This was such an interesting and incredible read, there was such depth and intrigue. I found myself completely entranced by the story.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a precious, warm hug of a book with the same magic (no pun intended) and charm perfect for fans of The House opinion the Cerulean Sea.

The concept is pretty straight forwards. So that magic isn’t overwhelmed and their existence threatened, witches meet each other rarely, briefly and in secret. The life of a witch is a lonely one, forbidden from being close to one another, a curse causing them to become orphans, and having to hide their magic from friends and family, it takes a toll. Mika is one such witch, she’s grown up passed around, used by her guardians and has a disastrous relationship behind her. Yo just feel a part of herself, Mika has a witch YouTube account, hiding under the assumption that magic isn’t real. However Mika’s videos are watched by a desperate family who need help with 3 young witches, and they reach out to Mika to help teach them. Going against everything she’s been taught, and the pain of her past, Mika starts to get close to this family as she teaches these 3 young girls it’s ok to be a witch and in turn they teach her it’s ok to let yourself be loved.

Like I said, the plot is simple enough, but that’s part of the beauty, it’s a journey not a destination book. Ian, Ken, Lucie and Jamie live at Nowhere House and are looking after 3 girls who have been brought to the house by the owner of the house (and witch) Lillian, before she went off on her travels again. These girls, Rosetta, Altamira and Terracotta, were saved from their various pasts but have no mentorship now Lillian has disappeared, their powers are unpredictable, and with a looming visit from Lillian’s lawyer, the adults need help getting the children to rein in their magic and avoid discovery.

This is a love story and while yes, there is a romance between Mika and Jamie, 2 very guarded people learning to feel safe around one another, this is a love story about family, a family chosen. The 3 girls aren’t related, Jamie lives at the house but was taken in by Lillian when he was younger and the older couple Ian and Ken, and Lucie, all worked at the house, so literally no one in this family is related and they all love each other and are a family by choice. The adults are charming and loveable, and Jamie is bristly, broody and protective in a Darcy sort of way. But it’s the 3 girls who will make you constantly smile, Altamira, in particular, is sunshine personified and, as the book goes on, Terracotta, who starts off defensive and obstructive, learns to lower her guard and accept Mika.
But when I say this book is a love story one of the main themes is self love. Mika is a beautiful character and while she would not believe me when I say this, incredibly easy to love. Mika longs to be wanted, to have companionship, her mentor Primrose, is cold and distant, she doesn’t stay in one place long enough to be discovered or grow attachments and anyone who has ever known her powers has used and exploited them. This is a woman who has been shown little love but has so much to give, she smiles and glows but she yearns, and here, at Nowhere House, the longer she stays in one place and starts to settle, this group of people, this family, start to love her and you have this journey of Mika learning that she deserves such a love. Throw in that she has a car called Broomstick, has a koi pond she can fit in her car, and a dog called Circe, and I’m pretty sure I would die for Mika.

This isn’t a long book and it’s incredibly easy to read, even in one sitting. The writing style and the casual banter of the characters makes it flow and you have such a genuinely lovely time with these characters. This book is funny, sweet and has some beautiful character development. And again, it has a dog called Circe. So what more do you need?? As someone who struggles with anxiety and a constant feeling of unease, this book gave me great comfort.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review, I adored this book

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was a big suprise for me. Itˋs a feel good story about the lonely witch Mika who getˋs an oppurtunity she can´t refuse. She has to be a magic teacher for three young witches at an isolated house hidden from every sight. There she learns what it means to have a family and persons who love her.
I didn´t expect a lot from the story when I started reading and I had a rough start into the story because the main character Mika is a little older than me and I couldn‘t really identify with her at first. But then I gave the story a chance and I lost myself between the pages. Mikas story was so heartwarming and cute that I couldn’t lay away the book anymore. All the characters were so pure, so loveable and so unique that I loved them all, especially Mika and Jamie who is so much more than just the ‚mean‘ guy he seems to be at the beginning.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is the perfect read for everyone who loves romance books with a little magic twist, the found family trope and stories where you can lose yourself totally.

Really enjoyed this book. It was a feel-good magical story about the family you create for yourself. It had so many wonderful characters, each thoughtfully written and with their own strengths and different points of view. I enjoyed reading from both Mika and Jamies perspectives and the slow-building romance between those two characters was a great addition. The book had a strong message of inclusivity and accepting who you are and loving yourself despite what others think of you. Mika really became herself at Nowhere House and found everything she was looking for and more! There was more than one unexpected twist that I absolutely didn't see coming but really made sense as part of the story. Would definitely recommend this book!

