I first want to thank Breanne Randall, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am going to keep this review as spoiler-free as I can!

It was a treat to be able to read a novel about witches in the time leading up to Halloween! Although the book is set around the Spring Equinox (Specifically around the celebration of Ostara), I felt that it was still a nice read for the autumn season as well.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things follows the Petridi Sisters: Calliope, Eurydice, and Thalia. Calliope, the youngest, takes center stage (as her namesake often does among the muses in mythology)! At the beginning of our story, she is dealing with difficulties that often plague women in their 20s. She’s gone through a messy breakup and is experiencing a growing rift between her and her sisters, especially Thalia, the eldest. She is also working through challenges that are not as commonplace. She’s part of a family of witches and is the only one of her sisters to consistently use her magic. This is because it comes at a significant cost. All Petridi women must sacrifice memories to fuel their spells. Calliope has given away more and more of herself to keep doing magic and the holes in her memory have come with significant consequences. It is revealed that her sacrifices are due to her desire to find out what happened to the sisters’ mother, Penelope, who disappeared when she was a child. She must also continue her family’s protection of the Dark Oak, an ancient, ominous tree that resides in the woods near their home. This journey leads her to a mysterious Shadowcrafter, a witch who practices a kind of magic that the Petridis want absolutely nothing to do with. Calliope and her sisters go on to experience love, loss, and incredible magic as outside forces work to tear apart enchantments and oaths that have been held for centuries.

There were quite a few things I enjoyed in this novel. The Petridi family is Greek and I found that to be an intriguing feature as I do not see a lot of main characters with Greek heritage in stories I read, especially those in the fantasy genre. I enjoyed Calliope’s interactions with Grim, the family grimoire, who has acted as a mentor and friend to her. I thought the inclusion of a sentient spell book was a fun choice. I thought the town of Gold Springs was an ideal, cozy setting, with an eclectic array of residents and local shops. I liked Tea and Tome, the bookstore/teashop that the sisters run, I certainly wish I had a shop like it in my city! I appreciated how the characters all used their native tongues to perform spells, I thought this was a fantastic touch, and shows how their magic is about the intent, not the language used. There was a plot twist that caught me off guard, which I love, I did not see it coming and it really added to the story! Danny, Calliope’s best friend, is a major highlight of the novel. They provide much of the comic relief. I laughed out loud at their quips and enjoyed their ability to be direct but charming. 

I do have things that I did not like as much. I feel that many passages were excessively ornate or poetic. There were times when the figurative language added to the tone and atmosphere of the novel, but there were also times when it took me out of it. I felt that there were quite a few clichés and tropes used throughout the story that made me less excited to complete it as I felt that I already knew how some major plot points would play out. This is an “enemies-to-lovers” story and this caused me to analyze the romance and dynamic between the characters closely as I have seen this trope many times before. Unfortunately, I never truly felt that the main couple were truly "enemies." I never got the sense that they were ever true opposing forces and it felt like all of the snide remarks and banter were there simply to appeal to the trope. I also felt that things did move a bit too fast between them after one big moment of reconciliation considering the years and years of prejudice they're faced with. The use of a nickname by the MMC for the FMC never really clicked with me, I got to a point where I just really wanted him to use her name. There were some moments where the FMC hit the MMC and I did not like that as I feel like hitting your partner is not ok in any circumstance, no matter if it is a female or male doing it. I feel like the use of terms like “shadow daddy” and “golden retriever energy” may, unfortunately, date the novel and they honestly felt overly meta to me. There were also times where I felt like character growth and lessons were being spelled out to me, which I wasn’t a fan of as I felt it was unnecessary.

Overall, Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things is filled with some whimsical, witchy fun but does have some hiccups that impact it. This book did keep me engaged throughout and I enjoyed learning more about the magic system and history of this world. If you enjoy witches, banter, romance, and sisterhood, I’d recommend giving this book a try!

Thank you for the eARC!!! 🩷

3.75 ⭐️

Breanne has given us another cozy witchy romance to eat up. The love and heartbreak throughout this book really kept me hooked to see what would happen next. You never know what a witch will do when she has to sacrifice a memory for her power. Calliope really spoke to me as a character who has a hard time letting herself feel everything and is struggling to accept that life comes with hurt and hard times and running away from it doesn’t help.

