Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things is a cozy contemporary novel following a trio of Lightcraft sisters who are working to save their small town from an impending, unknown danger.

Overall, it was a fun read although the pacing could be faster. I did enjoy the descriptive language because I was able to really envision the town and its cast of characters. I live in a small town in Northern California so it felt immersive to me because it reminded me of where I live so much.

I wasn’t automatically sold on Lucien. He was called a shadow daddy (which I fear my age this book poorly over time) but didn’t give off shadow daddy energy to me. He was more prickly than shadow but I did really enjoy his character arc over time. His backstory was one of my favorite parts of the novel.

As far as Calliope, she grew on me as well. Originally, I couldn’t stand her because she literally kept making stupid decisions. I love a flawed heroine but not when it's so much I wanted to shake her. I can see why her relationship with others was tense at times. That being said, it did allow her to grow as a character which made her final sacrifice that much more impactful.

Overall, I’d recommend anyone looking for a cozy read, especially during fall.

I liked a lot of the set up for this story but I felt like this might be better as a series. Some of the plot felt a little rushed but overall a really good story with some Practical Magic vibes!

This was an overall ok book with lots of small town cozy vibes, it reminded me of the TV show Charmed. The premise of the memory fueled magic was interesting and I loved the sister relationships. I just think it was too slow moving and the pacing felt off at times especially at the end when it was rushed yet slow at same time. I think that maybe there were too many details instead of focusing on the action and this slowed the pace down a bit. The romance was ok but it also did not feel like it had enough development or chemistry. I did enjoy this one but I wanted a bit more from it, especially I wanted more time with the sisters and their relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy to read and review.

I really enjoyed this magical story. The setting of the small town and the story of the sisters was very cozy and intriguing.

I was drawn in by an excellent title and stunning cover and kept glued to the story by excellent prose and a powerful plot. Spells,Strings, and Forgotten things presents a world where to do magic one sacrifices memories and that set up alone had me hooked. The pacing of the first fourth was a bit slow for my taste but it was well worth taking the time to settle into the story.

This is a good fit for fans of Kristen Ciccarelli, and Alice Hoffman.

As a huge Charmed fan, I was really looking forward to this book. The premise sounded right up my alley, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me.

The writing was overly detailed to the point where it slowed the story down significantly. Every little moment was described in excruciating detail, making it feel like the plot was dragging instead of moving forward. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but by the time it did, I had already lost interest. And if I had to read about Lucian’s apple-cinnamon-amber scent one more time, I might have thrown my Kindle.

I also couldn’t shake the feeling that I had seen this story before. The Charmed influence was so strong that it felt more like a retelling than an original take, which was disappointing. I was hoping for something that captured the essence of Charmed, not something that felt like a rehashed episode.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things was a cozy atmospheric witchy romance that I would recommend to fans of Kristen Ciccarelli, Stacy Sivinski, and Deborah Harkness. There was action, sisterly love, and romantic love. The concept was fresh and storytelling was well done. It only lost one star because I wanted a bit more from the love story at the end of the novel. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will continue to pick up books Randall writes in the future!

There is just something so special about love between siblings, isn't there? in this book, our three main characters are witches who are tasked with protecting a tree... or protecting everyone FROM the tree. Oh, and did I mention that the sisters can only do magic if they sacrifice a memory first? Yeah, well, unsurprisingly they all have their very own complicated relationship with magic. But now they need to come to terms with it because the enchantments around the dark oak are failing, their connection to one another is failing, their magic is getting weaker AND, if that's not enough, a Shadow weaver, their sworn enemy is In town and has a very complicated relationship with one of the sisters.

A story of coming to terms with your life, your fears, and all that brought you here today, I am excited to see how the story progresses in the series. Will we get multiple narrators? Also, I cannot wait to make orange fairy tea cakes and tell my siblings that I love them.

Thank you to @houseofrandall @randomhouse and @netgalley for the #gifted e-book and @prhaudio for the #gifted @audiobook!

This enchanting read delivers a captivating blend of magic and sisterhood, marking the beginning of The Sisters of Light and Shadow series.

Join the journey of three sisters—Calliope, Eurydice, and Thalia—as they navigate a fractured magical realm, fighting to save their town and each other. With the assistance of Lucien, a member of a rival coven to whom Calliope has forged a binding connection, secrets, magic, and buried memories come to light.

