This is the cozy found family witch story you're looking for. I wasn't fully in love with it because I found it sagged in the middle — it can be tough to keep up a low stakes plot. And I wish some of the world building had been fleshed out a bit more (Why only women witches? That kind of thing sets off my radar a bit.) Also, the romance is sweet but it doesn't take up as much space in the book as I might prefer. Still, very cute, and a trend I hope to see more of.

I wish I could have lived in this book! I loved the characters, the setting, and the whole energy of the book. I found it to be completely charming without too much sweetness, Great humor and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The first word that comes to mind after reading The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is ADORABLE. Sangu Mandanna is a new author to me, and I am already looking forward to reading more of her work.

I adored Mika and Jamie, and Rosetta, and Terracotta, and Altamira, and Lucie, and Ken and Ian; they were a wonderful cast of characters. The love story between Mika and Jamie was so sweet, both were hesitant and more than a bit skeptical about each other, but the attraction was there from their very first meeting.

Mika was a lonely witch, she always had to hide her true self, she could never trust anyone's real intentions, she never had a real family, and in Jamie and Nowhere House she found her people, she found a home.

"More than anything, I just want one place I can be myself. I just want a home."

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches had everything good; enemies to lovers, magic, found family and it left me feeling happy and warm inside. A fantastic read to start the fall season.

This was what I wanted House in the Cerulean Sea to be. That other book was massively underwhelming, but this met all the things I wanted. The romance was 100x better, and far less forced. The children were more true to how children truly behave. I enjoyed all of this. We have sold a few copies already as well.

I have to admit I didn't find the romance portion of this romance novel at all compelling, but all the rest of it was a delight, so it didn't even matter. All the characters, the magic, the plot—all highly enjoyable

This book is so good! It gives all the cozy fantasy vibes that are needed in the SFF community.

Found family perfection about a young witch who is hired to tutor three young witches in an old, but cozy estate. Raising these young witches are two older gay married men, a grandmotherly housekeeper, and a grumpy (and hott) young male librarian. The gumpy-sunshine romance is also perfection, but the real heart of the story is the found family.

For fans of all cozy sci-fi fantasy books. And perfect for a display by the same name!

Read this book. :)

This was an absolute comfy, cozy, joy of a book to read! I was immediately taken with the setting and the way Mika thought through situations as our narrator. This is a perfect read as we ease into spooky season!

Such a warm and cozy book. For readers looking for low stakes cozy fantasy this is the perfect book. Also a great Halloween book because of the witches, but also surprisingly could be a Christmas read too because of the timing in the book.

What a delightful, beautiful, magical read, surely to lift your mood up with all the love and laughter that flows in this.

Mika Moon is the youngest witch in her coven, a coven that meets only couple of times a year and doesn't stay together or talk to each other. She has a jolly attitude and is sunshine person who is looking for a home and always wanted one.

One unexpected message arrives that gets her into Nowhere House teaching three young witches whose existence is not known by anyone from the coven. Terracotta is smart, with good questions and a murderous attitude (in fun way) for Mika. Altamira is the sweetest and cutest kid. Rosette is the elder one and has a good nature. They are amazing.

The characters are diverse with great personalities and nature which I absolutely liked. The author has a brilliant imagination which is seen in this story. I loved how she interwove everything and how uniquely she wrote about witch magic and every character. She gives a plot twist that you won't see coming.

This book is entertaining, funny, mysterious, has a bit of romance, found family, chapters that will leave you with all good feelings, a page turner ride. I highly recommend this one.

Review will be posted on 9/21/22

Mika Moon has lived a nomadic life, moving often, and not putting down roots. There's a few reasons for this: one, being that her parents have died, and two, she is a witch. She doesn't want to bring too much attention to herself; however, she does dabble on the internet as a "pretend" witch by posting videos. Mika does meet every few months with another group of witches, but it's all very secretive. One day she receives a message asking her to come to a country estate to help young witches control their powers. Mika finds this very intriguing, so off she goes to a country estate aptly named Nowhere House. While there, she meets three young children who are learning the ropes and trying to control their magic. There are also other people that live at the estate, a caretaker, a retired actor, and a hot librarian. Before she knows it, she has become close with not only the kids, but the other quirky people who live there as they accept her for who she is. She doesn't have to hide her magic here. But things aren't all rainbows and unicorns. There's a lawyer investigating some things at Nowhere House and this threatens there very perfect world they have built for themselves. Sangu Mandanna's adult debut, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is an adorable romance that is perfect for fans of a cozy fall read.

