This book was so cute! I loved the magic, family ties and dealing with grief. The characters were great, especially as she came to understand her magic. And the ending was perfect.

I went into this book wanting to love it. The tropes, the description, and the vibes Sydney created sounded like something I would dream about. However, this book just didn't work for me. The pacing was a massive issue for me. I think it's what made the story not work the most. The beginning it took way too long for anything with momentum to happen. I was over halfway through the book wondering what the point was. The last twenty pages were a whirlwind, and the ending was a letdown. We don't fully get to meet the love interest until 40% in and even then, it's a brief moment. Other than the two characters saying they loved each other; the chemistry was nonexistent for me. There was a lot of scenes where I thought there was good momentum but then it would end very anticlimactic. Another major issue for me was the plot. The curse was supposed to make it to where the honey witches wouldn't ever be able to have love, and she claimed it would end the honey witch line. But we know that her grandmother made a baby without even a partner and used her magic. So then how would the curse even cause the line to end if they can do that?

There were multiple things that caused this to not work for me even though I really wanted to love it. Due to my low rating, I will not be posting my review on my social platforms.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Honey Witch is a warm cozy hug of a book. Marigold leaves her family to go to an island her grandmother takes care of as the Honey Witch. Once Mari takes over the mantle of the Honey Witch the Honey Witch curse passes from her grandmother to Mari that she can never be loved. This becomes difficult as Mari’s childhood friend and his skeptic witchy friend come to stay with Mari. Mari must work through her new life and challenges while keeping up defenses from the infamous Ash Witch trying to take over the lovely island Mari is finally starting to call home.

A compelling and steamy sapphic romance about a witch and her curse to never have someone fall in love with her. The relationships are rich, the characters deep, and the settings are out of a dream!

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Redhook/Orbit for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. This was literally the first book I requested back in January and I'm so mad that I waited so long to read it.

This book is in the running for favorite reads of 2024. If you're not a fan of cozy fantasies, then this probably won't be a great book for you. I, however, thoroughly LOVE a good cozy fantasy and this had everything I could have wanted or needed. No, it is not action packed, but it did not need to be. I felt that the story itself was so beautifully written. The beginning truly gave me Halloweentown vibes which is one of my favorite movies from my childhood. This is the first book that has had me staying up late reading in quite a while, and I am truly obsessed with it. I definitely was not surprised with the plot twist about Lottie but there were parts of it that I didn't see coming. The ending was action-packed, left me gasping, and ultimately wrapped up so nicely (we love a standalone)!

Tropes include:
*Cozy fantasy
*Cottagecore vibes
*One room/one bed
*Sapphic love
*Honey based magic
*Magical spirit creatures

Synopsis (slight spoilers ahead, beware!):

Marigold is born into a privileged family but has never felt like she fit in. She only ever felt like she fit in when she was visiting her grandmother, Althea, however the visits stopped 15 years ago after a terrible fire occurred at her grandmother's house while she was there. Marigold is now turning 21 and is seen as weird for not being betrothed yet. She does not fit in with the society she is raised in, which is something her father is supportive of but her mother struggles with.

One morning, her grandmother arrives and Marigold overhears her talking with her mother about how she needs Marigold to accept her powers as a Honey Witch and come back with her to help protect everyone as she is getting older and can't manage it on her own anymore. A huge fight ensues with her mother but ultimately Marigold takes control of her destiny and decides to leave with Althea.

Marigold must learn all that she can from her grandmother with the limited time that is left to help protect their people from the evil Ash Witch who wishes to burn everything they have to the ground. She leans on an old friend, August, and his adopted sister, Lottie, as they help each other deal with loneliness and heartbreak. She must also learn to live with the curse upon the Honey Witch line, which forbids anyone to fall in love with her, despite growing feelings for Lottie. When dark magic awakens and threatens to destroy her home, she must fight for much more than her new home—at the risk of losing her life, her magic, and her heart.

I struggled to get through this one and skimmed the end pretty heavily.

Look, cozy sapphic cottagecore romance with bees sounds like something I would LOVE. Unfortunately, I found the characters bland and often childish. The prose was not enjoyable—partly because it was consistently vague, partly because the lack of contractions made everyone sound stilted and strange. The romance was surface level, and I didn’t care about the curse, which was a real problem because the conflict was almost ENTIRELY external.

There were things I did enjoy, though. One, the way this book talks about grief and loss was quite lovely. Two, the book pops off with a nod to Yeats, which clearly shaped the story. Most of all, I liked that Marigold rejects certain aspects of traditional expectations around women’s roles without rejecting femininity entirely. I think there’s a lot of that to be found in stories, and I certainly relate to it, but I liked that Marigold is still pretty high femme even though she defies her family’s expectations re: marriage and refinement. While she fell a flat for me as a character, I thought it was compelling that she engaged with her disdain for CERTAIN aspects of femininity throughout the book, and she was occasionally challenged on her preconceptions.

