An enjoyable cozy fantasy perfect if you are looking for a lighthearted read. I liked the sapphic romance plot line even though the choice between magic and love seemed a bit contrived

Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Plot: 5/5
Steam: 🔥🔥 /5
Overall: 5/5

The Honey Witch is a cozy + sapphic fantasy romance about a Honey Witch who learns to protect the magical Isle of Innisfree. Marigold Claude is done fielding dances with underwhelming suitors. When her grandmother arrives at Marigold’s family home with an offer to train as the next Honey Witch, Marigold accepts immediately, consequences be damned. But as Marigold spends more time on Innisfree with a certain grumpy tattoo artist, she begins to understand the consequences of her choices, and how there may be no going back.

I feel so incredibly grateful to start 2024 with one of my most anticipated releases of the year, so thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is such an incredible book. The setting is so immersive and atmospheric, and the magic system is unique yet easily understood.

I adore this cast of characters so much. Marigold is a very relatable protagonist, filled with feminine rage and happiness and everything in between. I really need Sydney Shields to go full Bridgerton and write a love story for all the characters because I can’t get enough of them.

The romance is easily my favourite part of this book. A Honey Witch cursed to never fall in love and a stubborn artist who falls in love with her anyway??? HARD YES.

Do yourself a favour and pre-order this book from your local indie ASAP.

The Honey Witch comes out May 14th!

Content warnings:
- Tattooing/Needles
- Burns
- Blood/Injuries
- Sex
- House fire
- Bee stings
- Loss of a grandparent
- Death/Grief
- Discussions of infertility
- Miscarriage (not the heroine)

4.5/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Red Hook books for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book on a sleepless night and binged the entire book in one sitting. It has an engaging first chapter! The author’s writing is very easy to read which adds to my enjoyment of the book.

The story is engaging and the main characters are interesting. There was a plot twist I did not see coming and my mouth dropped when I read that part. This is a great debut book for this author and I look forward to reading her future works!

Side note, her acknowledgments were adorable!

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook books for providing me a copy of this story.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really appreciate a story about a woman that does not fit into conventional, polite society and longs for something more. I thought the magic system was really unique. I also appreciated the relationship between Marigold and her siblings, and I loved how normalized different sexualities are in this world.

I feel confused about the motivations with the antagonists in the story. What was the deal with George? Why was he so antagonistic towards Marigold? What happened to his fiancée and why did she disappear from the narrative? As far as the Ash Witch that gave the curse, I wanted to know more about the schism between her and the Honey Witches and why she is so desperate for immortality. Her motivations felt nebulous at best.

Also, I was completely stunned by one of the character deaths in this book, particularly with how it happens and when. It just felt like a bonkers twist. A number of instances in the book turn out to be nightmares, so I honestly didn’t believe the character actually died until I kept reading. I think the “it was all a dream” trope was overutilized earlier in the book, and it really drained this moment of its impact. I’m trying to be purposefully vague because this is a huge spoiler, but this twist in particularly was so jarring and absurd it borders on comedy.

Also, this is such a particularly pet-peeve, but I haaaaate it when characters have just survived super horrible and traumatic events, and then in the epilogue, after not much time has passed, they are either trying to have a baby or have a child. So many horrible things have happened, and you’re just figuring out how to exist as a normal couple in your new version of a normal life, but after no time at all to heal and grow individually and as a couple, you’re suddenly ready to throw a child into the mix??? No thank you.

Ultimately, I think this book is fine. I will always love a sapphic romance. However, the story felt weak at times due to odd pacing and jarring plot twists, as well as certain plot points feeling like they were glossed over or forgotten. I am excited to see what else comes from this author, but this story is a benign miss for me. 2.75/5 stars

Not what I thought it was going to be. Book did not hold my mind interest. I could not relate to the characters and therefore did not finish the book. I'm sure it will be great to someone out there and I wish I could say I loved it.

I was really excited about this book. It sounds like it could be so incredible but I has to dnf around 30% the writing seems rushed and choppy.
The characters are written to be flat and I feel like it could be so much more.

It wasn't for me but I can definitely see how this book could be loved by others.

This book had to be a DNF. I could not find it in me to love this book, which sucks, because I so loved the concept. It just felt so rushed, like it was trying to ground pound me with information and forced exposition, and it reads like they’re trying to figure out a way to get it over with. The descriptions throughout the book felt scattered and not consistent, and to be honest just really choppy. Normally I try to push through even when I’m not a big fan of the book, but I just felt like there wasn’t anything that made me want to stay to finish it.

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

DNF at 32%

Another unfortunate disappointment for me. The writing in this was really lovely and it definitely had this calming, cottage core vibe, but nothing was happening.

She has a love interest here, but by 32% there was only two scenes with her and she said like two lines.

There are just so many other great books coming out right now, and I could tell I would have had to push myself to finish this, which I really don't want to do.

This book is not at all what it's marketed as. The pacing was choppy and off. Writing style doesn't match the concept at all. The prose was weak or non existent. The plot points didn't make sense., and rhere was barely any plot to begin with. This needed more refinement because it reads as YA and could have easily stayed as YA if the one spice scene was modified and it would not change a single thing. Very boring. It became a hate-read and I should have DNF'd it. The final climax also just felt so off and poorly executed.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook for this eARC!!!

I was super excited for this sapphic romance novel, however it fell short on my expectations.

The writing of the novel was very clunky and for a bit i thought the book would be a DNF. I was able to continue and push through the awkward character interactions and what felt like flat characters.

This book reminds me of something young, 12 year old baby gay me would love which helped to make the book more enjoyable.

What I did like about the book was the romance between Lottie and Marigold and the whimsical setting. I also do enjoy nature based magic systems in fantasy books.

This book is not my cup of tea but I do believe others can and will enjoy!

3.5/5

Regency era cottage-core witchy sapphic romance. If that made you perk up then this book is 1000% for you. I absolutely loved everything about reading this and I will never be able to recommend it enough. Shields’ ability to weave such a beautiful story that leaves you with tears in your eyes at the end is amazing. If every romance book was like this then it would be my favorite genre.

What a great read for a gloomy day! This is the first sapphic book I have read and I loved it. The friendships and romance in this book were so sweet and gave it that cozy fantasy feel. At first it was a slower start but by Part 3 and 4 I couldn’t put it down! I found the world building very creative with the magic system as well as the setting. Overall I thought the writing very well done. There were some heavier topics but it made the sweet moments that much sweeter. I will definitely pick up her next book.

Such a great debut novel! I can't wait to see how Shields' writing style evolves from here. I loved Marigold, the enchanted forest, the clever cast of characters, and the time period. I wanted to sink into the setting and live there awhile.

Things that didn't work for me:
1. I hated Lottie. I didn't feel like her and Marigold's relationship developed in a believable way.
2. The baddie at the end didn't get enough story. There were some overall pacing issues throughout the book.

Things I loved:
1. The grandmother!!!
2. The sexuality of all the characters was completely normalized and not made out to be a "thing."
3. The magic in this book was very unique.

i first saw this book on instagram and just from the premise of it i was hooked. it's a queer grumpy x sunshine romance that you put a dash of magic into that revolves around HONEY and BEES. yes, sign me up. now this wasn't what i was expecting when i went into it, i had different expectations going into it, but still loved it all the same. there are some things that are predictable but overall was a very enjoyable read. fair warning, the beginning is a bit slow but picks up after a few chapters. you just gotta get through those, i know it was a little hard for me push through the beginning myself. otherwise very solid story and i hope that sydney give us a bonus epilogue one of these days about the family, iykyk

This book is a delightful journey into a world where magic is as sweet as honey and love blossoms like flowers in spring. It's a testament to the author's storytelling prowess and their ability to create a narrative that lingers in the reader's heart long after the final page. The inclusive and warm representation of LGBTQIA+ characters adds an extra layer of authenticity to the story. The author skillfully creates a cozy and atmospheric setting that wraps the reader in a comforting embrace. The "Sunshine/Grumpy" dynamic adds a delightful touch, making the characters' interactions both endearing and humorous. The magic system, intricately tied to honey and bees, is a stroke of brilliance. It's both imaginative and grounded, giving the story a unique and memorable flavor. The exploration of the magically realm is beautifully depicted, making the book truly stand out. I devoured this book within a 24-hour period; I simply couldn't put it down. The plot is engaging, and the pacing is impeccable. Each chapter unfolds with a perfect balance of mystery, romance, and a touch of whimsy.

An overall good debut, but the writing style, plot, and character arc weren't for me.

I was expecting a different type of cozy fantasy and got a lot of back-to-back action that made it difficult to keep up with the plot beats. I'm also starting to realize that a lot of these love-cursed witch books kind of follow the same plot arc and make them predictable. I did enjoy the different time periods of this book and that making Marigold a honey witch was unique and added an interesting dynamic to the magic system, however, other than that I was bored for most of the time.

Thank you to the Publishers and Net Galley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, I want to say that I feel like this author has so much potential! I very much so enjoyed her writing style, it was descriptive without being overly so, has a lovely flow, and overall just very digestible. That being said, this story felt a bit half-baked- the concept was so creative and whimsical, but it feels like there was not enough time spent with the main conflict, almost as if the fight with the big bad ash witch was an afterthought. It's interesting because the ash witch is mentioned throughout the story, and yet nothing of note really happens with her until the very end. I found myself wishing for more direct conflict with Versa so we can really get more "scared of" her. I also very much wished we got MORE of Lottie coming into her ash powers! I think it would've been amazing to see Lottie accept herself as an ash witch and work more intensively training with Mari for their final battle. Mari and Lottie's relationship was so sweet, but underdeveloped. I feel like this would really be more of a 3 star read for me, but I want to rate a bit higher because I really enjoyed the cozy atmosphere! As a final note, I HIGHLY appreciated that Sydney did not write this as a "coming out" sapphic romance. Queerness is fully the norm here, as it should always be!
Overall: a sweet story, cozy atmosphere, and a debut author showing tons of promise

This book is so cozy and evokes the loveliest imagery and feelings of warmth, nature, honey, love, and bees. Cottage core vibes for sure. I enjoyed the characters, the magic, and the setting. Sydney also captures loss and trauma beautifully with a strong reminder of feminism in its entirety, specifically recognizing the importance of choice and how that might look different depending on the person. The biggest drawback to the story I think was some issues with pacing, there were times when I think the pacing was too quick, moving in leaps and bounds where it could have unfolded with a little more detail and some elements felt like the could have been fleshed out more. The writing itself was beautiful. Overall so grateful to Sydney and NetGalley for the ARC! What a lovely read to start 2024 with.

First of all, I must thank NetGalley and Redhook Books for the chance to read this ARC!

Let's start with the positives! I was really looking forward to this book ever since I saw the author advertise it on Instagram with the pitch of "Sapphic Howl's Moving Castle", and if you've seen my recent review of Howl's Moving Castle and know me at all, you'd know that's right up my alley haha. Though I am personally not a huge romance fan, occasionally I make exceptions for premises that intrigue me and this did not disappoint. I loved the unique idea and setting. I was really into the background lore of witches in this world and how their magic worked, especially Honey Witch magic, which I just thought was so cool and inventive to be based on the honey bees make. All the relationships were fantastic, romantic, platonic, and familial. My favorite was definitely Lottie and Marigold's relationship. The tension and development were great and I loved the gradual shift from frosty acquaintances to steamy lovers.

I also have to mention that throughout the book I could see the inspiration from Howl's Moving Castle but the story was totally its own thing. As well, I loved the little nod of Lottie sort of taking the role of Sophie, when in the original story (as well as the movie) Sophie had a sister named Lottie. It was a nice Easter egg for fans of both.

Now into the critique. I want to preface that this is a debut from a first-time published author and that will affect my critique as such. One cannot expect a new author to publish a perfectly crafted novel. That said, the writing is a bit amateurish and clumsy at times. The pacing was a bit jarring for me in the first section or so where there is a lot of introduction and exposition. However, the story finds its flow when all that is done with, and the romantic plot starts to develop. This is where the book shines and I could not put it down, at least until the climax where I suddenly decided to put it down and wait a couple more days before finishing the book. I'm honestly not sure why, except that perhaps the writing took me out of the story a little. I still came back and finished it gladly, though!

Overall, I think this is a fantastic debut! I know some people might read this, then look at my rating and critique and go "huh?" However, the mark of a good writer is room for improvement and I see a lot of that in this novel. Like I said, don't expect a first-time debut to be the next Shakespeare, because it never will be. But I can see where Shields has worked hard to develop this story into what it is. She has put so much love and labor into this and credit goes where credit is due. I'm honestly super excited for what she might put out next. I genuinely hope I haven't put anyone off of reading this if you were excited for it like I was. The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields is magical, whimsical, a bit dark at times, romantic, and steamy and a really good read if you enjoy all of the above.

If I could have an entire series on Sydney’s witch magic theory’s ALONE I would devour them! The magic in the book is so unique and different.
If you are looking for a nice romance fantasy read without deep fantasy world building this book is perfect. I stayed up until 3 A.M finishing it and loved every second of it!
Highly recommend preordering so you can’t get your hands on it the second it releases!

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️

Only 4 stars because I wish it had several books of world building to elaborate on the types of witches magic.