The concept was so cute and had so much promise. The execution missed for me though. Alex seemed so rude, and I just wanted more of the sisters and the magic.

Let me preface this by saying that “You Deserve Each Other” and “Twice Shy” were five-star reads for me. Maybell is still one of my favorite MFCs to date. I was thrilled to get my hands on an ARC of “Old Flames and New Fortunes,” hoping this book would reclaim the magic of her first two books, but it fell somewhere in between those and “Just Like Magic” (possibly the weirdest book I’ve ever read).

What I liked:

-The setting and premise. A cute small Ohio town was Stars Hollow vibes (quicky, fun, and lovable) and a heavy dose of magical realism. This was probably one of the better witchy-vibe books I’ve read.

-The sisters’ relationship. I think, in a lot of ways, this relationship worked better for me than the two main characters.

-The big revelation from the MMC. Ok, maybe I didn’t “like it,” but nor did I find it bothersome as a lot of reviewers did. The timing made it work. Had it been later in the book, it would have irked me.

-The cover design and title. It has a clever title and an eye-catching cover design.

Gripes/Things I found confusing:

- Random characters. A few sub-characters were mentioned so sporadically or without introduction that I didn’t know who they were or how they related to the story.

- The chapter titles. Around Chapter Nine, I realized each chapter title is a botanical name and meaning. And then they made a lot more sense!

- The Aisling/Ash thing. It’s not an obvious nickname, and unless I missed a line, it was never made clear that it’s what they sometimes call her. They constantly switched between referring to her with the two names for the entire book, which made it worse because it continued to feel like referring to two different people more than it did a nickname. Nit-picky? Maybe, but it drove me crazy nonetheless.
The first love scene (lust scene?) felt out of place and too spicy; it fit in with what was happening then. I wasn’t feeling it (but it's worth noting that I prefer a fade-to-black or closed-door romance.)

Bottom line: I loved the over-arching story, but overall, it felt too chaotic and disjointed to get fully enveloped. I had difficulty getting into it; the middle was well-paced and the most fun, and then was ready for it to end by the time the last 20% came around. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it, and I’ll still probably pick up Sarah Hogle’s next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah Hogle never disappoints me. I don't think anyone writes romance like her, none where it's so clear how much fun the author is having—or no other writers are as successful at portraying the fun behind the keyboard. Her romances are consistent not only in their lush settings and descriptions and feet-kicking romances but in their BAT**** CRAZY CHARACTERS. It's not uncommon to see "quirky" female protagonists in romances (though none are quite as wild as Hogle's), but I do think it's uncommon to see men who will give as much as they get from the women in that area. Alex King is a weirdo in the best way! All of her characters are weird in the best way. They're frenzied and uninhibited and the romances are so well balanced because no character acts more embarrassing than the other. They're both freaks, and it's beautiful! They know how to laugh but take all the right moments seriously. This relationship is intense but it never feels unhealthy. Her dialogue, as always, is hilarious, and the book is rife with sweet, weird, magical details that make the book so rich and lovely I want to eat it.

You can feel with every page how much these characters love each other, more so than Hogle's other books, which, to me, makes up for the book's not-so-good parts (i.e., the first half). Maybe my favorite from her.

This one was so cute! I love the slight magic involved with all the flowers.

But... that is an awfully big secret to keep from someone who you could be in a potential relationship with. I just have a hard time seeing around it, I guess.

I thought this was a super sweet book. I loved how the FMC was different from your typical romance female protagonist. I enjoyed reading things from her point of view. The surprise in part 2 really got me and I loved how there wasn't a third act break up

I would have liked to see more emotional growth from the MMC. We see a lot of growth from the FMC but it seemed like the MMC was just all in from almost the first go. It was super sweet to see the things he changed in his life and the lengths he went to but it seemed almost a bit unrealistic. Maybe if it were dual perspective then we could see more of what was going on for him.

I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the whole concept of Romina being a floral fortunist and using her passion for flowers to heal from her previous relationship. Witnessing the misunderstanding unfold between Alex and Romina was satisfying because they both deserve better. I felt so bad for both of them. They hurt each other because they were hurting and made the bad relationship worse. They were very relatable because when you’re young you don’t always make the best decisions.
Second chance is my favorite trope and it’s usually angsty but in this book it isn’t so that’s a bonus.
Trevor is such a dork! I love him. He is one of the funniest characters ever.
I can’t get enough of the magical town Moonville which we witnessed during spring. I hope the author will give us more of it in hopefully a second or third book. (for the other sisters maybe)

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for this ARC.

