I really enjoyed this book. I was fortunate enough to read it as an ARC. It took me a little bit to get into it, but I liked the references to their Greek heritage(FMCs) and mythology. The magic system had a certain duality to it. I prefer her first book for the cozy feels, but I enjoyed this one. I love how the author always includes recipes at the end that pertain to the story. I’m a sucker for recipes from a book. I can’t wait to try these recipes out. I dream of the day that I will get a recipe for the chocolate cake in Alice Hoffman‘s Practical Magic series.

Engaging characters with a whimsical and magical setting of light and dark contrasts. I actually liked this story a lot more than her last novel.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things is a delightful blend of cozy romance and witchy magic that kept me spellbound. With its small-town charm and richly layered characters, the story conjures the perfect balance of warmth and suspense. It carries the same enchanting vibes as Randall’s debut but takes things to an even more captivating level. You’ll want to savor this story by candlelight on a crisp, spooky night!

Three sisters--Calliope, Eurydice, and Thalia Petridi--are witches that have been told since birth that they must protect the wards of the Dark Oak but there magic comes at a cost. Memories for spells that leaves only one sister practicing magic and this becomes dangerous when the town is at risk of what is hiding inside the Dark Oak.

First, I have to say that I loved the LGBTQ+ representation! Breanne Randall does an excellent job at establishing a cozy setting and I liked the theme of sisterhood within this. Though, Eurydice and Thalia were more likable since Calliope acted younger than her age and it was quite frustrating to read about. The plot started off promising with the allure of magic and the unique premise of having repercussions when using magic which should be a theme in all fantasy books. Tired of every fantasy character being able to use bouts of magic upon magic without any consequences. I hated how Calliope used her magic so carelessly though since she would use it for kind of ridiculous times like drying herself or fixing her outfit. I recognize that it's suppose to show how she's more reckless but I would've rather her have some precaution like her sisters.

Also, the dialogue sometimes felt shifty between the MMC and FMC since it would go from formal talk to informal and I wish that there was a set style to their dialogue because it would've made it more enjoyable and less clunky. Plus, I didn't really like the romance between the two overall. Plus, some serious instances seemed childish and the writing for it was too rushed which made it less emotional. Most of the plot twists were cliche too and not handled well.

I'll definitely try Randall's other book and read future books in this series just to give it a shot!

Thank you Netgalley!

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall is an enticing tale of witchcraft and love. The story follows Calliope a young witch who sacrifices memories to cast spells. The more advanced the spell is the bigger the memory sacrificed has to be. Initially Calliope is okay with the cost of her life’s memories to cast spells but as the story progresses she begins to wonder if not remembering parts of her young life is worth it. This is a beautiful tale that involves witchcraft, sisterhood, and learning to love again.

**Note: In exchange for an honest, thoughtful, and relevant review based on my reading of this book, I was provided an e-ARC copy from the Publisher and Author through NetGalley, whom I thank for this opportunity.**

“Whether they needed courage or hope, a dash of desire or a drop of respite, customers would find it there,”

Three magically-inclined sisters who run a tea shop in a California small town come to face a looming threat to their home and magic abilities. The main character, the youngest of the sisters, already broken from the loss of her mother and the sacrifice of memories to power her magic, must work together with a generational enemy to uncover decades of secrets, protect her family, and save the town.

Before reading “Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things,” I had read Randall’s “The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic,” which gave me a baseline of expectations for this second installment. Randall took one of the few frustrations I had with the magic system in the first book and strengthened it in this publication. The magic system was well-developed and had “rules,” to follow (or be broken). I feel that Randall’s character-building abilities have greatly improved, though she does alter the narrator and move to a dual-perspective at what I believe was an odd spot.

One thing that I’d commend Randall on in “Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things,” would be her ability to add spicy scenes to a book without it overwhelming the plot; of course, a few spicy scenes can contribute to the growth and progression of a character or relationship, but the spice did not become the key concept in the book’s development, which I loved.

Unfortunately, I feel that when it comes to the inclusion of three sisters in any story, the characters often fall victim to a certain stereotype. The stand-offish one, who sees it as their responsibility to protect their (often younger) siblings, the quiet and dainty sister, who can sometimes be shy and probably likes flowers, and the main character, that is probably the more rebellious and always sees herself as “different” from her sisters. These tropes aren’t uncommon and are prevalent in this work, however, I can’t deny that I didn’t love the relationship Randall built between them, and the development of their individual character arcs, even as secondary characters.

