I recently picked up The Honey Witch with high hopes, drawn in by its intriguing storyline, it's beautiful cover and the high praise. However, despite the promising plot, I found myself unable to finish the book. The writing style failed to captivate me, leaving me unable to fully immerse myself in the story. While I believe that many readers will appreciate the book's premise and its potential for enjoyment, it simply didn't resonate with me personally. Though it wasn't the right fit for me, I would recommend it to others who may find its storyline more engaging.

How romantic to die young, unstretched, unsullied, without ever outgrowing the part of the ingenue. But what happens when the girl keeps living, when she ages proudly and defiantly, without abandoning imagination, or stories, or that secret wish to find magic wherever it hides? Well, then the poets would call her a witch.

Well, wasn’t that deliciously whimsical—think Bridgerton meets Practical Magic, with bees and friendly spirits. Despite some flaws, I think it was a solid debut novel. People who are mostly looking for romance might be a little disappointed, as the romance and spice pick up pretty late in the book. Since I prefer plot and character development to romance, it was perfectly fine by me.

❤️ Enchanting writing style
❤️ Cozy read
❤️ Atmosphere and imagery
❤️ Women empowerment and decision-making power
❌ Inconsistent pace
❌ Inconsistent FMC
❌ Predictable plot twists

Trigger Warnings: death and grief, fire and fire injury, injury and injury detail, blood and gore, violence, abandonment, panic attacks/disorders, confinement, emotional and physical abuse.

Plot:
Marigold is considered a spinster, but she likes it that way. She’s always felt different and prefers the company of flowers and spirits to that of any suitor. So, she immediately accepts when her grandmother whisks her away to a magical island and offers to train her as a witch. But this new life filled with wonders and freedom comes with a catch thanks to a bloodline curse: if Marigold accepts her powers, she will be condemned to a lonely life without love.

A cursed family, the need to belong, good witches and bad witches, a magical island with guardian spirits, bees and flowers, honey on everything, wild women, female empowerment, freedom and loneliness, healing from trauma… there are so many things I love packed into a short novel. I loved every page and highlighted many excerpts thanks to the enchanting, whimsical writing style. However, I thought the plot twists were too predictable and the pace, slightly inconsistent. Perhaps it was on purpose, but I was taken aback by how things could go from cozy witchy tale to supernatural drama in the blink of an eye. I also feel like the first half was very slow paced, and the second half slightly rushed. A more consistent, or gradual, flow would have fixed some parts that fell flat or felt inconsistent. In my opinion, if Marigold had gone back to the island earlier after the wedding, the climax would have been more impactful, and her new elemental powers would have felt more believable.

Characters:
I had mixed feelings about Marigold. Sometimes I absolutely loved her; others, I thought her selfish and thoughtless. I liked her loved interest, Lottie, better. I loved how grumpy and unapologetic she was. In both cases, I would have liked to see more development, but I loved the grumpy vs. sunshine dynamic and how fiercely they loved each other. It was great to see Lottie warm up to Marigold, and how Marigold gained Lottie’s trust without pressuring her. I also loved August and Frankie. And Althea. And Mr. Benny. And the bees. And the island spirits.

Writing:
Enchanting, lyrical, whimsical, immersive, descriptive… I loved how Shields created the perfect “cottage core” atmosphere and made me feel like I was there, living in a small cottage on a magical island and picking flowers and playing with bees and eating honey. I would read more from this author.

This was a fun sapphic novel. While it was a little predictable about who Lottie was, the story was good. I enjoyed reading about Marigold coming into her powers and growing as the Honey witch. 3.5 stars rounding to 4.

3.75 ⭐️ | 1/5 🌶️ - The Honey Witch - Thank you to @OrbitBooks_US and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What to expect:
💕 Cozy Fantasy
🌼 Nature based Magic System
💕 Forbidden Love
🌼 Cottage core + Bridgerton vibes
💕 One bed trope
🌼 Grumpy/Sunshine Sapphic Love

Sydney J. Shields' debut novel The Honey Witch is a story of love and loss, that feels whimsical throughout. Absolutely the perfect spring/summer read with low stakes and a beautiful setting. I loved Innisfree and I wish we would've gotten more showing in the writing rather than telling.

