Overall thoughts:
2.5⭐️
0.5 🌶️
368 (kindle edition) 📖
Release Date - 16th May 2024

‘It's better to be lost in a daydream than trapped in a dim reality.’
'Death has never felt so close. Love has never felt so far.'

Tropes: Queer rep/ romance, witches, slow burn, curses, found family.

A generational curse holds Marigold at arms length of she what she truly wants... love.

I really wanted to like this book, having read similar sounding books in the past & enjoyed them. However this book just wasn't for me.
I'll start with the things I had issues with & finish with the positives!
The major issue for me was pacing. The book's pacing is initially very slow and felt extremely rushed at the end (ie. the third act conflict happens at 93% completion of the ebook edition).
I also felt like the characters/ magic & plot could also have done with a lot more fleshing out - it all felt a bit surface level. It was hard to get invested in them & their arcs.

That all been said, the writer has a lovely whimsical & descriptive writing style. Making it really easy to imagine the world around Marigold.
Standout character for me with Mr Benny, I really would have loved to hear a bit more about his younger days with Marigold's grandmother.

Thank you to Sydney J. Shields & NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

We follow Marigold. In the beginning of the book I definitely see inspiration from pride and prejudice but that’s mostly where that ends. We get some hints of Halloweentown as we find out that Marigold is a witch, when her grandmother comes to collect her and take her back to her home. Her entire life her mother was trying to protect her from the Ash Witch who wants to use her power to become immortal rather than helping the world as she’s meant to. When Althea, Marigold’s grandmother refused to help the Ash Witch, she puts a curse on Althea and her family. No one can love them. If they chose love, they must give up their powers. Marigold immediately accepts her magic and is trained to be a proper honey witch, thinking love will never find her and she doesn’t care for it. That is until she meets Lottie.

This is a very coming of age book. A book of discovering oneself. There’s a little found family.

Id say it was about a 4 star read for me. It was cozy. It was good but something was missing. I just cant put my finger on what that is. However, beautiful debut for Sydney! I cant wait to see what she brings out next!

A cosy cottagecore fantasy that’s magically written. I love a family curse in a plot and I enjoyed this aspect. I felt the book started well with Bridgerton vibes and I was really getting into it and then there was a big change and I felt it could have been more modern day and this threw me slightly. The relationship between the main FMC and her grandmother was nice but the rest of her family relationships didn’t seem that realistic. The romance is lovely and heartwarming. I think many people will love the vibes of this book and it is written well, the depth just wasn’t there for the characters for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC copy of this book.

Gilmore girls + Peactical Magic + Bridgerton + romantasy queer cottage core dreaminess

I would give this a 3.5/5 overall but I wanted to give it more!! The start was a bit too long with a little too much emphasis on Mari not fitting in. Some of it felt too rushed and sudden plot wise including her development as a witch. The end was also a bit too abrupt and some of the pace a bit off overall but I loved the concepts, plots and characters overall:

* Sapphic cottage core vibes
* Inclusive queer/ LGBTQIA+ Bridgerton context
* Fated Mates
* Found Family
* Super cute world building: I want to live on the island!!

DNFed at 22%
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the prose of this, and the themes it touched on did not feel refined. I felt the book going into a direction I disagreed with from the start, so I will not give it a rating public on Goodreads, as it is simply not be my cup of tea.

By the title alone I knew this was not going to be one to miss!
Witches, magic, romance, cottagecore gorgeousness!
A really truely wonderful cute cosy story!

A truly beautiful cosy sapphic fantasy with a strong romance plot.

Marigold has always felt out of place in her home and community - more interested in nature than balls. So it makes sense when she learns that she is a witch, and moves to her grandmother's house to learn how to use her magic. But that magic also comes with responsibilities, including protecting her new home from a rogue witch who has cursed her family never to know love.

I really can't talk about this book without using the word beautiful. The writing is in third person present tense (single point of view), which gives it a very lyrical feel. The whole setup is very cosy, with plenty of cottage slice-of-life moments intermingled with the wider plot.

