Sarah Penner has created an amazing, adventurous, romantic tale of the sea set along two timelines that are always yearning to converge in “The Amalfi Coast.” Of her three novels, I think this is her best.

Two timelines: One story is about the 19th century sea witches of Positano on the Italian Amalfi Coast, known as streghe del mare “with unparalleled power over the ocean. They boasted a magic found nowhere else in the world, a result of their lineage, having descended from the sirens who once inhabited the tiny Li Galli islets nearby.” The present story is about modern nautical archaeologists, often seekers of underwater treasures, trying to discover the reasons that ships were sunk and using modern day technology to extract secrets.

The 19th century women used many incantations that can protect the coast for a period of time (calm seas for their fishermen husbands, dissipating storms that could cause damages, vortexes and eddys to repel marauders). Only one single spell, the vortice centuriaria, endures for one hundred years. “It could only be recited if a strega removed her protective cimaruta necklace. And the cost of performing such magic was substantial: she had to sacrifice her own life in order for the spell to be effective”.

At the start of each timeline, each main character is the leader in her group of women. Mari, the strongest streghe del mare/sea witch, leads eleven other sea witches who secretly protect the coast in the 1820s, but their numbers dwindle via kidnappings by pirates and village traitors. Present day Haven, a top underwater photographer, leads four other female nautical archeologists in Project Relic (investigating age-old ship wrecks, possibly sunk by Mari!), but soon has her project pulled out from underneath her and her team sent home by unscrupulous rivals and financiers. In both stories, we watch strong women being diminished by men as we hope for the tables to be turned. Sea magic and karma are closely related.

Penney’s descriptions of the Italian seaside now and two hundred years ago will have you craving ricotta cookies and limoncello spritzes. Her women characters are complicated, both experiencing familial grief and hints of romantic entanglements. The story is brilliant and there are twists in both of them. I didn’t want this book to end! Bravo! 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO One might think that the women with hair colors of vermillion, persimmon and blood have green eyes, but we never get to know the sirens’ eye colors.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): YES It’s June and crocus (a late winter/very early spring flower) would be long out of season and never blooming at the same time as chicory. Otherwise, the floral descriptions of the Amalfi coastline have you ready to book a trip even if Mt. Vesuvius is grumbling.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade/Park Row and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Sarah Penner is a treasure to the book world. She strikes gold with this gem of a tale, her third book not disappointing. Once again, Penner creates a strong female protagonist, one you will cheer on from the first page until the last. The setting is exquisite and immersive, making you feel like you're right there, along with the characters, drinking in the coast's beauty. The mystery draws you in and holds your attention with shocking secrets revealed, ones you won't see coming. Is the Amalfi coast cursed or is there more to the story? The answer will shock you! A page-turner you won't want to miss out on!

Set in the beautiful Amalfi Coast in Italy, Sarah Penner’s “The Amalfi Curse” elaborately entwines together two unique narratives—one from 1821 featuring the powerful strega, or Italian witch, Mari DeLuca, and the other from modern day, following Haven Ambrose, a nautical archaeologist on a special project to uncover the secrets her father left behind. This novel is unlike a typical fantasy, as it is a realistic portrayal of historical events with magical elements. It is not only about secrets and sorcery—it explores the lengths people will go for the ones they love.

Mari, as the most powerful of the streghe, acts as a leader, embodies strength and resilience, and is willing to sacrifice her desires for the safety of her community. Her journey is wrought with challenges and loss, but despite it all, she fiercely fights to defend the other witches and is willing to sacrifice everything for love.

In present day, Haven’s quest to recover lost treasure highlights her desire to connect with her late father, who encouraged her to return to Positano in pursuit of jewels. As she dives deeper in the history of the local shipwrecks, she discovers more than she bargains for.

The parallel tales are intricately crafted, weaving together with themes of empowerment and ancestral legacies. Penner's lyrical writing immerses readers in the rich culture and magic of the sea. The vivid imagery brings the picturesque Positano to life, making the ocean itself feel like a character in the narrative.

The suspense builds beautifully, and while I had some suspicions on how the story would unfold, the journey was anything but predictable. Penner's skillful storytelling captivates, making it near impossible to put the book down.

Overall, "The Amalfi Curse" is a spellbinding tale of enchantment, betrayal, and the treasures that remain unseen. I was left with an appreciation for the mysteries that transcend time, connecting us with the reminder that some curses may only be lifted through love and sacrifice. This is a must-read for anyone charmed by magic and the picturesque Italian coast.

