I loved Sangu Mandanna's previous novel, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, and was worried that I wouldn't love this as much! But - I did love it! Hugely entertaining, great characters, lots of found family and as much as it's also a romance, that isn't the root of the story. If you want a magical magic-based book, this is for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my eARC!

This was a lovely sequel to follow up the first book. This was a true cozy romance that gave all the fall vibes. Overall, I think the first book will still remain my favorite, but excited to read more by the author.

I am such a huge fan of Mandanna's writing. It is whimsical, cozy, and witty and makes you feel like you're truly transported into the setting. She crafts characters that are both lovable and flawed and gives them a love that is so pure and earnest and full of yearning.
Sera and Luke's dynamic was so well done. I loved how they helped heal one another's insecurities and hurts while also pushing the other to help themselves too.
This cast of characters was so fun and I think I may even like this one better than Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches!
Thank you Berkley Publishing, Sangu Mandanna, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for this eARC! I always appreciate the opportunity to read and review ahead of release!

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping was such a highly anticipated release not just for me but for my whole household, and it definitely lived up to expectations. Sangu Mandanna is a so skilled at writing magical cozy stories that still keep you invested, the stakes are just high enough, and she has you rooting for her characters at the very start.

I do still love The Very Secret Society a tad bit more, but both books are going to be reread and treasured as the ideal fall reads in this house. I rated A Witch's Guide 4/5 stars, and I can't wait to reread in witchy fall season!

Sangu Mandanna could teach a master class for writing cozy fantasy. Reading this book felt like being wrapped in a soft blanket with a hot drink after a cold and dreary day. The characters are so wonderful and real; perfectly flawed and lovely that you’re not just rooting for them, you wish you could invite them over for tea and chocolate cake.

I took a while to read this one but I shouldn’t have. It’s adorable and quite sweet. More romance than fantasy and definitely more than is typically my first choice but this book and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches were both delightful. Read this one in one sitting.

Looking for a book with a delightful cast of eccentrics, a witch without magic, and an undead rooster? A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna has all of the above (and more)!
I’m in the delusional “it’s basically fall already” mindset, and anything cozy and witchy helps feed the delusion. The story follows Sera, a very talented witch who used up her magic to bring her aunt back to life when Sera was 15. Now 30, Sera and her aunt have been running a slightly-enchanted inn, and Sera is finally ready to try and get her magic back.
For a book with a heist, magic duels, and life-changing curses, it was so sweet, funny, and cozy that I barely registered the danger! I loved the dynamic between Sera and Luke, two absolute sass queens with the driest sense of humor, but it was the secondary characters that made the book for me. I adored Nicholas, the Renn Faire knight who takes his job too seriously; Matilda, the sardonic grump and secret romantic; Clemmie, the witch-turned-fox; and the rest of the inn’s many inhabitants. Add in the charm of a historical inn, and you have me fully obsessed.
If any of this book's wildly specific traits caught your eye, you should definitely give it a shot! I’d also recommend it if you, like me, are actively pushing your life into fall and want a cozy, witchy book to help!
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Sera Swan, surrounded by a crew of loveable weirdos, fights to reclaim her stolen magic - all while running an inn, falling in love, and holding her found family together.

I loved this book. It was an easy read, but it was oh so fun, sweet, and cozy. I'd love to spend a night (or forever) at the Batty Hole in with Sera, Theo, Jasmine, Matilda, Nicholas, Luke and Posy. Oh, and Roo-Roo, the reanimated rooster skeleton. This was just what I needed to lighten up the reading list and warm my heart.

DELIGHTFUL, cozy, quirky, warm, beautiful, tender. an absolute gem.

i LOVED sangu's first book and had high hopes that this one (a standalone!) would be just as enjoyable, and IT WAS. to have two such unique, lovely reads back to back is a feat for any author and i'm truly so so glad these were both such winners. i both wanted to fly through it and completely savor it, and so many lines stopped me in my tracks with their depth and richness. it had me tearing up and feeling like my heart was going to melt into a total puddle!

such a gem, such a joy, an absolute gift.

I loved this book so much! It had magic, talking foxes, and wonderful autism representation. The cozy, whimsical atmosphere was exactly what I needed right now, especially when the world feels so heavy. Heartwarming and magical in all the best ways. Sangu Mandanna blends whimsical fantasy with heartfelt themes, creating a world full of charm, warmth, and just the right dash of mischief. Between the magic-infused inn, the enchanting talking foxes, and the gentle humor, I felt completely transported. The autism representation was especially well done—thoughtful, authentic, and woven naturally into the story without feeling forced.

