The Amalfi Curse 🌊
Sea Witches • Sunken Treasure • Forbidden Love • Positano 🍋

This book is actually beautiful, such stunning colors! Journey to sun-drenched Positano, where a literary adventure of sea witches, sunken treasure, magic, and discovery awaits. ✨ This book is the perfect addition to your 2025 summer TBR.

Read This If You Like:
🐚 Dual Timeline & magical realism
🐚 1800s Coven of Sea Witches vowed to protect the fishing village
🐚 a modern day nautical archaeologist searching for sunken treasure
🐚 a (closed door) Forbidden Love
🐚 Letters, Sunken Ships, Curses, Scuba Diving, Coastal Italy 🇮🇹

Haven Ambrose has found her way to Positano, Italy, to head a team of archaeologists to research sunken wrecks off the Amalfi Coast, a place rich with a history filled with folklore of curses and witches. But Haven isn’t there to study history folklore or besides her research, Haven has a second more personal reason for participation in this expedition, before her father’s death, he, as a renowned nautical archaeologist himself died he made her promise to return to his last dive site where he believed he had found a lost trove of rare gemstones. No one on Haven’s expedition team knows this; if they did, they would be sure to claim them for their own.
Upon her arrival, Haven is immediately drawn into a mysterious incident: a yacht is ensnared in a whirlpool, collapses, and vanishes beneath the waves, taking most of the crew with it. Could this tragedy be linked to the fabled Amalfi Curse?
Now, for the second timeline, yes, there is a second timeline that takes place more than 200 years before Haven’s arrival. This is Mari’s story. In Positano, the women are stregheria- sea witches who protect their village from pirates, specifically the infamous Mazza brothers. Mari is the most powerful strega, and she is integral to the success of the protection spell- the only problem is she longs to escape her home and run away with her American sea-faring lover and live a life away from the unpredictable sea.
The two timelines are masterfully interwoven, keeping me engrossed and endearing me to both female protagonists. Yet, the portrayal of the female community and the potency of the stregheria truly captivated me. This novel had me delving into Italian folklore, sea witches, Positano, and the Amalfi Coast, sparking a desire to visit these places.
I wished a few plot points were a bit more fleshed out, and I wished Penner had provided a bit more backstory for a couple of the characters.
The Amalfi Curse is a perfect novel for your summer reading list.

I learned about two new topics reading this book - nautical archaeology and stregheria (magical ability to harness the sea). The story is told in two timeframes in Italy - 1821 and present day. It is a rich story with wonderfully developed characters and an in-depth plot. I love this author and usually give her 5 stars, but I gave her 4 stars here, because I did not feel the "must finish" desire that I usually do when reading her work. Still, it is a fascinating and satisfying story. Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Park Row for providing an ARC.

Sarah Penner's writing never fails to fully immerse you into whatever world she is writing. The Amalfi curse is a perfect summer time read. Full of mystery, a dash of romance & the perfect vibes for a summer read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sarah has done it again! Her way of splitting timelines in order to build our way through both sides of a historical event, the then and the now! She is so fluidly able to really take us through both timelines and show us how the past shook out and how the present discovered their adventure.
Mari's story and her strength was just beautiful and I loved every second she is gracing us with her chapter. Then add in modern timeline of Haven following along trying to piece together what she has found! Ugh, thank you so much for giving us this! Also, THAT COVER?! Stunning!!!
I will absolutely be recommending it to anyone who loves Sarah and her fabulous stories!!

If you read this and HAVEN'T read The Lost Apothecary by her, 100% recommend you go now!!

Perfect for those who enjoy;
🌊 Fantasy/Magical Realism
🌊 Historical Fiction
🌊 Witches
🌊 Split Timelines

This was an incredibly intriguing book! Amalfi? Sold. I loved the dual timelines, both in POV and actual era. I feel like this is a staple of Sarah Penner's books at this point. I didn't really know how it was going to go and just enjoyed the story as we went. I didn't connect with it as much as Lost Apothecary but still had a good time on my reading journey.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the book!

“The sea will always prevail.”

Sarah Penner strikes again. I think this may be my favorite of hers. But it’s hard to choose, because I am a sucker for women connected to the earth. It’s beautiful, powerful and inspiring. And this is clearly a theme in her books. Witchy women besting men. I love it.

The Amalfi Curse gave me the same vibes as Diavola and The House of Last Resort - definitely less horror, but the rich history and heritage of Italy brought both to mind. It makes me crave a place I’ve never been. I absolutely loved every second I spent with this book - and I’m not ashamed to say I finished it in a day. 👀

I loved The Lost Apothecary, and I picked up that book because of its beautiful cover. I feel the same way about this one, although it wasn’t quite as good for me. Still a great read though!

We have a split timeline, half of the story is told in the 1800’s by Mari and Holmes, and half of the story in current day by Haven. I really love Mari and Holmes’ story, it made me cry and it was such a perfect story. Haven had a good story too, but it didn’t hit me quite the same. I didn’t feel as connected to Haven as much as I wanted to be. I was invested in the past stories, and the parts of Haven’s adventure that led to these stories. The author does a wonderful job by of layering these tidbits in between both timelines.

