If you are looking for a book that has it all it is right here. This Grumpy Sunshine/ found family story left me all warm and fuzzy from beginning to end. Before I even finished I had my physical copy set for pre-order.
Quick Spoiler Free Run Down: Mika the ever lonely young witch accepts an unconventional offer and in doing so she finds herself in the mix with a family full of its own quirks. Secrets, secrets, and more secrets surround all the characters and of course one by one they all come out. The story highlights several points of view while focusing heavily on the importance of interpersonal relationships.

Things I loved:
The mentions of intersectionality and personal identities
ALL the witchy vibes and the pure whimsical description of the magic.
"'Does it make it more or less magical if I tell you that, scientifically speaking, we're all made of stardust?' He didn't even hesitate, raising his eyes to meet hers. 'More. Definitely more.'"

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review

Give me witchy romances or give me death. Okay, maybe not death, but seriously this reminds me of all the fun things I love in paranormal romances especially witchy ones.

This is some fantastically cute contemporary witchy fiction. It delivers on cozy, sweet moments - found family is the best family vibes, fairy wine, magical greenhouses, and a cuddly loyal dog to start. (Oh, and the cute librarian.) But it also addresses serious topics - the lengths people will go to protect their family and the courage needed to not just survive but also thrive in a world that sees you as different or other.

Mika Moon's journey from a vagabond life style to realizing her desire to stay in the one place that feels like home to her (and having to bare her vulnerable heart to accept that home) was wonderful. I think she is the most fleshed out character in the story. And while the side characters serve their purpose and are quite cute (please, Ian and Ken's backstory next!), they're not as strongly developed to match Mika's storyline.

As cute and fluffy as this novel is, I'm glad that some twists and darker elements surprised me at the end. The stakes seemed very low until more information was introduced and connections were made. There's also so much future potential with the witchy worldbuilding. I hope that the groundwork laid here will be developed into other stories about more of the witches.

5 stars — Wow. I don’t think I knew I needed this book, but I 100% needed this book. It didn’t even have the most prominent romance, but what I got more than satisfied me! There was just something magical, in so many senses of the word, in this story and these characters. It made me feel HAPPY. Sure, lots of other emotions as well, but predominantly HAPPY.

If you know me and read my reviews, you know that I am all about the characters. I know people love reading for different reasons, and there are different elements that are most important to them. For me, it has to have characters I can connect with and love. And this book had them in spades. Which is not to say they need to be perfect — in fact, I prefer my characters flawed. It makes them more real, you know?

Mika was an eminently loveable heroine to follow. While there are chunks of the story in other POVs on occasion, the majority of the story is Mika’s to tell. She’s got this beautiful sunshiney exterior that covers up damage from a childhood of neglect and loneliness. She got to me. She was full of spunk and sass, she was quirky and odd, and she had a beautiful heart that she was afraid to let out of its cage. But seeing her fly? So worth it.

The girls were everything. The sass was so strong, I laughed out loud on more than one occasion. And probably snorted. And my heart ached for them. They were each so unique, and I loved them all.

Jamie was the perfect grumpy cinnamon roll hero. He had his moments of frustrating me, but his heart was always in the right place. And he had his own demons to fight.

Ian, Ken and Lucie were the perfect background secondary cast of characters that you just want to be real. They round out the story and take it from great to awesome. Primrose was a challenge, but I do love me a complicated character like her. And Circe was the goodest good dog.

I loved the magical world — I really enjoy these contemporary fantasies where I truly can believe that it’s real, and that magic is hiding in the world we live in. I also appreciated thinking about how it would work in our world, and the inherent dangers that would exist if it was real. I called one of the twists in the story, but it didn’t take away from it whatsoever.

Basically, I was hooked from start to finish, and sad that I couldn’t just gobble it up in one sitting.

This is what I would call a cosy witchy romance story. It was utterly lovely, and I loved every second of it! The plot was great, the characters lovable and the romance positively swoon-worthy. Can highly recommend!

