What an uplifting and heartwarming book, found family, silliness and lots of heart,
The characters are so fun to interact with, each with their own individual personalities and yet what a wonderful family they have made together.
You can’t help but love Mika and her uplifting personality that shines through despite her cold upbringing, and you can feel the emotion as she comes to grips with her battle with inadequacy, loneliness and cheer for her growth as she embraces self love and her future at nothing house.
Jamie is the perfect brooding partner for her, their chemistry was electric!
The author has done such a wonderful job weaving This tale, I really wasn’t expecting how the story concluded and it left me with a very warm comforting feeling.

First of all, I would like to say thank you for the review copy, which was provided to me by the publisher. This fact does not in any way affect my personal opinion of this book. This post contains advertising and the rights for the book belong to the publisher.
Of course, is this only my personal opinion of the book and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion.

I loved this book! It had such a cosy feeling to it. I was instantly sucked into the story and wanted to continue reading in my free time right away.
The characters are a little bit flawed but that just made me love them more. It had huge "House in the Cerulean Sea" Vibes and I loved it. I think the ending was a little bit too fast-paced and the problem was too easily solved but I can look over that for the sake of this book that made me laugh out loud.
Btw the tension between the FMC and the Love interest was really nice ;)

Conclusion 
Such a good book!

This book is the most heartwarming book I've ever read. It captured me from the first page and wow I was not expected to love this much. The plot was the definition of cozy and the characters were so real and fun to read. Especially Mika Moon. she was the perfect main character. The story is filled with magic and I'll definitely reread it very soon. It is the perfect comfort read. I'll recommend to everyone to give this beautiful book a chance. You won't regret it.

I enjoyed this book very much! I'm still writing up my detailed review for Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads And my IG, but wanted to get my star rating on here before it's archived.

Thank you for the eARC, my rating is my own opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, let me tell you that i loved this book so so much. It was like a hug, this book hugged me.

Mika's story was so lovely, she is a witch and soon, she will be a teacher for three girls that are witches. But this book is more than this. It's a story about family, friends, life, past and love. When i started reading it, i thought it's a middlegrade book, but soon, the adult language appeared and i realise it's an adult fantasy.

I love the family trope and you can find it in this book, it's perfectly done. You will love all the characters, it was so heartwarming to see Mika open up and love these people. Even if she wasn't good at making friends or staying in one place, she starts taking care of these girls and they love her.

All the people from the Nowhere House are so kind. It's hard not to love them, they care for each other and they welcome Mika into their home immediately. They would do anything for their safety and for their future, and believe me, they did.

The worldbuilding is very easy, and relaxing. The house sounds so cozy, and i loved how the author described Mika's way to do potions, very witchy.

There is some romance too, but it's not the main subject. There are a lot of tropes, and it can be a little predictable. I found the male character just a tiny bit annoying, but i moved on quick, in the end, he's ok.

But there were some things i did not like; it was a scene that was strange, i think the author could have done something else there, and while the book starts all cute and lovely with family vibes, magic, potions and cozyness, it moves on to swearing and sex scenes, forgetting about the main subject of the book. I wanted more about the past of the witches, we just found out a thing and then left it there.

I do recommend this book, is very cozy. While you read it, drink a cup of tea, open a window, take a blanket and let the magic surround you.

Also, there is a dog in this book.

This was so fun!

If you’re looking for a cosy fantasy with a strong found family trope, this is perfect for you.

The characters were loveable and well developed, I was gripped from the very beginning and I really enjoyed the writing style.

Definitely one of my favourite netgalley finds so far!

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is exactly what the title suggests- fun, witty and highly entertaining! I immediately fell in love with this quirky romance featuring witches and a found family. I was absolutely thrilled that this book was set in the UK, which is an uncommon setting in this genre, so that was a very welcome suprise! I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming and uplifting story with a dash of magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was adorable. In so many ways. I've heard lots people refer to it as "cosy" and it's an excellent description. This book felt like the equivalent of a big, warm hug. I loved that it was so unexpected, while still feeling comfortably familiar. I loved, LOVED, the characters. It's a rare book where you love not just the MC, but all the secondary characters too. None of them overwhelmed Mika, but instead were a beautiful complement. I also appreciate the fact that Mika was allowed to be vulnerable and, even though she had trust issues, she followed her heart, she was open, kind, warm and funny. Was everyone, perhaps, a bit too perfect? Maybe, but it was so charming that I literally did not care and devoured the book in a single sitting.

