Sarah Hogle has once again penned an enchanting, endearing, and hilarious read!

"I think this is the most I've ever seen your eyes look like that," he says quietly, stroking the cloth across my cheek.
I resist the urge to cover my eyes with my hands. "Like what?"
"Like joy."

After falling in love with Moonville last year, I was so excited to return and read Zelda Tempest’s story. In a town where magic and the paranormal are just…normal, Zelda doesn’t quite fit in. She is skeptical of the claims to magic that are claimed by her sisters, grandma, neighbors, and the plethora of tourists their quirky town attracts. Zelda is feeling stuck creatively and is tired of the relentless “magic” culture. Despite her reservations, Zelda gets pulled into witchy shenanigans by her charming, goofy neighbor, Morgan Angelopoulos. Morgan is determined to encounter magic and his persistence may just be enough to help Zelda see more than she previously believed. They embark on a series of escapades and Zelda discovers things that can’t be explained away — leading her and Morgan further into unknown territories and leads them to learn that magic is different than they could have ever expected.

“I think you should stop worrying about being right, and let yourself explore this even if you might be wrong.”

Oh man I loved this book so much! Sarah’s writing style is always completely immersive. Every time I’ve picked up a book by Sarah Hogle, I find myself completely enthralled and in love with it. Morgan and Zelda are hilarious and enchanting, making me kick my feet and laugh out loud throughout their journeys. I love Zelda’s constant annoyance with how cute and charming she finds his goofiness. “Probably, he is scheming more skullduggery. Congratulating himself for incapacitating my ability to think. Thinking is my favorite thing to do. How extremely dare he.” Lmao

Morgan and his commitment to a bit? Insanely good. Morgan and his journalism career (including the in-fighting at the paper), dating Dylan/Bob with Zelda, his glasses wearing (“My vision is highly impaired. Ask me to look at something.” *Trevor shows him a book and asks what it is.* “A duck.”).Amazing. Hilarious. 10/10. I just think he is so funny and his energy is a perfect fit for Zelda. Zelda “And being accurately perceived! I Would rather exfoliate with broken glass than engage in a vulnerable heart-to-heart.”

Though the cover features Zelda and Morgan, this could've easily featured just Zelda. It is really her journey, and structurally will not strike most readers as paced-as-romance.

I love Sarah Hogle's writing, and I thought Zelda trying to rekindle her writing and struggling with it, while trying to understand her magic in the face of her skepticism was really interesting. Of course, Morgan was there, dashing, charming, and incredibly silly. A true believer.

The conflict between the couple was light; I think most of the struggle was within the elements of Zelda I outline above. I will admit, due to that, it did drag. Especially because while Morgan had many depths that you could kind of see shimmer briefly here and there, it wasn't until the end (80%?) that the magic happens between them-the direct honesty always a feature and refreshing, but not moving them along until much later.

In all, it's a love letter to writing, to books, and the magic within family, place, ourselves, and others.

The overall story was okay for. It was cute, lightheaded and fun with the two main characters. Even though it was fine as a standalone, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read the first book and understood the friendship dynamics more.

Rating this book was difficult. I have not read the first book yet, but it seems I had most of the information from recaps in this book. This book follows Zelda, who was not a main character in the first book. I enjoyed the story and the witty banter of Zelda and Morgan. I had a difficult time with the back and forth and the unknown. I was also completely twisted around the last 20-30% of the book; it felt rushed, with 100 different things happening simultaneously. The ending seemed to come so fast that I didn't even realize we were there, and I felt many things were left out that I would have liked to understand more. Overall, I enjoyed the story but struggled with the ending.
Thank you, NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Sarah Hogle, for the chance to read this book for an honest review.

I had a hard time rating The Folklore of Forever because the first half had me completely hooked. I loved following Morgan and Zelda’s journey. Returning to Moonville and seeing the sisters continue their paths to love was such a treat. However, the last 20% took a turn that felt a little too far-fetched, like it was added just for the thrill rather than really fitting the story. Even with that, I still enjoyed it overall and can’t wait to read Luna’s installment!

