If I could give this one 10 stars I would.

I wholeheartedly adored this book. The coziest, most joyful witchy romance.

I loved the magic system, I loved the main characters, I loved the found family and their meddling.

Highly recommend to anyone looking for the most heartwarming book ever.

This is one of the most brilliant and beautiful book with wonderful witchy lore, an amazing slow burn romance, and the most delightful found family!

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for providing an e-arc for an honest review.

If you loved House in the Cerulean Sea then this book is for you. It is such a feel good, warm and fuzzy book and I couldn’t get enough! Of course it has all things that are good; Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Grumpy x Sunshine, Found Family, Witches, Sweet Golden Retrievers, A beautifully diverse cast of characters and a tiny bit of spice. The writing is beautiful and descriptive and brings you into the story. You truly feel as if you are at Nowhere house learning to cast spells with Mika and the girls. You can practically see the beautiful library filled with amazing special editions and a librarian who is not nice but is kind. It makes you want to curl up by the fire in the front room of Nowhere house and swap stories with Ian, Lucie and Ken. Most of all it really made me want an attic room with a balcony.

The story is just as beautiful as the scenery and truly tackles subjects like what it means to be loved, loneliness, chosen family and what one would do for them. If you are looking for a witchy read with a beautiful story filled with love and quirky characters then this is the book for you.

I'm a big fan of found families and this story of 3 young witches coming together hit all the right marks for me. The characters were so vivid and lovable. The romantic aspect was a slow burn but gratifying in the end. Overall, 4/5 for heartwarming feels, found family, found love, and a charming good time.

Fun and quirky, the two words I would use to describe this book. I really enjoyed this mixed up, mashed up family. They come together as a group of misfits and stayed together as a family. Each one of them has something different to offer the three young witches and together they keep them safe, happy, and help them learn to control their powers.

Mika Moon, what a great name for a witch, takes on the job of teaching the young witches. She has no experience, but she understands the feeling of being left alone, of needing guidance, and of wanting to be loved. These were all things she craved growing up and she knows that she can offer that to them along with the knowledge of controlling their magic.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches if a fun, quirky, easy read. I love the witches, I love the family, I love the book. I recommend picking up your own copy.

There have been some excellent paranormal romances so far this year and this one is a major standout!! Full of heart, found family and a grumpy cinnamon roll hero (who's an Irish librarian I might add!) - this heartfelt story will make you feel all the feels!

Mika Moon was orphaned at a young age and raised by strangers. One of only a few witches in Britain - she is forced to keep her true identity a secret by Coven decree - but her online 'pretend' magical videos catch the attention of the caregivers for a trio of young witches who turn to Mika for help.

Knowing these precious young witches would be separated if their true natures were revealed, Mika agrees to come to Nowhere House and quickly falls in love with everyone there - including the cantankerous librarian with a secret of his own.

I loved all these characters soooo much!! Plus the slow burn, somewhat enemies to lovers, interracial, forced proximity romance with a few steamy scenes definitely satisfied my romcom loving heart! The real stars though are the young witches and the mischief they get up to.

Highly recommended for fans of The undertaking of Hart and Mercy or The godparent trap. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I can't wait to see what's next from this incredibly talented, new-to-me author!

Looking for your next grumpy sunshine? Get this one for your shelf!

Not only, does it have the sweetest grumpy man, it has witchy times and too adorable kid witches too. It also has some great diversity!

I flew through this book! It was a sweet and easy read for me and was perfect to lift my spirits after the more sad memoir I read!

I loved the way the characters and relationships evolved and it was just a wholesome and sweet read. 💕

💕Favorite Quotes💕

“Niceness is all about what we do when other people are looking. Kindness, on the other hand, runs deep. Kindred is what happens when no one is looking.”

“It’s a leap of faith to love people and let yourself be loved. It’s closing your eyes and stepping off a ledge into nothing, and trusting that you’ll fly rather than fall.”

This is a great little book about friendship, love, coming of age and finding the people who will love you for who you really are!!

Mika Moon has led a lonely life. Orphaned as a baby, she was taken in by Primrose Everly, who is, of course, a witch!! Although Mika never really experienced Primrose as a mother figure because she was raised by a series of nannies. As soon as a nanny suspected anything “magical” about Mika, she was quickly replaced.

In this present meeting of witches, Mika is being reprimanded for creating her witchy social media posts. Mika assures her that no one will actually believe she is a witch, as there are others out there posing as witches and the videos are just for fun! Only simple magic tricks are shared.

