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.