This book was just as charming as the first in the series! I did find it less engaging but it was still a lovely little witchy read. The characters were wholesome and loveable but I didn’t feel the same connection between them as I did with ‘the very secret society of irregular witches’.

oh god i’m just so in love with her writing. it’s always the most coziest, fluffiest, magical story 🥹

thank you to netgalley and hodderscape for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review

Sangu Mandanna is my go to author for cosy fantasy with a sprinkle of romance. I've literally been waiting years for this book to come out ever since I read The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and it quickly became a all time favourite and boy was it worth the wait! If you love witchy books, cosy fantasy and found family you are going to adore this!

“this was a place stitched together by resistance, by acts of defiance by people who could not or would not go gently down the path the world had decided was inevitable.”
this was such a lovely, cosy, heartwarming story, with added the added peril of lost magic. this book was full of one of my favourite things in the world, found family. a group of people who, whether magical or not, were brought together at this inn and were surrounded by love, and occasionally a skeleton chicken. also, it is sapphic september but i started this before the month began BUT there is a teeny bit of sapphic rep that had me weeping and now i need a novella about them specifically. i found myself rooting so hard for sera that i’m proud of her and her journey through this book, her battling to regain control of her stolen magic but also her own mental health. loved the relationships between everyone truly, whether romantic or platonic, and i adored the way posy was embraced and welcomed, she blossomed at the inn and it made my heart very happy.

First I would like to say thanks to Netgalley for giving me early access to this book in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own.

This is the perfect cozy read to get you into the autumnal spirit!

This Heartwarming story follows Sera after she has been outcast from the witches guild for using a spell to resurrect her grandmother (and an unsuspecting rooster). From here the little trickle of magic she has left to support her found family in the inn they run, which appears to those who need it.

There is a sprinkle of romance within this book (very grumpy sunshine) but it works so well as it shows what those who love you are willing to sacrifice. But also the humour in this novel keeps it fast paced and quirky.

As someone who is Autistic, I really like the autism representation in here as the form of Posy. Shes non verbal but is still able to find a way to communicate and be the child she wants to be with her new found friends as she navigates the challenge of her magical powers.

The end of this book felt a little bittersweet to me and not the happily ever after I was looking for which is why I knocked a star off but still a really fun book to get me into the spirit!

“A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping” is a warm, cozy, and magical read. The setting feels enchanting and welcoming, and the story is filled with charm and heart. I loved the blend of witchcraft, family, and the sense of community throughout. While a little slow in parts, it was still a delightful escape and a lovely comfort read. Perfect for fans of cozy fantasy!

Charming romantasy, like Chrestomanci on speed
—
Like Chrestomanci on speed, this charming romantasy will have you turning the pages in delight, as two grumpypusses play a will-they-won’t-they game while they try to recover the lost powers of one, once the most powerful witch in Britain.

Sera Swan never meant to lose all her powers by casting one of the most powerful yet forbidden spells ever known, but when her beloved aunt died well before her time, what else was she to do? Instantly exiled from the world of magical academia and with only a fraction of her powers, fifteen years later Sera is now the frustrated owner of a magical inn that only brings the guests who need it most. Surrounded with a magical menagerie and a cast of oddballs, Sera is given a last chance to regain her powers but needs a more academically blessed magician to help her. As if by chance, Luke Larsen appears, a former acquaintance and now research assistant to one of Britain’s greatest research witches, but with grumpiness built in. Will Sera and Luke be able to overcome their mutual distrust, or will the forces ranged against Sera scupper her only possibility of regaining her marvellous powers?

This is just lovely stuff: cozy but with some bite, soft spice, and world building that makes sense in a light way. This is a Chosen One story but one where the CO has lost their powers, and yet danger still threatens. I can’t wait to read more!

In this cosy fantasy, a witch inherits a magical inn that reveals itself only to those who truly need it, offering refuge, warmth, and second chances.

I absolutely loved this book – just as much as the first in the interconnected series. The stakes felt slightly higher this time, which kept me hooked, and the themes of found family and the autism rep were beautifully done. Warm, whimsical, and heartfelt – I loved, loved, loved it.

Yet another fantastically cosy read from Sangu Mandanna. The thought out characters leap from the page and I just couldn't help finding a connection to each of them. I loved the aspect of the Inn with the age-old spell meaning that it attracted the people that needed it most. The element of found family was touching. I just fell in love with this book and have already recommended it to so many!

