Thanks @htpbooks and @htp_hive for this incredible book promo box and the gifted copy! Swipe for the full unboxing!!

Thoughts:
Witchy, yes. Atmospheric, absolutely. Transporting? 1000%.

This one takes us to the sun-soaked cliffs of Italy with a story steeped in family secrets, ancient curses, and a hint of magic. Told across dual timelines, this one follows two fiercely determined women trying to steer their own ships while navigating long-buried truths, personal relationships (amore aplenty), expectations (familial & self-imposed), and obligations.
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Penner’s writing is lush and vivid—I could practically feel the coastal breeze and taste the limoncello. And while the story does feature witchy representation (yay!), I so wish we had gotten more of it. Give me more spells, more rituals, more dark feminine energy! 🧿⁣
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Still, if enjoy layered timelines, strong female leads, and a setting that sweeps you away, this one is worth the read. It’s a moody, mysterious escape with just enough magic to keep you turning the pages. ⁣Fans of her previous work won’t be disappointed!

I loved the Lost Apothecary, Sarah has a unique way of telling these stories that include such intricate details. You can tell she spends time with not only her writing but the research she does for her stories. The dual time line was a struggle for me. Having a timeline that is deeper and more established is something I connect with more and get less lost. I was surprised that some of the character I wanted to know more or be involved more were short lived and did not get the air time I thought they should have gotten.

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner is a treasure! Read this for a reel (pun intended) good time!

It navigates two timelines, one set in the 1800s and one current day.

Haven Ambrose is a nautical archaeologist looking for her big career break mapping shipwrecks that have overlayed on top of each other using software with a team of 5 women along the Amalfi Coast, where shipwrecks were aplenty centuries ago. It also happens to be were her fathers last dive was when he thought he spotted some potential treasure.

Her search research leads her to local stories about legends of stregheria, sea witches. Does her science minded brain cast off these as urban legends or does her research and eyes make her believe the unbelievable?

Come along as she unfolds the story of Mari, a powerful streghe, and her love story with Holmes and all the unfortunate events that happen along the Amalfi coast in the 1800s. This love story had me (ship) wrecked and reeling!

I personally love scavenger and treasure hunts, so this really resonated with me. And a story of witchcraft added in along the Amalfi Coast made it feel magical. Needless to say, this book has me hooked.

The sprayed edges was a bonus treasure map.

Thanks @NetGalley and @HarlequinTradePublishing for the Advanced Digital Copy (I also bought the sprayed edges!)

Thank you to NetGalley and to Park Row for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah Penner continues to be an author that absolutely blows me away - how she manages to include so much and yet keep it from feeling overwhelming - AND she does this in 315 or so pages? Absolutely incredible job. Her writing is gorgeous, and the style in which she writes blows my mind.

This is a perfect read for lovers of magical realism (witches!!), forbidden romance, and some breathtaking Italian settings. There are themes of family and friendship both and there are multiple POV's with a dual timeline. It's an easy read that is for sure worth it!

I loved the time periods for this book, but I have to say that it moved slowly for me at the beginning. The language was a bit confusing as well. I expected something that moved a little faster. All in all, I enjoyed it. Strong characters (especially women) in true Sarah Penner fashion.

Thank you to Park Row books for the early E Galley copy of this book. I was also able to attend a pre-launch book party at a local Barnes & Noble, where Sarah Penner was talking about her new book. This book is told in a dual timeline and to be honest, I loved the backstory the historical look the 1800 story of Mari and Her love interest and her family. She is part of a group of women they are sea witches and they help control the waters and everything off of the coast of Positano Italy. It’s a beautiful setting. The descriptions are just breathtaking. In current times we meet Haven who is on a job a diving expedition job now in Positano and she is seeking out a sunken treasure or sunken ship and there’s a lot going on with people not wanting her to find this and her father had been a explorer and so we’re learning all about her reasons for being in Italy. The story was excellent. The research that Sarah did was amazing. I really enjoyed all of the Rich story of the sea and Italy. The love stories between both Mari and her sailor and Haven and Enzo made the book even more delicious a solid four stars pick this new one up.

The mix of historical interest and romance along with believable dialogue and adventure makes this book a win. Sarah Penner has a way of adding little nuggets of factual fun in her fiction that make things seem so much more real. I like the emotions that are all tied up in this story. This is a great summer read, and would make a lovely beach read.

Sarah Penner’s The Amalfi Curse is a mesmerizing blend of mystery, magic, and maritime adventure set against the breathtaking beauty of Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Nautical archaeologist Haven Ambrose dives into far more than shipwrecks as she uncovers long-buried secrets tied to her father's mysterious past and an ancient, mystical legacy.

As sudden storms and strange events grip the town of Positano, Haven’s search for sunken gemstones leads her into the enchanting world of stregheria—a centuries-old magic linked to the sea. The novel weaves dual timelines and richly atmospheric detail, creating a tale where love, legend, and danger swirl together like the tides.

Part historical mystery, part magical realism, The Amalfi Curse is a captivating story of self-discovery and the power of the past. Fans of Penner’s The Lost Apothecary will love this hauntingly beautiful coastal tale.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

This was such a delight to read between the three POVs (I know, I normally don't like that), the different stories, and how they all came together at the end. It had treasure and pirates and romance and nerdy maritime archaeology stuff...like, it was SO much good.

This is an amazing adventure through time and our resolute quest for love. You will be immersed in the events of the past and intrigued by the curious search in the present that is the mysterious thread that holds these lives together. Linked in a battle for the search for treasure, missing pieces and peace you'll find yourself wanting to take a peek at the next chapter! I do recommend this book for those looking for an adventure on the Amalfi Coast and a window into yourself. Thank you NetGalley and Park Row Books for this ARC!

