Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall

My post

5/5 stars

Calliope and her sisters are lightcraft witches who have been charged with protecting a dark secret with their memory magic. When a shadowcrafter comes to town and forms an unexpected bond with Calliope, secrets begin to unravel and the sisters are forced to face their family's hidden past.

This book was marketed as Pride and Prejudice meets Charmed, immediately catching my attention. I was not disappointed.

The dark tone invited me in, just as it invited the characters to face the things they were using their magic to run from. The messages of self-acceptance kept me hooked - they were littered throughout the story but they never felt overdone.

Calliope and Lucien were fantastic lead characters with well-developed backstories of their own combining to create an electric chemistry between them. The fact that they helped each other through their traumas without their respective darknesses ever making it feel toxic or wrong really warmed my heart. I also found great character development in some of the secondary characters, particularly the sisters.

The cherry on the cake with this book was the number of genuine surprises I had while reading. They added so much depth to the world and kept the story feeling fresh and engaging from start to finish.

Things have been left open for potential follow-ups, which I really hope we get, as it feels like the Petridi sisters have so much more to give.

Book blurb

In the small town of Gold Springs, Calliope Petridi and her two sisters carefully guard the secret of their magic and the price they must pay to practise it: memories. Luckily, all Calliope wants to do is forget: the mother who left without a trace, the sisters from whom she feels increasingly distant, and most of all, the way the love of her life shattered her heart two years ago.

But when an ancient evil awakens, the fragile thread that holds the sisters together breaks. As their magic slowly begins to fade, Calliope accidentally binds herself to the handsome leader of a rival coven infamous for their ruthless pursuit of power. Battling the sizzling chemistry with a man she can't trust, Calliope must confront painful memories of her past, dark family secrets, and ancient magic in order to protect the town and all she loves.

But will she have anything left of herself?

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You can buy the book here now. It was published by Aria.

For more on the author, you can follow her on Instagram, or check out her Goodreads page.