Sarah Hogle for sending me this lovely ARC in exchange for a review. Thank you so much!

Sarah Hogle has done it again! She finds the perfect balance between cozy rom-com and witchy wonder in Old Flames and New Fortunes. With a cast full of likeable characters, spelled flora, one hilarious fake relationship, and steamy romantic moments, this fast-paced story is a wonderful addition to the cannon of second-chance romances.

The story's heavy exposition and underdeveloped magical element made it lackluster. Romina, a witch using flower magic, is undermined by her love interest's skepticism, making her character feel insignificant. It would have been better if Romina were just a florist using the language of flowers. The forced relationships with her sisters and the underexplored setting of Moonville further detracted from the story.

Despite appreciating Romina's caring nature and the floral elements, the second-chance romance plot was poorly executed. Alex, the love interest, was annoying and childish, and the other characters were forgettable. The lack of chemistry between Alex and Romina and their forced relationship made the story unconvincing. While the book had potential with its small-town romance and second-chance elements, it fell short.

"Old Flames and New Fortunes" by Sarah Hogle is a second-chance romance set in the magical town of Moonville, Ohio. Romina Tempest, a florist who uses flower magic to help others find love, faces her past when she fake-dates her colleague Trevor to secure her shop's future, only to discover her high school sweetheart Alex is Trevor's soon-to-be stepbrother. While the premise is intriguing, the execution fell short for me. Alex came across as petulant and smarmy, and the chemistry between him and Romina felt forced. The fake dating plot with Trevor was unconvincing, and the magical elements seemed underdeveloped. Romina's talents and the town's enchantment had potential but were not fully realized. Though the book had its enjoyable moments and a charming setting, it didn't capture the freshness and interest of Hogle's previous works. Overall, "Old Flames and New Fortunes" was a quick read but ultimately disappointing.

Sarah Hogle's books always make me want to curl up with a warm blanket and a cat. They bring a feeling of being in a cottage with a bounty of beautiful baked goods and Old Flames and New Fortunes is no exception!

I loved Romina and Alex and the town of Moonville was so charming and adorable, but I felt like this book was so long and it just kept dragging. I honestly struggled to power through it because it seemed like there was so much unnecessary plot that did nothing to advance the story.

This book had the perfect spring vibes that I was going for. The characters were so great, and I loved watching them grow together as well as grow into their own. Sarah Hogle is a repeat author for me, and I will definitely be looking forward to her next works (especially the ones following the other two Tempest sisters!).

This is an interesting story. I liked the relationship of the 3 sisters and the owner of their store. The characters are well developed and the storyline is strong. Personally, I would have preferred less sex scenes and fewer of the "I can't get hurt again" on repeat. Understandably, the main character, Romina, was devastated by the break-up with her high school boyfriend and then the betrayal of her so-called boyfriend, Spencer. She is a gentle, compassionate soul and doesn't deserve any of what life has thrown at her; but, as they say, "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". I am hoping that the author expands this story to have a book for each of the sisters: Luna and Zelda.

A good witch romance
A second chance romance fun characters and story..
Romina need some help with her flower shop ,she pretend to date Trevor to get to meet his father but didn't realize his new stepbrother was her old love Alex.. The fun begins.
Voluntarily reviewed.

This is a quirky second-chance romance that maybe also has some magical realism? The FMC and her sisters are “witches”, but honestly, I don’t see how that was relevant to the plot. The characters and their dialogue and actions felt cartoonish and exaggerated, and then the twist at 60% sobered everything up in a weird way. The MMC was actually a great character, but the plot dealt with the one thing that I find very hard to read about sometimes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Genre: Romance
Age Level: Adult
Content: some strong language, 2 open-door scenes

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had a lot of fun with Hogle’s You Deserve Each Other, and so Old Flames and New Fortunes caught my eye. It didn’t quite meet the expectations I had, but it was otherwise fine.

I tend to like second chance romances and the overall plot happening (the wedding and also the shop) were fun to follow. I can get a little touchy with fake dating, but I liked it here and it felt appropriately hijink-y. I was interested in seeing how Alex and Romina would rekindle their relationship and I was also interested in seeing how Trevor would accomplish his own goals, and for the most part I enjoyed reading this. The twist here was… an interesting choice, and not one I necessarily hated but one that really felt like it came out of left field. Besides that, though I was interested in the relationship between Alex and Romina, I didn’t particularly feel drawn to them as individual characters? Especially Romina, because her fixation on having children was quite off putting for me. Also, for whatever reason, this book felt really long even though it definitely isn’t.

Overall, I had expected more and it won’t stay with me for very long, but it was entertaining in the moment.

This one was a total 5 star read! I love the old flame troupe and this one did not disappoint! It has it all small town feels, witchy vibes, cozy romance and the right amount of romance and story line!

Romina Tempest works with her sisters at the magical shop her grandmother owned and her mother sold off. It sounds more complicated than it really is, but that's pretty much everything to do with Romina's life as she and the shop's new owner try to talk his rich dad into helping them rescue the new addition in time for the night market they've already advertised. Except the rich dad's visit isn't really to talk business, it's a surprise wedding to a person from Romina's past and a spur-of-the-moment lie to help out her friend now has her trying to convince her first love that copacetic. Love seems to be on the horizon, but can a girl who's been burned by love and believes in a prophecy that seems unlikely be able to open herself up to love and its possibilities?

There are so many things to enjoy in this one. Fun moments between friends, family, and lovers keep the mood light enough that a couple of sadder moments don't bring down the mood of the entire story. Romina and Alex have the perfectly delightful banter of two people who know each other's quirks and annoyances enough to push the best buttons. The romance is incredibly lovely, with both cute and deeper moments that balance each other out and show the full spectrum of the relationship.

This one was almost a glowing 5-star read, but the way the story is paced and develops keeps leaving little unsolved threads that, frankly, really annoyed me. It's nothing major enough to affect the plot and Romina and Alex's romance is the sweetest, yet still enough to stand out. It might just be a me thing though, so don't let it keep you from picking up this sweet story.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the wonderful read!

A whimsical second chance romance. I loved Moonville and it’s quirky residents, and the still burning connection between Romina and Alex.
Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Too much of an info dump and there's no spark anywhere. I loved her last holiday book but this one lost me