Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle: An All-Time Favorite

Courtney Diles
May 16
2 min read

This is one of my favorite books of all time. It’s a book I can turn to when I need comfort or a laugh—or validation of the complications of aspiring motherhood. It defies formula and genre expectations in brilliant ways. Let’s dive in.

How Old Flames and New Fortunes Brilliantly Defies Formula

Part 1 of this book is “April Showers.” Conflicts abound. Romina ends up fake-dating her business partner after a bit gets out of hand, just in time for her ex-boyfriend to show up. Over time, it gets harder to tell whether their conversations are hateful sniping or flirty banter. This builds up into a car chase and a thunderous explosion of spice.

Part 2 is “May Flowers.” This book could have ended shortly after said spicy reconciliation, but I am so happy it doesn’t. It takes its time with the falling action, with the remaining conflict resolution, with the rebuilding of trust between the characters. It’s the kind of gradual intimacy you might find in a fanfiction of a book structured the way Part 1 is, but it’s all here in one sweet, spicy, floral bouquet of tones and aromas–and the combination works like an unexpected perfume.

How Old Flames and New Fortunes Brilliantly Defies Genre Expectations

The level of paranormal in this romance is… low. For some, that might be disappointing. For me, it’s tantalizing–and validating. It’s reflective of my reality in some unique ways.

Magical Synesthesia

I’m not saying I’ve witnessed real magic, but I’ve come across delightful serendipities worth wondering about. Some of these, I can now explain as synesthesia. Every letter of the alphabet and every number I read creates a color in my head; words and phrases have unique patterns and feels to them. Unique combinations of words, or the right word to use in a situation, have brighter and more delightful patterns

When Romina creates a bouquet, she knows she has the right combination of flowers when she unlocks a small, delightful memory. Her mind validates her instincts with sensory flashbacks and joy.

I could not love this more. I’m tearing up writing about it.

Representation of Modern Witchy Culture

I’ve met some green witches and countryside pagans who would love this almost-realistically subtle magical system, how it’s interwoven with beneficent intentions, and how it's wrapped up in a package of domestic longing and eventual bliss. It feels like a representation of modern witchy culture, or at least certain parts of it.

The Complications of Taking Care of the Children of Others

Trigger warning for mothers who have been separated from their children, and for women who stepped up into a mothering role only to be separated from the children they cared for. I'm not going to get too into this, but it's delicately and beautifully handled.