Her bond with her sisters is exactly what I expected from the authors posts about this being Pride and Prejudice meets Charmed and Lucien really gives off MAJOR Mr Darcy vibes.

I had a great time getting to know Calliope and her sisters and I’m excited to read Eurydice and Thalia’s stories next! I also love the way Breanne describes scenes and food in her books. The food always makes me hungry 🤤 so I love that she includes recipes in the back! Can’t wait to make some of them.

This is a witchy fantasy that definitely pulls influence from both Charmed and Pride and Prejudice, and is a beautiful blend of them both.

I enjoyed this cozy fantasy. There were both dark and light elements, which blended beautifully. Calliope and her sisters family has been cursed to only be able to use magic when sacrificing their memories. Lucien is after the power that her family is guarding. What happens when they get bound together, despite their magic being opposing in nature?

I enjoyed this story and recommend it to anyone looking for a witchy book to read with a cup of tea.

I received a free copy from Random House through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Calliope Petridi lives in a beautiful, old, magical manor with her sisters, Thalia and Eurydice, after their mother pretty much abandons them as children. Luckily for all of them, Thalia was a teenager at the time, and assumed the role of parent. (As an eldest sister, I relate to Thalia in my bones.) Calliope, who was very young when their mother left, is much more of a free spirit. She is chaos to Thalia's order, messy to Thalia's tidy, her opposite in every way. Eurydice, bless her, is the mediator between the two. Together, the sisters run a bookshop cafe in Gold Springs, and are secretly Lightcraft witches...who are also cursed.

Yes, cursed. The Petridi sisters are tasked with guarding the Dark Oak, and the immense power within, and cursed with their magic coming with a price: their memories. Any exertion of magic costs its caster a memory. Thalia never uses magic, and Eurydice uses it very sparingly, but Calliope? Calliope hands over memories like candy, willfully oblivious to the fact that it is very nearly destroying so many of her relationships.

After a series of sinister events, Calliope is convinced that the threads of magic the Petridi family has kept wrapped around the Dark Oak for generations is fraying, and, after a drunken night, she makes the mistake of going to the Dark Oak to inspect the magic herself. This lapse in judgment nearly costs Calliope her life--had it not been for Lucien Deniz. Lucien saves Calliope and inadvertently ties her life to his. Lucien is a Shadowcrafter to Calliope's Lightcraft, and needs the power within the Dark Oak that Calliope and her sisters will die to protect.

I so enjoyed this book! I feel like Breanne always does such a wonderful job of marrying "this" meets "that" (in this case, I got "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE," meets "Charmed," meets "PRACTICAL MAGIC") and her own twist to create something new that also feels familiar. It's at once so cozy, where you feel like you can just curl up in a corner of Lethe Manor and spend every day with the Petridi sisters, but also so high stakes that you'll be on the edge of your seat.

As an eldest daughter who related to Thalia so much, I spent a lot of this book wanting to shake Calliope. She's chaotic and at times so hard headed that you want to scream, "It's YOU, hi, you're the problem, it's YOU!" at her. If this girl would stop and think for 3.5 seconds, so many of her problems would never have existed!

I also really liked how diverse this book is. The main characters/cultures that come through are Greek, Turkish, and French, but there were so many other cultures referenced that you can tell that this book was written by someone who has seen and loved so many places on this Earth that aren't America alone. It's refreshing to see so many different ethnicities married together in a small town, where no one bats an eye at something "different" than them. I could feel the thought and heart that went into making Gold Springs such a magically special place to live. Plus, a Turkish Mr. Darcy, are you kidding?!

I often found myself laughing out loud, especially when it came to fandom references that the girlies will love. At one point, a character was described as "burdened with glorious purpose" (which is a Loki reference and my TikTok bio!), someone jokes that a female character has, "bewitched him, body and soul" (PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, anyone?) and so many more.