However not much later Mika receives an email advertising “WITCH WANTED as a tutor for 3 young witches”. Since Mika presently has no job she decides to go to the destination, Nowhere House, and see what this is all about. When she is introduced to the 3 young girls she immediately “could see the unmistakable gold dust motes of magic around them”.

In a nutshell, she accepts the job and we join her as she slowly wins over the others who live at Nowhere House including all 3 little girl witches. Her job is to teach the girls how to contain and use their magic and also how to “reign it in” when they don’t want to be discovered as witches.

The plot of the story is charming, the magic is fun to read about and there is enough here for entertainment and some background on witches in Britain.

I was all ready to recommend this as a YA novel, but there is a sex scene and occasional use of expletives!! Nothing that would bother most adults but just wanted to note this in case it is a trigger for some.

I can recommend this as a fun read with characters that are engaging, colorful and distinct.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, Berkley, through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this novel.

This is such a cute story! I really enjoyed the magical system, and the way it was introduced throughout the story. The characters are amazing, and they truly bring the reader into the book. I loved this one from start to finish!

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was just the book I needed without even realizing it. This book was so heartwarming I just wanted to hug it when I was done. The found family trope is one of my favorites and I would love to be a part of the one we see here.

Mika is a witch, but it has to be kept a secret. No one can know, she can’t talk to other witches except their meetings every month. Mika was raised by strangers after her parents died and really never had a place to call home. I think her journey was my favorite. Throughout this book you see Mika realize that she is also worthy of love and someone who really cares. That was so emotional and beautiful.

Then we get to Nowhere House. This is such an interesting, messy, and very loved home. Every member is unique and maybe a bit quirky, but you feel the love for the three young witches that need help controlling their magic. Everyone wanted the girls stay protected and I loved the moments we had with Mika working on the magic with the girls. These people came together as a family I just wanted to move in.

Also, yes, there is a developing romance, but I loved that it wasn’t the biggest part of the story and also so much about character development. Everything Jamie and Mika needed to process from their childhood they worked on with each other without even knowing it. This seemed very special.

I honestly could keep on talking about this book, but all I really just have to say is please read The Very Secret Society of Witches. It’s one I’ll be thinking about now and in the future.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a charming and cozy fantasy romance by Sangu Mandanna. The ebook version is 368 pages.

Witches in Britain live by certain rules, passed down for generations. It is believed that they are only safe when they are not around other witches, hiding their power from non-magical folk. Mika Moon runs a witchy aesthetic Instagram account, not expecting anyone to take it seriously. However, one day she receives a message asking her to travel to a remote and mysterious house to teach three preteen witches how to control their magic.

This was one of those books that feels like a warm hug. It was whimsical and delightful, with easy to digest yet lyrical prose. The cover is really cute, and what initially pulled me in. This was my first book from Mandanna, but I'm absolutely going to read more from her. This was her adult debut; she's written YA and middle grade books previously.

Mika was a golden ray of sunshine among rainclouds, and on top of that she has an adorable dog! I loved all of the side characters here too, especially the dynamics between the three young witches. The full cast is wonderfully diverse, and there are a handful of queer characters. Each character has their own very distinctive personality. The world feels fleshed out and lived-in. I was all-in for the love story here, very quickly, though theirs is more of a slow burn.

I could have eaten this book up in one sitting, but it was so charming that I only allowed myself to read a bit at a time, as a treat. After I finished, I immediately went to my favorite indie bookstore to buy myself a copy--I just know this is going to be one of my favorite cozy re-reads.

We need more heartwarming stories in the world. Especially those with good humor, a sweet romance, and some mystery. If you enjoyed The House on the Cerulean Sea or Good Omens, you should give this book a try!

Tropes in this book include: grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, slow burn, found family

CW: discussion of past traumas

This was such a cozy, uplifting story, a wonderful mix of light fantasy and romance! I feel like if you grew up on Harry Potter, enjoy romance novels and are looking for a heartwarming read for fall this is perfect for you.

Mika Moon is a witch, which to the other 20 members of The Secret Society of Witches is no secret. Though they don’t know Mika has a name for their little group. But witches don’t tell others about their magic, and they don’t stay around other witches for long. But what happens when Mika gets a mysterious DM, shows up at a mysterious house with a proposition to stay? There are definitely more witches and definitely a lot of secrets.

•𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒•
This story was just like a light fantasy, found family, healing from childhood trauma, warm hug. Mika has always lived by her caretaker’s rules of staying isolated because magic can’t be chaotic and it’s hard to let others be close to you when you are hiding this part of you. When Mika meets the people of Nowhere House she slowly realizes she is worthy of love, worthy of people truly knowing her, and that she doesn’t have to live this life alone. There is a little romance here, but I honestly just loved the whole found family aspect. This was already a little unique family without Mika and I love how they brought her into to fill this piece they were missing and they filled the piece of Mika that was missing. Our little girls Rosetta, Altamira, and Terracota (don’t worry there is a reason for their names) really just warmed my heart with their relationship with Mika developed.

If you want a light fantasy, witchy read that will warm your heart this is a great one! Thank you to @berkleyromance and @netgalley for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna will definitely be on there 100%!

Mika is a witch raised in isolation who is invited to teach three orphaned witches to control their powers. Jamie us the grumpy brooding librarian who is t thrilled with her arrival.
This book is heartbreaking and comforting. It’s a magical feel good entertaining read with a side of angst and an excellent cast of characters! I absolutely loved it! I highly recommend the audio book

3.5 stars

Pros:
- magical wholesome fun 🪄
- cute romance
- nontraditional finding a home storyline

Cons:
- predictable plot (could be a pro for some)
- lack of WOW factor

Reading this story helped me get out of a reading slump, and I really enjoyed the comforting and enchanting atmosphere. The interactions and relationships truly made this story. The romance wasn't overbearing with chemistry off the charts. The sides characters were very well developed, and it was the first book where I honestly wanted more of the side characters.

The only downside was because I wasn't wowed by the plot. I would definitely recommend this for a comforting cute read and definitely look forward to other works from the other.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

If there was a literary genre called cozy fantasy, that’s where The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna would be. This book is pure magic in every sense of the word – it’s whimsical, full of heart, and it has a found family vibe that reminds me of TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea.

The story follows Mika Moon, a young orphaned witch who has been raised to hide her magic from others and to stay away from other witches so as not to draw the attention of non-witches. Mika therefore is used to living a lonely life, but when an opportunity arises for her to move to a place called Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic, Mika jumps at the chance, having no idea how much her life is about to change.

Mika is an easy character to fall in love with. I felt tremendous sympathy for her knowing what an isolated life she had been living for so many years. Mika also has a huge heart, as we quickly see once she arrives at Nowhere House and starts working with the children. There’s an almost Mary Poppins-like quality to her that I especially enjoyed. It was fun to watch her interact with the children and to watch her get under the skin of Jamie, the grumpy but sexy librarian who happens to be the children’s guardian.

Mika’s scenes with the children, Rosette, Altimira, and Terracotta were my favorites from the book. Rosette is the quintessential good girl, polite, sweet-natured, and eager to please. Altimira is hilarious. She says whatever comes to mind, no matter how inappropriate, no filter whatsoever, and provides many laugh out loud moments. Terracota is the most challenging of the group, basically introducing herself to Mika by asking her how she would prefer to die. Such a lovely child, haha. I adored each of the children in their own way and loved watching Mika bond with each of them.

The found family vibe I mentioned earlier is truly what makes this book such a special read because at Nowhere House, Mika finds the family she never had but has always wanted. The characters who live at Nowhere House, from the retired stage actor and his spouse who are the house’s caretakers, to the grumpy librarian and his three witchy charges, are quite the quirky bunch, yet they have somehow managed to form a close-knit group and are eager to welcome Mika in with open arms. Jamie and Terracotta obviously take some work but it’s fun watching Mika win them over.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a magical story about love, family, and about becoming the person you were meant to be. If you’re in the mood for a cozy, uplifting witchy read, this is definitely the book for you.

This book was delightful! Mika Moon finds herself in a unique situation that goes against the Rules when she's mysteriously contacted to ask if she's willing to tutor three young witches. She's intrigued, so she packs up her pond, koi, dog, and cauldrons and heads to Norwich. All her life, she's been lead to believe that it's dangerous for witches to live and create community with each other, but that's exactly what happens. Not only that, but Mika finds herself at home and, dare she say it, part of a family?
This cozy supernatural romance leads up to winter solstice and Christmas, and it's full of romantic tension, adorable witches (even the one who regularly threatens to murder Mika), and Mika's own personal growth. This was a fast read, and I'm already recommending it to others!