Mika is such a fun character in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. I loved watching her let down her walls and have real relationships with the people at Nowhere House. Each person brings something special to the story and Mika slowly let them in. It was nice to see this as she has always been on her own. The cast of quirky characters in the novel were very well done and I especially liked the good looking Irish librarian, Jamie. Lastly, the three young witches were also very entertaining and were adorable to say the least.

My only issue with The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was the fact that the pull to keep reading wasn't there. I liked the story, the characters were quirky, and it was an adorable romantic fantasy, but it didn't pull me to keep going. Something was definitely missing. However, if you want a fall read that is cozy and on the quieter side, give this novel a try. It left me smiling, so, really, what more could you ask for?

Is The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches on your TBR list? Have you read it already? Do you like a good witchy tale? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

I’m always a fan of found family tropes. It’s the best trope to read in any fiction genre. And it gives The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches the perfect cozy spooky romance vibe. It does help that we have a grumpy sunshine romance trope as well.

Mika has been hiding her witch side for so long that she never knew how lonely she is until she starts training newbie witches. It’s always been a rule to never be with so many witches at the same time. It attracts attention which will expose witches to others. But she is willing to risk it when she has a group of young witches who aren’t trained properly. Ultimately, she starts to form a family with these young witches including her guardians, especially the grumpy one.

You always know that the grumpy male character will fall for the sunshine character no matter what. They are destined too. Mike and Jamie may be different from each other, but they are so right for each other. They are both willing to do everything for these children, even putting their differences aside. But it also helps that they have a deep attraction for each other.

I just finished this wonderful book and am reveling in the warm fuzzy feelings of a meaningful story well-told. I don't want to leave the book's world. I want to meet Mika, Jamie, the other residents of Nowhere House, and the other witches. Mika has such lovely energy and such a strong longing to belong and connect and be seen and loved for who she is. This is a story of belonging and found family and connection and acceptance and love. It is gentle and soothing and explores bigger topics like the impact of childhood trauma and our need to be accepted and loved. I smiled throughout much of the book and felt for Mika as she struggled to find her place. I will happily recommend this book to all. It was like a hug. A really nice hug that gets all of you and still makes you feel loved and safe.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

This book is adorable. I can't find a better way to describe it.
Sangu Mandanna has created a simple but fascinating story that you just can't stop reading until the end!
First of all, I have to thank Netgalley and phrinternational for the free book.
It has been an enjoyable company in a very stressful couple of weeks and that meant a lot to me..This comedy has the power to make the reader smile and feel this story in their bones, empathizing with the main characters.
Loneliness and mistrust are something that the protagonists of this novel have to face and overcome. It's not easy and they have many scars on themselves, but love and affection will make the difference. Nowhere House makes the difference with all its inhabitants. I will never tire of reading about found families and the author was able to represent different kind of mistreatments (bullying, exploiting, violence and neglect) without exceeding with drama. It's something that I always underline when I find it, because I think that often being over-dramatic when it comes to talk about certain issues makes them lose their significance. Sangu Mandanna, instead, has been delicate and clever managing the balance between those arguments and the light tone of the rest of the story
And then there are the girls. Terracotta, Rosetta and Altamira are so adorable and entertaining I want them with me. They're the light of the story and they're depicted as real kids (with powers, of course). not mere specks with worths and flaws. Same applies for the inhabitants of Nowhere House. I ended up becoming fond of them as they were my family.
As per the romance, expect a slow-burn that is absolutely worth the wait.
A small flaw: the ending has maybe been a little bit too simple, but I think it's ok since we're talking about a comedy.
I would love to read other adventures about this beautiful new family, so I hope Sangu Mandanna will leave the door open for something more.
In the meantime, I absolutely recommend you this reading!

This is hands down one of my favourite books of the year! It had everything I look for in a good book: witches, found family, and a grumpy x sunshine pairing all wrapped up in an adorable rom com package.

"…witches were always orphans. According to Primrose, this was because of a spell that went wrong in some bygone era. Mika was certain this tale was a figment of Primrose’s imagination, but she also had no better explanation because the fact remained: when a witch was born, she would find herself orphaned shortly thereafter. It didn’t matter where in the world the witch was born, and the cause of death could be anything from innocuous illnesses to everyday accidents, but it was inevitable."
-------------------------------------
"WITCH WANTED. Live-in tutor wanted for three young witches. Must have nerves of steel. Previous teaching experience not necessary. Witchiness essential."

