The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island is a wonderfully hopeful book for anyone who feels a little stuck and out of place.
Paloma is a witch in her late twenties who has been pouring her heart and soul into her magical research ever since she left her home island 10 years ago. When she suddenly can’t reach her witch’s flame anymore, she makes the hard decision to go back to the island and start from the ground up.
In doing so, she gets to know herself and wonderful people who are more than willing to support her in her journey back to herself.
Paloma is so relatable in such a comforting way. Even though she is very flawed, she and her entourage work through it because nobody’s expected to be perfect, especially when going through life-changing events.
Ruiz’s writing is easy and pleasant to read, and even though it wasn’t the most complex writing or storytelling, the story felt whole.
Definitely would recommend as a quick and cosy read!

This is the cosy queer fantasy book I’ve been looking for and I hope there will be more misfit witches books!
As a queer person there has been times in my life where I’m not sure where I fit in to this world and VK Ruiz used magic and queerness to tell that story through this book. There is a beautiful mixture of friendships, family and romantic relationships which has been wonderful to read, There were many parts of this story that resonated with me, including the part that has always wished that I had magical powers!
I will definitely recommend this book to cosy fantasy fans and how to see a sequel soon.

This was such a beautiful comforting book! I absolutely loved all the charecters and the romance is so sweet! I loved seeing our main charecter grow and start to come to terms with her grief! I loved seeing all the representation aswell I felt it was very well done. The cat and raccoon are such fun additions to the story I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to anyone wanting a cozy, witchy read!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bindery Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was the warm and cozy comfort read I was desperately needing! There was one line that really stuck out to me, "How did you do it? How did you wake up each day and choose to be brave?". I highly recommend adding this lovely book to your TBR!

(I will be posting a more in depth review on my instagram page closer to the release date!)

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The representation is thoughtful. I loved the twists and turns of the story and the deep connection to both magic and their ancestors.

This is a deeply introspective look at growing and belonging and learning to just be oneself. While parts of the book do match the cozy fantasy genre (the focus on magic, tea/coffee and baking, kind-of found family, and a happy ending), most of the book is focused around Paloma and her internal struggles and healing and growth. Not sure what we'd call it. Cozy-adjacent introspective magical realism fantasy is a mouthful.

That's not to say this book is bad, at all. I really enjoyed reading it and I think Ruiz is a good writer. They did a great job of capturing the inner maelstrom of anxiety and stress, and the (frankly) bad decision-making that can often come out of feeling insecure and unwanted. Paloma has seen her only value in what she can do for others, and allowing others to do things for her and simply be with her - whether Liss in a romantic way, her roommates in a friend/found family way, and even her mom in a maternal and family way. The way the island is falling apart mimics what is happening in Paloma's life, and I think that was a good connection and healing moment at the end.

I think this book will speak deeply to anyone who has felt like they don't belong, who has struggled to find their people. Some folks have talked about how Paloma seems to act a bit more like a teenager, which I don't think is true. I think she's acting like an adult in their late 20s who has never actually taken the time to mature emotionally. So yes, she feels deeply and she overreacts, because for ten years she's locked herself away from people and done nothing but work. It's going to take time to undo that. I think a lot of readers will see themselves in Paloma.

I do wish we'd learned more about the magic of Marigold Island. How the heck are the bison tame enough to be around people, much less foxes and coyotes coexisting calmly with birds and small animals? And how big is this island that it can have a bison preserve? Having lived near a bison and elk preserve at one point... they need a LOT of space.

All that aside, I think this is a lovely debut novel, and you can feel the personal connection from the author as they pour parts of their story into it (do read the author's note/acknowledgements at the back of the book). I hope we see more from them!

This was a cute little story with relatively low stakes, but lots of heart. It scratches that itch for coziness and tales about finding yourself. Perfect for reading curled up by the fire!

For fans of House of Frank this book must be on your radar. This is cozy fantasy with stakes. A witch who has been wildly successful in the big city suddenly loses her magic, she goes back home to give herself a break and rediscover herself, her connection to magic and her ambitions for the future. This book is a delight from start to finish with wonderful queer and Latinx representation. I think this is going to be a must read for lots of folx.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery for giving me access to the ARC of the Misfit Witches of Marigold Island in exchange for my honest review.

this might be one of my favorites reads this year - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC! the absolute coziest fall sapphic romance, with found family, Kiki's Delivery Service adventures, and Latina witches!!! I want to live on Marigold Island. can't wait to buy this when it publishes next year!!!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

3.5 stars.

