Swoony? Dreamy? Just like magic (See what I did there Hogle fans)? I am a sucker for a good high school sweethearts turned enemies turned lovers trope, and this one did not disappoint. While still tethered to the real world of quirky characters and a steamy slow burn (the tension, oh the tension between Romina and Alex!), Hogle injects her writing with an ethereal longing that is irresistible. Old Flames and New Fortunes was an absolute delight! Excuse me while I go make a flower crown….

I love Sarah Hogle's debut (it's my favorite rom-com of all time) and sophomore novel, but unfortunately, this book didn't deliver what SH normally delivers in her books. As always, the writing is beautiful, and the imagery within the story is beautiful, but the characters and storyline weren't developed enough. It felt like an undercooked story that had big potential to be fully cooked. It breaks my heart because I look forward to Sarah Hogle's work every year. This book has big promise, but unfortunately it failed to deliver that promise.

What a great second chance romance!! It was a really quick read that kept me engaged and wanting to read more. Great character development and even a little twist in the plot!! Great pick for romance lovers!

I really loved Hogle's You Deserve Each Other, and while this had its moments, it eventually fell a little short for me. I appreciated the witchy vibes for a fall read, but I couldn't quite care enough about the characters. I still think there will be readers who will enjoy this, just not for me.

I really wanted to like this book. Loved the witchy vibes, fabulous secondary characters, and a second chance at romance trope, but I couldn’t stand the male main character. He was insufferable and was just too much (I don’t want to spoil anything).

I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher! Thank you!

3.5 stars

Ok, this book did a lot right. After the first 4 or 5 chapters, it moved well. The flow was good, the characters were mostly endearing, and I could sense the overall direction of how this series would play out. It felt familiar and comfortable and had a good little twist in the middle that was a shock.

My two big dislikes were that the first few chapters were hard to get into. The magic element of this book felt way to heavy at the beginning and I almost DNFed it. I'm glad I kept going, though, because the story wasn't overly paranormal and I enjoyed it.

Secondly, I didn't like Alex. He was a bit too obsessed/clingy for me in the middle. Like it didn't feel like he was pining for her, he was just too much for me. If I don't like the Hero, I typically can't give a 4 star review.

But, I did like the dynamic between the sisters, I liked the way the wedding came to be early on with Alex and Trevor and that the fake dating didn't drag on and on, and I liked how we had to wait for the hook up because it made the juice worth the squeeze.

My favorite though was the parallels of Adalyn and Miles and how that was Romina's conflict point. It didn't feel overdone or predictable and I liked how understanding Alex was with her feelings. I do wish the fight in him was a bit stronger, he was a bit more alpha, but this is still my favorite part of the book.

I would not likely read this book again. I would recommend it to a friend who liked books with paranormal influences, though.

Enjoyed this romance. There were a lot of moving parts and it was a lot to follow. I was into the whole second chance romance vibe.

Dnf at 60%

I am so so sad I didn't like this one! I genuinely loved all its witchy and magical moments up until "the twist".

As soon as I found out about Alex's secret, I truly couldn't continue. It really turned me off to their relationship and his motives in wanting to get her back.

I really think that the twist was the downfall of this book and it would have been so much better without it.

Thank you Netgalley, Sarah Hogle, and Putnam for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, this was a real treat. I’m pretty sure Sarah Hogle made this book in a lab just for me: fake dating, witchy, and second chances, all in a small town. Really looking forward to diving into Sarah’s backlist titles because I can’t get enough.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a cute book with so much heart. Love a second chance romance. Romina and Alex were high school sweethearts, and now that they're adults, he returns to their hometown where Romina has a magic shop with her sisters (seems like there's so much potential for this to turn into a series! :) Hogle's setting was perfect for the fall season.

Thanks to Netgalley & Putnam Books for the E-ARC! This was cute. Loved the characters & the setting. Definitely will read more from this author.

★ ★ ★ ★ //5

Old Flames and New Fortunes
by: Sarah Hogle

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

If you love :

-Guy Falls First
-Second Chance
-Witches
-Some Magic
-Fake Dating

Then this book is absolutely for you!! This book was fun and cute and all the seasonal vibes. This was my first Hogle book and I was not disappointed. I am going to continue to look for her books in the future. I cannot wait to see what may be possibly coming out next! Hurry up and put this on you TBR!!

