Old Flames and New Fortunes

Starred review from December 1, 2023

Hogle (Just Like Magic) returns with a delightfully magical second-chance romance. Romina spends her days with her sisters, working in her grandmother's candle shop and creating floral arrangements in her own style of magic called flora fortuna, using the language of flowers to help the lovelorn find their way. The shop is expanding and in need of a cash infusion, so Romina agrees to fake-date her best friend Trevor so his soon-to-be-married financier father will put up seed money. There's one catch--the son of the financier's bride is Alex, Romina's first love whom she's never quite gotten over. Sparks are definitely flying, and Romina isn't sure her business or her heart can survive the wedding week. On the surface, this is a lighthearted rom-com, but there's a thread of real loneliness and longing underpinning the fake-dating high jinks. While second-chance tropes don't appeal to every reader, the reasons Romina and Alex have been apart feel true-to-life. VERDICT The world Hogle has created is cozy and warm, and fans of her previous work or of witchy romances will be crossing their fingers that this is the start of a series.--Lacey Tobias

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 5, 2024
This cozy and witchy rom-com from Hogle (Just Like Magic) introduces the small mystical town of Moonville, Ohio, where fortune teller Romina Tempest and her sisters hope to expand the magic shop they co-own, if they can find the funds. When potential financier Mr. Yoon announces his upcoming wedding, Romina is determined to secure an invitation—but her only way in is as Mr. Yoon’s son Treavor’s date. Frenzied, funny Treavor is a good friend and game to fake a relationship—but their mission gets side-tracked when Romina learns that Treavor’s soon-to-be stepbrother is none other than Alex King, Romina’s high school sweetheart and the boy that broke her heart 11 years ago. Now, Romina wants Alex to pay for the pain he caused her, and what was supposed to be a small fake-dating scheme turns into a weeklong charade. Despite her grudge, Romina can’t deny the lingering attraction she shares with Alex, and sparks soon fly between them. After a slow start, Hogle ramps things into high gear with a fun take on the fake dating trope that will have readers genuinely wondering how Alex and Romina will find their way back to each other. The result is a beguiling and heartfelt story of rekindling love. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary.

February 1, 2024
A witchy florist is reunited with her high school love in this lightly magical second-chance rom-com. In Moonville, Ohio, a town steeped in lore about magic and love, Romina Tempest and her sisters run The Magick Happens--a shop with flowers, candles, and books. Romina calls herself a "flora fortunist" and uses the language of flowers to help her clientele with their romantic woes. Her own love life has been nothing but heartbreak, so when she unexpectedly encounters her first real love, Alex King, whom she hasn't seen in 11 years, old feelings resurface. The two of them antagonize each other, but their flirtation comes naturally. Too bad Romina is fake-dating her friend Trevor Yoon--who also happens to be Alex's soon-to-be stepbrother--as she tries to secure Trevor's father as an investor in the shop. Lies and secrets will eventually be revealed, and Romina will have to decide whether she's willing to risk her heart once more. The magical elements add a nice touch of whimsy to this humorous tale, while Romina's damaging former relationships and desire to be a mother add realistic dramatic heft. The story feels like it's trying to do too much at once, however--too many side plots and tropes--which makes it feel messy and meandering. Some readers may also be put off by all the secrets Romina and Alex keep from each other initially. Still, Moonville is an enchanting town many will hope to revisit. A somewhat muddled yet still charming small-town love story, with magic.

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March 15, 2024
Moonville, a quaint town in rural Ohio, is where Romina Tempest and her two sisters run a whimsical shop full of candles, flowers, and fantasy books, all infused with the sisters' magic. Romina calls herself a flora fortunist and uses the language of plants to make spellbinding arrangements. The owner of the shop, Trevor, is Romina's best friend, and they hope to secure a loan from his father to help expand the business. They walk into what they think is a business meeting only to find that Trevor's father is announcing his impending marriage to the mother of Romina's high-school sweetheart, Alex King. Furthermore, Alex is there. Right there. The boy who broke her heart over a decade ago is back in Moonville. Romina and Trevor find themselves in the middle of a fake-dating scheme to get back at Alex, but through the chaos, Romina and Alex realize that an ember of their teenage love still burns. This second-chance romance is a bit jumbled at times, but Hogle (You Deserve Each Other, 2020) succeeds in crafting a fun romance with a touch of fantasy.

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