This was such a cozy comforting read. It was a beautiful story of belonging and grief and acceptance. I wanted to live with these characters for a long time.

3.5/5 ⭐️

A beautiful story of grief. I enjoyed the found family element and finding there is power in numbers. The friendships felt very real. The pacing of the story was addictive.

Paloma, a witch living in Las Flores, suddenly loses her magic. Her mentor recommends going back to her home, Marigold Island, to reconnect and take a break.

On Marigold Island, Paloma finds out that a realtor is buying up the properties and starting to turn the island into a tourist attraction. However, it is not with the best intentions. Paloma and her new found friends start investigating.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the eARC!

WLW
Found family element

This was exactly the kind of cozy fantasy I was in the mood for. It was warm, comforting, and full of found family, magical deliveries, adorable animal companions, and a slow-burn sapphic romance that felt incredibly sweet.
Paloma's journey of rediscovering herself after losing her magic was the heart of the story for me. Watching her realize that her worth wasn't tied to her abilities made for an emotional and relatable character arc. The themes of community, healing, and learning to ask for help were woven beautifully throughout the story.
I also loved the setting. Marigold Island felt like a place I'd happily spend time in, and the house full of queer misfit witches was such a cozy, welcoming space. And Nori the raccoon? An absolute scene-stealer. Every time that little guy showed up, I couldn't help but smile.
The romance between Paloma and Liss was adorable, though I do wish we'd gotten a bit more time with them together. It fit the gentle pace of the story, but I wanted just a little more development before the ending.
Overall, this is a perfect read if you're looking for low-stakes magic, found family, queer joy, a cozy island setting, and a soft, slow-burn lesbian romance. It felt like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket with a cup of tea and a plate of enchanted chocolate chip cookies.

This was amazing!!!! More cozy poc queer witches please!!! I loved the characters and how adorable they were together, the magic was also very intriguing and as an ancient balance with the romance. I’m so happy I picked this up thank you so much Netgalley!

Wooooow. This was incredible.

The writing was outrageously beautiful. Every sentence was so rich with description that I felt completely transported to Marigold Island. It was pure comfort on my Kindle.

I thoroughly enjoyed every character. There was so much pain and vulnerability to Paloma, and I found her incredibly relatable. I think many of us struggle with facing difficult things and letting people in, just as she did.

The group of witches was absolutely wonderful. I knew witches would be part of the story, of course, but I was pleasantly surprised by how Paloma came to know them and how their relationships unfolded.

I also loved the storyline surrounding the island’s longevity. The idea of magic sustaining an entire island was fascinating, and I couldn’t get enough of that aspect of the world-building.

I honestly loved everything about this book. It’s beautifully written, heartfelt, magical, and full of characters that stay with you long after you’ve finished reading. I can’t believe I have to wait until 2027 to get my hands on a physical copy!!

Sapphic fantasy with witches has got to be one of my favourite subgenres.

So what do we have?

A witch (Pamela) in her late twenties who suddenly lost her magic and doesn't know who she is without. She moves back to her home island with the hope of getting her magic back. On the island we have a cute café with an even cuter woman who runs the shop (Liss). There are so many other shops which really gives you that "cozy small town" vibes. Pamela and Liss obviously like each other so you'll have to read it so see what happens!

There is also found family. Add the cute pets (Hades the cat familiar, a raccoon with a straw hat, and a random lizzard) and you have a super cozy fantasy!

I always hope these kind of novels get a sequel in the future, since I see the possibility of other characters having a romance in the town. I really hope there will be!

The Misfit Witches of Marigold is a sweet story of finding your place in the world, the people you belong with, yourself, and then standing up for them. Paloma’s journey from overworked, isolated, and hyperfocused witch to suddenly lost, purposeless, and magic-less witch kicks off a narrative of romance, found family, search for home, and mystery that found me smiling, crying, and cheering — sometimes simultaneously!

I think I would say that Ruiz presents the story as a bit of a mix between a magical cozy mystery and Kiki’s Delivery Service (the movie even gets a brief mention). I fell in love with Liss right along with Paloma and found the portrayal of their romance lovely. And I loved the dynamic of the misfit witch house that Paloma joins — I was imagining myself cuddled up in the sunroom just watching everything go down the whole time! I did want to smack Paloma a few times for taking so long to read her father’s research, but that’s common in this type of novel and the resolution is quite satisfying.