A delightful and warm-hearted fantasy romance that will suck readers in and make them never want to leave! Mandanna's worldbuilding is exquisite, and I would love to spend more time in her magical world.

I loved this found family story that is told through multiple pov’s. There’s plenty of character development and an interesting plot. The romance is a slooooow burn with lots of scowls and smiles and swoons. Mika receives a mysterious request to help tutor three young witches. The only problem is that witches are a secret and most are underground. As she sets off on her new adventure, we’re introduced to a wonderful family and lots of hilarious magically adventures ensue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

TW: death of parent (past), emotional/physical abuse by siblings (past), microagressions, familial estrangement, sex without a condom

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f paranormal romance
-forced proximity
-grump/sunshine
-found family
-sloooow burn

This book was recced to me by quite a few people and they were spot on. This was just a cozy lovely read. I really enjoyed how witchcraft was used as a metaphor for just not being 'normal' (and honest what is normal anymore) and how it gave Mika a community but she also felt very separated. I appreciated how effortlessly inclusive this book was.

This is a book about finding home and family and how different it can be, and the trust it takes to let yourself be loved, whether by friends or family. Jamie was a swoony LI, only nice to kids, with excellent forearms, and an appreciation for books. The romance between Mika and Jamie was a slow burn that built and built.

I adored the secondary characters so much. The three kids, the other caretakers at the house. If you're looking for something cozy, low steam, and just fun, definitely check this book out.

Steam: 3 (brief open door scene)

From the moment you read its title, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches gives off a particular vibe—quirky, wry, humorous. Its first page cements this impression as we take in Mika Moon’s musings about the titular secret society of witches without a name, for whom she decides to create a series of improbable names in order to irritate the prim and proper head witch Primrose. It perfectly encapsulates the overall atmosphere of this book featuring a charming witty heroine who is part of an ancient order with traditions that she bucks against in a low-stakes feelgood paranormal fantasy.

The author takes a light hand with the world-building given that this book has a contemporary setting and its witches have assimilated into society, only meeting once a month in small numbers to avoid attracting attention and otherwise avoiding each other’s company. Magic in this world is a whimsical creature that responds to the needs of the witch as opposed to something with firm rules that can be nailed down, which is a little convenient, but all part of the charm of this book. It’s treated like a natural element that surrounds them at all times and just needs to be coaxed into doing a witch’s bidding, something that Mika does with enthusiasm as she channels her magic into potions and thrills in the creative process of enchantment.

Because all witches are orphans, Primrose found Mika as a child in the care of a social worker in India and she promptly whisked her away to England to place in the care of a series of nannies, each of whom had their memory wiped as soon as Mika exhibited any magical tendencies. Now as an adult, Mika is a cheerful but lonely woman, restless with no roots and a tendency to pick up and move on at the drop of a hat, forever searching for a place to call home. And that’s where Nowhere House comes in…

An eccentric cast of characters occupy Nowhere House—the most eccentric of them all is Ian Kubo-Hawthorn, a flamboyant retired actor; Ken, his patient long-suffering husband who does his best to rein in Ian’s grander impulses; Lucie, the sweet motherly housekeeper; Jamie, the grouchy irritable librarian; and three young orphaned witches Rosetta, Terracotta and Altamira who are in dire need of tutoring to keep their magic under control. Fortunately Ian identifies Mika as a witch from her YouTube videos (a source of contention between Primrose and Mika who insists that nobody would think they were genuine!) and invites her to stay with them in a temporary tutoring role.

To say that this book feels like a warm hug is a cliché, but one that is 100% true nonetheless and a credit to the author who wrote it during the pandemic with the intention of creating a ‘warm, cosy romantic story…that was, above all things, about love and human connection’. Lovers of the found family trope will be in heaven as we witness Mika settling into Nowhere House and overcoming a series of obstacles to find her place in its unconventional but tight-knit loving family unit. Most of the adults welcome Mika from the start, but Jamie is fiercely protective of the young witches he has nurtured in a paternal role and feels hostile towards Mika, viewing her as a potential threat. She finds that Rosetta and Altamira are both easy to win over, but the middle child Terracotta is a hilarious mini-Wednesday Addams who tries her hardest to intimidate Mika with ominous predictions of her death and a general brooding demeanour when she isn’t loudly contemplating murder.

