Thank you Netgalley for this arc. This was a cute, witchy rom com. I enjoyed it very much and looking forward to reading more by this author. I rated this book a 4 stars.

This is a toughie: I really love Sarah Hogle’s book (“You Deserve Each Other” is genuinely romantic and screamingly funny) and I enjoyed the first Moonville book, but this one doesn’t have much in the way of all those previous pluses.

Zelda and Morgan … didn’t seem like this in the first book? Morgan seemed much goofier and sweet, and Zelda didn’t seem so flighty. That we start in the middle of Morgan already trying to get with Zelda is so awkward, and Hogle is never able to get us to the point where we understand and care about what the hell is happening here (beyond, of course, Morgan’s secret, which is also upsetting and pretty disqualifying for a romantic lead). The bridge between this and the first book just feels nonexistent, and it’s like we start en media res of an entirely different story, and things simply never get back on track.

The magic of this one? Missing, painfully so. I hope we bounce back with Luna’s story.

This is 100% a quirky,witchy romance with well written characters. Unfortunately the back 30% of this book was absolute chaos. There are plot points that make no sense and/or never come to a satisfying explanation. The author’s creativity is expansive but I need to actually be able to interpret what’s happened.

I might need to re-read the first book in this series. It’s been a while, so I don’t remember… was Romina and Alex’s story this kooky? Zelda and Morgan seem borderline certifiable, but somehow endearing in their crazy.

Here’s an incomplete list of things I love most about this series: the bond between the sisters, the way Aisling is somehow simultaneously well-cared for and a little feral, nutty old ladies, general hilarity and fabulous writing.

I received an ARC (many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley), so I can’t quote any lines in case they change them before the publishing date, but there are several that I adored enough that I’ll be sending a note to the publisher to beg them to keep them.

This book is a romance, a heroine finding/rediscovering her purpose, laugh out loud funny, and immaculate vibes. I want to live in Moonville with Zelda and her family. Yes - you do have to suspend your disbelief to buy into this book, but that is the deal you make with Sarah Hogle. You agree that no one would truly behave this way and you get rewarded with pure, 100% uncut nonsense.

Zelda, a successful paranormal romance author (who does not actually believe in the paranormal) has moved home with her witchy sisters and is trying to get over a major case of writer's block. She is continually distracted by her handsome, chaotic, 80's themed neighbor Morgan, who is desperate to capture some of the magic that Moonville is known for. Does he try to get Zelda to fall in love with him so her magic rubs off on him? Yes. Does he accidentally actually fall deeply in love with her only to realize he's "cried wolf" and she won't take him seriously? Also yes. Their banter is fantastic.

This book could've gone on 1,000 more pages with literally nothing happening except for Zelda hanging out with Morgan and her sisters and I'd be seated.

If you liked "How to Help a Hungry Werewolf" by Charlotte Stein (and you should), you will love this book.

I read this in the middle of a stressful move (I mean they all are, but add in an ice storm and 2 children who do not stop talking), and dipping into this book was an absolute respite.

I will not spoil anything, but Forte is my spirit animal and I would d*e for him.

"Darling, please. Give me all your strange."

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. This is the second book in a series. Zelda is stuck in a rut for her new book, writing about paranormal activity even though she doesn't personally believe in it. Living in a town known for it's magic, her witchy sisters are upset Zelda doesn't believe, but so is Morgan, who lives next door. He decides to help Zelda with her writing block, and give her a boost in believing, by taking her on a ghost hunt. It is during this that Zelda sees unknown creatures that appear as pets to everyone. This prompts Zelda and Morgan to dig into more of what their magical town may be hiding.

I appreciated the pace of the writing when it came to the romance. It was slower, and did not overshadow the story arch itself, which was the quest to learn more about the town and Zelda herself. There is a lot of magic and whimsy in this book, so if you are looking for that as a central theme, please pick this up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an unbiased review. I give this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 here.

