The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on April 8, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Goodreads
From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door . . . who might just show her what real fantasies are made of.
Paranormal skeptic Zelda Tempest is hoping for a much-needed creativity boost for a new paranormal mystery novel. But despite the alleged magic of her hometown, Moonville, Ohio, she’s as stuck as ever.
With two witch sisters, not believing in magic is strange for a Tempest, but no one is more disappointed than Morgan Angelopoulos, the charming man next door. So, to cure her of her writer's block and her disbelief in magic, Morgan ropes her into a ghost-hunting romp, only for Zelda to discover something else bizarre, never-before-seen creatures that appear as ordinary pets to everyone else.
Curious about what else might be lurking in Moonville's woods, Zelda and Morgan embark on a quest to uncover the true magic that lies in their midsts . . . and perhaps, just maybe, they will find that the magic they're searching for has been with them all along.
Zelda may be the author of a magical book series but she doesn't believe in magic herself, even though she is back in her "magical" hometown with her "witchy" sisters running a magic shop. When her neighbor, Morgan, learns of her skepticism, he takes her ghost hunting where they uncover things that may have Zelda leaning into the magic of Moonville.
This was a fun return to Moonville. The town was filled with quirky and over the top characters who just kept the laughs coming. One of those quirky characters was the Tempests' neighbor, Morgan, who was hoping to gain some supernatural powers of his own. Until then, he would mine the folklore of Mooville as he searched for spirits and the Black Bear Witch.
Speaking of Moonville, this was a town built on love magic, and this second installment continued digging into their grandmother's prophecy that the three Tempest sisters would fall in love with the men they were meant to spend their lives with all within the same year.
"She said we would know it was the year when we saw a silver luna moth, and at the time we saw it, one of us would be running from love, one would be waiting for it, and the third would already be in over her head. "
But not only was Zelda a skeptic of the supernatural, she was also a skeptic of love. She had a love-em-and-leave-em history which didn't tell the whole story, and I was rooting for her to open her heart to the possibility of forever to someone who loved her exactly how she was.
I will admit that the story seemed a bit light on romance, but Zelda's personal journey was well worth giving up some of that page time. I throughly enjoyed watching her grow, change, and embrace all parts of herself. She wasn't saved by love, but rather, she was able to love because she learned to love herself.
This was a laugh out loud celebration of sisterhood, love, and self with a touch of magic that had me flipping the pages. I am eager to return to this charming town for Luna's story which I am sure will be filled with surprises.
*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
The Crescent Moon Tearoom by Stacy Sivinski
Published by Atria Books on October 1, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Paranormal
Goodreads
A cozy and uplifting debut novel about three clairvoyant sisters who face an unexpected twist of Fate at the bottom of their own delicate porcelain cups.
Ever since the untimely death of their parents, Anne, Beatrix, and Violet Quigley have made a business of threading together the stories that rest in the swirls of ginger, cloves, and cardamom at the bottom of their customers’ cups. Their days at the teashop are filled with talk of butterflies and good fortune intertwined with the sound of cinnamon shortbread being snapped by laced fingers.
That is, until the Council of Witches comes calling with news that the city Diviner has lost her powers, and the sisters suddenly find themselves being pulled in different directions. As Anne’s magic begins to develop beyond that of her sisters’, Beatrix’s writing attracts the attention of a publisher, and Violet is enchanted by the song of the circus—and perhaps a mischievous trapeze artist threatening to sweep her off her feet. It seems a family curse that threatens to separate the sisters is taking effect.
With dwindling time to rewrite their future and help three other witches challenge their own destinies, the Quigleys set out to bargain with Fate. But in focusing so closely on saving each other, will they lose sight of themselves?
Triplet witches turn their divining powers into a successful business but their changing circumstances threaten to split them up and put them on different paths.
This was a sweet and cozy tale of sisterhood. These triplets were tight, and they had been running their tearoom for years, providing the genteel ladies of Chicago with tea, sweets, and peeks into their futures. But things were changing, THEY were changing.
A curse and all the secrets they were keeping were tearing them apart. I will admit, that part of the story really caused me pain. Then I realized the bit of distance allowed each sister to do some soul searching, to contemplate their future, and they were discovering some amazing things about themselves. New talents, new loves, and new paths awaited them all.
Overall, this was a fun and magic tale. I thought the tension built well as the situation grew more dire, and it came to a conclusion that left me shedding a few happy tears and full of hope for this family.
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ReplyDeleteI loved the sisterly bond and the struggle they went through to exert their individually. It was a good story.
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