*3.5 stars*

A heartfelt second-chance love story brimming with spellcraft and botany, Sarah Hogle’s latest encounters some major stumbling blocks.

It goes without question that Hogle is a phenomenal talent. Her tangible prose makes every scene explode with feeling. Profound emotional exchanges and searing moments of personal growth are really her bread and butter. The world-building here is whimsical and sweet, while most of the characters we are introduced to provide fantastic layers to the story. (The MC’s family and their love-centric magic shop, in particular.)

It’s worth nothing that I am typically not a fan of second-chance romance tropes, or small-town tropes, and yet I still really enjoyed reading OLD FLAMES AND NEW FORTUNES. That said, I struggled with the overarching conflict point in this and how the love interest handled sharing something incredibly important that he had plenty of opportunities to reveal to the MC. It was hard to root for the progression of their relationship after that point, especially considering what the MC went through and how she communicated that experience before being straight up blindsided. Given all of the circumstances, I would have also preferred to see an ending that gave more than what was delivered.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I found this book to be really engaging and I loved the premise. I'm a sucker for witches so this story was right up my alley. I am looking forward to reading other books by the author.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Publishers for this ARC.

I rate it a 3.5.

I want to preface that I LOVED You Deserve Each Other and Just Like Magic, so going into this book I thought I would also love it the same way. I loved the love story with Naomi/Nicholas and Bettie/Hall. And I loved the ridiculousness these stories had. There were a lot of things that I loved about this story such as the whimsical fantastical feel, the fake dating was so much fun to read, the flashbacks to before the main couple initially broke up, the jealousy trope had me cracking up kicking my feet and giggling, the angst was chef's kiss, I LOVED the acts of service and dedication Alex (MMC) put into getting back with Romina (FMC), overall Sarah Hogle knows how to write a story that makes their reader feel wholly encapsulated in the story.

What I did not like was how many characters there were in the story, I got confused and had to keep going back to figure out who they were in the first place, so the flow of the story felt finicky. They kept introducing new people into the account and it was hard to see how they fit into the story as a whole. I also did not like how Alex seemed to question everything Romina was doing like a person can change in 11 years, but he kept saying things like "Since when do you do that" or "That's not you" like bro...back off. Something that almost put me off entirely was the plot twist at around 60%. Alex and Romina had been spending all this time together because of this wedding that was happening and Romina told Alex about all the bad things that had happened to her in the 11 years they were part and then Alex dropped this bomb and said "I never had the chance to tell you"...what??? Like why would you do that? But nonetheless, I kept reading but I was still annoyed at the plot twist.

I think the good outweighed the bad for me so if you are a Sarah Hogle fan, I would recommend it but just be aware that the plot twist may ruin it because they are happy and in love until that 60% mark, and then Romina is left contemplating her whole existence and while Alex does work really hard to understand her POV and try to make her feel that their love will conquer all, I am still left a little annoyed.

I love how Sarah Hogle had quickly become a favourite of mine. It was such a unique, sweet and a lil adventurous book to read about. I can't give it anything less than 5 stars. I laughed, I cried, and I couldn't have loved this one more. Sarah Hogle knows how to serve wit and good ‘ol second chance romance with enough grovel!

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.