This book was a breath of fresh air. It was sweet and cozy without being too sugary, and still had a fully realized world within it. It was exactly what I needed when I wanted a break from serious, angst filled romantasy. I can’t wait to read the next books in the series!

This book was a lovely cosy, wholesome, and easy read. As my first read from Stephanie Burgis I wasn't assure what to expect but I found that I quite liked her writing style, she made me feel very 'at home' in a sense that I didn't have to exert myself to know what was going on.

The character's were likeable, I didn't quite click with them. Felix is a lovely warm cinnamon roll type MMC, and Saskia is proclaimed to be an 'evil witch queen' but we don't see anything evil - I would have liked to have seen more actions to back this up rather than a couple of scenes where she was pretending to be something she was not.

The plot was predictable, pacing was good, we don't really see a lot of character development and the tropes were well done.

Overall, this story fell a bit flat for me. It was enjoyable yes, but it didn't bring much to the table in terms of feelings, exciting-ness, or the relationship development between Saskia and Felix.

A lot of readers will eat this up, but it wasn't for me.

This was so very unique and so exciting to delve into! Romantic and surprising, full of magic and surprising turns, this was a great story from the first page to the last and I was sad to reach the end

A well written story full of magic, creatures and fantastical storylines but an enjoyable romp that was a good read

I inhaled this cozy romantasy in one go and really loved the two main characters. For a start, who can resist a sweet, poetry-writing MMC who's pretending to be a dark wizard librarian and befriending the FMC's horde of crows? I loved the reversal of the typical FMC/MMC romantasy roles, and loved to see Saskia take control, both as Queen and in her relationship with Felix.

There's a lovely slow burn here, full of yearning. There is a open-door sex scene but it's not explicit. I'd say it focuses more on the emotion between Saskia and Felix.

I can't wait to read the next two books in the Queens of Villainy series. Both Lorelei and Ailana are such different characters to Saskia, so their stories are going to be really unique!

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.

Stephanie Burgis weaves a spellbinding tale filled with charm, heart, and unexpected twists in her latest novel. Centered on a wicked Queen of Villainy and her enigmatic mysterious librarian, this story contains hidden identities, slow-burn romance, and the courage to confront personal ghosts—all while showing the transformative power of love and connection.

One of the most refreshing aspects of this book is how it challenges traditional notions of strength, giving us a role reversal entirely. Saskia is powerful and a queen of a kingdom threatened by her neighbour. She took the responsibility of protecting her people no matter the cost. Burgis balanced gentleness and kindness with power and wickedness, redefining what it means to be a strong and resilient protector.

It’s a delightful mix of romantic fantasy with a world of otherworldly, surprises, and warmth. From crow companions and an endearing troll housekeeper to a found family you’ll wish you could join. There’s no shortage of memorable moments.

This novel is a true gem for fans of romantasy and anyone craving a fun, heartfelt tale and a healthy dose of witchy.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This was delightful, but probably not really for me! While I try to read outside my comfort zone, and I enjoyed the fantasy elements this had, it was just a bit too romance heavy for me!

So if you’re trying to read more fantasy, and you’re a romance lover - this is the perfect choice for you! It was a cosy read, I actually really liked the male main character a lot (which doesn’t happen often in romance books!) He was gentle and kind and kept befriending the crowd; Felix is the highlight of this book.

This book was so much fun, I love witchy books and the initial bit of this that grabbed me was the colours on the cover.
Really enjoyed this one though and the chapter illustration pages were honestly stunning!

Stephanie Burgis’s Wooing the Witch Queen is a charming and magical romance that’s as fun as it is heartwarming. The dynamic between the fierce, no-nonsense MC and her unexpected suitor is full of witty banter, sweet moments, and just the right amount of tension. Burgis creates a vibrant world brimming with enchantment, and the story moves at a brisk pace, keeping you hooked until the very end. While some parts of the plot could have been expanded, the engaging characters and delightful romance make this a thoroughly enjoyable read for fans of magical love stories.

A very cosy fantasy - it’s so refreshing to read a story with a host of strong female characters, and with a sensitive but equal MMC.

The story follows Felix, an archduke on the run, and Saskia, a fierce but self described “wicked” witch queen, who is unaware that the dark wizard she has just hired is actually the man she thinks she has spent years fighting.

The cast of characters are so loveable, especially my favourite little crow Oskar (who doesn’t love an animal sidekick/familiar).

The storyline moved at a good pace and was relatively low stakes/cosy but still held my interest.

I would love to read this book again, and will definitely continue with the series when the next book is released.

A powerful, wicked sorceress? And a "sweet and a little nerdy" librarian love interest? Sign me up! I love powerful women and underdog men, what can I say.

This book delivered on its premise in the area where so many of them just bait & switch the reader. It's a short & sweet, bingeable fantasy romance with "black cat x golden retriever" energy (she's grumpy, he's sunshine).