This was a cute and enjoyable found family story with witches and magic. It was fun and the characters were well written and relatable. It was however a little disappointing for me, it didn't have enough plot and not much really happened. The magic was interesting but more whimsical and wasn't really explained very well, I did like the idea of making teas and potions as well as the collecting of moonlight and other ingredients.

I would say the characters were my favourite part of the book, they were just so fun and bubbly with some interesting interactions. I did enjoy the romance between Mika and Jamie, I feel they were good for each other and their personalities complimented each other well. The children were also such good personalities and they were just full of mischeif but also so loving and welcoming after the initial wariness.

Mika and her background were quite sad and it was clear she really needed a place to fit in after being alone basically her whole life. The head of her society of witches maintained the idea that they had to be alone to be safe and while that did work it really impacted her mental health.

The plot was very basic and a bit ridiculous really, it was just there to give the story something to aim towards and a reason for them all getting together. There was a lot of good stuff to this story but I was expecting more magic and witchy stuff but it ended up just being a cute rom com. Its a fun, easy read and the characters were great.

This book was everything to me, there is nothing more I would have wanted. It made me feel so much. I laughed, I cried, I longed but most of all I loved.

It feels like a warm hug, next to an open fire, on a rainy day. The perfect autumn, cosy read, but honestly I don't care what time of year it is, you need to read it!
Just enough witchy mischief, mystery and feeling to have you reading this in one sitting. A beautifully written plot that was warm, funny and bewitching.

The book has a found family trope and despite their being quite a few characters, each member of the Nowhere household is individual, uplifting, charismatic, quirky and cute. The variation of characters makes them easy to define and they all develop throughout the story.
Jamie has the most growth. I love that this book touches on so many issues such as past trauma, loneliness, self love and affirmation and processing change.

I don't usually quote books but this really stuck with me, its such a beautiful view point and a great way to see the difference in others when perhaps they are not being so kind.

“Lillian sounds like she’s more nice than she is kind. Does that make sense? Niceness is good manners, and stopping to give someone directions, and smiling at the overworked cashier at the supermarket. These are all good things, but they have nothing to do with what’s underneath. Niceness is all about what we do when other people are looking. Kindness, on the other hand, runs deep. Kindness is what happens when no one’s looking.”

This was just the most adorably witty and endearing book I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and of course Hodder & Stoughton for an ecopy of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

Description:
She found magic in the most unlikely of places.
As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon has lived her life by three rules: hide your magic, keep your head down, and stay away from other witches. An orphan raised by strangers from a young age, Mika is good at being alone, and she doesn't mind it . . . mostly.
But then an unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches, and Mika jumps at the chance for a different life.
Nowhere House is nothing like she expects, and she's quickly tangled up in the lives and secrets of its quirky, caring inhabitants . . . and Jamie, the handsome, prickly librarian who would do anything to protect his charges, and who sees Mika's arrival as a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.
As Mika finds her feet, the thought of belonging somewhere starts to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and soon Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect the found family she didn't know she was looking for . . .

What a fabulous cosy witchy read The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is, I absolutely loved this book. All the characters are wonderful, I am in love with Jamie the librarian! . A great novel to cosy up and read on an Autumnal Day.
Thank you to the publishers Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the e-arc.

What a cute story full of love and kindness. I took a while before i really wanted to read this at the start i could not find it an appealing read but i am so glad that I persevered as it was so warming a story with witchy activities and lots of unexpected twists. Good read.

Characters – 8/10
I love all of the characters in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Seriously, every single one. They are all so fleshed out, with distinct personalities and quirks. This found family really wormed its way into my heart. It makes me wish there were more books in this series. My one complaint would be that I want to spend more time with Mika and Jamie. It’s a romance book, but there’s also a lot of other plot going on. I wouldn’t have minded an extra 100 pages.

Atmosphere – 8/10
The setting of this book is perfect. Old house in the middle of nowhere (lol, iykyk) by the beach, with an odd collection of characters and witches, everything about it is fun and cosy. The house is as much of a character as the actual characters, and I enjoyed all the time we spent there.