The magic system is intricately crafted, the world-building is rich, and the character development is profound. What truly shines is the beautiful sisterly bond that weaves throughout the narrative. This intoxicating tale is not just a witchy romance; it envelops you in the charming atmosphere of a small town while delivering thrilling, action-packed magical scenes. The tension between Calliope and Lucien adds an irresistible enemies-to-lovers dynamic, layered with obstacles that their relationship must slowly overcome.

The narrator's performance is nothing short of exceptional, breathing life into each character, complete with a captivating French accent for Lucien and Eléa.

If you're seeking a delightful, small-town witchy tale, look no further—this book is a must-read. Mark your calendars for March 4, 2025; you won’t want to miss it!

if you had to sacrifice a memory every time you did magic, would it be worth it?

this truly was a story of healing. we follow calliope and her sisters thalia and dissy through what is an absolute turning point in their lives throughout the book. our mmc lucien is part dark and broody, part golden retriever and ignoring all the red flags (like we readers always do) he is so easy to fall for. this book has all the vibes - small town, book and tea shop, forced proximity, enemies to lovers… i could go on and on. i really enjoyed reading this, the ending did seem a little rushed but i’m here for the vibes which were immaculate. we were promised charmed meets modern day pride and prejudice and that is exactly what we got. oh and did i mention that the ending has recipes for the food mentioned throughout the book?!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this novel.

I really enjoyed this novel despite having just like the author's debut novel. I found it to be a bit of a cozy fantasy novel. It was pitched as a Charmed meets Pride and Prejudice which it did deliver on that note. I enjoyed the complicated dynamic of the sisters. It came across as very realistic as to how sister dynamics work in the real world. I also found the enemy to lovers trope rather enjoyable too.

The recipes at the end of the book were a delightful touch to such a cozy novel.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book, I am having difficulty finishing it at the moment and would like to circle back at a later time to give it a second chance. I am going to give a fair rating for the parts I have completed so far and will update once I finish. Thanks!

It took me a bit to get into this book, but once I did I couldn’t put it down. Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things is a story of the bonds of sisterhood, prejudice, and how far we will go to save the ones we love.

Breanne Randall writes likable characters, and creates a world that makes you feel like you are right there, baking in the kitchen with the sisters, or walking the streets of their close knit town.

I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

7/10

This is a hard book to get started, but like most, once you hit that 60-70% it is extremely easy to finish it. Take it from me who finished it during my Stats class. (ok maybe don't do that)

Randall does an excellent job building a magic system, with the unique concept of having to give a memory to make magic (at least for these spell casters). I think the Shadow vs Light thing is a little meh... it's kind of typical. Also, the Shadowcrafters seem just more powerful and better than Light and I wished we had seen a larger ranger of Lightcrafters than just the three sisters.

It becomes pretty clear later into the book that this book and all its plot will not be resolved. Still waiting on Lucien and Calliope and the mother, and Lucien's father.

While the romance reads with enemies to lovers with little stakes in the first half, it really got me in the second half and Randall has created some truly beautiful dialogue between our leading characters. I really enjoyed Lucien and his takes on Calliope's value of memories and he was probably my favorite character overall (other than the clear miscommunication that just seemed constant between both of them).

Now my true gripes. This book could have been split into two. With a better lead up and lengthening the story into two halves would have allowed for way more relationship to be built and more insight into our secondary cast (Danny, Roz, Elea, Lucien's coven, etc). I think this book and its ending climax could have made a great book 1 and 2 with book 3 highlighting the journey back to memories, and finalizing the mother and Lucien's father problems.

The one thing that truly made me roll my eyes and cringe was with the older generation of sisters, Roz and Grim, as you are first introduced to them in the book. This seemed... unnecessary at best? I would have just fully embraced Grim being a magical book and Roz being a lone seer spell caster. In fact, I would say there are more unanswered questions by the twist than just leaving it as is. It was confusing for Calliope, Eurydice (it hurt me to read 'Dissy' over and over again as her nickname), and Thalia and for the reader (me).

I'm interested to see how this is adapted for TV (hopefully like how A Discovery of Witches was done) and what future books will bring. I enjoyed The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic more.