We know immediately Saskia is not so wicked when the blurb states "she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door". She's a good person with a bad reputation and a dilemma: try to amend it, or harness it for intimidation purposes. She's introverted and has a baggage from the past, therefore suffers no fools. But she's hardworking, caring and very likeable.

Her companions, the ogre Morlokk, the troll Mrs. Haglitz, the goblin Krakk and the crow Oscar create a colourful entourage with often comedic effects.

Felix / Fabian is a political pawn held hostage in his own castle and when he realizes he'd likely be assassinated soon, he runs to the only place his tormentors can't reach - Saskia's magically walled kingdom. Then he gets hired by Saskia by mistake because she jumps to a conclusion (which is lampshaded later as "divine intervention to get them together"). Romance ensues.

It's a fairly slice of life / court intrigue fantasy of manners. I've seen it called cozy, but I'm not sure how cozy it is when both protagonists have tragic backstories and deal with grief and low self-esteem. I've also seen it called "gaslamp" which usually lies adjacent to cozy and Regency / Victorian style fantasy. Balls, ceremonies, social gatherings, gossip and romantic interactions fill the pages.

I enjoyed the romance development especially seeing Saskia take a more active role of a pursuer and initiator while F. was more restrained himself. I rarely see MF romantasy allow the fmc to lead the development of the relationship instead of just agreeing to the mmc's advances. I love to see a sexually confident woman depicted in a MF relationship. There was a lot of consent checking, which is a good thing, and the spice was mild open door.

I also liked how Saskia grew confidence in other aspects of her life thanks to F. and started giving pushback to people who tried to belittle or manipulate her.

What I didn't like was the typical for cozy and romance stories a clear division between "villains" and "good side characters". Villains are always cartoonishly evil and get the punishment they deserve, but the "good side characters" rarely even get a slap on the wrist even if they go way out of line (and most likely will be reused as protagonists in book 2 and 3 of the series...).

Except cultivating a repository of side characters to elevate them to leads of the sequels, I feel it also puts gloves on the hands of the current protagonists - they only retaliate against people who are grotesquely evil, and they forgive easily everyone else. That keeps the protagonists in the "morally white and 200% likeable territory".

I personally felt specific side characters should not have gotten Scott free with all the disrespect they thrown against Saskia and all the slimy gaslighty tactics they used against her. "Oops sorry, my mistake" isn't enough imo.

The writing style was charming and full of situational humour, and I enjoyed following Saskia's character arc to be less of a self-sacrificing workaholic, and F.'s character arc of finding his own worth, power and confidence while remaining extremely respectful, supportive and kind.

Overall the story is short and mostly character-focused, so we don't learn a lot about the magic or the world at large except "these kingdoms exist", but I feel in a standalone fantasy romance worldbuilding is expected to take a back seat.

Recommended for fans of fantasy of manners with romance focus a la Olivia Atwater's Regency Faerie Tales, but with a bit extra spice, and readers of MF romantasy with queer protagonists (Saskia is bisexual, at least 2 side characters are queer too). If you, like me, love stories where fmc is more powerful / take-charge than the mmc and it's never taken away from her, this is a must read.

TW: physical child abuse, death of loved ones (both in backstories, non-graphic)

Thank you Netgalley, Pan Macmillan & Tor Bramble UK for the ARC!

3 stars - Cosy fantasy romance.

Duke Fabian / Felix escapes his bully of a father in law into the neighbouring enemy territory ruled by Witch Queen Saskia. Due to a miscommunication mix up Felix begins to work as Saskia's librarian under the guise of a dark wizard unbeknown to Sakia he is the "enemy" duke herself and the neighbouring two witch queens have been searching for.

I would say this book is more of a cosy romance set within a fantasy setting. I enjoyed how the roles were reversed compared to other books - the damsel was Felix with Saskia coming to his rescue. I also liked the scenes within the library and with the crow that took a liking to Felix.

I was expecting more fantasy from the blurb and I felt the world was underdeveloped as the story concentrated on the romance. If your looking for a easy romance read then this book is for you. Would recommend for those who enjoyed Can't spell treason without tea.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this one and there was quite a bit I did like about it, but ultimately it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. One thing I particularly enjoyed about this concept did deliver quite well though; the reversal of conventional roles. Despite having dual POV, I did feel as though the male main character Felix was the more prominent main character rather than Saskia, the female main character. Both in terms of personality and role, they seem to have switched with what is more common in similar tales, and it was well done and refreshing.

I really took to Felix - while I certainly love a mysterious or darker male character, Felix was the entire opposite and he was simply such a sweet character altogether, I would not mind seeing more of his kind. I liked him so much, I almost want to say he carried this whole book for me; because unfortunately, Saskia did not work for me.