The slowly brewing romance in the background is swoonworthy as Mika breaks down Jamie’s defences, charming him despite his best efforts to resist her, but the real highlight is Mika’s integration into the Nowhere House family. For a light breezy fantasy, the writing packs a punch and hits the reader emotionally every time she reaches a milestone with them that she never experienced anywhere else. Mika may be an independent and self-sufficient adult, but that doesn’t stop her inner wounded child craving stability and the elusive concept of belonging somewhere. This isn’t a melodrama with high stakes, but all the same, don’t be surprised if you find yourself tearing up at certain points!

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is beautifully written with gentle humour and a lot of heart; it will wrap you up in a warm fluffy blanket and surround you with joy, laughter and contentment. Its characters are larger than life, endearing and wonderfully fleshed out, and the story mostly follows comfortably predictable beats with a few surprising swerves along the way to happily ever after. Sweet, heart-warming and whimsical, readers will thrill at losing themselves in these magical pages and never want to leave Nowhere House!

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is about family, community, mystery, adventure, and doing what you can for those just like you. We have a witch who leaps at the chance to take a job as a tutor. Little does she know she is the perfect fit cause she is teaching three young witches to control their powers. But of course, things are not always what they seem, and Mika Moon is about to discover just how much she needs this crazy group of humans and witches.
A story that is close to real life and can be believed to be honest is always a plus. I can see this old witch taking in 3 young children who need protection, but then she is so wrapped up in her own goals she neglects to provide them with the means to control their powers. Outside forces must be let in to keep them safe, and then one world meets another, and an amazing some, what predictable plot twist unfolds.
I was entranced from the first page to the last. The characters are solid and likable, the mystery is believable, and the emotional toll of it all makes for a cozy, magical story.

Cute, cozy, and sweet enough to rot your teeth out! The vibes of this book are impeccable, complete with a quirky found family of misfits living in a tucked-away manor near the sea, three young witches in need of a tutor, a grumpy librarian with a soft heart, a witch-turned-magic-tutor with a traumatic past, and lots of descriptions of magical teas. I felt like the messaging was really on the nose and the final conflict(s) were rushed (and a bit underbaked tbh) but overall I had a good time reading this book!

Mika Moon’s magical social media videos aren’t faked for the clout: She’s actually a real witch, hiding in plain sight. When she receives a desperate plea to tutor three young witches on a remote Norfolk estate, she follows her magical instincts and accepts — and winds up in a tangle with a hot but scowly librarian, a coterie of elderly caretakers and three children with far more magic than they know what to do with. And then, horribly, lawyers get involved.

This book is as soft and unsubtle as a pile of golden retriever puppies drenched in glitter — but the longer I read, the more I found to love. There’s a sadness at the root of the world-building here, which I found compelling: Witches are all orphans whose parents die young. Lonely children become isolated adults, figuring out their magic on their own and living in a familiar kind of semi-secrecy.

Mika wears the anguish of her upbringing like a suit of armor, awkward and constricted by it but painfully vulnerable beneath. She doesn’t dare imagine a better world for her own sake — but she’ll move mountains if it means these children will not have to suffer as she did.

It makes for a slight but meaningful shift in the angle of the happy ending, which is usually so focused on the central characters’ bliss in the present. This romance, more than many, looks to the future, and imagines imagining a better world. Inheritance not only as something you receive, but something you pass on. Not in titles or land or money, but in a more precious currency: love and support and hope.

Thank you to Berkeley and Netgalley for the complementary audiobook!

This book was an absolute pleasure! Cozy fantasy with witches and romance, what more could you ask for? It kind of reminded me of House in the Cerulean Sea. Quirky found family, grumpy love interest, and delightful magic! Anyone looking for a feel-good spellbinding book will love this!