Set in the early 1800's regency era, Marigold Claude has struggled to fit into the social scene and competition for Marriage in Bardshire. She never felt like she belonged, as she has no real "talent" compared to her siblings and only longs to run in meadows under the moon. Until her estranged Grandmother shows up and tells Marigold she is a Honey Witch like her, and needs to help protect their very existence..

I think the story plot was very unique and I enjoyed learning about the magic system. The beginning of the book felt sooo similar to HalloweenTown which I love. I wished we could've gotten more "training" scenes with Marigold and her Grandmother but I can understand why we didn't. Overall, I had a good time while reading but I realized that cozy fantasies aren't for me. Just following characters with no real direction got kindas boring. The best part of the book was the last 4 chapters when something high stake actually happened!!! But then it felt all rushed and the conclusion left me wanting more.

I think this is great for those who do love cozy fantasies, anything witchy and sapphic and maybe those who are new to fantasy since the magic system is easy and uncomplicated. I would absolutely recommend to others, and this might be one of my fave book covers ever!

The honey witch is a sweet, slow novel following marigold as she learns of her new role as the honey witch. The cover is just stunning and I had such high hopes for this.

For me, while I enjoyed the writing and the build up if her role and relationship with her grandmother, I just didn't love this as much as I was hoping.

It is a slow paced novel which I don't mind, but the romantic relationships in this lacked the drive I needed to get behind them. The magic itself is interesting but the plot wasn't something I loved.

This book had was a spellbinding tale of love's transformative power that will leave readers utterly bewitched. With its compelling characters, lush world-building, and heartfelt romance, it's a book that reminds us of the magic that resides within us all.

This book was cute, but it wasn't what I was hoping for. I liked it, The Honey Witch was okay, but it was really a trudge to finish the book. The pacing was just off for me and it was disappointing. I would give it a 2.5 star rating, thank you for the opportunity!

As a bee loving beekeeper myself, I thought this was a cute & cozy read. It was a bit slow at times but picked up around half way. The overall story was enjoyable but lacked depth at time.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook for the ARC.

🐝The Honey Witch🐝

I saw The Honey Witch pop up a few times whilst scrolling and it sounded so delightfully cozy I could not wait to give it a go. Marigold has always felt different, she prefers the company of the spirits in the meadow rather than attending balls to find a suitor. When her grandmother offers her the opportunity to leave with her to her cottage on the Isle of Innisfree to become the next Honey Witch, she eagerly accepts. However, in order to become the Honey Witch she must accept the family curse - no one can fall in love with the Honey Witch. When Lottie Burke, a magic skeptic, ends up at her door, she cannot resist the opportunity to prove that magic is indeed real. However, a darker magic is beginning to awaken which will threaten those she cares about and her home.

The Honey Witch was definitely a lovely and cozy read. I have never wanted to eat honey more than I have whilst reading this story. I really loved the setting, it is very much a cottagecore fantasy and I am here for it. I enjoyed the pacing of the story and found my way through it rather quickly. It was the perfect read when you’re looking for something quick and light.

I really enjoyed Marigold as the main character. Her relationship with her grandmother is really quite special and really kicks the story off. I enjoyed her growth throughout the story. I also really enjoyed Lottie and August. I can’t resist the found family trope and I definitely caught a bit of that vibe here. Lottie was definitely my favourite character. She is mysterious and has a lot of pain and baggage which causes her to lash out on people. I really enjoyed learning more about her and her backstory.

Overall, I did really enjoy this one! I did predict one of the major reveals quite early on but still had a good time reading this one. If you’re looking for a cozy, magical, cottagecore queernormative romantic fantasy, this one may be for you! The Honey Witch is the author’s debut and I am definitely interested in her work going forward!

A big thank you to @netgalley & @orbitbooks_us for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Honey Witch is out on May 14th!

⭐3.5/5 stars⭐

Cozy summer read, which I never would have put those two words together. Somehow this is it! Would definitely recommend this who liked Emily Wilde or Once Upon a Broken Heart.

