I was so excited for this book and it just did not live up to my hype.

Calliope and her sisters are "lightcrafters," or good witches and were warned to avoid "shadowcrafters," or dark witches before her mother left. But Calliope accidentally binds herself to a darkcrafter and they must find a way to break the bond, and protect the dark oak. Of course, he has ulterior motives and they are attracted to each other.

This had so much potential. The beginning very much relied on "vibes" that just were not vibing. I did not like the romance because I felt like I didn't get enough of the characters and who they are. There was only one character I actually liked, introduced past the half-way point.

Sadly, this was a slog of a read. I wanted to like it. It also read very "New Adult," smut-laden with characters that read like teens.

This was not the one for me. I am giving it two stars because there was potential and I didn't hate the last quarter of the book quite as much.

Thank you to Net Galley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and Dell for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

So... Okay, this book has a lot of good but a lot of cringe. I think if you go into this book expecting 90's Charmed plus more drama you will have a lovely time but even then there were moments I was rolling my eyes.

That being said, I did like how all of the characters felt like real characters and weren't just flat archetypes. I also loved Elea, Lucien, DISSY, and Sean and I honestly I wish the story had been more about Dissy and Sean. (I was a Piper/Leo girlie, like I did like Phoebe/Cole but hoooo Piper/Leo.) Calliope I had a love hate relationship with and I wanted to throttle Thalia.

I liked the magic system and dynamic where you do get to see the Shadowcrafter's POV not just the Lightcrafter's, but it wasn't reinventing the wheel. Entertaining? Yes, but I've read and/or watched this before.

Overall, I think this was a fine and fun book with a nice ending. Great for a summer read.

Cozy fantasy books have started to become hit or miss for me. And unfortunately, this one was a pretty big miss. It’s marketed as Pride and Prejudice meets Charmed, and those are some huge comparisons to live up to. Ultimately, I think, that did it a disservice.

Expectations aside, the pacing of this book is just much too slow to hold my interest. I found my mind wandering while I was in the midst of several sentences and paragraphs. The writing was detailed to the point it was overdone, taking away from the actual plot. On top of that, the descriptive language felt like it was trying to be lyrical, to the point where it just read over the top. Overall I think this book does have an audience, but I like my cozy fantasy stories to still pack a punch, which this did not.

The marketing of this book is genius, the minute I heard of Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things I had it on my TBR. I was overjoyed when I received an eARC from Random House / Ballantine Books as I didn't have to wait any longer to dive right in. Unfortunately for me, the book fell short of my high anticipation.

I put it down and picked it back up multiple times thinking maybe I wasn't in the right headspace at that moment, but the book felt very jumbled together. The beginning was slow and drawn out. There was a lot of repetition that felt unnecessary while completely glossing over other parts that could have used more detail and substance. The connection I felt to the characters was lackluster.

Around chapter 25 the story started to come together and the last couple chapters really did save my rating. I really did want to love this book and the characters but it just fell flat.

Overall rating: 3.25

I was really excited about this book, the premise of Pride and Prejudice meets Charmed is what drew me in. Then the interesting memory magic was intriguing. However, the book just did hold my interest. I thought that I was the intended audience, but I wasn't. This is the second time I have attempted to read a book by this author and unfortunately, the marketing of this meets this or blank x with blank, just isn't capturing what the books are really about and I have been disappointed.

Calliope Petridi knows the price of her magic and is the only one of the three Petridi women that's really willing to pay it. To use magic, you must sacrifice memories; the bigger the magic, the more important the memory has to be.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get into this book and finish it before my review was due - the pacing was quite slow, but the magic system is intriguing enough that I might come back to this book at another time. My library has purchased a copy and I will happily recommend this during reader's advisory.

Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things is a cozy contemporary novel following a trio of Lightcraft sisters who are working to save their small town from an impending, unknown danger.

Overall, it was a fun read although the pacing could be faster. I did enjoy the descriptive language because I was able to really envision the town and its cast of characters. I live in a small town in Northern California so it felt immersive to me because it reminded me of where I live so much.

