This was a cosy novel with a sweet romance and cottagecore vibes. I appreciated the Desi elements and loved the found family. I am not the eldest but I have many younger sisters, so could really relate to the responsibility of that in a chaotic but loving environment. Xander and Bisma had nice banter and a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and she really deserved to be happy with him. It was pretty fast-paced, too, which made it easy to breeze through.

Even though it moved fast, it sometimes felt too quick, and I would’ve liked to have more moments with the family or the magic aspects, especially before it goes bad. The plot was pretty predictable so it did take the heat out of the reveal. I also think there were some moments where there needed to be more urgency considering the state of things, but the romance was given priority. I mean, maybe Bisma can compartmentalise, but not me.

Overall, though, it was so cute and I enjoyed the experience of reading it. It serves especially as a reminder that no matter how much you love others in your life, it is okay to put yourself first when it comes to your dreams.

This book made me want to run off and live in the magical forest. I loved Bisma’s home and the little group of girls that lived there. The author painted a beautiful picture with cosy vibes and plenty of homemade cooking!

I loved Xander immediately and while Bisma’s objections to him lasted a little bit too long, I enjoyed watching him obviously flirting with her while she was insistent on being argumentative at every turn.

This was on the danger filled kind of cosy, which in all honesty are my favourite. It had a good balance between the action and the cosy vibes.

This was such a cosy book. I’ve been only reading contemporary for a long time so this was a nice break for me. I liked the world building and it reminded me of Howl’s Moving Castle.

Once I heard this book was being compared to a Studio Ghibli movie, I knew I was in for a treat

Bisma the FMC is a passionate and caring garden-witch, who only wants nothing more than to care for the brought together family of sisters she’s acquired over the years, who found themselves home to the Enchanted Forest. What I would do to live in a whimsical place like this

Then we meet the charming Xander - who I absoloutely adored! Think Howl Pendragon and not to give too much away, but when a guy offers to brush your hair, you know he’s a keeper! It’s the little things 🥺

The relationships in this book are so wholesome throughout and the personal growth of Bisma throughout was so inspiring and heartwarming

Fav Quote:

‘Truly, deeply, madly. I thought I knew what love was until I met you and you expanded the very definition of the word, as if you were the one to invent it, this tailor-made emotion just for me.’

If your looking for your next cosy fantasy with a large sprinkle of mystery, this is definitely a must-read

I adored this so so much. The perfect cozy fantasy and one I highly recommended to anyone who loved books such as the Emily Wilde series. Bisma has this huge wonderful family of girls ‘unwanted’ by the local village but ‘adopted’ by the forest, which is a sentient, magical forest might I add. Bisma utilises this forest and works with it, and owns her own potion business.
I love the family dynamic we are introduced to immediately and it is so wholesome and every time the sisters interact it is honestly the sweetest and makes you feel right at home with them all, and every sister has their own unique personality which really makes them stand out. Bisma does take on a lot of responsibility for this family and you do feel her pressure of having to make sure everyone is okay and looked after.

While Bisma makes poisons she makes it clear that what happens from there is none of her business, but enter Xander. A ray of sunshine who makes cures, much to Bisma’s annoyance. But Bisma needs his hel when a sister of hers is poisoned, but they are two very different people, can they manage to work together? I loved their dynamic and the reverse grumpy x sunshine trope I don’t see enough. The way they play off each other and he is a huge flirt at the best of times really makes this so enjoyable. With just enough of an underlying plot to keep the story moving, Highly recommend!

What a wonderful tale of family, friendships and romance, plus a beautiful setting.
This is classed as a young adult book, but please don’t overlook it if you no longer feel you are a young adult!! I’m not but certainly enjoyed it.
The story is about a group of young girls, The Unwanted Girls, who go into the Enchanted Forest to make it their home. The story tells their stories and how they become a family, not through blood, but through a need to care for each other, creating a bond so strong.
The author describes everything so well, you will feel that you yourself are in the Enchanted Forest, feeling the magic that runs deep there.
I loved the main character, Bisma, as she negotiates her new role as Baji, a mum figure to the rest of the girls. She shows how strong she is, yet also still young and vulnerable. The author has developed all the characters so well through this book.
Unfortunately, there is something not right between the Enchanted Forest and the local town and when her sisters start falling seriously ill, Bisma must find a cure. But to do this quickly enough, she must learn to trust another and allow them into her life, and maybe her heart too.

I really enjoyed this, complete escape from the real world for a while, with characters you will (mostly!) really care for.

Xander’s character is again so thoughtfully written and really adds another layer to this story. The ending is also perfect.

So all in all, read it! Enjoy it! Get lost in the Enchanted Forest for just a little while.

This was a really sweet story with beautifully woven elements of found family, sisterhood and belonging. I think this book would be perfect for fans of Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell and those looking for Spring reads. There is an adorable rivals to lovers romance that just adds to the sweetness of this read. It did read a little young at times and I feel like there could have been a little more world building.

I’m an eldest daughter and I feel like that’s an important preface to this review because my god I FELT this book right in the feels.
Bisma is a gorgeous FMC, caring so deeply for her sisters and my emotions were a blubbery mess from very early on. Sisterhood is a theme that is overarching and really so special in this book.

So take sisterhood, add in a REVERSE GRUMPY X SUNSHINE (omg!?!) and the loveliest enchanted wood setting you ever did see? I was immersed and it was gorgeous.

My only gripe was the pacing was a tiny bit wild in places, and it did on a couple of occasions bring me out of my cozy romance reverie, but overall a 4 star read.

Aamna is the queen of the low stakes cozy romance and I’m HERE FOR IT!

I really enjoyed this sweet romance about sisterhood, magic and poisons. Living in an enchanted forest, Bisma sells potions (and the occasional poison) to keep her sisters safe, but when danger threatens she will have to turn to her rival - the handsome and annoyingly, persistently polite Xander - for help.

Bisma's forest home was incredible - well developed, magical and cosy, filled with delicious food and a tight-knit family, and I also loved Bisma and Xander's interactions (this was definitely grumpy x sunshine, as promised!) Bisma's character growth, as well as her interactions with each of her sisters, was another strength.

i absolutely loved this read!! A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison is a must read for anyone who loves young adult cosy fantasies with a cottage core aesthetic! the found family vibes were something that i was absolutely delighted by and the banter?? YES PLEASE! there’s witches, enchanted woods, and rubella to lovers so what more could you want?

THIS was such a cute and cozy read. Aamna seriously never disappoints and this just proved it. This book is perfect blend of fantasy and the desi rep was so pretty. I loved it.

Title: A witch's guide to love and poison
Author: Aamna Qureshi
Pages: 325
Rating: 4/5
Spice/Romance level: 🌶️

Written by the same author who wrote "The baby dragon cafe" this is a cosy young adult fantasy read that offers comfort and sweetness all the way through.

The girls were likeable. I wouldn't have thought I'd have felt sorry for a forest but I did. The plot was predictable but it was such a cosy comforting read. I enjoyed it so much more.

There was a little bit of heated romance with a fade to black and my favourite enemies to lovers trope. I enjoyed hearing the back story from each sister and would love to read more about them!

It was just a nice relaxing read, perfect for the upcoming spring/summer. I loved the people of the village and their different behaviours.

You'll love this book if you like
- cosy fantasy
- young adult
- rivals
- enemies to lovers
- found family of sisters
- witches and enchanted woods
- cottagecore

Aamna Qureshi’s A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison follows Bisma as she takes on the role of Baji, of looking after her younger sisters. During her tenure, her sisters begin to be poisoned and only the boy Bisma has been holding at a distance, Xander, can help her cure them.
Despite the fact that there were some darker themes explored in this book – murder, poison, domestic abuse – this was a very cosy read. The world was vividly described, the characters were fun, the MMC was especially sweet and there lovely details of South Asian sweets and foods that were lovely bright, sparkling moments to me, someone also from a South Asian background.
There were moments where the writing felt more Middle Grade than Young Adult, but it was a really enjoyable read nonetheless.
Thank you netgalley and Hodder for providing an e-arc of this book in exchange for a review.

