ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

"The House in the Cerulean Sea meets Practical Magic". I knew this book had to be mine.

Mika Moon, a 31-year-old witch, is a member of The Secret Society of Witches. Just like every witch, she's an orphan and was raised by Primrose, the leader of their group of witches. Primrose believed that all witches needed to live alone, far away from others of their magical kind, so as to be safer and more protected and they must respect this strict rule. However, Mika grew up lonely: she never stayed too long in the same place, always moving, and never making friends. The only way she felt connected to other people was when she started making witchy videos on YouTube, and that's how she was found by Ian Kubo-Hawthorn, who lived at Nowhere House. She was offered a job to help three little orphan witches (10-year-old Rosetta, 8-year-old Terracotta and 7-year-old Altamira) control their powers and prevent an upcoming disaster. Will Mika accept this job and live with other witches (and breaking Primrose's rule)? And what is going to happen?

This! book! is! so! cute! and! heartwarming! It's beautifully written and it's very easy to read.
I loved every single character and I didn't find any of them annoying (except, sometimes, for Terracotta, but I also found her such a funny little witchy girl who likes talking about murder). My love for Ian, Ken and Jamie is huge and my love for Rosetta and Mika is even bigger than that.
I liked Mika a lot, I really loved her and I felt so close to her. It was almost like we were the same person. She's probably the first character I can actually completely relate to, especially when she talks about her loneliness and how she runs aways because scared of putting herself on the line and getting hurt. She had never received love and she wasn't even sure to be deserving of it. But she was. She did deserve a lot of it. And I am so thankful to Jamie for being there for her and for letting her know she was fine the way she was. For once I felt understood. It also made me cry heh.
I found the beginning a bit slow-paced and then when Mika moved to Nowhere House, all of a sudden, everything happend way too fast for my liking: I just wanted to savour every little moment a bit more slowly.
Moreover, I would have preferred if this book were a bit longer (about 100 pages more, or even less). I just didn't want for it to end.

"Mika has been so deeply hurt that she has taught herself to run before she can lay down roots, but the thing you have to remeber, Jamie, is that when someone leaves, all you can do is leave a window open for them so that one day, if they choose, they can come back."

My rating: full 4!

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a joyous, magical, wholesome book about found family and finding the people who accept and love you for exactly who you are.

This book is a lighthearted, comforting and surprisingly funny read. All of the characters were engaging and likeable. One of the children makes a rather annoying decision, but that is to be expected; since when does an 8 year old listen to their guardians? The children were portrayed very well and I really liked their interactions with the various adults. There are some deeper themes explored, e.g. childhood trauma, but these are handled well and don't detract from the main plot. I also liked the diversity of the characters.

The romance is swoon worthy, the Grumpy/Sunshine trope is very cute. I loved that the romance really added to the story and didn't overshadow the main plot. I also loved the dynamic between the found family, the children were hilarious at times. The plot twist really got me and the ending was very sweet.

This book was an absolute joy to read and if you're in the mood for a witchy, swoon worthy romance, this is definitely for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love the world that Mandanna has created in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, it’s the world we all know, with the -isms, the bigotry, the fear of differences, and on top of that has been added a layer of shimmering gold and mystery. The issues that the characters experience are ones that the reader will likely be familiar with, even if they don’t experience them personally, but there is also the added fear of being discovered, of being tormented and tortured purely because of the ability they were born with that makes them different.

Mika, our main protagonist grew up motherless, a curse that all witches face. Because of this, she was raised by a series of nannies and tutors. Unfortunately, when they discovered her talents they used her for them, until the point where her disinterested guardian, Primrose, discovered the truth and wiped their memories. Therefore, Mika has gone through her life alone, somewhat envious of the bonds others have been able to make and wishing that she could truly be herself and find people who accepted her.

And that’s where this story really begins. Mika is a loner, a nomad who rarely settles anywhere for more than a few months, partly because of her fear of being discovered. But when she gets an unusual invitation from Nowhere House in Norfolk, she is curious enough to want to find out what it is they need from her.

The collection of people at Nowhere House is not only interesting but incredibly different, yet they seem to balance each other out. We have Ian a very exuberant and eager older man who comes across as incredibly genuine, and then we have his partner, Ken who does his best to keep Ian and his eagerness under control. There’s Lucie, who comes across as very sensible but has this very motherly vibe about her and gruff Jamie, who we later discover has many facets, the least of which is the fact that he is incredibly attractive.

