A cosy short story following Velina, a runaway from the workhouse as she finds a witch's cottage and seeks shelter and hopefully a future.
I really enjoyed how cosy and low stakes this was, the narrator was perfect for the story (I much prefer english accents for fantasy stories) although it was a bit hard to differentiate between characters at times.

This was the perfect listen between heavier fantasy novels and I can't wait for the next installment.

Thankyou to the author and netgalley for my advanced listener copy!

This was just so cozy—I listened to the whole thing in a single day without even meaning to. It’s got that kind of gentle, comforting energy that sneaks up on you and suddenly you’re deep into it and don’t want to stop.

Velina has spent her life being passed from one workhouse to another, always treated like an outsider because of her silver hair and pointy ears. All she really wants is a normal life. She sets out to find a witch to make that wish come true—but instead stumbles onto an abandoned cottage at the edge of the woods. From there, things slowly start to shift. A noble shows up with a request of his own, the cottage isn’t quite what it seems, and suddenly people keep arriving needing help.

I loved the slow-burn discovery of it all. It’s low stakes but full of heart, and I found myself genuinely caring about every single character. Even the side ones. (Also, there’s a cat. So, obviously I was going to love that.)

The narration by Deborah Balm was perfect—just the right tone for a story like this. Soft and steady and exactly what I needed.

There’s a fair amount of world-building in this one, since it’s the first in a series, but I didn’t mind that at all. It felt like settling into a new place you know you’re going to want to come back to. It was also a really nice break from some of the heavier fantasy I’ve been reading lately—just a total breath of fresh air.

If you’re into:
✨ cottagecore vibes
🐈‍⬛ magical cats
🌿 found family
📖 cozy fantasy
🕯️ and stories about figuring out who you are and where you belong

Then this one’s for you.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Tourmaline & Quartz Publishing, and Liz Delton for the ALC! I’m already looking forward to book two.

A short story, this is a cute, cosy little escape. The tale follows Valina, who escapes a grim workhouse, and Will, a prince trying to dodge an arranged marriage, as their paths cross in a world of gentle magic and woodland charm. It’s a relaxing, comforting read with a quaint, old-fashioned feel—perfect for a rainy afternoon or when you want something soothing, whimsical and uncomplicated. Sweet and a little twee, this is one for fans of soft fantasy, charming witches, and gentle stories with just enough sparkle to keep things interesting

3.5 rounded up.

Such a cute quick cozy cottage read
Definitely magical time the audiobook is a little under four hours such a fun lighthearted book. The narrating is also very very well done I know points did it seem too slow. It was a very good pace honestly, just a good time at all would highly recommend

This is the perfect cozy book if you’re in the mood for something short and whimsical. Especially in audiobook format this felt like I was being read a modern fairytale centered around a witch’s origin story. The narrator was fantastic at portraying the warm feeling that this book gives off! The characters and general premise of the witch’s cottage put a smile on my face.

I generally prefer books with more in depth plots or higher stakes. However, I gravitate towards stories like this when I’ve just finished a darker book or a longer series and need a palette cleanser.

My only complaint is that the pacing felt a little awkward. It’s separated into 3 acts, but it felt more like 3 distinct short stories so there isn’t a major plot that spans across the entire book. However, if you have the expectation of 3 short stories going into it then I think it flows nicely!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book for me to read!

Are you looking for cozy? Because this is delightfully cozy.

Velina has escaped from the workhouse in a desperate attempt to find the witch at the edge of the wood. When she finds the witch's cottage abandoned, she quickly realizes that the magic is in the cottage and that she may have to play the role of the witch. Filled with friendship and discovery, this novella is a short and sweet chance to disappear into another land.

This book is a great fit for those who love cozy fantasies. While there are tough topics, namely the workhouse and the abuse that is suffered there, overall, there is a very upbeat tone to the entire book. I look forward to future stories in the series.

The narrator is fantastic and is able to suck the listener right into the story.

Thank you to Net Galley and Tourmaline & Quartz Publishing for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Cozy and pleasant story about a young woman who wants to change her life. After spending years in workhouses, Velina trades her last meal for a map to a witch's cottage. When she gets there, it's empty. Before long, there's a knock on the door with someone else looking for a witch.

Even though Velina had faced hardship in her life, the story was fairly low stakes. It's her relationships with the side characters that made this story charming. Velina had lessons to learn about trust, friendship, and striving for what she truly wanted.

