I was immediately sucked right into the book and loved the many layers it had and the timelines. This is magic realism at its best! Sarah Penner is an author I have read and enjoyed her books, but now she is at a whole new level of amazing with the Amalfi Curse. The timelines blended perfectly with the story of Mari and the sea witches , which was fascinating, as was the nautical aspect in, Haven's, timeline. From the beginning scene I wanted to learn more about their story and this book was so perfectly done! Historical Fiction is a favorite genre of mine, and this just took it to a whole new level with Jenner's writing and characters!

I really enjoyed this book, told through three different perspectives. It’s a story of community and relationships, with just the right bit of romance! Fun to read!

The Amalfi Curse
By Sarah Penner
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book of year: 06
Favorite Quote:
Inhale, he’d taught her, and count five or six stars. Imagine they form a shape, that they are something altogether different than stars. Just as you are different than your feelings, your pain. They do not make you who you are.

First and foremost, thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Sarah Penner delivers yet another masterpiece with The Amalfi Curse—a compelling, enchanting, and truly magical tale. The story weaves between two captivating timelines: Mari DeLuca, a Streghe in the 1820s, and Haven Ambrose, a modern-day nautical archaeologist.
One of my favorite aspects of this book, much like The Lost Apothecary, is how the narratives eventually intertwine. This storytelling approach has recently captured my imagination, adding depth and intrigue to the reading experience.
The Amalfi Curse was everything I hoped for and more—highly anticipated by both myself and a few friends. I can’t wait to see it on the shelves of my library, especially to admire its cover in person (I’m an absolute sucker for a stunning book cover!).

A story that starts with witches in Italy and ends with an entire area of sunken ships that locals say carries the "Amalfi Curse." Perfect for fans of light fantasy/magical realism and strong female characters.

Mari hates the sea, she always has, ever since it stole her mother and her sister from her. She can't wait to escape, but also can't help but feel guilty leaving. As a streghe, it's her duty to protect this island, but her heart isn't in it anymore. Promised to a man her father has chosen, but in love with another, she plans to flee and start over somewhere far from the sea. When they carelessly perform a spell in the open one night, someone sees, and the world as Mari knows it is forever changed.

Haven is about to start the project of a lifetime, an underwater research project with her own team in Positano. She's been planning for a long time and it makes it even more important since this is the last place her father dove before he died. He found something he wanted her to find and she can't help feeling like this is her only chance. When a yacht sinks and 8 people die, it kicks off a series of events that changes everything. What will she find if she keeps digging?

At times, this book was suspenseful and it made me nervous for Haven and Mari, in separate timelines. There were a lot of different appeal factors in this book. Dual timelines, even pacing, strong female leads...

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC to review. ,

This is the best book she's written yet!!! Every character was so vibrant and had so much depth. The story was beautifully written across two different timelines, with absolutely no confusion. The parallels between the stories in each timeline were subtle but impactful. This book is going to stick with me for a long time. Will definitely be re-reading someday.

Sarah Penner has a fantastic ability of being able to intertwine the lives of women over dual timelines, I always love how she blends historical fiction, with the present day and a touch of magic realism.

The Amalfi Curse follows present day Haven who is a nautical archeologist following in her father’s footsteps. He was a treasure hunter who came upon a huge discovery just before passing away, so Haven has travelled with her team to the Amalfi coast in order to retrieve her dads found treasure.

Set in the 1800s we have sea witches, a small number of women living in a cozy coastal town who have abilities in which they can manipulate the ocean.

Over the span of the book you’ll see how these timelines intersect and how all the events of the past are causing an effect in present day.

Overall I enjoyed reading, some aspects of the beginning felt a little too slow burn for me but I still had fun reading.

Read if you like:
Coastal towns
Treasure hunting
Multiple timelines
Women focussed experiences
Curses and magical abilities
Unexplained mysteries

Thank you to HTP and Sarah Penner for the EARC!