What a beautiful, enthralling read! I was pulled in at page one and didn’t surface until the last page (water pun intended). I can’t remember that last time I was this invested into a story and its characters. I loved every single page of this beautiful, heart-pounding, heartbreaking, and hopeful story.

“Magical Realism, sunken treasure, dual time lines, in an epic setting on the Italian coast mixed with mystery, love and adventure…Sarah Penner has outdone herself in The Amalfi Curse!”

If you loved The Lost Apothecary and The London Seance, The Amalfi Curse is a book to be added to your TBR for April of 2025! Sarah Penner is a master of dual time lines that collide and create a story that is complex with relationships, history, love and so much more! In the Amalfi Curse we meet Mari from the 1800s and Haven from the present time. The story weaves together Haven’s modern day nautical quest as an archaeologist with Mari’s ancient magic in the strenghe, a magical group of women with a strong connection to the water.

This story will captivate you from the beginning with these two powerful women, but Penner also incorporates unique male characters, such as the 1800s Mazza Brothers (gangsters) and the present day Enzo who’s caught Haven’s eye!

You will be immersed in this addictive story along the Amalfi coast until the very end! Thank you to HTP for the opportunity to read this adv

Sarah Penner is in a league of her own with her enchanting, historical tales. I feel like I am a part of her books, watching everything unfold. This is exactly why she's one of my very favorite authors, and I leap for joy at the opportunity to read and review The Amalfi Curse.

The Amalfi Curse is a spellbinding tale that is told between the past and present. We have two fierce FMCs whom I absolutely adored. We explore the rich and ancient history of this coast in Italy that is truly remarkable. I know this took the author some time to write, and I feel tacky saying I read it in a day - but I devoured this book in a day, and I am devastated that it's over.

Sarah Penner knocked this out of the park. This will be your favorite book of 2025, I promise.

The Amalfi Curse
Rating - 4⭐️/loved
Genre - historical fiction

Brb... running to figure out how I can become a nautical archaeologist. (Yes, I did a deep dive - no pun intended!)

Part mysterious, part historical, part witchy, part treasure hunt, all unputdownable. This was an engaging, well paced novel, with so many different elements weaved in. Readers follow dual points of view and timelines with Mari from the 1800s, a young woman learning to harness her magical abilities with the sea, along with Haven in the present day, a nautical archaeologist leading a dive. Set on the Amalfi coast in the small town of Positano, this novel added to my travel bucket list. Not a place I’ve read much about previously, but had me making a deep dive (again). Wow!

As a bonus, the novel had major girl boss energy with two women that are easy to root for - especially Haven with her ambition, caring, and boldness. Overall, an intriguing story with the most picturesque setting that you won't want to miss. If you loved The Lost Apothecary, just wait until you read this one!

I have a thing for pirates and a thing for sea witches and a thing for timeline jumping! I adored the movie Luca and couldn't help picturing that adorable Italian town in my mind while reading this!

I loved traveling to Italy through this story!

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner
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Haven is a nautical archaelogist, who is anxious to dive in one of the last places her father dived: off the coast of Positano, Italy. While there she becomes roped into a decades old mystery involving a shipwreck, treasure, magic, and love.
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First of all, I loved this story so much!
Haven and Mari are the sort of brave, passionate, and stubbornly loyal women that I LIVE to read about.
The “decks” (pun intended) were stacked against them both, and they each had to deal with rude people who tried to take control away from them, but they remained true to themselves and those they loved.
This beautiful story goes back and forth between the present timeline and a timeline from the 1820s. I was engrosed in both and couldn’t stop reading to see how each played out.
I especially loved Haven’s detective skills and all the karma we saw in the last few chapters.
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5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Such a lovely and captivating story, if you are a fan of The Lost Apothecary, then you will enjoy The Amalfi Curse for sure.

Oh my heart! What a wonderful storyteller Sarah Penner is. I inhaled this book in less than a day and the emotional journey it took me on will long stay with me!

Dual timelines. Multiple points of view. History. Beautiful backdrop. Mystery and adventure. And love. Reading about Haven’s modern day nautical (mis)adventures in Positano and Mari’s plight in the same place 2 centuries before left me with so many feelings and thoughts! The first was that the ending made every moment of rage I left worth it. The second was that so much of these stories encapsulates why so many women today would choose a bear!

I especially value stories that not only entertain me but that also teach me something and after finishing The Amalfi Curse I immediately fell down the rabbit hole of researching stregheria in Italy. The author brought to life Positano and The Amalfi Coast but also the legends of sea witching and science of nautical archeology. To this reader, a chef’s kiss.

Thank you to The Hive and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early advance copy of The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner.

Our first pov is Mari, a young woman from 1821 who is from a small village where they practice magic known as stregheria, a magical ability to harness the power of the ocean. Think adjacent to a siren, not the same, but similar. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story and the incantations throughout. Mari was planning to run away with her lover who is a sailor aboard a ship, but the Mazza brothers who are dangerous ship merchants find out about the women of Potisanto and plan to kidnap some of Mari's friends. Mari is faced with an impossible choice: choose between saving her fellow witches and villagers or the man she loves.

We have a present-day pov of Haven, a woman in Positano who is an archeologist following in her father's footsteps. She is secretly looking for gems that her father believed he encountered on his last dive. When Haven arrives mishap after mishap occurs. Is nature the cause or is there magic to blame?


In typical Sarah Penner fashion, we start the novel with dual pov's from two entirely different timelines that cross at the end of the story. I have come to love this style of storytelling from Penner. She does a fantastic job telling the story of adventure, forbidden love and magic through the eyes of Mari and Haven. The sea is a third character in this story, it is both magical and beautiful with the ability to give life. Lest we forget how the sea can be dangerous and deadly at the drop of a hat. Haven's father met an untimely death at the hands of the water and yet this does not deter her from trying to finish what he started. I found that to be so beautiful and and daunting, such as the sea.

Penner has a way of writing that truly is so magical, I find myself being completely wrapped up in the story and devour the story. The Amalfi Curse is no different, The Lost Apothecary is the book that reignited my love for reading and The Amalfi Curse should be my 100th finished book of 2024. I am very excited for you all to fall in love with this story once is releases in April 2025.

What a sweet, fun, genre-bending novel! I loved the switch between the past and present, plus the added POV from the past character’s lover, too. There was just enough thrill to keep me hooked throughout, both in the past and present timelines. The dual timelines also provided us with dual love stories, as well! A little bit of the forbidden love trope sneaks its way in there, and who doesn’t love that?

My favorite part of this book was how it revolved around the sea, the Amalfi Coast, and stregheria. The setting of the Amalfi Coast already sounds magical, but add in a small, secret group of women who have the power to protect their small village by controlling the ocean? You’ve got a truly bewitching book on your hands!

What an adventure! This is a truly mesmerizing and immersive tale! This story has everything - mystery, magical realism, historical fiction, and romance. I felt transported to the picturesque setting of Positano. I absolutely loved the story of Mari and the powerful women with their mystical abilities that protect their village.
The present day story of Haven and her drive to follow her late father’s clues was just as riveting and I loved how the two storylines connected. I definitely recommend reading this captivating adventure - you won’t be disappointed!

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner is a captivating novel rich with mystery, unexpected twists, and heartfelt themes of love, sacrifice, and community. I found myself equally invested in both Mari and Haven's stories—each drawn to the sea for different reasons, yet bound by the desire to protect their loved ones.

The picturesque setting of Positano and the Amalfi Coast adds a vivid, atmospheric backdrop to the story, enhancing its beauty and depth. Penner skillfully brings to life the hidden shipwrecks beneath the sea, creating a sense of wonder and intrigue. As the parallel narratives unfold, the way they ultimately converge is both satisfying and powerful, even though I had an inkling of where it was heading.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this novel, and it left me reflecting on the treasures and mysteries that lie beneath the surface, both in the sea and in life.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row, The Hive, and NetGalley for providing this book.

First off I will say I LOVE Sarah Penner’s books! So when the opportunity came up to read her book super early, I was beyond excited! Five stars!!!

I love the premise of this book and for setting on the islands in Italy. Her beautiful descriptive writing took me there instantly. Sarah has a masterful way of writing dual timelines, delving into the historical aspects and relating to the current day struggles as well.

This book was a perfect combination of magical realism and historical fiction for me! I can’t wait till more people read it. I will be talking about it often on my booktok.

Thank you so much for the advance arc copy of The Amalfi Curse.

Sarah Penner has become a go-to magical realism author for me, and this is my favorite novel of hers yet! She is able to blend historical fiction and present day in such a compelling way, weaving together dual timelines to seamlessly tell a captivating tale. I was immediately drawn into the mystical beauty of the Amalfi Coast as the setting. In the present day, we follow Haven, an underwater archaeologist and diver searching for shipwrecks and buried treasure. In the past timeline, Mari must use her ancient magic to save her village. This tale of two fiercely strong women is sure to pull your heartstrings and make you believe in the power of love and a little *magic.* Spanning multiple genres, this book will appeal to fans of historical fiction, adventure, magical realism, and romance.

