What’s something you love but you’re also equally terrified of? For me it’s the sea or open waters 😂 have you guys heard of that creepy viking music? That one never fails to give me goosebumps every time I hear it 😂

Anyhoo, with this book being about sea witches, hundred year old curses, and a treasure hunting storyline, I was immediately drawn to it. I also love the Positano setting- it’s making me itch to travel to Italy! 😂 The then and now timelines were also so well written and makes the storytelling so intriguing to follow!

My bestfriend dives and she’s been wanting me to go on a diving trip with her and all the shipwreck and diving scenes from this book are making me curious about the hobby too (but also again, shipwrecks creep me out😅)

I would give a plot synopsis but I feel like this is a book that’s better to go in blind. So I wouldn’t include one in this review.

This is a good book to read this summer if you’re looking for an armchair travel to Positano with sea witches/ curse storyline!

💭 Have you tried diving before?
☕️ Deep waters creep me out so I havent done any extreme diving stuff. But I did some helmet diving and snorkeling in some of my vacations but I’m sure they’re nothing like actual diving in deep waters 😂

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into my first Sarah Penner novel, but the blend of historical fiction, modern-day magic, and the allure of the Amalfi Coast immediately drew me in. The story moved seamlessly between past and present, each timeline revealing just enough before shifting, leaving me eager to dive back into the other.

Without giving any spoilers away, I appreciated the cleverly placed, unexpected twists, that left me smiling more than once. Penner’s beautiful, vivid imagery had me longing to be back on the cliffs of Positano.

This was a richly engaging read, and I’m already looking forward to exploring more of Penner’s work.

Thank you to Sarah Penner and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.

A seductive and spellbinding tale that will keep readers turning the pages late into the night, The Amalfi Curse is the dazzling new novel by Sarah Penner.

Nautical archaeologist Haven Ambrose has come to Positano on a quest to find the answers she seeks. Determined to investigate the shipwrecks along the Amalfi coast, Haven is on the hunt for buried treasure and a trove of priceless gemstones that had been last seen by her father on his final dive. However, Haven’s arrival has stirred something sinister in the azure blue waters. Strange misfortunes and sinister maelstroms begin to plague the town leading Haven to wonder whether her presence is making some people uncomfortable. But why? What could they possibly have to hide? And will Haven be prevented from finishing the job she had come here to do?

When the past and present intertwine in unsettling and unexpected ways, Haven finds herself consumed by the story of a woman from the past willing to do whatever it takes to save her lover – even resorting to witchcraft and to the ancient art of harnessing the ocean, stregheria. Haven needs to work fast and unravel the Amalfi curse because if she doesn’t, this region will be destroyed beyond all recognition and changed forever..

Sarah Penner enthralls her readers with this beguiling tale of past sins, present danger, magical intrigue and heart-stopping emotional drama. The Amalfi Curse is a a sweeping, atmospheric and highly addictive novel where the pages will just turn themselves as readers will find themselves wholly invested in the wonderful world Sarah Penner has created.

Absorbing, captivating and unforgettable, The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner is an absolute must-read this summer.

I was interested in this book since I have a trip
To the Amalfi coast this summer! This story was captivating
, beautifully written and. Easy to understand with the multiple povs and storylines.

This book is not for me. The magical realism is intriguing, so I might try again, but I could not get invested in the present day divers. I did not finish this book.

I wanted to read this one based on the cover alone and I am SO glad I did!! This is the first book I’ve read by the author and I love her writing style!

The Amalfi Curse had it ALL - mystery, romance, history…I didn’t want it to end!!! With dual POV’s between present day and the 1800’s, I was completely immersed in Mari’s story and the subtle connections to Haven in present day. This was honestly such a great read, highly recommend!

I loved the premise and the setting of The Amalfi Curse. I loved the mystery surrounding Li Galli and the women of Positano. I loved the treasure hunting aspect of the story. I was invested in the characters and their fates, however, I felt there were a couple of people whose conflicts and resolutions weren't fully fleshed out. I would have loved a little more from those characters. Overall, I had a great time reading it and can't wait to read more from Sarah Penner.

Look, I picked this up expecting a light beach read. You know—sunshine, a little romance, maybe a ghostly pirate or two. What I got instead was The Little Mermaid meets Indiana Jones meets Italian witchcraft, and I’m not even mad about it.

Haven Ambrose, our intrepid nautical archaeologist (yes, that’s a job and yes, I Googled it), shows up in Positano ready to find her dead dad’s underwater treasure, and possibly a little closure. Instead, she brings chaos, suspicious weather patterns, and a historic-level dose of “Oops, did I awaken an ancient oceanic curse?” vibes.

Is there insta-love? Oh yes. Is it forbidden? Naturally. Does it unfold against a backdrop so vivid I considered checking flight prices to Italy? Also yes. The Amalfi Coast practically gets its own POV chapter. And the stregheria magic? Think “Moana, but make it adult, and with generational trauma.”

The plot takes a few dips and dives (pun aggressively intended), but between the romantic tension, the curses, and the magical sea-sorcery, I was hooked. Did I roll my eyes at some dramatic declarations and conveniently timed storm surges? Absolutely. But I also couldn’t stop flipping pages like I was being chased by a haunted current.

Full marks for delivering cursed gems, seawitchery, and a heroine with enough grit to fight both ancient magic and modern-day skepticism.
Beware the Amalfi Curse… but enjoy the read. Preferably with a limoncello in hand.

