Amazing book! I loved it. It was really good. I found it was comforting and familiar while also being fresh.

"My god, you’ve turned me inside out, little muse."

A wonderful, witchy experience worthy of numerous highlighted quotes, crushing over a fictional villain, and absorbing as much as you can.

I read this at a much slower pace than normal to savour every minute of this flawed and stubborn heroine as she accidentally binds herself to her mortal enemy and fights to lift her family's curse,

Deliciously slow burn, mysterious and magical, this is a fantastic second book from Breanne Randall. Greek hints and more than a few Pride & Prejudice influenced moments - I can imagine Lucien clenching his hand so very well!

Breanne Randall is a new author for me. I pick this book up because the title grabbed my attention and it has a beautiful cover.

Description:
For as long as history can remember, there have been three Petridi sisters. Three sisters whose legacy is to protect the town from dark magic and other covens of ill-intent. For where magic gathers, there will be those who seek to claim it.

It's a thankless task for a town that knows nothing of magic, and the price of the sisters' magic is memories. The more powerful the magic, the greater the memory required.

Luckily, all Calliope Petridi wants to do is forget. Forget her judgmental oldest sister, Thalia, who refuses to do magic because of the cost. Forget how her other sister Eurydice only uses small magic for small memories, yet her spells are still more powerful. Forget about growing up with a grimoire that was more of a parent than their mother or father. Forget about the very cost of her magic. And most of all, forget the way the love of her life shattered her heart two years ago.

But something is coming. Something that is slowly fraying the strings of protections that generations of Petridi sisters have put in place...

My Thoughts:
This was a fun adventure, although somewhat dark. There's a curse and a feud between the Lightcraft and Shadowcraft witches that lies at the heart of the story. Things get difficult when Calliope, a Lightcraft witch accidentally binds herself to a Shadowcraft witch. I was fascinated by how the strings worked. The romance in the story was enjoyable with all the hurdles. The story was paced well and the characters were well drawn. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who enjoys stories of magic and witchcraft.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell through Netgalley for an advance copy.

This is such a sweet story that came out of nowhere for me. This isn't my usual genre (low fantasy, witchy), but I was hooked right away. Great writing style, beautiful characterization, interesting magic system.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall was absolutely enchanting!
Randall’s writing is captivating. She knows how to pull the reader into a magnificent and intriguing place.
The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb.
The attention to details in this authors writing really set the scene and tone.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things is the first book in the Sisters of Light and Shadow series by Breanne Randall. This story had a lot of things going for it, including the 'cost' of magic. Nothing is easy or free, there is always a price to be paid. That is the most positive thing I can say about this story - it really had so much promise. The pacing is uneven, most things are over explained, there is a really immature FMC - it's described as Charmed meets Gilmore Girls, and it is, but not in the best way. I feel the relationship does mimic one from Charmed but the FMC is annoying, the banter was not bantering. Overall, it was just okay. I know it's the first book in a series, so there is room for her to improve on this good premise. I need to thank Net Galley and Random House Publishing for my advance reader copy.

I wish I had DNF this book. The writing style was overly descriptive and repetitive. I really wanted to like it because I was so excited when I heard it was supposed to be like charmed meets pride and prejudice. It also has some of my favorite tropes like enemies to lovers but it all just felt too unrealistic yet simplistic.

I should have learned my lesson with the Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic, but yet again, I got lured in by the description. This novel was a lot more cohesive and better written, I thought, but still not my cup of tea.

What I liked:

- inclusivity and representation, from nationalities and cultures to LGBTQ+ characters
- the cozy atmosphere of a little town protected by generations of sister witches
- the character of a sentient book that can teach a young witch magic, give advice, fly around the house freely, and even attack a perceived intruder
- some elements of the world-building and the explanation of the magic origins and curse the sisters live with

What I didn't care for:

- this read like YA, from the dialogue and inner turmoil to the obvious romance setup of a dark stranger-danger with a ditzy heroine who hates him for what he represents.
- Calliope does not act or speak as a 25-year-old, and every conversation she has with her sisters is full of teenage angst, which only adds to the YA feel.
- I couldn't figure out if the book wanted to be a cozy witchy story or a sexy and dark fantasy (both? but neither done well)

Overall, I am sure this novel will find its readers, but to me, it was overwritten and lacking logic at times.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for sharing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the cozy, witchy vibes in this book. It felt a bit slow in the beginning with lots of world building, but once I made it through that it paid off! Definitely reminiscent of the Ex Hex - if you enjoyed that, give this one a try!

A fantasy novel with magic, witches, and romance .. count me in everytime! This book reminded me so much of Charmed and The Craft. I also saw a lot of reviews comparing it to Pride and Prejudice.

The world building, characters, and overall storyline was descriptive and easy to follow unlike most fantasy books. I was mostly intrigued by how the Petridi sisters’s magic worked. In every movie or book, it always says “magic always comes at a cost”. Whenever they used magic, they would have to sacrifice a memory. The bigger the memory, the stronger the magic. I understood why Thalia and Eurydice was upset at Calliope when she would use her magic especially after what happened to their mom. I loved that Calliope would do anything to protect her family and their legacy but she was kind of reckless at times. She knew she needed her sister in order to save the Dark Oak, but when they didn’t listen to her she took matters into her own hands. I love the growth between the sisters as the story continued.

Calliope and Lucien 😍 a forbidden romance between a Shadowcrafters and Lightcrafters. Their banter kept me laughing. I wasn’t expecting Lucien to be so willing to help the sister but I knew he didn’t have much of a choice once Calliope accidentally bonded herself to him.

I loved the idea of this book which is why I wanted to review it, but it fell short for me.

The FMC was all over the place with her emotions. She would be happy one moment, then be crabby in the next. She so freely gave up memories just to preform small task such as making tea or lighting a candle. I feel like she didn't even care about a lot of things with the attitude she gave off.

I liked the two sisters more than the FMC. The sisters held the story together because they maintained the some personality throughout the book. Plus they evened each other out like some siblings do in real life.

I also didn't think the spicy scenes were necessary. The didn't add to the story especially since the two people had only known each other for maybe one to two weeks when they "fell in love". Insta-love is not a trope that I like.

I'm not sure I would keep reading the series unless the focus for the next book is one of the sisters.

I received an ARC from netgalley, in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so cute! I wasn't quite sure how it would go in the beginning because there seemed to be a bit too much unnecessary world building that seemed a bit overcomplicated. I have read a few different books that are slightly similar to this one, but the premise, resolution, character arcs, and plot points in general were better than the other books.

Happy Publication Day! 🎊
Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall!

This book was the complete package! It was everything I look for in a romantic magical fantasy novel. I don't want to say that it started slow, but the suspense and the action definitely built up as the story progressed.
Being that this book is the first of a series, it did end with some unanswered questions, but it did not end in a cliffhanger! I am looking forward to book 2!

Thank you netgalley and random house publishing for the ARC 📖

What a cozy and magical read! This is the first book I have read by this author and it was so much fun. The setting and the world building were great and the characters, especially the shadow daddy MMC were amazing and complex and complicated and made for a very entertaining read.

ARC Review

Thank you to Breanne Randall and Random House Publishing House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! I loved this book! I want more of Calliope and Lucien! This book had me laughing, crying, and swooning! The banter between Calliope and Lucien was delightful! Full heart eyes for Lucien and the things he says 😍😍😍

My favorite relationships were the siblings! The growth if the Petridi sisters as a unit was fantastic!

This book releases March 4, 2025 (TODAY) and I highly recommend!

I absolutely loved The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic; so as soon as I heard that Breanne Randall had another book in the works, I knew I had to add it to my must read list. Although Spells, Strings, and Forgotten things also embraces all things magic, it has a different vibe from Heartbreak and Magic. Think Charmed with dashes of Pride and Prejudice and The Craft.

Randall has created a new world filled to the brim with magic, delicious treats, and swoon worthy moments. This story follows three sisters, Calliope, Dizzy, and Thalia, who are not only in charge of protecting their little town but must also protect the balance of magic at its core. They navigate their daily lives with forgotten memories while bringing joy to the town with their exquisite shop, Tea & Tome. I would love to get lost in Gold Springs!

Some of my favorite things about this read:
* slowburn
* shadowdaddy
* generations of sisterly bonds
* pull to protect family
* delicious tea and food
* enemies to lovers
* family curses
* Recipes!

Thank you, NetGalley, Breanne Randall, and Random House Publishing for sharing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Breanne Randall promised Charmed meets Pride and Prejudice vibes, so of course I was IMMEDIATELY here for it, and she 100% delivered.
Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things is a fantastic enemies to lovers, forbidden romance book with an interesting magic system and characters you’ll love and feel connected to.
The world building and magic system were both well done without being too complex and I adored the small town vibe of Gold Springs. I can see myself spending many an afternoon at Tea & Tome.
There was just the right touch of friction to the story without being too tense and I loved the attention that was called to putting aside learned prejudices and biases to see beyond them.
The romance was a nice slowish burn, building from enemies to reluctant allies to lovers and I enjoyed the characters’ banter throughout. The sarcasm and quick wit of their jabs at each other, with the underlying notes of attraction made for great chemistry.
I’m incredibly excited to see where this series goes! This was a great introduction to the world and I want more of it.
Thank you to the author and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a big reader of fantasy, but when I do have my interest peaked it's definitely by something witchy and romantic like this one. This felt very cozy, and I appreciated the powerful, meaningful sister relationships that made up the story. This is listed as the first book in a series and I'm absolutely curious as to what future books might hold!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book & give feedback.

I was enamored. I pre-ordered it for release day! I loved the cozy vibes so much. Definitely gives Gilmore Girls meets Charmed.

The way the magic works in this world is super unique and I really liked that element.
Its low spice which was actually a great palette cleanser for me.

Overall, I would recommend this book to my audience & can't wait to share the physical copy when I get it!

DNF’ed at 20%

I might come back to this book, so I’ll be leaving this at 3 stars since I do find the overall storyline intriguing. This book is a really interesting form of witchcraft, where to practice- one must offer a memory as form of payment. The author writes in a light manner, and it truly lives up to its “charmed” inspired theme. I would definitely recommend reading this in early fall! Overall, I think this story has so much potential, but that I’m just not the target audience.

Thank you Breanne Randall and Penguin Random House publishing for gifting me an advanced reader copy of this novel. I am grateful for the opportunity to review this book prior to its release.