This was very sweet, especially the relationship between the two main characters, and the familial relationship as Bisma takes on the responsibility for all her sisters in their absolutely delightful magical treehouse. This sweetness is counteracted by stakes that are extremely high, which leads to something of a tonal clash at points, but i know a number of young people i work with who will consume this book as quickly as i did, and be absolutely charmed by both the romance and the world which is built here.

3.5
This was a very sweet cosy YA fantasy, with some high stakes and romance for our FMC, and it was fun to read. I love how the desi aspects were woven so easily, and our MMC did not disappoint with his yearning. The hate to love was definitely one sided from our FMC, but that just makes it sweeter, as she works through her issues.

However, I did feel at time unsure if I was reading a middle grade story or a YA story. While the stakes weren't exceptionally high, it did seem odd that our FMC Bisma would spend a few hours dancing when her sisters were dying. That kind of suddenly carefree or irresponsible character moments (yes i know she's 18, it just seem like a drastic change), predictableness of the plot, and the simple magic system, especially the tree house/forest seemed very middle grade. In comparison the very sweet closed door romance, tension between our FMC and MMC, as well as the discussion of sex, leaned more towards YA. Those things just felt a bit at odds while reading.

It's a sweet cosy story for anyone who wants a break.

A Witch's Guide to Love and Poison was a fun read. I was surprised how fast I got to the end. You get a story about growing up, witchcraft and found family. Throughout the book it felt like I was watching an animation film, might be because of the writing style or the setting with the forest and the town. It has a nice build up of Bisma's and Xander's relationship and how she got past her trauma to trust another person who isn't family.

Thanks to Aamna Qureshi and NetGalley for the ARC.

Sweet and fluffy YA fantasy romance that definitely fills a gap in the market when it comes to softer, more character-focused stories. Parts of it were a little predictable, and I felt that the middle of the book dragged out the romance revelations a little too long, but overall, this was super cute and a fun read.

such a sweet romance, i really enjoyed this. i read this in a day and could not put it down! the characters were *chefs kiss*

This book was like a warm hug. It had found family, a rivals-to-lovers romance, a secret pen-pal and strong sisterly bonds.

This book follows Bisma, one of the Unwanted Girls that live in the Enchanted Forest on the edge of town. The forest takes these girls in who are running away or have been abandoned for whatever reason, and helps raise them. When Bisma turns 18, her Baji (the eldest girl who takes on a mother-like role) leaves the forest as is the way, and Bisma becomes the Baji. She’s a little lost and scared and unsure of herself, but things get worse when her sisters start being poisoned. And because Bisma has earned her money helping people poison abusive partners/parents, there is a long list of suspects to go through. Bisma ultimately has to enlist the help of Xander, one of the town’s most eligible bachelors, to help her find a cure. But not everything is as it seems.

I loved the relationship between Bisma and Xander. I loved how they grew together and how they helped each other out. And I loved how Xander gave Bisma the space to work through past traumas that make her unwilling to open up to people, let alone love them.

The Unwanted Girls were all unique characters, each with their own stories, some of them truly heartbreaking. But they all ended up in the forest with each other. They all ended up in a loving home, and you can really see how these girls love each other and would do anything to protect the others and their home.

This book is light on the fantasy. There were a few holes in the magic system and world building that left me with some questions, but since the book seems to focus more on the relationships rather than the magic itself, it wasn’t too much of a distraction.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I would absolutely recommend it, especially if you’re looking for a cosy fantasy that’s actually entertaining.

This was so cute! I loved the world and the magic, and despite all the poison it was very cosy. Perfect YA read for actual teenagers!