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microbemom's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Adorable!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Xenophobia
Minor: Death, Child abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Bullying
discarded_dust_jacket's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
A warm hug in book form. This story is healing, this story is tender, and this story is beautiful—an invitation to take a chance on love, even if it opens you up to the potential for heartbreak. It highlights the importance of relationship, and of kindness. I loved every second of it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Bullying
Minor: Grief
ashleycmms's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Child abuse
dolancf's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
I love this story so much!!! It has everything I love about RomComs all in one place
+ an adorable older gay couple who acted as the perfect grandpas
+ a stern older woman who raised Mika in isolation for her own good (it’s a long story)
+ a grumpy librarian; I love Jamie’s wounded heart of gold
+ a kind and loving motherly housekeeper
+ MAGIC!!! 🌟 💫
++++ not just any dog … A GOLDEN RETRIEVER!!!
+ an adorable older gay couple who acted as the perfect grandpas
+ a stern older woman who raised Mika in isolation for her own good (it’s a long story)
+ a grumpy librarian; I love Jamie’s wounded heart of gold
+ a kind and loving motherly housekeeper
+ MAGIC!!! 🌟 💫
++++ not just any dog … A GOLDEN RETRIEVER!!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
mamawantsbooks's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Homophobia
msennflinn's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death
wilybooklover's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
4.5
This book is simply delightful. A lonely witch finds love and acceptance when she agrees to tutor three children in all things witchcraft.
I absolutely loved this story. Mika uses her sunshine-y nature as a mask to keep the world – and her loneliness – at bay. Jamie, the librarian she falls in love with, similarly uses grumpiness as his mask. Ultimately, though, this was a story about found family. As the book progresses Mika becomes intertwined with this quirky, endearing family and it was so wonderful to see her walls come down and accept all of these wonderful people into her heart. I’m not always a fan of children in books, but I really enjoyed their inclusion in this story. They were maybe a little precociously funny but they had some lovely moments of connection with Mika. The whimsical way that the witchcraft was written was the cherry on top and really fit the vibe of the story.
Just a beautifully written cosy and romantic story that made me smile as I read it. I really needed something uplifting when I picked this up and it fit the bill perfectly. This is one for the comfort re-read pile.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Racism, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
halfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I personally want to exclaim how freaking good this audio is!!!!!!
To be in honest, I did not give this much thought in the beginning. My love of witchy woo things and seeing readers on insta rave about this title peeked my interest. So I placed a hold on it at my library and forgot about it. Now, I am so happy past me did this as I'm on my second round of listening to it. Now I'm kinda bummed missing out on Fairyloot's special edition of this book and hope to get a copy in the future.
I adore Mina Moon's character along with the entire cast. Later discovering it contains "found family" made my heart swell and love TVSSOIW even more🥰 mixed with a bit of romance was the frosting on top of this magical cake
To be in honest, I did not give this much thought in the beginning. My love of witchy woo things and seeing readers on insta rave about this title peeked my interest. So I placed a hold on it at my library and forgot about it. Now, I am so happy past me did this as I'm on my second round of listening to it. Now I'm kinda bummed missing out on Fairyloot's special edition of this book and hope to get a copy in the future.
I adore Mina Moon's character along with the entire cast. Later discovering it contains "found family" made my heart swell and love TVSSOIW even more🥰 mixed with a bit of romance was the frosting on top of this magical cake
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse
amandas_bookshelf's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Death
Minor: Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Physical abuse
booksthatburn's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.0
THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES is a funny and heartwarming story of found family, starring a lonely witch and a house full of people working to protect three very young witches.
The setting is almost real-world England, but where magic and witches are real while the rest of history seems to have been unaffected. Mika was born in India but was taken to England by Primrose after her mother died (all witches are orphaned soon after birth due to a spell that went wrong sometime in the past). There are various themes of bigotry, marginalization, and even colonialism which are invoked by the characters, but only the magical counterpart is specifically explored. Since a lot of heavy lifting for the worldbuilding is implied by the contemporary setting and setting most of the book at Nowhere House, this has the room to focus mainly on characterization.
Ian is a retired actor who resides at Nowhere House with Ken, his husband and the house's gardener. Lucie is the housekeeper, and Jamie is the grumpy and protective librarian who originally came to the house as a teenager. The children (Altamira, Terracotta, and Rosetta) are very young witches who were adopted by the house's absent owner, Lillian, a witch and archeologist. Ian finds Mika online and invites her to stay at the house for several months and teach the children to control their magic. Mika, who has led a very lonely life due to her former guardian's ideas about witches and the dangers of spending time with one another, agrees to stay but keeps feeling a bit on the outside.
The story is generally heartwarming, focusing on Mika's interactions with the inhabitants of the house. Jamie is grumpy in a way that's initially annoying to Mika but which starts being a bit sexy as she gets to know him better. Mika was invited to the house because there's going to be a visit from Lillian's lawyer and they need the children's magic to be under control (or at least hidden) during the event. They haven't been able to get in touch with Lillian, and none of the other adults are magical, so they have to hope that Mika can help them.
This was fluffier than I usually like, but I ended up enjoying it (especially once Jamie and Mika start really talking). The late-book twist was handled very well and led to some of my favorite scenes in the whole thing.
The setting is almost real-world England, but where magic and witches are real while the rest of history seems to have been unaffected. Mika was born in India but was taken to England by Primrose after her mother died (all witches are orphaned soon after birth due to a spell that went wrong sometime in the past). There are various themes of bigotry, marginalization, and even colonialism which are invoked by the characters, but only the magical counterpart is specifically explored. Since a lot of heavy lifting for the worldbuilding is implied by the contemporary setting and setting most of the book at Nowhere House, this has the room to focus mainly on characterization.
Ian is a retired actor who resides at Nowhere House with Ken, his husband and the house's gardener. Lucie is the housekeeper, and Jamie is the grumpy and protective librarian who originally came to the house as a teenager. The children (Altamira, Terracotta, and Rosetta) are very young witches who were adopted by the house's absent owner, Lillian, a witch and archeologist. Ian finds Mika online and invites her to stay at the house for several months and teach the children to control their magic. Mika, who has led a very lonely life due to her former guardian's ideas about witches and the dangers of spending time with one another, agrees to stay but keeps feeling a bit on the outside.
The story is generally heartwarming, focusing on Mika's interactions with the inhabitants of the house. Jamie is grumpy in a way that's initially annoying to Mika but which starts being a bit sexy as she gets to know him better. Mika was invited to the house because there's going to be a visit from Lillian's lawyer and they need the children's magic to be under control (or at least hidden) during the event. They haven't been able to get in touch with Lillian, and none of the other adults are magical, so they have to hope that Mika can help them.
This was fluffier than I usually like, but I ended up enjoying it (especially once Jamie and Mika start really talking). The late-book twist was handled very well and led to some of my favorite scenes in the whole thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Kidnapping, Confinement, Alcohol, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Classism, Racism, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Animal death