I received an eARC in advance for review.

This book was a fun journey with Zelda figuring out the magic around her and Morgan desperately wanting to be part of it. They are both complete chaos and even more so together. They feed off of each other and it just works. I loved seeing their feeling for each other change.

Rating: 3.5/5

Spice: 0/5

Plot: 4/5

Primary Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy Romance

Blurb: From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door . . . who might just show her what real fantasies are made of. Paranormal skeptic Zelda Tempest is hoping for a much-needed creativity boost for a new paranormal mystery novel. But despite the alleged magic of her hometown, Moonville, Ohio, she’s as stuck as ever. With two witch sisters, not believing in magic is strange for a Tempest, but no one is more disappointed than Morgan Angelopoulos, the charming man next door. So, to cure her of her writer's block and her disbelief in magic, Morgan ropes her into a ghost-hunting romp, only for Zelda to discover something else bizarre, never-before-seen creatures that appear as ordinary pets to everyone else. Curious about what else might be lurking in Moonville's woods, Zelda and Morgan embark on a quest to uncover the true magic that lies in their midsts . . . and perhaps, just maybe, they will find that the magic they're searching for has been with them all along.

The Good:

* I found the romance with Morgan to be confusing, entertaining and maybe a little bit cute. Definitely funny.

* The camping trip in the woods that Zelda and Morgan take goes OFF.

* I liked the continuation of the story from book one, there really wasn’t a gap in the storyline.

The Meh:

* The plot was chaotic and difficult to follow at times

* The weird typewriter spelling thing with the jumbled up letters, I figured it out but it’s confusing

Bottom Line:

This is a confusing, magical, whimsical little story. It’s definitely original. Morgan brings a lot of humor to the storyline and Zelda brings confusion, writer’s block and a discovery of magic. It’s fast paced and entertaining but I felt like I didn’t understand what was happening at least 40% of the time. I am really excited to see what happens in the third book and I hope that it’s a little less chaotic and a lot less confusing.

DNF @29%

I didn't read the first book, so maybe that's why this one seemed to start in the middle of a story. I wouldn't have liked this book either way. I don't care for the main character but I hate the love interest even more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and Sarah Hogle for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Old Flames and New Fortunes. It was full of whimsy, chemistry and a bit of chaos. I was looking forward to this second book very much but I'll be honest that it didn't resonate with me as well as the first. I did not feel the chemistry between the MCs. In fact, did she even EVER like him? But I did enjoy Zelda's plotline of her writer's block, finding her magic and letting the stories flow again. I also enjoyed the further exploration into the other sisters. I will definitely still pick up Luna's book (assuming there is a third book for the third sister) but all in all- the love story in this romance just fell flat for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and to PRH Audio for the alc.

This was a really fun sequel. While I may have enjoyed the first book in the series more, I still think this was a really wonderful and charming romance. I especially love how Mara Wilson did as the narrator of this book, and I believe she made the story even more magical than It would've been had it been narrated by someone else. I think if there is a third book in the series, I would definitely be interested in reading it for sure!

This was not my favorite book by Hogle. I have read a few of her books including the first in this Moonville Series, and was excited to pick this one up. Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I had a really hard time relating to the FMC and I despised the MMC. The plot seemed all over the place, and I could not keep up. With all that being said, I hope she writes Luna's story because I will definitely pick that one up!

The exposition and build up felt like it was pretty long, but once the main plot got started, I was really enjoying it! It was quirky and a bit bonkers in a light and fun way. The romance was slow slow and I wish we’d had more of it. Zelda and Morgan definitely had some sweet and spicy moments that I loved. Morgan was different than the MMCs in most books. His charming, scatterbrained, earnest nature was endearing. Zelda being a major book loving introvert was really relatable. Reading book 1 first feels necessary to meet Zelda and Morgan there first.

