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.

I loved this book.

If you're looking for a heart-warming, cosy fantasy book, then this is the book for you!

What I really liked about this book is that even though there are romantic elements to it, this is not a romance book. It is a book that focuses on found family, a sense of belonging and second chances.

The characters at the inn are everything, and their stories is what will make you fall in love with this book. It is a book that will make you laugh, smile, cry, and fall in love with this amazing world that has been brought to us through a beautiful writing style.

The hardest part was to actually finish this book, saying goodbye to this story and these characters, and deciding what to do next.

This is the first book I read by this author but I'm sure it won't be the last!

Whimsical, comforting, and hopeful. Sangu Mandanna wrote another wonderful cozy, witchy fantasy. It's a special thing the way she cobbles together a found family out of characters that shouldn't really make sense together. I think the side characters felt much deeper in this novel than The Very Secret Society... And also more eccentric which was a delight. I wondered several times about Mika Moon and how the society witches existed alongside or in the guild we were introduced to in this book, but alas we weren't given information that tied the two together.

I enjoyed the plot of this story immensely, but admittedly didn't love the resolution at the end. I felt like Sera deserved to have it ALL after so many years of struggling, and I understood the moral of the story, and that she didn't need to have it all to have it all, but I still wanted her to have it anyway. This is very much a me problem. That was convoluted, but I'm trying not to give anything away and I think people should form their own opinions after they get to the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Another warm magical hug of a book from Sangu Mandanna. Not a single thing about this book I didn't like and nothing I write about it will give it the justice it deserves. It needs to be read to fully feel what this book is.

The cast of Characters is full of representation and diversity and 100% lovable. The found family love singing from the start. The inn, where it rains tea and blooms teacup wildflowers and can only be found by those who need it, is a magical little character in itself and is the kind of place I yearn for, as I'm sure everyone does when reading this book.
I enjoyed the grumpy/grumpy romance between Sera & Luke, Grumpy/Sunshine is my favourite trope so seeing Sandu play with that was really exciting. (Although deep down we all know Sera is sunshine really.) And the background love story of Jasmine and Matilda was absolutely beautiful.

It's a book full of hope, that teaches us the real magic in life is where we make it. It's family, it's love, it's home.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

‘A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping’ introduces us to Sera Swan, once a witch with unimaginable power, now running her family’s inn and dealing with the consequences. Of what, you may ask? Perhaps just a tiny, forbidden resurrection spell she performed as a teenager that both lost her most of her magic and had her exiled from the Guild of Sorcery. 15 years later, Sera has resigned herself to running the inn, with its gaggle of wacky guests, an undead rooster, and a talking fox. When a blast from the past enables Sera to access the spell that could restore her magic, she is thrilled - the only problem is she cannot read the ancient language it is written in. But when Luke, who happens to be a bit of an expert in these sorts of this, and his younger sister turn up one night, Sera’s prayers may be answered. Except Luke has made it clear he’s leaving in the morning and he doesn’t want to help.

The inn, however, has other plans…

Writing:
Third person narrative that is chock full of quips, one liners, and ridiculous shenanigans that had me giggling throughout. The author manages to create such a whimsical little world, but then out of the blue will hit you with lines that gut you entirely. Accessible, immersive, and like a big warm hug.

Setting:
The majority of the book takes place in Batty Hole Inn (I know!) and honestly, it almost feels wrong to describe the inn as a setting, because it truly felt like another character. The shtick with the inn is that when she was younger, Sera cast a spell over it that had persisted to this day. Only people who NEED the inn are able to find it. The fallout of Sera’s inability to do Big Magic anymore means the inn is just as chaotic as its inhabitants, with wildflowers blooming spontaneously in teacups and the room that rains apple blossom tea for an hour on Sundays. It had its quirks (putting it lightly) but it was the cosiest setting and I honestly felt I was THERE. I also am sad that it isn’t real. Or is it? Please, let it be real.