The audiobook was well done. I would have liked a little more struggle, but still worked as a stress reliever. Recommended if you want a lovely fantasy story.

This was a wonderful cozy read. The narration was perfect and leant the book just the right level of whimsy and coziness. The story was unique and kept me interested. Definitely a great short read.

The Witch At The Edge Of The Wood was a pleasingly cozy fantasy. It reinvents the idea of the old witch in her cottage. This is book one in a series, so we had a good bit of world building. I look forward to seeing how the series grows. If you enjoy cozy cottagecore vibes and found family this would be for you. I listened to the audiobook book and our narrator was very talented. In just around 4 hours it was a shorter listen but the story was fully developed. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was perhaps the cutest, low stakes cozy cottagecore fantasy I have ever read/listened to. When I saw that it was narrated by Deborah Balm, I was completely sold and knew this book was going to be fantastic.

Escaping from the workhouse where she was enslaved, Velina is in search of a better life herself. And she hopes the Witch who lives at the edge of the wood might be able to grant her just that.

However, when she finally arrives, Velina finds the whimsical cottage abandoned and no witch in sight. Exhausted, she decides to rest for a bit before moving on.

But when a young man comes knocking on the cottage door and mistakes her for the witch, Velina quickly decides not to correct the man and help him. How long will she be able to keep up this charade? Will the witch return one day? And can Velina outrun the prejudices of her old life for good?

I started listening to this audiobook a few nights ago, thinking I would listen to just a few chapters and then head off to bed. So, tell me why I stayed up until 1 am to finish this novella? It was absolutely flawless.💕

Balm does a masterful job of setting the scene and tone of this short and sweet read. I couldn't help but care about every character, and I loved all of them to say the least.

Delton's writing style is also beautifully crafted. This was a very fast paced narrative, but it felt perfect for this story. And the world building was absolutely divine. It felt as if I was inside a D&D campaign alongside the characters.

But most of all, I love the whimsical atmosphere of this book. It was a beautiful palate cleanser for all the more serious fantasies I've been reading of late. It was such a joy to read. I'm definitely all in for the second book. 🫶🏻

If you love fun, cozy fantasies with lovable characters, magical houses, cat companions, and journeys about self-discovery, then this is the perfect book/audiobook for you. 5⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Tourmaline & Quartz Publishing, and Liz Delton for sending an eARC for an honest review.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

After escaping the workhouse, Velina is on the hunt for the witch whose cottage lies at the edge of the wood. Once she stumbles across it and finds an empty cottage, she feels like her luck has run out, until a knock sounds at the door. Velina, now pretending to be the witch in order to make enough money to go on the run, claims she can help the man at the door. But there's something about the noble that makes her want to help, and so she goes about trying to figure out how she can help. But as she begins to notice there's something a little strange about the cottage, she realizes she can use it to actually help people. Living in the cottage, helping others, Velina will have to decide how she can also help herself, and maybe all that she really needs has already found her.

This is a super cozy, super fast-paced novella about a girl with pointed ears and silver hair discovering that she can, in fact, use magic. There's no true major conflict, but the few moments where it seems like we're about to get into something deep everything seems to resolve itself pretty fast. I had a lot of questions while reading about her background and a few of the characters, and I felt like 90% of them at least were answered. I like the characters a lot, especially Velina as she begins to learn about herself and what makes her happy and the fact that she went from someone with zero friends to someone with quite a bit. I love this idea that the cottage itself is magic and just disappears and reappears places. I felt very much like a cheery, happy-go-lucky Baba Yaga and her magic house minus the chicken legs and eating people part. I also like the fact that while she starts off with knowing very little, she's open to learning and then she does the most unselfish thing by taking that new knowledge and actually helping people and I thought it was very sweet. I'm excited to see future books in this series.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

Our FMC is a fae orphan who has only known a life of hard labor and prejudice. So, she wants a better life. Having traded her last meal for a map to a witch’s cottage, she flees into the forest in hope that a witch can help her get a better life. But – she finds a magical cottage that basically adopts her. When a nobleman seeking to flee a forced marriage, the FMC learns that she is more capable than she ever believed she could be.

The book is written in 3 acts – rather I would categorize it as 3 short stories. I honestly wish there were more. I would read a whole anthology of stories with this character. I am very absorbed now in the sweet, cozy life of this fae lady turned witch. I am eagerly awiating more.

As for the narrator, there could not have been a more perfect person to voice this story. Her youthful tone and emotions lead well in this one.

