I binged this and was so happy I did! Sapphic romances are just so feel good and this with the added cosy fantasy elements made it a perfect read for a rainy day!

I really am sorry for giving it a 3 stars.

I initially thought this would be a cozy fantasy that would be light and heartfelt, but I didn't expect it to have an adult theme.

But as to the cozy fantasy side of this book, I definitely enjoyed it. But it felt like it was not connecting with me. What only connected with me, I guess was the loss of a grandparent, but mine is my grandfather.

I'm glad to be given a chance to read this book in advance, but I really am sorry for not being able to enjoy it.

Such a cosy, easy read. I read this book in one sitting! I was hooked straight away and I really enjoyed it.

This book was the perfect spring book 4.5 stars. Reading it again I loved it just as much and I can't wait to recommend it to anyone that needs a cosy springtime read. (It really does feel like you are sitting in a wild flower meadow the whole time you are reading it <3

- Soulmates
- Magic
- Regency
- Found family
- Queer normative world
- Bees

The romance

The main romance in this book was cute and I really enjoyed it. It was a hate to lovers. There were side romances in this book I won't say much about them so you can see but although I was able to predict them I still enjoyed it.

The magic

The magic system in this was really fun. It is more potions than spells which i really liked as a lot of books with witches have mainly spells or elemental magics the change for potions was a lot of fun and really interesting. The spirits that guard the land and look after it are really cool and I would love to meet one.

The world

There isn't a tonne of world building so if you love that then maybe this isn't for you but I was happy with a less high fantasy book and wasn't left with too many questions. This book is a fun easy read and I had a great time with the world and felt immersed.

The Characters

The characters were loveable, the main character may have been a bit annoying looking down on people who thought different to her to start with, but you watch her grow and learn. Also handles loss and grief in a great way and the feelings on loneliness. Overall I really liked the characters in this book.

Overall this book made me feel like I was sat in a field of wildflowers wearing a regency gown. Fairly low stakes(for most of it) and was a lovely read. If you like cosy fantasy, romantasy, witches this might just be for you. This was a mostly happy read and calming.

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown for this arc in exchange for an honest review

The Honey Witch is a heartwarming and cozy sapphic-themed romance featuring witches that is delightfully sweet. 🍯✨🐝


It was a poignant tale of love, loss, and solitude, imbued themes of self-acceptance the belief in being destined for life beyond what is initially bestowed.

It is a cozy fantasy, perhaps the first I have ever read, and I must say that the impression was positive! At the beginning the story took a while to get going and I also to immerse myself in it, but when it started I appreciated the slowness and the everyday nature of certain scenes, as I appreciated the fact that not everything was dramatic but there were relaxed, familiar moments but not for this reason without drama and tension. The style is interesting, the book is well written and well structured, perhaps I found the ending a little too fast, the most dramatic part of the book where the stakes are revealed to be high - cozy but not too much - but still well managed and with small twists that keep the attention high; the LGBT+ rep is very high and in general the poetics of acceptance and self-determination. Shields' pen is interesting and tokeep an eye on for future publications.

Not quite as cosy as marketing made out, but a solid enough debut with a queer-normative world which is always nice. Some odd linguistic choices given the faux-Regency setting ("updo" catapulted me out of immersion with such force I nearly didn't make it back in) which I hope will smooth out in future works from this author as she gains more experience and more ruthless editing. Some very interesting ideas not quite explored to their fullest. An enjoyable, unsurprising story in general.

Thank you to netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a review. This book was beautifully written, so atmospheric. It was as if I was right there with the characters, I connected with all the characters and enjoyed every moment of reading this book. This will definitely be being reread in the future and recommended to everyone who asks for a romantasy with regency vibes.

This book was pure magic ✨🍯🔥
Emotional, romantic, and beautifully written—I couldn’t stop reading. The setting was atmospheric 🌲, the characters felt so real 🥺, and the slow-burn romance stole my heart 💘. It gave me all the cozy, witchy, powerful feels 🐝🌕
4.75/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free ARC copy to read!

“𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔,” 𝑨𝒖𝒈𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔. “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒕.”

The Honey Witch is a heartwarming and cosy sapphic witchy romance with a sickly sweet prose 🍯✨🐝

We follow 21 year old Marigold ‘Mari’ Claude as she joins her grandmother Althea on the Isle of Innisfree, who would like to train her to be the next Honey Witch. But to be a Honey Witch is much more than it seems, and it comes with a cost - nobody can ever fall in love with one. And then, in walks Lottie Burke.

