Reviews with content warning for Bullying - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

I love this so much

I feel so stupid for ever thinking I wasn’t interested in this book. I don’t tend to like romance genre books, so I found it so refreshing that this completely subverts all the tropes I hate in romance. They actually communicate. I could cry. The third act conflict is a completely understandable conflict and is resolved quickly. There’s absolutely zero pettiness between the love interests. And it has tropes I like! Grumpy / sunshine!! Semi-dislike to love!!! I’m actually screaming internally. This was so good.

It’s definitely cozy fantasy, but it does have stakes and plot (which I personally prefer). It’s very much a comfort book.

I loved all the characters, they all had distinct personalities and quirks. They’re the found family I wish I had. Jamie was my type of love interest. Wouldn’t mind one of those for myself thank you.

It’s also really funny, and I don’t often find funny books to be funny. But the humor worked for me in this.

My only very minor not very serious complaint is I wish it was just a tad steamier… but I’ll take what I can get.

I had a stupid smile on my face the whole time reading this (except for when I was crying). If you like romance books, witchy books, or cozy fantasy, please read this. I don’t even tend to like any of those things, hence why I wasn’t interested initially, but this is now one of my favorite books. I need to go buy a copy.

Content Warnings

rwsmith's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

truly, i could not put this book down. it just got better and better the more i read. a wonderful and heartwarming story.
i loved the worldbuilding of the magic - just as you expect, and it aligns with all the familiar fairy tales, but with a touch of uniqueness to this fictional world.
the romance was also SO GOOD. ive never been into the romance genre, and i wouldnt say this is necessarily a romance novel, but the romantic plot was incredibly well done - relatable, funny, emotional, perfectly paced, and incredibly satisfying.
the representation in this book is lovely as well. the different races of the characters are simply stated, but the differences between each are acknowledged and deemed important at the same time.
anyone who loves love, magic, and silliness - and a happy ending - should give this book a read.

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booksemmahasread's review against another edition

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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

4.0

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badgergatan's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing sad slow-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

3.75

Very cozy book with strong found family vibes and a couple steamy scenes (though even those are quite funny)! I can see why it's so popular. The characters are believable, likeable, and aren't taken too seriously (even Mr. Broody) - in a good way. This book also does an exceptional job of accurately representing sibling dynamics among children while still treating them as people. Solid read overall.

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rorikae's review against another edition

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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

'The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches' by Sangu Mandanna is a cozy fantasy about one witch finding the family she's always dreamed of.
Mika Moon lives alone, isolated from other witches but using her 'magical abilities' on her YouTube channel. But one day she gets a strange request in her inbox. She has been invited to tutor three young witches living under the watchful eye of a few people in an isolated house. Mika takes up the offer but the girls and the situation surrounding them may be more than she can handle.
Mandanna does an excellent job of creating a whole cast of characters that it is easy to care for. They each have their our faults and positive traits that makes them easy to love. Mika and her background in particular, make her easy to root for, especially as she starts to believe she's found a family after so long. The plot itself isn't overly complex but I think this book is best for people looking for something with a lot of heart and coziness. I do wish that more time was spent with the three girls. Their dynamic with Mika was wonderful to see. This book is a great read for the cozier, winter months and there is even a scene during the Winter Solstice. I'm very excited for the second book in this series as this was a truly cozy, heartwarming book.

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wheelyautistic's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Fantastically cozy read with loveable children characters and although the ending was a bit everything is okay in the end I didn't mind it at all and was actually shocked by the twist

Content Warnings

lunep's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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

5.0

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