Realistically, I’d probably give this read somewhere between a 4 and 4.5, given that it was an advanced proof of the book.

3.75 stars
This book was cozy and lovely
It felt l a bit like practical magic in my opinion! Not everyone will agree. I did feel at moments it was a bit slow and what not. But overall it was a fun little read!

I enjoyed this book!! Pride and prejudice meets charmed is just a total vibe. Rival coven leader who’s hot and lots of rainbow. Love is just what the doctor ordered!

“Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things” by Breanne Randall was a cozy witchy read. The story was interesting and unique and well-written. I thought the characters were well-developed and had fascinating stories and arcs. I thought that the three sisters’ in particular had very relatable characteristics. Overall, this book had a good vibe. While, I felt the plot to be a bit slow at times, the overall story was fun and enjoyable.

This one was sweet and fun. I love the vibes. I liked Lucien from the very beginning and loved him more by the end. As a Charmed fan, I loved the inspiration shown with the three sisters.

Thanks so much NetGalley for the copy of Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things.
I loved Breanne's first title so much I wanted to read this one so badly and the imagery and descriptions did not disappoint.
Breanne's love of language and storytelling is woven together so beautifully and I loved the character dynamics.

I can't wait to read more from Breanne.

As children, the Petridi sisters were told to protect the family home and enchanted tree that loomed somewhere on the property while also being told not to go near it for fear that others would find it and seek it's power. Now, years after their mother left one day never to return, the Petridi sisters are forced to address the things they've avoided for years. After the heartbreak of their mothers disappear each sister found their own way to cope - Thalia and Eurydice have opted out of using their magic in efforts to preserve their memories while Calliope has fully embraced sacrificing moments of her past for the convenience of the present. Slowly, Calliope starts getting the sinking feeling that something is wrong, she doesn't know what, but she knows that if it's about their magic it's important and once that decision is recognized things go downhill from there.

I was intrigued by the title and synopsis of this book and overall I did quite enjoy reading it. If I had to describe this book to someone I would say that it felt like a cozy and low-stakes/low-adventure fantasy (or perhaps magical realism would be a more appropriate classification). This book had magic, family bonds, a broody male love interest and a strong connection to books. While I overall enjoyed it, and would recommend it for a cozy fall read there were some parts that felt overly cliche and I can't help but wonder if this would do better in the YA genre (if the spicy scenes were excluded).

While I didn't mind the cliche portions of the book as I did enjoy this read, I did notice several things that I could tell were intentionally drawn from other pop culture references. One thing in particular that I want to address is the diversity in relation to the pop culture reference. I found that when introducing townsfolk it was very much a Gilmore Girls style layout - small, walkable town, everyone knows each other - we love it, we love the energy BUT it felt like each character we met was given a name or description intended to have diverse representation without ever getting the opportunity to build on those characters which made it feel like a name-drop/token- diversity. Now that's not to say that I didn't appreciate the effort and the likely intent in the authors writing, but I think for any future writing it would be beneficial to include more background and/or personalities of these characters to make them feel more authentic to the storyline. For this storyline that could've been done by including a paragraph or couple sentences about how the small town is quaint yet diverse and while it may not work in some places, everyone in Gold Springs is really accepting and inclusive. Perhaps not everyone would agree with me on that, but I wanted to mention either way because it really stuck out to me while reading.

If this book is going to be continued into a series I would love to learn more about the family lineage, the power intentions of Lucien's father, and the changes around Lightcraft and Shadowcraft wielders based on the outcome in this book. I would recommend this book to readers that enjoy You've Got Mail, Gilmore Girls and the book The Cottage Around the Corner.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book, I have posted my review on GoodReads and will update my links as they are approved on Barnes and Noble, Target and Amazon websites as well as posting on Instagram

She’s done it again. If you want witchy, cozy, with some solid writing to boot - Breanne Randall is the place to go. Especially come fall time, this is a read you’ll want to pick up for suspense, magic, and lovely characters.

Thank you for the advanced copy in exchange for my review!

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things
By Breanne Randall

As someone with 2 sisters of my own who grew up watching charmed, I was instantly intrigued when I read the blurb for this book and I was so excited when I was approved for the ARC!

This book was absolutely magical. I had such high hopes for this story and every single one was met! I loved The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic and this book was just as good if not better! The magic system, the curses, the romance, all were done so well and I really hope this story continues!

I cannot wait to read every story Breanne Randall decides to tell and I am so grateful I have found her books!