The adults are interesting, but the real reason Mika has been asked to visit this house that glimmers with magic is due to three young girls, Terracotta, Rosetta and Altamira. They’re no ordinary, precocious and sometimes bloodthirsty children, they’re witches and they need help to get their magic under control. They need to learn not to set things on fire, to know how to get down when they start levitating, how to ensure a burst of temper does not lead to an explosion.

And for some reason their adult guardians think that Mika is the person for the job.

I really enjoyed this book, I liked that it wasn’t about immediate acceptance. Everyone had to learn about trust, and learn to trust that they weren’t going to hurt each other. Though Mika was immediately attracted to Jamie, she was reticent, unwilling to open herself up, and give him the ability to hurt her.

Every character in this book has a past that is revealed at the right time, and it doesn’t only relate to magic, which gives the characters and the story further depth. There is a twist that I never saw coming, and I am really glad I didn’t, because it was a pleasant and unexpected surprise.

But most of all I enjoyed the way that none of the characters actually changed, their core personality traits remained the same though they grew as people.

The book showed that letting people in doesn’t have to make you different, just makes you a better version of the person you are (of course, if you are a ‘good’ person to begin with).

Probably the most important message in this book is that there are nice people and there are kind people, and you don’t have to be one to be the other, but being kind is better.

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️

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.

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 everyone else living in the house 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.

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 or to follow the rules and run.

This is a story of finding where you belong and that friends are indeed the family you choose for yourself. In this heartwarming and cosy witchy book, you’ll want to cheer for Mika and be happy when she’s happy and sad when she’s sad; and in the end all you’ll want is for her to thrive and be happy!

I always love when the plot is in England, maybe because I now live there, I just have an extra soft spot for it. The characters are all so lovely and it’s amazing how you get to find out about everyone’s own story. The writing is easy to follow and build-up very nicely up to the climax and then down to the epilogue without leaving you hanging. And best of all? It’s a gorgeous stand-alone!

Please keep an eye on my bookstagram (@maria_bookshelf) as a review post is coming out on the release day!

A charming romance filled with magic.

This book gives off major House in the Cerulean Sea vibes, from the cover to the person summoned to a house to help three orphans in need.

The characters were believable and I rooted for them the entire way through. The romance was gorgeous and the found family was one of the best I’ve read!!

It fell a little flat for me in some points, with me skimming through paragraphs to stop myself becoming bored, but I still think this is a must read for romance and magic lovers and supporters of anything witchy!

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Charming, full of heart and a warm burst of comfort The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is an absolute delight! I feel cosy fantasy is really having it's moment and this is a fantastic addition to the genre. Very reminiscent of the House by the Cerulean Sea this is a heart-warming tale of found family, unconditional love and magic.

We follow Mika Moon, a young witch who gets recruited to help out at a mysterious house called the Nowhere House with the training of 3 young witches. Witches in England have to keep themselves secret and follow the Rules™ which include not gathering and living together, so 3 young witches together, if they were discovered would be quite the scandal. Mika who has never set down roots her whole life begins to find a home at the nowhere house and with it's eclectic mix of residents and handsome scowling librarian and starts to question whether she can truly find somewhere she can belong for good.

The residents of Nowhere House include Rosetta, Terracotta and Altamira the three young rebellious witches who Mika is there to train in the ways of magic. Rosetta is calm and quiet, Terracotta is out to murder Mika when she first arrives and generally hostile and Altamira is the sweetest little excitable cinnamon roll! I loved all three of the girls and seeing their growth through the book and them growing closer with Mika was so cute!!! I love young children in books and am a sucker for caring for children themes. We also have Ian and Ken, an older couple who have lived at Nowhere house a long time. Ian is exuberant and always up to mischief and Ken is his fond but exasperated husband and I loved them so much!! We also have Lucie the housekeeper, a motherly figure and then Jamie the librarian, who is a bit of grump but has a heart of gold and cares very much for his young wards and with whom Mika can't help but feel sparks fly.

This book is very much a slice of life fantasy, it's quite low stakes and low conflict but this is actually something I really like in books and feels like the perfect remedy to an increasingly fraught and depressing reality. The main emotional stakes from the book come from Mika's emotional journey in learning to let others in and find a place she can call home (which I think is relatable to us all) as well as her relationships with the other characters.

I wouldn't call this book a romance but there is a romantic subplot which I loved!! Mika and Jamie are such a grumpy/sunshine pairing which I am an absolute sucker for. I also thought the build-up to the relationship was great, they were a bit prickly with each other at first but the development of the relationship felt very natural.