This review is my honest opinion of the book. Thank you to Ezeekat Press and NetGalley for an a digital copy of the book to read in advance.

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!! This book embodies the vibe of “aaaah” when you just sit down after a long day at work, or when you finally get a drink of ice cold water in the boiling hot summer. This book IS summer.
Paloma is a witch, from her dad’s side, she’s an incredibly dedicated spell casting apprentice who has her whole career focused life planned out. Then she sneezes. Then she sneezes her magic away along with a piece of her curtains. She’s then basically forced to take a sabbatical because what’s a magical apprentice with no magic, so she goes home to her magical sunny perfect home of Marigold Island to stay with her mum and her new-ish husband (but we like him) If mum can’t fix Paloma then who can? When Paloma arrives in Marigold she immediately senses something, it’s wrong, it’s dark, but she can’t figure it out, and mum doesn’t mention it, then she sees it, a dark gloomy swamp? marsh? Foggy purple mess with no sun?
Palomas mum encourages her to go to a relatively new-ish cafe called Sip ‘n’ Savor. Now this is just an Amelia Theory but if you ask me mum only wanted Paloma to go so bad because of Liss, I don’t think Paloma’s mum is ever mentioned going there herself. Liss is the owner of Sip ‘n’ Savor, she is a witch who adds a sprinkle of magic to her products, she’s the supportive and understanding and easy to talk to person everyone needs in their life, she’s also super pretty but Paloma definitely doesn’t notice that. I LOVED their relationship, I love when it’s easy like that, when you literally could just be talking for hours and it feels like ten minutes, when you can be truly yourself around someone, when you can open up and not fear judgement, when being around that person doesn’t drain your battery.
Without Spoiling, the storyline was SO good, I enjoyed the fact that everyone knew the bad guy from the get go, the issue was nobody could prove it. I loved the queer found family friend group, I loved the progression of the destructive gloom, I loved the familiars, OH I LOVED that scene with ALL the animals at the house- I think that was my overall favorite. And I loved the insight to inside Paloma’s mind, to her struggle without magic and her struggle finding out who she actually is and what she is good for in life without magic. I don’t think it was too much but it was the perfect amount to signify how important that was to Paloma’s character without shoving it down readers throats. I also loved the day of the dead parts, it’s one of the holidays in the world I find most interesting and have always been so intrigued by it. Those scenes were BEAUTIFUL and if it wasn’t so late at night I’m sure I would have cried.
I loved this book so much and I truly hope everyone in the whole universe reads it and loves it.

Thank you Bindery, Ezeekat Press and Netgalley for this ARC.

This story is for the person who pushed themselves too hard and burned out. Learning to rest and rely on the people who love you. Paloma's story was so relatable as someone who found themselves on a path that looked so incredibly different than the one they set out on.

I loved this so much and I can't wait to have a shelf copy next year when it officially comes out.

Sometimes you read a book and it's like the author explored your mind and wrote all of your desires on the pages. Then sometimes you read a book's summary and expect to have all of your wants satisfied but are proven wrong. Unfortunately, this book does fall into the latter but it's still an enjoyable read. This book was a cute cozy fantasy but I do wish it was longer. When it comes to slow burns and found family, I feel like books shorter books are a bad idea. Also, if you saw that the romance was a slow burn and that's why you decided to read it, be warned that it is not a slow burn, the book is just short. The found family aspect was very sweet but it felt rushed to me. There was no work in becoming close to the newfound family. Someone who had been a recluse for ten years immediately spilling her guts on the first night of hanging out makes no sense to me. The events of the book took place over two months so everything changed very rapidly in my opinion. With all that being said, it is an enjoyable read. I really liked the diversity of the characters and how Marigold Island was like a character itself. The relationship the character had with her mother was really beautiful. I did have some issues with the book but, as a whole, it is a beautiful and sweet story.

I am absolutely in LOVE!!
Paloma you have made your way into my heart and will definitely be staying there for a while.