I enjoyed reading about the area; this isn’t the first book I’ve read about the Amalfi coast, and each time I read a new one, I want to go more. The story is descriptive and beautiful and enjoyable. The writing is very easy to read and follow as long as you can get behind a split timeline AND a multi POV. That’s my bread and butter though! 3.75⭐️

(4.5 stars rounded up where needed) THE AMALFI CURSE by Sarah Penner is an excellent example of women’s historical fiction/fantasy. This book combines historical fiction with magical realism effortlessly. This dual time line story follows the story of Haven Ambrose, a nautical archeologist, who had travelled to Positano, Italy to investigate shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. She planned to keep her deathbed promise to her father to search for gems he had located in his final dive before his death. As Haven searched for this treasure, she began to unravel a centuries old tale of witchcraft and one woman’s quest to save her lover and her village. This was a riveting, fascinating tale with one timeline following Haven’s quest and a second timeline telling the tale of a young stregheria, or sea witch, her lover, and the village that she loved. This is my first read by this author and I was impressed with her skill in weaving a compelling, well paced story which captured my interest within the first few chapters. I would definitely recommend this novel for readers who enjoy women’s historical fiction/fantasy with high intrigue and adventure. I will definitely be seeking out more books by this author in the future!

I received a free ARC of this novel via Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing. I am voluntarily writing this honest review.

What a wild adventure!! I'm normally not one to like dual timelines, but Sarah writes them in a way that I truly enjoy them. The mystery being investigated present day, while to the dramatic events occurred in the past creates a captivating story. I have the sudden urge to try scuba diving and shipwreck hunting, neither of which have I done in the past or thought to do so. For me that speaks to have phenomenally Sarah has written this story!!

This was an amazing read! The story captures you from the beginning. I enjoyed it so much that I purchased my own copy! You cheer for the main character, and of course, the description of Positano makes you feel like you are there. Will definitely be recommending this title!

I loved the setting, and witchy element of this book. But for some reason I felt like I struggled to connect with the characters. Both romances in each timeline felt underdeveloped and the pacing of the story felt slow.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this dual timeline story set on the beautiful Amalfi Coast. The story was interesting and lush. It is a great summer read. I do think the ending could have been a little more developed and satisfying. But, don't let that keep you from reading the story I enjoyed it!

3.75

This had such strong streghetta vibes—mystical, moody, and a little bit haunted in the best way. I don’t usually enjoy books with shifting timelines, but this one handled the structure really well and was super readable.

That said, I can’t quite put my finger on why it didn’t hit that 5-star mark for me. By the time I reached around 80%, I found myself just ready for it to be over. Still, I really liked the atmosphere and the storytelling—it was a solid read.

The synopsis of THE AMALFI CURSE sounded wonderful and just the kind of fantasy, dual timeline and historical fiction I normally love. For some reason, though, this book misses with me. I have started and restarted reading this book 5 times, and each time my mind wanders, yet again, during the opening scene. This book is widely loved and I’m just not the right reader for it. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

3.5⭐️
--
Interesting premise with witches, mystery, and the alluring setting of Positano. Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me and overall it was a little uninspiring. The romance aspect felt rushed and the characters were just alright. I did like the back and forth between the present and past and appreciated the multiple POVs as the mystery revealed itself throughout the story.

This is my first book by the author and I've definitely been missing out. I loved this magical adventure. Sarah Penner is a creative author with an awesome imagination. I will definitely read her backlist and anything she writes in the future.

I am always game for a book with some wonderfully written magical realism. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I thought the writing was beautiful. If I wasn’t sold before on going to the Amalfi coast, I am now. Book my ticket. But outside of that, everything was too predictable and too convenient. If you plan a trip to this area, I say go for it. If not, I’d pass on this book.

Quick recap without spoilers:
Haven Ambrose is a current-day archaeologist continuing her deceased father’s passion for archiving and researching shipwrecks. Her job lands her along the Amalfi coast investigating old artifacts, and she quickly learns of the sinister events in those waters. Haven’s story is about a few hundred years ago, a group of powerful women and how their powers work with the water. These two stories merge to solve the modern-day mystery of these dangerous waters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for the advance copy!

I really enjoyed this one! The Amalfi Curse is a beautifully written mix of history, fantasy, and adventure, set on the stunning Amalfi Coast. The story follows Haven, a modern-day archaeologist on a mission to uncover a sunken treasure her father once found, and Mari, a sea witch from the 1800s fighting to protect her coven.

The dual timelines work so well together, and the mix of magic, mystery, and romance kept me hooked. The setting is so vivid, it made me want to book a trip to Italy. If you're into strong female leads, hidden legacies, and a bit of sea-soaked magic, definitely add this to your reading list.

Magical and mysterious, Sarah Penner takes you on a journey along the high seas you won't soon forget!