A story of love, acceptance, family, and belonging, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a delightful read. The story follows Mika, an orphan and witch who lost her parents when she was young. Raised knowing she had to keep her magic a secret and stay away from other witches so as not to draw attention to their magic, Mika is used to her solitary life. All of that changes when Mika receives a message asking her to journey to the Nowhere House to teach three young witches, and she decides to go.

When Mika arrives at Nowhere House, she gains more than she ever expected. She meets a wonderful group of people, including a retired stage actor and his housekeeper husband, a curmudgeonly but sexy librarian, and three young, orphaned witches with little control of their powers.

Mika has such a big heart, and I loved her character throughout the story. She is so positive and holds an optimistic outlook on life despite the hardships she’s endured and the loneliness she feels. I think she finds herself at Nowhere House. The relationships she gains, the acceptance, and the feeling of belonging are everything she wants and more, and her connection to Terracotta, Rosette, and Altimira is lovely. Mika always wanted children and a family, and that’s exactly what she finds over the course of the book.

All of the characters are well-developed and layered, and I love the found family they create. The banter is great, and you can tell they really care about each other in the way they act and talk and treat each other. There are some lovely tender moments and some fantastic laugh-out-loud conversations, and there’s also a swoon-worthy budding romance between Mika and the grumpy librarian Jamie! Yes, librarian! What’s sexier than a man who loves books? Jamie is enigmatic and has a mysterious past. I loved watching this grumpy man reluctantly fall for Mika. They are so different, yet they complement each other well.

I remember once a fellow book blogger referred to a book she enjoyed as a “warm hug,” and that’s what this book feels like. It’s a wonderfully entertaining story with rich characters, a fabulous found family, and moving messages that I would compare to messages in many of T.J Klune’s books. I would definitely recommend the book to readers who like sweet and charming stories and am thankful to Berkley Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts are my own.

Mika Moon is a real witch, pretending to be a fake witch on social media. When a message comes in asking her to teach 3 young children to control their magic she somehow finds herself moving into Nowhere House with three young girls, and a handful of misfits keeping them safe. Their grumpy caregiver Jamie is not too keen on this idea, but with the others support, Mika goes to Nowhere house and their magic starts becoming a measure of power and not chaos. But just as Mika feel's like she finally found a place to belong, she finds out her new found family has lied to her. Can she rebuilt that trust and save what she found at Nowhere House? Or is it better to be isolated from the rest of the world just like her mentor suggested.

Ugh my heart! Did I stay up way too late to finish this book then proceed not to fall asleep cause I had a giant book hangover? YES. I. DID! To me this was very much a collaboration of "nothing to see here" and "Witch Please" we get a compelling family drama with a cute love story intertwined with it. THAT TWIST! I never saw it coming. The adults were heartwarming, even Jamie, the grump of the story, was so lovable. The three girls were adorable, even when they fought and were at odds. This is a story about embracing your differences, accepting the love of those around you and fighting for what you will believe in. I cannot get enough!

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was such a heartwarming and cozy novel. It’s a magical story about love and family - those we’re born into and those we choose. It’s a quiet story filled with so many small and tender moments. As sweet as the story is, however, there are some heavier topics addressed, so please check the content warnings.

Things to look forward to:
- This is one of my very favorite found families ever. Every character grabbed my heart and I loved how fiercely loyal and loving they were to each other.
- The themes of home and being loved and accepted exactly as you are. I especially liked the distinction between being kind and nice. I loved how these themes played out in the novel.
- The romance! It’s not the focus of the novel, but the build up between Jamie and Mika was chef’s kiss. They each have emotional pasts that have shaped them into the people they are, but I loved how they slowly opened up to each other. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the spicy scene! Tropes to look forward to: slow burn, forced proximity, enemies-ish to friends to lovers, caretaker, grumpy + sunshine, and workplace-ish romance.
- The magical world. I loved Nowhere House and how the house and grounds became almost a character. The magic blended with the “regular” world so well.
- The twists! I didn’t really see those coming and will admit that one brought tears to my eyes over the hurt it caused. These played out so well and were perfectly executed.
- I both read and listened to the audiobook of this book and Samara MacLaren’s performance blew me away. She captured all the joy, love, humor, hurt, and vulnerability of these characters so well. Every voice and accent was distinct and wonderfully done no matter the age/gender. Samara MacLaren is a new to me narrator, but I’m looking forward to listening to more of her performances in the future.

