Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

I absolutely loved this! Found family is one of my favourite tropes, if not my number one favourite, and it was executed flawlessly here. I loved that it was multigenerational all within one home, too, this is something I don’t come across in things that I read and I always adore it when I do. It was incredible wholesome, cutesy and with the best setting - a little isolated house with a library and a garden?! Yes please.

I connected and enjoyed every single main character. The romance was cute, although I would have liked it to be a little more in depth. With everything going on, though, it did make more sense for it to be more of a subplot.

I don’t re-read books very often but I suspect I will be returning to this again in the future, especially when I want something comforting. The book equivalent of drinking a hot chocolate with rain pouring outside in the peace and quiet, cozy on a sofa with a blanket.

I did have some issues with it, despite my five star rating. These were that we were told about what was happening and what the characters were feeling, which was off putting. I like to be shown and not told, or spoon fed things that I can figure out myself. Another thing was that it was jarring to be in something so cute and wholesome and fluffy and then suddenly there was swearing and sex? Which I don’t particularly mind reading about, but it was so…out of place? It didn’t feel like it fit here, at all.

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singalana's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I badly wanted to like this book, but it fell a bit short for me.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a fantasy novel about Mika Moon - a witch who has been taught not to attract any attention to herself. Until she attracts attention and is invited to a strange household to teach three small girls - all of whom are witches as well. Mika has to teach the girls how to control their magic, and while she does that, she gets to know the unconventional family living in Nowhere House.

I’m unfamiliar with the author’s previous work, but she has some interesting ideas, so it might be worth checking out. The cover art is absolutely stunning, and the typesetting was very pleasing to read. The magic in this book is charming and earthy, but there's one bit that felt a bit strange to me and needed more explanation.

Now, on to the characters: Mika Moon, our protagonist, is a loner out of necessity. She is the sunshine in this sunshine vs. grumpy romantic trope. The grump of the story is Jamie, the Nowhere House’s librarian. Other characters include Ian - a meddling ball of elderly energy, and his spouse, Ken. Then there is the housekeeper, Lucie, and finally, the three little witches: Altamira, Rosetta and Terracotta. It’s hard to describe the characters because it feels like they’ve been written with one defining characteristic, and that’s it.

The story itself feels quite low-stakes. It’s more about the vibes: the found family and the sunshine versus the grump. There are a few twists at the end, one of which I guessed, but I didn’t mind. You don’t pick up a cosy book to be sucker-punched with unexpected plot twists. The tension feels slightly lacklustre, and I wonder if the book could have maybe even done without it? Or could it have been better to focus entirely on the relationships within the Nowhere House?

Then there’s the romance. I didn’t quite feel the attraction, but I wasn’t opposed to it either. The book is not very spicy. Again, it’s mostly vibes. There are some sweet and romantic moments, but maybe if the story's focus had been a little bit different, the romance would have had more time to grow and be more convincing. It’s a charming book that has its moments, but to me, it needs something more. bit

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bexi's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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dancing_dryad_85's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

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gnukiwi's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

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theothergrl's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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lunep's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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glitterdeww's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A very sweet and cozy story! This had lovely characters, charming magic, and with anything British, so... MUCH... TEA. This book is predominantly about the vibes and the comfort. There are stakes laid out for plot, but at no point did I feel truly worried or unsure of what was going to happen.

Also, and without looking up any press that may have covered this with the author... Mandanna 100% wrote Ian McKellen as one of these characters, right? 🤣

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