Old Flames and New Fortunes // Sarah Hogle

Sarah Hogle is one of my favorite authors. I love her ability to capture the human experience of falling in love. You Deserve Each Other is one of my favorite books, and I’ve enjoyed all her others.

Old Flames and New Fortunes is a mesmerizing read. Taking place in Moonville, Ohio, where Romina was born and raised, the story follows her struggles as a business owner of Flora Fortunes and frustrations as her first love reappears in her life for his mother’s wedding.

Romina creates fortunes out of flower arrangements, celebrating the magic that they create. Her grandmother prophecized about love for the three sisters involved in the shop, however Romina is recovering from past relationships that destroyed her confidence. When her first love, Alex, returns, she decides to pretend to date her friend. Alex seems on to the insincerity of the relationship and inserts himself whenever possible.

I loved the setting of this book. I loved the characters. I was completely shocked by the twist it took but I loved how Hogle allowed us to see the relationships grow and change. I always complain that books end too soon, but this book did a great job of giving us more resolution and internal dialogue.

(3.5) Sarah Hogle is back with another book! If you’re looking for a second chance book then this is for you. After years of not seeing each other Romina and Alex run into each other in their hometown because Alex’s mom is getting married to Rominca’s friend, or should I say, fake boyfriend. It comes as a shock to them to see each other after so long and how the chemistry between them is still there.

This book was a good time much like many of Hogle’s books. She never fails to make the best type of banter that has the reader laughing. Romina was such a delightful character and I love that we can see that she grew up and matured in a way that has made her happier in life. However, seeing Romina’s struggles especially when it came to trusting and letting others in felt so real. Being able to see her inner thoughts and feelings throughout the book made her so relatable

My issue with this book is that I loved the relationship but something was off about it. I felt like when a specific secret was made to be known it was just simply brushed over and not really talked about. Alex made it seem like he didn't just drop a big aspect of his life to Romina without any warning. What does it say about him that he never once mentioned that aspect? I feel like after that it made me feel uneasy about their relationship. However, a huge plus is that there is not third act breakup which is great for those who hate that.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putman, and G.P Putman’s Sons for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. I’ve read all of Hogle’s previous works and really enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I found it really difficult to get into this story. Overall, I thought there were way too many plot lines which made it hard to connect with the characters and the story felt really abrupt and I kept feeling like I was missing key information.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Oh my goodness, Sarah Hogle has wielded her literary magic power once again. When I saw that she was releasing a second-chance romance (with floral magic included!!) I knew I had to do everything in my power to get an ARC of this title.

I was not disappointed. Old Flames and New Fortunes is a magical (literally), heartwarming tale about two former high school sweethearts, Romina and Alex, whose paths cross years later. Unfortunately, this happens at a horribly inconvenient time, because Romina is fake-dating Alex's soon-to-be stepbrother in a desperate attempt to save her floral shop.

I absolutely loved Old Flames and New Fortunes. While it didn't dethrone You Deserve Each Other as my all-time Hogle favorite, it is definitely a close second. This book will break your heart, make you laugh, and give you butterflies.

I've seen a lot of readers who are DNFing this halfway through the book because of a plot point that honestly disappointed me at first, too. But I was so happy with how the book ended! I think that Hogle turned a messy situation and imperfect characters into something beautiful. All of my romance novel friends should give this book a chance when it hits the shelves in April 2024—I promise you won't regret it!

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.