THE AMALFI CURSE • Sarah Penner • Pub Date: April 29, 2025 • 4 stars

I am fairly hit or miss with historical fiction/magical realism. However, I have read and enjoyed Penners previous two books, so I was excited to give this one a go. I am happy to report that this is my favorite book of hers thus far! Thank you to NetGalley; the author, Sarah Penner; and the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Abridged Goodreads Synopsis: Haven Ambrose, a nautical archaeologist, has come to the village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. But Haven is hoping to find more than old artifacts; she is secretly on a quest to locate a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon Haven’s arrival, strange maelstroms and misfortunes start plaguing the town. As Haven searches for her father’s sunken treasure, she begins to unearth a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and one woman’s quest to save her lover and her village by using the legendary art of stregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean. Could this magic be behind Positano’s latest calamities? Haven must unravel the Amalfi Curse before the region is destroyed forever...

This book was a dual POV featuring Mari's storyline in the early 1800s, and Haven's storyline in the present day. For once in a dual POV, I felt like I enjoyed both stories equally. And seeing them so masterfully woven together made for a captivating story and fantastic ending. This book also features magic, murder, romance, and betrayal, all against the backdrop of the picturesque and atmospheric seaside town of Positano, Italy. Even the side characters were well-developed, and really added to the story and growing tensions!

I will absolutely be recommending this book. As a matter of fact, I have already put the publishing date on my sister-in-law's radar because this book was so perfectly up her alley!

This review has been shared to:
Goodreads on March 25, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7411907154
Instagram (will be posted on April 29, 2025; I will update this review with the link).

I devoured this in one sitting! Sarah never disappoints and THE AMALFI CURSE is a beautiful, intertwined story of female empowerment, magic, and mystery. I loved each POV and was excited to get back to each storyline. Absolutely one of my top reads of 2025 hands down!

As a reader of all things witchy, and Italian, I was so excited to get the chance to read this book! But alas, it was not for me. The writing and characters fell flat and I struggled for months to pick it up. I did not care about Haven or any of the present day timeline at alllll. I wish the story would have just been about Mari and the women but even then, I just wasn’t gripped enough by the writing to care. 😭

When I saw a new release from the author of “The Lost Apothecary,” I knew I had to read it. The premise of Italian witches of the sea, archaeology, a treasure hunt and a modern & historical romance was a great draw also. This book did not disappoint. I loved the multiple POVs and the historical plot’s connection to the modern day one. Both kept me reading and anxious to see how they would play out. Both FMCs were such capable and likable characters and Holmes was such a good way to show what was happening on the ocean in relation to Mari & her friends’ actions. All around an absolutely stellar book and I believe I loved it even more than “The Lost Apothecary!”

Thank you to NetGalley & Park Row for allowing me to read and review this one!!

I absolutely loved this book! Definitely made me feel like I need a vacation in Italy! This story was so unique, it would be a perfect summer read!

Sarah Penner knocks it out of the park again with this one! Archeologists, treasure, mystery, and forbidden love? Sign me up right away! This book kept me guessing and immersed the entire way through whiteout feeling stressful or confused. The characters were relatable and well written, and the love subplot was wonderful. Highly recommend!

Review Posted on Instagram @cindystimartbooks

The Amalfi Curse
By @sarah_penner_author
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

-dual history
-love story
-local folklore/legend
-fierce women who don't give up
-diving and sunken treasure

Don't worry - no spoilers!

Haven is in present day about to lead the research dive project of her career with a full female team when trouble in the water knocks her off the project - is this The Amalfi Curse again? Is it real? And whose that cute guy, Enzo? #swoon

Mari is living in the 18th Century, grieving her mother, in love with Holmes and navigating living in the challenging times of pirates and traders along the coast in Italy. She will do anything to protect her village - even if it costs her everything.

In this journey through time you will turn each page and read as Sarah Penner once again magically connects the past and present with two very different and very lovable leading ladies. (I miss them already 😢 )

This story was exciting and fun with the beautiful back drop of Positano (love it there!) and I loved learning a bit about the research and business of diving for treasure too!

Thank you @harpercollins and @netgalley for this ARC. I am so grateful to have read this early and I can not wait for this novel to be in everyone's hands next month. This is another great one!

Give this post a click if you love Sarah Penner's writing as much as I do!

#reading #reader #readersofinstagram #books #bookworm #booknerd #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreader

Sarah Penner has once again delivered a captivating historical thriller with The Amalfi Curse, a novel that masterfully weaves together multiple timelines and perspectives. Penner’s ability to transition seamlessly between past and present is one of the book’s greatest strengths, creating a rich and immersive reading experience.