This book's setting was to die for! I so want to visit the Amalfi coast, and Penner's descriptions of it were breathtaking. This story featured a dual timeline between present-day Haven, a diver/archaeologist and past Mari, a stregha aka woman who uses witchcraft! Both storylines feature a romance, and each woman is fearless and strong. It took me a minute to become immersed in Mari's storyline (and I often got the Positano women mixed up), however, I soon became swept up in her dangerous and magical life. The historical fiction portion was very interesting, and I loved how Haven dug up so much information at the local archives. This was a fun book and a perfect summer read!

Thank you to Netgalley and HTP Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a magical, captivating historical fantasy! I was invested in these characters and their stories from the start. I loved the past and present timelines and the changing view points. I thought they intertwined perfectly. I also enjoyed the full cast of narrators and thought they added to the story. I highly recommend this book.

I had high hopes for Sarah Penner’s Amalfi Curse. However, between the dueling timelines, the Italian, and similar names made the read a little too hard to comprehend at times, making it hard to navigate or connect which part of the story I was suppose to be at. I think this could have been a better narrative if the timelines were more defined, the names weren’t as similar to one another.

I love Italy. I will read just about anything that takes place anywhere in Italy. It was lucky for me that The Amalfi Curse was in Italy AND super enjoyable. It had a little bit of everything and I couldn't put it down. It's got that big adventure feel, which I've found is something that I seek out in books now. Great work, Sarah Penner!

After loving The Lost Apothecary, I thought there was no way that Sarah Penner could top it. I loved everything about that book, but The Amalfi Curse speaks to my nautical-loving heart. There's shipwrecks, sunken treasure, a love story, and more than enough suspense to keep me frantically flipping pages. I loved the dual timelines, and I thought it was the perfect format to tell the story of Positano and the stregheria that keep it protected. The Amalfi Curse (and all her other books) cement why Sarah Penner is one of my must-read authors.

4 stars | Recommend | ARC

This genre is out of my normal wheelhouse, but I am so glad to have read this story. You really get transported to Positano with Mari's story and can feel like turmoil and fear she has and does experience. The ending tied up the story of the stregheria perfectly and I am glad to see how other characters ended up.

I didn't know what to expect in terms of romance, but came to really enjoy Mari and her forbidden love's story. It almost felt a little too good to be true and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, but the yearning to get back to each other had my heart pumping.

Witchcraft and a mystery; what more could you want?

This was a very good story! I enjoyed the plot and dual timelines. Plus the audiobook was very enjoyable! I thought it was going to be a “pirate” type book so that was a smidge of a letdown for me but also an error on me for not reading more about it. I enjoyed the characters plus the setting in Italy. It was very easy to picture the scenery! In the end, it was a good read but it just wasn’t a story for me but I’ll still recommend it to people who I think would like it! I’ll also probably wait a couple weeks to post a review on my social.

If you are looking for a really lovely adventurous story regarding sea witches, kidnappings, archaeology, and a mixture of past and present timelines, THEN THIS IS FOR YOU.

The story follows Hazel who is dispatched to recover a shipwreck that was once a project of her Dad's. However, another colleague is nefariously trying to shut her out. Determined not to fail, she befriends Enzo who helps her piece together the mystery beind the wreck. The story flips to Mari, who is a sea witch in the 1820s, and there are bad men in the town who wish to lock her and her other sea witch friends away (likely to manipulate them). Mari is in love with Holmes and we get his POV through letters and archives. Can they save the kidnapped girls and save their community?

I really enjoyed this one and felt it was a good quick read. As an archaeologist was I bugged about the "treasure" hunting archaeology? Absolutely. That is not at all what we do- we would equally be THRILLED about blue glass over gems ANY DAY. But I get it. It was part of the story. Besides that I loved how well researched it was and loved the characters.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row and NetGalley for my ARC.

This is your next summer read. I honestly wish I was drinking a fruity drink on a beach as I went through this journey. The coastal Italian setting was swoon worthy and immersive. Through her prose, Penner makes you feel like you are actually there, toes in the sand and wind on your brow. The archaeology and diving bits were well researched and written. I love the depth of the emotions given to the female characters. The modern-day FMC, grieving her father, was powerful. Having lost my own father in the last year or so, I was able to empathize with her character. The witch FMC’s struggle to be her own person was also well presented. You can feel that this is more than Ariel or Belle wanting more, but rather, a woman who is pulled between the love of her home and the yearning for the open world and between being the daughter and witch they want her to be versus finding herself. The romances in the book are not necessarily at the forefront of the stories. I would call them instead “supporting actors.”
​On another aside, this one is dual-timeline narrative. It does take a bit for the story to pick up and the timelines to merge in a way that relates them, but the suspense of the stories makes up for the delay in connection.

This is a wonderfully refreshing mix of Italian superstition and historical fiction. It bounces between 2 timelines, one present and one from the early 1800s. Over the course of the book, we adventure with the main character to solve the mystery of the Amalfi Curse and find a lost treasure her father left clues about years ago. The past unravels, leaving clues in the present, and a pleasant little unexpected love interest even presents itself. I really enjoyed this historical mystery shrouded in folk lore. The spice level is 1 🌶️, presenting a sweet little side story. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Harper Collins for a great adventure! All opinions here are my own.

This is one which did keep my attention, but I am not a huge fan of the ending. It still felt a bit unresolved to me.
Added to that the lover pairs don’t haveg a lot of chemistry that just jumps off the page. I can honestly say it would be a great beach vacation read. Perhaps even get you to scuba for some treasure!
I received an arc of this title, all opinions are my own

4.5 stars. It took me a bit to get into this due to the dual timelines which I'm usually not a fan of. HOWEVER, this was an incredible read. It was adventurous, gripping, and so well written. I absolutely loved the plot twist and the ending. I'm definitely going to read Sarah's first book now because this was amazing