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soyb3an's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Outing, Cancer, and Death of parent
clarabooksit's review against another edition
The love interest’s virtual stalking of the mc for his whole life and not coming clean about it was too creepy for me. Plus, the writing here wasn’t great. It felt like the author was just trying to check-off found family and diversity boxes, which felt clunky and inorganic. Plus, it’s kind of boring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Xenophobia, Abandonment, and Homophobia
Moderate: Grief
leeghlee's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Transphobia, Abandonment, Classism, Stalking, and Outing
Minor: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Death, and Death of parent
brucethegirl's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Iris is the messy daughter. The black sheep that is a disappointment to her mother and an irritation to her sister. From a family of vampires, Iris never had powers manifest, and lives like a human for all intent and purpose. Always ending up a disappointment with the worst luck, Iris is granted a reprieve when a great aunt passes and leaves her victorian manor to Iris. When plans to turn it into a bed and breakfast quickly fail, Iris decides to try her hand at renting. She rents out the rooms to people around town and in turn collects quite the found family.
Let's get the one downside I have out of the way. I found some aspects a little juvenile in delivery and focus. For example, her mother and sister break absolutely heartbreaking news to her and its done in such a petty and dramatic way, and then never fully discussed again. Not in a way that equals the news itself. Then suddenly other aspects start unfolding and she begins to discover her powers. As a whole, the way most of her family treats her is just bizarre and straight out of a fake AITA post. Many other issues seemed very glossed over in comparison to the offending action. It is very much a cozy fantasy, but some of the issues are not things that can be easily handled in a cozy fantasy and would have been better left out or downplayed more.
As a whole though, this was a joy to read. Very similar in vein to the very secret society of irregular witches, Only Purple House in Town is easily something to read to fill the void while looking for a similar read. It's filled with found family, acceptance, second chances, and new leases on life. The rag tag tenants that iris collects are each charming and lovable, even when they're grouchy. They work as a family to figure things out together, and are always able to come to the table together to bring different view points and ideas.
I also like that I only found out this was an installment in a series well after finishing the book. There was never any feeling like I was missing some world building or reference. It was all always self-contained and lovely.
I do hope for her sister and mother to jump in a volcano in a future installment. But for the supportive sister to get her own book because she deserves it.
Let's get the one downside I have out of the way. I found some aspects a little juvenile in delivery and focus. For example, her mother and sister break absolutely heartbreaking news to her and its done in such a petty and dramatic way, and then never fully discussed again. Not in a way that equals the news itself. Then suddenly other aspects start unfolding and she begins to discover her powers. As a whole, the way most of her family treats her is just bizarre and straight out of a fake AITA post. Many other issues seemed very glossed over in comparison to the offending action. It is very much a cozy fantasy, but some of the issues are not things that can be easily handled in a cozy fantasy and would have been better left out or downplayed more.
As a whole though, this was a joy to read. Very similar in vein to the very secret society of irregular witches, Only Purple House in Town is easily something to read to fill the void while looking for a similar read. It's filled with found family, acceptance, second chances, and new leases on life. The rag tag tenants that iris collects are each charming and lovable, even when they're grouchy. They work as a family to figure things out together, and are always able to come to the table together to bring different view points and ideas.
I also like that I only found out this was an installment in a series well after finishing the book. There was never any feeling like I was missing some world building or reference. It was all always self-contained and lovely.
I do hope for her sister and mother to jump in a volcano in a future installment. But for the supportive sister to get her own book because she deserves it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Stalking
kat_impossible's review
3.0
*I was provided with an eARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!*
The Only Purple House in Town is the fourth book in the "Fix-It Witches"-series, although I didn't know that diving in. So, let my review be a testimony to the fact that you can read this novel without having read the previous books. You might miss some cameos from former (lead) characters (which there are quite a few) or take some getting used to the world the characters inhabit. It didn't take me too long to find my bearings, but without prior knowledge on the magic and in-world developments, I found the synopsis for the book to be a bit misleading.
In the realm of The Only Purple House in Town, we can exhibit a world quite similar to ours. This isn't high fantasy after all. However, witches have decided to out themselves and they aren't the only supernatural beings - shape shifters, vampires, fae and the like all exist as well. I wasn't fully prepared for that kind of mayhem, if I'm being completely honest. I did love that it lead to a beautiful found family trope, which was my favorite part of the story.
Although the tale is mostly told from Iris and Eli's perspectives, it was their housemates and the side characters that made the story come to life. I also enjoyed the wide variety of queer representation that just felt very naturally ingrained in it all. Seeing those people be in a bind and find a place they not only feel welcome and safe in, but actually at home at was great and heart-warming.
Speaking of matters of the heart, that's what I had some quarrels with - the love story between Iris and Eli! I just can't get over the fact that Eli had basically stalked Iris since he was 11 years old, because she did something nice for him once. I get that it was a big deal for him and most of his actions throughout the novel are well intentioned, but that doesn't change the facts. And fact is, Eli dedicated a lot of his free time thinking about Iris, looking her up on social media, deceiving her and moving in with her, all the while she had no idea they had even met prior to their roommate interview. It's not a good look and I don't really get how fast Iris did a 180 and just brushed it off as "well, I'm not perfect either". Let's not make stalking okay, just because the guy is nice in the end, alright?
Over all, The Only Purple House in Town was an easy, fast and (for the most part) sweet read. A lot of the relationships are fairly cut and dry and there could have been a bit more nuance for the villains (they really were just mean/evil). Again, I much preferred the friendships to the romance, but that's just because of Eli's actions.
Fazit: 3/5 stars! Found family will always hit the sweet spot for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Homophobia, and Bullying
Minor: Death of parent
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