I’m not leaving a star rating on my Goodreads or Storygraph version of this review, but since I did receive this as an ARC through NetGalley and I did finish, I’m leaving SOMETHING. I want more cozy sapphic romance in general, but I didn’t enjoy this one.

FIVE STARS!!! I LOVED this book so much!! The beautiful, poetic writing, the characters, the magic, the plot!?! It was all perfect!! I loved the found family and the dynamic between Lottie and Marigold. This just feels like a soul book to me and I’m so glad that I read it! The audiobook was also 5 stars! The narrator was so great! My only tiny complaint is that the steamy scenes felt like they didn’t match the tone of the rest of the writing, but it didn’t affect my love of the book. It’s a new all time favorite!

I seriously wanted to like this book so bad. The sapphic witchy/cottagecore theme for this book was very intriguing. The vibes were definitely vibing but I feel like the first quarter of the book was predictable in its writing & dialogue and I was just incredibly bored and not at all invested in the characters.


Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for the ARC!

This novel embodies the essence of cottagecore fiction, offering a blend of Practical Magic and Bridgerton vibes that exude charm, coziness, and sweetness.

While it didn't resonate with me as much as I had anticipated, I recognize that there are numerous elements that others would find enjoyable. Despite my initial high hopes, it seems that the execution didn't align with my personal tastes.

"The Honey Witch" is a gentle, unhurried narrative that embraces its leisurely pace. Filled with magic, a cozy ambiance, and cottagecore aesthetics, it radiates a light and uplifting aura. It's the type of book that feels perfect for a leisurely Spring or Summer read, accompanied by light refreshments in a garden setting. I particularly appreciated the whimsical touch of the protagonist being named Marigold and her role as a honey witch—quite fitting for bee enthusiasts.

The tender portrayal of Marigold's relationship with her grandmother delicately explores themes of grief and loss, adding depth to the narrative. While I typically enjoy sapphic romances, I found this aspect of the story didn't fully resonate with me.

Overall, "The Honey Witch" is a beautifully crafted tale that is sure to capture the hearts of many readers.

This is a super cozy, sapphic romance and I really wanted to like it more than I did.

Unfortunately, I felt that the pacing maybe wasn't for me and that the story was not as entertaining as I would have hoped.

I did love the vibes and I did like the two main women quite a lot. I loved the romance throughout and overall it was just a sweet book.

Thank you to Redhook and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC for this book!

This book was so cozy it felt like a warm blanket!

The characters were wonderfully developed and you could feel their growth along with them.

I loved the lush descriptions of the surroundings but they never felt overdone or superfluous!

I received a digital ARC through netgalley and am excited to finally review this book! Oh this one was right up my alley! Sapphic cottagecore cozy fantasy?! Yes please! This story was such a comforting read. I absolutely love Sydney's descriptions and the cottagecore imagery. While the beginning was a little slow and I think it could have benefitted from some tighter editing, I absolutely loved this one. Once the story moved from Bardshire to Inisfree I was hooked. I desperately want to BE a honey witch now and make my own honey spells and pick flowers in the meadow. Okay I'd like all that and not be cursed too! While the plot was predictable it was still very much enjoyable and sometimes predictable plots can lead to comforting reads. I understand why it was comped to Halloweentown, the eldest daughter, mom, grandma dynamic is very similar, but other than that I'd say this is much more similar to Netflix's adaptation of the Bridgerton books (which is the other main comp for this one.) I adore both Marigold and Lottie and am so happy I got the chance to read their love story. Definitely have some fun bookish macaron ideas for this too!

Overall: 4/5 ✰✰✰✰
Vibes: 5/5 ✰✰✰✰✰
Spice: 2/5 ✰✰ - level:🌶️

🌻 Forbidden Romance
🌻 Honey Magic
🌻 A Curse
🌻 Regency Inspired
🌻 Cottage-core
🌻 Sapphic Grumpy x Sunshine
🌻 Slow Burn

This book was so cute and cozy!! I enjoyed it so much. It was so heartwarming and the ending kept me at the edge of my seat. Loved it 🐝🌻🍯 Very good debut novel, well done Sydney!

Only reason I gave it 4 stars is because it could have been two books and an amazing duology. If it was made it into a 2nd book and we got more background about Lottie that would have been really cool. I just wanted more of the story haha the ending, was good, but felt rushed. The world building had potential to be a really good series.