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall is a tale of the Lightcrafter Petridi sisters and their responsibility to keep the powerful magic trapped within a tree out of the grasp of Shadowcrafters. When an ancient evil magic threatens to break the Peteridi sisters’ magical bond, Calliope accidentally binds herself to Lucien, the leader of a rival coven. Calliope, her sisters, Lucien and his coven have no choice, but to learn to work together to prevent disaster.

I had such high hopes for this one after reading Randall’s debut novel, “The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic,” but this one didn’t do it for me.

Starting off with what I enjoyed:

The representation of LGBTQIA and non-binary characters in the book.

And that was really it…

The pace of the book was off. Some parts of the book felt unnecessarily outdrawn while other parts went too fast.

The plot sometimes felt like it lost itself and the explanations of how magic worked in the world / history of magic was confusing and convoluted.

Without giving too much away, the storyline with the sisters’ aunts felt too convenient and also too obvious.

Though the book is marketed as “Pride and Prejudice meets Charmed,” I felt like the book relied too heavily on the Charmed parallel. The “three in one, one in three” magic was too much like “the power of three will set us free.” Even to the point where the three sisters find a “fourth sister” in another character. Calliope and Lucien falling for each other despite one being “good” and the other “evil” was too much like Phoebe and Cole.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kind of a let dawn after the first book. I was hoping for more exploration and character development but instead got confusing timelines and characters I wound up disliking despite them being tolerable previously.

Thank you for the ARC Read! It was a cozy fun time and would recommend! While reading I felt like the story/plot was moving nicely and kept me wanting to read more and more. The enjoyed getting to know the characters as well

Thank you NetGalley and RHPG - Ballantine for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This story is about a witch and her sisters cursed to sacrifice memories to cast spells and guard a magic tree that holds ancient evil. Calliope unknowingly binds herself to a sworn enemy (but is he?!) all while trying to understand what’s happening to her town and the secrets in her families past. All before she and her sisters lose their Magic forever.

I enjoyed the book overall but felt the story was lost a little in the amount of words used for description. Especially in the narration. My attention was held and the story moved along better with actual straightforward context and conversation.

There were some “found family” moments that could’ve used more connection. It felt like a last minute add-in.

The building love connection was good but the spicy scenes were a little bit cringy.

With all that being said, I would have liked to see this story wrapped up in one book. I don’t think that’s the case.

A magical, cozy, romantic story of the strength of sisterly love.

A family of witches cursed to sacrifice memories in order to practice magic. A rival wizard with the goal of destroying the one thing the sisters have sworn to protect. A rivalry going back generations, what will happen when they are forced to work together?

This book is beautifully written. You will be immediately immersed in this story. If you enjoyed The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic, you will definitely enjoy this book!

**Book Review:**

*Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things* by Breanne Randall brings an intriguing concept of magic at a cost, but unfortunately, it falls short in execution. The story follows Calliope, a Lightcraft witch, who continues to suffer from her mother’s sudden disappearance fifteen years ago. She and her sisters, Thalia and Eurydice, have managed a cozy life running a local tea and bookstore, but their inability to use magic without sacrificing memories creates a painful dynamic. When dark magic threatens their family’s guardianship, Calliope is thrust into a dangerous situation, inadvertently bound to the mysterious Shadowcrafter, Lucien.

The premise holds promise, particularly with the enemies-to-lovers dynamic and the “Pride and Prejudice” meets “Charmed” inspiration. However, the magic system, while creative, relies too heavily on clichés and suffers from over-explanation, detracting from its intrigue. The dialogue, especially between Calliope and Lucien, often feels jarring. The mix of formal, magical language with modern bickering doesn’t flow well, making the characters hard to connect with. Calliope’s character, in particular, was frustrating—her ceaseless talking and self-created martyrdom made her difficult to like. In contrast, the supporting characters like Thalia, Eurydice, and Lucien were far more compelling.

The plot itself was predictably drawn out, with pacing that fluctuated between rushed moments and overly slow stretches, leaving little room for the emotional buildup necessary to root for the characters. The romance, intended to be a slow burn, felt forced and disconnected from the plot, especially with the out-of-place intimate scenes that lacked meaningful character development. Calliope and Lucien's relationship never fully convinced me as a romance, and their constant bickering felt more like foreplay than actual emotional growth.

The book’s redeeming quality came in the ending, where the characters and their chemistry finally showed some promise, leaving me wishing the story had started there. While *Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things* may appeal to some, its pacing, predictable plot, and inconsistent character development made it a tough read for me. Unfortunately, I won't be continuing with the series, but I hope others can find enjoyment in the elements that worked for them.