Writing – 10/10
Sangu Mandanna’s writing is so addictive. Like I could not put this book down. At first, I thought this wasn’t going to be my cup of tea, since I’m not usually into cosy stories (and it’s comped to House in the Cerulean Sea, something I’ve never had the urge to read). But Mandanna’s writing really sealed the deal for me. It was excellent. Truly gripping. If you haven’t read her Celestials series yet, what are you waiting for?

Plot – 8/10
This book has a weird tone. It’s at times cozy, but other times very witty and sharp. Not that those two things are mutually exclusive. I guess I just didn’t know what to expect going in, and I still don’t quite know what to make of it. I did enjoy the plot, and even the little twist at the end was fun. Now that I think about it, this could easily be turned into a Tim Burton-style movie. Cute and whimsical, yet sometimes maybe a little creepy, and with lots of swearing.

Intrigue – 8/10
I really liked Mika’s character arc in this book. She overcomes some personal trauma, and deals with the end conflict in such a graceful manner. It was heartwarming to read.

Logic – 8/10
A lot of this book centres around self-acceptance, but also about letting people in and being vulnerable. Mika’s journey reflects that, and it really resonated with me. I also liked the magic system in this book. It’s more of a soft magic system, with not many rules, but I found the parts we did see to be fun and creative.

Enjoyment – 8/10
Overall this book was a really good time, and I highly recommend you check it out!

I loved everything about it, the witches, the magic, the children, the adults, Mika - everything!! I cannot express in words the love I hold for Mika, Jamie and the children. If you have read 'The House In The Cerulean Sea', you'll get what I mean as it's a bit similar, except here we have a touching story that is loveable in its own wayy!

Instead of being sour about the unfair hand life dealt her, Mika decided to face it all with a smile. How can I not like her?! Also, we kinda have a Desi witch here!! Mika is ethnically Indian and was brought up in Britain. I love how she chose to embrace the chaos around her with a smile on her face, even when she was hurting inside (I may relate to that a bit. I mean, don't we all?)🥺

I love Jamie too. The relationship between Jamie and Mika is the grumpy x sunshine trope bookstagram has been pining for! I related to Jamie's skepticism and Mika's feelings. Ian and Ken are undoubtedly one of the best couples I've read about! I love how Ian's frenzied energy is balanced out by Ken's calmness. Lucie deserves to be mentioned too! 💚

And the children! My poor heart can't take how beautiful the relationship was that blossomed between the children and Mika. Altamira, the youngest and the most sweetest, Terracotta, the middle one, brave yet reckless and Rosetta, the eldest and most wisest. 🦉

The book is not just about magic and romance, but it's also about othering and prejudices. It's about how it's not too late to find the place you fit into, to find your family. My heart was so happy when I finished reading this one! I definitely recommend this one!!!💛

TLDR - Pick this book up ASAP!

Normally my interest of witch book is toward the darker side or gothic theme. That's why The Very Secret Society of Irrelevant Witches is surprises me alot. I jumped blind into this book, without any expectation since this is my first read from author but I instantly hooked. I like the writing style, funny with healthy dosage of cursewords and give us deeper strong message along the way.

First of all I love the characters, expecially Mika. She is worming her way to my heart through the story. Her personal struggling, her kindness to other characters and her natural interactions with kids are make me fallin harder for her. Other characters are unique and compliment the story aswell. The romance is slow burn, sweet at beginning and steamer in the end.
The storyline itself is light and for me give warm vibes afterfeeling. Oh I wishes for more magical stuff exposes, but mostly only become props for more grander plots in story such as growing with personal baggage, misfit family, and capabilities to accept loves as general not only romantic type. I This book looks calm and sweet at beginning but not lack with twists and turn too.
Fall is coming and this heartwarming witch book will become perfect companion for the season.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for provided me with this copy and audiobook. I am truly grateful and my thoughts are my own.

This is a brilliant book with a marvelous and heartfelt storyline, kind and touching characters and a lot of goodness.
I love everything about this book! I love Mika and the girls and all the other people living in Nowhere house. I love the romance. I love the feelings this book brought me and the goodness it has. It’s emotional and beautiful and the storyline is surprising. There are definite plot twists along the way and certain things I definitely did not expect.
Most of all, this is a book about found family, beautiful magic and love and I’m so honored to have read it

This book feels like curling up with a warm drink and a cozy blanket by the window as the rain outside is hitting the sill. It is, without a doubt, soft, and wholesome, and heartwarming, and feels like a warm and comforting hug. So many readers are bound to find it an absolute treat. It made my heart so,so happy.