Publish date: April 29th 2025

What a fun book! I have to admit - the cover definitely drew me in, and then when I found out that it had to do with sea witches... well, hook, line and sinker! Mari's story is incredibly compelling and keeps up at a really nice pace. The modern story is more of a device, although I find it to be well used. There's just the right amount of romance, without overshadowing the mystery and adventure that feels lie the truth of the story.; Have already recommended this to multiple people. It was a really fun ride!

Years ago, I read Sarah Penner's The Lost Apothecary. This was the novel that sold me on Penner. Her most recent novel, The Amalfi Curse, comes close to being as compelling as the The Lost Apothecary, which means it is the sort of book to which I am most drawn--some suspense, some mystery, some magical realism, some romance. The location is perfection. The descriptions of the Amalfi coast remind me of my own visit. There is great beauty in the cliffs and stunning water, but The Amalfi Curse isn't a travel guide, although it could come close. There are witches, mermaids, the sea, storms, and well-developed characters and a complex plot.

The Amalfi Curse focuses on two women, Mari in the early 19th century, and Haven in a contemporary timeline. Thus there are 2 points of view to consider. The Amalfi Curse taught me about Stregheria, a common legend in Italy about women, who possess power over the sea. Stregheria can cause shipwrecks and thus can protect the port and Positano, the small village in which they live. Not all women possess the ability to control the sea, but those who do are at risk from raiders. Penner includes shipwrecks, treasure hunters, and a nice mystery to keep readers turning the pages.

Stregheria is an interesting novel, which will hold reader's attention. There are twists and turns leading to a satisfying resolution in both timelines. Thank you to Harlequin Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. The comments above reflect my honest opinion. I do recommend The Amalfi Curse.

Exquisitely researched topics woven into a story of witchcraft, a bit of romance and treasure hunting. As with the author’s others books, this story was told with a present and past timeline, with a different but interlaced characters set in each. Haven, a nautical researcher (present) and is drawn to the mystery of the Amalfi Curse. She unearths more than treasure…Mari’s story (past) of her quest to save her lover. Intriguing, eloquent and unforgettable.

Is there a genre called Historical Magical Realism Romance Fiction? If not, it should be, and Sarah Penner should be its president. This is the second book I’ve read of hers, and I loved it almost as much as The Lost Apothecary. Almost… The Lost Apothecary holds a special place in my heart.

In this book, Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, arrives in the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. She’s also secretly on a quest to find a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon Haven’s arrival, strange misfortunes begin to plague the town. Is it Mother Nature or witchcraft?

The story unfolds through parallel narratives spanning two timeframes. One is a flashback through Mari’s eyes in the 1800s, as a sea witch who has been protecting the Amalfi Coast from pirates. Now, she must make a difficult choice between saving her family and friends or bring with the man she loves. The other POV is present-day through Haven’s eyes, as she unravels the mystery of the curse and discovers how the past and present are intertwined.

As always, the writing is beautifully crafted and descriptive, with a focus on strong female characters. It’s so easy to lose yourself in Sarah Penner’s books. Thanks NetGalley, Hive Influencers, and Harlequin Trade for allowing me early access to this book.

MISS PENNER SLAYED THE BOOTS HAUS DOWN WITH THE AMALFI CURSE!!!!!!!! Absolutely iconic badass women in the forefront is something we need more of. And it’s truly the season of the witch! I knew I was enticed! But I didn’t know I would devour. Please have special editions and sprayed edges ready for this book because WOW! The girls are going to eat this UP! Booking a trip to Italy stat to recreate some scenes!

Penner has overcome her sophomore slump with this Magical read reminiscent of her debut novel, The Lost Apothecary.

This book has everything I love in a book:
Witches
Italian coastline
Secret Romance
Dual timelines
History
Sacrifice

The only thing missing for me was the development of a little love triangle with Conrad, Enzo, and Haven.

I appreciated the theme of career vs. marriage/family theme driven by the character of Savina. This is a very relevant topic of conversation among Millennials/ Gen Z. I also think it would have been entertaining to develop Savina into a super villain.