Of course, in true Breanne Randall style, this book comes with recipes. Which is good for her, otherwise I'd be filling up her DMs begging her to tell me how to make orange fairy cakes.

I hate giving bad reviews, really I do… but this book just was not for me. I really, really struggled to get through it. The pacing felt very off, the characters weren’t likable and I didn’t buy the romance at all.
The technical writing was totally fine, but the story just really wasn’t for me.

2.5 rounded up to 3.

I truly wanted to love Spells, Strings, and Forgotten things, but unfortunately I had to force myself to finish it. The story itself was fine, but the writing style was just not for me. I hated how the author over-explained everything, especially the magic system. Parts of the plot development felt lazy and convenient, and I think the entire thing was drawn out far too much. A hundred pages could have easily been shaven off this book without leaving out anything important.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A unique story with whimsical vibes. I loved the sister aspect to this story and how their bond developed over time. I do wish we got their POVs!

I wanted to like Breanne Randall's Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things so much more than I did. I enjoyed Randall's first novel The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic and was looking forward to her new one, but I just couldn't get into it. It felt as though the author was trying hard to create a magical universe, but that world felt inconsistent and unclear and the main character was pretty unsympathetic. I did finish the book in the hopes that it would all come together, but it felt like a chore. I hope Randall comes out with a third book, because this second one just didn't do it for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

(Please note: I read an advanced reader copy of this book, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. #SpellsStringsandForgottenThings #NetGalley)

2.5 Stars - ⭐⭐✨

Young Lightcraft witch, Calliope, continues to reel from her mother's sudden disappearence and abandonment, even fifteen years later. She and her two sisters, Thalia and Eurydice, manage a cozy life in their hometown as owners of a local tea and bookstore, but their inability to do magic without sacrificing memories puts a painful twist in the reality of their situation.

When a Shadowcrafter named Lucien and disquieting signs point to the upheaval of the sisters' guardianship over an old and dark magic, Calliope takes it upon herself to protect her family's magic, the town and her sisters. But, she finds herself accidentally bound to Lucien, who has an agenda of his own. Together, they need to face their prejudices toward one another to use magic to save the ones they love.

Author Breanne Randall enlists the curious premise of magic at a cost in this enemies-to-lovers, "Pride and Prejudice" meets "Charmed" inspired novel. "Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things"is her second novel.

Cutting right to it, unfortunately this book was not for me. My thanks still go to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Breanne Randall for the opportunity to read this, but the list of reasons for me to like it did not beat out the growing gripes as to why I didn't. This book was hard for me to enjoy. Craft of writing wise, there was simply too much for me to excuse and as a reader, there were disorienting decisions made that for the sake of honesty and professionalism, I think need to be addressed.

The magic system in this, while intriguing in theory, relied too heavily on cliches and missed the mark one too many times due to over explanation and plot convenience. The mix of formal, magic-forward language with the modern banter and bickering, between Calliope and Lucien most of all, was often jarring and made it difficult to get into the story. The dialogue and character voices were two dimensional or completely unrealistic, lacking the entertaining element I think it was meant to have, to a point I noted several times "Who talks like this?". Calliope in particular, characterized for her ceaseless talk, stubbornness, and self-made martyr from suffering of her own creation, was hard to like. The most compelling characters, in my opinion, are Thalia, Eurydice, and Lucien, so I was frustrated with how this story overall was executed.

The plot itself was frustratingly predictable and drawn out unnecessarily. The pacing varied from too rapid —skimming over key action by barely describing what was happening to get to the next thing without fully processing what was going on— to so slow it was dragging on with no end in sight. The highs barely stuck around, so it didn't allow enough time to escalate again to root for the main characters during the lows. It was a whiplash of "Someone's died" to "Here's some more banter", that it made it hard to care about the characters, their wants, needs, and goals.