The characters are the heart of this book. Every interaction felt alive, whether it was a moment of banter or a quiet scene of connection. The inn itself almost became a characterm, one I wanted to visit, with all its magical quirks and comforts. The pacing is steady and soothing, perfect for readers looking for a low-stakes fantasy that still offers emotional depth

I found that I couldn’t connect to this book for some reason. Maybe I’m not fully into the cozy fantasy aspect of it, because I do wish more happened. I would definitely recommend this to someone who enjoys this kind of book. However, the plot for me was pretty forgettable, but there were parts I enjoyed.

I didn’t love the villain, and he didn’t bring much to the plot. I enjoyed her plot of getting her magic back, and learning herself without the powers she had. I couldn’t really connect to the love interest and their love. Most of the characters fell flat for me.

I think I was just bored most of the time, and found myself straying to other books during reading this. However, I absolutely loved the setting and how she painted the picture of the inn and the spell that she created to make it such a utopia. I enjoyed reading the moments that were spent talking about their environment.

4⭐️

what a cozy, magical, & charming story; i really enjoyed reading this and it definitely has me longing for fall time!

sera was once the most powerful witch, fifteen years prior. but when she brings back her aunt jasmine, who is also the owner of the inn, she loses nearly all of her magic. with all of the chaos of handling the inn, she finds herself in quite the situation when the guild comes after her for befriending another witch-turned-fox, clementine. clemmie and theo try and steal a book in order for sera to get her magic back, except their plan failed. then we have luke, who brings his younger sister posy to shelter her at the inn because of her magic - it turns out that luke actually knew sera from school fifteen years ago.

this book definitely had the sweet found-family aspect and i absolutely adore that! it was cozy and fun to read about all of the other side characters. i also really enjoyed the queer and disability representation, it's always so refreshing when those aspects can be woven into the story so seamlessly. this book really tugs at your heartstrings and honestly, gives you the warmest feelings.

thank you so much to berkley for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC.

One of the most adorable and well crafted narratives I have had the pleasure of experiencing. A feel-good-novel, perfect for chilly evenings, curled up with a warm beverage.

Magical kitchens, cozy cottages, young witches with the weight of a world on their shoulders- is a new brand of trope I happily search out. This is one of the best examples of that trope.

The characters are lively, entertaining, and entirely unique to one another. This story has so many lovable citizens to root for.

While it is certainly not an action packed epic, nor an overly passionate love story, it's sweet touches of romance with a smooth, confident climax leave very little to be desired.

I was entranced immediately and look forward to anything else Sangu Mandanna has in store.

Thanks to Berkley for the gifted copy!

I love Sangu's writing - both her adult and middle grade fiction - and that I can depend on it for such a cute read every time. I love witchy reads, and Sangu provides such a cozy and sweet ones with great diverse representation. MAGICAL INNKEEPING's enchanted inn location made for just the best setup, I love a found family trope, and I love grumpy characters. This is the perfect fall read and I'm excited to dive back into it again for Witch Week!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🧙🏻‍♀️ ✨ magic ✨
🧙🏻‍♀️ witchy reads 🩷💜🩷💜🩷💜
🧙🏻‍♀️ FALL 🍃🍂🍁
🧙🏻‍♀️ cozy fantasy
🧙🏻‍♀️ talking animal sidekick
🧙🏻‍♀️ found family
🧙🏻‍♀️ grump vs. sunshine
🧙🏻‍♀️ single POV
🧙🏻‍♀️ 3rd person POV
🧙🏻‍♀️ single timeline

I have been waiting for this book for over a year!!! Since I absolutely loved Sangu Mandanna’s first witchy release way too long ago 🤪🤪 As expected, I loved this one just as much as I did the first!!
This is a very fall vibes book! I absolutely loved all the fall scenery and descriptions, and obviously the 👻 ghosts 👻. I really love when the author does such a good job describing the scene that I can actually picture it in my head 🩷🩷 This was a perfect first fall read of the year. 🍁🍃🍂
There was no slow burn here!! I loved this book right from the very beginning, where the action started right away.
I really enjoyed the little illustrations at the top of every chapter. It made me smile every time I saw one 🙃
I love an animal sidekick!!! And of course with witches you need a TALKING animal sidekick 🩷🩷 I love Clemmie!
I just recently learned about the “cozy fantasy” genre, and I can definitely say I’m a huge fan!! A little ✨ magic ✨, a lot of good vibes and just a bit of romance 🩷🩷 I really, really enjoyed this book and it was a lovely escape from the real world.
Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing and Sangu Mandanna for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 💕💕

💖 Bookish Thoughts
This is the perfect fall cozy fantasy read. It is whimsy, magical, and I was completely sold on the enchanted inn from the start.

I absolutely loved our FMC Sera! She is a grumpy girlie, but honestly… fair!! She lost most of her magic after bringing back her dead great aunt when she was a teen, and it shaped the next 15 years of her life. She has always felt that absence and kept searching for something to fill it. When she gets the chance to regain her magic, she is all in.

The side characters were wonderful, and I loved the overall found family theme. The romance is a very slow burn, but I enjoyed it. The ending was a bit bittersweet, and I am still not sure how I feel about it. That said, the writing and the audiobook narration were amazing. My final rating is 4.75.

🏡 What to Expect
• Witchy FMC
• Historian MMC
• Grumpy x grumpy
• Talking fox
• Enchanted inn
• Found family
• Second chances
• Slow burn romance
______

🎧 Audio Score: 5
🎙 Narration Style: Solo
📅 Pub Date: July 15, 2025
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping has been one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far! It blended a lot of elements that I just can't resist in a book: an amazing found family which was a blend of the most quirky characters you could find, laugh-out-loud humour and banter, grumpy MCs, slow burn with delicious tension, and a lot of drama.

If you love witches, magic, and stories with a diverse cast, then. I highly suggest picking this book up! You'll laugh, gasp, cry, and wish you could read it for the first time again and again!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC!

Once, Sera Swan was an immensely powerful young witch, getting training and education to likely eventually become the most important witch in England. But after performing a forbidden spell to bring her beloved great-aunt back from the dead, she's not only exiled from the witches' group, but loses almost all her magic in the process.

This follow-up to another delightful cozy fantasy romance is just as delightful and cozy - while still coping with having lost such a huge part of herself, Sera has created a family and home she adores in her magically enhanced inn. Over the years, they've taken in a number of people who don't belong anywhere else, and eventually, that includes Luke and his struggling witch sister. Luke's hesitance. Soon, the whole inn becomes involved in a plan to restore Sera's magic.

This book is such a delight, and manages to balance its coziness with suspense and mourning for what Sera's lost. I'm so happy this series exists, and I can't wait to see what Mandanna does next.

Sangu Mandanna's writing is so lovely and relatable. I absolutely loved The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, and this book was just as enjoyable. The characters are quirky, hilarious, and endearing; and the love story is very sweet. As a neurodivergent person, I appreciated her depiction of neurodivergent characters, and I thought it was done quite well. Additionally, Mandanna writes about difficult and serious topics in such a gentle way and with such tenderness, and she tells stories of healing that are incredibly relatable. I didn't necessarily love the ending, but that doesn't really affect my overall opinion of the book. It's just something I'm going to think about for a while. This was a warm, funny, and hopeful read, and I think people who liked Society of Irregular Witches will also enjoy this one!

I loved the other witchy book by this author a couple of years ago and was anxiously awaiting this one which did NOT disappoint!! I don't always read witchy books in the summer but I was so excited to get an early copy of this one and the cover does lend itself a bit more to summer than fall anyway :)

This book was so fun and easy to sink into. It was the perfect addition to my July reading life that's been a bit iffy this year due to busy summer commitments and a new job. It was basically everything I love in a witchy book and emanated many of my feelings I had when reading The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by this author: a witch (Sera) who is a bit of an outcast has a cast of marvellous found family surrounding her and the plot picks up from there. I couldn't stop reading because I really wanted Sarah to be able to restore her magic and I wanted good to conquer evil! The Inn as almost a character was delightful.

This one tugged at the heartstrings for me - I loved how much kindness exuded from the main characters and the parallels to accepting others regardless of their backgrounds or abilities felt profound to me. The whole book and the cast of characters felt a bit like a hug ❤️🏠🪄

And, of course, I loved the ending too. 🥰 I recommend this one for sure, especially if you enjoyed her other recent book!! This one was worth the wait! (I think it was postponed once or twice).