This book is like a cottagecore checklist of all the vibes. They’re picking flowers, they’re running in meadows and swimming in magic ponds, they’re doing beekeeping and making herbal remedies. It has it all.

I was enjoying the early section of the book of Marigold and her grandmother living on Innisfree and her training with all the accompanying cottagecore elements mentioned above. The problem really came in with the introduction of Lottie as the love interest.

First of all, I was like confused because I assumed from the intro that the reason Marigold was so distraught about having to be forced into the role of wife and mother was because she was a closeted lesbian. But then later she’s talking with her best friend August and mentions that she had courted a girl in the past, and also both August and Marigold’s brother Frankie are openly dating men. It’s not often that I’m disappointed by a lack of homophobia, but I do think it muddles Marigold’s motivations, because why is she so mad about having to marry a guy, when she could be with a woman just as easily? I feel like it would’ve been better if the rules for the world were more defined early on. And then have the theming of why Marigold wants to leave be more so in her feeling strange or stifled in putting up snobby appearances, etc.

I also kept feeling like this story would’ve worked better if Marigold was ace/ aro and the focus was on her learning that “yeah I don’t need romantic love, but I do need connection” and like, finding a way to show her platonic love for her friends so she wouldn’t be lonely. There’s even a line about how “friendship is the greatest gift one can give”, and TBH I would’ve preferred that over the awful romance she has with Lottie.

I didn’t like Lottie for the majority of this book, and hated the romance even more. I think that this has proven to me and my tastes that the overly antagonistic trend in love interests is not for me, at least when it pertains to two people meeting for the first time on-page, and one being incredibly rude and dismissive and the other person still being attracted to them. In my eyes, Marigold already has a lot to deal with regarding the curse and the threat of Versa to contend with that we didn’t need this semi-enemies to lovers plotline. It just made me think how August and Marigold had way more chemistry and I would’ve wanted him or Lottie with his personality to be the romantic lead.

That being said, the more “spicy” scenes, even without outright smut, are well paced and have enough charge that I could forget the issues I had with the romance. If this is what Sydney J Shields can write in a scene where I thought the characters have no chemistry beforehand, I’d be excited to see what she can do when there’s a romance I actually am rooting for.

The premise of this book was very interesting. A young girl learning she is a witch after feeling like she doesn't fit in anywhere. She is destined to never be loved but meets a girl who she cannot help but fall for. However, I feel like the actual development of the story fell kind of flat. There was a lack of development leading up to the discovery of being a witch. It felt like it was just pushed on to the reader. At that point I was not very invested in the character or what was going to happen to her, so it did not matter much to me. Going through her training was more involved, and I began to care about the characters and was sad for Mari when she had to become the Honey Witch. But then the addition of Lottie and August was randomly put into the story and not really developed into a way where it flowed into the story naturally. I also thought Lottie's background was very predictable, and that reveal did not come as a shock to me. Lottie's character development also seemed very sudden and jumpy, rather than slowly being developed. The ending also felt very rushed and I wanted a bigger climax to occur. It was a very sweet love story, and I liked the overarching theme of fighting for who you love and not giving up on it, not matter the circumstances. But it just needed more development as a whole to flow naturally. The way the town worked also confused me, where it was very traditional and a young woman had to be married to be of any value, but being queer is open and acceptable, so why was it traditional in some ways but not others. I will still recommend this to anyone who wants a cozy sapphic read, as it fits that description perfectly.

Charming and mysterious. This book has plenty of witchy wonders. The intriguing magic system is a beautiful tribute to bees. And there are also hints of Old Norse folklore woven in with the spellwork.

At its heart, this book is an exploration of love—romantic as well as familial. It is both heartbreaking and uplifting. A powerful and emotional read that had me in tears by the end.

Thanks so much to Sydney Shields and Netgalley for the chance to read this book ahead of publication!

I had a great time reading this book. It was cozy and romantic, with engaging characters and a delightfully unique magic system. The themes of found family and love conquering all were heartwarming and well executed. I could see this being expanded into future books - I would love to get more content about the relationship between Honey/Ash witches and the nuances of the craft!

There were a few moments where modern language or elements took me out of the illusion of the world, but otherwise I think the world building was very well thought out. I would have liked also to see the villain more fleshed out - the climax seems a bit rushed after the lengthy build-up throughout the book.