This was a beautiful story of love, loss, and loneliness, with a sprinkling of self-acceptance and to believe that you are destined for more than the life you are given.

I love witchy/paranormal romances, and I love historical romances, particularly Regency romances, so paranormal Regency romances are like my holy grail. Therefore it's no surprise that I loved the Regency-esque setting of The Honey Witch, with its balls and betrothals. The magic really grew on me as well, and I really loved the detail about Mari's magic.

The book has beautiful, descriptive prose but combined with the third person, present tense it was a bit hard for me to get into the flow of it initially until the pace picked up. At that point, everything just clicked for me. I found myself crying multiple times through the story, and if a book makes me cry then it's an automatic 5 stars. I did guess where the plot was going to go, but I found it so emotional that that didn't matter in the end!

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

The Honey Witch by Sydney J Shields was described as a cosy Sapphic romantasy and in some ways it does live up to that description but unfortunately it did not work for me quite as well as I hoped.
The premise, which is pretty charming, is that Marigold, a young witch embraces her heritage and trains to take over from her ailing grandmother as the Honey Witch of Inisfree island despite the curse that comes with the role - if she becomes the Honey Witch no one will ever fall in love with her. Once on the island she reunites with her childhood friend August and his sceptical new friend Lottie, who does not believe in magic or Marigold's healing abilities. A challenge to prove her powers results in Lottie and Marigold becoming closer than either of them expected, with consequences that neither of them could have foreseen.
I have to say that in some ways this reads like a YA fantasy, the characters seem much younger than their stated ages and the plot is certainly very predictable but then there were moments that were much darker than I would have expected in a cosy fantasy, as well as a bedroom scene that just seemed out of place in terms of the rest of the book. I don't mind enemies to lovers as a trope but here it felt rushed, especially given the slower pacing of the book in general. This is a book that has potential and some good writing and I am sure it will find its audience.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This was a cute cozy fairy tale like story. The plot was a bit predictable, and the hints were somewhat obvious in that way that makes sure you don't miss it and makes you feel like the main characters are dense for missing what is right in front of them. The world building is well done, and unfolds beautifully through the story arc. Some of the society norms and taboos seem random (tattoo is bad, but gay wedding is okay?), although it builds a world that is different from ours so the reader feels like they are discovering these nuances along the journey.
I wish there was a bit more twist and turn and that maybe the villian wasn't quite so black and white, but overall it was an entertaining story.

This is one of those books that end up on Cozy Fantasy lists and it really shouldn't be. It's very Cottagecore, about a witch living on an island with spirit animals and bees, but it's incredibly tense and lonely and dark. It's well written, but it's not what I signed up for. I am sure others will love it but I was just ok to me.

The Honey Witch was a charming Sapphic romance and cosy fantasy, with a surprising little smutty scene.

The magic system was simple and nothing highly innovative, but it was fun to read. The writing was beautiful at times and had some nuggets of wisdom, with just as many slightly annoying bits. It is not a fast paced book, and could sometimes feel like there were lulls bookended by a scene were everything was trying to catch up and move the story forward. I think at times this worked, it showed the time Mari took to learn her new world, to grieve, and help show her loneliness. But it was aggravating too, not knowinh where the story was going and feeling like it was trying to be too many things at once.

I do feel like they were some minor plot holes, but the plot wasn't really the focus. The romance and characters were. The plot was more of a byproduct.

Truth be told, I'm not likely to re-read this, but I do not regret it at all. I think if your looking for a book to feel like breakfast tea with lavender and honey, or just want to enjoy a book about cottagecore regency lesbians this summer, you should absolutely go for it, just don't think to hard about it.

This was an easy and cosy read. I loved rhe cottage core/regency vibes. It was an incredibly slow start and I considered DNFing, but the pace of the book eventually changed. The prose was OK, really liked the setting.

4.5☆

This is such an impressive debut and I can't wait for more from this author!

The writing is so beautiful, I was pulled in from the very start and there are so gorgeous quotes that I can't wait to add after release. The pacing of the story is really good, I didn't feel bored at any time or like it was moving too slow or too fast.