This is a sweet, slow burn magic infused romcom featuring a (what reads to me as a) neurodivergent FMC, Zelda, and a manic pixie dream boy MMC, Morgan. Zelda refuses to believe she has magic, and Morgan refuses to believe he lives in a world without it, and insists on finding it wherever it goes. This story didn’t blow me away, but it would be a perfect cute, cozy, and quirky read for spooky season. It was a sweet follow up to its predecessor that could easily be read as a standalone novel, which is always a plus in my book. Tonally, the book was in a weird place - it’s part spooky haunted house ghost story, part silly romcom, part unhinged fever dream. The scenes jump rapidly, to the point where there were several times I had to stop and try to figure out what was going on. Weirdly, the plot doesn’t move all that fast despite the scene jumps, and I was surprised by how slowly the character arcs moved in comparisons. I enjoyed the romance slow burn more than I did the magic slow burn, but what didn’t work for me might still work for you, hence my rounded up stars

Things I loved: It was nice to finally have a flamboyant, frivolous MMC. Shadow daddies and stern brunch daddies have their place, but we need more Howl-inspired MMCs, and in that, Morgan delivers. His date crashing was hilarious, and I loved how he was the entire newspaper. Morgan is selfish yet endearing despite this, and you can see how much he truly does care about Zelda through his actions, which Zelda unreliably narrates. His antics were almost too OTT for me, and yet he was still a highlight of the book for me. Also, the cat that turned eldritch creature turned piano. That’s a level of unhinged I can appreciate.

Things I didn’t: The rapid scene jumps. The deus ex machina tiger/elephant/emu (yeah, I’m confused by it too). The entire Black Bear Witch subplot that was poorly foreshadowed and poorly resolved, and frankly we could have done without. Hogle could have focused more on the legend that falling in love with a witch can give powers as a source of tension and conflict, and left the entire slapdash and slapstick final third of the book out, and the story would probably be better for it.

Perfect for fans of: Spooky season, gothic lolita fashion, frivolously flamboyant MMCs, Wendell Bambleby, books about books and stories about stories, Buzzfeed’s Unsolved, Practical Magic, magical creatures big and small, neurodivergence representation, and random hijinks.

Enjoyed the story, quick fun read. Not enough in the story to really feel the relationships - either romantic or sisterly - and i never really understood her power - her magic writes her books? the forest story was fun though and i liked the paranimals.

3.75 🌟

My only regret is that I wasn’t able to read this during the fall. It would have been so perfectly cozy ☕️ Moonville becomes more and more enchanting with every book. I can’t wait for the third!

But why did all the paranimals have to be so creepy? 😭

Thank you NetGalley, Putnam, and Penguin Random House for providing a copy of this ARC!

This was a cute witchy rom com with the slight challenge of having a FMC who doesn’t believe in magic or that she’s a witch. Her hopeful suitor however very much believes in magic and that she’s a witch. Shenanigans ensue.

This is the second book of the series of interconnected standalones but you don’t have to read the first book to completely understand what was happening here. I am proof of that. I will however be on the lookout for book 1 and will add it to my tbr, despite this book providing some (obvious) spoilers for the main characters of the first book.

I honestly liked the side characters more than the main characters, for some reason I didn’t really connect to them. Zelda felt a bit too woah is me and both she and Morgan seemed “weird” for the sake of being weird. Like people who tell you how much they don’t like that popular thing just because it’s popular and they wan’t to seem above it.

It’s a rom com so the HEA is a given but I did like the slower progression of reluctant allies to friends to lovers. Anytime we see actual development in relationships vs insta-love I’m here for it. The forest seemed a little nonsensical, even for a magic forest. I feel like even magic should have rules. Zelda and her sister’s have what I would call limited magic, They have magic that’s more intuition, a feel for flowers that might make you feel better or a candle scent to ease your heartache. There doesn’t seem to be any powerful spell casting that defies the laws of physics, so having so much random magic going on in the forest seems disconnected.

Overall it was an enjoyable read. I’ll revisit this town in the future I think when the next sister has a turn at love.