I loved the magic and witchy vibes in this book. I feel like often in witchy books I'm disappointed but I absolutely loved the magic in this one. This is such a bad way to describe it lol but it honestly felt so magical and full of wonder. Additionally I loved the focus of Mika's magic being on magical potions and teas - a good cup of tea can heal most ailments in my opinion and all the tea just added to the comfort factor. The botanical element to the magic I loved as well and being near the seaside - it all just added to the cosiness!

The whole setting and descriptions of Nowhere House were all so relaxing and created a beautiful atmosphere. The prose was quiet but also felt a bit like a warm hug with a light undertone of humour and charm that paired with the excellent characters just helped to make this book an absolute joy to read.

In summary this book feels like a warm cup of tea with a biscuit on a blustery autumn day. It's a beautiful break from a busy world that sucks you in and is easily readable in an afternoon. It will leave you full of hope, joy and comfort <3

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a perfect cosy witchy romance full of wit, warmth and heart. I instantly missed the company of these charming characters once I’ve reached the end and found myself rereading the book to specifically mark favourite passages and chapters. Something I rarely do, because how am I supposed to put this book back into my shelf?

Witch Mika Moon receives a message in her inbox begging her to travel to The mysterious Nowhere House to work as a live-in tutor for three out-of-control young witches. But surly that can’t be possible as witches always live alone for safety? Mika knows she shouldn’t take this job, but the idea of sharing her passion for potions and spells is hard to resist. Before long, she finds herself a welcomed part of their little found family, with the notable exception of a certain steely grey eyed librarian. When a threat comes knocking at their door, will Mika be able to risk everything to protect them?

Magic plays a huge part of the book and there’s a real whimsical beauty in the way that Sangu Mandanna describes the casting of a spell or even the simple act of gathering ingredients for a magical tea or potion. Her writing instils a deep sense of wonder and she weaves these little delightful tendrils of magic throughout the novel like little treasures waiting to be discovered with the turn of a page.

The main character Mika’s charismatic personality lies in her sunny disposition; always ready with an easy smile and funny quips, it’s hard not to fall under her spell. What I loved the most about her is that underneath all the sunshine and kindness, Mika is a very emotionally damaged character who’s past has never truly allowed her to feel comfortable with forming attachments to people. It’s what makes her so relatable and appealing as a main character, because isn’t that what we all want to find in life? A place to belong and people who truly love you just as you are?

The inhabitants of Nowhere House, a mysterious absent archaeologist, a nurturing housekeeper, a prickly librarian, a steadfast gardener, a mischievous retired actor and three unlikely witches, form an unlikely family unit, but their fierce devotion to one another is incredibly heart-warming proving that sometimes family can be the one you choose and commit to rather than the one you are born into.

It’s been a very long time since I can honestly say that I’ve read, loved and can’t wait to recommend a “happy” book. For fans of romance, the slow burn and tension between Jamie and Mika is so swoon worthy that I’m very tempted to haunt dusty library stacks in search of a devastatingly handsome scowly librarian to call my own. For those who are not, there is a real depth to this story beyond a simple romance. There are moments of piercing emotional insight, of real growth and healing for multiple characters which gives the book real weight and makes it memorable. It’s a wonderful magical tale and one I’ll be happily revisiting over and over again in the future.

Thank you so much to the publishers, Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an advanced reading copy of the book. It’s absolutely beautiful and I can’t wait to get the finished edition.

4.5 stars

When I started this book, I didn't know what to expect. In the end, I loved The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches with all my heart. It was such a beautiful, heartwarming surprise. The story hooked me from the start and I adored every single character. We have magic, found family, funny moments, adorable relationships and grumpy-sunshine romance. But this book also touches important topics: how being different can affect your life, how it can be lonely to never belong anywhere, how it's hard to trust someone, open up with them and let them see the most vulnerable part of yourself.

“It was wildly foolish to get attached, to care, because she had never belonged anywhere and had never been enough for anybody.”

It's not easy to found the right people. But when you do, when you found the person who acceptes and loves you for who you are, warts and all... then all the pain and suffering were somehow worth it.

“It's not always enough to go looking for the place we belong. Sometimes we need to make that place.”

Adored this book so much and I have no doubt that I will be getting myself a copy when it's finally out to the world.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is about Mika Moon, a witch who wanted a sense of belonging and a passion for her magic despite the Rules of Witches she has been taught since she was little that states she's not allowed to gather with other witches and attract attention. When Mika discovered that three girls in Norfolk are witches and living together when the family contacted her - she decided to help them learn how to control their magic due to upcoming circumstances that are happening at the house.