I loved the first book in this series. It was quirky, cosy and heartwarming, so upon seeing this book I was once again excited for this story.
With a sentient b&b, a talking fox and an oddball group of witches and humans alike, this was a fun read.
Sera is a powerful witch. After resurrecting her aunt Jasmine using a forbidden spell, she is ousted from the Guild, removed from her roots and overbearing family. Following her exile, she now runs a B&B and cares for an oddball group that has become her family. Still determined to restore her magic before the inn falls into disrepair as well as turning her talking fox back into a human. After Luke Larsen, a magic historian and caregiver to his young sister stumble upon the inn. As cold Luke and caring Sera get to know one another and settle into life in the inn, a romance blossoms between the pair.
This was a really sweet read. The found family was perfect, Luke’s young sister flourished in her new environment and despite outside people attempting to interfere and prevent Sera from regaining her power.
I hope we get more books like this from Sangu Mandanna, the first two were fantastic. Thank you so much for the eARC!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

We are back in the cosy world of Mandanna's and this one is just as fantastic as her debut. Her depiction of autism is so well done that it brought tears to my eyes, and the different relationships that are happening before our eyes are just so joyful that this will brighten your day as you read each word.

The plot with Sera attempting to restore her power felt a little convoluted to me, but all in all it was a heartwarming tale perfect for a cold winter night.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the book. Here I leave my honest review

Actual rating 3.5 ⭐

I love the first book of this Author, that's why I'm so excited to read the second one. But I don't feel that connected to the book, I love the concept and the characters but I think my "reading slump" make it worse. The story felt boring on some aspect and the dragging of story on their inn didn't make me excited to read it.

Will re-read when I'm not in "reading slump"

I loved this book so much. It feels so cosy. It is perfect for the upcoming autumn / winter season. I ended up buying the audio which I found a good listen, the narrator is very good. It is perhaps not as good as 'the very secret society of witches' but still very enjoyable, and I will listen to it again. Living in Lancashire it is wonderful to hear local place names within a book, The pace of the book is quite gentle.

I really like Sangu Mandanna and I hope she writes more witchy books.

absolutely brilliant. i loved her first book so i needed to read this and it was just great. i loved the plot and the characters. a must read in autumn

What an absolutely delightful story, well written and full of emotion. With touches of the witches of Lancre, Harry Potter, and The House in the Cerulean Sea I was absorbed from the moment I picked the story up until I, regretfully, reached the last page. I haven't felt this invested in a book for a very long time.

I adored Sera and her perfectly imperfect found family. Whilst I adored that both Sera and Lucas got their HEA together it was the utter contentment, the discovering of what is truly important in life, that made this such a wonderful read. Mandanna's writing is such that it didn't take long for the characters to feel like old friends, she had me utterly invested in their journeys and I think she broke me a little with the scene where Lucas sits shoulder-to-shoulder with an echo of Sera from her troubled past. **sob**

There were some parts that felt a little underdeveloped or we discovered them in retrospect, but to be honest I really didn't care. Not only that but some of that is more likely down to personal preference rather than poor storytelling. This is the first book in quite a while that I want to shout about and tell others to read AND that made me cry. I also highlighted huge chunks, I've not highlighted passages in a book for a couple of years. You can't get a better recommendation than that.

I loooove witchy cozy reads, and I enjoyed The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one.
I'm so so happy to report that this book was everything I hoped it would be, and more.

First things first, because this is me, but the romance was amazing. While not being the whole focus of the book, it still felt very well developed and I was here for it. Luke is the perfect grump and Sera just being Sera, they complement each other so well. We stan a healthy and supporting relationship.

I love the story, the whole lore. The school, the academia, the quest, the glass teapot, the potions, the enigmas. Honestly, this part of the story was so much fun. But also heavy at times, making you think about what people are really asking of you at times, how one can use others and just go about their lives.

The secondary characters in this book weren't just here for show or for the fluff. Each and everyone of them was beautifully written, had a uniqueness about them, and just added something extra special to the story. I was to give a special mention to Malik. He doesn't have a huge part in the book, but his addition was a nice surprise. What I love about his character is not only the reflexion Sera has about his feelings regarding his palestinian identity. It's also that in the world we live in, it was nice seeing a palestinian character just being happy, in a loving relationship with a kid. His character was more focused on his joy, his quirks and not just palestinian suffering as we see it so much every day.

Thank you NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“ Once, Sera Swan was one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her powers, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she helps Jasmine run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with their quirky guests' shenanigans and longs for a future that seems lost. Until she finds about an old spell that could restore her power . . .”

This a brilliant story of a clash of good and evil.
Sera has lost her magical powers to save her aunt, but some remain and this is the story of her trying to get them back.
But it’s much more than that, a mismatch of differently thinking people who have been drawn to the warmth of the remnants of her magic to be protected.
Great characters, great story.

In a Nutshell: A cozy fantasy about a witch who tries to grab a second chance at getting her powers back. Wonderful and mostly whimsical characters, funky magic, great diversity, good storyline, and a satisfying ending. BUT the “cutesy-ness” feels a bit forced this time and the book contains two things that I don’t prefer in cozies: cursing and spice. Still, a good option for fans of the genre, especially if they enjoy twee adult stories. I liked this, but I loved the author’s earlier novel much more.

