4.25 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


Living in Moonshyne Manor are five witches, Queenie, Ursula, Ivy, Jezebel and Tabby. Only Ruby is missing, gone for many years. Ruby is expected home soon, though, and not a moment too soon. For a bit of time now, the profits from the Manor’s distillery have been down. Bills have not been paid. Ruby just may be the only hope the witches have to save their beloved home.

Persephone is a 15 year old who no longer has a mother. Her father is the town’s mayor, but father is a loose term, as he hasn’t paid much attention to Persephone since her mother’s passing. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is Persephone’s constant companion - though this RBG has four legs. When Persephone learns of the witches troubles, she is determined to come to their rescue, no matter what that entails.

Nothing happens quite as any of these women expect. Ruby is not the same person she once was. The Manor is in peril. It’s all they can do to try to keep everything together, including their sisterhood.

This book was described as Practical Magic for a new generation, but I think it’s very different than that. There is a more rollocking sense of wickedness to this book, after all, Jezebel’s magical gift is seduction. It’s a very fun novel, and while taking a page from Practical Magic, is definitely its own kind of magical sisterhood.

There are times that the book read rather slowly, mostly at the beginning when we are learning of each of the witches and their fates. The book does pick up speed. I could barely put it down in the second half. The elderly witches are complemented by the young Persephone. I can absolutely see this story continuing in a series (which I certainly hope it does!)

Witchy erotica for octogenarians?

The first quarter of The Witches of Moonshyne Manor consists of introductions to the large cast of characters. Little happens, aside from sex. Lots of talk about and descriptions of sex. With an 80-year-old female main character. I almost stopped reading when said character went on to pleasure herself because her partner-of-the-day failed to do so.

Moving on.

We finally get to the actual plot, which still involves sex but at least less of it. Information is sprinkled in slowly. I assume this was meant to build suspense, but I needed something more. The jam these women were in never made sense to me, even once all was unveiled.

The characters are unique and memorable, and I liked the way they related to one another.

The action is mostly silly, though we have somber, thoughtful moments.

I loved the magic system.

I didn’t love the book.

But you might.

This was a fun book, that admittedly I'm having a bit of a tough time writing a review for. The book itself has a lovely concept, and I was really excited to get a copy. All that said, I got through about the first half through force of will - I wanted more of a fun summer romp, but it took forever to get started and I can't quite muster up the enthusiasm around where it ended up. I really really loved the ideas of the characters - that they were older, and the narrative of smash the patriarchy was done really well. That said the way the book flowed just didn't hit it for me - I'll still recommend it to folks who are looking for something like this - and I think a lot are!

Where do I even start with this wonderful, wonderful book?? Bianca Marais has written the perfect book to make you laugh and cheer as a group of octogenarian witches band together to save their home, uncovering long-held secrets and strengthening their bonds of friendship along the way.

I laughed until I cried reading this book and was hardcore obsessed with all the characters. Think Practical Magic meets The Golden Girls as these feisty witches give no fucks and tell it like it is! I loved the found family, the gender fluidity and the in your face feminism!!

Amazing on audio with a HILARIOUS author's note included at the end. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading a book by Bianca, trust me when I tell you that you're missing out!! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Highly enjoyable and recommended for fans of The change by Kirsten Miller.

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor is story about strong witches trying to work together to save their home. I was really excited to read this story but I felt it moved really slow. The first part of the book is dedicated to setting up the background and it just felt like it took forever to get into the plot. Once the story picks up its full of great representation and likable characters. I loved the friendship of the witches and the representation of a women's power.

I thought this book sounded really good and was happy to get a chance to read an early copy. It seem to take the story forever to get started and ended up being not what I expected. I just can’t work up any enthusiasm for the characters or the book. There may be many who love this book but unfortunately it’s not me
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This just wasn't for me. I didn't enjoy the writing or the story/plot, and I couldn't find it in myself to root for any of the characters. Sorry :( I really wanted to love it.