Specifically relating to the latter in terms of poor timing, the spicier scenes need to be addressed. The smut is forced. "The world is ending, let's f***" got real old real fast. It felt out of nowhere and it was clear that bickering is just their foreplay, when the real foreplay should have been character development. The romance is fickle given that you can't tell if it's because of their bond or because they are truly falling in love. The two hot and heavier scenes were well-written sure, but what purpose did they serve in the larger picture of the plot? Calliope's whiplash attitude from charming to infuriated constantly was incessant, and reading "Little Muse" over and over made it lose its meaning that I wanted to throw my phone any time it came up again. I didn't feel that draw or wave of blush with the two of them. (Also SPOILER: him making flowers literally bloom when he makes her climax was positively ridiculous.)

The "________" meets "_______" formula got old for me very quick. It was too reliant on nostalgia and popular media that it missed opportunities for originality that could have truly driven the literary craft side of things that I think this was going for. It was like this book can't make up its mind as to whether it wants to be a cozy genre fiction or dark academia fantasy epic. It felt like a weak market grab, especially since I could see the ACOTAR influences here. I think this ended up being a way to stay up to date with the current market and that was disappointing as a reader. I understand that three sisters and Shadow Daddy's aren't exclusive to ACOTAR, but simply calling Lucien a shadow daddy doesn't make him one.

Lastly, without spoiling anything, the bit with the aunts was infuriatingly convenient and felt careless. It seemed like a matter of plot convenience, and all in all, the whole book felt like a Plot Stew: just throw in whatever you want and assume it will taste good without any thought for what might /actually/ taste good.

The redeeming factor of reading this for me was the end. It was the only time I felt a proper sense of characterization and chemistry, and made me wonder if there was a different, better story that could have been started there instead. I understand that two more books are in the works for this series now, and I fortunately, I will not be reading them.

Like I said, this wasn't for me but I hope others can enjoy.

In *Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things*, Calliope Petridi, a young witch, must sacrifice memories to cast spells. As an ancient evil awakens, the bond with her sisters begins to break. Facing dark family secrets, forgotten memories, and a dangerous rival, Calliope must decide how much she’s willing to lose to save her town and the ones she loves.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was a cute book especially for spooky season. In my opinion, the vibes are like Charmed x Gilmore Girls with a little bit of Halloweentown at the end and maybe a little bit of Sabrina the teenage witch (the main character is in her 20s but she acted like a teenager half the time). The author says this is inspired by pride and prejudice, which is what actually prompted me to apply for the ARC in the first place as Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books and movie. With the exception of a few sentences here and there that sound like they could’ve been a direct quote for the novel, I didn’t get a lot of the Pride and Prejudice vibes. Lucien was a great MMC, but he’s no Mr. Darcy and Calliope is most certainly not Elizabeth Bennett. All in all if you’re interested in a good witchy book come 2025, this is a decent choice. But be aware that the ending isn’t as satisfying as it could be and there are a lot of unanswered questions.

Now, let’s go over the themes/troupes of the novel:
🌒LGBTQA+ representation
🌓magical bonds
🌔Forced Proximity (in the form of a magical bond)
🌕Shadow daddyyyy
🌖Spiceyyy
🌗Magic/Witchss
🌘Ghosts/Wraiths
🌑Rivals

I had a problem getting into to it, which is mostly a me problem. In going to step back for a bit and come back to it in a few weeks and update from there.

I was immersed in this story immediately. I would find myself finishing a chapter and physically needing to keep going. There were parts that felt a little slow or overly verbose but then I realized the picture in my head of what was happening was so well thought out and detailed, it was like I was watching it happen on screen as I was reading it. Breanne Randall didn’t just give us a book to read, she gave us a family, friendships, true love, and a town to love and grow with. Thank you!

Lucien is dark and mysterious but also so sweet and gentle. He is long lasting book boyfriend material.

Calliope is strong willed and would do anything for her loved ones. She is quirky and feisty, and completely herself. I absolutely love her.

The Calliope and Danny bff banter is so relatable. Everyone has that friend that you get to vent to and sometimes pretend not to hear when they have good advice. My only criticism is that I wanted more of it (hopeful to get that in future books)

The self sacrifice for family story line is full on, as a 2, I relate on all fronts. Reuniting with family, coming together to reaffirm bonds, sisterhood, ugh, it’s just so good. And throw in a sentient grimoire, come on?! Can’t go wrong.

