The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches: the heartwarming and uplifting magical romance

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Berkley Publishing Group and Sangu Mandanna provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for August 23, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine. The thing is, being a witch is extraordinary. It might seem sometimes that all we are is odd and different, but the truth is, we’re amazing. We’re part of the earth below us and the sky above us.” When she receives an anonymous message summoning her to a remote place called “Nowhere House” to teach magic to three young witches, she feels uncertain but goes there anyway. What follows is a cute, funny and sometimes dangerous adventure with Mika, her three young wards and their three not-so-young caretakers. Oh, and there’s Jamie too, who hates strangers. How will Mika adjust from being a loner to this sudden flurry of people in her life? Will she finally be able to settle in a place and call it home?

Sangu Mandanna spins a bewitching tale of found family, magic, and the power of love. Dark humor and bright writing abound in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, and readers are sure to be charmed.”— Award-winning author Suleikha Snyder Content warnings for: trauma, abandonment, child neglect (primarily emotional), loneliness, depression, death of a parent, grief, racism (challenged), homophobia (challenged), xenophobia (challenged), alcohol usage, What she did remember, in perfect, crystalline detail, was the loneliness. She remembered how much she’d longed for company. A parent, a sister, a friend. Someone who was there because they wanted to be and not because they were paid handsomely to be.Mika amuses herself by posting videos on line of her pretending to be a witch, expecting that no one would believe she really is one. But someone does see, thus the Help Wanted ad finding its way to her. And the game is afoot, or maybe a-broom.

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Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Mika-Jamie link is quite guessable. (Not complaining – the book is a Fantasy-Romance after all.) But what I loved was how naturally it developed. There’s no insta-lust but a friendship turning into attraction turning into something greater. Romances are always so much better when written in slow-burn style. Also, I hate it when there’s steam for the sake of it. This one has those scenes when they make sense in the narrative flow. I am a PUDDLE. This was one of the most wholesome, precious things I have read in my entire life. If you enjoy cozy fantasy tales with a bit of romance, a cast of very lovable characters, cottagecore vibes, and a heaping dose of found family, you absolutely need this on your radar because it includes all of that and more, and depicts it all brilliantly. I know I'm not the first to say this, but this book is absolutely a warm hug in the form of a book and I loved it. I already mentioned ball of fire, sarcastic, energetic, vivid Ian, who is Ken’s husband, living in a cottage next to Nowhere house. This book is like a warm welcome home and is sure to find itself being a comfort read for many… Mandanna’s first adult novel is a positively adorable romantic fantasy.” — Library Journal (STARRED review)A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family—and a new love—changes the course of her life. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a warm and witchy hug of a book. Full of endearing characters, romance and found family, it's the cozy magical romance you've been waiting for. I absolutely adored it!”—Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne this is a magic book, in that it is about magic, but also in that it granted me a wish: this is what i wanted the house on the cerulean sea to be. mixed with eva ibbotson.

Needless to say, things don’t quite go to plan when this eclectic bunch get together! The girls’ unintentional magic hijinks were particularly funny.

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This book was just adorable. It was relaxing, witchy story that talked about family, friends and love, and what is the most important, the relationship one has with themselves. The story is written in third person following Mika's POV, but there were also some parts that followed Jamie, the librarian. I was swept up in this enchanting story from the very beginning. The witty and descriptive writing helped me picture the events in my head vividly. I loved the witchy and festive vibes in this book. The plot was interesting and exciting and there were several plot twists that I didn't expect. The characters are each so complex and relatable. I loved Mika, she is resilient, strong, kind, independent, and caring. I loved her character development, she learned a lot about herself and realized that she does deserve to be loved and can be herself around the people who care for her. I love Jamie so much, he is kind, charming, caring, handsome, and protective. I really enjoyed seeing him grow and realize that he can move past his difficult childhood and that there is someone who cares for him. I really liked the side characters, especially Rosetta, Altamira, Ken and Ian. I loved Mika and Jamie's relationship, they are perfect for each other and are able to see that they complement each other. The slow-burn romance and chemistry between the characters was so good! I can relate to Mika and Jamie in a few ways, similar to Mika and Jamie, I love to read and like Jamie I am shy during social interactions. I really appreciated how the author discussed anxiety and the difficult situations that the characters dealt with. The ending was so good and I'm so happy that Mika and Jamie got a happy ending! A magical tale about finding yourself and making a found family that will leave the reader enchanted.

This gorgeously cozy romantic fantasy sparkles with real magic, love, and joy. A perfect comfort read.”—Stephanie Burgis, author of Scales and Sensibility and SnowspelledAs one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously. We’ve talked about this,” said Jamie mildly. “Murder can’t be your first choice every time you don’t like something.” As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules… with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos “pretending” to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously. Overall: very eccentric, huggable, vivid characters, heartwarming chapters, romance, magic, secrets, entertaining schemes: I’m sold! This is so amazing! I hope I can read more secret society books in near future! As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for…