2.5 rounded up. As much as I’d like to say to the contrary, this book really didn’t work for me. While it’s suggested for fans of The Crescent Moon Tearoom, I’d disagree. This book is much darker, with much higher stakes, and also full of far less loveable characters. I did enjoy the dual timelines and the sentient bookstore, but unfortunately, almost everything else fell flat for me – the characterization of the house, the hyperfocus on the actual witchcraft (and sometimes lacking logical structure to it), the underwhelming characters, and the unrelenting heaviness of the themes. If you’re looking for a (mostly) sapphic romance that really dwells on finding freedom from abusive family and generational trauma, this may be a great pick; if you’re looking for a cozy witchy story (such as The Crescent Moon Tearoom or The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches), this is not the book for you. Readers also better be a serious fan of candles and crystals, because both are discussed with unrelenting frequency. Maybe my expectations were off-base going in, maybe it just wasn’t a good pairing for me, either way, I wasn’t sad to reach the end of this one.

CW: parent loss (on page), abusive parent, two fairly spicy kiss scenes, contextual homophobia, two deaths depicted.
Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

could not put this book down, and finished it in a day. i love all the characters so much (though Florence is a personal fave). Each one has their own interesting personality, opinions, and flaws - i was excited no matter who’s POV i was reading. The story itself was mysterious and kept me yearning to know more about the curse and what they were going to do about it. i don’t want to give too much information because i don’t want to spoil anything - but it’s definitely one of the best books i’ve read this year (and honestly last year, too)

I didn’t care for this book. The characters fell flat for me. I liked the premise but not the execution. I’m sorry.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC! I think it is a nice fall read and the plot is interesting, but I had trouble connecting with any of the characters, which drew me a bit out of the story. I enjoy it is a strong female-led story with sapphic romance, but I couldn’t connect to any characters or relationships. I wish there had been more development in that aspect.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me an ARC.

First off, the premise of this book was absolutely fantastic! The prose was great, the writing was really well done, and it was intriguing from the very first chapter. I really liked the format of the chapters/parts with the tarot references, this was such a cool idea, and it really added a lot to the book. I also really liked the mixture of present and past chapters, it made the narrative unfold in a really organic way, and helped introduce context and backstory.

Unfortunately, I really struggled to connect to the characters. For some reason, I just couldn't get myself invested in them and their stories. It's a shame because the book is very solid and I'm sure others would absolutely love the characters, but I just couldn't connect to them.

I also really loved the inclusion of queer characters!

I'll definitely be looking out for other titles from the author in the future because I really like their style of writing, and the format of the book was fantastic!

After reading and loving In the Shadow Garden, it seems like I've been waiting forever for another Liz Parker book. So, you can imagine my delight when this new novel became available for request. And it did not disappoint! Witches of Honeysuckle House is an emotionally captivating tale with the perfect blend of magic, mystery, and romance. A story that follows two sisters on their journey through generations of trauma while they attempt to break the curse that comes back to threaten their family every thirteen years. Witchy magic, tarot, an enchanted house, a magical bookshop...even a conjured kitten. This book had it all! The storyline was quite interesting and suspenseful. Not knowing what was going to happen as well as what happened in the past was a mystery that I dreaded, and it slowly unraveled with the passing of each page. I grew to love these characters and did not want to see any of them come to harm. Especially the house! I absolutely adored the house and loved that it was a character with its own POV. I also liked that the author used journal entries to tell the story of the past. One of which even had my name. So cool! I really enjoyed this book. It was a beautiful tale filled with hope, love, and the power of magic. There was even a little twist thrown in that I didn't expect. If you're a fan of magical mysteries, this book is for you! I highly recommend!

Thank you to Alcove Press for granting me digital access via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!