Look, Sarah Hogle has cemented herself as one of my top tier, auto read authors. I am GIDDY whenever I hear about her next release. Old Flames and New Fortunes is not only one of my top reads of last year, it is an all time favorite comfort read. So when I learned that we were getting more Moonville stories, I was verklempt. VERKLEMPT.

There is magic woven into the pages of all of Sarah's books. The dialogue, the charm, the whimsy, the humor. The ROMANCE. Anytime I finish one of her books, I am fully invested in the relationship and it’s longevity.

So it was with enthusiasm that I started the Folklore of Forever. I will admit - Zelda was not a "stand out" sister from OFANF, but I was excited to see her romance. I was immediately loving being back with this kooky, zany cast of characters. The town, the sister interactions, cameos from the first book!! It all warmed my heart. Sarah has a way of describing her worlds that I wish I could just teleport into them.

The romance however, fell a little flat for me. From the start, it felt rushed and more like telling not showing. I did not FEEL a connection between Zelda and Morgan. Maybe that is because I could not find myself connecting with either of them individually. either. While I didn't find myself waiting on baited breath for them to figure their stuff out... I still enjoyed my time back in Moonville. My own issues with the FMC/MMC aside, I was happy with how everything came together. I think for me this is a scenario where the whole is great than the sum of it's parts. The supporting crew in this one really carried the team.

I desperately hope we get to see Luna's story next. I would read a story for every member of this town if I could.

I was excited to receive an ARC of this book, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. While there were parts of the story that I genuinely enjoyed, other aspects fell short and left me wanting more depth and clarity.

The story takes place in the mystical town of Moonville, Ohio, and centers on Zelda, a magic skeptic born into a family of witches. Throughout the book, she embarks on a series of supernatural adventures with her next-door neighbor and love interest, Morgan, which lead her to rediscover magic and reconnect with her past.

Zelda was the standout for me. Her character was layered and relatable, with struggles that felt deeply authentic. Her apparent neurodivergence, including OCD-like tendencies and social anxiety, was portrayed with care, adding depth to her personality and making her journey of growth compelling. Her humor, awkwardness, and stubborn disbelief in magic made her both flawed and likable, and I loved watching her evolve over the course of the book.

Morgan, on the other hand, didn’t resonate with me as much. He felt one-dimensional, embodying the “arrogantly handsome and charming” trope, and his obsession with gaining magic for himself came across as selfish and, at times, unsettling. His motivations weren’t fully explored, which made it hard to connect with him or fully support his relationship with Zelda. Though his character improved somewhat as the story progressed, I still found him lacking the complexity needed to balance Zelda’s depth.

What truly stood out was Hogle’s imaginative world-building. The magical creatures, like coralotes and waravers, were charming and unique, adding a sense of whimsy to the story. The interplay between magic and nature was beautifully done, and the creativity behind the magic system kept me intrigued. However, I felt the town of Moonville and its magical history—particularly Zelda’s family’s connection to it—needed more development. Some plot elements, like the mysterious voice, were intriguing but ultimately felt underexplored and confusing, making it difficult to stay fully immersed in the story.

While this book had some brilliant moments—especially Zelda’s character arc and the whimsical magic—it struggled with uneven pacing, underdeveloped side characters, and unclear plot threads. Fans of whimsical, character-driven fantasy might still enjoy it, but for me, it fell a bit short of its potential.

Thank you so much to G.P. Putnam's Sons for an early copy of The Folklore of Forever! 💖
The Folklore of Forever has the PERFECT witchy/rom-com vibes! It maintains the greatest balance of romance and fantasy, kind of like the Glimmer Falls series by Sarah Hawley and the Ex Hex series by Erin Sterling! It has sister witches, a magical small town, paranormal creatures, and, of course, the BEST romance! I read Old Flames and New Fortunes as an early copy last year and was obsessed and I was SO happy to come right back to Moonville, Ohio and get to see the same cast of characters but focus on a different Tempest sister and her love life!
This book had me actually laughing out loud because sometimes it is just SO quirky and goofy that you just kind of have to giggle! You never can really know where the book was going to go next (i.e. random safari animals in a forest in town???) and I really loved the unpredictability, like I didn't even know who Zelda, the female main character, was going to end up with! Also, this book has some elements of Zelda's character, i.e. the fact that she's an author and a book lover, that makes the book sometimes feel like a love letter to books (which we LOVE)!!!
I cannot wait for the third book in the series and get to see Lucy's love story and come back to Moonville!