I understood on a high level how horrible it is to realize you have strayed past your dreams. That your life right now isn't fulfilling you—hell, isn't even enjoyable and feels like a chore. It's like one moment you're sure this is what you want and the next you truly realise that you're lonely and not happy at all. The denial comes first and doesn't let go easily, but the feeling of breaking away from what is shackling you to your current life and actually discovering your own self, or rediscovering—it's all worth it. Start a relationship, find new friends, connect with your family; all of them are what can bring you forward.

I loved the housemates and the relationship dynamic between them. A little group of misfits coming together to save the day...who wouldn't want to be a part of that?

This was a really sweet read.

This is such a beautiful story. I am currently whiping away happy tears. The last few chapters had me in a chokehold. I had goosebumps. Its a heartwarming tale of friendship and grief. Together they are stronger than they knew. A sapphic love story mixed with magic ❤️

This book is the perfect mash up between Kiki's Delivery Service, The Spellshop and a beautiful saphic romance and found family. Ful lof cosy vibes, this book was a beautifuk read.

This was a lovely cozy witch story about found family, self discovery and a sweet love story. I cried, and laughed and loved this story so much it made me so happy and content.

This was hands down one of my favorite books to read lately. Ruiz does a beautiful job of world building magic into real life. This was a story of grief and finding out that the hardest and most courageous thing that one can do in life is finding your people. Paloma looses her magic and it sends her back to home, to Marigold Island. She feels like a failure and is unsure what to do with herself, when she starts meeting others whose magic is a little off. She struggles with constantly feeling like she has to go things alone and that she's a failure. But the magic of Marigold is in its community and rich history.

I loved the mixture of magic with the rich history that Ruiz has created, bringing this place to life. The Misfits are a colorful group that love one another unabashedly and Paloma's mother and step father, along with her mentor, are people that everyone needs in their lives. The romance between Liss and Paloma is extremely sweet and charming and even though Paloma has her own struggles, Liss shows her what she could have if she's just honest enough with herself and those around her.

Not to mention I love a lil creature in a book and this is chock full. Hades is a girl's best friend and Nori is just a lil dude here for snacks and a good nap. Again this book was just amazing and I am definitely going to keep an eye out for anything else that Ruiz writes.

Read this one on a rainy afternoon and it was perfect. Such a cute love story with all my fav tropes. Love a sapphic witchy book.

I really like the front cover design, I think it fits the book well.

I loved how the relationship between Paloma and Liss builds and develops, I enjoyed learning about Paloma and her flatmates as they were getting to know each other and bonding together.
When I was younger I would have loved to have found a place and people like that.

I think Donny and Paloma's Mum's relationship is lovely, and it's brilliant how supportive and respectful he is.

Bloody Brad being an absolute menace, he is completely believable as a villain, I felt rage towards him.

This book is essentially a very heartwarming story around how when things aren't going well friends and family are there to bring you out of it, and how important community is to a place, a home, how in all kinds of ways each and every one of us needs the people around us.

I like to screenshot or photograph pages that interested me, made me feel something, or have little nuggets of wisdom and life advice, and there are plenty here.
I did have to look up some of the foods mentioned, (for example on one page I found out that a Bolillo is a traditional Mexican bread roll, a Poblano is a mild chili pepper, and Queso Fresco is a soft, mild, and crumbly fresh cheese), I'm always on the lookout for meal ideas.

My thanks go to V.K.Ruiz for creating this book and to Bindery Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for this Arc!!

To be entirely honest the cover is what drew me in (poc lesbians are my jam especially if they’re black) and I’m really happy it did.

I had fun reading this it kinda felt like a hallmark movie with gay witches and I really love that. I enjoyed the bits of romance but also the moments of self discovery and Paloma learning how to navigate her life being turned upside down. I do wish we got more moments of her and Liss together but overall this was really cute and lighthearted. I now yearn even more for a queer friend group of witches.

I can’t wait to pick up a copy of this on publication day!

4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc.

The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island by V.K. Ruiz is a warm, comforting cozy fantasy that blends found family, self-discovery, and a charming slow-burn romance into an enchanting read. After losing her magic in a spellcasting mishap, Paloma returns to Marigold Island to rebuild her life, only to discover that her worth as a witch extends far beyond her powers.
The island setting is wonderfully cozy, filled with quirky characters, magical familiars, and a delightful sense of community. Paloma's journey through grief, identity, and acceptance feels heartfelt and relatable, while her growing relationship with café owner Liss adds a sweet romantic thread that develops at just the right pace. Fans of found-family stories will especially enjoy the house full of queer misfit witches and the unforgettable raccoon familiar, Nori.
While the story occasionally moves a bit slowly, its charming atmosphere, emotional depth, and themes of friendship and belonging make it easy to savor.