I love books about witches and powerful women! This book is a delight to read. It's witty, magical, atmospheric, heartwarming and thought-provoking. I cheered this group of five senior citizen witches as they battled sexism, misogyny, ageism and their attempts to thwart the patriarchy.

What I loved most about this book is the commentary on transphobia. It's clear that Bianca Marais believes love is love and that transgender women are women - I can't help but think this is a clear rebuke of a bestselling author of a magical series.

On its surface, the story may seem like a simple tale but it deftly explores societal issues about identity, race and power. It's a moving story about friendship, found family and love.

I have been stuck in romcomland for months and have been wanting to branch out and read something different for a while. I kept seeing this book posted on Instagram and had a gut feeling that it’d be amazing. And I was right. This book was utterly delightful!

The book centres around a sisterhood of elderly witches - Ursula, a clairvoyant, Jezebel, the seductress, Queenie, the experimenter, Ivy, the plant-obsessed and Tabby, who is never far from her geriatric crow familiar, Widget. The story begins with Ursula having repeating visions of disaster coming to their manor. She raises the alarm with her sisters and they discover the men of their town are hellbent on bringing their home down and building this (stupid) mens theme park in its place. They also meet a charismatic girl named Persephone who is determined to help them anyway she can. The sisters have only 9 days to figure out how to save their home, and all their hopes rest on the sixth sister, Ruby, who will be returning home soon after a thirty-plus year absence.

The story flows between the various sisters points of view. One chapter will be told from the perspective of Ursula and then it will flow naturally into the next sister. I found the writing style to be quite clever and charming to read. The author does an excellent job of describing the action, without falling into the trap of over explaining things. There are several different stories that need to be told for the ending to be reached which is illustrated by slipping between the sisters memories of the past and the situation they’re in now. It was all done pretty seamlessly and I loved it. I also adored the inclusion of the various recipes and spells from the grimoire! It was cute!

The sisters themselves were all fleshed out very well. Each was her own distinct person with her own powers and her own motivations. Some revelations about the sisters come to light later than others and I was always intrigued by what new piece of them was as going to be discovered next. I definitely had a few ‘oh!’ moments while reading, as things suddenly clicked into place.

There is a very strong narrative of sisterhood and standing up to the patriarchy in this book which, as I am a woman, I did enjoy. I did not find it overly annoying and I felt it hit all the right marks without being preachy. The reason for the men of the town to be so hell bent against the women makes sense once it’s puzzled out and I like that there is a resolution that shows blame on both sides, not just ‘oh men are bad 😠’.

I cannot overstate how much I loved this book. I had heard it described as a perfect mix of Practical Magic meets Golden Girls and this was exactly that. I enjoyed every moment of this book and kinda wish I could charm myself to forget it so I can read it again for the first time!

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing, HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a really fun read. Reminded me of the book/movie Practical Magic. Older, modern day witches who have themselves in a bind when an angry mob wants to destroy their home, Moonshyne Manor, when they fall behind on their mortgage. This mob is made up of the men in the town who want these women gone.

This is a feminist story of the women witches who will stop at nothing to save their home. There are some funny parts and I loved how all these women who are not related come together because of their differences. This was a pretty entertaining book, and I never felt bored while reading.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Book: The Witches of Moonshyne Manor
Author: Bianca Marais
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Mira Books, for sending me an ARC.

I think the main reason that I had so much fun with this one is that I picked it up at the right time. It’s a light-hearted read, full of humour, and magical adventures. While there are some dark undertones, this one is a very light and fun read. If you are in the mood for a witchy story with a lot of humour, then I highly encourage you to give this one a go.

We follow this coven of elderly witches who have found themselves in a bit of a situation. They have fallen behind on their mortgage and now the town is calling for their home to be destroyed. They are different but have been a big help to the women living in this town. It is the men who want to see them gone and will stop at nothing to make sure that happens. These women are different and don’t fit into the views of the town. Since they are different, the men say that they must go. This allows us to look at how men view women who are different. Those women who don’t fit what societal views are seen as something that must be taken care of. They have to go away so that way their strangeness doesn’t rub off. To take it a step further, these women are smart, sure of themselves, and have a knack for fixing things. Again, these are things that society does not like. The men expect these women to bow to them without putting up a fight. Of course, this doesn’t happen. The women are joined by Persephone, who is the major’s daughter and a TikTok star. She isn’t afraid to showcase what the men are doing, which seems to make them stop for a little bit.