This book has a lot of fun Italian vocabulary so I recommend reading on Kindle for quick access to a dictionary.

Favorite quotes:

“ . . . I knew he was a man who’d fallen in love with a witch of the sea.”

“Sacrifice, Lia was quickly learning, was the greatest form of love.”

“Sometimes,” she concluded, “the greatest treasure to be found is . . . love.”

I've been a fan of Sarah Penner since reading her first book The Lost Apothecary, where her talent for taking the reader back in forth in time, kept me intrigued with every turn of the page. I read that one in a week. With The Amalfi Curse, Penner's skills with time travel continues to engage and interest, but then it's like she spoke to me personally as she featured strong, smart, mysterious women with long red hair, then added scuba diving and research at an archive! As a red-haired librarian who loves to scuba dive, I read The Amalfi Curse in just two days and now it is my favorite Penner book. Her research and detail with the scuba diving scenes proves she did her research and/or is a scuba diver herself. I greatly appreciated the attention-to-detail on all the routines and safety checks divers do before and while they are in the water. Add in the mystery of mermaids, shipwrecks, and of treasure lost at sea, and anybody would be dropping everything to see what happens next. Her placing the story in Italy also made me want to jump on a plane to go experience this story in person, thankfully, Penner included some recipes so my stomach could be appeased until that trip happens. The twist at the end is always a Penner highlight, as she is truly masterful at not being obvious on the direction of her story. I am so thankful to have had the chance to read this early and I cannot wait to get a signed copy when it comes out in print! Thanks to Penner, I will also now refer to my hair as persimmon-colored. LOL.

All I have to say is wow.

I received this ARC through NetGalley and I am so incredibly thankful as this was one of my very highly anticipated releases for 2025.

I first picked up The Lost Apothecary in 2022 not knowing what to except and I was so pleasantly surprised. Since then I have loved Sarah Penner’s writing and she has become an auto-buy author for me.

The Amalfi Curse definitely did not disappoint. I think this is my favorite of Sarah Penner’s yet. I absolutely loved this story and I felt so immersed in this world.

The way she entwined the two separate timelines was so interesting and left me wanting more and more at the end of every chapter.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the physical copy of this book in April, the cover is absolutely STUNNING and I already want to read this story again.

Wow wow wow! No one can tell a story like Sarah Penner! I have loved her two previous books so much, but went into this one semi blind only knowing there was sirens and pirates. What a story! The research she had to do for this book, the intertwining story lines centers apart. I’m blown away! What a great read!

I loved this story! I loved the mystery of it, the love story elements, the modern day researcher, and the magic that wasn’t too over the top.

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.

Penner’s novels always take on a journey and this is a fun one. The Curse takes on forbidden love, sunken treasures and tales beyond your imagination.
Haven Ambrose is wanting to find precious gems that her late father discovered on his final dive. Old tales, the darkness of the ocean and magic along with something more unravel in the pages. Penner takes the reader on one magical adventure, and I am always up for her books.

This was THE PERFECT book to start 2025 with! Sarah Penner does no wrong! A dual-timeline story with sea witches, bad guys, a scuba diving archaeologist, and a hot Italian entrepreneur? What more could you ask for?!? I was hooked from the very beginning! Penner’s extensive research is evident throughout the entirety of the novel. From the ins and outs of scuba diving, 19th century ship wrecks, Italian crime families, and sea witchcraft lore, Penner knows her stuff! This story will lead you on a journey like none other, a treasure hunt, love story, and family journey all magically intertwined. I’ve loved Sarah Penner from the start and she only seems to be getting better as she goes! 5 magical stars for The Amalfi Curse!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Fiction for the ARC!

Treasure hunting, pirates, natural phenomena, and sirens for the win. The connection between Mari’s story in the 1800’s and Haven’s modern day adventure was well done. I loved the elements of magic and romance.

I’m already recommending this book to friends and co-workers.