I enjoyed the writing, but the character relationships fell flat. I loved the beginning- we have this unique main character who doesn't really fit in. Nature and greenery call to her and she refuses to follow her family's ideals of marrying someone rich, proceeding to run away and gaze at the sky instead.

Despite the interesting concept, the romance felt instant and there was no chemistry. I wanted more on the backgrround and lore behind this world, as well as the magic system, which made the worldbuilding feel weak.

Overall, an okay read. Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc!

I thought this was an ok read, I feel like it was highly anticipated for me, but it unfortunately didn’t quite live up to expectations.

I did love the cottage core vibes and I thought the story had a good premise, but I found the pace a little slow for my liking. I did also like the complicated family dynamics that played out in the plot, particularly as this was multi generational.

Overall though there was just something about this that I didn’t vibe with and it left it feeling like more of an average read than I’d initially expected.

I had high expectations for this book since I love to read about queer relationships and breaking curses but unfortunately, this was not for me.

I think the concept of this book is pretty cute and interesting, but I just couldn’t get into it enough. The pacing was a bit frustrating at times, the characters felt one-dimensional, and the dialogue and writing style fell a bit flat for me; I couldn't connect with the story as much as I would've liked.

Thank you to Orbit, The Little Brown Book Group, and Sydney J. Shields for allowing receiving a Netgalley digital arc of The Honey Witch.
To bewitch this reader, add the ingredients of a cottagecore-inspired world, witchy vibes, slow-burn romance, and a historical Regency era. Speak then the words, ‘Love is worth the risk.’

The Honey Witch is the delightful debut of writer Sydney J. Shields, who has blown my socks off with this cosy-fantasy with whimsical witchy vibes about discovering yourself and a tender, bitter-sweet sapphic love story. Themes of grief, loss, and healing are beautifully woven through Marigold’s journey as she develops her powers as a Honey Witch, discovers herself, protects her isle and spirits from the dangers of her opposite power from Ash Witches, and accepts the challenge to dispel Lottie Burke of her notion that all magic is just a bunch of mythcraft.
Her writing is enchanting, addictive, and beautifully lyrical. I loved the slow pace of the intricate storytelling woven through the narrative as if it were the gentle hum of a bee bumbling about its business on a warm, sunny day. The attention to detail in writing is sensational within its cosy, earthy world-building that brings to life an intimate place of breathtaking imagery to form the geography of Bardshire and Isle of Innisfree. She cleverly drops in hints of foreshadowing that let the reader into secrets without giving away the plot – I knew I smelt something ashy about Lottie Burke.

While I thought all the characters were well-developed and relatable and came to life on the page, it was Marigold who was the emotional beating heart of this book. Sydney J Shields brought her to life in a vivid, raw way that sticks in your mind. I loved the time in the story for Marigold to grow, discover herself, and heal before the attraction and romantic relationship with Lottie is introduced to the plot. She was given time to come to life and blossom as part of the story.

This book is a journey of love – the full circle of love in our lives – featuring the loves we lose, the love we say goodbye to, the love we find in being true to ourselves, and the love others give us. I’ve loved everything about reading The Honey Witch – I’ve had my heart broken and fallen in love with the world and the characters who call it home. I can’t wait to read more from Sydney J. Shields.

When Marigold, a girl from a wealthy family where all the other members are wildly talented reaches an age where she "should" be married and the last chance she gave to love ended up with her heart broken by a complete prat, her grandmother contacts her after years of estrangement to tell her that she is in fact a witch and she moves to live with her gran on the island of Innisfree. It's quite a sweet story of learning where you belong and still being lonely despite having everything you asked for. A friend from her childhood come back into her life, bringing with him a love interest - but unfortunately there is a curse now on Marigold that nobody can love her. Their relationship blooms inspite of this and then Marigold has to leave the island to attend her sister's wedding. When she returns things have changed for the worse (in a BIG way) and the tone of the book changes dramatically for the last act of the book. I really enjoyed this book, I thought that the slow growth of the friendships was interesting and believable and the introduction of the magic system and the creatures within it was fascinating. I think this is a standalone book but with the drastic change of pace at the end of the book and the other family members there is so much more story here and I'd love another instalment!

Yay, another great cozy fantasy! And a sapphic one, double yay! This book has all the right vibes, cute story and interesting characters. I'm looking forward to reading more from the author.