Overall, a lovely read - I'm very much looking forward to its publication.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I just finished this devastatingly beautiful novel and I cannot stop crying. One of the best queer fantasy novels I've read in a while. I enjoyed the honey-based magic system and the cozy vibes one expects with a witchy romantasy. I also enjoyed the exploration of grief, isolation, and loneliness and the high-stakes plot line. Not everything is honey and sunshine!

I wish the ending had more time. I wish we had more of August and Frankie (sequel???), so that it didn't appear as much like insta-love. But they're small things compared to the rest.

May there be honey cake-filled picnics in a place as beautiful as Innisfree waiting for us on the other side. ❤️

Overall a pretty slow moving and predictable book. I enjoyed the character of Lottie and even Marigold, but not many of the other characters stood out for me. The romance was really sweet, but I felt like I predicted the ending at 40% and was correct even though it took ages to get there. I found myself very bored in this story. The bulk of the action in this story happens in literally the last 5% of the book. That’s a long time to wait. 2.5 stars for me.

The Honey Witch felt like a more cottage core version of Practical Magic. The beautiful setting lives up to the hype created by the gorgeous cover art. The plot felt rushed at times. I would have loved more time spent learning about Marigold's life before she reconnected with her grandma. Overall the Honey Witch is an enjoyable witchy read. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Beautifully written book. The magic and the love is magical in and of itself. The story is amazing to follow from what I read. I highly recommend it genuinely because it does give the vibes of howl's moving castle x bridgerton/regency era as described the author herself.

RELALY ENJOYED THIS NOVEL. Fun entertaining read. The vibes were immaculate and I can’t wait to read more by this author

First of all. Thank you so much to the publisher and Author for allowing me to read this early on NetGalley.

Okay, time to squeal...GAHHH...I loved every single thing about this story! It felt so warm and cozy.

I adored the setting, the atmosphere, the magic system, and the concept of a honey witch and an ash which was so neat.
As an avid witchy book reader, so many of them feel reiterated and the same. But this concept was unique and felt special.

This book makes me want to walk around barefoot, eat honey,
and make potions and herbal remedies. The vibes were vibing!

I feel like this book was written for me. It’s so perfect and lovely and comforting. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about it.

Some other fun things to note there is a Bridgeton vibe to it as well, like Regency romance but make it sappic which is in my humble opinion...so much better! Also a one-bed trope (LOVE), and feminist themes.

It is 100% worth the wait and i can't wait for you all to read it!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I alllllmost gave up on this book because the beginning dragged so badly for me, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It still wasn't perfect by any means, but I did enjoy the story. I feel like the ending was very quick and there were things I would have loved to see more details on, but I'll forgive that because I did truly love the characters a lot! The interactions between the characters really moved the story for me, and I was rooting for Mari and Lottie to find a way to break the Honey Witch curse.

I got 14% into this book before I decided to DNF. I wanted to get to 30%, but I wasn’t going to make it.

The writing is just bad.

Now, the prologue was beautiful. It read like poetry from a powerful older woman who grew gracefully through life. But then the true story begins from the POV of the primary character Marigold.

I got through a dance Marigold was required to go to, a frolic in a meadow as Marigold entertains her wild side, and the return of Marigold’s grandmother into her parents home. She has not seen her grandmother in over a decade, and her grandmother drops the bombshell that she is a witch, and that Marigold is as well.

This is where the real reason I stopped reading the book comes into play: This book is written in an ever present third person narrative. Everything is SHE and HER, even when there are three or more women in the room, and I can’t follow who is talking to who, and who a retort is aimed at in this scenario BECAUSE THEY DON’T INDICATE WHO IS TALKING.

I also couldn’t connect with the main character. She felt childlike even though she was an adult or new-adult as today’s narrative would frame her at 21.

I kept pushing forward, but decided to stop as the book wasn’t bringing me joy. Perhaps others will relate to it greatly, but I will say it isn’t for me. More editing definitely needed. I want to reread a line because it made my chest tight with emotion, not because I couldn’t figure out who in this scenario was talking.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC which did not affect my review.

