Not for me. I requested this to read in October, as I always like to stock up on "spooky stories" to get me in the Halloween mood. This wasn't quite what I expected, and not my favorite.

There's a lot of good stuff in here. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the history of the characters, and how mythology played such a big role. The author does a great job of immersing you into the setting. That said, I struggled to like the main character, which made it hard to want to finish the book, she seemed a lot like a YA protagonist rather than an adult.

For those seeking an atmospheric, autumnal tale of witch sisters, look no further than “Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things.” Calliope and her sisters hold a rare type of magic, and a curse. They must sacrifice a memory each time they access magic. The mysteries of their curse begin to unveil when a warlock from a rival coven appears in town. The writing style was beautiful and the descriptions were immersive. Personally, I struggled to connect with this book. The pacing was slow and I didn’t feel invested in the characters’ lives, romance, or plot. While it may have not been the right time for me to enjoy it, it could be a great story for what you are looking for.

DNF AT 52%.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Well isn’t this just a cozy little slow burn magical romance. 3 sisters that happen to be witches have the difficult task of protecting the power that resides in The Dark Oak. Every time they use magic, they must sacrifice a memory. The main character Calliope bothered me often with her willingness to discard memories to do any little task. It felt lazy. But otherwise it was a really cute story with some good life lessons.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance release copy in exchange for a honest review.

What a unique and wonderful work this is. I enjoyed it thoroughly and I think I want to read it again just to enjoy the world once more.

A cozy, magical read! Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things explores the legacy of generational magic, the bonds of sibling relationships, how prejudices infect our lives, and the lengths we’ll go to protect those we love.

Randall’s writing is incredibly descriptive and pulls you right into her world. I loved the uniqueness of the Petridi sisters’ magic - forced to sacrifice their memories for spells, and the grounding of their family’s legacy in Ancient Greek myths. All of the characters were extremely well developed and the LGBTQIA+ representation was seamlessly woven into the plot. While most of the story is from Calliope’s perspective, I loved how Lucien’s POV was interspersed throughout the story, providing his view when I wanted it (needed it) most.

This story is perfect for lovers of magical reads with small town charm and romance subplots. While the main conflict was resolved, the ending was open-ended enough where i could easily imagine a sequel. Please give us more Calliope x Lucien!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dell Romance, and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was hard for me to get into but that does not mean that it’s not a good book. I am a mood reader and may have just not been in the mood for a fantasy book at the time.
I do plan on going back to this book once I’m in the mood for fantasy to try to read it again.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy of Spells, Strings, and Forgotten things!

I don’t think that this book is for me. The pacing of the book felt a little weird and the author (from what I read) spent more time describing the scenery than some of the more important aspects of the book. I had such high hopes because the concept was so interesting and melancholy but overall I had to DNF by page 50. I did like the LGBTQ representation though!

Also, I got the ick immediately when the MMC called the FMC “little muse” literal seconds after meeting her.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: March 04, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

LOVED THIS BOOK. Every aspect of this book was beautiful. I was thrown into the magical world from the very beginning and I didn’t want to emerge even by the end of the book. The author has such a way using beautiful words to describe everything when she writes so that not only you can visualize it all but you can smell and taste and feel all the things. Breanne is one of my favorite 2024 authors and I quite literally cannot wait for more to come out. The characters are so incredibly developed and I enjoyed every one of them and the world building, backdrop for our story, beautiful. We get banter, magic, mystery, a curse, family secrets, bonds and family ties in this book, it’s just co wonderful and cozy. All of the praise from me. Also, recipes…..the icing on this beautiful pastry.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Banter, Magic, Mystery, Curses, Family Secrets, Cozy

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell

This was the perfect book to start off Fall. It was a really great LGBTQ+ representation and had some really good witchy/ enemies to lovers vibes! It had the perfect small town vibes, and an easy to understand magic system/ world building! Highly recommend picking up a copy when it comes out. It's definitely sucks it doesn't come out in October/November 2024 as it would be perfect for Fall!

*Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things* by Brianne Randall is a whimsical dive into a magical world. The book follows the journey of Calliope “Callie” and her 2 sisters, all Lightcraft witches who are struggling to cope with their mother’s disappearance. For every spell a sister uses, a memory is exchanged as payment. Randall has a talent for creating a setting that feels cozy yet mysterious, making the reader want to explore every corner of its magical elements. Their writing is rich with imagination. Every meal was described so well I felt like I could taste it! It’s a perfect book for sensory readers!

If you enjoy a blend of fantasy Pride & Prejudice, *Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things* is a cozy, magical read that will leave you wishing for a bit of enchantment in your own life. After reading this, I need to add Charmed to my watch list and create some of the recipes included in the back of the book! Thank you NetGalley for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys

- enemies to lovers (Lucien has my whole heart)
- magic
- odes to mythology
- Charmed
- Pride and Prejudice
- family curses

I’m obsessed with this witchy, enemies-to-lovers romance between Calliope and Lucien! The LGBTQ+ representation feels so authentic, especially since we all have someone in our family or friends who can relate. The magical vibes and dynamic characters pulled me in, and I’d love to see how all the couples end up—especially with the mystery surrounding her mom. Fingers crossed for a sequel!

I have not yet read Breanne Randall's debut, a mistake I plan to rectify immediately, because I really loved Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things! (And not just because of the adorable title.)

I was really in the mood for a witchy book with a strong romance subplot, and this book delivered. It has so many of the tropes that I love: reluctant-allies to lovers, ancestral magic, curses, witches, memory magic (specific but I love it), small town setting, I could go on and on. This was just a perfect book for me, so of course I adored it. The characters were fully realized, the romantic leads had sizzling chemistry, and I loved the inter-personal family dynamics explored throughout the novel. This was also a very queer-normative world, which I really appreciated.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a witchy good time, or a contemporary romantasy for spooky season.

