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A review by the_rabble
Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Solid contemporary fantasy romance.
1 POV. 1st person. Spicy. 1st book (and thus far the only book) in a pending series of at least 3 (one for each sister running a magic shop in Ohio.)
This is the youngest sister, Romina- 29, a flower focused witch. While trying to be a bro to her bud and business partner, she runs into her highschool sweetheart, Alex.
Alex is a very fun love interest, but does have some light stalker/lurker tendencies that are glossed over.
Classic "revisited youthful miscommunication" is in play, but there's also some unexpected heavy content- particularly around baby fever, parenting, and children. Hogle handles what I can oft find to be a frustrating shoehorn in romance with a lot of skill in a way that fits the plot.
Sex scenes were great. From what I recall, Hogle did a lot of fade to black or very light spice in the past and she does a great job being more graphic and creative.
This will be a fun world to come back to as Hogle continues. Hogle builds a good setting, and this is no exception.
1 POV. 1st person. Spicy. 1st book (and thus far the only book) in a pending series of at least 3 (one for each sister running a magic shop in Ohio.)
This is the youngest sister, Romina- 29, a flower focused witch. While trying to be a bro to her bud and business partner, she runs into her highschool sweetheart, Alex.
Alex is a very fun love interest, but does have some light stalker/lurker tendencies that are glossed over.
Classic "revisited youthful miscommunication" is in play, but there's also some unexpected heavy content- particularly around baby fever, parenting, and children. Hogle handles what I can oft find to be a frustrating shoehorn in romance with a lot of skill in a way that fits the plot.
Sex scenes were great. From what I recall, Hogle did a lot of fade to black or very light spice in the past and she does a great job being more graphic and creative.
This will be a fun world to come back to as Hogle continues. Hogle builds a good setting, and this is no exception.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexism
Neither protagonist is a perpetrator of warning-worthy behavior. It's almost all limited to Romina's horrible ex-"boyfriend" and his nightmare level weaponized incompetence.