I love witchy books; I read a ton of them, the magic in this book feels special and all its own. I can’t wait to read more when the series continues. Woo-hoo! Sign me up

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC, this one will become a physical book trophy for sure.

I sadly could not get into this book, I don’t know if it’s my mindset or what. I will be trying to get into this book again at a later date and come back here to update.

I loved Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things! Sisterly bonds, witchy vibes, comfort food & tea, dance parties and a shadow daddy! This book was the perfect recipe for enemies to lovers, magic, banter, curses and my favorite, a sassy grimoire!

We follow three sisters each with a different personality and bond to their magic as they must sacrifice a memory to use their light magic as part of a generational curse. Their family line is the secret magic that protects the town from ancient evil but when weird things start happening and the enhancements start failing, healing and understanding their bond is more important than ever.

Calliope is the main fmc who is a little wild, reckless and most in-tuned with her magic and wanting to save the town from darkness. With a strange twist of fate, Calliope finds her self entwined with a broody shadow magic wielder named Lucien who is also known as an enemy. They now must work together against the evil, both with their own agendas, as they uncover secrets, prejudice and learning what it means to live.

Breanne created a fun and whimsical story until the very end! I can't wait for the next book to check back in with the sisters (especially with the little twist) and hopefully get more answers to some of the lingering questions from book one!

The start was a little slow and felt a little out of order, but the more I read, the more the plot and details started coming together.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Breanne Randall, and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy! My thoughts are my own.

Sister bonds, witchy vibes, a dash of spice equals the perfect autumn read. This was charming and fun. I highly recommend.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things was such a fun witchy read! I loved the relationship between Calliope and her sisters. I also loved the enemies to lovers romance, I ate it up!

I do think that some things weren’t as fleshed out as I would have liked, but I saw on the author’s instagram that this is book one in a series so hopefully some things get expanded on in the next book!

This is a delightful story of sisterly bonds, whimsical magic, and a perfect pinch of spicy romance.


Calliope, FMC, is one of three sisters with a bond that allows them to do light magic. The “cost” of their magic is that they have to sacrifice a memory. A memory for a spell. Calliope is a bit reckless, giving away memories for even the smallest bit of magic. I really enjoyed her story and seeing how she evolves & grows through the book.


The sisters protect the town from their rival family/coven who are casters of shadow magic. One of whom is Lucien, our MMC. I adored him. Immaculate “shadow daddy” vibes. Banter with Calliope is perfect.

The plot gets a little weird for me. I end the book feeling like there’s some information missing. A good part of the book is revolving around the generational histories and the sisters’ mother Penelope. I didn’t feel like it was explained or fleshed out really well. Buuuut, maybe there’s a sequel??

It’s a VERY sweet ending that I absolutely loved. It was a stay up too late because I couldn’t put it down kind of ending. Those are the best!

Breanne Randall has become a favorite. I LOVE the whimsical, magical writing style she brings. Lovable characters in cozy settings with recipes!

My fav quote from MMC- “I would say ‘I’d die for you,’” he said in a low voice, tracing her cheek, the line of her jaw, outlining her lips. “But what’s the point in that? I would live for you.” 🥹 okay Lucien! He gets top book boyfriend spot. I melted for him.

This book is great! Definitely read it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the eARC.

A magical read!! A witchy book that has love, family, friendship, and self discovery.

I enjoyed the read and definitely recommend. It’s a perfect fall read!

Thank you NetGalley!

Spooky season is upon us. My latest spooky read was Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things. This was a great fall read.

received an ARC of this through NetGalley and HOT DAMN am I ready to own it IRL come 2025.

Having read Brianne’s first work, the unfortunate side effects of heartbreak and magic, I already knew that she could spin some magic into her words. This book was a deeper step into the realm of weaving real life practices and a touch of fantasy, and also “aging” her writing up? Not just in a tall dark handsome way, but in a method that involved deeper emotional conflict, a touch of violence, and a bit more at stake than a regular “love story”.

Really happy I had the opportunity to read this one, excited to have a physical copy as a “trophy” on my shelf, and looking forward to more of Breanne’s stories.