This book was so much fun!!! It was a cute witchy romance, with magic and curses and great banter 🫶🏻💫.

Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things is an adult paranormal romance about three sisters who are witches and are cursed with losing their memories with each spell they do. I was instantly hooked by this story from the first page and I loved it.

I loved the writing of this book, the descriptions of the town of Gold Springs really set the scene of this cosy town where everyone knows everyone and there are all kinds of different shops. The sisters run a shop where they sell magical tea and books and I thought that was such a perfect combination.

The characters were interesting and likeable especially the sisters. I love how close they are to each other and how they had this magical bond with each other. Each of the sisters personalities really shone throughout this book and I would like to read more about each of them as well as the side characters.

Calliope and Lucien's romance intrigued me since they really dislike each other from the first time they meet which led to some funny interactions between them that I loved reading. They have such strong chemistry even while they are disliking each other.

Overall I really liked Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things. It is an interesting story with a cosy setting and very likeable characters. The romance is perfect for fans of the enemies to lovers trope and the plot and pacing of the story kept me intrigued throughout. I'm excited for more books set in this world to be released in the future.

(I was sent a Netgalley ARC of this book to review)

"My god, you’ve turned me inside out, little muse."

A wonderful, witchy experience worthy of numerous highlighted quotes, crushing over a fictional villain, and absorbing as much as you can.

I read this at a much slower pace than normal to savour every minute of this flawed and stubborn heroine as she accidentally binds herself to her mortal enemy and fights to lift her family's curse,

Deliciously slow burn, mysterious and magical, this is a fantastic second book from Breanne Randall. Greek hints and more than a few Pride & Prejudice influenced moments - I can imagine Lucien clenching his hand so very well!

3.5 ✨

This takes a little while to get into but once you're in it even though sometimes the pacing feels a touch uneven it actually is quite gripping. The magic system of sacrificing memories is super intriguing and unique and frankly bittersweet. The way you begin to learn the characters and important bits about them but watch them sacrifice pieces of themselves for the collective goal is actually a really beautiful narrative.
When there's a battle it's really good and fast paced and constantly moving, but I did have to re read some segments as it's also quite easy to lose track of whose doing what as there are so many complex parts. While the 'out of fight' segments were understandably slower it was nice to actually understand the characters for the most part. Not *all* character decisions made me happy, and there were a few interactions that didn't come across as super genuine like the words said one thing but the vibes said another.
All in all I really enjoyed this and it was a sweet uplifting story of how good always wins

In the small town of Gold Springs, Calliope Petridi and her two sisters carefully guard the secret of their magic and the price they must pay to practice memories. Yet all Calliope wants to do is forget, which also includes her past with her mother and her oldest sister, Thalia, and her distant middle sister, Eurydice. However, when an ancient evil awakens in their town, the fragile thread that holds the sisters together breaks. As their magic slowly begins to fade, Calliope accidentally binds herself to an annoyingly handsome leader of a rival coven infamous for their ruthless pursuit of power.
There was plenty of romance in this story with a splash of small town feels, together with plenty of magical intervention. I felt that this had the vibe of the series ‘Charmed’ with the siblings drawn together to protect their loved ones. A good read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Stories with spells and witchcraft are my favourites, especially those with spells in Greek, as a Greek I was excited! I really enjoyed it. While reading I felt the chilling vibes of the magical world and traveled to atmospheric landscapes!
Of course, the story does not lack the seductive but forbidden love that excites every reader. This is an easy to read story that will enchant the fans of this genre!

All the reasons that book deserves 5 stars:

1. It has Charmed vibe. I loved Charmed growing up so this felt pretty nostalgic for me. There are 3 sisters running a business together.
2. Their tea/book shop ‘Tea and Tomb’. I want to go there. Seriously.
3. Their curse is interesting; having to sacrifice memories in exchange for magic.
4. The idea that the magic is only as strong as the memory that is sacrificed.
5. Yes, this is a book about love but the romance between Calliope and Lucien isn’t the only plot.
6. Mysterious shadow men 😏
7. Eurydice giving kitchen witch vibes 🌱
8. There is potential for a sequel with how much detail went into this story
9. Now I wish I was a witch, like kid me wished all along

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this e-arc. After reading Breanne Randall’s first book, I was intrigued to read another witchy book.

