A review by jennifermreads
The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields

emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

As I started reading The Honey Witch, I got strong “haven’t I read this before?” vibes. Halfway through Chapter Two, I actually opened Storygraph to look at my reading history to see what book this was reminding me of. Ah-ha! Found it: The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic. But, on reading the acknowledgments at the end of <i>Honey Witch</i>, Sydney J. Shields mentions that book’s author: “To Breanne Randall, my strawberry girl and stardust fairy, thank you for being a constant light in my life.” Guess the two authors talked story ideas once or twice and, thus, the connections with grandmothers, curses, and magic. 

Prior to the opening line, I had no clue this was going to be a historical fantasy. I liked the feel of the Georgian era time: the balls, the gowns, the pigeon-hole gender roles and rebellious women saying *take that* to said gender roles. As for the fantasy elements, I was fascinated by the connection of the magic with the bees and their honey, as well as the curse preventing the Honey Witch from falling in love.

I sat on this review for two weeks after finishing the novel. I liked the story, timeline, characters. It just never struck the “holy cow” or “wow that was incredible” chords. For now, I’m keeping my beautiful FairyLoot edition on my shelf. Maybe I’ll try a reread of the book…or the volume could find itself booted for a book that really wows me and begs to be kept. 
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