This book took me by surprise because I didn't expect it to be as wholesome and heartwarming as I expected it to be. I loved that the plot feels low stake and it's just a book that will fill you up with happiness and warmth when you turn the pages. Like Mika who found a home in the Nowhere House, I found home in this little chaotic family as well. Like Mika also, I can't help but grew attached to these people from the start. I love the little shenanigans, the way Mika bonds with the girls, Ian, Ken, Lucie and Jamie, and how all the relationships in this book made me feel warm. I was also not expecting romance in this book so I was pleasantly surprised to see there is one between Jamie and Mika.

That being said, this book worked for me because books with little to no plot that brings serotonin is just something I enjoyed reading. The world building in this book is minimal and it's not so much a plot-driven book as it is a character-driven one. The magic is something in the background that propels the story forward (and yet you'll feel it everywhere in the story) but the star of this book is definitely the characters and the genuineness of their love between each other. This book felt like a hug to me and I just adore it to bits for that.

Is there a better feeling than finding a new comfort read? I think not.

This book hit all the right spots for me, it was such a wonderful reading experience. The writing style is extremely fun and super engaging, and this book has a cast of characters you will absolutely fall in love with.

The book deals with a lot of themes that are basically my kryptonite, like loneliness, feeling different from others in society, and finding a home despite that. I don't think I could ever dislike the found family trope, especially if it consists of unconventional family structures, so I will surely be rereading this lots.

A really great plot with witches at the centre, witchiness the reason for everyone being together and yet just a gentle romance and a look at how people learn to love themselves in order to love others. Mika is a witch and is considered the only person to help out with 3 children witches and a plot to trick a lawyer. She gives it her all despite never settling for long in any one place and there is a glimmer of hope that she will be able to put down roots for once. Things are never that simple though.

One word description of this book: Cute!

Mika is a witch, a real one (but also a fake one - more on that later). Her life is fairly itinerant – moving on every few months to stop herself becoming too attached to anyone or anywhere. Every few months, for only a few hours, she meets up with a group of other witches: they share spells, have a chat and then go their separate ways – this is what keeps them safe. But they still need to look out for each other because witches are cursed. Whenever a witch is born, their parents will die shortly after. Primrose, the witch who took in Mika, has very firm ideas of what life should be like for witches and is very strict about following the rules, hence Mika's fear of becoming too attached.

However, after Mika starts sharing fake witchy videos online, she receives a surprising email- Witch Wanted — someone needs a witch, a real witch – and they’re convinced she’s it. This leads to Mika accepting a job as a tutor for three young witches at Nowhere House and meeting the rest of the charmingly chaotic household.
The setting, the characters – just the general cottagecore aesthetic vibes – are warm and lovely with a strong found-family element and a sunshine/grumpy romance involving the librarian. It's not all fluff, there’s quite a strong element of the characters dealing with past trauma, particularly child abuse. But overall, this is a book with minimal peril – the big bad is a nosy, obnoxious solicitor.
There’s also some funny moments, usually involving the children – alas, my favourite quote comes near the end as everything dissolves into chaos, so it’s too spoilery to share.
I’d have liked the book to have been longer so I could have had more time at Nowhere House. I found myself zipping through the book without pausing for breath – which is fine, it’s quite nice to read a quick book, but I’d have liked a few more slower moments to absorb more of the atmosphere and enjoy the characters.

Overall, a charmingly cute magical read.

Have you heard of the phrase, a hug in a mug'? Well, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a hug in a book! It's a sweet, funny (yes, I laughed out loud on my train journey) and altogether heart-warming tale of Mika Moon, a young Indian witch, who is orphaned and raised by a succession of nannies and tutors. Mika is indeed a witch and throughout the story, we learn of numerous, wonderous spells, requiring plants, flowers and moonlight. Like other witches in Great Britain, Mika is trying to keep her 'witchiness' a secret and must live alone (and be lonely). Then she is invited to become a tutor to three orphaned witches and the fun truly starts.
With three young witches struggling to control their powers (one of whom is opening plotting to kill Mika, leading to some very amusing dialogue), a dark, brooding, sexy librarian, and three slightly odd tutors/housekeepers, the chaos is just beginning and Mika will have her work cut out to keep the 'real world' from finding out the truth about the family at Nowhere house - though the greatest threat may come from within the witchy community.
I'm not general a huge fan of romantic, but The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches has simply stolen my heart. It's light-hearted, fun with sufficient levels of drama to keep the tale moving forward.
I hope that there is a sequel set when Rosetta, Terracotta and Altamira are a little older and venturing into the outside world.

