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adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you, NetGalley and Park Row Books, for the opportunity to read this ARC!
If you’ve ever wondered what a female-led Indiana Jones movie, set in Italy, featuring nautical archaeology would be like…then look no further! The latest from Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary and The London Séance Society has plenty of treasure hunting, archive sleuthing, star-crossed romance…and even a little witchcraft.
I was immediately hooked by Haven’s search for her late father’s final discovery among the shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. The plot flips back and forth between her story and that of Mari DeLuca, a 19th-century strega, or sea-witch, who has power over the ocean and falls in love with an American sailor.
While I loved the historical aspect of both storylines and the dual POVs, I found my attention lagging around the midpoint. It takes a beat to figure out how the two timelines intertwine and I wish there’d been more hints along the way to keep me hooked. But once the stories meet up, the pacing gets quick, with everything coming together in a really satisfying way!
I also loved the coastal Italian setting and how the beauty of Positano and the surrounding cities amplified the brewing danger beneath the waves. It’s obvious that a lot of research went into this book and I definitely sensed that authenticity.
Historical romance and magical realism fans will love this one!
If you’ve ever wondered what a female-led Indiana Jones movie, set in Italy, featuring nautical archaeology would be like…then look no further! The latest from Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary and The London Séance Society has plenty of treasure hunting, archive sleuthing, star-crossed romance…and even a little witchcraft.
I was immediately hooked by Haven’s search for her late father’s final discovery among the shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. The plot flips back and forth between her story and that of Mari DeLuca, a 19th-century strega, or sea-witch, who has power over the ocean and falls in love with an American sailor.
While I loved the historical aspect of both storylines and the dual POVs, I found my attention lagging around the midpoint. It takes a beat to figure out how the two timelines intertwine and I wish there’d been more hints along the way to keep me hooked. But once the stories meet up, the pacing gets quick, with everything coming together in a really satisfying way!
I also loved the coastal Italian setting and how the beauty of Positano and the surrounding cities amplified the brewing danger beneath the waves. It’s obvious that a lot of research went into this book and I definitely sensed that authenticity.
Historical romance and magical realism fans will love this one!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.75 ⭐️
An atmospheric dual-timeline and multi-pov story filled with Italian summer vibes, sea witches, archaeological and historical intrigue, and mystery. This was a delight!
As my first book by this author, I had no idea what to expect in terms of writing style but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The past and present timelines intertwined so well, I found myself reading a chapter set in the past and then in the present and could see how the threads of the past wove into the modern day timeline which was so satisfying! I will say that although the first 10 ish percent immediately caught my attention, after that up until maybe 65% it did feel like a bit of a slog. But I read the last bit in one sitting because everything was weaving together and I was on the edge of my seat to find out how the story would resolve, and Sarah Penner absolutely delivered on a satisfying ending which definitely boosted the rating of this book for me.
Something important to note is that our character in the present timeline, Haven, is a nautical archaeologist and much of the plot is filled with technical jargon and is very career focused. This was a huge plus for me as an aspiring anthropologist who is very interested in all the related fields to that subject, but I could see how this would be a turn off for some people. I really enjoyed the scenes of Haven in the archives. Even so, I still found myself connecting more with the past timeline as I really enjoyed Mari and Holmes as characters as well as their storyline just a bit more than Haven and the modern storyline. I was at times frustrated with the characters and their choices but the ending really wrapped everything up and I was very pleased. I definitely recommend picking this one up this summer!
A huge thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Suicide, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Finished reading: April 10th 2025
"Sometimes, the greatest treasure to be found is... love."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Park Row in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I really enjoyed Sarah Penner's debut, and I've been looking forward to read more of her work ever since. I admit that I still have to read her previous book, but I couldn't resist adding her newest story The Amalfi Curse as soon as I first heard about it. Then again, I always have a weak spot for stories set in Italy... Plus, the dual timeline, the diving angle and the witchcraft element sounded all fascinating. And I have to say that this story has only put this author even firmer on my radar!
The Amalfi Curse uses a dual timeline structure, which I admit doesn't always work that well for me. I usually prefer one much over the other, but thankfully this story turned out to be an exception and I loved both timelines equally. There is the 1821 timeline with its focus on the sea witches, the magic as well as a forbidden romance... This timelines has multiple POVs, although the main focus is on Mari and her complicated situation. The present timeline mainly focuses on nautical archeologist Haven, who is currently in Positano both on a job and on a mission to find the secret treasure her father failed to retrieve before he died. This timeline also had romance, although it wasn't as present.
