This book is going to be one of my favorite reads of this year. Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook and Sydney J. Sheilds for my E-arc. I was hooked from the first chapter. What I thought was going to be a super cozy read turned into so much more. The love in this book is so incredible. It’s shown with Family, Friends, Romantic, and all that found family brings into your life. It’s a beautiful story that starts with a young woman who feels like she doesn’t belong find her way. You watch how she process the curse that has been put on the Honey witches and grief that comes in all forms of going through life. The magic system is so fun to explore with Marigold and everything Innisfree has to offer. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy so that I can reread highlight and annotate this book to pieces.

Marigold Claude thought she was forced into a box with only so many ways her life could go. She had no artistic talents, no prospects, and did not feel at place with others around her. That is until her grandmother arrived.

Marigold learned she was a Honey Witch, but to fully come to her powers, she must accept that hers would be a life without love as no one could Fallon love with her.

Overall, I enjoyed the story! I felt the beginning was just a whirlwind and she mentioned marriage often in the beginning as well, but as Marigold finally gained solid footing as a witch, her thoughts drifted to other things.

The story is definitely cozy and a quick read, especially with an impending threat to her life and home looming and growing in the distance. She works hard to prove her skills and ignore the curse binding her to a lonely life while also trying to come to terms with the fact she has fallen in love with an impossible girl.

There was more spice than I was expecting which isn’t bad, I just don’t read too many spicy books.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

ARC Review •
Thank you to Sydney Shields and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC read. I love seeing authors accomplish their dream of writing and publishing and want to help the community through these ARC readings and reviewing!
My first NetGalley review! Second ARC ever.
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Cottage-core vibes, very cozy read. I enjoyed reading this book, although I did feel like more could have been added to the meat of the storyline, I have a lot of fun reading this book.
Even with a 3 star rating from me, I really enjoyed this read.
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More intimate details of the book:
* i wish Althea has more of a sense of wisdom and age, I don’t feel the age and life experience coming off her character as much as I would have liked
* Enemies to lovers plot line could be matured some, meaning I feel like the writing made it seem so fast and I was left wanting more

3/5 stars! If you’re looking for a cozy romance, this was a good read! Thank you for the chance to read!!

This is the cutest adorable little story. It is a cozy fantasy that falls into Klune category or Midnight Library. There is magic and world building, although set in a world like our own. I loved the characters. I loved the family aspects. I finished it and immediately wanted to read it again, just for the feel-good vibes. There is danger and conflict, and it's all wrapped up nicely. It was a bit predictable, but in the best way possible. I will recommend it to everyone I know.

So halfway through this book I was going to give it a 3. The writing is really well done, and I enjoyed the characters and scenery and the premise.

However it was kind of slow.. but from about 60% to the end it was a wild ride. I laughed and I cried and even though I knew what was going to happen the whole time it didn't take away from the story.

A magical book about love and loss and grief and rebuilding. Found family, sapphic and beautiful.

I saw the description for The Honey Witch by Sidney J. Shields, and it seemed like a good in between read for me for some of the heavier books I've been reading lately. To be honest, I saw that it took place in a location called Innisfree, and I gravitated towards the book. The book has an interesting premise, with Honey and Ash Witches, and the need for balance, a granddaughter who is cursed, who must protect Innisfree and it's spirit residents (and human), and through all of this the underlying search for love and no longer being lonely.

The book is set in the 1800s, and I'm not sure if it's a parallel world to ours, but I did notice a lot more progressive attitudes to LGBTQ individuals than would have been acceptable in our world. So 100% if you're looking for a book with sapphic undertones and LGBTQ themes, you will find them in this novel. There's no judgment and people are accepted for who they are in that space. There is still a ton of judgment for people who don't follow society's mores and roles that are set for them, and we see that as a theme for the main character as to how she's been hurt and why she thinks she will never have love for who she is, and not what society wants her to be.

The book does start out slower, I would say about the first third of the book is slower paced. There are themes of grief and the main character does face quite a bit of loss throughout the book. There's also love, and overcoming adversary and finding out who you're truly meant to be in order to be comfortable with yourself. For me, I will say that I picked up on the "twists" fairly early in the book. It might not be something that everyone picks up on, but I will say I was not surprised by the outcome of the book, and several of the revelations as with how it was written it was fairly easy to predict what was coming. I did spend part of the novel frustrated that Marigold was so dense. There was a lot of pain and suffering that could have been avoided if Marigold had put two and two together. Overall though, the book was enjoyable and if you're looking for a sapphic witchy novel, this is the book for you.

Please be advised that I received an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bridgerton- but make it witchy and gay.
I was able to read this title before the release date via ARC approved through NetGalley ☺️. The Honey Witch is a delightfully girly fantasy with a magic system that centers around nature and opposing natural forces. This story feels like a warm hug and made me smile, laugh, and cry. The only reason I feel like this is a solid 4⭐️ is because I just want more! The first half of the book I found myself wanting to get into Marigold’s world a bit more while she lived on Innisfree by herself, but the second half of the book contained so much mystery, romance, and engagement between all characters. I’m really hoping we get a sequel and I can’t wait to hear more from this author!

The Honey Witch by Sydney J Shields
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶

"What is so wrong about being a bitch? It is the closest a girl can be to a wolf."

What I Loved:
🍯The writing. This is the most beautifully written book I have read it a while. I think the last book I read with similarly beautiful writing was Divine Rivals. Every word, ever page was a treat in The Honey Witch.
🍯The World building. I absolutely loved this world. Innisfree, the animals, and, of course, the magic. You say "witch" and I'm instantly into it, this book was no exception.
🍯Althea. I absolutely loved her character.

This cozy fantasy was everything. I loved every moment, every description, every word. I really didn't want it to end. I wanted to stay in this world, on Innisfree with Marigold as she continued to learn her power. This world was so well-crafted. I truly could not, and did not, get enough.

I also loved that the falling action was not over in a few sentences. The FMC's had to work for their resolution. I also loved all the side characters. They were incredibly well-written. I understood Marigold's mom's fears about letting Marigold go. I loved her father for embracing her differences. Althea was such a badass character. It's not often side characters are so well done, but in this, that they were.

This is such a unique, cozy, lovely, touching story and it will stick with me. I already know I won't forget this world or these characters. I already see myself rereading this as a comfort read. I haven't loved a book like this in a long time and I truly can't recommend it enough. If you are looking for a cozy fantasy to draw you into a beautiful new world without the traditional high stakes and tension of high fantasy, look no further. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

It took me the first 30% or so to get into this book. It felt a bit cheesy at first and I felt like Marigold was repetitive and obnoxious with her thoughts on how she didn’t want to fall in love and stuck her nose up at anybody who did. However, around 30-40% into the book, that all leveled out and I got hooked. It was cute and cozy and I fell in love with all of the characters. The magic system was unique and very cottagecore. I ended up really enjoying this book a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had high hopes for The Honey Witch, and for the most part, I was not let down.
Marigold is a strong character throughout the book, and the author does a great job breathing life into her. Mari works so hard the entire book for those she loves and I rooted for her the entire time. Lottie and August were such great additional characters. I loved that Lottie is a tattoo artist and she even gives Mari a little bee.
The relationship between Lottie and Marigold had me molten the entire time. We all love a one bed scenario and this one was so good.
The area where the book fell short for me was pacing. There were scenes that would take an entire chapter and others that would take two or three. The ending of the book felt a little rushed and only barely came together.
There were also areas of the book that had beautiful prose and other were the writing felt clunky.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Honey Witch.

While I did enjoy this book, it does take a while for it to find it's bearings and the love story was underwhelming. I did love the magic system and the honey witch lore. This did have the sapphic cottage core vibes I was craving but it have been a bit sharper.

This book is going to be a HEAVENLY spring read!

Cozy, sapphic, cottagecore -- meant to be read under a tree in a meadow.

I would compare it to Legends & Lattes, Howl's Moving Castle, and House by the Cerulean Sea!

Y'all! If you are looking for a cute, cozy, witchy, Sapphic book that follows a story of a new witch and her new powers that come from bees and honey than this is the one!

Marigold has always had a connection to the outdoors and always felt like an outsider amongst her peers. Until one day her grandmother visits her town. They haven't seen each other in years after a tragic event. But it is now time for them to reunite as her grandmother needs her to become the next honey witch after she's gone.

I enjoyed seeing two new types of witches, honey and ash witches. This really made the story unique.

This book has the vibes of Bridgerton and the Comfort of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

This is the cutest book in the whole world! It's so magically whimsical, and I just can't get over Marigold and her journey to accept love. The Honey Witch creates the most cozy atmosphere, which is honestly perfect for its May release as you're gonna wanna read this on a nice spring/summer day :)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! Below is my honest review:

The Honey Witch is a story of magic, grief, friendship, and true love. The story follows Marigold as she discovers that she is a Honey Witch and learns from her grandmother how to care for the land and creatures of Innisfree.

This book felt like a warm hug. I absolutely loved each character so much, and I loved their friendships and relationships! I also love how unique the story is. The idea of there being a honey witch that heals and takes care of the land is so sweet. Marigold’s journey is so endearing because so much of what she endures is relatable despite the magical setting.

I would classify this book as “cozy fantasy” despite there being a few intense parts of the book, so if you enjoyed books such as Legends and Lattes or if you are just looking for a lighter fantasy read, I’d recommend giving this a go! The characters are wonderful, and the story is so sweet.

Thanks so much to Redhook & Orbit for an ARC of The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields in exchange for an honest review.


Rating: 5/5
Spice: 5/5

This story left an indelible impression on me. It wasn't just because my name happens to mean honey or honeybee in Greek, but it was because of how the main characters in the book found solace in their loved ones and the complicated family relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed adding my annotations to this book, which I found to be a heartwarming and uplifting read.

The book felt like a warm hug on a cold day, with its richly drawn characters and settings that came alive on the pages. I found myself rooting for the protagonists and feeling deeply invested in their journey. The atmosphere was so captivating that after finishing the book, I longed to visit the place in person and experience the magic of it all.

I'm eagerly looking forward to reading more books from Sydney J. Shields and immersing myself in the worlds she creates.

I have been waiting for this book for so long! I've been folowing this author for what feels like two years and now the words are real! If you love cottagecore, bees, witches and magic you MUST READ THIS BOOK! I was not disappointed!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Honey Witch. Imagine if Daphne Bridgerton left her family to become a nature witch on an enchanted isle - that’s this book! Our main character Marigold discovers she comes from a line of witches and she must make a choice to accept her power and learn the ways of The Honey Witch on the isle of Innisfree with one small catch: she is cursed to never have a soulmate. This story has all of the cottagecore vibes and it feels cozy, warm, and full of sunshine. The words seemed to glow and buzz, just like the honey witch’s magic. With the true love curse and villagers seeking out help from the honey witches, it also feels like Practical Magic. Longing and loss are handled beautifully in this book. I found myself tearing up on more than one occasion. Friendship and the simple, joyous adventures of friends are also detailed in gorgeous ways. I also enjoyed the details of the honey witch’s work and spellcrafting. And the blossoming of love between characters - this book is so lovely. I loved reading it, the story was a wonderful blend of family, friendship, love, loss, and magic. There’s even a touch of spice, which I thought was written well. The ending felt a little abrupt but it was still a satisfying conclusion. I am obsessed with this book and I could easily make it my entire personality.

The Honey Witch is a captivating and magical debut novel. It has cozy cottage vibes with witches and sapphic love. The prose is lovely and is what really drew me into the story. The magic system was fun, and the characters were easy to love. Marigold was a great protagonist and I enjoyed watching her journey of self-discovery. The themes of grief, found family and forbidden love were well written. This book has all the witchy atmospheric vibes I was hoping for and honestly felt like a warm comforting hug. It made me want to go running barefoot through the grass, dance under the full moon and brew tea. Is it perfect? No. But I enjoyed every page and I think the author has amazing potential. Her writing alone makes me want to read everything she publishes in the future.

Thank you to Redhook Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance read of this title. All opinions contained in this review are my own.

The Honey Witch is a sweet and light read. We get fantasy and magic and love. There are themes of family woven into the plot that I think are the strongest relationships in the book.

Apart from the beginning, there is no real regency feel to the book, despite it being heavily marketed as such. That being said, the story itself is enough without it.

I love honey and enjoy tasting all different kinds of honey, so having honey and beekeeping as a center of the magic system made me smile.

Pacing-wise, this book moved pretty consistently without feeling too fast or too slow. There were a few plot points and characters that I wish were developed a little further, but overall I’m happy with it. Definitely unique and a good read for those looking for a lighter fantasy without intense political intrigue.