I first learned of The Honey Witch while Sydney was querying back in 2022, and I'm thrilled to see how far she and this book have come. While I enjoyed the romance between Marigold and Lottie (particularly the Tattoo Scene), I must say that the prose itself really steals the show. If you're a fan of Alice Hoffman, *definitely* pick this up. You will NOT be disappointed.

In general, the descriptions of the moonlight, the flowers, and of course the many types of honey make the setting of this book absolutely stunning. The friend and family dynamics are all very heartwarming, which is a welcome change from the "tragic hero backstory" of most fantasy characters, and I was rooting for the side romances as much as the main one. Overall, if you're looking for a warm, cozy (though sometimes intense!), sapphic fantasy, I highly recommend picking this up.

First and foremost thank you to Sydney J. Shields and Redhook books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

What do you get when you mix Bridgerton, magic, sapphic romance, and Alice in Wonderland vibes? One of the best cozy cottage core books!
Everything from the world building, magic system, and characters was written so detailed and beautifully. I was especially moved and entranced at how the topics of losing a loved one and loneliness were described. Everything about this transported me into a magical world of honey, bees, and nature. This book is genuinely a work of art.
I know it is only February but I can confidently say this will be one of my top reads for 2024.

I heard about this book through my Tik Tok and it immediately seemed like a book that would be right up my alley but I honestly wasn't sure if I would actually like it. After reading it, I absolutely agree with my original thoughts, this book is perfect for me. It it beautifully written and such a cozy, queer romance but still with the perfect amount of fantasy. It felt like a mix of Bridgeton meets practical magic meets Dickinson (the Apple TV show) and what an amazing mix that makes. Im so glad and so thankful I got to read this and I absolutely would buy this and pick it up again. A few concerns I do have are that at times the writing felt almost juvenile or incredibly blunt, for instance "lonnie is dead. the curse killed." almost made me laugh it was so abrupt when it didn't need to be. Also, being gay in the 1800 hundreds was okay but tattoos were punishable? that doesn't really make sense but maybe there was a reason for that I didn't pick up on. Lastly, the ending kind of felt rushed, and I'm not one to want to drag out a battle scene but only having that in the last few chapters and then only getting a brief look into the HAE isn't something I love. I want to at least enjoy their happiness with them, however I will say It does fit with the way the book is written. overall this was an incredibly enjoyable book and was a fun cozy read and I'm excited for others to get to experience and to support this upcoming author! 3.75 rounded up to 4!

"A witch cursed to never love meets a cute tattoo artist." Sold.

Okay, Marigold's story was such a cozy read. Give me allll of the sweet, sapphic, magical stories (with a one-bed-left-at-the-inn scene!!!).

The atmosphere was very "windswept cottagecore" and the heart of the story revolved around a honey magic system (so interesting and cool – and may have encouraged drinking copious amounts of herbal tea). I really enjoyed the relationship between Marigold and her grandmother, who not only taught her about magic, but also how to be a fierce girl's girl.

This is a soft, low-stakes story that has beautiful fantasy elements, and also explores grief, found family, loneliness, and love.

Overall, a fun, comforting debut.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc!

what can I say about this book? It is all the feel good vibes!
Found Love
Unique magic system
cottage/woodland feel

You immediately fall in love with Marigold and I found myself literally smiling through out the book. Al though there are triggers in the book it was not bad enough that made me shy away from reading,

If you are looking for a more quaint and heartfelt witchy book, this is definitely it!

This book was perfect for vacation and reading on the plane. The magic was interesting and the plot intense enough to keep me interested, but not overly complicated. It had cozy cottage core vibes that I really enjoyed, I want to be the honey witch please! My only complaint would be that the dialogue fell flat and at times it was giving “everything is perfectly splendid”. And I could have used a bit more, but at the same time I think it was going for more of the Bridgerton style Victorian romance vibes and nailed that perfectly. I would have loved more from the characters in the end, like a longer epilogue - where are they now? How was her brother’s wedding? The people need to know.

Thank you to NetGalley & Hachette for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 34%— I was really excited to dive into this book because of the cozy witchy vibes, but it unfortunately just wasn’t for me.

I was definitely intrigued by the storyline itself and the magic felt whimsical, but I struggled to get into the writing. I have read plenty of third person before, but for some reason this felt more like the story was being retold to me, versus feeling immersed in the story itself.

The dialogue was difficult for me to enjoy and it just felt kind of forced. We know that there is a love interest thanks to the synopsis, but at 34% there still wasn’t any progress into the relationship which really deterred me from continuing.

Just because this book wasn’t for me doesn’t mean you won’t love it yourself. If you’re looking for a cozy, witchy, cottage-core vibe with a sapphic romance, you should look into it.

Thank you to Redhook Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinion are my own.

I am still crying, still screaming, and still throwing up. I loved absolutely every single moment of this book and it truly felt like it was written just for me. It had EVERYTHING I love in stories all rolled into one. I cannot wait to have a finished copy to proudly display on my favorites shelf for years to come. I won't stop screaming about this book for awhile!

This is for the people that want to live cozy, slow paced lives in the middle of nowhere - far from busy city life. For the people that want to spend their day tending to their garden and honey bees. For the people that believe in magic and soulmates.

This is a slow paced story, but it has a lovely cottagecore feeling. You'll want to have a nice cup of herbal tea with honey while you sit down and enjoy this one.

Even though this starts off slow and sweet, the last third of the book is all high-stake and full of powerful magic. What would you do for love? Can love conquer all?

I wanted to love this book, but I just could not. This story gives off all the witchy, cottagecore vibes that are perfect for the upcoming spring. The storyline, on the other hand, had me struggling to finish. Marigold and Lottie's relationship was very YA and ultimately very frustrating.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The honey witch is a cozy fantasy that is slow paced, but enjoyable, with total cottage core vibes. At times it definitely seemed a little more modern than regency, But the writing was so descriptive that I really felt like I could see, hear, and smell the environment. I could picture myself beside Marigold, experiencing her exploring the land and And learning the ways of the honey witch. Also, the relationships between the characters were raw and realistic. I really enjoyed the dynamic of August, Lottie and Marigolds friendship and the banter between them all. The relationship between Marigold and her grandmother is so precious and Mr. Benny is the sweetest.

In the peak of conflict the author hit us with one of the most seriously evil villains I’ve ever read. She didn’t hold back and the emotions of the situation really show through the writing.

Overall, this was a great story of friendship, love, and overcoming grief and obstacles. I can’t wait to see what else Sydney Shields comes out with.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6245434676

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/76f66992-41d6-4b21-944e-60b194e4c99f

so, the pitch is: sapphic cottagecore witches, set in a vaguely regency setting but that’s queer friendly and less misogynistic but still a little (and very anti-tattoo?), lots of girlbossy feminist moments, magic based around bees and honey, and enemies to lovers. upside for me was that I did feel like I wanted to know what was going to happen around the 80% mark and was validated in my prediction for the ending. *however* I struggled HARD with the writing style/quality in this. I don’t know how really to describe it, but think awkward phrasing and telling not showing. so, if you are someone who finds yourself frequently struggling to stay immersed due to writing quality, you might struggle with this book like I did. however, not everyone is likely to have the same fixation on sentence and paragraph level writing craft, and you may still enjoy it. the plot is a strong sell, and I would say is executed pretty well. I did find the enemies to lovers aspect pretty poorly executed in that it didn’t feel justified that they started out at odds, but I don’t think they were described necessarily as e2l, just written as very antagonistic to start with. so this gets three stars from me, which is a little sad for a book I was anticipating so much based on the synopses I’d seen

If you were to mix the perfect amount of cozy fantasy, a healthy dash of high-stakes magic, and a sprinkle of sapphic spice into a cauldron, the outcome would be The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields.

Filled with passages that speak to the souls of women who long to run free, The Honey Witch is a story of self-discovery and self-acceptance. The protagonist, Marigold feels trapped in a society she does not fit into with a family that does not understand her, but loves her nonetheless. With the desire to be her true self, she sacrifices the life she knows and the possibility of true love to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps as a Honey Witch, counterpart to the Ash Witches.
With a threat looming above her new home and an impossible girl challenging her curse to be alone forever, Marigold must find the strength within herself to save her home and find true freedom once and for all.

I absolutely loved reading this book! The characters are lovable and have well-defined personalities and characteristics. I found myself wishing that I could spend more time following their adventures before this story was even done. And the world around them was colorful and exciting. I enjoyed every second, even when I was sobbing my eyes out.

The only critique I could possibly insert here is that, at times, the dialogue or inner monologue of the characters felt a little cheesy and out of place. But I’ve accepted much worse from other favorite books. Who of us isn’t a little cheesy from time to time?

Marigold and friends hold a very special place in my heart and I cannot wait to read more by this author.

*Huge thanks to NetGalley, Sydney J. Shields, and Redhook Books for providing me with the ARC e-book version of The Honey Witch for honest review*

I didn’t really like this story that much and I am deeply sorry for that. I could not connect with the characters at all. The overall setting was gorgeous and the plot seemed doable but the writing style just wasn’t what I normally enjoy. I wanted to like this book. The cover is gorgeous. I managed to read all the way to the 80% mark but then I had to skim the rest of the book as it just seemed cliche-ish and kind of boring. I do wish the author well though and hope she will attempt another book in which I’d like to give them a second chance. Thank you so much!

Thanks to NetGalley for my arc.

DNF @35%
I thought I would love this book but sadly it became a drag to read. Nothing really happens for a while and I can usually vibe with that if I love the characters but this gave me nothing. The magic and world are beautiful but it just wasn’t enough to hold my interest.

I may come back to finish this eventually!

I was so excited for this story with its cottagecore vibes, natural magical elements, and a sapphic witchy love story. Sadly, this did not work for me. I did not connect with the characters and the story left me quite confused and with a long list of unanswered questions.

My main issue was the magic. The story was structured where the author assumed the reader had a working knowledge of and familiarity with this magical system and the 50 year curse that was place on Marigold’s grandmother. At no point during the story was the reader - or Marigold for that matter - told how the curse came to be and why a war between Honey Witches and Ash Witches had been waging. Marigold is instructed to defend the isle and that Ash magic is evil, but isn’t given training on how to defeat the Ash Witch, yet when the time came, it clicked and she was able to save the day.

Even though I spent nearly 400 pages with these characters, they felt like strangers. I desperately wanted to like Marigold and Lottie, but was no depth to their storylines that endeared you to them. Also, the synopsis hints this is a romance, but it is not. I cannot even classify this as a slow burn as the romance was barely existent, insta love/lust and very underdeveloped.

What I did like: the visuals. The imagery Shields painted was stunning and this isle with its magical inhabitants sounded absolutely dreamy. I liked how the magic within this realm was deeply rooted in natural elements and there was such vibrancy and joy in what was created.

I really wanted to love this story and kept reading and hoping it would turn around, but the ending was so rushed and instead of providing answers, raised more questions and added to my confusion.

4.25/5 ⭐️

Wow, talk about emotional whiplash!!

This story is devestating beautiful, I loved every second of it. In some ways, the book felt like it was written just for me (it even comes out on my birthday!? How cool is that?!). There were so many little details and coincidences that lined up with my life, that it made the book such a delight to read.

I absolutely fell in love with the magic system!! The scenery was beautifully described and I absolutely adore the bees!!

This is such a cozy read that is PERFECT for the spring time! I can picture myself reading this book on a picnic in a field of flowers✨ 💐

~A big thank you to NetGalley, Redhook books, and Sydney J. Shields for an arc of the book in exchange for an honest review~

The Honey Witch is just how it’s described.. cottage core, witchy sapphic love story.

This book is majorly of the vibes which I loved. I loved Marigolds time on the island learning of her powers and all the beings on it including the animal spirits and the bees and how the honey worked with her magic.

The moment you meet Lottie is is very obvious what is going on and just a matter of waiting for when it is dealt with. Lottie and Maris interactions together are sweet how started all not liking each other.

The ending was lacking for me and unlike the rest of the book I had to force my way through it.

Thank you to Sydney J. Shields,
Red hook books and Net Galley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a cozy, lovely story! I’ve been so excited to read this book and it was just what I needed! I can’t wait to read more from this author.

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

This was an easy, whimsical and cozy read. A great pallet cleanser between heavier books.