4✨

This novel was so so cute! It was giving Pride and Prejudice mixed with Practical Magic in the best of ways. It was so cute, cozy, and best of all sapphic?! We love to see it. My only issue with this book and why it wasn’t a five star to me was that the pacing seemed off. We spent not enough time in the beginning of her with her grandma? And then got so much explanation before the sisters wedding when it seemed like she definitely shouldn’t have left and seemed to know this, but continued to read bunches of chapters of before the wedding? And the end was so quick. It definitely ended the way I thought/wanted but it could’ve been done in a much longer way. I really wish we had gotten a rounder close out of the two characters together. Other than that, it was a very cute quick and very cozy read, would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

As enticing as this premise it, the story is unfortunately not for me I found it difficult to connect with the writing and the characters but I believe the author has a lot of potential. Thank you for the opportunity to read an early copy!

Thank you, Net Galley and Redhook books for this e-arc.

This masterful cozy sapphic tale follows our FMC Marigold as she discovers her powers, heritage, and most importantly who she is through magic love. This story has all the elements of a romance fantasy that I adore including 1. Romance duh 2. Found family 3. Easy magic system and finally an adorable cast of animals. The show stealer of this tale Lottie is perfectly imperfect in all the right ways. Ugh, honestly when you read this story you will swoon for Lottie. Finally, the writing of this story is so personal and loving you can tell Sydney Shields put her heart and soul into this debut.
Now: I will say this is not a perfect story. The writing can be chunky and awkward sometimes, but I think that helps bring out the story's charm. I can't wait to see what comes next from the author and will miss Innisfree.

PS. Seven, Mirrorball, Willow, and Peace from Folklore perfectly captures

If you ‘r looking for a good stand alone with magic and a love story then this is the book for you. I enjoy the world and the magic and all the fun facts about bees and honey. This was a fun read and will be looking for more of her books in the future.

4 ⭐️ this book had all of the sapphic longing and didn’t have any coming out story which is a breath of fresh air. The world acts like Schitt’s Creek, meaning sexual orientation or gender identity isn’t addressed because it’s just normal to accept people. Honey Magic vs Ash Magic is a cool concept and is used similarly to earth magic. I loved it and wanted so much more of the grimoire.

While I guessed the twist, I wasn’t upset to have guessed it.

Things I loved
- the love interest’s back story reveals
- the curse
- the magic system
- the spice between the love interests had great pay off from the tension and feels realistic to a sapphic couple
- the prose

Things I wished happened
- this book almost needs a sequel. The end I thought could’ve left off on a cliff hanger and I would’ve eaten up the second installment. the end felt rushed and was solved too quickly for me.
- I wanted more of a HEA visual of both our main couple and our secondary couple(s) again could’ve been paced into a duology.

This was seriously one of the most delightful reads I've had in a long time!!! The warm cottagecore vibes were so good, and I love that this aesthetic didn't deter the story from going deep into the emotions and actually showing the grief, heartbreak, and pure loneliness the main character goes through.

Though there were moments where I felt like the dialogue dragged a bit too much, and I wondered a lot about the pacing and the choices and jumping from one part to the other, this was still such an enjoyable book. I will say it takes some time to really get into it. I felt like the book truly goes into motion in Part 2. But it was just so much fun and so beautiful

Loved it!!

An alluring cottage core fantasy novel about a young woman who never fit the mold of the life she grew up in! When she finds out she is actually a witch, her entire world changes! This was a beautiful love story, a coming of age novel and learning to fight for the future you want! Sydney Shields did a beautiful job of weaving a tender, LGBTQ love story among a vivid fantasy world full of balance and spells. This story is a great addition to your book shelves!

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for this ARC Copy! - 4.5 Stars

The title of this book says it all, it is a honey sweet story that just makes you smile and kick your feet with joy, but it also has just enough stakes mixed in to keep you interested throughout the entirety of the book.

This cozy Sapphic love story was just so sweet but also challenging while they are fighting against a multigenerational curse that is destined to makes their love impossible.

The first 2/3 of the book are a lot of vibes and beauty, and you don't really see a lot of action until the later part of the book. If that is not something that you enjoy then this may not be the book for you, but if you love a slice of life as a honey witch living on your own magical island where you are friends with magical guardians and bees, and learning how to be a witch as well as learning to adapt to a new world that is completely different than your own, then you will absolutely love this story.