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and open review.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. The story centers around Calliope, Eurydyce, and Thalia who are sisters who have magic. However, the price of their magic is losing memories, so only Calliope uses her magic. This use of magic causes tension between Calliope and her sisters which is weakening their sister bond and relationships. While exploring more about her family magic, Calliope awakens a big bad and stirs some negative energy in their town. This leads to Calliope meeting and bonding with Lucien. Calliope and Lucien start out with a light vs dark magic relationship. We see them slowly go from hate to friends to eventually love as they realize that magic, like life, is not always black or white. Overall I think this book was an enjoyable read as the concept and characters are diverse and unique. I also really liked the added recipes in the back of the book that were talked about throughout the story. My one critique would be I think the pacing was a little slow and drawn out in parts which slowed down my reading experience. I would still recommend this book to people who like stories with witchy stories with small town vibes.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things is my second book from Breanne Randall and let me tell you, I was very happy with this book.

The author does a great job of crafting an atmospheric read with beautiful descriptions and cozy settings. I love the small town feel of the books and I really enjoyed the cast of characters she created. The magic was well done and I loved the uniqueness of how she tied memory with casting spells. This book gave me Charmed x Practical Magic vibes! While there is a shadow daddy love interest in this book ( he says why would I die for you when I can live for you? SWOON), I was more interested in the sisters and their relationship. I kind of wanted more of them to be honest.

While I did feel the pacing was on the slower side, I didn't have any trouble staying engaged or finishing the book. I will say that the last 20 or so percent was a bit chaotic and I am still kind of processing what happened.

As with her first book, the author has a bit at the end with receipes which I adore. The food showcased in the book was described so well that I found myself itching to bake bread and other tasty treats.

I would recommend this as a fall read to anyone that loves a book with cozy vibes and magic and sisterhood.

ARC REVIEW ✨

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall

“When Calliope must sacrifice memories to fuel her magic and protect her town, will she have anything left of herself?”

Rating: 4.5⭐️
Genre: Romance, witchy fantasy
Yes, no, or maybe: Yes!

Read if you like:
-enemies to lovers
-magic and curses
-sisterly bond
-atmospheric reads

This book was great! It was atmospheric and magical. The writing is beautiful. It looks like this will be a series, but this book could easily be a standalone. There are curses with mysterious origins, secrets revealed, and a few adrenaline packed fight scenes! It’s everything I wanted in a witchy fantasy.

Our FMC, Calliope, is a fearless and determined Lightcrafter. She is trying to hold up the family legacy of protecting an ancient power from those that seek to take it. In comes our MMC, Lucien, a broody Shadowcrafter who is determined to save the people he loves. I’m sure you can guess, but shadow and light are not meant to coexist. But… 👀👀 The banter had me kicking my feet! Then the ending had me feeling all the feels.

The magic system had a unique twist, the sisters have to sacrifice memories to do spells. Mrs. Breanne has definitely started building a captivating world.

Why wasn’t this a 5⭐️ read??
I wanted more!! More build up, more information, more action, MORE! I believe this book could have had more in it and possible have been turned into a couple of books! That being said, I am very excited to see if there will indeed be more books. I am obsessed with a good series with lots of build up and world building. I loved this magical concept and these characters, it would have been perfect to have seen a slower build and more character development.

I cannot wait to see what Breanne Randall will write next!

JUST WOW.

I have been eagerly awaiting this book and so happy when I received the ARC of it because I could wait to dive in.

The vibes of this book are immaculate 🙌🏽 it combines so many elements of so many incredible movies and books and shows.

Think:
-Practical Magic🪴
-Charmed☪️
-Hocus Pocus 🧙‍♀️

Literally all the things culminate together in this perfect book!

We’ve got small town vibes, a shadow daddy, cozy baking vibes (recipes included which I LOVED!), and MAGIC ✨

I ate this upppp. Breanne what a masterpiece!! So many beautifully written quotes, I found myself trying not to highlight the entire book. 🤭

And Lucien, don’t even get me started 😍🫠 yes. Please. 🥺

The FMC is so quirky and headstrong. I found myself responding with her throughout the book.

Definitely some twists and turns I didn’t see coming. 😱

You’ve made it this far in the review sooooo why haven’t you started reading the book yet? 👀

—Note: I received an eARC from Netgalley to give my honest opinion, thank you—

Rating 3.25 /5 stars
I feel like the best way to describe this book is it just took me a bit longer to want to read it, to get through, and then write the review. I enjoyed the blurb and how this book was marketed as well as the description of the setting, it was very cozy fantasy. However, I felt the magic fell a little short for me and the pacing of the story could’ve been better. There were things I loved and things I didn’t but overall I’d say this was an average book and I wouldn’t mind reading more by this author

I really enjoy this read. It was funny and fun. I enjoyed stepping out of my dark romantasy genre and into cozy. This is definitely an adds to tbrs for other readers