It's eccentric, it's heartwarming, it's got characters to fall in love with, it's entertaining and romantic... such a sweet and loveable read! I've seen it pitched as House in the Cerulean Sea vibes, and it definitely fulfills that expectation!

This book is big on the found family aspect. This unconventional family in particular is made up of three young witches, a grumpy librarian, a charming actor and his quiet husband and a sweet housekeeper - and in comes Mika, a witch who has always felt alone in the world, here to teach the three young girls how to control their magic. And maybe she finds a home for herself along the way...

This book has got a great sense of humour, particularly found in the way one of the little girls acts towards Mika, suggesting various ways to kill her off - all in the name of protecting her family. You'll no doubt fall in love with each of the characters in here, because I sure did. The pacing was really great, I never felt bored or rushed, it just felt like taking a leisurely stroll through the pages and it was a lovely time.

I will say that I do wish we had known a bit more about the backstory of witches as a whole community and whether the curse gets broken or not, but I do like that this is just a snapshot into the community and I would say there's definite potential for companion novels, perhaps focusing on one of the girls in later life. I did find the ending to be a bit... pointless? There's a whole debacle with a solicitor coming to potentially break up the family, and the ENTIRE plot is leading up to this - but it only ends up lasting about 10 pages, and he's so NOT a threat that the whole thing seems kind of silly. That is my only gripe, however; I did love this cosy, magical story other than that one aspect!

Really enjoyed this book about all things witchy, made a refreshing change and I loved the quirky characters, had quite a few giggles along the way, storyline was good and detailed could not put it down

I fell in love with this story. The heartwarming characters, the found family, the (achingly) slow burn romance, the magical tea and potions, secret mansions and old, rare books. This novel felt like a package deal of everything I love and boy did it serve. I smiled and giggled through the majority of this book, apart from the more frightening parts where my heart sank and I had to keep reading to make sure these characters were okay. I looked forward to reading this book, especially at the end of a long day. My love for the characters only grew with every page, they were so endearing and had such different personalities, it kept me enticed the whole way through. Also, the twists and turns? They just kept coming?? This book was a wonderful journey, as well as being an emotional rollercoaster, perfect for readers who enjoyed Klune’s ‘The House on the Cerulean Sea’.

This book will always hold a special place in my heart.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot express how excited I was to get my hands on this book! It was like my birthday, Christmas morning and getting a new book haul all in the same go! I am OBSESSED. This is everything you could want in a book and more. Witchy perfection!

keywords- cosy, found family, magic, witches, lost loved ones, some sexual scenes, some swearing

in short- Like a warm cup of ginger tea, this book is heart warming with a dusting of spice in forms of magic, surprising twists and difficult situations to overcome. A great book you’ll want to revisit again and again

full review

Sangu Mandanna is a new author for me but after reading the very secret society of irregular witches ill definitely be picking up her books again.

This book presents us with a few serious topics about family, opening up our hearts and about all the things that can make a person different, even though these are all serious areas to address Sangu writes about these things beautifully without causing the flow of the story to become to sad and overwhelming.

The style of writing flows perfectly and makes you very easily lose track of time, the characters she gives the audience are fully fleshed out creating easy relatability to their situations, when Mika was sad, so was I, when she was happy, I was happy. I fell completely in love with Nowhere house and all its unique and unusually people that live there. This story is full of magic, full of heart but doesn’t shy away from how heartbreak can happen, how being raised can affect us and how people can respond to difference they think they see.

This story is like a warm cup of spiced tea, its comforting yet still got enough creative surprises and twists that keep you turning the pages, I really didn’t see where Sangu was going with her story, I experienced things just as every one of the characters did, which just made me enjoy this tale even more.

I really hope that Sangu Mandanna returns to Nowhere house, I feel this place is only just getting started and has tons more story to tell and I know once everyone has read about Mika, Jamie, Ian, Ken, Lucie, Rosette, Terracotta and Altamira, people are going to be desperate to have new adventures with them just like I am.

Mika Moon is a witch but not as you know it! She answers a job offer to become a teacher to three young witches and finds herself getting into trouble with them as well as navigating the witch code! Along the way can she find herself?
This was way out of my comfort zone and I fell in love! Mika is a beautiful character and I really hope there will be more in this series please please please!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Light, fun, but ultimately for me this was a bit forgettable. A nice enough read but not one to write home about which is a shame as it sounded so enticing!