The characters are so well developed, and I especially loved following Haven’s journey. She felt real and complex, and I was completely invested in her story. That’s why I found myself wishing for just a little more resolution for her at the end—I wanted to know more about where she ended up!

That said, The Amalfi Curse is an atmospheric and well-paced novel that showcases Penner’s talent for blending history, mystery, and intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to fans of dual-timeline narratives and richly developed characters.

Modern day archaeologist is on a mission to finish her dad’s work in finding sunken treasure. She also finds meaning behind the legend of the Amalfi Curse and the frequent ship wrecks. (It was giving me Bermuda Triangle vibes). This was a beautiful story told in dual timelines that come together in the end.

There’s sea witches, magic incantations, sunken treasure, pirates, a curse on the sea, and a little romance.

Thank you @netgalley for the digital advance copy.

Sarah Penner's "The Amalfi Curse" is a spellbinding journey that masterfully intertwines the past and present against the enchanting backdrop of Italy's Amalfi Coast.
The narrative alternates between Mari, a 19th-century sea witch grappling with love and duty, and Haven Ambrose, a contemporary nautical archaeologist on a quest for her father's elusive treasure.

Penner's vivid prose immerses readers in a world rich with ancient magic, sunken secrets, and compelling romance.

The dual timelines converge seamlessly, unraveling mysteries that captivate till the end. This novel is a testament to Penner's storytelling prowess, offering an atmospheric and unforgettable adventure that lingers long after the final page.

Received as an ARC

Wow! This story was so good, I just love how Sarah intertwines the past with the present in her stories. After I had read the Conjures Wife and we are give a tiny glimpse into the women of the Amalfi Coast, I wanted to know more of their story and this book delivered just that.

While preparing for a dive project Positano Haven, a nautical archaeologist and her team are unexpectedly pooled from their project when a yacht sinks under mysterious circumstances. Choosing to remain behind to understand what is happening and to fulfill her dad’s research, Haven uncovers a story that shocks her.

Is it natural causes from Mount Vesuvius or is it the Amalfi Curse and the stregheria. Just when you think you know what is happening and the worst is coming there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s full of love.

Be sure to get your copy on April 29, 2025!!

What a fun mystery! I love novels with just a hint of the supernatural, and "sea witches" fit the bill in this one. The descriptions of the setting are just gorgeous. As a history and genealogy librarian, the narrative of research to find out someone's story and try to connect them to a place and time just spoke to me. I enjoyed all of it - the beautiful Amalfi coast, the legends, the romance. It was a great mix that kept me turning pages.

Legends, lore, and love blend together seamlessly in this beautiful tale that sweeps you right into an adventure on the seas! Set amongst two different timelines that take place in a quaint little town along the Amalfi Coast, we follow the stories of two pioneering women that change the courses of history, both past and present. Haven is a nautical archaeologist set to discover the mysteries behind the mass of wreckages that lay at the bottom of the ocean near Positano. While her research is focused on finding these answers, Haven is equally- if not more- committed to her personal mission: to honor her father's legacy by unearthing treasure that he spotted on his final dive. Mari has outgrown her small coastal life, shaped by the misfortunes it has brought her. She is bound by duty and obligation, regardless of her distaste of the sea, as she is the leader of a secret group of sea witches that protect their village. As the tides turn and the ground shifts beneath both women with tensions rising across both timelines, what will they do, and how far will they go, to protect the people and things they love? Sarah Penner did a wonderful job at combining the two stories that kept me invested throughout its entirety. She has perfectly combined historical adventures and mystery, magical realism, and forbidden romance, each of these elements feeling equally organic and immersive. With its picturesque setting, strong women protagonists, and a backdrop of pirates, sea witches, and sunken treasure, The Amalfi Curse is a book I found hard to put down- stunning, gripping and unforgettable.

Haven Ambrose, a nautical archaeologist is in the process of setting up a dive site near Positano, Italy, when disaster strikes. Suddenly, under the pretence of safety, her funding is taken from her and handed to a more experienced diver.

Normally, as upsetting as that might have been, it is bothering Heaven because this area was her father’s last dive before he died and he described what he thought were gems near the dive site. Haven would like to find those gems to fulfil her father’s dream. She decides to stay on in Positano, on her own dime and hires a boat and a diver, named Enzo. Not long after meeting him, she starts having feelings for him, and him for her.

Will the treasure she finds in the deep, blue waters be gems or will it be something totally different?

This is Sarah Penney’s third book, filled with descriptive details in every area she visits, along with mystery and even some magic making it a delight to read.