Plot Preview:
Lancashire, England. Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in the country. But when she resurrected the only parent-figure in her life, her great-aunt Jasmine, immediately after her death, Sera lost almost all her powers and was exiled from the Guild for indulging in illegal magic. Now, fifteen years later, thirty-year-old Sera, grumpy and frustrated at the loss of her potential future, still stays with Jasmine, Sera’s young cousin Theo, and a talking fox (Long story!) named Clemmie at an enchanted inn that Sera helps Jasmine run. This inn magically attracts only those who need it. (And it seems like only quirky characters ever need it!)
When Sera hears of an old magical compendium containing a spell that could restore her powers, she wonders how she can get her hands on it, considering her banned access to all magical resources and her status as an outcast among witches. Around the same time, the inn fortuitously brings magical historian Luke and his autistic sister Poppy to its doorstep. Tada!
The book comes to us in the third-person perspective of Sera, with some chapters coming from Luke’s third-person POV.

When I read this author’s debut adult cozy fantasy, ‘The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches’ (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4799694583), I was utterly enchanted and knew I would read everything she wrote. My expectations from this second cozy fantasy were hence quite high. It does deliver on most counts, but a couple of the plot inclusions and a part of the approach weren’t to my taste.
The author clearly knows what ingredients clicked in the earlier book and retains the same here. Unfortunately, the shortcomings also make a reappearance.

Bookish Yays:
🐓 Sera. A complicated character who isn't picture-perfect and hence the perfect lead. I loved her coconutty portrayal – grumpy outside, gooey inside.
🐓 Sera’s ethnic heritage being half Indian and half Icelandic – What a combo! Love how both these factors weren’t forced into the narrative and used just as much as necessary without making the book seem like a clichéd advert for India or Iceland.
🐓 A strong plot where characters and storyline and magic get equal weightage.
🐓 Great use of the found family trope, but oh my, what a family! 😅 All the secondary characters are utterly quirky, the likes of which we might never encounter in real life. I loved almost all of them, but Great-Auntie Jasmine is probably my favourite.
🐓 A nice range of characters, going in age from child to senior citizen. There is one cute geriatric same-sex couple. Oh, can't forget the talking fox! AND a rooster who isn't exactly a rooster! (Also a long story! Read the book to know more.)
🐓 The magic – the perfect balance of nature and fantasy. Loved its use in the plot!
🐓 Ever since I read Charlie Holmberg’s Whimbrel House series, I have a soft spot for magical houses. You get a touch of that in this book. That’s all I’ll say.
🐓 A cute, slowburn romance track that mostly doesn’t overpower the core plot. It’s a grumpy vs grumpy trope this time, so quite fun to read.
🐓 Excellent exploration of the theme of power vs responsibility, and also of talent vs. maturity.
🐓 A satisfying finale – realistic, sweet, action-packed, a bit reflective. To be honest, I don’t think it will be a satisfying finale for everyone, but I loved it for its unexpectedness.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
🦊 For some reason I cannot pinpoint, I got the feeling that the book was trying too hard to be cutesy. ‘The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches’ was also a bit twee, so I was prepared for a sugary sweet story to some extent. But the cuteness doesn’t feel genuine this time around. Of course, it’s not badly written, and it is a cozy read, so it might just be my mood that was grumpier than needed for such a story.
🦊 There are quite a few characters to keep track of and most are defined fairly well. Some of them needed a bit more detailing. For instance, the big age gap between thirty-four-year-old Luke and his nine-year-old sister Posy isn't clarified, nor does any character remark on it, which felt strange to me, especially considering there were no other siblings in between and both have the same parents. (not impossible in real life, but definitely unusual enough to need at least one clarifying/querying remark from someone.) The depiction of Posy’s autism is not as usually shown in fiction, which I appreciate. However, the tougher challenges of dealing with this level of the spectrum are glossed over.

Bookish Nays: (Both these points stem from my preferences for cosy fiction. YMMV)
🐐 Way too much cursing. F-bombs spoil the fun of cozies.
🐐 Some steamy content, with one scene being totally superfluous. That scene could have safely been kept close door without any damage to the plot.


All in all, though this didn’t match the high I had after reading, ‘The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches’, I still enjoyed it quite a lot. The characters, the storyline, the magic, the pacing, the writing and the ending all were strong enough to make me mostly forgive the F-bombs.
Recommended to those who enjoy Twee-with-a-capital-T cozy fantasies with whimsical characters and are okay with profanities (and some spice) in this genre.

4 stars.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Hodderscape for providing the DRC of “A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I loved The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches so I was really excited for this one.

Sangu Mandanna has done it again with A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping. This is charming, cosy fantasy that wraps you up like a warm hug.

A great cast, and a fun story keep this lovely story bouncing along and it’s really just a nice time!

This is a great read for in between heavier or darker books when you need a lift.

Sangu Mandanna delivers up another charming tale, served with the secret sauce that includes ingredients such as found family, quirky magic, and the importance of inclusivity.

The characters will capture the reader's imagination and emotions, as the writer brings a diverse cast including Clemmie, Nicholas and other vibrantly to life. A really enjoyable story.