Thank you so much to Random House and Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

🧵Book Review 🧵

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: March 4, 2025

Rating: It was okay!

This was the perfect book to read leading up to Halloween! We have spells, witches, shadow wielders and family curses. I will say that I had a harder time connecting to the story due to the writing style. There were a lot of descriptions which made the plot feel slower than it should have been. I also loved the inclusion of our FMC and her best friend!

For fans of:
🧵Third person POV
✨ Singular POV
🧵Small town
✨ Family curse
🧵Sacrifice memories for Magic
✨ LGBTQIA+ rep
🧵Nonbinary character
✨ Enemies to lovers
🧵Bound together
✨ Descriptive writing

I love witchy stories, so I was instantly intrigued by the premise. A family curse, sacrificing memories to cast spells, ancient magic? Count me in! "Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things" by Breanne Randall is an exhilarating romantasy that blends enemies-to-lovers romance with magic, exploring sisterhood bonds and so much more.

The book follows three Petridi witches, named after Greek muses, as they contend with ancient magic, loss, and dark family secrets. Set in the fictional town of Gold Springs, the story centers around Calliope Petridi and her two sisters, Thalia and Eurydice, who are Lightcraft witches running Tea and Tome, a charming bookstore and teashop where they explore various tea blends.

Thalia, the eldest, is a problem-solver, controlling, and judgmental. Calliope, the youngest, is the wild card: self-destructive, reckless, and fiercely loyal. She’s the only one using her magic, despite its high price - sacrificing memories and losing pieces of herself due to a family curse. Eurydice is the peacemaker, always trying to bridge the gap between her sisters. Together, they guard the Dark Oak, an enchanted tree in the Forgotten Forest.

The plot thickens when a rival coven leader, a Shadowcrafter named Lucien, arrives in town with his own agenda, and Calliope accidentally binds herself to him. As an ancient evil awakens and their magic begins to fade, Calliope must confront her past, mend her fractured relationship with Thalia, and rekindle the fragile bond between the three sisters to have a future.

I loved this book and tore through it quickly. The characters are richly drawn, and the story is both complex and well-paced. I felt invested in the tale and rooted for the characters. The dynamics between the sisters, the diverse cultural backgrounds (Greek, Turkish, and French), and colorful secondary characters, like Grim - a sentient grimoire full of secrets and spells—add depth. The inclusion of queer and non-binary characters is woven seamlessly into the story.

The book cleverly incorporates important life lessons into a well-paced plot. Themes of grief, redemption, personal growth, family, self-discovery, forgiveness, and the power of love and legacy are thoughtfully explored. While most loose ends are tied up, a few questions remain open, and I’m excited for a potential sequel, which I’d eagerly read.

Although the book references "Pride and Prejudice," Calliope and Lucien didn’t quite feel like Elizabeth and Darcy to me. Not every dark and mysterious hero needs to be Mr. Darcy! Also, I felt there was a bit too much focus on the romance, and the steamy scenes didn’t advance the plot.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and highly recommend it. I loved the writing, found the magic system original, and appreciated the vivid world-building. The recipes at the end are a fun touch, and I may even try a few. If you’re a fan of enemies-to-lovers tales with Pride and Prejudice vibes, magic, a satisfying story arc, and strong character development, this is the book for you. Full stars from me!

3.5 ⭐️

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things was, overall, a good book, but I think I had my hopes a little too high to be completely honest. I LOVED Randall’s first book and I think my expectations were just too high when it came to this one.
The pacing of the story was a bit slow and by the end I felt like it was unfinished in a way- I’m not sure if that was purposefully done as an opening for a second book, but just felt a bit odd.
I do want to highlight Randall’s talent when it comes to creating these worlds within her books. She creates such well rounded characters and can really fully immerse you into their world, making you feel all their emotions. Which is why I still enjoyed what I was reading, and why I believe my few disappointments may have been due to my own personal expectations of what I thought the book would be. Randall’s writing is also SO descriptive which is a double edged sword for me because I do absolutely love getting every little description possible, but can also add to the pace being slower.
But at the end of the day, I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to reading whenever she puts out next


Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved so many things about this book. I loved the diverse characters. I loved the way the sisters loved each other, even though they fought and struggled. I loved the magic. I loved the 2 covens. LOVED Lucien and Calliope. The end was also perfect for me.

The issue for me was the beginning. I felt like it dragged a little bit, and could have been a little more concise. I love reading Breanne Randall books, and really enjoyed this one.

I enjoy this author’s writing and the recipes she provides, this book was a bit bland. I didn’t really care all that much about the mystery of their magic or what was happening between the sisters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I overall enjoyed this book but it was by no means a perfect novel or standout.

The world was intriguing and I enjoyed the character development of our heroine in particular. I did find the writing style a bit hard to get into, the story seems to drag under the weight of flowery language and could do with some variation and punch. There was also a bit too much going on at times to feel drawn in. An edit to pare down the story some to give it more energy would help.

Thank you NetGalley and Breanne Randall for the chance to read this.

I’d say the rating on Goodreads (3.9) is pretty accurate.

I didn’t love the book, but I didn’t hate the book. The story is great, but some parts felt like a bit much and it felt like there were way too many characters, so it was hard to pick who to really invest in.

At first Calliope seems kind of childish, but fun at the same time. Her growth was really great in the end and I loved that. I also really like Lucien, who doesn’t like the bad guy right? He goes about things the wrong way, for the right reason, but the way he loves so strong was my favorite part about him.

I really wish the epilogue was longer so we could see what happens with the characters at the end with a little more detail, but overall I enjoyed the book.