I wasn’t automatically sold on Lucien. He was called a shadow daddy (which I fear my age this book poorly over time) but didn’t give off shadow daddy energy to me. He was more prickly than shadow but I did really enjoy his character arc over time. His backstory was one of my favorite parts of the novel.

As far as Calliope, she grew on me as well. Originally, I couldn’t stand her because she literally kept making stupid decisions. I love a flawed heroine but not when it's so much I wanted to shake her. I can see why her relationship with others was tense at times. That being said, it did allow her to grow as a character which made her final sacrifice that much more impactful.

Overall, I’d recommend anyone looking for a cozy read, especially during fall.

I liked a lot of the set up for this story but I felt like this might be better as a series. Some of the plot felt a little rushed but overall a really good story with some Practical Magic vibes!

This was an overall ok book with lots of small town cozy vibes, it reminded me of the TV show Charmed. The premise of the memory fueled magic was interesting and I loved the sister relationships. I just think it was too slow moving and the pacing felt off at times especially at the end when it was rushed yet slow at same time. I think that maybe there were too many details instead of focusing on the action and this slowed the pace down a bit. The romance was ok but it also did not feel like it had enough development or chemistry. I did enjoy this one but I wanted a bit more from it, especially I wanted more time with the sisters and their relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy to read and review.

I really enjoyed this magical story. The setting of the small town and the story of the sisters was very cozy and intriguing.

I was drawn in by an excellent title and stunning cover and kept glued to the story by excellent prose and a powerful plot. Spells,Strings, and Forgotten things presents a world where to do magic one sacrifices memories and that set up alone had me hooked. The pacing of the first fourth was a bit slow for my taste but it was well worth taking the time to settle into the story.

This is a good fit for fans of Kristen Ciccarelli, and Alice Hoffman.

As a huge Charmed fan, I was really looking forward to this book. The premise sounded right up my alley, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me.

The writing was overly detailed to the point where it slowed the story down significantly. Every little moment was described in excruciating detail, making it feel like the plot was dragging instead of moving forward. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but by the time it did, I had already lost interest. And if I had to read about Lucian’s apple-cinnamon-amber scent one more time, I might have thrown my Kindle.

I also couldn’t shake the feeling that I had seen this story before. The Charmed influence was so strong that it felt more like a retelling than an original take, which was disappointing. I was hoping for something that captured the essence of Charmed, not something that felt like a rehashed episode.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things was a cozy atmospheric witchy romance that I would recommend to fans of Kristen Ciccarelli, Stacy Sivinski, and Deborah Harkness. There was action, sisterly love, and romantic love. The concept was fresh and storytelling was well done. It only lost one star because I wanted a bit more from the love story at the end of the novel. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will continue to pick up books Randall writes in the future!

There is just something so special about love between siblings, isn't there? in this book, our three main characters are witches who are tasked with protecting a tree... or protecting everyone FROM the tree. Oh, and did I mention that the sisters can only do magic if they sacrifice a memory first? Yeah, well, unsurprisingly they all have their very own complicated relationship with magic. But now they need to come to terms with it because the enchantments around the dark oak are failing, their connection to one another is failing, their magic is getting weaker AND, if that's not enough, a Shadow weaver, their sworn enemy is In town and has a very complicated relationship with one of the sisters.

A story of coming to terms with your life, your fears, and all that brought you here today, I am excited to see how the story progresses in the series. Will we get multiple narrators? Also, I cannot wait to make orange fairy tea cakes and tell my siblings that I love them.

Thank you to @houseofrandall @randomhouse and @netgalley for the #gifted e-book and @prhaudio for the #gifted @audiobook!

This enchanting read delivers a captivating blend of magic and sisterhood, marking the beginning of The Sisters of Light and Shadow series.

Join the journey of three sisters—Calliope, Eurydice, and Thalia—as they navigate a fractured magical realm, fighting to save their town and each other. With the assistance of Lucien, a member of a rival coven to whom Calliope has forged a binding connection, secrets, magic, and buried memories come to light.

The magic system is intricately crafted, the world-building is rich, and the character development is profound. What truly shines is the beautiful sisterly bond that weaves throughout the narrative. This intoxicating tale is not just a witchy romance; it envelops you in the charming atmosphere of a small town while delivering thrilling, action-packed magical scenes. The tension between Calliope and Lucien adds an irresistible enemies-to-lovers dynamic, layered with obstacles that their relationship must slowly overcome.

The narrator's performance is nothing short of exceptional, breathing life into each character, complete with a captivating French accent for Lucien and Eléa.

If you're seeking a delightful, small-town witchy tale, look no further—this book is a must-read. Mark your calendars for March 4, 2025; you won’t want to miss it!

if you had to sacrifice a memory every time you did magic, would it be worth it?

this truly was a story of healing. we follow calliope and her sisters thalia and dissy through what is an absolute turning point in their lives throughout the book. our mmc lucien is part dark and broody, part golden retriever and ignoring all the red flags (like we readers always do) he is so easy to fall for. this book has all the vibes - small town, book and tea shop, forced proximity, enemies to lovers… i could go on and on. i really enjoyed reading this, the ending did seem a little rushed but i’m here for the vibes which were immaculate. we were promised charmed meets modern day pride and prejudice and that is exactly what we got. oh and did i mention that the ending has recipes for the food mentioned throughout the book?!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this novel.

I really enjoyed this novel despite having just like the author's debut novel. I found it to be a bit of a cozy fantasy novel. It was pitched as a Charmed meets Pride and Prejudice which it did deliver on that note. I enjoyed the complicated dynamic of the sisters. It came across as very realistic as to how sister dynamics work in the real world. I also found the enemy to lovers trope rather enjoyable too.

The recipes at the end of the book were a delightful touch to such a cozy novel.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book, I am having difficulty finishing it at the moment and would like to circle back at a later time to give it a second chance. I am going to give a fair rating for the parts I have completed so far and will update once I finish. Thanks!

It took me a bit to get into this book, but once I did I couldn’t put it down. Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things is a story of the bonds of sisterhood, prejudice, and how far we will go to save the ones we love.

Breanne Randall writes likable characters, and creates a world that makes you feel like you are right there, baking in the kitchen with the sisters, or walking the streets of their close knit town.

I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

7/10

This is a hard book to get started, but like most, once you hit that 60-70% it is extremely easy to finish it. Take it from me who finished it during my Stats class. (ok maybe don't do that)

Randall does an excellent job building a magic system, with the unique concept of having to give a memory to make magic (at least for these spell casters). I think the Shadow vs Light thing is a little meh... it's kind of typical. Also, the Shadowcrafters seem just more powerful and better than Light and I wished we had seen a larger ranger of Lightcrafters than just the three sisters.

It becomes pretty clear later into the book that this book and all its plot will not be resolved. Still waiting on Lucien and Calliope and the mother, and Lucien's father.

While the romance reads with enemies to lovers with little stakes in the first half, it really got me in the second half and Randall has created some truly beautiful dialogue between our leading characters. I really enjoyed Lucien and his takes on Calliope's value of memories and he was probably my favorite character overall (other than the clear miscommunication that just seemed constant between both of them).

Now my true gripes. This book could have been split into two. With a better lead up and lengthening the story into two halves would have allowed for way more relationship to be built and more insight into our secondary cast (Danny, Roz, Elea, Lucien's coven, etc). I think this book and its ending climax could have made a great book 1 and 2 with book 3 highlighting the journey back to memories, and finalizing the mother and Lucien's father problems.

The one thing that truly made me roll my eyes and cringe was with the older generation of sisters, Roz and Grim, as you are first introduced to them in the book. This seemed... unnecessary at best? I would have just fully embraced Grim being a magical book and Roz being a lone seer spell caster. In fact, I would say there are more unanswered questions by the twist than just leaving it as is. It was confusing for Calliope, Eurydice (it hurt me to read 'Dissy' over and over again as her nickname), and Thalia and for the reader (me).

I'm interested to see how this is adapted for TV (hopefully like how A Discovery of Witches was done) and what future books will bring. I enjoyed The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic more.

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and open review.