I received a copy of this for my honest review.

This is such a fun and magical story of second chances and finding the magic in you. Romina works selling flora fortunas with her sisters at her magic shop. When their plan to ask their landlords/friends dad for a loan turns into a family announcement - they lie and say they are dating. Only then does Alex, her ex, come back into her life bringing up all those buried feelings.

sarah hogle never fails to amaze me, this book deserves infinite stars. one of my favorite reads of the year, i cried my eyes out.

Second chance romance!! I’m here for it! Not as good as You deserve each other but still a good read!

I will admit that the first couple of chapters of this book were a bit jarring -- the setup of the characters felt a bit chaotic and didn't grip me the way I knew Sarah Hogle would grip me if I stuck with it. Her earlier books had so thoroughly charmed me that I was willing to keep at it ... and I am SO GLAD I did! This story is just *amazing* -- but more than that. The writing is spectacular. Laugh-out-loud funny, tender, clever, amazing. I loooooooved this book and have already recommended it to others!

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. But I was going to get this book as soon as it came out because, as I said, Sarah Hogle is one of my go-to authors. Go read all her stuff!

This was the first book I have read by Sarah Hogle and has made me want to read more! I thought that this was such a sweet and cute second chance romance book. I really liked that we got to see into the past of Romania and Alex's relationship as well as them in the future. I love good banter and theirs was hilarious. They are super cute together and I hope we get more of them. I also thought the fake dating between Romania and Trevor was entertaining, but I do wish we got more of it. Trevor was silly and made me laugh. I also loved the witchy, cozy, and small town vibes of this book.

Overall, this was a really fun read and I can't wait to check out more of Sarah's books!

Romina Tempest and long lost first love Alex King are absolutely feral for each other. They is no denying their mutual attraction and white hot chemistry. Sarah Hogle has somehow taken a slightly fantastical world and made it the small town next door. This book has vibes like the scenes between Sandra Bullock and Aiden Quinn's characters in the movie "Practical Magic." Romina is a lovely hot mess, another pitch-perfect female lead character from Hogle. The male lead, Alex, reminds me of Nic Miller, but make him uber-intelligent (but not full of cerebral hubris) and way more direct about going after his girl. There is a magnetic energy that propels you through this book.
Thank you so much for the ARC!

This is a perfect book for spring with its floral theme. It’s an interesting mix of contemporary romcom and twee paranormal romance. It’s a cozy read with two somewhat awkward main characters. I think it will resonate with a lot of readers.

Old Flames and New Fortunes, written by Sarah Hogle, is an enthralling tale of a passionate rekindling between a talented florist and her long-lost high school love. This captivating second-chance romance takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself embarking on a pretend relationship with his soon-to-be stepbrother. Prepare to be swept away by the enchanting world of blossoming love and unforeseen connections.

Thank you to the publisher/NetGalley for this ARC.

I'm a fan of Sarah Hogle's writing, and was super excited to pick this up. I wasn't the biggest fan of this couple (especially Alex, the MMC); both felt like they hadn't emotionally developed since they last saw each other as teenagers.

Alex's secret that is revealed shortly before Part 2 is, by a landslide, my least favorite trope in romance. On top of that, it was executed in just... a very yucky way; there is quite literally 0 hint of it prior, which is strange. if I was Romina, I personally would've blocked his number. I almost DNF'd at this point but powered through the end.

Overall - good writing, good spice (which to me was a pleasant surprise for this author!), iffy couple, horrible secret reveal which I was wasn't a plot point.

I am a HUGE fan of Sarah Hogle so I didn't read too much about this one before downloading. One thing I didn't consider is that while her books are all great, they are all very unique IMO. The first two chapters of this book took me by surprise and I wasn't sure what to expect ... but I knew all of the up-front info and references would come back to me later and they DID.

My favorite thing about Hogle's books is that the characters are interesting and unique AND the story is equally compelling. There is no "this or that" with character-driven or plot-driven material for this author. It's all or nothing. So, true to form ... as the characters were developed and the story ironed out, this became an un-put-downable read for me!

The witchy vibes are on the green side, and the language of flowers dispersed throughout is something I loved as I've always been interested in this. The friends to lovers to enemies to lovers vibes are strong too so there is something for everyone here!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was intrigued because this was billed as a romance novel with magic elements. But there wasn’t enough magic for me.

If you’re going to do it, do it big and do it well!

Otherwise a perfectly fine romance novel, though I’m not personally that wowed by the second chance trope.

Not the book for me.

Big thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for letting me read this e-arc! Always a big fan of Sarah Hogle, she’s has a really fun writing style and this book will be perfect for all the second-chance romance fans out there. I really enjoyed the book overall, but I wasn’t really sold on the magical elements, I think I would have preferred there either be a heavier emphasis/bigger presence of the magic, or not have it at all.

I requested this book because I had read You Deserve Each Other by the author and loved it! This book did not disappoint!

I really enjoyed the story. The romance had me swooning and the banter had me rolling with laughter. I was left feeling whole and happy! There are a few parts I feel were not necessarily needed and it made the story have a little much going on. But overall it was a fun, enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of this one. I adored Twice Shy a few years ago. Unfortunately, where that one was sweet, this felt sour. The concept of a flora fortunist who uses flowers to help others find love was intriguing, but I didn’t see a whole lot of that even talked about for much of the book. It focused mostly on Romina pining for Alex. I felt almost immediately confused by the large cast of characters. I had trouble keeping everyone straight. I found myself having to go back to remember who everyone was. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of second chance romance which is what this is. But, even so, the love interest Alex really didn’t do it for me. He was bland, a bit unlikable and he kept a very large and important secret from Romina and that was a bit of a red flag for me. I felt none of the sweetness and burn I remember in her other stories. This one wasn’t for me, but others may enjoy it.

