
Member Reviews

Mandanna just understands the vibes of a cozy witch book. She gets the way it should make us feel and she drowns us in that feeling. This made was so sweet and funny and romantic. I love a “found family” theme and this book dished that out in buckets. Can’t believe this didn’t even come out yet because I’m already anxiously awaiting her next book.

This book was so cozy and enchanting! I found myself giggling and cackling with delight while reading the couple’s interactions. I can’t wait for everyone to fall in love with this found family like I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!

Disappointed in this. I’ve had the hardest time finishing this book. I couldn’t wait to keep reading Irregular Witches. This doesn’t have the same spark. There’s lots to enjoy with the found family and quirky characters. But the romance was really flat and there are just too many societal check marks. Lesbian characters, gay characters, nonbinary kid, immigrants, fear of Christian faith, autistic character. Mandanna does a better job than most incorporating all of these but it’s overkill. It’s not a cozy fantasy if ideologies are constantly being thrown at you. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

"A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping" by Sangu Mandanna is a spellbinding and whimsical journey that immerses readers in a world where magic and hospitality collide. Mandanna’s writing is imaginative and vibrant, painting a rich tapestry of enchanting characters and captivating settings that draw you in from the first page.
The story follows a charming protagonist who navigates the delightful challenges of running a magical inn, filled with quirky guests and unexpected adventures. Mandanna expertly blends humor, heart, and a touch of romance, creating a delightful narrative that is both entertaining and uplifting.
Overall, "A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping" is a captivating read that showcases Sangu Mandanna’s unique storytelling talent. This book is a must-read for fans of cozy fantasy and those looking for a delightful escape into a world of magic. A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

I loved this. This is a perfect Maggie book. It’s cozy, it’s sweet, it’s witchy, it’s romantic. The found family is perfection, the magical inn, the incredible representation in so many different characters also perfection. Roo Roo is going to be top contender for favorite character. I have been waiting to read this book for months and months and it was lovely. I will be buying a copy as soon as it comes out.

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna is a cozy fantasy with a twist of romance and found family.
This is a charming and comfortable read, and I loved the family and friendship relationships. However, I found the first 40% to be quite slow, and didn’t love the ending resolution to Sera’s magic. I don’t think this is Mandanna’s strongest work, but it was still enjoyable.
Thank you, Berkley, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

This was basically a dnf at around 60% for me, but as I am too stubborn to ever not finish a book, I very much skimmed through the dialogue & other parts of the rest of the book. I feel very badly saying this, especially when I really enjoyed the prior book a lot, but I just found that I couldn’t read this book. It had such good & fun bones, but to me there really was no story or chemistry so it just made for a bunch of sweet moments tied together with loose thread. Maybe listening to this would’ve been better? Unsure. I really loved the idea of Sera & Luke!! I really loved the idea of a magical inn!! There was just not enough to keep me in it. Maybe it’s cause I’ve been in a high of all the other new releases that are out, so I’m gonna give it two stars & think maybe someone else will really love this & it’s just me.
Thank you to NetGalley & to Berkley for the eARC!

Your review is delightful! I’ve made a few grammatical and stylistic edits to improve the flow and clarity:
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🪄 *Arc Review: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping* 🪄
Thank you to Berkley for an early copy of *A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping*! I sincerely appreciate it 💗
I’d like to start by saying how much I absolutely adored the first book in this series. It was cozy, fun, and the perfect palate cleanser! The second book follows the same cozy fantasy formula, but this one is a bit more emotional and sentimental.
The book begins with our FMC, Sera Swan, who lost her magic while trying to bring her aunt back to life. As one of the most powerful witches of her generation, this was a pretty big deal. The story then picks up 15 years later, where we see how the loss of her magic has impacted Sera to her core. This definitely brings out all the feels, and Sangu does an amazing job of making you root for Sera and her hodgepodge found family.
Our MMC, Luke Larsen, is a grumpy caretaker to his disabled sister. He’s currently working for a witch while balancing the care of his autistic sister, who also has magical powers. As a reader, you can’t help but relate to and love the dynamic between Luke and Posy.
Overall, I really enjoyed *A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping* and highly recommend it to any fantasy/romance lovers! It’s the perfect mixture of cozy and heartwarming!
Read if you love:
🪄 Cozy fantasy
🪄 Magical inn
🪄 Found family
🪄 Grumpy x grumpy
🪄 Talking animal sidekick
Thank you again to Berkley for the ARC!
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These edits should enhance the flow of your review while preserving your original thoughts!

THIS is my new comfort book! I savored every single second of this I did not want it to end. This had literally everything I love in a cozy fantasy. I absolutely loved our FMC and the inn was full of wholesome and quirky characters— gave me House of the Cerulean Sea and Emily Wilde vibes! AND don’t get me started on our sweet MMC— the most tender slow burn that had be blushing and giggling! I already want to re-read and can’t wait for everyone to read this summer! Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC! :)

I've been waiting for this book for a long time! Its release date kept being pushed. This author has a magical way of writing cozy, feel-good found-family stories and I can't get enough of them! Sera Swan was one of the most powerful witches until she lost the majority of her magic after she cast a forbidden resurrection spell when she was a teenager. Now, as an adult, Sera is trying to find a way to get her full magic back while also keeping the inn she inherited from falling into complete disarray.

5/5
Just a woman and her live chicken skeleton, her friend cursed into the body of a fox, her resurrected aunt, the dungaree wearing aspiring hobbit in love with said aunt, a 20-something cosplaying as a knight, two small children, and a stoic historian. Now that’s a family. Sangu Mandanna’s long awaited, Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is here, and wow what a triumph of a novel it is. Sena Swan, a young witch, depleted her well of magic performing a forbidden resurrection spell on her aunt fifteen years ago. She was subsequently exiled from the Guild and left with nothing to do other than to help run the magical inn that serves wayfaring travelers in need. But one day, she hears of a spell that could restore her magic and just like that, Sena embarks on a quest to reclaim what she lost. The Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is a lovely beacon to the lost, the caregivers who burn themselves out in service to others who deserve to be taken care of and so much more. Mandanna recaptures the magic with her debut. From the eclectic mix of people who make the inn their home, the comforting atmosphere of baked goods and twisted magic—including a guest bedroom that rains apple blossom tea, the ghosts of Sena’s past that wander the house, and the wildflowers blooming in teacups—all of it left me utterly enchanted. The Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping contains the kind of magic only Sangu Mandanna is capable of drumming up and I want nothing more than to remain under its spell.
This review is now on my blog, a longer feature to come closer to publication.

I really enjoyed this novel; the characters felt real, and the well-paced plot kept me engaged from start to finish.

Oh, my heart! Mandanna does it again. This book is absolutely lovely, I wish I could erase my memory just to experience it all over again. It’s funny, brilliantly emotional, and shines so brightly in a sea of books chasing tropes. A true gem.

it's kind of unfair and rude to be like, oh this one doesn't live up to the first one, but... this one doesn't quite live up to the first one. yes, there's a cute cottage, a wacky yet unconditionally loving found family and a cozy romance, but i feel like this one wasn't quite as cozy and swoony as the last one? my expectations were pretty high for this one (i literally could not shut up about the first), so that certainly didn't help.
not sure if i'm overanalyzing, but "the very secret society of irregular witches" is tagged as a romance, whereas this one is simply categorized as fiction. i do feel that is an accurate categorization, though i found myself wishing for more romance in this one. while the main characters get together, it's certainly not the main focus (or even the secondary) of this book.

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping* enchants with its cozy charm, whimsical world-building, and quirky cast. Sera Swan, powerless after forbidden magic, runs an inn with her resurrected aunt and eccentric residents. Themes of found family and resilience shine, bolstered by humor and a slow-burn romance. Though pacing stumbles at times, the warmth and magic make it a delightful escape.

It's a cute cozy story about a witch who loses her powers after saving her aunt's life. She attempts to regain her powers and free another witch that is stuck in the form of a fox, all while being banished from her coven. While attempting all these feats, she runs an inn that only attracts those who need it, and an old acquaintance ends up on her door step.
This is a funny and cozy book about determination, love, and finding the strength to persevere and change in different eras of life. A nice quick read that has a happy ending.

I loved this book from the beginning. I'm a sucker for cozy books and this one did not disappoint. It is a book I have added to my recommendations list, along with The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

This story about found family, second chances, and finding your rightful place in this crazy world was fantastic. It hit me in right in all my feels. It made me cry, laugh, and on several occasions, it made me truly angry. Mandanna creates stories that you can’t help wanting to be a part of. If I came across an inn like this I would never leave. The characters were wonderfully loveable and diverse. I wanted to know more about all of their lives. Between this and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches she has became a must read author for me. I
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

More of a 3.5. I liked this, just as I liked The Secret Society of Irregular Witches. They're sometimes a little too cutsey/corny for my liking but they do scratch an itch every once in a while, such as right now when I'm sad all the time. I like the themes I just wish they were a little less on-the-nose and I also wanted more development of the romance. I loved the autistic rep in this one, with one character who is explicitly autistic and two others who are heavily implied to be (in my opinion), and this showed the spectrum of autism really well.

This is such a beautiful book. This book has everything that a perfect cozy fantasy needs. I loved the found family. The characters came right off the page and made me fall in love with them.