The magic itself is really interesting - the idea of honey magic and ash magic being opposites but both necessary in their own way. And the magic being both dependent on and responsible for nature was a great concept.

The other characters in the book are fun. Marigold's family are a definite mixed bunch, but their heart is clearly in the right place. Then on the island she reconnects with her childhood friend August, which introduces Marigold to his friend Lottie. The love interest of a witch being a complete magic sceptic is always a great dynamic, and it worked really well here.

I can't not mention that this book is extremely feminist and I am here for it! So many of the lessons Marigold learns as part of her witch training are about supporting women whatever path they choose to take in life.

I'd wholeheartedly recommend this to lovers of cosy fantasy romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Honey Witch, set in 1831, follows Marigold as she discovers magic, love, and the enchanting power of honey.

I was excited about the premise of this book, especially being drawn to its whimsical and sapphic themes. Overall, I had a fun time reading it, and it delivered on its promises in principle. If you enjoy fantasy and romance, you'll likely find this debut novel enjoyable.

However, while I appreciated the premise and atmosphere, I found the pacing and character development lacking, making it difficult for me to fully engage with the story.

One of my main challenges in connecting with the story was the prose, which often read like young adult fiction. Whilst this isn't inherently a problem, personally, I struggle to connect with young adult romance. I couldn't help but feel that the story might have been better suited for a younger audience.

Nevertheless, if you're intrigued by the book and enjoy the genre, particularly cosy regency settings, it's worth giving it a chance, if only for its whimsical sapphic fairytale vibes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

I was worried about this because I wasn’t sure I was going to love it - I’m not a big fan of historical fiction, I think regency stuff has been massively overdone at this point, I’ve never even seen Bridgerton (well, I did start it thanks to this book). However, I saw people mention this book was sapphic and, like a moth to a flame, I had to read it after that.

It started off really slow and I was, again, worried I had made a wrong decision in thinking this book would be for me but, after the 25/30% mark, it picked up a lot and I got really into it. I had a lot of fun!

I really liked Mari and Lottie. I loved the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, which isn’t normally my favourite trope but thought it was cute here. They had a somewhat slow burn relationship that was heartwarming, wholesome and endearing. I really liked the honey/ash witch story.

I loved the atmosphere, and I adore bees, so I knew I’d like those elements even if I didn’t like much else (but, thankfully, I did). How cool is it that we exist at a time where bees exist, too?

I also enjoyed the themes about feminism, grief, and loneliness. I thought they were done well.

I found the pacing to be off, though. As I mentioned earlier, the first part of this book starts off very slowly, then the middle we have a little cosy fantasy with a cottagecore atmosphere and we get to know the characters a bit more, and then the last section is really fast paced and more like a typical fantasy. I think that, if the pacing was done a little better, it could have been more evenly spread out throughout the book. I definitely think cosy fantasy and a more typical fast paced fantasy can coexist in a book and be done brilliantly, but I do feel like it could have been done better here.

I also wanted to know more about the characters. We do spend a lot of time with them, but I think we should have gotten more in depth information about them and especially the way they interact with each other.

And I also had a problem with the world building, which is that there isn’t much? I have no idea about what the world is like, how their magic works, or really anything outside of Marigold (and Lottie’s) bubbles. Even then, some things didn’t make sense, such as the curse. I think the curse added high stakes and it helped further the plot, I’m just confused with how it works.

On the other hand…it was really fun and I had a great time. I love the world, I love the characters, and I’m sad that I think this is a stand-alone because I want more! So does it have its issues? Yes, but that did not at all hinder my enjoyment of the story and I thought it was a fantastic debut.

I look forward to what else this author writes!

Cottage core meets historical fantasy. I found the pacing a little slow in this one, but the writing and prose were lively and kept me turning the page. The generational curse that affects Marigold was so bittersweet, and you can't help but feel for her plight. The romance was sweet, nothing over the top, and while the plot twists weren't a surprise, the magical setting just pulls you in with the cottage core vibes.