DNF @54%. As someone who has read all of Sarah Hogle's works since 2020, I'm disappointed to say that I couldn't get into The Folklore of Forever. I wasn't the biggest fan of Zelda and couldn't stand Morgan. I had a hard time relating to Zelda's character. Although I often felt sympathy for her situation, I found myself getting frustrated with her character. I didn't like how she treated Aisling. When Zelda was a child, she had an experience where her grandmother didn't acknowledge her magic. After learning how pivotal that was for her, I was surprised when she talked down to her niece who is fully invested in being a witch. That didn't sit well with me. What really frustrated me with Zelda was her relationship with Morgan. Morgan was sort of the worst! The dude was using Zelda for magic. And when she confronts him about it, he gaslights her! That is not the behavior I want to see in the leading man. I found him annoying and sort of creepy. I did not find his behavior following Zelda around cute. At one point, Zelda even mentions that he's annoying...yet she continues to hang out with him. I didn't get their relationship and did not feel one iota of chemistry between them. I imagine if I continued reading, I would have eventually learned why Morgan wanted magic so badly. I did not like how entitled he was about deserving magic. Ultimately, I couldn't get past my dislike for the MMC. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC.

Opting to DNF this one at 25ish%. Y'all, I love Sarah Hogle, and I powered through Old Flames and New Fortunes (which just had SOOOO much going on), but I think this universe is not for me.

I want to thank PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and for G.P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC of this one. I was SO excited to find out Mara Wilson (you know, FREAKING MATILDA) was going to be narrating this one! But I just could not get into or care about either of the main characters. This world is whimsical and there's witchy vibes and haunted houses, and Morgan, who I really liked in book one, but I just kinda disliked him a lot in this one? He was pushy and he couldn't communicate with Zelda if their lives depended on it. There was no chemistry. There was no history. There was no understanding or connection between these two a quarter of the one into the story. It's just a no for me for now. And, I hate to say this, but if I don't love the audio, I don't think I'd be any more inclined to eyeball read it... it was keeping my attention when I could do 7 other things at the same time, lol.

The second in sarah_hogle’s Moonville series doesn’t disappoint. #gifted @putnambooks

In fact, it has even more fantasy magic than the last book. It’s sister Zelda’s turn to find love and even reconnect with her magic. Because unlike her sisters, Zelda doesn’t believe it magic or that she’s a witch. She just writes fantasy books for a living.

But when she returns to Moonville after being away for so long, slowly her abilities to see real magical creatures returns helped along by Morgan, a fellow writer and a true believer. He is determined to help her get him some magic too.

Why Kirsten Loved it:
While the first book in the series has moments of magic, Hogle let her imagination run wild with this one and I loved it! A magical library in the woods? Yes please! I also loved Zelda and Morgan as a couple.

I wanted to like this book but it just didn’t work for me. It kept my curiosity and interest well enough for me to finish the book, but I have a lot of gripes.

There were many characters to keep track of, which probably would’ve been easier if I had read the first book (I didn’t realize it was a series before reading, which was my mistake). Aisling, the niece, was probably my favorite character, but it took me too long to figure out that they also call her Ash (I thought they were two separate people).

The MMC was so unlikable in the beginning (I mean, he actually stated that he was using the FMC) that I didn’t think he would actually be the love interest. The FMC was irritating in her own right. Her entire family was filled with witches that each have a special power, and she didn't believe any of them simply because she had never had any of her own powers. She was so anti-magic that it was off-putting and confusing.

Now let’s talk romance. As I was reading, I was confused about the romance plot in general (I just kept thinking “Is this a romance? No, it must not be. Wait, maybe it is a romance? Where is the romance?”). The romance did not develop until late in the book, and I did not find it believable or swoonworthy.

And the ending!? The ending was a wild ride. I’m not sure I enjoyed it, but the chaos was kind of a hilarious gift and I am glad I stuck it out to the end. I don’t think I’ll finish this series, but I would try other books from this author.

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC; opinions are my own.