We have all answered want ads, but I expect there are few (you know who you are) who have come across one like that. But Mika Moon has been looking for an opportunity. There are not many witches in England and they have lived very separate lives in Mandanna’s witchy world. Apparently when they get together, their magic, which manifests as something like those specks you see in the air when bright light shines in an enclosed space, but gold, visible only to those with witch blood, combine and draw attention. (maybe they are scraped from yellow bricks? ) Also, as noted at top, they are all orphans. There are quarterly meetings of England’s witch population, well, a portion of them anyway, but they are living very separate lives. (People come and go so quickly here.)Their cover story, of course, is that they are a book club.

Mika was unusual in the group, being the child of a witch, and the granddaughter of a witch. It appears that most witches in this world were born to parents the Potter-verse might refer to as Muggles. When she was orphaned in India, Primrose Beatrice Everly, maybe the oldest living witch, found her and brought her to England, where she was raised in Primrose’s home. Not the worst life, but a lonely one.

Sometimes, when she looked back on her childhood, Mika had trouble remembering all her nannies and tutors. There had been so very many of them that she would sometimes catch herself forgetting names or struggling to conjure up a face or attaching a memory to the wrong person.

What she did remember, in perfect, crystalline detail, was the loneliness. She remembered how much she’d longed for company. A parent, a sister, a friend. Someone who was there because they wanted to be and not because they were paid handsomely to be."

Mika amuses herself by posting videos on line of her pretending to be a witch, expecting that no one would believe she really is one. But someone does see, thus the Help Wanted ad finding its way to her. And the game is afoot, or maybe a-broom.

In a way, Mika’s experience is a bit like Dorothy’s when she first set foot in Oz. Where Am I? What is this place? Although she doesn’t, she could easily, on her arrival, have said, “Circe, [that being her dog] I don’t think we’re in Brighton any more.” There are three young witch girls living there. How is that even possible? Their combined magic is manifest, and a sure sign of imminent peril!

“Too much magic in one place attracts attention,” [Primrose] would say. “Even wards can only hide so much. And attracting attention, as witches have discovered time and time again over the centuries, is dangerous. Alone is how we survive.”

She meets with the four grownups of Nowhere House (yes, really) first. They are very welcoming, well, except for one, who is as crusty as he is handsome. The lady of the house, (Lillian Nowhere, and thus the name of the house. Yes, really. ) absent at present, had adopted the girls from different parts of the world. While it is clear that this is a loving household, it is also clear that someone needs to train the girls in how to manage their unusual gift. In the role of Wicked Witch, there is an accountant, engaged by the absent Lillian, set to arrive in six weeks, and he holds enormous power over them, the girls in particular. If their magic is not locked down it could result in the dissolution of the household. So, no pressure.

One thing Mika brings with her is a true heart and an eagerness to help, and a cheerfulness that runs into some barriers. There is no wondering for us if Mika a good witch or a bad witch as she teaches the girls not only how to better manage their power, gaining some trust and affection. But not all members of the household are convinced. One of the girls is overtly unhappy that Mika is there and does her best to be unpleasant to her, and unengaged.

"As for Mika in particular, honestly, I think she represented a ray of sunshine and hope that I needed when I started writing this novel in lockdown." - from the United by Pop interview

Then there is Jamie, the crusty, protective librarian who had the most responsibility for the girls. If you have ever seen a Hallmark movie, you can see what’s coming the instant these two cross paths. I am not saying that I mind this. I have been dragged to the living room to watch (more than) my share of Hallmark movies (Could you loosen those ropes a bit, dear? ) so I speak from a reasonable amount of experience. I will confess that I actually like some of these things, however formulaic. And the romance here is indeed formulaic, albeit charmingly done and with some nice magical elements.