This was exactly what I needed when I picked it up! It is such a delightfully cosy story, about finding your place in the world and the people that make you happy. While there is a romance at the centre of this story, to me it was much more about Paloma finding her place in the world after she was forced to slow down and return to her home island. I especially loved all the found family elements and seeing Paloma slowly find her footing with the new people and her new place on the island. I also really enjoyed all of the animal companions and the way the magic was woven through the world.
And while this was overall a fairly happy story, it also dealt with grief, both about the loss of loved ones and about losing parts of yourself and your vision for your own future. I thought both were handeled very well and gave this story much more emotional depths.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ezeekat/Bindery books for the eARC!

It was a really cozy and hopeful reading. And i really needed that.
The book was so inspiring and so genuine about everything. The development of Paloma in the book was amazing and she was so brave.
The relationships in the book so real and giving really good energy to the book.
Overall a must read for coziness and heart fullness.

This is an amazing debut novel, and I loved every second of it. I have a feeling both this book and V. K. Ruiz are going to become very popular, and I sincerely hope we get more cozy fantasy stories from her in the future.

Even though the story feels complete as a standalone, I would happily return to Marigold Island for another mystery.

The writing pulls you in from the very first pages, and the characters make you want to stay. It's a heartwarming story about personal growth, friendship, and community. In a world where it's easy to get caught up in everyday life and forget to check in with ourselves and the people around us, this book is a lovely reminder of what really matters.

Add a touch of magic, an engaging mystery, and a cast of characters you can't help but root for, and you get a story that kept me completely engrossed from start to finish.

Gorgeous writing style 📖

Loved Paloma as a character 😄

Great writing style 😌

Loved the setting of Marigold Island

I had such a fun time with The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island. It was warm, magical, and just the right amount of whimsical.

The characters were definitely my favorite part. I loved the found-family feeling and watching everyone come together throughout the story. There’s a lot of charm here, but it still has enough emotional depth to make the characters and their relationships feel meaningful. The loss, pain, happiness, love and feeling of belonging is truly beautiful and so well done.

Marigold Island was also such a lovely setting, and I honestly wouldn’t mind spending more time there. This was a really cozy and enjoyable fantasy read, and I’d happily recommend it to anyone looking for something magical, comforting, and full of heart.

Things that I love, a world where magic and non magic people get along without witches having to hide their powers, the lgbtq+ not having to hide their true selfs, pet familiar everywhere, especially black cats, lots of culture together, fall and Halloween vibes left right and centre, and a young adult grieving and finding herself through friends and family.
If any or all align with you, you’ll love The Misfits Witches of Marigold Island. This is not just a great read for young adults but older kids too.
This was in a way a simple, easy read and cozy book that I know I’ll want to read over and over again for Halloween time. I loved all the characters ( minus 1 👀) so much, especially hades and Nori, cried more then once and fell in love with Liss and Paloma’s story 🥲

3.5⭐️ rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island is a lovely, cosy book. Paloma moved away from her hometown, Marigold Island right after her father passed away and she graduated high school. Her and her father are/were the only ones within their family with magical abilities and after he passed, Paloma moved away to the city to further her magical abilities and train under an experienced witch. After an issue with a spell causes Paloma to seemingly lose her magic, she doesn't know what else to do but return home to Marigold Island. Paloma meets some new and unexpected people once back on the island and starts rediscovering herself. She also discovers Marigold Island has been having some trouble of it's own.

The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island is a low stakes cosy fantasy and was a nice read. The story was paced quite well and the author did a good job at having so many seemingly different parts interconnect. I often find magical realism so fun and interesting, getting to see the ways different authors weave magic into the "real world". I enjoyed the author's version of this, especially the way non-magical people could buy things like spells or potions for certain requirements. The writing was quite descriptive and I felt like i could really envision the people and places. I did unfortunately find the writing a little young for my preference. Personally, I felt it read more YA and while that is not a critique as such, it was just not what i was expecting and didn't love the way this was done. But by no means is it poorly written, this is just personal preference.