Mika Moon has been a loner for most of her life. Being a witch didn't make it easier for Mika to form lasting relationships growing up. Mika has been taught that no one should know about her gifts as a witch and that it's dangerous for more than one witch to be in the same place for too long. So Mika makes it a point to never form any true lasting relationships no matter how much she craves them. There's only one place where Mika lets her guard down - on social media where she pretends to be a witch with her followers! Mika thinks there's no harm in it letting her users see her tricks - tricks she can't legitimately share with anyone else.

Except her social media channel leads her to Nowhere House where a group of adults are keeping watch over three (!) young witches - all in the same spot! Mika doesn't know what to think - she's been taught her whole life that witches can't congregate in the same place for too long. And yet...she decides to help these young witches learn their magic. Will Mika end up learning a thing or two about herself as well?

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was such a charming book. I loved the aspects of found family that were woven throughout the book. Not just with the young witches and their caregivers, but also with Mika and her thorny relationship with her caregiver and her past.

While I would classify The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches as more of a women's fiction novel, I did enjoy the romance between Mika and librarian Jamie. They had such great chemistry and I loved their banter!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more from Sangu Mandanna in the future!

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The story was good but not "can't put it down" good, the characters were done well but a bit heavy handed on the gay side (I mean EVERY couple mentioned were same sex couples except for the main character). I am always sensitive to authors trying to slide their politics or morality into my entertainment.

The first part of the story was entertaining as she was faced with 3 witch children (one of which was trying to come up with creative ways to murder her) and we finally get a bit of romance but at the same time our heroine spent a bit too much time naval gazing IMHO.

Bottom line: You will enjoy the trip, there are some dull parts but overall, it was a good read but I have to say as a reviewer I had some really great books waiting on me which may account for my less than enthusiastic review. I mean I had just read the latest by Ilona Andrews and was about to pick up the latest from Patricia Briggs as soon as I finished this book, so even being kind there is no comparison in this book to those ladies.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches do not have a regular meeting place, nor a regular meeting time. They come together in summery gardens, in cozy tea rooms, and in far-flung lands. This is how young Mika Moon was raised.

She’s the junior to the group’s flock of senior witches - Agatha, Hilda, Sophie, Primrose Beatrice Everly (Mika’s adoptive mother) and Belinda. Mika herself was raised by Primrose in the wake of her parents’ deaths and has been kept isolated and on the move without regular figures in her life - aside from the society - in the hope of keeping her magical powers hidden. This is how all witches live in this world, but Mika feels alone and isolated. Primrose has rarely been in her life and Mika was raised by a succession of nannies and tutors who were,,, moved on once they learned too much about her powers. Now grown, Mika is simply trying to learn how to make real connections with others, mortals included. That’s when she receives a summons to tutor a passel of young witches after one of the videos she’s made to entertain herself on YouTube grabs the attention of a potential employer.

It’s immediately apparent that all three young witches have been adopted from other places and are not biological sisters, but rebellious eight-year-old Terracotta, spirited ten-year-old Rosetta and sweet seven-year-old Altamira are close and all possessed of incredible powers – dangerous powers. Mika finds herself working alongside the household staff – the kind married couple Ken and Ian Kubo-Hawthorn (a former actor), who tend the estate’s garden and run the house, respectively; sweet elderly cook Lucie, and handsome Scottish intellectual James – Jamie - Kelly, who takes care of the library. Ian wants Mika to teach the girls how to control their powers for an upcoming meeting their mother has set with a powerful colleague, Edward Foxhaven. If word gets out – either to Foxhaven or to Primrose – that the house is filled with witches, the children will end up being forcibly separated. Mika instantly realizes she’s found her place in the world, but can she convince the rest of them – especially Jamie - on whom she is rapidly developing a crush – of that?

This is such a fun, adventurous book about finding your way in the world, found families, and living the life you truly want to live. The worldbuilding is delightful and the author also manages to address subjects such as racism, transracial adoption, and child abuse. It’s fluffy and warm without being saccharine, sexy without being gauche, and funny without being ridiculous.

Mika is a completely winning heroine with a wonderful sense of self and a determination to make her way in the world as an independent person. Her rapport with everyone, including Jamie, is perfectly handled, but I had a fondness for her kinship with Terracotta.

The romance between Mika and Jamie is very good, but may not appeal if you don’t like ‘I hate you but now I love you’ entanglements. Nevertheless, it’s an entertaining ride to watch the two of them fall in love.

I especially enjoyed the worldbuilding and how Mandanna manages to create a completely realistic world of witches who are feared and loathed for who they are. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a perfect gem.

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