This is one of those books that you can’t help but root for the main characters from the second you meet them. The love story is endearing, sweet, and oh so rich. This isn’t any world, however; it’s a world with magic and prophecies, family and lost love, and all set in rural Ohio. I wish I could stay in the world just a little bit longer!

Sarah Hogle has done it again. I live for a good second chance romance, and this one did not leave me disappointed. Romina and Alex are perfect for each other and you can’t convince me otherwise.

First of all, thank you for the advance copy of this book! I always start my reviews that way, but in this case, seriously- THANK YOU.
Sarah is a master of making you feel deep, complicated emotions with only a couple sentences. I recognize it especially when she writes flashbacks- she seems to pick the perfect moments in time to maximize emotional impact with only a few words. She somehow evokes universal and yet oddly specific feelings- how it felt to have your first crush, to have a life-altering realization in a grocery store parking lot at sunset, to love your siblings so much it feels too big for your body.
Alex and Romina made my heart melt. I loved the way he tried to communicate with her through flowers, even/especially given his skepticism for magic. They had that trademark (in my brain) Sarah Hogle quick and charming banter that I eat up every time. I don’t know if she just writes specifically to me or if she really does understand romantic love on a higher level, but every time I read a love story she wrote I feel a little bit different than I did when I started reading. Not to be dramatic, but “You want to know what’s going on with me? Then start thinking about Romina some more, because that’s all I’m able to do. I can’t talk about me without talking about you” literally changed me. But I digress.
If I had any complaints, it would be that the first half dragged a little bit for me. By the time I got to the second half, I was so in love with them that I couldn’t have cared less what happened before, but I wasn’t quite as invested in them from the start. Everything about the story in the beginning felt very nebulous, not always super grounded. A few times I found myself having to re-read parts to confirm what was actually happening in the “real world” of the book, so to speak. I also felt like her magic almost ceased to exist in the second half, because it rarely if ever came up. I think their love story and the extra details of the story could’ve been dispersed more equally.
But at the end of the day, their love story somehow seemed to eclipse it all, and I can’t find it in myself to care all that much about anything else. You Deserve Each Other is one of my top 3 romance reads of all time (and i’ve read a LOT), so I will be loyal to this woman for life. THANK YOU, SARAH.

This is the third book that I've read by Sarah Hogle, and probably my least favorite of the three. However, there was a lot to love in this book. It took me a while to get into this one, but it was worth sticking to it.

I usually don’t read books that have a magical element to it, but I couldn’t resist after reading the synopsis for this. Romina works in a magical shop with her sister. It used to be owned by her family before her mother sold it following the divorce from their father. Goofy yet lovable Trevor owns the store, and they are trying to expand and hope to get a loan from Trevor’s dad.

They assume his dad has come to town for them to pitch their loan idea, but turns out he is there to get married. In the midst of all of this, Trevor’s cousin teases him for never having a lasting relationship. So he pretends he’s dating Romina. Almost immediately after, we find out his dad is marrying Kristin, who happens to be the mother of Romina’s first love Alex. Oh, and he’s there too. Let the antics begin.

I loved Romina and Alex together. They had great banter and a deep adoration for the other. I was rooting for them from the start.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was such a sweet book! The beginning did feel a little slow for me but eventually felt like things were progressing and then I was totally invested. The romance was unbelievably great! The back and forth and the banter and the history was so amazing. There were many times I had to take a break reading just because the writing hits you so hard in the more perfect way! Definitely up there in my favorite romances! Hoping this could turn into a series!

This book was just ok for me. I had a hard time following and buying into the love story and keeping up with all the magic. I enjoyed the quirky friends and the idea behind it but I felt like it went from 0 to 1000 on the love part. I also found it kind of weird that he bought a house and was living down the street barely contacting her for a month. Seems emotionally immature for someone you love that much. I normally love Sarah Hogle’s books but this was a miss for me.

Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle was a book I was so excited to read.
I did like it but I also wanted just a bit more from it. I found myself skimming and ultimately not being invested in what was happening as much as I should.
I think many will enjoy this book. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.