This book starts out with a BANG! So atmospheric! I felt like I was at the sea’s edge!!!! Then, there’s a forbidden/unattainable love story! 💔 I was loving it! Then you’re back to the future with an exciting race against time, the formidable Mt. Vesuvius threatens to blow, and destroy all the secrets and treasure underwater at Li Galli! The backdrop for this story could not be any more magical! I am not a huge Historical Fiction reader, I usually grow bored. I have seriously loved each of Penner’s stories though there’s just something so captivating about them, I am always instantly drawn in! Her stories seem to be so transportive, I always feel like I’m in the story and seeing it play out! I absolutely live for reads like these, getting lost in a story is the best part of reading!!!! Another enthralling read by Penner that I’d recommend!!!!

A breathtaking narrative intertwining two tales centuries apart. Penner immerses you in an addictive and enthralling voyage along the Amalfi Coast. A story full of enchantment, betrayal, sacrifice, and finding the greatest treasure. A big thank you to HTP books for the early copy of this book.

This is now my third book of Penner’s and I fall more and more in love with her writing each time. The way she seamlessly blends historical fiction with ancient magical, romance, and mystery is just the perfect combination.

This book was so beautifully written. I have always been drawn to the sea while simultaneously being terrified of it and this book just spoke to me on so many levels. The characters were complex with their own fascinating motives and backstories, in which Penner masterfully layers them into this unforgettable storyline. If you love reading about a memorable, strong, female, she gives them to us both in past and present timelines. I mean, a red haired lineage of powerful sea witches connected to sirens? Say no more. I loved reading the 1800s timeline involving a coven of magical women who protect their village against pirates, by using the nature of the sea elements at their disposal. Mari was beautifully complex and I found myself wholeheartedly invested in the fates of each and every character. Present day Haven, being a nautical archeologist on a mission to fulfill her father’s dream, was the perfect parallel story to Mari’s. The way everything connected by the end will leave a lasting impression on the reader.

This book may have a treasure hunt element to it but this story is the true treasure. The power and beauty of the sea, the picturesque Italian setting along the Amalfi coast, and the sense of adventure already makes for a captivating read. But then Penner adds in a bewitching past and present timelines, the exploration of ancient, ancestral magic, truly unforgettable characters, a beautiful love story, and her immersive storytelling and you get a book that reads as a timeless classic.

•𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 •
+ stregheria (witchcraft) & streghe Del Mar (witches of the sea)
+ powerful women linked to ancient sirens
+ cimarutas, a powerful talisman
+ sea incantations
+ nautical archeologist
+ centuries old curse along the Amalfi coast
+ ancient magic and sea witchcraft
+ a 200 year old love story powerful enough to save a region
+ forbidden love
+ 1700s villa in Positano
+ transportive & immersive storytelling
+ treasure hunt among the Li Galli islets
+ 18th & 19th century shipwreck exploration
+ race against time suspense
+ powerful women across centuries

Thank you so much to NetGalley, HTP, and HTP Hive for this #gifted ARC!

Thank you HTP, Park Row, and The Hive for the gifted copy!

This is my third book by Sarah Penner and third times the charm. I enjoyed her others but I absolutely adored this book. Having been to (and loved!) the Amalfi Coast, I knew I needed this one the second I saw the title. And it did not disappoint. There is just something so magical about Italy and I gravitate towards books set there. Sarah Penner did an amazing job painting a picture of the landscape that transported me right back to Positano.

This novel is told from multiple perspectives over two different time periods. The way the author wove together the two timelines was absolutely flawless. There was the perfect amount of tension and intrigue that had me fully unable to stop reading because I had to know what was going to happen next.

I am a big fan of magical realism and I loved the incorporation of the stregheria here. There is something so powerful about reading stories that focus around strong women. The streghe had the odds stacked against them in every way and yet they never backed down. And in the more modern day timeline Haven is powerful in her own right.

But in the end what made this book so special were the love stories in all their forms. A daughters love for her father and her dedication to fulfilling his dream, a mothers love for her children and the sacrifice that sometimes requires, and of course the romantic loves in all their heartwarming and heartbreaking ways.

A mysteriously magical story about the power of love, told through writing that’s as enchanting as the Positano landscape in which it is set. This is Sarah Penner at her absolute best.