This was a very sweet and cute read. It gave me House in the Cerulean Sea vibes, but I liked it much more than that one. This isn't my typical genre of book to read, cosy, low stakes, not a whole lot of dramatic things happening, but I did enjoy it. The children were amusing and the other adults were lovely. It was also very inclusive in a very natural way. I must admit I was a bit surprised by the slightly darker turn towards the end of the book and then the mildly ridiculous twist after that, but it all went together nicely and worked well. I would recommend this generally to anyone who would like a comforting, easy read and already have someone in mind to buy this as a gift.

Uplifting cosy romance with witches is everything I have ever wanted! I absolutely loved this book and hope to read more by this author soon.

I could go on talking about this book forever and yet not be done talking about how much I love it. This is such a beautiful book that I absolutely devoured, staying up till 3am on a work night and absolutely no regrets!

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is the story of Mika Moon and her journey of finding home. It is, in equal parts, a heartwarming and heartbreaking story that will make you laugh just as much as it will make you cry. I adore Mika so much and I just need her to have all the happiness in the world. She deserves that and so, so, so much more. She's one of the best characters I've read in a while and I'm in awe of her.

Apart from Mika, there is a whole ensemble cast that just wins you over so wholly as you get to know them. Watching them forge bonds with Mika is such a treat to witness, and especially Jamie, the love interest. The way Mika and Jamie get to understand each other so well despite their rocky start is honestly the most wholesome development I've read.

This book is like a warm hug on a cold day. I need everyone to read it and fall in love with it!!

So much fun! I was so surprised by it, I saw the cover and thought was so adorable, I don't remember ever reading a witch romance like that and I think has become my new favourite thing. This was so incredibly sweet and a delightful read. The characters are very charming and it's so easy and comfortable and just get lost into the book and learn about each one. This also has done found family, which is a trope that always move me to tears really well, it was very enjoyable to get to see Mika coming together with the rest of the cast and becoming a family.

The found-family trope was amazing! I do wish there was more romance though!

My review:

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna is a contemporary fantasy. It's a heartwarming story, and is one that I really enjoyed.

A witch is hired to be the tutor to 2 young charges, and the fun goes from there!

I found the characters to be good, the setting to be evocative, and the storyline to be entertaining!

I'll be on the lookout for more books by this author!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Hodder & Stoughton.

This book is so wonderful that I made sure I preordered a special edition for myself and my book shelves I loved it that much. It’s a whimsical, hopeful, tender and sweet read that feels like a friend is chatting to you, no it feels like a hug from good friends and I didn’t want to leave it pages.perfection

This was cozy, and twee, and just a comfy fun story – while dealing with some topics of difficult childhoods, carrying that weight into the rest of your life, choosing family, and risking it to be able to live, and not just survive. That sounds a lot deeper and more solemn than how this book actually reads, which is as a grumpy-sunshine witchy romcom with some adorable children. I also really enjoyed how the magic works in this setting – lots of nature, moonbeams and stardust~

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Hodder&Stoughton and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

If you like TJ Klune, you will enjoy this book.

This is another of those “warm hug” books. The story is pleasant and heart-warming.

I found the secondary characters to not be fleshed out, but this is a short book. The MC is likeable as is the love interest. I think the story was a little too one dimensional compared to other books of this ilk, but was a nice, easy read.

What a joy to read and a fine example of the current trend for witchy books. Full of imagination, well developed characters to love and heart it will be a reread in the future for pure magical escapism.

I loved this book dearly!! VERY comfy and cozy and heartwarming in the best ways. About a witch, who's longing to find a place where she belongs, being taken in to help tutor three young witches. Their guardian is sufficiently grumpy and scowly, but notably kind. A perfect setup for the incomparable governess trope. Big recommend.

Heartwarming, like a fuzzy blanket, this book will fill your Heart with love and peace and it's impossible not to love it. From the worldbuilding and characterization and writing style and setting, this book is a story about love and family and friends and it's a perfect read ever.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is the story of a nomadic witch named Mika Moon, who has lived her thirty-one years of life so far in relative solitude. Keeping her head down and never staying in one place for longer than six months to avoid being detected as a witch. To feel some form of connection between her true self and the outside world, she begins posting “fake” Witchcore videos on social media. When these videos attract the attention of a man who believes she wields real magic, she’s invited to Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their powers.

Mika reluctantly agrees to a meeting at Nowhere House and finds an eccentric and charming assortment of outcasts that have forged a family through their love and loyalty to one another. When Mika accepts the job as a live in tutor, she finds herself becoming a part of that family too. But secrets long buried will come to light and threaten the sense of belonging that Mika has finally found at Nowhere House.

If you’re looking for cosy, witchy vibes with plenty of humour this Autumn, look no further than The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. This is perfect for fans of whimsical and wholesome stories, such as The House in the Cerulean Sea and Legends & Lattes

I adored Mika Moon; her character was hilarious and utterly delightful in so many ways. The journey she goes on throughout the book was incredibly touching. The romance between her and another character also featured one of my absolute favourite tropes (Grumpy/Sunshine) executed to perfection through a beautiful slow burn love story. The love interest, Jamie, adds a brilliantly contrasting humour with his general surliness next to Mika’s sunny disposition. All of the other surrounding characters brought their own unique charm and abundant cuteness to the found family vibes her too.