Characters:
Sera is our leading lady and she is oh-so-relatable. Essentially a former ‘gifted’ kid, losing most of her magic and feeling stuck running the inn aged 30, she’s grouchy as anything but with the biggest heart going. At times grumpy then immediately becoming sunshine, the duality of Sera was fantastic and her entire character arc was beautiful and brilliant.
Luke, similarly, has that same grumpy persona hiding his squishy little heart, and was a wonderful MMC. His love for his sister was so wholesome and I enjoyed watching Sera and Co. break down his hard shell and draw out the real Luke.
Now, the ensemble cast really made this book sing. Jasmine, Sera’s great aunt (the recipient of the aforementioned resurrection spell), is a steady, warming presence. Matilda, one of the guests-turned-lodgers, with her vegetable garden of dreams and extreme penchant for getting into everyone’s business (but in the nicest possible way) was excellent and extremely funny. Nicholas, my esteemed knight, has my entire heart - literally, he is another guest-turned-lodger who ran away from his super rich, posh family and now works at a medieval fair as a knight 3 days a week but also wears his armour basically every day and is constantly threatening to defend Lady Sera’s honour. I just can’t cope, he was SO silly but completely adorable. Theo, Sera’s cousin, who was sent to live with her because his parents couldn’t hack having a magical kid, is a sweetheart whose friendship with Luke’s sister, Posy, just had me clutching my heart - essentially, he immediately becomes her ‘big brother’ and it is the purest thing. Posy, who is autistic and magical, and therefore has essentially been sent to live with Luke by her own parents because she doesn’t understand why she shouldn’t keep her magic secret, was just wonderful. In one hand, she holds a variety of leaves, and the other, she clutches my own little autistic heart. And Clemmie, our talking fox (and former sorcerer who accidentally turned herself into a fox - oops) was the sassiest animal companion and played such a big part in the story. I loved her complexities and her journey throughout.

Plot:
Honestly, this book didn’t even need one. It could simply be sustained purely on the vibes, but there was one so I guess I’ll comment on it. It was simple, but in the best way. Sera wants her magic back, and we are swept along on that journey. There are several subplots, including the romance, that are interwoven very nicely, and I enjoyed that each character had their moments and arcs, which only ever added to the overall experience.

Romance:
Our main romance was great. Sera and Luke are kind of grumpy x grumpy, which may be my new favourite trope, but their grumpiness is simply a thin veneer and it was SO good watching them fall helplessly for the other. This is also an example of how to plot a beautiful romance without relying on painful tropes (miscommunication, I’m looking at YOU) yet still deliver a heartwarming ending.
There was also a small, secondary romance that I won’t spoil but safe to say, I was kicking my feet with that one.

Themes:
You want themes? Rapid fire: loss (of magic, of yourself) and the reclamation of this; exile (from family, society, and/or a magical Guild), which pairs nicely with belonging, be it with other people or in a place you’d never expect; found family (a family I would truly pick up Nicholas’ sword for); and diversity - being different, not fitting in, not being from the ‘right’ background or family, or not having a brain that works like most people’s do - and how that should be CELEBRATED and not used as an excuse or reason to keep people out, make them feel small, or just plain old be horrible about.
The biggest takeaway I got from this book was about finding your nuance, your weirdness, or your differences, or whatever you want to call it… Finding the things that make you, YOU, and accepting them. Loving them. Celebrating them. Being proud of them. The below quote I feel sums up this better than my rambling does:

“Does it make you happy?”
“Yeah.”
“And is it doing anyone any harm?”
“No?”
“Then who the fuck cares what anyone else thinks?”

And maybe it sounds simplistic or whatever, but the heart behind this entire book just hit me like a truck and I had actual little (big) tears in my eyes and I just felt healed, man.

Overall:
If you can’t tell, I bloody loved this book. It was cosy, whimsical, and absolutely bonkers. I laughed, I cried. It made me feel warm and wonderful. I ended it with a big fat smile on my face and even writing this review, I can feel the tears threatening to spill. I don’t know what to say other than this book spoke to my heart/brain/soul and I replied ‘fuck yes’.

Recommendation:
If you want cosy fantasy, a slow burn romance with emotional healing, a cast of absolutely ridiculous and loveable characters, the best found family, and a whole lot of magical shenanigans, pick up this book. Please.

Rating:
5 🌟

Sera made a life-changing decision (and not just for herself) as a teenager, and she's still paying for it fifteen years later as she helps to run an inn full of characters (human, animal, magical and non-magical). When the opportunity arises to possibly restore her powerful magical abilities, could she - should she - pursue it?
There are so many threads running through this book, and they knot together extremely well to produce a compelling and heartwarming tale. The romance between Sera and Luke is just one of those threads, and I liked how it didn't take precedence over everything else, because there are more important themes at play. The relief of finding a place where you're accepted for exactly who you are, even if it's not the place you thought you were heading for. The difficulties of doing what's considered the wrong thing for the right reasons. And the choices to be made around great power and how it should be used. All of that is interspersed with great dialogue and many humorous moments - I was definitely a fan of the skeletal chicken who's still going fifteen years after accidental resurrection - and helped greatly by a cast of nuanced characters that will live long in the memory.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

With thanks to Hodderscape and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Sangu Mandanna is back with another heart-warming, hilarious novel focusing on found family and believing in yourself. I had a great time with these characters; the stakes were high enough to keep the pages turning but the whole thing was cosy enough you wouldn’t be spilling your cuppa on your autumnal blanket. I love the feeling of warmth this author’s stories bring; they envelop you and really connect you to the heart of the characters. And there’s a zombie rooster… we love Roo Roo.