3.5 Stars!

I didn‘t really know what to expect going into the book, what I got was a mostly low stakes and cozy, cottagecore story and bees - let‘s not forget the bees! The writing style, being in present tense, took some time getting used to and made the book read more young rather than adult, especially in combination with a lot of things being told and explained rather than „felt“. While I liked the story, this unfortunately took away some of my enjoyment and made me not really feel the more emotional parts of the book.
The story itself is creative enough and nice to follow, I enjoyed the character‘s dynamics, the representation, the magic-system (different from what I’ve read so far!) and especially the relationship between Marigold and her grandmother!

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit (Little, Brown Book Group UK) for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest opinion!

This was such a wonderful and engaging story! A unique and tender love story with cosy fantasy vibes. Loved the magic system, too! Was completely absorbed in this story of one magically gifted young woman’s journey to self-discovery, female empowerment, and curse-shattering love—with a sapphic spin.

Definitely recommend this one!

This was an adorable read. It was 4 star for me, I have to say the only time it wasn't perfect was in the fourth part, it felt a bit rushed, and the battle scenes were a bit under descriptive. It was difficult to understand what was happening, in thr middle of the battle. And I wish scenes within the fourth part was bit more drawn out so that it's could feel more emotional and devastating. Including the exit of characters. August's sudden exit felt a tad quick and I wished we had I goodbye with Mari scene. And I wish we could have seen his dynamic with Frankie more.
But I loved Mari and lottie a lot. They are so cute and loveable.
All in all I had a great time with the story, I just wanted more of it. Haha

3/5 stars

The Honey Witch" offers a blend of magic and romance in a cozy fantasy setting. The exploration of family dynamics adds layers to the story, but some readers may find the character development and world-building lacking. Protagonist Marigold's journey through grief and self-discovery is intriguing, though some may struggle to empathize with her self-inflicted problems. Lottie's character feels underdeveloped, and the pacing can feel disjointed at times. Despite its potential, some may feel that the novel ends too abruptly, leaving lingering questions and a disconnect from the characters. While fans of light fantasy may enjoy this book, others may feel it lacks the depth and cohesion they are looking for.

A beautiful introduction to magic and fantasy for a mid teen audience. The book follows the story of Marigold, introducing her at first as an outsider in her home before she is whisked away by her beloved grandmother. It is in learning her grandmother's work and navigating her grandmother's lose that she learns who she truly is and what she is capable of.
The book is very much cottage core, rural, regency era vibes. The relationships unfold softly, and the focus is firmly on found family. The love interest plays out much in the same way that all early love does. The world itself is small but in many ways absolutely beautifully imagined. The love stories contained in the book are broad and inclusive, something that I think younger readers who are perhaps trying to find their way in the world will appreciate.
Overall I think for a mid teen audience it's a good book for a soft land into fantasy and a very solid read.

I loved the idea behind this; A sapphic cottage core fantasy? Sign me up! And while Honey Witch didn’t quite deliver everything I wanted, it was a lovely read and I am eagerly anticipating what Sydney Shields will create next with some more experience under her belt.

The Honey Witch follows Marigold as she learns the truth about her family legacy and all that this means for her. We see her reconnect with family, build beautiful relationships, learn the craft of honey magic (such a cool concept honestly) and really grow into herself. I loved that this is in many mays all about a queer beekeeper healing from her past and trying to forge new friendships and relationships

This world is magically written but I think my biggest issue was world building consistency. The first few chapters felt very Regency Era (think Bridgerton) with traditional dress, a focus on women having a place in the home, the desire to marry a wealthy man through courtship and balls and purity culture etc etc. It then feels as though we enter a completely different world once Marigold uncovers her heritage. While much of the cultural changes we see can be explained somewhat by Marigold moving to a much more rural and quiet part of the world, it’s hard to imagine the world we were first introduced to, being one which would have so easily allowed Marigold this much freedom on her own little island.

In short, the vibes were immaculate. But it lacked some depth for me.

I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for what Sydney Sheilds puts out next though as there were so many strengths here and I can absolutely see her producing some wonderful reads in the future.

Wow, I really thought I would love this but I didn't at all.. maybe I had too high expectations or just thought it would be different, but to be honest it was just really flat and boring. I guessed the main plot twist about 2 chapters in so the rest of the book was very unsurprising and the characters and their dynamics were super flat and not engaging at all.

Especially in the beginning there was so much telling and no showing that I didn't get any impression of the story and its characters.. the few good messages were delivered like hammer blows so one couldn't miss them and the love stories were just as obvious. The change of heart one of the characters has wasn't very well developed either, unfortunately..