This book captures so many themes I enjoy - witches, magic, enemies to lovers, small towns and family. Hugely enjoyable read from start to finish!

Oh how I loved this book!!

The writing was so beautiful, I loved all the imagery and descriptions of the food - it made it all feel so real!!

I loved the characters - I found them all very easy to love (apart from the obvious!!), and was definitely invested in the plot and their development as characters.

The whole thing felt like a warm hug and mug of hot tea wrapped up in a novel. Can't wait for the next one!!

I really wanted to love this book. It had everything I love in a book, but didn’t quite land.

I first want to address the Bridgerton comparison, as I wasn’t getting that vibe at all - it’s set in modern day California with no references to Bridgerton that I could see at all. If you’re here for that then you’ll be disappointed.

The most accurate description is the comparison to Charmed - that’s certainly true. There are 3 sisters but they are cursed. I liked the idea of having to sacrifice a memory in order to do magic, but the seriousness of the situation is dampened when a memory is sacrificed to dry hair more quickly.

The Pride & Prejudice comparison? Kind of. Although the closest reference I could find was when the ending of the 2005 movie was copied, not the novel.

I loved the small-town vibes and the description of the magical tea shop. I also enjoyed the atmosphere and Lucien’s motivations. There’s a slowish-burn romance and some spice, plus quite a bit of jeopardy.

All in all, I feel that the biggest problem with the book is the way it’s being marketed, not the book itself.

This book genuinely has everything I want in a book. Enemies to lovers, witches, magical tea shop, forced proximity, small town vibes, family curses and a HEA!!! Perfect. I loved every single second of it. There isnt nothing that I didn't like in this book, except maybe Luciens dad. He is giving off major Lionel acrux vibes from zodiac academy 🙄 iykyk lol. I loved the relationship between the sisters, and the grimoire too it was all just so magical. The last 25% of the book was jusy so gripping and I didn't want it to end. I'd love a 2nd book to follow on the story!

I enjoyed this book. The dynamic between the sisters was well written and I loved how their relationships developed as the story went on. The romance element was well written but didn't overwhelm the main plot line

3.5 stars

Misunderstandings, mysteries, and magical mayhem are staples of this story, along with a little bit of spice and a lot of family secrets...

Having read Breanne Randall's first book, I had a feeling I would be in for more than a simple romance. I steeled myself for trauma, and I definitely got it. This gets pretty dark at points and has some sad twists, so don't got into this thinking it's a fun and flirty witchy romcom - yes, it's got a brooding love interest and there is a lot of tension between him and the MC, but there is also loss, abuse, and abandonment issues galore.

That being said, the story as a whole was engaging once it got going and I liked that it wasn't as simple as "good" magic vs "bad" magic. It questions the character's biases and makes the reader take note that history is written by the victor.

The beginning of this book drags massively though. I was seriously considering DNFing as I was so disconnected at the start. It's off-putting how these Greek mythologies and casual talk of magic are side by side with super modern California references. I couldn't quite figure out the setting for a bit, and the tone didn't seem consistent until the main plot kicked in.

Overall, I would recommend this if you like more emotional moments, modern fantasy worlds, or sisterhood themes, but keep in mind the world building isn't always fluid and the ending is very rushed (like, epilogue addresses the resolution sort of rushed!).

This was a slow start for me, it picked up a tiny bit at 20% but I didn’t fully get into it until around 40%.

It’s a cozy witchy book, it’s intriguing and draws you in a little during the world building and setting the scenes. I did like the concept of having to sacrifice a memory to use magic, I haven’t seen that in a book before so that was new and exciting. It did feel over explained and repetitive in some parts, I feel like it didn’t need to constantly mention what Lucien smells like for example.

While on the topic of characters, I did like Calliope she was annoying sometimes but I still liked her. Lucien is the typical broody mysterious man that I always fall for 😂 and Calliopes sisters were okay. I liked Dissy a lot more than Thalia.

Unfortunately around 60% I started to slowly lose interest, it felt super dragged out and I don’t think the writing style is for me. It was too repetitive and over explained for my liking.