Thanks to Putnam Books for sending me an advance copy of this book for review! Though I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed three of Sarah Hogle’s books, including the first book in this series, I ultimately made the difficult decision to DNF The Folklore of Forever at 27%. I felt incredibly confused by the plotting and characterization: reading The Folklore of Forever after Old Flames and New Fortunes felt as jarring as falling asleep during one movie and waking up during another. I had no idea what was going on — I was nearly a third of the way through the book and felt like the plot was non-existent and I didn’t know which of the two cringeworthy love interests was supposed to be the MMC. I hope that Hogle and her team were/are able to make some edits prior to publication.

I have been sitting with this for a couple of weeks and still don't know how to put into words how much I enjoyed it!

Zelda is back in Moonville with her sisters and she is steady on the fact that she thinks magic is a hoax and her sisters are not real witches. She has always felt like the odd one out, and that isn't changed now that she is back. She is also in the woes of trying to write her next novel. Then, we (re-)meet Morgan. We previously saw him in Old Flames and New Fortunes, but you didn't really get to see much of his innards and his full spectrum of being- he was just on the side with a few good quips. He comes at Zelda right out with the perhaps misaligned intentions that may put you off, but you need to stick around and BE PATIENT! with him and be willing to go on their intertwined journey together. As per Sarah Hogle's way, she spins you this most delicate and unconventional yarn that is richly romantic as it is hilarious- you need not worry that things will go how they should, you just need to be willing to make it there. There are so many great lines in this book and I was genuinely giggling throughout the entire thing.

Zelda is a vampire bat to Morgan's golden tabby cat, and their dynamic when they are with each other is whimsical and zany without being twee.
There is a melancholiness in Zelda's journey that is relatable to the ones who find it hard to be understood by the outside world. Both Zelda and Morgan are misunderstood. It can sometimes be exhausting just being yourself, and I liked seeing that ARC of both of them navigating that.
This madcap whirlwind of an adventure really takes full effect in the back end of the book, when Zelda can no longer deny that magic is real, and it is within her. I liked how in this tome of the series that the magic was full send and fanciful. There was not the quiet naturalisticness to it like in Flames/Fortunes- it was more literal and in your space.I liked how Hogle world builds and writes her magic to be attuned to the sister's personalities, and I hope we will get to see . It is a return to Zelda's inner child that she thought was long dead. This story was romantic as ever with a well earned slow burn, introspective at times, and just genuinely /fun/.

I am the biggest Sarah Hogle stan and if she has no fans then I'm DEAD! I think that this is the perfect read to get you in the mood of Spring.

The Folklore of Forever follows Zelda Tempest, who is the only one in the family who doesn’t believe she’s a witch. Despite writing a paranormal mystery series, she doesn’t believe in anything her sisters do and has no plans on changing that. As you might imagine, the book doesn’t exactly play out that way.

While Zelda remains a skeptic at first, she ends up meeting Morgan, who is her neighbor and a writer for the local paper. It seems like things are going to be hot and heavy, but it quickly takes a turn when Morgan bids on a date with her. He decides to use this time to go ghost-hunting, which is delightfully spooky yet somehow romantic. See how Sarah Hogle makes me see things? It’s wild.

Either way, the ghosthunting evolves into the two hunting for this forgotten witch, and the journey they go on is downright magical. While it does take a while for their romance to develop, it’s clear the two have feelings they’re not ready to admit. It’s also hilarious to see the ways Zelda will try to justify things without magic.

While The Folklore of Forever doesn’t capture my heart the same as Old Flames and New Fortunes, this delicious slow-burn will have you ready to brew a pot of tea, get in your favorite reading spot, and devour it. If you read the first book and enjoyed it, this one will have you wanting to reread the first and get you even more excited for what’s to come.

this was unfortunately very average. i had high hopes considering i really enjoyed book 1, but this just felt all over the place. nothing attached me to morgan and zelda as a couple and even as individuals, they weren't that interesting. the cold and hot attitude morgan had towards zelda got tiresome very quickly. i had a hard time following the paranormal plot since it felt like it jumped from one thing to another. i usually love hogle's writing and can keep up with her humor, but this just missed the mark for me unfortunately.