Special thanks to Little Brown Group UK and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 | 𝐒𝐲𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐉 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐬
★★★.75

𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
Marigold has never fit in with her siblings and peers in Bardshire, and until her grandmother visits and confesses that they’re Honey Witches does Marigold realise why. Marigold and her grandmother go to Innisfree where her grandmother works to keep the land alive and the locals healthy.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟
⟡ Historical fantasy
⟡ Cosy cottagecore vibes
⟡ Sapphic rep
⟡ Generational curse

𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝
This was a really charming fantasy that is practically every cottagecore lovers dream. The magic system is gentle and sweet, featuring honey and its antithesis: ash. It’s supported by a setting that is wholesome, idyllic, and utterly worth saving. The land of Innisfree was a world of beautiful—and sometimes deadly—omens that tied in wonderfully with the story.

Which is why the generational curse hits so bittersweet. Marigold essentially has to choose between her magic—and by extension, her land and all it serves—and her one true soulmate. The romance in this book is between a witch and a skeptic and whilst Marigold tries to persuade Lottie that magic is real, the real magic of falling in love is happening instead. The writing is lush and descriptive that enforces the cosy vibes and the warmhearted narrative.

For every reader who dreams of escaping to a cottage in the woods to work on spells and keep the land alive; for every reader who’s never fit in or thought that they could find true love, this is for you.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝
The trouble for me with this book is that it could be quite boring. It’s a bit like playing the cosy games of animal crossing and stardew valley, the results are worthwhile but it can be a bit of a grind.

Couple this with interactions that are written in purple prose but lack serious bonding made me unconvinced in the relationships and dynamics of the story.

𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵.”

“𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯.”

“𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘴.”

I struggled with this book as I found the characters lacking depth. The introduction of Lottie didn't work for me,- first, I immediately figured out who she was and secondly, her mean girl shell, soft inside arc was forced and unrealistic.
The plot was good and I liked concept but mostly I found the whole thing to filled with overworked dialogue and effortful tropes.

A cottage core whimsical magic story with Practical Magic vibes and a sapphic love story? I was so excited for this book, it was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024. As much as I did enjoy it, I also felt like it fell a little flat as well.

The descriptive writing side of it was wonderful to read and so pretty but the speech parts felt a bit clunky and thrown in.

I did guess the plot twist very early on but it didn’t ruin the rest of my reading experience, it gave more of a ‘when will she realise’ vibe

I will definitely be looking out for more from Sydney in the future as her descriptive writing is beautiful to read

Sometimes you can scream " I am not like other girls", without saying anything at all.

Yeah, as you can read between the lines, I did not finish that book. I gave up around the 20-25% mark.

The writing style was okayish for me. I noticed instantly that I started skimming passages, which (in my case) is a good indicator that I am not vibing with the text.

I was annoyed by the main character and also the plot itself.
The plot was both dragging and too fast. It was like "Bam! Here is a plot point", and "Bam: here some more for you"; but overall it just bored me, which makes me quite sad because the overall premise sounded great and the cover is stunning!
I also think, that there may be a massive plothole for the whole curse thing, but I haven't read far enough to see if my assumption is correct.
The book tried to be a lot more than it is (Damn, that sounds very harsh!). The whole "elemental opposite", curses, "you are a witch marigold", and just the overall plot itself.

When I hear cottagecore fantasy, I think of a book that feels like reading on a warm summer day and just something softer.

Also: I thought that this book is set in 2024 or something and not the 1800s. Did I miss a marketing point??

DNFed unfortunately. I was expecting an exciting, fast-paced plot that was similar to Bridgerton (as stated in its synopsis) with a fascinating world of magic and spells, but this all fell flat for me. I couldn't get into it.