This book is so atmospheric. I was completely transported the whole time. It gives me feelings of nostalgia and warm summer days, it has huge cottagecore vibes and is very heartwarming.

The magic system is so unique! I love the idea of honey and ash magic and the connection with the bees and the earth, so well done and imaginative.

All of the characters are very likable and have distinct personalities. The friendships and family dynamics are very sweet and meaningful.
This is a sapphic romance and it's so lovely. I loved that they went from bickering to friends to lovers. There is so much delicious yearning/pining and if you love Pride & Prejudice-esque passion, this one is for you!

There is a sort of bittersweet undertone to the story at times that I actually enjoyed. The explorations of loneliness and family were very good and the themes of womanhood and the autonomy of women was well done.

This was definitely a case of judging the book by the cover and I'm so glad I did because it matches the story perfectly and what a beautiful story it is! I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to read this ARC

If you enjoyed The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches or A Fragile Enchantment this one is for you!

This was really sweet!

If you go in here expecting some deep philosophical diatribe on the nature of romance and belonging, you'd be knocking at the wrong door. This is a lovely little book about sapphic witches falling in love, set in some parallel world where being gay is a thing you can totally do in the 1830s. It's more cozy fantasy than some other "cozy fantasy" books I've been reading, while also being a comforting tale of life after loss. The author talks in her acknowledgements about how she wrote this book to give her own grandmother a better death, and that is exactly what I felt. Because while the main love story in this book is between the main characters Marigold and Lottie, there is also the secondary love story of Marigold and her grandmother, Althea. A bittersweet tale, which ends just as all things do, and yet asks the question: Is it better to have loved and lost, or to never have loved at all?

Unfortunately, the one thing that irked me about this book were the anachronisms. From the characters overusing the word "okay" to the frequent drinking of Earl Grey tea (which did not exist in 1832, yet), sometimes I felt as if a bit more research into the time period would have been beneficial. Or, alternatively - I feel like not much would be taken away from the story if it had been transported into a different time period. Cottagecore dreams are eternal and enduring, after all.

TLDR: A sweet, lighthearted cottagecore romance, intensely readable and diverting.

Thank you, Little Brown Book Group, and Netgalley for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Honey Witch follows Marigold Claude, who never felt as she belonged to the Bardshire’s society. She gets taken by her grandmother to Innisfree to become her successor as Honey Witch. Marigold finally found her true calling and is ready to continue in her grandmother’s footsteps. However, their legacy comes at a cost, the Honey Witch must live a lonely life as no one can ever fall in love with them.

I honestly had a great time with this book. Even though I was able to guess the twist almost straight away, I found the plot interesting and kept flicking the pages. The story is beautifully written, and I really liked the cosy and homey vibes. The magic system in the story was also very unique. I mean it’s based on honey, and I have never read something like that before. I can definitely recommend this if you want to read a light cosy fantasy story with witchy vibes and sapphic romance.

2.75⭐ rounded up. Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.

The Honey Witch was one I'd hope to be a next fave, what with the cottagecore witchy aesthetic and sapphic romance. The story really picks up once Marigold's, our heroine, witch grandmother comes into the picture to reveal the former's magical capabilities and legacy. Althea brings her granddaughter to the isle of Innisfree, where she then proceeds to teach Marigold on what it is to be a Honey Witch like her. I immensely enjoyed their familial moments! I have to commend Althea being quick to chastise Marigold when the latter had a Not Like Other Girls moment, a character trait best left behind in the 2000s. Author Sydney Shields was also able to pull my heartstrings just 25% in.

Unfortunately, that's when THW peaked and never really reached that high for me again, once Lottie the eventual love interest came in fully. The romance fell so far flat that I can't help but be disappointed at the lost potential. Marigold—cursed never to be romantically loved—and Lottie went from "Can't Stand Each Other Because Lottie is Nasty" to "Secretly Head Over Heels From the Moment We Met" in a period of a mere week. The attraction they feel for each other was so rushed and jammed in, such that their declarations of love felt unearned to me. It is a shame because had the book taken its time with them, the slowburn would have likely worked better given the novel's overall cozy vibes.

I do however enjoy Shield's writing style, one that I'll describe as poetic and breezy to read after you've finished a particularly heavier novel beforehand. That coupled with her interesting ideas will have me picking up a possible sophomore novel, as the disappointing execution in this debut nonetheless showcases her potential.