One of the things I loved about The Amalfi Curse is without doubt the Italian setting. The Amalfi Coast really comes alive in both timelines, and I loved the many descriptions of the village of Positano in both the past and present. There is a strong focus on the sea of course, with the sea witches in the 1812 timeline and the sunken treasure and diving in the present. I especially loved the mention of the magic of the sea witches and learning more about the curse and everything the magic entailed... The witchcraft element is without doubt one of the main reasons this story ended up standing out to me.
Both timelines have plenty moments of suspense along the way, and as a result it was VERY hard to put this story down. I was fully invested in what was happening to the women in both timelines, although if I have to choose only one timeline I think the 1821 one is just a tiny bit more engaging with the very present witchcraft and imminent danger the women are in. I also loved the chapters set on board of the ship... But the present timeline with the diving scenes and treasure hunt was very entertaining as well.
I don't want to give away too much of the story, but what I can say that if you enjoy rich, immersive and well developed dual timeline stories with a dose of magic as well as romance, I cannot recommend The Amalfi Curse enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Yet as Mari grew older, her suspicions matured. Like prying a mussel shell open with a knife, Mari eventually understood that some people - women, especially- tucked away their most tender secrets." - Sarah Penner, The Amalfi Curse
Wow, just wow! I am a huge fan of Penner's other books and her writing style, and The Amalfi Curse did not disappoint. As per Penner's previous works, this story is separated between two timelines, some witchy magic, and multiple points of view. Both sets of stories coming together to shed light on a long lost treasure near Positano, and the history and magic that has made this treasure so longed for. Follow the journeys of Mari and Haven as their stories intertwine despite them taking place hundreds of years apart. Overall, this book was 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars.
Characters 4/5 - I love having multiple points of view within a story. It just makes it feel much richer to me. I grew very attached to Haven, Mari, and Holmes. You can't help but want the best for all of them as they each learn more about The Amalfi Curse.
Wow, just wow! I am a huge fan of Penner's other books and her writing style, and The Amalfi Curse did not disappoint. As per Penner's previous works, this story is separated between two timelines, some witchy magic, and multiple points of view. Both sets of stories coming together to shed light on a long lost treasure near Positano, and the history and magic that has made this treasure so longed for. Follow the journeys of Mari and Haven as their stories intertwine despite them taking place hundreds of years apart. Overall, this book was 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars.
Characters 4/5 - I love having multiple points of view within a story. It just makes it feel much richer to me. I grew very attached to Haven, Mari, and Holmes. You can't help but want the best for all of them as they each learn more about The Amalfi Curse.
Plot 5/5 - Penner has a knack for weaving together multiple timelines within the same book and creating a richer plot through that storytelling ability. Once I got about 25% through the book, I was absolutely hooked and could not put it down. My heart was preparing for the worst at every page turn. I felt that there was a solid beginning, middle, and end to the plot. I really loved the Epilogue. It felt like it put a nice bow on top.
Pacing 5/5 - Penner did a great job of introducing the characters, the lore, the setting, and then creating some mystery as we followed Haven and Mari's timelines. The story felt easy to follow and it didn't feel like any parts drug on or were unnecessary.
Writing 5/5 - I love Penner's writing style and appreciate when authors do their best to honor the time period they are writing about. I did not struggle to picture any of the scenes and the story did not take random, hard to follow, twists and turns. I also felt the writing wasn't cringey and was enjoyable to read. The small amount of Italian that was used in the story added to the book and I appreciated the glossary at the start.
World Building 4/5 - The story was easy to follow and I understood where things were at geographically. The story takes place in Italy on the Amalfi coast in the town of Positano. From there, Penner does a great job of guiding us along as the story develops and as Haven broadens her research throughout Italy.
Overall 5/5 - This book was very difficult to put down once I got started. I love time period books, all things witchy and magical, and getting to have different perspectives within the same story. THANK YOU to Sarah Penner herself for sending me a copy of the ARC. It was a privilege to dive into The Amalfi Curse prior to its official release date. This book is definitely worth a pre-order!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death