Although the writing was done well, the characters had the driest personalities and conversations, and I just wasn't excited about the plot enough to carry on reading :(

3.75 Rounded to 4 Stars

This book is a cosy witchy book which follows a story of self discovery and finding what you are looking for unexpectedly.
I found it to be beautifully written and easy to follow along with. I enjoyed the world building and especially the descriptions of the protectors. I loved learning about the Bees and the witchcraft too.
The story follows Marigold who doesn’t really fit in with her family and after her Grandmother coming to visit she discovers her she is a Honey Witch. Marigold is excited to learn she is to be the next Honey Witch which her mother is against, for Marigold has already been attacked before by the Ash Witch when she was longer. From here the story explores Marigolds discovered talent for being a Honey Witch as well as finding her family whilst also battling against the evil Ash Witch.
But don’t forget Honey Witches are cursed to never fall in love!!
I loved meeting all the side characters too who I felt really helped with the story and I enjoyed seeing the characters development throughout the book too.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I so wanted to enjoy this book. It seemed to have been written for me—hello cosy queer fantasy with witches, what's not to love? Well, a lot, it turns out. Cheesy dialogue, rushed pacing, poor characterization, and subpar world-building (not to mention logic). And I am the most surprised to find that the middle section of this book was the better one.

The Honey Witch opens with Marigold & family going to a ball in the 1800s and here is my first problem—the dialogue nearly gave me whiplash. You know when you're watching a film and everyone is overacting? This book suffers from the same issue. Everyone reacts in such dramatic ways to the smallest things. If it were up to me, the first 20% of the book would have been scrapped and we'd start directly on Innisfree. This might help a bit with the pacing. Like I said before, it was so rushed, it read like the author was trying to tick off certain events/beats off a list rather than writing a cohesive story.

The explanation for the curse makes absolutely no sense, and it would've been so easy to fix. I didn't believe the romance one bit, so nothing regarding the plot had enough weight for me. Marigold's siblings were okay, but they could've also been converged into one and have a more meaningful connection with her. Same for dad. The family had so much potential, but then we ruined it with pointless melodrama.

Another thing that makes no sense is the magic system. Why would you associate elemental magic with honey witches and ash witches? How would a honey witch not have control over earth instead since she's all wild and likes to run barefoot in the forest? But I digress. This probably happened only in order to further the 'climax' of this book, which was... something.

We hear about the antagonist throughout the entire book, including her motivations, the damage she could deal, etc. But she has no real influence over the plot until the last 10% (besides the curse that really would not have made any difference in the first place). And when she does arrive, it's such a letdown. She has no depth, nothing to add besides providing an obstacle for Marigold to overcome. And is it hard, you may ask? Nope. Super easy, barely an inconvenience. But at this point I just wanted it to be over, so I'm glad we didn't linger.

Not to mention that during Lottie's big reveal (that everyone probably saw coming), Marigold has zero reaction. Not even, "Yes, it is as I suspected." I would've settled for that, I promise. It was that obvious.

Besides all of that, in the ARC I received there were issues with timing (especially with travels, and correspondence), and logic (characters having items to carry but never mentioning them, characters suddenly having changes of clothes even though there was no mention of luggage) but I trust those will be fixed for the final copy.

This book is for you if you enjoy:
- very fast paced fantasy
- forbidden, cursed lovers
- forest witch vibes
- enchanted animals just for the aesthetic
- you get a soulmate, and you get a soulmate, and YOU get a soulmate!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sydney J. Shields and Redhook for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A cozy fantasy where a charming cottage nestled amidst potions, flowers, and buzzing bees sets the stage for an enchanting and lovely tale.

Marigold is a wild soul who finds the constraints of her mundane life too confining. Yearning for something more, she discovers her true destiny when her grandmother unveils a hidden legacy: they are witches. Suddenly, Marigold's world bursts with magic and possibility, offering her a sense of belonging she's always craved.
Amidst the whimsical setting of Innisfree, Marigold reunites with old friends and encounters unexpected allies, including the grumpy, beautiful and skeptical Lottie. Determined to prove the power of her magic to the doubting Lottie, Marigold embarks on a journey of self-discovery and experiences emotions she never thought possible.
But as dark forces threaten to unravel the enchantment of her beloved home in Innisfree, Marigold must harness her newfound powers swiftly to protect her cherished haven.