This is my first book by Sarah Hogle and I thought it was really cute and quirky. The magical feelings and sweet interactions made this one feel like a big warm hug. I also obviously found myself rooting for Romina due to her sweet, funny nature and that alone made the read so enjoyable.

I love a good twist in a book and this one was a little surprising but ended on a happy note!

I just want to start by saying I received an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a review. These are all my honest thoughts and opinions...

I LOVED this book! It's actually my first time reading a book by Sarah Hogle and I'm already on the edge of my seat to read another. So many lovable characters and so many fun antics happen. I was smiling nearly the entire time.

Alex and Romina have a rocky history, but every second of it was well worth the read. The cus back to the past are so well-placed and are perfect in giving readers a closer glimpse into the characters.

A must-read if you love a cheeky rom-com where you root for just about every character. I finished this book in record time and can't wait for the next!

I will say there were some sentences in the chapter where Alex and Romina finally go back to his place to ..., the sentences were a bit choppy and kind of broke up the flow of the reading. Other than that, it was so so great.

Romina Tempest is a flora fortunist, working with flowers to help others with their romantic intentions. She owns a shop with her sisters and they are looking to expand. When the sisters potential financier announces his wedding and Romina sees the perfect opportunity. With some unexpected turns leading to fake-dating her colleague and best friend Trevor. Barely on board with the plan Romina then learns that Trevor’s new brother in law is none other than her ex- Alex King. Further misunderstanding leads to a whole week of Romina fake dating Trevor and the realization that her connection with Alex has not waned over the 11 years they were apart.
The cover of this book screams whimsical. It isn’t wrong. The writing in this book especially the descriptions are beautiful. I felt that I was transported to another world with these descriptions. All three Temptest sisters work to contribute to the shop. Luna works with candles and the managing of the shop while Zelda is an author and sells books. With the three sisters and the shop it gives off Practical Magic vibes. Except this is a little more cutesy and less dark.
Romina as a character is sweet. The book is written from her point of view and we see that she is caring especially towards her customers, and family. She wants a family but has been scarred in the past not only by Alex but by another past relationship as well.
Alex as a character is very logical and doesn’t believe in the magic that the town and Romina and her sisters have to offer. We don’t get anything from his prospective but I love how competitive and persistent he is. I do wish that I had gotten something from his perspective because I would have loved to have the inner workings of his brain in certain situations.
This is a slow burn, but the initial part of the story happens in one week so that part is fast paced. The fast paced one week works so well for the second half of the book especially because the couple really works to get back together. The twist in the story I was NOT expecting and it works but I can’t decide if I like it. This is a slow burn but some things do happen before the extra spicy scene.
All in all this was a cute book! I loved they whimsy of it and how it made me want to visit the mystical town of Moonville.
Overall 4/5
Spice 3/5

A very surprising and sad 2 stars.

This is very much a case of “It’s not you, it’s me.” Sarah Hogle is my favourite Contemporary Romance author. I absolutely adore all her books! You Deserve Each Other is a comfort re-read and one of my all-time favourite books, period. Just Like Magic is pure happiness in book form and Twice Shy is one of the few books that almost made me cry. I literally squealed when I got approved for the ARC of Old Flames and New Fortunes. I was so excited! But man, purely because of personal preferences, this was very much a miss for me. And I’m so incredibly sad about it. I did not see this coming!

Unfortunately, this book features one of my absolutely least favourite tropes AND on top of that, one of my least favourite female character traits in romance novels. Not even the mysterious Sarah Hogle magic is going to make me enjoy that.

Everything else is magical! The writing is funny, but also heartfelt and a tiny bit sexy! The characters are fun and the banter is amazing. I was rooting for Romina and Alex! The emotional component was as amazing and layered as it always is in her books! And while I prefer more couple-focused romances, the friends, family and small town elements in this were great as well!

It had everything going for it! But I just can’t get over those two - very prominent - elements of the story that I am probably never going to like reading about. I even had a hard time finishing this book because of my dislike for those tropes/archetypes. I’ll still pick up everything Sarah Hogle publishes in the future! But this book just left me feeling disappointed.

Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle is the second chance romance of Romina and Alex.
 
Romina runs her own floral shop, and she does something very unique as she is an expert of floriography and the meanings of flowers. This was so cool to see and my favorite aspect of this story. Because of her business she is in the periphery of weddings and must fake date her co-worker Trevor for one. There is obviously nothing wrong with that, but it gets more complicated when she finds out that Trevor is the stepbrother of her highschool sweetheart Alex. Romina is a bit quirky, and it often added quite a bit of humor.
 
Alex broke Romina‘s heart a long time ago and Romina is still hung up on him. She wants to get back at him, while also reconnecting and this back and forth was a bit annoying at times. Because we don’t get Alex‘s perspective, I had a hard time understanding him. Another aspect I’m torn about is that there is a magical realism aspect to this story, and I would have preferred if Romina would have been an actual witch.
 
Overall, this was a fun read and I’m definitely interested to check out more by this author. 3 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

You Deserve Each Other meets Well Met!

I enjoyed this one a lot. I would say it’s my second fav book by the author! There were some things that could’ve been tweaked IMO with Alex and his withholding of certain info but I still enjoyed it (even though he messed up majorly there and never apologized). I would love to read the next one about Zelda!