When I first started reading this one, it felt like I was reading a second book. We know that Ruby has been gone, but we don’t know for what. We know that something bad has happened in the past and it feels like we should know what that thing is. There was a heist and something went wrong. I had to go make sure that this was the first book, not a second book. This goes on for a good chunk of the book. However, if you look at the chapters, there are dates and these are important. The author does end up taking you back in time to see what happened and what got the witches in their current situation. It worked and it worked well. Flashbacks in books can be jarring, but I didn’t find that to be the case here. Not fully knowing what is going on, made me want to keep reading. It made me want to know what was going to happen next.

I also like that this book uses found family and unlikely friendships. Based on the character’s actions in the opening sequences, they all seem like they don’t go together. They are all from different backgrounds and different walks of life. I thought they were blood-sisters, but they are not. They all ended up at the manor because it called to them. It was like it almost came to them when they needed it. All of them, from what I can gather, had been tossed out by society because they were different. There is a transgender character, who was tossed out because people said there was something wrong with her. Even the mayor’s daughter fits this role. She has been cast out by the town for not fitting in with the town’s views. All of these women are people who just don’t fit into the life that those around them live. If you know anything about society, it cannot handle those who don’t conform and seeks to get rid of them. That is exactly what is happening to these women.

The writing is light and funny. It works for the story that the author is trying to tell. While the story does tackle some serious issues, it does so in a way that you may not realize. You may not realize right away all of the undertones. Once you put the book down, it makes you think and start to look at society. It starts to make you see all of the things that are not right and how it affects people.

Overall, I did enjoy this one a lot. If you are looking for witchy humour read for the Halloween season, I encourage you to give this one a go.

This book comes out on August 23, 2022.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/qyuDH4P1m10

Golden Girls meets Practical Magic meets ... I don't know, maybe Murder, She Wrote? A very fun and humorous romp through the lives of 6 seventy- and eighty-something witches (with the help of a young girl) as they attempt to save their home from the dastardly men in charge of their town. The story's a bit slow to start as the narrative focuses on introducing all the characters and their world, but once it gets going, there's a lot going on: ghosts and heists and soul contracts.

I'd love to see a sequel; the continuing adventures of Moonshyne Manor.

3.5/5 Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I was intrigued by the blurb and looking forward to a story in which the protagonists were not stereotypical 20-somethings - only to find a story in which the protagonists are older women who act like stereotypical 20 somethings... Almost from the first pages I found myself cringing and skimming a bit to see if it was just the opening, but that continued on for dozens of pages until finally I had to call it. This one wasn't for me.

Pre-order Alert!! Publishes August 23, 2022, and I promise your future self will thank you for having this in your hands on pub day!

Do I regularly read books about witches? Nah, not really. Was I interested in reading a book about witches? Again, no. Wait... the author is Bianca Marais?? Oh I am back in, because I trust this author and will follow her anywhere.

And this time it is to Moonshyne Manor, home to a coven of octogenarian witches and their distillery business. Really, this was all the encouragement I needed to hit the pre-order button.

Queenie hasn't been truthful to her sisters and instead of fessing up about their financial woes, she makes a deal with the lord of the underworld. Coming up with the payment he demands will test the sisterhood, but they have a secret weapon in pre-teen Tik-Tok celebrity, Persephone.

This is a flat out hilarious romp! It is also a beautiful tribute to family, love and sisterhood and a reminder to never take it for granted. If you are feeling the weight of current events and the backward roll of rights and equality, you can rage at the injustices the sisterhood is subject to because they are women....and different.