I truly wanted to like her, but something did not click. On one hand, she was meant to be an evil witch queen, on the other, she was meant to be misunderstood and kind hearted. To me, she largely failed at both. I found her terribly immature and impatient, dismissing sensible advice and pouring whenever she couldn’t do what she fancied. As a result, I found she was a terrible player at politics, which is definitely not unimportant for the plot.

Then, very sadly, I did not really enjoy the romance. I suppose it’s always tricky if you only like one of a pair in a romance story, but the issue for me largely lay within the pacing. Despite having read several reviews saying this was slow burn, to me it was very close to insta love. At the very least, I felt there was insta lust which then developed into very strong love (as in throw my kingdom and life away for you love) within a fairly short amount of time. Given the stakes of lives and kingdoms, I just didn’t relate to how both characters prioritised the romance, and that’s coming from someone who wants a good chunk of love story in their book.

This was by no means bad though, it was overall quite fun, it was a fast paced and quick book to get through and it’s an interesting world. I understand this is meant to be one of three books although it can be fully read as a standalone. I don’t think I’ll continue the series as I’m already a bit squirmish about the series and trio of female main characters calling themselves Queens of Villainy - the name feels rather cartoonish and I already struggled with the silliness of the fae queen who will be taking the lead in the sequel. Regardless, Felix was an absolute gem.

Wooing the witch Queen is a solid 4* read. It's such a nice change to read about a strong female character who is considered in this story to be an evil and powerful character, to be feared by all in the neighbouring realms. However, as much as she is almighty and powerful and certainly to not be underestimated, recalling presence of Fabian or dark wizard and Librarian, so is actually Felix, the Prince, escaping his own Kingdom, brings out Queen Saskia's vulnerable side and it's great to see these lead characters relationship grow. It feels like a dangerous dance of lust and want for one another and as the narrative develops and threat of war is upon the Queen, their connection grows much deeper. I really enjoyed this cosy slow burn romance and my heart was in my mouth when Felix showed his true self! I did not expect the twist at the end of the book. There has to be more to come surely...........

Wooing the Witch Queen transports you back in time to a beautiful vivid setting in the gas-lamp era, there is a majestic castle with its own giant library. The world itself is full of forests, ogres and witches. What’s not to like? The story and romance and light hearted, cozy and fun. There’s a fake identity that is fun to read about and wonder how events will turn out. The romance was a bit instant for me but I did like the Grumpy x Sunshine dynamic. Overall a fun read that is a great palate cleanser between more epic reads. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

This was such a fun read! I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

We’re seeing a lot of books lately which challenge the typical clear cut villain characterisation and I’m loving it! This is another great example. We have Felix who rules in name only and is really a pawn for his horrendous father in law. He flees and seeks sanctuary with a neighbouring enemy, putting his life at risk for the chance of freedom. He’s heard the witch queen in charge is monstrous and evil. However things are not quite what they seem.

I loved the main characters in this. Felix is so humble and kind. He’s intelligent and caring and hardworking and just wants to work in the library having a peaceful life. He’s suffered a great deal in his life but it hasn’t jaded or made him lose his gentle spirit. Saskia is painted as a monster but really just wants to be left alone and to protect her people allowing magic users and creatures to be left in peace. They are both portrayed in ways that aren’t accurate by those who wish to use them for their own nefarious purposes. These were two people who I could really root for!

The setting was fantastic, so vivid and magical. I could really picture the different kingdoms and castles. The magic was really interesting particularly when you throw in libraries with magical tomes and the arrogant dark wizards!

I had so much fun reading this book, I’ll definitely be looking for more from this author.

Wooing the Witch Queen is a cozy romantasy with a bit of a tongue in cheek vibe. I liked the characters well enough, and the plot was pretty well paced, but something was missing for me and I wasn't wowed. Plenty of people will love it though!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I do enjoy a world building book and this one was just about perfect. The grumpy/sunshine has been done so many times before, but this is a reverse one and our heroine is a grump, but to be fair she totally has a million reasons to be so. Felix is a soft sunshine, who jumps off the page. I loved this book and I'm really looking forward to this authors next book.

I really enjoyed this story! From the elements of magic, to the relationship between are main characters, every aspect kept me intrigued!

Saskia is such a strong female lead! She is the definition of female rage and standing up for the people she loves dearly. Felix took my heart! I love his softness, especially toward Saskia and the kindness his gives to the people around him.
The humorous writing was divine. I kept giggling at Saskia's inner monolog.

Thank you for this title! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. Also cannot wait for the next instalment.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7092340304?book_show_action=false

I had high expectations for this book and like always when this happens, they have not been met, so I’m left with a bit of disappointment.

The book was not bad on itself, problem was it didn’t stick out to me, didn’t impress me and the fantasy world building was just not explained like at all.

The characters were mid and the dynamics between them didn’t leave me much to remember.

Unfortunately I won’t be continuing this series.

Although I didn’t appreciate it as much as I had expected, I’m sure this book will be loved by many.