Small plus for the new-ish magic system idea, although it could have been much more detailed and in focus, as it seemed pretty random most of the time.

The writing was okay but nothing special 🤷🏻‍♀️ could definitely have been more descriptive and engaging... Unfortunately no reading recommendation from me 🙈 but thanks to netgalley for the e-arc!

3.5 stars
I was drawn to this book by the stunning cover and the promise of a cosy fantasy vibe with sapphic romance. This was the first book of this kind that I’ve read and whilst there were many elements that I did enjoy I found the pace just a little too slow at times. I feel there could have been more in the way of character development for sure.

I loved the sapphic romance element, it’s so nice to see this being represented especially in the cosy fantasy, witchy genre that I love so much. I definitely hope to see more of this. Overall it was an enjoyable read I’d just have liked a little bit more to pick up the pace.

Decent cozy fantasy, but it didn't hook me quite enough. I was entertained, but verged on the side of boredom a bit too much,
The romance was nice, and the plot moved along nicely. I liked the cozy vibes a lot!

Honey witch was a book I've had a pretty big expectations for. And while it wasn't perfect, I've liked it very much.

In the story we follow Marigold, who's very tired of balls, suitors and society's expectations. She was always more drawn to the nature than social functions, so when her grandmother arrives and tells her she could be the next Honey Witch at the island of Innisfree, she quickly accepts. There's one drawback though: a curse for the honey witch to never be able to find love.

The thing that made me quite hesitant in the beginning was that it's written in third person, present tense. I've realized I don't like that combination as I tend to feel less connected to the character, a bit as if I'm pretending to see the action when it isn't there, instead of someone recounting the things that happened in the past. I've gotten used to it during the story though, and it didn't bother me after I've read a bit.

The relationships of characters was honestly what made me love this book and get very invested into the story. I think my reading speed might have been a new record. And while it was at times predictable, it just felt as if it contained some true magic. There were some important themes like grief and loneliness talked about in, my opinion, a smart way.

There was one more topic that spoke to me, which I feel could be a spoiler, so I won't mention it.

The ending felt a bit jarring to me as the pace got from slow to very fast and the tone shifted a lot. I think that's what made me give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐ instead of five, but overall it was a really good time!

The Honey Witch has a intriguing premise, promising to be a cozy, soft, witchy and sapphic read that immediately had me drawn to it.

Whilst I still enjoyed this to an extent, it was just fine for me. I may not be the target audience for this book so instead I will list the things I did enjoy about this book in case you wanted to give it a try:

-the atmosphere
-the magic
-the Romance (give me all the sapphic)

Thank you to the publishers for giving me the chance to read this one early.

It's the 1800s in Bardshire: people are getting married and doing all the other things expect of them - but Marigold feels like she doesn't really fit in and would much rather stay alone. Fortunately for her, her aunt Althea shows up and reveals that Marigold is destined to be a Honey Witch, protecting the little island of Innisfree. The only downside? A curse that will mean nobody can ever love her. As Marigold doesn't see this as a particular large cross to bear, they quickly set off and Marigold is taught the ways of the Honey Witch - and soon discovers that life alone on a small island is perhaps not really the idyllic reality she was hoping for.

This book starts out super cozy and quaint - even a little to the point where it feels like we might be squeezing a few too many 'cutesy' things in. Fortunately it picks up a bit around the 25% mark and I thought the story was actually quite engaging. The book lacked a little depth in the characters for me, and the romantic storyline feels a little awkward to me. I also felt like the 'battle against evil' that comes up later should have probably started much earlier and been woven in throughout the story. Overall this was a pretty fun and relaxing read, and there was some nice queer representation in it.

I loved this at first, but that love dwindled the more I got into the story. I liked the premise and the magic SO MUCH, but I feel like this wasn't the best version of the story. It's not that it feels undercooked, it just feels like there was a better way to execute it.

One of the things that stilted my enjoyment a bit was the relationship development and the dialogues. The dialogues felt a bit stiff, like they didn't match what they were supposed to convey. Also, a lot of things felt quite rushed, especially towards the end, and I didn't feel tension at all.

Granted, it's a cozy fantasy, but the thing is that the stakes were higher than they usually are with cozy fantasies, so I should've felt tension or at least a sense that the characters were at risk, but I didn't. Everything was resolved immediately and without too much trouble, so I was never shocked or emotional, and the author clearly wanted me to be.

Overall, I loved the magic system, the characters were fine, it's queer, and it's very easy to get through. However, I feel this had a lot more potential!