"I’ve loved stories with fantasy and magic since I was a little girl, and I was an eager tween when I first discovered my love of romance novels. I think it was inevitable that I would write a book that combined fantasy with romance, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve also discovered a love of stories about found families, outcasts finding a place to belong, and the magic of the everyday. I wanted to write a book with all of these things." - from the United by Pop interview

Thankfully, there are other things going on. In her interview with Verve, Mandanna recalls being in love with the play, Les Miserables as a teen, and acting out all the parts herself, believing that there would never be a chance for someone with brown skin to play any of those roles. Even her favorite characters from classic literature seemed out of reach, and rom-coms and other forms all seemed to feature females of only one sort. So, when she started writing it was with an eye toward including people who looked like her. Thus, Mika was born in India. And the girls are diverse. One is black, one is from Vietnam and another is Palestinian. (I am sure that it is purely a coincidence that there are three children in the novel and Mandanna has three of her own. )

Mika struggles with her need for a family, for acceptance of what she is, for love. She has been raised to believe that attachment is lethal, as once non-witch people in her life learn of her powers, only trouble follows. So, don’t get attached, don’t settle in, keep moving, and stay away from other witches. It makes for a very lonely life. But with that mindset, how can you accept what appears to be a real connection to a loving family if they could yank it away at any time? This applies both to the family and her relationship with Jamie. But she feels herself falling in love with this family. Isolation sucks.

Mandanna wrote this during the COVID lockdowns, so Mika has taken on the additional task of standing in for so many of us who struggled with disconnection, who were unable to have physical contact with family and other people for a long time.

Gripes are modest. Yes, it is a romance, but I found it a bit jarring for a book that was going along reading very much like a YA title to then get a fair bit steamy a time or two. Not surprising that someone who has made her mark writing for a younger audience (The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is her first novel for adults) might retain a lot of that sensibility while adding more adult elements. (There is the odd profanity as well) But it felt unnecessary. What we gain from those scenes could have been accomplished with much less detail. I wanted to know so much more about Primrose, and how she located her special orphans. Ditto for Lillian. And maybe how witches who are constantly moving from place to place manage to make a living. While the setup makes sense to establish Mika’s situation and that of the residents of that special place, it does not seem likely to stand up well to much expansion.

I really liked the notion of making magic not only visually manifest, but with its own personality. There is some LOL material here as well. It is not a long book. The story rolls along quickly. It is engaging, as Mika is an appealing lead and her situation is tailor-made to pluck your heartstrings. It is a fast, enjoyable read, perfect for when you might be looking for something to cheer you up. You will be charmed. While reading The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches I expect there will be Nowhere you would rather be.

"She hadn’t understood how exhausting and heartbreaking it had been to hide such a big part of herself all these years, to reshape and contort herself into something more acceptable. She hadn’t realised just how heavy her mask had been until she’d discovered what it was to live without it."

Review posted – September 16, 2022

Publication date – August 23, 2022


I received an ARE of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches from Berkley in return for a fair review, and a few obscure ingredients for a potion. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.

This was a very sweet and enjoyable romance. I think Jaime's character could have been fleshed out a bit more, but it was obvious to me that this book was more focused on Mika and her journey, along with the overall magical world, than it was on Jaime. That worked fine for me overall. I also found the three witch children to be well-written, realistic, and loveable. The "twist" that Primrose was related to the children's guardian was pretty easy to spot coming, although I was surprised by the fact that she was actually secretly dead and buried in the garden! I think the highlight of this book was the cozy atmosphere and magical world-building. The world-building is impressively complex for a book that is more focused on the romantic relationship (or at least claims to be). I also really enjoyed how confident Mika is in her sexuality and how little she was embarrassed she was about her desire for Jaime. This was very charming and accessible, although I think someone looking for the romantic relationship to be the heart of the story might be a little disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

What an absolutely delightful read!

I am such a sucker for a found family tale, and this book has it in spades. The care with which Sangu Mandanna crafts this story, executes the plot, and builds up her characters is so refreshing and amazing. Her writing style feels very Austen-esque, and so does the tale she tells, spinning the reader a scintillating tale of magic, love, and acceptance.

I can't get over how much I enjoyed reading this book. The whole cast of characters were hilarious, the dialogue was fresh and witty, and even though the ending was predictable, I felt that it was written well, enough that it didn't matter. My soul feels so full after reading this book.

A very enthusiastic five stars.

Perfect for those who fell in love with TJ Klunes "The House in the Cerulean Sea," VSSIW is a sweet, tea-filled romp through found family and joyous magic. A MUST have for all libraries with witchy cottage-core readers.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was a really fun read that follows Mika Moon as she breaks one of the main rules of the society: don't stay in one place with other witches. As she tutors the three young witches at Nowhere House we get to see Mika grow and find what it's like to have a family, but how long can they go before their safe bubble is burst?

Reason to love this book : witches, found family, nerdy librarian love interest, queer rep.

THank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Found family, cozy fall vibes, and magic. Couldn't have asked for anything more. I adored this book and I think it's a perfect addition to any Fall TBR.