A review by kat_impossible
The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre

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. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings