Title: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 336
Release Date: 23 August 2022
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Hello fellow book lovers, today I’m sharing my review of Sangu Mandanna’s The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. It’s a cozy and heartwarming hug of a book that, like it’s utterly loveable protagonist will melt even the coldest—and grumpiest—of hearts.
Synopsis
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.
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.
But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.
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 when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for....
Review
It’s a lighthearted (and Hallmark-worthy) tale of love, acceptance, found family and human connection that I literally couldn’t put down.
I loved every second of this adorably sweet and wholesome, witchy romance. It’s Practical Magic meets Mary Poppins premise was utterly perfect! Having sped through this at a record pace, I definitely feel like I’ll be floating on the lighthearted, feel good vibes for a long while to come!
The word building was really good if a little light, but the characters were exceptionally well written and complex which I really enjoyed—I loved the found family that this endearing, rag tag group creates and really brings to mind the feel good/cozy vibes I get from T.J Klune’s books.
Mika, our loveable protagonist was absolutely phenomenal, she’s such an endearing and optimistic person who manages to see the good in almost everyone—even when they try to exploit her kind-hearted nature. Having grown up away from children her own age and with a revolving door of tutors and nannies—it’s not difficult to see just how lonely and guarded she is, never staying in one place longer than six months. But her blossoming confidence and growing friendships (with Ian, Lucie, Ken, Jamie and the girls) were such a delight to watch unfold—especially when seeing just how happy having a place to belong (and finally call home) made Mika.
I also loved all three of the girls (Rosetta, Terracotta and Altamira) and really enjoyed how adorably cheeky they were—though they had each other (something Mika never did) it was great to see just how much being around a fellow witch who could help them control their powers and give insight into their unique situations really helped them to thrive. Especially the sassy firecracker,Terracotta who was pretty set against Mika to begin with.
I adored the swoon worthy, slow burn romance between Mika and cranky librarian, Jamie and watching Mika’s sunshine personality slowly break down Jamie’s stony defences was an absolute delight!
Overall, this gently humorous contemporary fantasy is full of endearing, larger than life characters and a whimsically uplifting plot that you’ll find yourself fully immersed in—and if you’re anything like me, you won’t want it to end!
I definitely recommend checking this out if you love sunshine/grump, found family or cozy slice of life-style fiction.
A massive thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the e-arc.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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