Such a beautiful and heartfelt story. Perfect if you want a cozy read that is sure to improve your mood. I loved everything about this book!

In this book, we follow Sera Swan, who used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Searching to regain her magic, she finds herself thrown together with librarian Luke Larsen. Eventually Sera will come to realise that she doesn't have to do it all alone and that love might be the best magic of all.

This fluffy witchy romance is a heartwarming read. I recommend reading it when you are not in a cynical point of view but instead want to curl up into the warm embrace of a positive, accepting and cosy book hug!

A recommend read for fans of cosy fantasy romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars

I am not even joking when i say i have been waiting for this book for WAY too long! After the absolutely beautiful Secret Society, I have had this on pre-order for over a year. So you can imagine the joyous squeal i let off when i was accepted for an ARC.

Tropes:
Magic
Cute and Cosy
Found family

Summary: I don’t know what it is about Sangu that makes these books absolutely, devastatingly beautiful. Literally from the first page. Sangu has a serious talent in these cute and cosy witchy romances and I need 100 more of them, right now :). Magical Inn-keeping had grabbed me in a chokehold from the very first page and I just couldn’t put it down. It was so easy to be fully emerged in this book, between the cute and cosy, witchy vibes, found family, and lightweight feel, its just perfect and i will not take any criticism on this book, or any book from Sangu. The characters all stand out in their own way and each one is loveable, they literally jump at you with every turn of the page. Sera was easily my favourite this time around. This book is heartwarming cute and cosy. I will now begin counting down the days till Sangu releases another book!

Mandanna is the queen of cozy witchy romances. I adored The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, and I love this one just as much. Filled with a quirky cast of characters, a swoon worthy romance and so many bloody emotions, I absolutely felt transported to Batty Hole Inn (yes that's actually it's name.)

Sera Swan went from being one of the most powerful and promising young magicians England has ever seen to having barely no magic in the space of a minute, resurrecting your Great Aunt will apparently do that to you, especially when you accidentally bring back a years dead Rooster to boot. It's a loss that weighs heavily on her, and it is a loss, having this thing that made you special, made you safe being almost ripped away from you. She never regrets her decision, she would save her Aunt all over again if she had too, but that doesn't mean she can't resent her a little for dying on her in the first place. Sera's one of those characters you just fall into, you know her, you become her and through that you feel her highs and lows, of which there are plenty. Though this may be a story with a HEA, it definitely doesn't start that way and Sera, along with Luke, have their own demons, their own grief to overcome before they can become the people they need to be.

Luke has always lived his life with one foot out of the door. Never willing to overstay his welcome, something that stems back to his non-magical parents treatment of him as a child and their current treatment of his little sister. He tries his hardest to remove himself from the daily goings on at the Inn, not wanting to get himself wrapped up in the quirky found family he has found himself living with. But things don't always work out how we plan, and after Luke finds himself roped into a plan to help Sera get her magic back, he starts finding the idea of leaving the Inn, and Sere, harder and harder to swallow.

I quickly found myself wrapped up in this wondrously quirky found family, Jasmine, Sera's Great Aunt and the only person to love her for just being herself. Clemmie, a witch who accidentally cursed herself into a Fox, Matilda, a scheming older woman who found herself at the inn years ago and never left. Nicholas, the Medieval Fair Knight who takes his day job a little too seriously. And then Theo and Posy, Sera's nephew and Luke's sister who find themselves with their respective family members due to their parents inability to look after their magically gifted children. Oh, and we can't forget about Roo-Roo, the undead rooster running around. If it sounds quirky that's because it absolutely is, but Sandanna makes it work, makes you fall in love with each and every one of them... skeletal rooster and all.

I loved the story, how Mandanna wove all the different kinds of grief and trauma through it whilst still managing to make it feel lightweight. Both Sera and Luke have trauma from their past that's been dragged with them everywhere they go, and Mandanna doesn't give them an instant fix, nor a magical one, more we see them being worn down by the people and love that surrounds them. The plot itself was fairly simply, but Mandanna brilliantly weaves in some plot twists, some being incredibly emotional, to ensure we stay hooked. Not that we needed them because the characters interactions were enough for me to keep reading.

It's a story filled with so many different versions of love. The main focus being the found family we have at the Inn, but alongside that we have familial love as well as romantic. Sera and Luke's romance was wondrously slow burn and filled with tension, but it's not the main focus of the book. Mandanna made the time to focus on all these different relationships, giving space to each and every one and, while I lived for every interaction between Sera and Luke, it was the found family that I found myself the most invested in.