This is truly a wonderful book and I can’t recommend it enough. Triple hugs for all!

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 5 stars

CW: death of parent/loved one (past), parental neglect (past), physical abuse from siblings (past), grief, mentions of homophobia (secondary character, past), profanity

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

What a marvelously magical tale. I absolutely love a good with-y tale and this one was pure perfection.

Mika Moon meets with other witches on the 3rd Thursday, of every 3rd month. Otherwise, they rarely interact with one another in the real world… it would cause people to notice. But she wants to be “normal”, not having to hide who she truly is. She allows herself one small online video account, where she can be a witch out in the open, with people thinking she’s not really witch out in open. Except someone did notice that she was the real deal.
Now she finds herself at Nowhere House, trying to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks the rules that witches have adhered to for centuries. Surely uncontrolled magic will draw someone’s attention. Being in the young witches lives, as well as the caretakers of the house, and the handsome librarian Jamie, Mika finally feels like she belongs… like she has a family. But trouble is brewing and Mika must decide if she will help this unconventional family or Nowhere House or will she walk away.

This book absolutely tugged at my heart strings. You can feel every emotion that Mika has. All the secondary and third party characters were amazing and made the book whole and complete. I would love to see this group down the road and see where they have evolved to in life. I highly recommend this – you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read and review this book. I look forward to reading more books by Sangu Mandanna.

Myth: 5/5

Everything about this book hit me right in the feels. From a cold (literally) start, this book builds warmth with every page. A solitary witch, called upon by the most unexpected and unconventional family to help wrangle some young witches magic before a looming meeting. But there are rules for witches, and this assignment might break all of them.

So you get to enjoy delights like this from the kids Mika works with, “That was some excellent Mary Poppins shit right there.”

While you also get one of the best grumpy/sunshine romances I’ve ever read.

Magic: 5/5

Mika’s magic is so interwoven with who she is, but it’s also been a huge part of why she’s been alone for all of her life. Magic is inherently a part of Mika’s journey as she figures out how to keep it secret, but how to live her life to the fullest with her magic included.

Overall: 5/5

Mika is an amazing heroine, daring herself to open up to a new family that might like her, not just need something from her. Allowing herself to bask in a freedom that she’s been told she could never have, sharing her magic.

I really think that heartwarming is the best label I can give this story. I highly recommend it.

magic, fantastically-fantastical

This book was more true "Romance" than I expected, and less "House on the Cerulean Sea," which I was hoping for, but it was pleasant, nonetheless. Quirky, lonely witch takes up a job caring for quirky, magical children in their quirky magic protected house by the sea. There's a brooding Darcy-esque love interest with a heart of gold and a penchant for cozy libraries. He's also fiercy protective of those he cares about, a bit "Discovery of Witches" without ths vampires. There are some secrets, some hurt feelings and traumatic-childhoods-that-color-everything, and some very goofy dialog. Though there was a lot of cheese, some not incredible writing, and some rated R content, I did enjoy the characters and the whole magical vibes.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is the feel-good rom-com I didn’t know I needed.
It made me feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy, with its lovely found family (the yearning to have something like the affection Ian, Ken, Lucie and Jamie gave to the girls is very strong in me right now) and adorable ships dynamics. It showed many different kinds of love, in such an attentive and caring way.
I‘m also really found of the way magic was handled and described, and reading about Mika's relationship with it was like reading about an old friendship.

This is a book I recommend to those looking for an easy and cute read, with a simple but brilliant plot and a writing style perfectly fit for this kind of story.