My favorite aspect of the book lies in its magical and evocative setting, painted with vivid descriptions.
While the worldbuilding and magical system are very intriguing, they are left largely unexplained, leaving much to be desired in terms of depth and detail.

The sweet love story between Lottie and Marigold is adorable, I loved seeing them together and how their connection grew, although sometimes it felt a bit rushed.

However, what left me perplexed was the constantly fluctuating pace and the author's struggle to strike a good balance between the fantastical elements and the romance. Some parts of the plot seemed stagnant, while others raced ahead too quickly.

Unfortunately, I found the ending a bit hurried and superficial. Nonetheless, it was an engaging read that kept me eagerly turning pages and I was genuinely impressed by the writing style, especially considering it's a debut novel. I'll gladly keep an eye out for more from this promising author!

The description of this book was literally everything I would want in a cozy read. However, putting together all these themes that I and many other people love at the moment tended to feel cliche at times. Especially some of the more popular tropes that appeared in this book. The vibes of the book are definitely what incentivized me to keep reading: I loved the environment of Innisfree: the cottage, the garden, the bees and the potion-brewing! The romance was a wonderful surprise: when we found August in the story I could feel myself rolling my eyes, but I'm so glad that went where it went. I was hyped when the book started off as an Austen-type story of a rebellious girl dealing with social expectations and balls and the pressures put upon women. This however got confusing really fast as I didn't feel it suited the story and, while it is fantasy, every character was part of the LGBTQ community and this was completely normal for everybody in this regency(?) era. I feel she chose this era for aesthetic reasons, but I did not feel I understand what the purpose of it was. The dialogue and characters felt really modern and when we got to Innisfree I forgot what time period we were in. It felt like maybe the author tried to put everything she wanted in one short book, which made some of these choices confusing. Still, I really enjoyed reading the book and this is a great debut novel! I'm excited to see what the author writes next!

5★

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc of this book!

This felt like it was written for me. It had everything I thought I'd love. Witches, cottagecore vibes, magic based around honey, and a sapphic love story? Just sign me up. And I was right! Such a lovely and comforting read!

We follow Marigold who finds out from her grandmother that she is actually a witch and is given a choice of staying with her parents in a town she doesn’t like, or coming with her to become one. However, there is a catch. If she accepts her power and becomes the next honey witch, she may never find true love. Nobody can ever fall in love with her.

This book was so adorable and cute. I loved how relaxing it felt at times. It just made me want to run outside and lay in the grass in the sun, drink tea with honey, and plant flowers. (Which I actually kinda did? I planted strawberries and blueberries, so I'd say this book succeeded at that.) It’s a perfect book for when you can read outside in the sun.

I loved that it was slow-paced which usually I am not a fan of. However, it worked so well for this story. Even the romance was very very slow. The author herself calls this a “slowmantasy” and that’s such an accurate term. With the romance, you could feel the pull between our two characters and the yearning and I loved it! You could tell they were simply meant to be. It was perfect.

I loved Marigold as our main character. I liked how courageous and strong she was. Her love for animals and spirits and her grandmother. And of course, for Lottie.

Lottie was such an interesting character as well. Especially because she felt a bit like me at times. Grumpy, tattooed, artist who mainly wears dark colors. I loved her.

The vibes though! This was so cozy and heartwarming! If you love cozy fantasy, this one might be for you. I personally am very picky about them, but this one just hit the right spot. It feels like a nice sunny day outside with bees buzzing around and the smell of honey. It was so enjoyable!

I also have to mention that I very much liked the writing style of the author. For a debut novel, this was so well written. I’d definitely read another book written by her for sure!

Read if you like:
☆ witches and magic
☆ cozy fantasy
☆ slow burn romance
☆ cottagecore vibes
☆ sapphic love stories