I had such a great time reading this book. I loved The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, and A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping gave me the same cozy, feel-good emotions. It made me laugh, it made me smile, it made my heart squeeze.

My favorite part about the book was the incredible found family element of it. Sera Swan created her own welcoming island of misfit toys in her magical inn, and it was unbelievably touching. Every guest-turned-lodger brought their own special something to the story and represented pure love found with others who’d been left out, left behind, loved less than they deserved before finding their place at the inn.

And, I mean, there was a lovable zombie rooster, so what more could one possibly need in a book?

Thank you to Hodderscape via NetGalley UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had everything I need when the world feels a bit much. The representation is vast, but in no way token, and I especially appreciated the sub-narratives of finding your place as a person of colour in a home you love but that doesn't always love you back, and the found family that is abject chaos but provides a place for people who otherwise have felt adrift or unwanted. The romantic leads are both adorably grouchy, and being with them as they gradually allow each other to see beyond the prickly outer layer was a joy.

Okay, yes this review is going to sound cliche given its a book about a Witch, but this book is MAGICAL. It is wholesome, so full of joy and love and laughter and genuinely feels like a mug of hot chocolate on a cold day, it feels like a hot bath after being out in the rain, like a night in with your girlfriends after a bad break up... just sheer joy. Also, genuinely loved the romance in this one, it felt very right.

Sangu Mandanna is a wonderful writer and creates such a detailed and magical world, full of all the best tropes of found families and slow burns. Where this book improved on the first in this cozy series (though not a sequel, and the very secret society was already excellent..!) was some of the commentary about what it means to be different in the country you now call home - and I felt especially connected to it as a brown woman from Lancashire! The diversity of the characters was such an authentic addition, and I especially loved the nod to Malik's family history of what it means to be Palestinian, that paragraph genuinely made me cry.

This book was everything I needed in the moment that we are in - wholesome, joyful and full of love; and a little dose of resistance!

[SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER]
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My only issue was the ending, I understand WHY Sera sacrificed her powers but it did felt like a little kick after 90% of the book was trying to get her powers back! Its fine its fine, maybe the stars will come back..

When I seen Sangu Mandanna was releasing a new book I was beyond excited, their previous novel The very secret society of irregular witches was one of my favourite read last year and I was itching to my hands on this book in the hopes it would give me the same feelings. I’ve now read this and can confirm it done exactly what I wanted, the only way I can describe the feelings I got with these two book is when I was a young toot during rain storms if we got caught out in them we’d go to my grans who would dry our clothes give us fluffy robes and a sugary cuppa Tea to keep us warm, that’s the magic in that’s in these books.

Follow Sera who is prodigy in the magical community that is until she casts a spell to bring her great aunt Jasmine back from death and with the spell her magic leaves her. Her once thriving sky of stars and galaxies is now just a twinkle behind her eye. Sometimes a twinkle is all you need.

I love the found family aspect of this book the messages that it gives you belong somewhere! The characters are so nuanced and quirky but in a way that feels authentic and not forced.
Something I love about this is you go in knowing what to expect or at least you think you do but it still doesn’t fail to entertain and surprise. I love that these books contain magic and then the experience reading them create some magic. The perfect cosy fantasy you’re missing out on.

I really want more information on the world and the guild, this books leaves you wanting more information about the magical system in place but also fulfils enough for you not to feel like the world isn’t well rounded. It’s one of those books that makes your crave more of this world and the characters in them.

*cosy fantasy
*found family
*mental health rep
*disability rep
*queer rep
*cottage core vibes

I enjoyed this book even more than The Very Secret Society... which was a tall order! The cast of characters at the Batty Hole in are nothing short of eclectic and, well, batty - they all bring something excellent to the mix with a varied dose of bonkers and it makes for a delightful found family.

The central mystery is how will Sera recover her magic and the solutions to each riddle were lovely. She finds herself more than anything else (and maybe a little love along the way).

I wasnt a fan of the ending but that hardly matters because I was a MASSIVE fan of Roo-Roo the undead rooster.

* Actual rating is 4.5 stars*

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is a wholesome and heartfelt cozy fantasy featuring the found family trope with a cast of delightful misfits. The inn that’s the main setting of the story is magical, both literally and figuratively as it serves as a safe haven for the people who found their way there.

Sera is a character I feel that everyone who was a gifted child but is now a nothing special adult will relate to. She was once the most powerful witch in the country, until the burnout of using a resurrection spell to save her only close family member left her with little magic. As such she has spent the last 15 years trying to navigate losing everything that made her special and trying to find out who she is without her magic.

It’s all just very comforting to read about Sera’s journey and the life she has managed to build around her. Even without all of her magic, she still created something magical. The cast of supporting characters, the people who reside in the inn, also feel very human. They are far from perfect and have their own quirks, but they come together to take care of each other in the middle of all the chaos. Sera’s romance with Luke was really sweet, but the more explicit scene felt a bit out of place with the rest of the comfy vibes.