I was so excited to dive into The Amalfi Curse. Having really enjoyed The Lost Apothecary and recently traveled to Italy, this book seemed like the perfect match.

Unfortunately, despite my enthusiasm, I found myself struggling to connect with either of the main characters, even well into the story. Hoping the audiobook might draw me in more, I switched formats. While Saskia Maarleveld (one of my all-time favorite narrators) delivers a typically polished performance, even her narration couldn’t fully bridge the emotional distance I felt.

There’s no denying Penner’s talent for setting and mood, and fans of her previous work or those deeply drawn to Italian settings might still find something to love here. But for me, The Amalfi Curse simply didn’t cast the spell I was hoping for.

Thank you to Sarah Penner, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Penner does such an incredible job crafting beautiful stories that weave together magical elements, historical fiction, and mystery- all in about 300 pages. Positano was an idyllic setting for this story, dragging me in instantly and leaving me with a desire to pack up my bags and head to the Italian Coast.

The Amalfi Curse is a mystery takes place across dual timelines- a small village in the 1800s, and modern day Positano. This story has everything from strong females with magical abilities, sunken treasure, and high seas adventure. The two stories are woven together seamlessly in the end!

This is a perfect summer read, and should definitely be added to your TBR! Thank you NetGalley and Park Row for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Powerful witchcraft. A hunt for sunken treasure. Forbidden love on the high seas. Beware the Amalfi Curse...

The Amalfi Curse is the perfect summer read! Sarah Penner has a way of blending magic realism with historical fiction that speaks to my heart. The Amalfi Curse offers a dual POV that takes you from a modern day diving expedition to a sea witch clan trying to protect their small village from pirates in the 1800s. The two stories intersect beautifully, a tale of two women fighting to protect something dear to them in their own ways.

Haven Ambrose, a marine archaeologist, is set to lead a team of women divers into the depths of the Amalfi coast to photograph sunken ships. She also hopes to continue with her late father’s last dive in which he discovered hidden treasure buried deep among the shipwrecks. Unfortunately it seems that the Amalfi curse is set to prevent her from getting into the water; a colleague set to commandeer her funded project and unexpected environmental anomalies may present challenges to Haven’s dives but she is determined to get into the water and continue where her father left off.

In the 1800s, Positano, a small fishing village, held a magical secret; a group of women who have the ability to control the ocean via magic to protect their families and friends. The newest clan leader, Mari, has a secret of her own and finds herself entangled in a dangerous run-in with notorious pirates from Naples. Mari must balance her desire to protect her village and clan while secretly waiting for the love of her life to return to her. Through Haven’s dives and her discovery of a fallen sailor’s journal, the story of the Amalfi curse and the stregheria unravels.

I loved this story as much as I loved Sarah Penner’s other historical magic realism novels. Her books are so enchanting and strike the perfect balance of magic realism and historical fiction. The Amalfi Curse is out now. Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for my copy; all opinions are my own.

Sarah Penner has done it again. That's it. That's the review. Because there's just too much to talk about, from the evocative, lush setting of the famously beautiful Positano, to the intertwining stories of two strong female leads in Mari and Haven, to the sweeping romance of Mari and Holmes and the fledgling connection between Haven and Enzo, to the bonds of sisterhood among the streghe and among Haven's crew. I just loved everything about this, and can't wait to see what Ms. Penner has up next for us.

I have read Penner's last two books and was excited for this one. For me, this one was a disappointment. The story is mutli-time line and takes you to Italy to learn of Italian women that have a connected gift with the sea. You move through two timelines but the older time line has two different character focuses. I found the characters flat and unappealing no matter the timeline. It is a very slow start that has so much background to understand the plot, I lost interest in the whole plot. It comes together in the last chapters but it seems the book was just not well developed. I will read her books again and am excited about a Lost Apothecary sequel. This one just didn't resonant with me.

The Amalfi Curse took me a bit to get into - I wasn't initially bought in and was focusing too much on the magic and how it worked to enjoy the story. However, once I set that aside and starting just enjoying the story, I was hooked and flew through the rest of the story! I loved the dual POVs and timelines - and found I was invested in both stories equally...and eager to see how they connect.

Our present-day story gives us a bit of adventure, grief, and is set in the most picturesque location of the Amalfi Coast. I loved seeing a strong female character in a male-dominant field work to succeed and still accomplish her goals - despite the obstacles in her way.

The historical aspect of this story was the part that took me a minute to get into - but the love story and magical realism eventually pulled me in and I loved it! It was adventurous, heartbreaking, and so well done. The writing was fast-paced, vivid, and helped me connect to the characters.

Overall, I adored this book - and the ending!

The Amalfi Curse has a beautiful setting and an exciting story line. I would recommend it to readers who enjoyed the authors previous books or who enjoy dual timeline historical fiction. For me, the dual timeline fell a little flat. I would have enjoyed reading a more developed storyline in either of the time periods. It felt like some of the characters, who were engaging, did not get the development they could have.

Sunken treasure, shipwrecks, and mystery. Loved this novel by the author of The Lost Apothecary. It is equally well written, and intriguing. With beautiful scenery and exciting knowledge of diving, history, and shipwrecks, and characters you'd enjoy having in your own life, Penner does an amazing job with this one!

I agree with the masses; this is Penner’s best book yet! I loved the genre blend of historical fiction, suspense, romance, and magic. I need to get to Positano immediately!