4.5 stars for a cute little novella. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

The Witch at the Edge of the wood was quite cute, and a fun little novella. This sits just to the left of cozy fantasy for me; there's a couple of tense moments, though nothing you'd find in a longer form novel. I had started to get a little frustrated with the main character after a while --she's incredibly passive, but I do have to say it makes sense within her wider backstory for why she's that way, so I couldn't get too upset. All said, though, there wasn't enough cozy to call it cozy fantasy, but not enough tension and action and plot to not call it that either.

Despite not really knowing how to place this one, though, I did enjoy it and listening to it. I liked it well enough to give it these 4.5 stars, though I'm not sure I'd say this one will stick with me. Enjoyable time all around. I enjoyed listening to the narrator; she has a very nice voice, though I'm not sure I could always tell who was talking right off.

One thing I especially appreciated was the lack of romance in this one --there would not have been the space for it with its short format, and I'm not of the opinion every book needs that.

The Witch At the Edge of the Wood by Liz Delton and narrated by Deborah Balm

I had so much fun listening to this cozy fantasy novella. The main character, Velina, is a young woman who was outcast for her appearance of silver hair and pointy ears and forced to work in various workhouses.
Velina escapes seeking out a witch in the woods for help but instead finds an abandoned, magical cottage.

While there, she is mistaken for the witch, and Velina decides to embrace this new role. With the help of her new cottage, she starts helping others.

Velina is such a relatable character overcoming hardships, starting a new venture and creating new connections. She experiences fear of the unknown, building of trust with others, and building new friendships, as well as becoming self-confident. This book is fast-paced and keeps you hooked in the story, I listened to the whole thing in one sitting as I needed to know what was next in her adventure. Liz Delton did a beautiful job of wrapping up unanswered questions at the end and creating a cozy heartwarming finally. I do wish there was more as the worldbuilding was very well done, and I just wanted more of the characters and the story. I am new to her work, but I am definitely interested in reading more now.

Deborah Balm did a fantastic job with the narration! You really felt the characters' emotions and brought you into the world and the lives of the characters.

This is the coziest of cozy books! Velina not only learns to help herself, but discovers the joy of helping others.

<spoiler> Having the cottage be magical and available to those who need it, is such a cute way to tell the story. Valina finds herself and gains confidence because she becomes the Witch! </spoiler>

Such a cute little fantasy story where the stakes are never so high that they cannot be overcome by cleverness, family is found, and the world is charming. I look forward to more books in this world!

The narration was perfect for this story, I felt like I was cozied up in the cottage with a cup of tea listening to the story unfold.

I received a free copy through NetGalley.

Wonderful cozy listen!

This was short and sweet novella. Absolutely gave similar vibes to Legends and Lattes which I appreciated. I hate picking up a book that has been compared to another and it is not similar at all. This novella absolutely lived up to the comparison. I wouldn't say this was as close to Howl's Moving Castle beyond the witches' cottage being able to travel locations by intention. I loved following Velina journey to becoming the witch at the edge of the wood.

The narrator perfectly set the tone and enhanced the cozy vibes with her calming voice. I really enjoyed this quick listen and hope there is more novellas to come in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sending me the audiobook arc for review.

This was a super cute, cosy read. I loved the magical transporting cottage, the host of quirky characters and the beautiful settings. A lovely little read!

This was adorably cozy and everything I was looking for - the main character was loveable and well developed, and despite the story being short I fell in love with all of the characters, I'm excited to see what happens next

This was so cosy and easy to listen to, I had so much fun and loved the narrator.

It felt so well rounded because the fmc starts off with nothing and nobody but because of how beautiful her personality is, she earns herself some found family. I love that she was pretty much rewarded for being a good person, rather than being dumped on for the whole book.

The narrator did such a good job with this one, bring Velina to life in the perfect way ❤️

The Witch at the Edge of the Wood is a sweet, peaceful story that fully embraces the “cozy fantasy” label. It’s a very short audiobook with a comforting, low-stakes plot, kind-hearted characters, and a happy ending. Everything about it is designed to soothe—and in that sense, it delivers exactly what it promises.

Personally, I tend to read longer and more intense fantasy stories, so this wasn’t fully my style. Still, I appreciate what the book set out to do. The gentle pace and the feel-good atmosphere make it a great pick for anyone looking to take a break from darker or more dramatic reads.

I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy quiet, uplifting tales or need something light and wholesome between heavier books. Especially ideal if you don’t have much reading time but still want a complete and cozy experience.