This was a very enjoyable, the romance was sweet and I thought Callopie was a relatable character. I am eager to see what else the author has out or might publish in the future. Definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a classic enemies to lovers story.

I enjoy this author’s writing and love ANYTHING witchy! I loved the Mr. Darcy vibes of our MMC. The sister vibes were also very sweet. I look forward to the next installment!

The Petridi Sisters have spent their lives protecting the town from dark magic and ill intent. The magic that they access however comes with a steep price. The price they must pay is memories. The town isn't even aware of all that they do for them and all that they have given up.

Like with so many books there is a feud between covens. The Shadowcraft witches and the Lightcraft witches. But Calliope a lightcraft witch finds herself accidently bound to a shadowcraft witch. Sometimes though its in the things that are forbidden that something truly magical can take place and that is exactly what Calliope and Lucien find happening.


I want to thank #Netgalley and #RandomHousePublishingGroup, #Ballantine for the chance to read #Spells,Strings,andForgottenThings by #BreanneRandall in return for a fair and honest review.

This was good, but not as good as the author's first. The relationship between the two main characters felt incredibly rushed and everything kind of left me wondering what the heck was going on in parts. Overall I enjoyed it though!

I love a good magical, mysterious story with a dash of romance. This will make a great fall read.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book!

Not something that I would adopt for the school library, however the magic, familial lore, and romance was a great read.

First of all, this cover is beautiful! It definietly made me want to pick up this book. I feel this book would make a great fall read for sure!

the Petridi sisters—Calliope, Thalia, and Eurydice—harbor a dangerous secret: their magic requires them to sacrifice memories to cast spells. For Calliope, who’s desperate to forget heartbreak and abandonment, this curse feels like a blessing—until an ancient evil awakens and their magic begins to fade.

When Calliope accidentally binds herself to Lucien Deniz, the brooding leader of a rival coven, she must navigate sizzling chemistry, family secrets, and the unraveling of her own identity to save her town—and herself.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for this spooky good ARC!

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things was such a cozy, magical surprise! The atmosphere felt like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day—full of small-town charm, witchy vibes, and a touch of mystery. I loved the blend of magic and emotion, and the story had a softness to it that made it easy to sink into. While a few plot points could’ve used a bit more depth, the overall tone and whimsical energy more than made up for it. Perfect for fans of gentle fantasy with heart and just the right amount of enchantment.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall is the kind of witchy, wildly addictive read that had me mentally twirling in a linen dress under the full moon while clutching a cinnamon broomstick and whispering “I could fix him…but I won’t.” 🕯️✨

In the spell-soaked town of Gold Springs, memory is currency—and magic doesn’t come free. Calliope Petridi is the youngest of three witchy sisters bound by blood, secrets, and the slowly unraveling threads of sisterhood. She’s the only one still practicing their ancestral craft, because every spell comes with a cost: a memory. And let’s just say, Calliope has plenty she’d rather not remember.

Enter: Lucien. A shadow caster. Arrogant. Infuriating. Devastatingly attractive. Also? The literal opposite of her light magic. When a magical mishap ties them together, the result is sizzling tension, reluctant teamwork, and one hell of a slow-burn that’ll have you kicking your feet and muttering “just kiss already” into your iced latte.

This book is for my ‘90s witchy ghouls. The Charmed hive. The Gilmore Girls fans who wish Stars Hollow had a curse or two. The romantics who want their love interests morally gray with jawlines sharp enough to cut string.

And under the swoony moments and magical chaos, there’s a heartfelt, often bittersweet thread of family—how hard it is to be known by those who’ve known you longest, and how healing it can be to choose each other anyway.

✨ Sisterhood, but make it spellbound.
🌙 Magic with a price tag.
🔥 Chemistry hotter than a Beltane bonfire.
🖤 Shadow daddies forever.

If you’re craving witchy escapism with heart, heat, and hauntingly high stakes, Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things is your next must-read. Just… be careful what you’re willing to forget.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Breanne Randall’s Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things is a very cozy romantasy read. I love the tiny bits of nonsensical magic just existing in this world without needing an explanation. That being said, I do wish we got to learn more about how the sisters curse works because it is such a unique magic system! I love that we get to learn about Calliope’s past through her practice of magic. It makes her characterization feel a lot more organic, especially since the present circumstances are more pressing than her past. The romance in this was good, but a little predictable. I was more moved reading about Calliope’s relationship with her family.

3.5/5 stars

I loved Breanna Randalls first book. She is a queen at marketing. Shes built a fun community. I did enjoy this book, it had a ton of potential but it just fell short. There is a ton of competition in magical themed books the last few years. It just really wasn't up to par. a good read but there are others out there higher on my rec list

This was a very fun story about magic from memories. Overall I liked the story and rate it 3 stars. The pacing was off at times and the plot was semi-predictable, but I liked the charmed vibes and the family dynamics.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book.

I LOVED the previous book by this author so I was super pumped to dive into this one. It was good but didn't hit quite the same as The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic. I really loved the witchy-ness and the relationship between the sisters, and of course the enemies to lovers trope. All three sisters are struggling with the disappearance of their mom years earlier, and trying to control their magic so they don't lose memories. I thought the sisters' cost of doing magic (losing memories) was creative.

The pacing is kind of weird for me. There is a lot of unnecessary explaining and descriptions that took away from the story and kind of made it drag out. Once Lucian shows up and Calliope binds her self to him accidentally, things get interesting - yet I found it all a bit predictable. The last few chapters do get more intense and that made up for some of the parts that dragged.

I'm assuming the next book will be about one of the sisters, and I'm excited about that.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall is an adult romantic fantasy that centers around three witch sisters who lose their memories when they use their magic. Thalia Petridi, the oldest and the "fixer," resists her magic; Calliope Petridi (our main protagonist) the middle sister who is recklessly determined to understand the depths of her magic and will do anything to protect her sisters; and Eurydice Petridi, the peacekeeper. The bond between these sisters was evident from page one, and I loved getting to know the their differences and the dynamics between them. These sisters are Lightcraft witches, who have been taught at a young age to not associate themselves with the Shadowcrafters.

Naturally, here enters Lucien Deniz, a Shadowcrafter, who Calliope finds herself bonded to after attempting to fortify an enchantment. Lucien, with his own desire to protect his sister Eléa, gets entwined with the affairs of the Petridi sisters.

This book was so captivating. From the dynamics between the characters, the world-building, and magic system; I found myself eager to read more. Each character is unique in their personality, motivations, and fears which add to the depth of the book. Even the side characters felt fleshed out as well.

The slow burn - enemies to lovers/ forbidden - relationship between Lucien and Calliope was so delicious to read. They complement each others strengths and weaknesses so well. The spice was so worth the wait.

One of my favorite parts of this book was Grim- the family grimoire. It reminded me of Benny from Ella Enchanted without a face. I just adore magical books.

The plot was engaging and flowed at an enjoyable pace. Overall, I adored these characters and highly recommend it to fantasy or romantasy lovers. I cannot wait to explore more of Eléa in book two.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve picked this one up a few times over the past couple months and really tried to get into it, but I just couldn’t stay engaged. I loved the ideas behind it—magic, sisterhood, reinventing yourself—but the pacing dragged for me, and I found myself struggling to stay interested. I eventually had to set it aside, which I hate doing, especially with an ARC, but this just wasn’t the right fit for me. That said, I think readers who enjoy a slower, more introspective kind of fantasy might really connect with it.

The first time I started this book I could not get into it. I put it aside and decided to try again later. I recently decided I would try the audiobook version to see if it captured my attention more and luckily it did. The narrator did a great job of keeping the book and characters intriguing. I can't wait to see where the series goes and what other twists and turns it will have.

I was left wanting more.

I wanted more character building. I wanted more thoughtfulness with the aunties. I know that there is an amazing story in there, but it just wasn’t for me 100%.

Calliope being a young witch she has a lot to learn, and I’m happy I pushed thru the book, with the glimmers of beauty and chemistry. The plot of giving up memories in exchange for spells, bigger the spell, bigger the memory. Which give the Charmed meets ACOTAR vibes, and that is exactly what some people will love.

I will likely re-read it in the fall to see if the time of year in which I read it gives me different vibes!

Also A+ on 🏳️‍🌈 INCLUSION!

Summary: Three sisters are tasked through family responsibilities passed down generations. They must protect the mysterious dark oak from shadowweilder covens for the sake of all. They spend their days running a quaint little tea shop in a cozy little town, full of small-town folk totally unaware that magics and witches are actually real. Only one sister regularly practices her magic, as they are cursed to sacrifice a memory each time they use a spell. When a shadowweilder unexpectedly arrives in town and ties his future and safety to their own, the sisters must discover more about the dark dsnger that lurks and how to stop it.

Review: I stayed interested in this story, despite the instalove tripe, sheikh I don’t really care for typically. The characters were lively and the story engaging. I do wish they would have had to work harder to like each other, as far as the love interest. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved the author's debut, so I'm more disappointed than anyone that I could barely finish this one.  I skimmed quite a bit of the back half.  The writing style felt disjointed and scattered, I didn't find companionship with any of the characters, and the romance just....didn't hit.  The magic system, while interesting, wasn't described well and the main characters seemed way less concerned about the consequences than they should have been? Giving up memories every time you perform magic is....serious.  And the FMC was way too flippant about it.  Maybe I missed something.  

I have high hopes for this author's future projects and possible TV show with this series, but I will be hesitant to pick up the second.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review! (sorry it's late, I'm catching up 😅)