4.5 stars. This book had it all. Murder, witchcraft, intrigue, love, and the mystery of the sea. What more could you want. We follow Haven, a marine archaeologist, in the present day as she searches for sunken ships, and much more, along the Amalfi Coast. In the past we have Mari, a Streghe (sea witch), and her fellow witches protecting their home from pirates with the use of Stregheria (ability to harness the ocean). I really love how good Penner is at intertwining two timelines. I never feel like I’m in one or the other for too long and I never lose the thread of the story.

This story was great, my favorite of Penner’s novels so far. I would highly recommend picking this one up.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alright, people! Sarah Penner has done it again! The Amalfi Curse is the third book I’ve read by her, and it’s easily my favorite yet. Although The Lost Apothecary was a close second. She has a true talent for blending genres, and this novel is no exception—it has everything: magical realism, the history, love, and the breathtaking setting of the Amalfi Coast.

The story follows Haven, an archaeological scuba diver tasked with exploring a shipwreck off the coast of Amalfi. Her mission is both professional—given the region’s history of shipwrecks—and deeply personal, as her late father once claimed to have seen treasures beneath these same waters. But what Haven doesn’t realize is that centuries ago, the sea was cursed by the streghas (witches) to protect their village. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she embarks on a journey to uncover the truth.

Penner masterfully weaves together the past and present, creating a rich, atmospheric story that is both enchanting and gripping. The setting is beautifully immersive, the characters are compelling, and the storyline is utterly unique. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t put it down.

This was a 5 star read for me, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction with a touch of magic and mystery. Penner continues to prove why she’s a must-read author!

I think historical fiction is growing on me, or maybe it’s just Penner’s novels! They’re like the historical fiction equivalent of a fine wine!

This year, I’ve devoured two new stories and am thrilled by how they have connected. It’s like a historical fiction scavenger hunt, and I’m winning!

This adventure was a rollercoaster of emotions. Sea witches, betrayal, sunken treasure, curses, kidnapping, un-aliving, and romance. It’s like Penner took every historical fiction trope and threw it into a blender with a side of chaos. The story of the past had me on the edge of my seat, clutching my pearls and waiting to see if anyone would survive the next chapter. Meanwhile, in the present, Haven was doing the research that would eventually bring it all full circle to the perfect ending. I love the sweet little romance on both sides, and the epilogue was just the closure you need!

Penner never ceases to grab me with the adventure, magic, bit of romance, and sisterhood that are staples in her books, but I would like to (loudly) applaud her for the research that goes into them as well. Because managing to put that all in there and make it flow is a gift-- and this book had SO many topics that I felt like needed research.
Am I now craving a trip to the Almafi coast--yes! But seeing as that is financially in the cards, thank you to Penner for writing a book taking place past and present for readers to feel immersed in the experience as well as the recipes in the back.
Not knowing where Mari or Haven's stories were going to wind up and all the turns had me wanting to tear through the book to get answers, while simultaneously I wanted to it all to slow down because I did not want it to end. love love loved it.

I enjoyed this book by Sarah Penner. It isn’t my favorite by her- I don’t think anything could top The Lost Apothecary, but I still liked it.

The Amalfi Curse has everything that you could want for an adventure- forbidden love, dual timelines, witches, AND sunken treasure. I think my favorite part were the chapters that focused on Mari. Honestly I could have read the entire book from her POV.

Will definitely be reading more from Penner!

Did I just finish *THE BEACH READ OF 2025*? I feel it's possible I may have.

The Amalfi Curse was everything I'd want for a relaxing beach/vacation read: an amazing setting, a compelling story, engaging characters and a touch of magic, mystery, and romance! The stakes are high enough to be interesting, but low enough to allow for a relaxed reading experience!

Penner gives readers a dual narrative, with a modern day nautical archeologist travelling to the gorgeous Positano Italy for a ground-breaking project that she believes is critical for her career. Juxtaposed against the modern narrative, is a story of seemingly star crossed lovers in the 1820's when Positano was just a small fishing village, one with unusual good luck! Indeed the residents of this earlier Positano never seemed to have a bad fishing season, or raiders attacking the coast line, only a few people understood where this "luck" came from, and as the reader, you get ALL the details. Will our main character find what she's looking for? Is she sure of her goals? Perhaps she's going to have to move the goal posts a bit, as other powers seem to be afoot!

Eventually the story lines come together through maelstrom and magic, moving to a satisfying ending. AND, Penner also includes some fun recipes- so even if we can't go to the beach, we can pretend we're there!
highly recommend