This book was just draw-joppingly good. It was like Practical Magic meets the romance genre. It had me squeeing and laughing out loud and smiling. Sarah Hogle writes so beautifully that it felt like I was living in the magical town of Moonville right there with Romina in her sisters, and the romance was just to die for. I have read and loved each of Sarah Hogle's past books, and this one did not disappoint either! I never wanted this book to end, and I can't wait to recommend this to everyone to read when the book comes out.

This was a fun and charming second-chance romance infused with the element of fake dating. The magical floral fortune aspect added a cute touch, although it seemed somewhat isolated and didn't quite fit in the story's world. Despite this, I loved the characters and thought this was a super cute read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

"𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺? 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦."

𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘍𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘴 follows Romina trying to save her fortune telling florist business by fake dating the owner... who is also the newly crowned stepbrother of her old flame.

- ~ -

The book is so cute and has such funny elements and plot crafting but it is also a single dad trope... which this wasn't labelled as and was unnecessary if we're being honest.

And also the way that particular trope was introduced into the plot was so deceptive? like the fmc didn't have to be blindsided?

Regardless chapter twenty-one is comedic GOLD!! And Alex was a bit swoony <3

3.97 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘶𝘵𝘯𝘢𝘮 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Sarah Hogle is a favorite author of mine, and this book hit me in all the right places. Darling romance between two laugh-out-loud characters, in an eclectic little town full of neighbors who can't mind their own business! I loved the love, I loved the magic, I loved the sister relationships that (coming from a girl with all-sisters), was so spot on it's not even funny. Sarah Hogle writes books that are funny the entire way through, and this one had me giddy giggling all throughout. Cannot WAIT to see what she releases next, and can't wait to pick up my physical copy of this one come April!

This book was so cute and fun and lighthearted. I loved everything about it. I cried, I laughed, I laughed so hard I cried… The love story between Romina (Romina!) and Alex pulls you in from the beginning. It would make such a good romcom that I’d probably watch a million times, not to be melodramatic. The story isn’t overly witchy or full of spice (though what is there is HOT), but it’s so well written, I didn’t feel like anything was missing. I am holding out hope there will be a standalone sequel or maybe even a trilogy to finish out the sisters… I can’t wait to read more from Sarah Hogle!

This was such a fun and cute second-chance romance with fake dating. The magical floral fortune thing was cute but I didn't get a sense of any other magic in the world. It almost felt out of place. But I loved Alex with his confidence, determination and setting boundaries for Romina's sake.

A very magical and steamy romance.

By now, I see the name Sarah Hogle on a romance book cover and I instantly want to read it -- all stemming from You Deserve Each Other, which become one of my (surprise) instant top, top, top bookish favorites of all-time. Old Flames and New Fortunes, let me tell, gives that book (her debut novel) a run for its money). This one reads very quickly, thanks to such compelling language that pulls me in. I could hardly put it down to take breaks, I just DEVOURED this book. Like, I was hooked from the jump. Our MCs of Romina and Alex, a true second-chance pairing, have such, like, an enemies-to-lovers banter and I LOVED IT. Their connection literally made me want to blush, giggle and kick my heels up in the air -- like it's so cute with the secret pining, Alex being a grade-A simpy simp for Romina. (For what it's worth, I read a chunk of this book on a plane. Fully straight-faced during the spicy scenes, but the cute little romance part had me grinning like a damn fool.) It was adorable. Like, Old Flames and New Fortunes had me feeling something (and not the spice), which was surprising. Books typically don't affect me like this, but Hogle's words completely capture my heart and make me believe in Romina and Alex's love story.

When I tell you that Old Flames and New Fortunes is the second-chance romance to end all second-chance romances, I MEAN THAT. Like, the big {spoiler] reveal? My breath literally hitched, I swear. I just want more content, an epilogue, a sequel, bonus chapters, a spinoff; literally anything to bring me back into Romina and Alex's world for the first time.

You Deserve Each Other cemented Hogle's status as a great romance writer, and Old Flames and New Fortunes 1000 percent solidified that tenfold. Like, seriously, this book bewitched and captivated my soul. I went through literally every emotion (laughing, crying, swooning, everything) while reading, I kid you not.

CW: Loss of a child (not pregnancy loss or death)

I enjoy Sarah Hogle’s writing style and creativity. This book has great characters and an entertaining storyline. It was a quick read. The twist lends for some good discussion during book club.

