I’m sorry to say this book in the small portion I managed to get through of this book I was thoroughly disappointed with the writing style, character development, and romance.

The writing style lacked fancy words and nice descriptions when it came to the important things, the author could write whole books filled with descriptions of fields and scenery and it would be lovely but when it comes to actions it lacks. (Not a direct quote) I read about 30 pages in the sentence “she then took the magic potion that would give her full access to her powers” . I’m alright with plenty of writing styles but to write these beautiful descriptions of fields and flowers and dances and then act like you don’t care about the rest isn’t interesting to read. This was most of the reason the book lost my attention .

Only a slight side note compared to the writing style but the romanced lacked completely, it was a type I’m seeing a lot more nowadays where in excerpts promoting the book and even in the summary they give away these crucial details and major plot points to grab the readers attention but don’t understand that when you give all that information away there is nothing left to shock or surprise you in the book and it becomes uninteresting to the reader. This is what it felt like to read about the romance in this story, the love interest was introduced and it felt very “this is the person I’m going to be romantically interested in and there is no other option” not that the mc felt stuck but it wasn’t her falling in love with the LI it was more that the author wanted them to be together more than she wrote them wanting to be together. What made this more disappointing was that this was a really cute and fun idea for a novel and I was really excited to read a sapphic classical inspired fantasy book but was ultimately disappointed in what I read, I hope to future readers you enjoy this more than I.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

I'll start by saying this was not a book I would normally choose for myself. It is rumored to possibly be a book box pick so I wanted to check it out and the publisher graciously granted my request. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. That is not to say it will not work for other people. I just could not connect with the characters or slow plot. I think this book will work for you if you like Sapphic romance, cozy plot type books.

I loved this story! Pre-ordered the physical copy at about the halfway mark in the book. Super cozy and magical sprinkled with adventure and of course loveeee.
Althea knows her life is nearing it's end but before she leaves she must train her granddaughter; Marigold, all there is to know about being a honey witch and protecting their land from rival forces. With magic comes a price, Marigold is cursed to never find love.
Highly recommend curling up with a cup of tea and reading this book, and don't forget to sweeten it with honey ;)

*Received as a free ARC*
Absolutely fabulous. The world building and magic were amazing. The queer normative setting is great. I loved Mari and Lottie. A delightful, springy cozy fantasy. Would absolutely recommend.

This book felt like a fairy tale with romantic, whimsical writing that grabbed me from the first page. I loved the magic system and how it was tied to nature — and the beautiful nature metaphors — and found it complex enough while still easy to understand. I’m not sure if this book was YA or not, but it felt like a cozy, Spring-y YA fantasy romance.

This is a sweet story of a young woman who finds out she is a Honey Witch. Full of love, loneliness, and magic this book is a must read. A fluffy romance filled with an underlying good vs evil and will love triumph?

I think the prose of this book is absolutely beautiful, The world-building was great. However, I felt like we were being told about how the main characters felt about each other instead of seeing it play out. I think for a debut, this is a really strong book. I am excited to see what future books look like from this author.

I received an arc copy of this book. It is a cute cozy fantasy about a witch where the magic system is based on honey. The characters and story was cute but it was just too slow for me.

While this book had a good premise it was too slow and all over the place for me. Love the queer rep though!

The whole book felt like being wrapped in a warm fluffy blanket. It was so cute and I loved it so much!! The relationships are so wholesome and amazing and I loved all of the characters. The writing was also beautiful. 4.5 stars!!

this book was whimsical and warm and reminded me much of holly black type of fantasy, but if it were lesbian. I went and recommended this to my friend who loves fantasy and LGBT immediately after and I hope to be able to pander it to my audience so I can have friends to squeal over it with.

I think this one will be popular, but it was not my vibe. It reminds me of a lot of the feminist mythology retellings that have been coming out in the wake of Circe, in that its feminism feels very surface level. Most of the book feels surface level to me, with dialogue that makes me physically cringe. I think this will work for fans of queer historical romance and maybe Jennifer Saint, but for me, it felt bland and unoriginal— which is pretty sad for a book where magic is used through bees and honey!

The Honey Witch is a cozy, magical story with a queer feminist twist. Perfect for fans of Olivia Waite and Jennifer Saint.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sydney for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled with this book. It actually put me into a slump. The main character Marigold is very one dimensional, the plot line is known from the first time she meets the love interest, and the love itself is quite bland and one note. There’s no fire or sticky sweet love. I think too much was attempted to be put into one book that it fell flat, and disappointingly so. When I had initially viewed previews of the book on social media, I was very excited to see it. I had even requested the first free chapter. So I was very excited to get the full ARC. I was wrong. I think the book needed more time to be worked on.

I utterly adore this story and book. I am so in love with these characters and the world that Sydney Shields has created.

I read this book slowly and I really think it was the way to read it. I did not read it slow because it was lacking anything, I read it slow because it is meant to be. It’s a regency era book, which always makes me think of slower times. But if you’re looking for an action packed book, this isn’t that kind of story. It felt so whimsical and I was transformed into Innisfree with Shield’s lyrical writing.

I loved the slow burn romance, these two are so wonderful. I couldn’t get enough of them and even just their building friendship. I loved that we slowly got to see Lottie come alive and reveal herself. That her friendship with August was the most important thing to her and they love each other so much too, that despite her prickly personality, he knows the real her and we get to see that woman come out with each new chapter.

I love Mari, she’s such a beautifully written character. I love the honey magic and that she can brew up any kind of potion, it’s a really unique magic from others I’ve read. Mari loves everyone in her life so fiercely and I love all her relationships with her dad, a complicated one with her mom, her siblings, and her grandmother. And Mr. Benny too!

Overall, I very much enjoyed taking my time with this one and absolutely loved it. I cannot wait to read anything else that Sydney Shields writes!! Absolutely auto-buy author.

The sapphic love story is by far my favorite part of this book. Along with it being a regency era book, but that being gay or queer wasn’t something that needed to be hidden and accepted by all to love who you want to love.

You’ll want to pick this up if you like:

🐝Regency era
🐝Sapphic love
🐝Slow Burn
🐝One bed
🐝Queer main and side characters
🐝Witches and Magic
🐝Found Family
🐝Spicy 🔥

This should have been for me. I’m its exact audience. The cottagecore vibes. The bees. The sapphic romance.

It just didn’t hit for me.

The dialogue was juvenile. The characters underdeveloped.

It felt like an unedited BFA project.

So much potential, rushed to the printers. So sad.

Cozy WLW fantasy with a lil extra oomf! I was so excited to read this and was not disappointed. You have a beautiful cozy 1800s regency setting, good witch vs evil witch, and some spice. My only qualms were the inconsistency with pacing, some places in the book dragged a smidge whereas others felt a bit rushed. I still devoured every single word.

Thank you to NetGalley and RedHook for providing me a digital ARC so in exchange for a honest review.

The Honey Witch is an enjoyable, cozy fantasy with more romance than I was expecting, and that was a nice surprise. It was sweet and magical with an interesting plot. The magic was well integrated, I liked the cottage core vibes, and that cover is just beautiful!

Now, having said all that I enjoyed about the book, I'll move on to what I didn't. It was slow paced, and I had a hard time getting into it. Because of this It took me much longer to read than normal. The writing style wasn't my favorite. I can't exactly explain why, but it felt clunky.

Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My thought, no spoilers.

Taboo, Romance, Magic. LGBTQ representation, Good vs Evil, Curses, Forbidden love.

Love the little clues throughout the book that made me stop and think! Throughout the whole book, I was saying to myself; "Wait what?!?" (in a good way) "Oh I wonder..." "But how?" The Taboo aspect of the book was done so well and fit into the story perfectly. The two MFC are likable in their own ways. The magic concept is new, unique and refreshing. The magic is like nothing I have read or heard about.

Publishing date is May 14th. Make sure to preorder. Follow Sydney J. Shields on Instagram and follow the link in her bio for where to preorder a signed copy with art work!!

This truly is the epitome of cottagecore fiction.
It has been pitched as Practical Magic meets Bridgerton and I can definitely see why. The Honey Witch oozes with charm, cosy vibes and sweetness.

Unfortunately this didn’t hit the mark for me as much as I had hoped but there are plenty of elements I feel others would enjoy. I wanted to love this so badly and thought it would work well for me but it seems the execution wasn’t to my taste.

This is a quiet, slow novel which takes its time. There’s plenty of magic, cosy atmosphere and cottagecore vibes to enchant readers and it has a light and uplifting feel to it. This is the sort of book I could see being perfect as a Spring or Summer read, paired with some light refreshments as you relax in a garden. I found it super cute that the MC’s name was Marigold and the fact that she is a honey witch. Bee core anyone?

Marigold’s relationship with her grandmother was incredibly sweet and I felt it tackled grief and loss in a thoughtful way. Normally I do enjoy a sapphic romance but it didn’t quite get there for me.

Overall a beautiful read which I’m sure many readers will adore.

Thank you to NetGalley and RedHook Books for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Honey Witch is exactly as it was blurred a fun sapphic Bridgerton meets Studio Ghibli and I loved every second I spent in this world. The MC and LI feel so real and fun to read.