The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle: Book Review

Okay, before we dive in, two important things you need to know about me:

1. I am one of the biggest Sarah Hogle fans alive. You Deserve Each Other is my holy grail of rom-coms.
   
2. I absolutely did not enjoy Old Flames and New Fortunes, the first book in this series. It just didn’t click for me, and I was low-key heartbroken about it. So when I picked up The Folklore of Forever, I was mentally preparing myself for more disappointment, but also hoping for a miracle.
   

Spoiler: the miracle happened.

Spoiler-free thoughts first: This book is so much better than Old Flames and New Fortunes. It’s a return to the familiar Sarah Hogle kookiness and charm, and I loved it. The romance is so cute too, and surprisingly steamy. This is a great cozy read with a pinch of magic!

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• My rating: 4.5 ⭐
• Is it spicy? Yes.
• Standalone or series? Part two in a series of interconnected novels, but each is about a different sister and can be read as a standalone.
• Read if: You want a cozy romance story with magic, something with Practical Magic vibes and some great comedy!

The Plot

This story follows Morgan and Zelda, two delightfully awkward weirdos who bumble their way through the magical town of Moonville, ghost-hunting, looking for magical creatures and falling in love. Morgan is desperate to be a witch. Zelda is a witch, but she needs a minute (or a few hundred pages) to truly accept it.

It’s a cozy, whimsical fantasy world where nearly everyone is a little bit magical and everything’s just a tad odd. Unlike the first book, where the worldbuilding didn’t quite land for me, this time around I fell completely in love with Moonville. The shops, the town lore, the legends, the small magical details, everything felt rich and alive. I was charmed.

If you’re looking for a steamy romance packed with swoony declarations and sexy tension, this ain’t that. But if you’re in the mood for something quirkier, and sneakily heartfelt, you’re in the right place.

The Writing

Sarah Hogle’s writing is always a win for me. She writes in first-person present tense, which normally isn’t my thing but somehow, she always makes it work. Her prose is clever, creative, and packed with personality. The banter is excellent and even the inner monologues are funny and relatable.

Every page feels alive with voice and wit, and I found myself highlighting random thoughts just because they made me smile.

The Romance

At first, I was thrown. Morgan seems halfway in love with Zelda immediately (I’m not even kidding, it’s in the first chapter). So, I was bracing for insta-love or at the very least insta-lust. And then a lovely surprise: it didn’t work out that way. There’s a little, tiny twist that makes it all make sense and add a bit of tension to the story. 

Their romance unfolds slowly and gently, full of awkward moments. They’re both so weird and so naturally their relationship is also weird but so much fun.

And while it’s not steam-heavy or full of dramatic tension, when the romantic moments do happen, they’re incredible. Because by then, you care.

The Characters

Zelda

Zelda is, no joke, one of the most relatable characters I’ve ever read. I swear Sarah Hogle cracked open my brain, scooped out my thoughts, and put them directly into Zelda’s narration. Her inner world, her thoughts about writing, her odd little observations, the way she interacts with people, all of it felt familiar.

And don’t even get me started on her relationship with the forest. She talks about playing there as a child, inventing stories, imagining magical creatures… That was literally me. I spent my whole childhood doing exactly that, and it felt so special to see it captured here. 

All of that believing in magic more than anyone as a child, but then becoming a skeptic as an adult, needing everything to be proven, that’s also me. And I wish someone could swoop in and tell me I have actual magic too. 

I would read ten books about Zelda. No plot needed. Just her wandering around Moonville thinking about weird stuff and being a witch.

Morgan

Morgan is a sweetheart. He’s goofy and awkward, endlessly kind, and just a little bit ridiculous. I did have a hard time picturing him at first (because his fashion sense is… odd, let’s just say), but once he settled into the story, I adored him.

What I appreciated most was that, even when the story gets a bit spicier, Morgan didn’t suddenly become this smooth-talking standard romance hero. He stayed Morgan, kind, silly and very much himself.

The Side Characters

In the first book, the side characters kind of overwhelmed me. There were so many of them and I didn’t feel connected to any. This time around, I loved them.

Zelda’s family was especially great. Luna, Trevor, Alex (who I hated in the first book but actually liked here!), and even Goldie.

I’m especially excited to see what happens with Luna. She’s the classic eldest daughter who holds everything together and I saw so much of myself in her too. She’s got a story of her own coming, and I’ll be first in line to read it.

Final Thoughts

The Folklore of Forever completely surprised me. I went in expecting another letdown, and instead got a soft, magical, heartwarming story that made me laugh, made me feel things, and made me fall completely in love with Moonville and its weird little residents.

If Sarah Hogle wants to keep writing stories about Morgan and Zelda just living their strange little lives together, I will read every single one. Make it a detective-style series. Give me Moonville Mysteries. I’ll take twenty.