There were quite a few different characters in this book but the author balanced it all so it never felt crowded or confusing. All the characters depth and layers, even ones with smaller parts to play. The main characters, particularly Paloma and Liss, had so much going on below the surface that would come out in well-timed and well-written ways. Paloma experienced a lot of genuine feelings of grief, insecurity, loneliness and even worthlessness. I could almost feel at times her grief at losing her father and how desperately she wished she could talk to him. My only real frustration was that I consistently kept having to remind myself Paloma was almost 30 as she often acted early 20s at best. She seemed to lack emotional maturity and this caused issues a few times throughout the book.

All in all, I would recommend The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island to anyone looking for a cosy, queer, witchy book.

Where to start with this book! Nothing sells me on a book faster than sapphic, witches and some good old found family, and as we head into the autumn months, This Misfit Witches of Marigold Island was the perfect cosy read. Not only did this book hit the mark for the autumnal vibes but it exactly encased what its like to be in your mid 20s and feeling lost, I connected a lot with the main character, Paloma, who loses her magic and returns to the place she grew up to re-find herself. Losing yourself in your 20s, struggling to find your people, who you are as an individual and learning how to be more open, whilst navigating grief and the grief of who you thought you were and how you thought your life is going to turn out are all so in tune with real life and V.K. Ruiz writes these topics beautifully. I truly loved this book and watching Paloma find herself through her friends, family and love whilst realising she was never truly alone in life, she just had to be willing to see it. I would recommend this book to anyone, and I know I've already said it but I really did love it

A cozy, queer fantasy about coming home when the life you built for yourself suddenly falls apart. After seemingly losing her magic, Paloma returns to Marigold Island and finds both the island and herself in need of a little repair. I really enjoyed the way magic was woven into everyday life, especially the idea that non-magical people could still buy spells and potions, and the large cast never felt overwhelming. Paloma’s grief over her father and her feelings of loneliness and inadequacy gave the story real emotional weight, though I sometimes had to remind myself she was nearly thirty because her reactions often felt much younger which resulted in the book feeling a bit more YA? Still really charming overall!

This book was a beautiful story of grief, healing, community, and love in all forms. The romance between Paloma and Lisa is so sweet and tender. But it’s Paloma’s relationships with the other characters, community, ancestors, and the land that really makes it stand out. Misfit Witches of Marigold Island is a book I plan to return to again and again.
This book is for lovers of all things witchy, sapphic romance, and found family.

The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island is a cozy fantasy where Paloma is a witch who lost her magic and decided to go back to her hometown, Marigold Island. There, she navigates her life and rediscover herself again. She met queer witches like her and decided to live with them.

Paloma is a relatable character. She is an introvert witch but she went out of her box for exploration of new things and found new friends. She lost, confused and questioning her purposes in life and thinking if she will ever get her magic back.

This book is filled of lessons about family, friends, love and self worth.

I recommend this book especially if you like queer cozy fantasy about witches.
___________________________
Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Plot: definitely cozy. A witch loses her magic when a spell backfires. She returns to the island community where she grew up to heal and regroup. She notices right away that something isn’t right with the island. She finds herself, friends turned family, love, and her place in the process solving what ails island.

Pacing: slow, then faster at the end.

Magic and World-building: light! Our real world, but some people are witches. Simple and accessible.

Writing style: Easy and enjoyable. I especially loved the Mexican (and other) food descriptions (honestly one of my favorite things about the book). Matcha, coffee, cookies, rompopo, tortas, tamales. Droooool.

Character and relationship growth: this aspect of the book felt like it had some fits and starts. I wanted to know more about Liss! I wanted to get more into Paloma’s head about why she is the way she is. I almost wish the book had 50 extra pages to develop some more deep intimacy between Liss and Paloma. And between Paloma and her roomies. The familiars and animals were darling. But more! I wanted more of them!

Themes: Here is another place this book SHINES. The short noc touches on a lot, and beautifully! Self-worth and productivity, mental health, finding your people, grief, platonic and romantic love. Along with those themes, the book weaves a story about the links between one’s roots and how they feed the future (magical or not). Last but definitely not least, there is a story of community care and activism, about standing up and speaking out against gentrification and toxic real estate and tourism.

Romance: queer romance, I wanted to read more of this honestly. It felt like there was a lot of avoidance and then strong feelings with not building up to it.