This was so well written a really beautiful chemistry between MCs and the storyline ran so smoothly throughout. I genuinely couldn’t put this book down !
Thankyou for this oppurtunity

What a lovely witchy book with cozy small town vibes! I absolutely loved the story, the characters, the setting, I enjoyed everything about it so much! It did take me a while to get immersed in the story, but I still had a great time with it.

After reading The Unfortunate Side Effect of Heartbreak and Magic, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this book. I'm happy to say that Spells, Strings, And Forgotten Things is a far stronger story and that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It feels much more like the author has made up her mind on what she wants this universe to be so the story and genre was far less confused. It's still chock-full of small town charm but it leans into the darkness of the plot so much more and I think the writing is better for it.

While Calliope grows a lot as a character, I won't deny that I still found her annoying at times. I was genuinely shocked to find out she wasn't an older teenager as she seems to act like that far too much. Definite baby of the family vibes but she gets far less irritating as the book goes on.

I really enjoyed the dual POV but wish it included more Lucien chapters to give more insights into who he was and not just to fill in plot holes.

I'm hoping we get more of this story as I'm now hooked. I read the book in a day as it was entertaining, the pacing was good and it really delivered on the Pride and Prejudice meets Charmed vibes.

Definitely don't judge this book based on any bad experience you had with the author's first one.

I first heard about this book on the author's instagram account. I was immediately intrigued with magic coming at the cost of a memory - the bigger the spell, the bigger the memory required to fuel it.
I got so much more than what I expected. Even though at this point I don't know what I expected. This was so well done. I love Calliope and Lucien. And that ending. Definitely a bittersweet ending.
I would 100% read more in this world. I just need more.

Witchy, Slow-Burn, and a Little Chaotic

This book had all the ingredients for a cozy, witchy read; small-town magic, a sisterly bond, a mysterious past, and a swoon-worthy, grumpy MMC (who calls the FMC “little muse,” and yes, I melted). But while I enjoyed the atmospheric writing and the slow-burn romance, I wasn't completely hooked.

The magic system was unique, but at times, it felt over-explained. And somewhere around the halfway mark, the story started to drag - until the last 100 pages, where things went off the rails in a way that had me both flipping pages and going, “Wait… what?”

Lucien, though? Absolute shadow daddy perfection. Broody, protective, a little morally grey - he carried this book for me. But I wish we got more depth from Calliope and her sisters. Their dynamic had so much potential, but they often felt like background characters in their own story. Also, some big questions about their family history were left unanswered, which was frustrating since this seems to be a standalone.

So, did I love it? Not quite. But did I have fun? Mostly, yes! If you’re into slow-burn romantasy, moody prose, and a magic system that makes you pay for spells (literally, with your memories), then this might be worth checking out. Just be prepared for a bit of a pacing rollercoaster!

Thank you Aria & Aries & Netgalley for providing me with the eARCs


#SpellsStringsandForgottenThings #NetGalley

🌳 Spells Strings & Forgotten Things • Breanne Randall 🌳
★★★

Read if you enjoy:
🌳 Romantasy
🌳 Charmed
🌳 Cosy vibes
🌳 Enemies to lovers
🌳 A sentient spell book

Calliope and her sisters Thalia and Eurydice are tasked with a generational duty to protect and uphold the enchantments keeping the Dark Oak contained. However, Calliope can feel the enchantments failing and when her sisters dismiss her concerns, she feels forced to investigate herself. Calliope finds the Dark Oak and senses its shadows seeping out through a weakened part of enchanted protection, however when she attempts to fix it, the shadows cling to her and try to absorb her life force. Desperate to save herself, Calliope accidentally binds herself to Lucien, who was drawn to the power he felt in the forest.

The author states that this is Pride & Prejudice meets Charmed and whilst I agree with the Charmed feel, I felt that the romance was more Romeo & Juliet with the feuding families. Unfortunately for me this book was far too much of a cliché. Lucien’s declarations of love felt one-sided and just-for-quotes. So did a lot of the sisters’ reassurance and validation. The connections felt forced and so I spent most of the novel uninvested. I loved the ending although I feel that there was an overwhelming amount of plot threads at play that weren’t fully explored.