Reading this made me feel as warm and gooey inside as a chocolate brownie fresh out of the oven. Utterly enchanting on every level.

In a world where witches don’t mix in order to survive, what happens when you bring four together?

This was an absolute gem of a book - Mika, our main protagonist is enlisted to help school three young witches at nowhere house, to help them start to control their own magic. However, as someone who doesn’t stay in one place for too long she didn’t expect to call Nowhere House a home.

A beautiful story of found family, grumpy x sunshine romance with a sprinkling of magic. This book felt like a big hug with every page.

Tropes include: grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, found family, magic

We follow Mika Moon, an orphan raised by a series of nannies and tutors, who has a lived a somewhat lonely existence on account of keeping a secret. That is, she is a witch. And to be witch is to live a solitary life or so she has been raised to believe by Primrose Beatrice Everly, whom she is under the supervision of. But when Mika takes on a role of tutor at Nowhere House for three young charming witches, she begins to question what she was led to believe and the ‘Rules’ that were set in place.

A wholesome witchy read with the cutest found family trope that squeezed my heart. Everything from the banter to the love the characters shared was so well done. I also adored the romance subplot between sunshine Mika and the grumpy moody librarian Jamie. Can’t say I was expecting that little bit of spice, but as a romance lover it was a welcome surprise!

'The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches' is the equivalent of a warm cosy hug wrapped up in a wonderful bookish package. A whimsical, hopeful, tender and sweet read, filled to the brim with refreshing diverse characters that will have you feeling all the things. An absolute delight from beginning to end!

I am so excited to see what Sangu Mandanna releases next!

4★
“Christ, it was like the man had wandered straight out of a book of poetry and no one had had the good sense to send him back in.”

It is obvious from the title that the supernatural will feature, so I chose this quote to show that is also a bit irreverent and funny. I am not offended by the occasional F-bomb (usually used in times of exasperation rather than abuse), but if you are sensitive, you’ve been warned.

This is such fun! I needn’t remind you to suspend disbelief, but I will say that the author has done a pretty good job of establishing rules and parameters for magic, so that nobody is all-powerful.

“Spells weren’t tidy, clear commands to wave your wand and say ‘Abracadabra!’ so much as they were friendly tips like, If you want the spider vanished from the corner of your bedroom, make sure you ask the magic to put it somewhere specific or else you may find that it’s been deposited under your pillow instead. Mika had discovered that the hard way.”

Mika is about to discover some other things the hard way. She is a young woman who has had to keep moving around each time someone discovers her powers. This is England, and witches live singly, rarely getting together for fear of discovery, but there is a society (a ‘regular’ one), that meets four times a year to catch up and compare notes. Other than that, the rules are – separation.

Mika likes to perform and has started doing some pretend spells on YouTube, just to enjoy an audience. She’s cute, funny, and a good performer so she attracts a following.

One man decides she’s the real deal and contacts her, because they have children who need help. Witchy children. THREE witchy children, all living together – not singly, not separately – in the same household. Please, please could she come?

Mika needs to move, but this is way outside her experience, and she doesn’t really want to be ‘outed’ this way. There are echoes here of Daphne du Maurier but without the gothic thriller aspect. The estate, the grounds, the residents – Nowhere House was once a pretty fancy place.

Now there’s a cook, a couple of old gay fellows (doing gardening, etc), and a handsome young chap who’s in charge of the grand library.

It’s a lot of fun with charming characters and an interesting premise. The children are not all happy to see her, and the middle child, Terracotta, plans ways to decapitate Mika in her sleep. Kind of worrying when you realise she’s an eight-year-old witch!

Mika collects ingredients (sunlight, stardust, secret herbs and spices) and concocts potions suitable for all manner of situations. No matter how much she warns the children to be careful and not experiment beyond what they’re ready for, they are kids, and Terracotta does not take direction well.

“When disaster struck, as disaster inevitably does, Mika was somewhat distressed to find that, on account of being knocked out cold, she was unable to take any satisfaction in being proven well and truly right.”

There’s a problem other than the children. There is a lawyer anxious to come and collect some paperwork, but really to inspect the place and find out where the absent owner/guardian is. They must prevent that. Nobody wants social services to remove the little girls from what has become an extended family.

There is some rather explicit adult content, so I wouldn’t recommend this for children, but it’s a good brew of magic and mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the copy for review.

OMG this book was so so so good!! I’m fell in love with this writing and the characters. It truly is a found family kind of book which I absolutely loved!