As I gushed to this very gracious author: ALLLLLL the stars for these glorious witches! I couldn't stop reading and I was sad it was over.

If you love stories of found family, snarky humor, a bit of mystery, and capital L love, this one is for you, witches!

Thanks to the author, MIRA and NetGalley for the complimentary digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Publishes August 23, 2022.

I listened to Marais’s witchy story in one day, shushing anyone who dared talk to me while I was listening. I was utterly transfixed by the coven I was reading about – think Golden Girls but with magic!

Moonshyne Manor came to life in my mind with ease. I could vividly picture each witch, each room in the manor, and the incredibly creative game of bilious. But what really made this story sing, is the relationships between the witches.

The love they have for each other, the way they bicker like sisters, the way their flaws are understood and accepted, and the unconditional support they have had for one another over decades. Without giving anything away, this story handles some hard-hitting topics in a fun but thought-provoking way.

Bianca’s books get better each time and now I’m left with just one question……How do I sign up to join the coven?

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais is a feel-good love letter to sisterhood, found family, the beauty of wisdom that comes with age & badass witches in novel form. This book revolves around a group of octogenarian witches that reside together in this manor. There’s an obnoxious group of men that arrive to kick the witches out of their home in hopes of buying & using the land. The witches must try to save the manor, which has been & is a safe haven for this group of people that were ostracized from society for being different. It showcases the beauty of accepting those as they are & the unbreakable loving bond that can be formed with a found family.
This lovely group of individuals must join together & attempt to solve the mistakes of the past. There’s even a magical heist that takes place. It’s wildly entertaining, endearing & empowering as the witches must fight against the patriarchy. I absolutely love their unbreakable bond & the unique fact that the main characters were all elderly.
If you’re looking for a feel-good & enjoyable witchy book about sisterhood & found family, look no further than The Witches of Moonshyne Manor!

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais comes out August 23, 2022!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains racism, transphobia, violence, bullying & murder.

Extra Fun Fact:
-I am apparently relate more to the octogenarians than the teenager of this book because I, along with the witches, learned what an ussie is (a selfie that includes all of us).

I will post my review on my social media as it gets closer to release date & add links once I do!

What an entertaining romp. A group of octogenarian witches who have been friends for decades run a distillery on their property and are faced with the destruction of their home unless they can save the day. The women are a hoot and are fully fleshed out characters with active lives despite their ages.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝗪𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐘𝐍𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑 (Pub 08.23) is feisty, feminist and so.much.fun!

QUICK TAKE:
- A sisterhood of octogenarian witches.
- Smart, loyal, mature ladies. Ladies that are still as full of moxie at 80 as they were at 20.
- A heist, a manor and the quest to save it.
- Passages that had me laughing out loud. One in particular made me spit out my cocktail.
- Even-paced, humorous, and heartfelt novel.
- Imagine if the Golden Girls got together with a version of Practical Magic
- Bonus: Recipes for cocktails, tinctures and salves.

I am a big fan of Ms. Marais' writing. Her previous books (𝘏𝘶𝘮 𝘪𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 and 𝘐𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩), deal with serious topics while her latest endeavor is fantastically spellbinding. What remains consistent is her compassion, wit and personality shining through in the characters and story.

Born from the vivid imagination of Bianca Marais, The Witches of Moonshyne Manor is a feminist fable about a powerful sisterhood of witches. It is a celebration of women and what makes them complex.

The coven face issues that plague all women, one of which is aging. Society is obsessed with youth, linking it to beauty, thus denying women the privilege to grow old gracefully. Through the lens of of feminism, Marais also explores themes of identity, sisterhood, and the balance of power. Also paramount to the story is sex and sexuality, topics that are often taboo with women—especially those women that are more mature with age.

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor is magical, mysterious, and full of mirth. Marais will put you under her spell.

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais The witches were quirky, unique, and amusing. I could not connect with the characters or the story. An amusing and entertaining read for fans of the Golden Girls and Charmed, although the picture of Bette Midler's Winifred in Hocus Pocus was foremost in my thoughts.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.