This book was just not for me. I unfortunately DNFed it at 50%. It just felt very unfinished and disorganized. The plot was everywhere, the romance fell flat, the magic was meh. Maybe if I'd have read the first book in the series first, I'd feel different, but as an interconnected standalone, I didn't think that was necessary.

This book has a slightly different energy than the other novels I’ve read from Sarah Hogle. She is beautifully chasing magic here, but the relationship between our main characters is messy. Zelda is our bookish, introverted heroine, is perfectly mismatched with her journalist neighbor Morgan. At times, I struggled to find their connection believable, as the tension that crackled between them was more enemies than enemies to lovers. Morgan is brash and unlikeable, but the reader always knows how much he likes Zelda. We aren’t always sure that Zelda will come around. If you are a romantasy lover, who appreciates a softer read, The Folklore of Foever will be right up your alley. As a matter of personal taste, I was wishing for a wee bit more romance with my fantasy. Nevertheless, I will be excited to return to Moonville for Luna’s story! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for my gifted ARC.

This one just wasn’t for me unfortunately. The characters fell flat and not a whole lot really seems to happen story wise.

SARAHHHHH. Her books always shine so well when the characters are actually likable. This is my third Sarah Hogle book, and the second I've really enjoyed reading since I hated the characters so much in You Deserve Each Other but liked the story. All of her books have the inverse effect of one another for me; in YDEO, I had a really mediocre reading experience, but ended up liking the book as a whole. With the Moonville books so far, I've LOVED the experience of reading them and all of the fun mysticality, but they're not quite as good as I feel like they are in retrospect. I think in this case, it was due to Morgan. I really liked the development of the relationship in general and all of the relationships amongst this lovely ensemble, but there was a lot of whiplash in Morgan's character development. First he's sexy, confident, and irresistible; then we... hate him? He's exploitative in a way I couldn't forget even when he was being fun and romantic, and if I was Zelda, I would be so wary. In the end, I guess he's supposed to be a lovable goofball, but I was missing that initial characterization from the beginning of the story and the chemistry there. By no means am I saying he needed to be deeply physically attractive, but even though he canonically WAS, Zelda's internal monologue wondering why on earth she was attracted to him as if it was a crazy twist of fate that a conventionally attractive man pursuing her was interesting. The whiplash took me out a bit, but overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to those who liked Old Flames and New Fortunes... but would rather there not be a secret child (who, by the way, is completely absent in this book even though Romina and Alex are there a lot).

This story was all over the place. It was really slow and then it felt like a fever dream, characters showing up in places where it seems incomprehensible. I would not consider this steamy or enemies to lovers as the blurb suggests. I'd classify this as a frenemies to lovers/just the boy next door.

I really loved the setup of this book. A skeptic roped into ghost hunting by the charming boy next door? That sounded like a fun mix of mystery, banter and romance. The small-town magic vibes of Moonville, Ohio, had so much potential and I was excited to see how Zelda and Morgan’s story would unfold. But somewhere along the way, I started losing interest. While the banter between Zelda and Morgan had its laugh-worthy moments, I just couldn’t connect with them as a couple. For me, a strong first interaction between the main characters sets the tone and theirs felt too short and underwhelming. Without that initial spark, it was hard to get invested in their romance and the chemistry never fully clicked for me. Maybe this kind of setup just isn’t for me. I wanted to love the mix of magic, mystery and romance, but I found myself skimming through parts instead. If you enjoy light-hearted banter and paranormal elements, this might work better for you. Personally, I was left wanting more.

To know me is to know I’m a Sarah Hogle fan and will read anything she writes. I love her writing and “the folklore of forever” was no exception. It was cute and charming and quirky. So fun