This was such a fun read! I adored reading this and it’s definitely one that I will come back to. I’d probably say this is a good bridge between YA & adult in the sense that it’s quite light and easy to read, even if you don’t read a lot of fantasy. I enjoyed the setting and overall, it was such a heartwarming, feel good book for me.

I loved the setting and the characters are fun and the romance was sweet. I did see one of the plot twists kinda coming but it wasn’t something I was bothered by. I enjoyed the plot we got and I only wish it was a bit longer because I wanted more of Nowhere House. I hope we get to follow another witch in this world because I loved the premise and I’m really intrigued by it. So I would happily read more!


As a note, I flipped between the ebook and audiobook and they’re both great.

Overall, I do recommend this if you need a feel good book and it’s definitely one that I would like to return at some point.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a charming book that got me thinking a lot about the value of comfort reads and how much the timing of when we read a book influences our experience.

It tells the story of Mika Moon, a talented but lonely witch who finds herself summoned to a mysterious, remote house to tutor three young girls for whom the lack of social connections within the witch community isn’t just isolating, but leaves them with little idea how to control their magical abilities. From the get-go, it’s impossible not to like Mika; Mandanna has a wonderfully assured voice that makes Mika leap off the page, and comes with lots of wry observations about the world in which Mika lives. It’s also hard not to relate to Mika, who feels emotionally unfulfilled despite her talents, and is frustrated by her peers’ lack of willingness to contemplate any other possibilities beyond doing what they have always done. There’s also some very cool bits of magic, and I loved how Mika used her creativity to brighten up her everyday life.

I don’t like to compare books, but there are a lot of similarities to other cozy fantasies that have become SFF darlings in recent years; T.J. Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea is the most obvious comp title, but there are plenty of others. In some ways, Mandanna offers something new among these titles – most notably, Mika is an orphan from India and the book touches briefly on the ethical dilemmas of raising a non-white adoptee in Britain, in a genre that has often been more focused on other forms of diversity. But it mostly retreads a lot of the same ground, pulling out commonplace platitudes about the power of friendship, family and love.

There’s nothing wrong with that; god knows we have all needed a slightly saccharine escape from the reality of our world during the last few years. But unlike in 2020, when I devoured cozy fantasy and was in such desperate need of something lighthearted that I didn’t mind if a book lacked a certain level of depth, it’s not what I needed right at this very second. I still don’t want to look too closely at the state of society right now, but I am no longer trapped in my own house for hours on end and clinging to books as my main source of company. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches does have a number of flaws, and while I mostly enjoyed the book, it was hard not to notice them.

In particular, there isn’t a lot of character growth even for Mika, who is lonely but who slides into her new world without the slightest bit of friction. For example; Mika has no experience with kids and voices some trepidation about her role as tutor, but these worries seem to abate the moment she steps into the house and we never see her genuinely struggle with how best to help her own charges. Similarly, the side characters are all very one note, and mostly there to offer life lessons and dispense wisdom and/or jokes as needed. The love interest, Jamie (the grouch of this ‘grumpy/sunshine’ pairing), gets a little more development than most, but it’s largely relayed as back story rather than a meaningful part of their romantic relationship.

This is one of those books that, had I read it while feeling particularly down about the state of the world, I probably would have given 5 stars without hesitation. But, as it stands, it’s a mostly enjoyable read, yet ultimately a little cliched and in need of some greater depth.

I loved this quirky, fun book. Two girls (who turn out to be witches) are adopted by a guy named Jaime, who lives with a very interesting group of people that make up his unofficial family in a hidden house called Nowhere House.
Mika is a witch, also adopted, because all witches lose their parents. She was raised to think that it was mortally dangerous to associate with other witches, but she answers an ad for a tutor and ends up at Nowhere House.
I absolutely loved the characters, and the witchy parts were interesting and fun. 5 stars for this one-of-a-kind book.


Synopsis
A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family--and a new love--changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for....

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.