I didn’t love this book but I felt like it was a nice pallet cleanser before some heavier books that I plan to read this year. The characters were likable enough; Romina and her sisters were fun and passionate about their store, Trevor was goofy, and Alex was just annoying enough that he was charming. For a portion of the book I was entirely unsure which of the two was Romina’s love interest, and honestly I can’t decide if I liked that or not because it was different and unpredictable. The book is also broken into two parts- part one built up the characters, and part two was fully devoted to the love story. It felt a little bit disjointed to me because we grew to love the other characters in part one and then they were practically non-existent in part two. I also would have loved a slower burn between Romina and Alex.. it felt like they went from zero to one hundred in a single chapter.

Thank you NetGalley and Sarah Hogle for the ARC of Old Flames and New Fortunes.

Let me start by saying “fantasy” or this type of romance that includes witchcraft or components similar is not usually in my wheelhouse house. I typically don’t select books in this genre. That said I truly truly enjoyed this.

A story of broken hearts, healing & being repaired while also being refilled with love. There are so many things about young love that as an adult feels both immature & not lasting love. In many instances it can if allowed but I firmly believe both individuals MUST grow individually & together as a couple to last. This is true of the storyline of Romina & Alex, which was both charming and sweet. In their case growing separately as adults & eventually finding their way back. I liked that it was clean smutty not hyper detailed or exaggerated. Which could have been considering there is a magic component of the story.

I absolutely loved Rominas powers being tied to flowers. Flowers carry so much meaning, depth, and emotions naturally that really tying this to her storyline brought a ton of depth! Not to mention I loved the stories of her fauna fortunes!

I hope we get more in this storyline! I would LOVE to read more about these two as well as her sisters!

Excited to read other books from Sarah!

Huge thank you to G.P. Putnam via Penguin Random House Press & NetGalley for this early reader copy in return for my honest review.

Since I read You Deserve Each Other, I knew Sarah Hogle would be an auto-read for me. This book was no exception. I have officially found my book boyfriend.

I was hesitant when I started reading this book as I thought it was going to turn into a friends to lovers situation. I'm not a fan of that trope, but boy was I wrong! This was an angsty, magical second chance romance. I loved the flower meanings and the imagery Sarah created. The side characters were phenomenal.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam and Sons and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review. All above thoughts are my own.

Thanks @netgalley @putnambooks and sarah_hogle for the chance to read her forthcoming book, Old Flames and New Fortunes. It releases on April 2, 2024.

In a small, magical town in Ohio, Romina practices flower magic with her two sisters. She uses the language of the flowers to help her clients manifest love in their lives. After having her heart broken twice, Romina isn't interested in her own happily ever after. Business is booming and they need money to fix up the lot they purchased next door to their shop. When their landlord's wealthy father comes to town, it's their opportunity to ask him to make an additional investment. Complicating things, the wealthy dad is marrying the mom of Romina's childhood love and for *reasons* Romina and the landlord decide to pretend to be in love. Shenanigans ensue as Romina's ex challenges their story at every turn. Being this close to her old flame brings up long-buried feelings. Can they find their way to being together again?

Steam: 🔥🔥
Tropes: magic, second-chance romance, fake dating, meddling family, small town

I loved this so, so much!! I read this twice on vacation because I just wanted more of Romina and Alex.

A second-chance romance about high school sweethearts, Romina is swept back into Alex King’s charms as he returns to town for her mother’s marriage. This has a sprinkle of fake dating, a dash of small-town charm, and so, so much romantic tension. The flirty banter? made me giggle, blush, kick my feet in the air!!

In a moment of protectiveness for her friend Trevor, Romina gets entangled in a fake relationship with him mere moments before she runs into her ex-high school sweetheart whose mom is marrying Trevor’s father. A relationship that Alex, her ex, doesn’t believe is real—this ensues a string of hijinks as Alex tries to see through her lie and flirt his way back into Romina’s heart.

This is the perfect second chance romance for lovers of the trope, and also for those who don’t love this trope—the biggest gripe I hear about this trope is that often it’s told with dual timelines: past and present, and never enough time to show why they still belong together. Sarah Hogle completely knocks it out of the park, rarely using flashbacks to their high school selves, and only at times to blend significant moments together.

The reason for their break up at eighteen and their rekindling was realistic. Romina and Alex still held such affection for each other—never really having gotten over each other. What I loved most was that Sarah Hogle created two characters that I can stop and think, “yeah those are soulmates.”