If you love quirky stories filled with characters that leap off the page, a brilliantly delivered magic system and a swoon worthy romance, this is the book for you. I loved this just as much as Mandanna's previous cozy witchy romance, and can't wait to see what she delivers next.

I absolutely loved A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and the wonderfully cosy, found family that Sangu Mandanna had created with Nowhere House. I have to say, Sangu has done it again, with Batty Hole Inn and the absolutely fabulous cast of characters that feature in A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping.

After resurrecting her great-aunt, Sera Swan loses her magic and is exiled from the Guild. Sera runs the Batty Hole Inn, a safe haven in Lancashire for folks to find when they need it most. Current guests include a talking fox, a knight and a gardener who doesn't belive in an organised garden. When Sera finds a spell that could help her regain her magic, all sorts of shenanigans ensue, as it also coincides with the arrival of Luke, a guild librarian (who might just be able to help Sera with the spell).

Much like A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, the cast in this are fabulous. There were plenty of moments that had me laughing out loud, and plenty of moments that were heartwarming and gentle reminders that things can and will get better. I love a found family trope and this book is such a good example of it and all of the reasons why I love it so much. This is a cast that has each other's backs, even if they don't always understand what's going on (which again, leads to some fun moments!) These characters are all so soft and I loved them all.

There were also moments that felt a bit sharper, especially the ones in which Sera and Malik contemplate an existence that doesn't always look kindly on them and excludes them more often than not - it was these that hit a bit harder and made my heart ache for Sera. I loved how there was an acknowledgement of this and the fact that Sera defies it.

This is one of those books that just worked for me in so many ways and honestly, the kind of book I need right now. Much like Batty Hole Inn and Nowhere House, A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping is a beautifully cosy and safe space and one that I know I will come back to again. I absolutely loved this and I am hoping there will be more books in this vein.

What a wonderfully heartwarming and sassy story! I was a big fan of the author‘s previous book so I was stokes when I was approved for an arc. A Witch‘s Guide to Magical Innkeeping has the same cosy vibe as its predecessor and even though it tackles some difficult topics, it was an easy and beautiful read.

Sera Swan was one of the most powerful witches in England. Or at least she was, until fifteen years before she nearly drained all her magic reserves to bring her aunt Jesmine back to life, being exiled from the Witches' Guild for performing forbidden magic. Now she finds herself running a magical inn with its eclectic inhabitants and living with the void left by her magic, made of stars and galaxies.

Sera is stubborn and grumpy on the surface, but if you pay attention you can see small cracks in her mask that reveal a person full of pain and loss, with a big heart who only wants to protect the people she cares about. Her constant companions are emptiness, mourning, loss, despair and that overwhelming feeling of being alone with one's own mind that only the loss of a part of oneself can make you feel. But throughout the book Sera realises that it is OK to ask for help and that you can be magical even without magic.

Luke, on the other hand, is all edges and cold-hearted, but to see him gradually change and melt when he finds people who accept him completely for who he is was really precious.

Perhaps it is because of the protagonists' need to be seen beyond their barriers and edges that their relationship develops slowly and naturally, making them perfect for each other.

I had loved The Very Secret Society of the Irregular Witches, but I loved this book even more. This read was exactly like living in Batty Inn: a journey full of life, sometimes chaotic, sometimes magical, with just the right balance of serious and funny moments, that welcomes you like a warm embrace and makes you feel accepted with all your strengths, flaws and quirks.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to read this beautiful arc.

After reading Sangu’s ‘The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches’ I just knew that I would love her other work and boy did this not disappoint.

‘A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping’ is a beautifully written story with the heart of the story being found family and how magic can be found in the everyday.

Every single character was an absolute delight and added to the depth of this story. It was so much more than a witch lost her power and she is trying to get it back. It was whimsical, cosy, the biggest warm hug on a cold day where you can help but smile throughout.

I will be highly recommending this book to all.

This was an enjoyable and easy to read story, full of pure escapism and some cute characters - with more than a bit of sass!

Sera was one of the most powerful witches, until she used that magic to resurrect her great aunt and found her powers vanished. So she's settled in to life at the Inn, keeping under the radar but always itching to get her magic back and that might be closer to her grip than she thinks.

I loved seeing how the characters evolved throughout this book - there's lots of quirky goings on and dilemmas to face and any book with a talking fox and a zombie chicken has to be embraced!! Cosy, romantic and magical - a lovely mix!!

This was such a lovely read. The cosiest, most heartfelt story with some absolutely incredible characters that steal your heart! If you’re a fan of books like Rewitched and The House on the Cerulean Sea, you’re going to really love this one!

Although the ