Thank you to NetGalley, Sangu Mandanna and Berkley for the E-ARC!

This is a quintessential cozy fantasy that I think fans of the genre should run to read. This is my first Sangu Mandanna book and it most certainly won't be the last. The way she writes is magical, there wasn't a moment when I was reading where I didn't feel connected to the story and its characters. This a story that presents peoples highs and lows, showing that sometimes it's hard to get out of your own head, out of your own despair, even when surrounded by so much love. Found-family, romance, a talking fox and an undead rooster, there is so much to this story and so many reasons to love it.

This novel is like wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket while sipping coffee, reading your favorite book, and watching autumn rain softly come down out your window. It's absolutely magical, and the coziest of the cozy fantasy trend. I loved The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, which is why I was looking forward to this one. It delivered in every way and exceeded my expectations. Seeing a fantasy book with positive ASD representation was wonderful. The characters were believable and charming, and I would watch 5 seasons of a comfort television adaptation with pleasure. I cannot rave enough about how heartwarming and funny this book was! A must-read for fans of the genre, or Mandanna's previous books.

This was a very cozy and whimsical paranormal romance that was cute though it didn’t always hold my attention. I liked the main characters and the struggles they were both going through in a world that wanted them to hide their magic. I liked the diverse cast of characters, found family aspect and the slow burn was cute even though it was very slow. I wish there had been more in the romance and relationship aspect but overall an okay read. Thanks to Berkley for this arc!

This was such a fantastic read. I asked Sera and Luke as well as the various side characters. Quirky, fun, heartfelt, and full of humor.

Sometimes you're in the mood for a cozy, whimsical novel that will help you escape from the daily grind. This book was exactly what I needed when I picked it up. It has unique and quirky characters and will keep you turning pages. I can't wait for Sangu Mandanna's next cozy fantasy!

I'm so pleased to let you all know that Sangu Mandanna is not a one hit wonder. "A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping" is well worth the wait. A found family story with a quirky inn and filled with loveable characters, you won't want to put this one down. The side characters are where it is at in this book, including a 20 year old renaissance faire knight, a resurrected chicken, and a witch cursed in the form of a fox. Full of so much heart! I loved every moment.

Just a witch who has lost her magic living with her skeleton rooster, resurrected aunt, cursed fox, 20-something year old cosplaying knight, two magical children & a grumpy historian.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱:

♥️ The found family - what a unique cast of characters! Everyone was so fun with such eccletcic personalities, but they came together as the most amazing found family.

♥️Laugh out loud funny - with all the quirky characters there is no way you aren’t going to be laughing! This book was light, fun & had me choking on my coffee a few times.

♥️Magical Inn - has Encanto forever made me love sentient houses? Yes, yes it has. I absolutely LOVED the magical inn & how it was created & what it represented. Such a sweet touch.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:

🖤The ending - I can see what the author was trying to do, & it’s not that I hated it, but also I did kind of hate it? I go back & forth with it, but overall it left me with a slight disappointed feeling.

The whole “you don’t need magic” to be special thing was basically shoved down my throat the entire book, & while I understood it, it’s also a book about magic?? So I just didn’t like it.

Overall this is a super cozy fantasy with the most perfect found family and slow burn romance.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
✨cozy fantasy
✨witch who lost her magic
✨cold MC with a heart of gold
✨found family
✨slow burn

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

“This is the life I wanted. This life of contentment and unexpected excitement, of little everyday joys, where I don’t just get to be myself but also get to be embraced as myself. It’s miraculous.”

Sangu Mandanna has such a way of writing trauma that it feels like a gentle peeling back of layers in order to heal the hurts caused by the world. There is a romantic story, but what really takes center stage is this wonderfully weird inn, its quirky-in-a-lovable-way inhabitants, and the journey its proprietor must go on to truly embrace herself.

There is whimsy, there are delightfully touching moments, there are shenanigans aplenty… but there are also quiet moments of reflection that focus on abandonment, lack of acceptance, and feelings of displacement or not fitting into the mold others have cast. Mandanna explores prejudice and intolerance through an intersectional lens that looks at race/ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, class, and a variety of other parts of one’s identity. But she does it in such a gentle way that the journey is beautiful in a melancholic sort of way.

You might enjoy this book if you like:

✨ Prickly main characters with a heart of gold.
✨ A cast of quirky and delightful side characters.
✨ Found family, found family, found family.
✨ Whimsical writing that also has depth.
✨ Cozy fantasy with gentle humor and reflection.

Thanks so much to Berkley and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Plot: This is a cozy wholesome book about a witch who gets a second chance to have magical powers and life on track. Sera used to be a powerful witch, but was exiled from her guild. She has to help her aunt run an enchanted inn while she figures out what her future looks like. Luke the handsome magical historian arrives at the Inn, with his sister Posy. The inn and residents staying slowly help this stern man dethaw; and he warms to their charm and hospitality.

Positives The cover is amazing, it’s cute, whimsical and eye-catching. The characters are wonderfully done, we really get to know them and become attached. All the scenery really makes you feel like you’re there and adds to the magic of the book. This book truly warms your heart and is a great addition to a cozy day at home. Wonderful world-building and settings.
So many tropes that people love: Found family, second-chance, redemption arc, enemies to lovers. This will be a big hit for fantasy lovers!

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another fantastic witchy & cozy fantasy by Sangu Mandanna.
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Perhaps set in the same universe as Mandanna’s previous novel, this one is about a witch stripped of most of her powers and resorting to running a magical inn. As sweet & cozy as it is fun & exciting, this novel keeps you hooked with both the magical world and the plot line of Sera trying to get her powers back.

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A wonderful ensemble one would want and expect from a novel like this. Though perhaps one too many characters, each one pops off the page in silly, interesting, and dynamic ways. Nicholas and Clemmie are hilarious, and my heart goes out to Posy and Theo. The villains are the right level of spice, and the leads are engaging enough to propel the story forward.

Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I commend the picturesque British seaside setting, the quirky descriptions of places and people, and the detailed magical universe that manages to be inspiring yet comprehensible. The themes are simple yet valuable, and the dialogue has moments if absolute brilliance.

Recommended to fans of A Very Secret Society of Witches.

what an absolute DELIGHT

This book is cozy & filled with so much heart. a magical inn. a quirky sound family. a zombie chicken. a dash of magic.

heartwarming & sweet & perfect

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the advance galley! This was a joy to read - seeing how Sera evolves over the course of the book was so inspirational. It was a fun cast of characters that supported and loved each other wholey. Definitely one of my more emotional reads, I loved it so much. I look forward to the next witchy book from Mandanna.

A spellbinding tale of loss, love, and found family, this story follows Sera, a once-mighty witch who sacrifices her magic to save her great-aunt. Now an innkeeper at a mystical refuge, Sera’s chance to reclaim her power draws a charming historian, Luke, and his sweet sister into her orbit. Together, they unravel a spell that might restore her strength. What truly stole my heart was the inn’s magical family—a delightfully diverse and authentic crew that makes this book shine. Funny, tender, and unforgettable. Roo-Roo, you absolute star!

This book was so cozy and magical! It has family, romance, humor and the absolutely most perfect atmosphere. A great Fall read. Or anytime read really! I love this author and will forever be invested!!!

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for the ARC of this book. The follow up to The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches will definitely not let Sangu Mandanna's fans down. Slipping into this cozy, magical world is like, well, like spending a few days at a beautiful B and B in the English countryside with wonderful new friends.

Sera Swan runs into trouble as a young witch and ends up losing almost all her magic. The man meant to be her mentor banishes her from the magical society, including access to the book containing the spell that would help her get her magic back. Although his jealous, power hungry behavior threatens so many others in the magic community, it isn't until Sera's chosen family decides to take a few risks that she starts to realize how much she had even without her magic at full power.

The charming and quirky characters, the inclusiveness and acceptance, the wonderful world Sera has created at her inn is all backdrop to a lovely romance (or two) and a journey of self discovery that many will relate to - magical or not. This is a world I look forward to visiting again!

"A whimsical and heartwarming novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers - and her life - back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Jasmine run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power...

Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and just might know how to unlock the spell's secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn't have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she's made might be the best magic of all."

Here for ANY book with a talking fox.

This is the first book I've read by Sangu Mandanna and I adored it! I can't wait to read her previous book. I loved all of the characters especially all the house guests and their found family but Roo Roo was probably my most favorite just causing chaos. It was a great world to visit and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Sera Swan was one of the most powerful witches until she resurrected her great aunt Jasmine and lost almost all of her power and was exiled rooster or Matilda and her wanting a goat, a 23 year old knight, a fox, and her energetic nephew. When Sera finds a spell to restore her power she needs a little help and then Luke a magical historian shows up at the inn with his sister in tow might be just what she needs to figure it out along side her found family.

4.5/5. I have been waiting for this book for 2 years, and I'm very happy to say it was exactly what I wanted! The absolute definition of cozy, this was sweet, tender, and full of so much heart. This felt very low stakes, but I adored the plot. I know this book took a long time to publish and was pushed out, but assuming some of that time was just being in editing, and I felt like that time was well spent. This felt like a very tight, well paced story.

Sera was such a great character, and I adored the romance as well. The full cast of characters was just so lovable, and I would have stayed in this story even longer if I could have.

I hope Sangu Mandanna never stops writing these sweet, cozy witchy books. If she writes a million of them, I will read them!

Loved this story so much! The whole book just wraps you up like a warm hug! I love the way everyone who is magical, experiences how their magic feels so differently from one another! I love Sera as a "grumpy gargoyle", a strong, sassy, independent woman who has struggled with her mental health. And all the supporting characters are just so eccentric, eclectic, and just plain lovely. Thank you, Netgalley, for letting me read this ARC, but now I have to wait to add it to my cllollection!

I didn't loooove the ending, but I'd still wholeheartedly recommend this book.

When young Sera Swan finds her aunt and guardian dead in their garden, she ignores magical law to resurrect her. It's a powerful spell, and it uses up all of Sera's magic, leaving one of the most powerful witches in the world with practically no magic and banished from the magical community.

Years later, Sera still hasn't recovered her magic, so she helps run a magical inn with her (resurrected) aunt. Without her magic to help, she works hard to keep the inn from falling apart and handles the unusual inn guests, including a former witch now in fox form. But, Sera hasn't fully lost faith that she can restore her magic and when an unexpected, slightly grumpy, more than slightly attractive guest arrives, Sera might just find a way.

I really love a cottage witch vibe sort of book, but they're often a little too... happy for me. Everything just (magically) works out, everyone gets along with each other, and everyone is super progressive/accepting. I find those books so cozy and wonderful, yet sometimes I'm a liiiiiittle bored by them/want to roll my eyes at the perfection of it all.

I thought this book was going to be very cottage witch vibes, and it was, but it felt more realistic to me. Other than the ending, I found this a pretty quick read that was both hopeful and heartwarming but with a mix of grit.