As isn’t unusual for a cosy fantasy, the plot is a bit more laid-back to allow the characters to take the center stage. It’s a story about how to make space for yourself in a world that wasn’t made for you. The book is witchy, cozy and comforting.

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒋𝒊𝒔:🔮🦴🦊🐓📚🫖
𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆: “Like his lonely and her lonely fit perfectly into the empty spaces at the other’s side, saying nothing, asking nothing, just keeping each-other company.”

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕:
🔮Found Family
📚An Undead Skeletal Pet Rooster
🔮Cosy, Witchy Romance
📚Academic History Nerd MMC
🔮Magical House

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘: This was such a lovely book, the perfect comfort read filled with found family, diverse characters and themes of self love, belonging and personal growth, all tied up in a quirky, witchy package!

Sera felt so relatable as a MC, and I really felt the Gifted Child to Burnt Out Adult kinda pipeline she experienced (albeit with a magical twist!) The loveable side characters living at the inn were unapologetically themselves and accepted regardless of their quirks which I loved… in general this book felt joyous to read, like a warm hug of acceptance and healing that will put a smile on your face. I liked the romance in this and how it didn’t take away from the personal journeys of the characters

𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨ (4.5⭐️)

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was such a great book that I was scared I wouldn't like this one but oh my god this was even better?? A Witch's Guide to Magical Inkeeping is everything that I needed to warm my grieving heart. I love the plot, I love the chaotic found family the characters had made, I love the romance!! Oh god I love everything about this book. I particularly love the messages about finding a home for yourself and to always be yourself - something that I probably have read in so many other books before but I'm so charmed by how this book tells it.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were excellent, and the inn was so inviting, I just wanted to step into the pages. The descriptions were heavenly! I did feel that the ending was rushed a little, however it didn’t remove anything from my enjoyment of the book!

I really enjoyed this one, so cozy yet still had some stakes.
Felt like it was rushed at a couple of parts and I never really got a good idea of the characters appearances
But this was still such a lovely book so I'll be recommending it to everyone

4.5

Magic was actually the friends we made along the way! I joke but I am also serious because this is essentially the message of this lovely and magical book! (Also, it is a very funny book - the author has such a unique humor that reallyworks for me!) Found family is in the very focus and is so strong here, every single member of it is special in their own way, kind, messy, spirited, sweet but overall delightful! Naturally, Sera is the one who stole my heart and is such an exceptional example of pure goodness in a person. I want to be a part of her family so badly. Luke, the love interest, is amazing and hot and made me cry (loved him). I liked that the romance subplot was simply that, a subplot, we had wonderful moments and there was some back and forth, but they were dealing with bigger issues and I appreciated that. If you liked the previous book by Sangu Mandana (also witchy but a different universe) I'm pretty sure you'll like this one too.

💭 #QOTD  Would you rather be a powerful witch under the mentorship of an evil sorcerer or have little power and have your found family?

Title: A witches guide to magical innkeeping
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Pages: 352
Rating: 4/5
Spice/Romance level: 🩷🩷 - romance with no spice
#Arc eCopy ( #gifted ) - review left voluntarily
UK publish date - 17th July 2025

This was such a wholesome read.

Sera used to be the greatest witch around, but after the day she resurrected her Grandmother (and a rooster), her magic dwindled and she was cast out from the guild.

We join Sera and her mismatched found family in day to day life at the inn. Finding ways to bring her magic back, and what kind of witchy book would be complete without an evil mage!

This was an easy, predictable comfort read. With sassy. Relatable characters. (I found myself relating to grumpy Sera) with lots of cinnamon bun treats!!! 🤤

The book was easy to read and easy to follow. A lovely little world build and also based in the UK. It was funny, sweet and wholesome.

You'll love this book if you like
- rivals
- grumpy x grumpy
- autistic representation
- found family
- slowburn
- magic and Witches
- cosy fantasy
- talking foxes
- literal knights

Will you be reading this? Let me know in the comments

R E V I E W

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

☆☆☆☆.5

Advanced Reader Copy graciously provided by Hodder and Stoughton | Hodderscape via Netgalley

Well, this book was positively charming. After many postponed release dates, it is nearly time for this spellbinding follow up to The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches to hit the shelves, and trust me, it is more than worth the wait.

As someone who often finds cosy fantasy stories lacking, I strongly believe Mandanna has conquered a tricky subgenre, effortlessly combining magical realism with heartwarming narratives about love, found-family and identity.