The Honey Witch is very different compared to the types of books I usually go for ( thrillers and fast paced fantasy) but I still enjoyed this cozy read.

The cover is what initially drew me into this book. It’s just so pretty and cozy looking. I wish I could live in that little cottages haha. I really loved the character of Althea. I never had a grandma growing up and I would a grandma like her. Also, how could someone not a love a book that has a magic system revolving around bees and honey? It’s so cute

However, I warn that it is a pretty slow read for someone who is used to books that are fast paced and it pretty low risk. I feel like the book focuses more on the writing (which is beautiful) than the story itself which is not a bad thing! Overall a solid 3 star for me. I didn’t love it but I also didn’t hate it

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc! I did receive this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and reviews are my own!

🖤 sapphic love 🖤
✨soulmates✨
🐝 BEE MAGIC🐝
💘the power of love💘
☀️sunshine girl loves grumpy girl 🌑

This is a beautiful story of love and magic. About choosing your own path and finding love and beauty in every aspect of life! Marigold is such a wonderful character; she is sunny and bright but still strong and willing to give everything to protect what and who she loves. Lottie is her perfect match; a bit grumpy at first but fierce in her love and loyalty with a heart of gold.
This is the perfect book if you were looking for something beautiful and quick for spring! The vibes are stunning with the Innisfree creating the most magical backdrop for the story. The story is incredibly immersive and I ended up reading it in one day.

I absolutely loved this novel!! As a sapphic romance reader, this made my heart so warm and fuzzy! finally a witchy book for the gay girlies! This was a completely unique book and unlike anything I've ever read before yet it still felt familiar. Like meeting up with an old friend. I can't wait to recommend this to anyone who crosses my path!

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Sydney J. Shields, and Redhook Books for the advanced copy of this WONDERFUL novel!

I've had this one on my NetGalley shelf for awhile and now I am kicking myself for not getting to it sooner! What an amazing story from Sydney J. Shields!

I loved this book so much. A story of witches, honey, and generations of a curse bring forward the tale of Mari the next Honey Witch. The decisions and the repercussions of those choices drive this story through exploring new lands, cozy cottages, and a found family. All with a belief that someone can never be loved because of decisions made generations ago and how to overcome that.

This books is definitely for those looking for a cozy love story that is whimsical and witchy! The themes of loneliness and the need to always be loved really resonated with me and I couldn't put this down. The writing style only enhanced the book for me.

Well done! 4 stars from me!

I wanted to like this book. I had heard some many great things about The Honey Witch. I went into the first few chapters intrigued by Marigold and her family. But I was then disappointed when Marigold left this setting to go to her grandmother's isolated island. I didn't connect strongly enough with Marigold as a character for her to be able to support my interest on her own. Her logic just didn't seem sound which made it hard to be engage in her struggles.

The various sections of the book also feel disjointed, which I also think plays a role in how I perceive Marigold's logic and decision making. I knew from the start this book was wlw, but there was no evidence until later in the book. In the first part of the book we're lead to believe Marigold feels like an outsider in her community because her choices are either be with a man, which she can't because some of some ex, or be talented, which she apparently isn't. Then later in the book it is revealed that she is also interested in women, which okay maybe her home isn't accepting of that so this is why it wasn't an option in the beginning. But that is also not the case because she reveals that she was in fact in a relationship with a woman back home, and her brother prefers men which seems to be completely acceptable back home as well. This kind of delayed reveal of facts chances the context of previous scenes which makes Marigold seem like she's making excuses which makes her less sympathetic and more annoying in my eyes.

Overall the beginning seemed to be setting up a different story and that was the one I was more interested in reading. If I had started the book from Marigold's journey with her grandmother I probably would have enjoyed it more, as it would have eliminated the inconsistencies that made her less likeable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

My true rating would be 3.5. The book is very cute with great vibes. I know it will be a wonderful read to someone searching for a cozy Sapphic package. It was one that I could easily visualize in my mind with the abundance of Regency/Regency-esque media out there to draw from. I enjoyed the magic system being somewhat based on herbalism and vibes. I honestly would have loved to see about more about it. What I particularly struggled with was the pacing and momentum. Some times the story moved at a nice pace and other times it moved quite slowly.