Overall I really enjoyed the book and I would 100% recommend.
Overall: 4/5 ✰✰✰✰

If you enjoy stories about magic with very detailed, poetic language, then this book is for you. This story feels very cottage-core and soft girl aesthetic.

Thank you to Sydney Shields, the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC.

Do you like cozy fantasies? If so, I think you're really going to like The Honey Witch.

When Marigold is taken under her grandmother's wing on the magical island of Innisfree, she discovers that in exchange for her newfound power, she can never find true love. When a red-headed skeptic named Lottie visits the island, and a darker magic threatens her new home, Marigold's heart and magic are put to the test.

For the most part, this is a low stakes story focused on friendship, self-discovery, and a deliciously sweet sapphic romance. We do get some external conflict at the end of the book, but this mostly explores the internal conflict Marigold experiences in her new Witch role and her mixed feelings over her love curse (and the fiesty Lottie).

The world felt like a mix of Practical Magic and regency romance, and was described in such beautiful, lyrical language. I loved just sitting in this world and watching Marigold tend to her bees, make her potions, and go to pretty balls.

The ending/villain felt a bit rushed/high stakes for the slower pace of the rest of the story, but the plot wasn't what I was there for anyway.

I adored the grumpy-sunshine romance and the angst the curse brought, the adorable side characters, and the overall cozy vibes.

Read if you like:
🦋 Nature magic
✨️ Lush writing
🔮 Love spells & curses
🐝 Found family
🔥 Passionate and protective leading ladies

Thank you so much to @netgalley & @orbitbooks_us for the e-ARC!

I really enjoyed this whimsical, cottage core, cozy sapphic witchy book about honey magic. This book is just gorgeous. The cover is spectacular!

Description: Marigold doesn't feel like she belongs. She is twenty years old, without any particular prospects or talent. It's expected of her to be married and have children because in this time that is what is expected of women. She wants more than that. She is connected to the earth, the sky, and the moon. She is a honey witch, but being the honey witch comes with a price. The island that her where grandmother lives is under attack from a rival witch. Marigold must decide whether she wants to accept that fate.

Marigold leaves her town and her grandmother to discover what is out there for her. She wants to follow her fate as the honey witch, and she meets Lottie Burke. Lottie doesn't believe in magic. I really enjoyed both of the characters and their developments. The overall storytelling was very descriptive and done very well. I could very easily picture the landscapes and the settings and exactly how the magic system worked, I loved how empowering the story was and it was enjoyable to read.

Tropes:
-forbidden love
-found family
-sapphic
-regency

I thought it was a fun debut novel! I really enjoyed it!

This book was everything I expected and so much more.

Marigold is the oldest sister of a talented family... we'll they're all talented except her. One night after sneaking out to spend time in the full moon, she returns home to find her estranged grandmother there and arguing with her mother. Marigold then finds out that she is a Honey Witch and she has the choice between magic and love, but the two are mutually exclusive. Ultimately, she decides to leave her family and go to Innisfree with her grandmother to help people with her magic and protect her island and bees from an evil Ash witch. Ash magic is the opposite of honey magic but is not evil...in the right hands.

This story was absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. It was perfect for spring and made me want to run outside barefoot eating lavender-flavored snacks with LOADS of honey.

Perfect for anyone who is into witchy books and needs a spring one and/or anyone who is looking for a fun LGBTQIA+ book to add to their June tbr.

The Honey Witch is the perfect cozy read!

The books starts off a little slow but I felt that it was due to the world building- although, slow to start is well done. I had no problem falling into this whimsical world. The writing was beautifully descriptive. It was just easy to picture everything from the setting to the clothes. I loved how nature and magic intertwined in this story which includes using spells and making potions for healing.

The characters were likeable, flawed with their own hurt. The love story was exactly what I wanted in this is book.

If you enjoy a Sapphic love story with cottagecore vibes, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC

This is a fantastical 1800s witchy novel about a young woman who embraces her Honey Witch destiny and goes to live on a cozy island to maintain the magical lineage and meets a cranky woman who doesn't believe in it at all. I ended up enjoying this book, though the pacing was very slow at times. It took me a good 30% to really get into it, but then I was invested in the characters and their relationships and wanted to find out what was going to happen. A few of the side characters were actually my favorites, and they helped keep the story on track in the places that it didn't always work for me. Thanks to Netgalley and Redhook books for the advance digital copy!

A sapphic, magical, period piece book filled with honey, bees, witches, flowers, curses, forbidden love, and tender friendships. This is a charming story, and beautifully descriptive. I loved this book. If you have a soft spot for Bridgerton, cottagecore aesthetics, and strong willed women defying generational curses, this story is for you.