After losing most of her magic when she resurrected her great-aunt fifteen years ago, innkeeper Sera Swan has worked tirelessly to harness the remaining sparks of magic she holds to create a space where any who seek help, shelter or solace can find it. But whilst others may find peace at her inn, Sera still struggles with the choice she unknowingly made on that heartbreaking day all those years ago, holding out hope that one day, her magic will be returned to her. With the help of a witch-turned-fox, an attractive magical historian, her resurrected aunt, and a host of other peculiar but well-meaning inn residents, Sera finally embarks on a path towards getting her magic back. But as relationships flourish and adversaries re-emerge, Sera has to decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice to get her power back, once and for all.

This book was heart-warming, from its depiction of a brother tirelessly advocating for his autistic sister to a young woman, refusing to relinquish the only family she has ever known. Mandanna cleverly weaves together a narrative where charmingly strange characters embrace others' equally charming oddities, deftly wielding humour, romance, and a touch of grief to create a poignant and memorable story.

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping has been one of my most anticipated releases since I read The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, one of my favorite books. It took a while for this one to be released, but it was worth the wait for sure.

Sera lost her magical abbilities after she resurrected her great-aunt at the young age of only 12. Not only did her magical abbilities leave her but she was also forced out of her learning position at the council. Ostrocized more like it. Now she runs the magical inn with her great-aunt, dealing with the strange and sometimes long staying guests that come to her. Including a certain familiar historian.

I initially struggled with the first two chapters or so when Sera was still a child. We got bombarded into the story at the very moment that her great-aunt died and there was this talking fox and not a lot made sense yet. Luckily however my struggle dissapeared once we got to adult Sera and the story settled into a rythm where the story and the setting of the inn became clearer.

The story line of Sera refinding her magical abbilities is interesting but not at all what this story is truly about. It is about accepting yourself for who you are. About learning to open up to others. To give them a chance. About accepting others for who they are and letting them be themselves. About finding your own family.

This story started to truly hit when these things became clearer. Sera who shared about her anxiety and depression, taking medications. Her great-aunt with her club foot. Luke's autistic sister. They all enrich and deepen this story with their own stories. Their backgrounds and their whole being. That is what I truly loved in this story.

As soon as I heard Sangu Mandanna was writing another witchy adult fantasy I knew that I needed to have it in my hands as I adored Secret Society of Irregular Witches so much! Thank you to Hodderscape for sending me a gorgeous proof copy to read and review.

Sangu Mandanna writes cosy, whimsical found family in such a wholesome way. You just can't help but fall in love with the quirks and sweet personalities of every character she puts to the page.

Sera felt like she wasn't worth anything when she lost her magic and seeing her character grow in self belief and self love was lovely throughout the story.

The romance is sweet and tender while also exploring themes of feeling unworthy and trusting another person not to hurt you. I found the romance to be really believable and I loved these two characters together so much.

Thank you again for allowing me the chance to read this gorgeous book, it has reaffirmed my love for Sangu Mandanna in such a massive way!

The perfect cosy fantasy book!
I loved TVSSOIW and I’ve been so excited to read this ever since and it’s lived up to its hype
Can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us

Another cosy fantasy with found family, romantic side plots and no real sense of dread. If you're interested in reading something that will probably make you tear up at times about how people feel about themselves and how they move through the world. There are characters across all ages, genders and sexualities. At times it was a bit hard to be too invested in the main story as it was so obvious that things would work out, but there is a bit of a twist at the end that I felt worked really well.

Absolutely delightful. What else is there to say? It's like a less stressful Her Majesty's Royal Coven, with a dash of T Kingfisher. An adorable romance, great characters, and a plot with just the right level of stakes and pacing for a cozy and heartwarming read.

Wow! Mika Moon and the other cast of characters from Society of Irregular Witches are my go to book friends when I need a fictional hug so I was thrilled and worried when I began to read this. I was foolish, Sangu Mandanna has smashed it with Sera and Luke.
It has a different vibe to the first novel, a slower burn to get to know Sera and her found family in the cosiest inn possible but this is a good thing. This novel has more emotional layers to explore while the magical elements are just as imaginative and spectacular.
Sera loses her magic and her life is more constrained than she expected but she muddles through creating a life but the grief for what could have been lingers. As someone with a chronic illness and disability this hit home. It felt like those emotions I've felt where laid on the page. Similarly when Luke discussed his childhood versus Posy's. I loved autistic Posy was allowed to be herself without being forced to mask. It certainly meant tissues were needed.

This is cosy witchy fiction as it should be with quirky characters, magic, and love blended with layers of self-discovery. Mika Moon has competition in the fave witch contest.

I’m all for cozy fantasy, but this is second book by this author in this genre that I’ve read, and I don’t think they are my cup of tea. It takes quirky too far for me, and we’ve got witty antics back to back with introspective moments or dark magic. I wished they had picked one angle to go for, and left it at that. There were so many different aspects discussed – every guest has a conflict, big or small, that then is resolved within a single scene. The end, after spending so much time with the characters and the journey she is on, just didn’t work for me.