‘The Honey Witch’ is a cozy novel with a witchy spin on Regency England (and Ireland). I found the first few parts slow, but once the romance picked up, my interest picked up, too.

To note, I could see people rating this book lower for its representation of queer and interracial relationships during a time that was not known for tolerance and inclusivity. Personally, it was refreshing to see openly queer relationships in a historical setting that were not stigmatized by their families or society at large. These relationships are treated like any other relationship. Is this historical accurate? No, but the book also follows a budding witch whose magic centers on infused honey, which I do not recall learning about on the Jane Austen tour I took in Bath, England.

As I read my way through "The Honey Witch" by Sydney J. Shields, I found myself ensnared in a world where magic intertwines with Regency-era customs, and where the hopeless romantics can find their soulmates with aid of a simple spell. Marigold Claude, our spirited protagonist, embarks on a journey to embrace her magical heritage as the next Honey Witch on the quaint Isle of Innisfree. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that this enchanting story is not without its complications.

The novel's premise is captivating and the epitome of cottage-core. Shields crafts a tale where Marigold's blossoming powers collide with the strict societal norms of her time and a pesky curse that prevents her from ever finding love, setting the stage for conflict and self-discovery. However, it's precisely this clash between a queer normative world and Regency-era expectations that left me feeling disoriented. While the premise is intriguing, the execution feels slightly disjointed.

For example, on the island and within the area that Marigold relocates to in order to become their Honey Witch, her powers as well as her queer relationship with a local woman are all accepted and even celebrated. However, the place where she grew up sets strict limitations on women's roles within society, limiting them to basically only becoming wives and mothers, and it was even implied that Marigold's magic would be deemed unacceptable by those she grew up with. All in all, the world that exists in this book was extremely nonsensical at times and also presented very conflicting societal norms within the small scope of this world.

Another critique lies in the pacing and structure of the plot. The main antagonist, which emerges only in the final stretch of the book, feels rushed and hastily defeated. It's as if the tension builds steadily throughout the story, only to be deflated in the blink of an eye. This abrupt resolution detracts from the overall impact of the threat presented by the "big bad" Ash Witch, making them almost inconsequential.

Furthermore, the curse that serves as the linchpin of the story's conflict feels underdeveloped and lacking in coherence. While the concept of a curse adds an element of intrigue, its purpose remains elusive, especially when it was presented as a way to prevent the Honey Witches from continuing their line yet constantly failing to do so for multiple generations. As a result, the curse feels like a weak macguffin whose only purpose was to prevent Marigold from finding her soulmate.

Despite these shortcomings, "The Honey Witch" does shine in its portrayal of relationships and character dynamics, especially between Marigold and her grandmother. And the setting in which the story takes place is absolutely spellbinding in terms of it's imagery and role within the story, almost becoming a character in itself.

While "The Honey Witch" didn't become one of my favorite cozy fantasy romances, I have no doubt that other fans of this genre will have no trouble falling in love with this cottage-core debut.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Sydney J Shields really out did herself with this debut novel! She created the perfect witchy read for millennial who were obsessed with Practical Magic, Halloweentown, Howls Moving Castle, and grew wanting to be witches.

This one did not feel like a fall witchy read. It’s release on May 14th makes this book perfect for spring and summer.

Marigold Claude prefers the company of the meadow spirits than any suitor who has tried to take her hand. She’s always known she was different, seeing and feeling things others cannot. Its when her grandmother shows up and tells her she is a witch, that everything falls into place.

Mari’s grandmother convinces her to travel back to her isle of Innisfree to finally learn to become the witch she is meant to be. Mari learns to be the Honey Witch, keeper of bees and witch of life.

This book really felt nostalgic for all the movies and shows I loved as a little millennial child. I felt like I was right beside Mari, becoming a witch just like her. It was the perfect comforting read.

Oh, and it does have romance for all my romance girlies.

I sincerely wanted to fall in love with this book. However, I had such a personal, visceral reaction of grief around 25% and had to walk away. Maybe in the future!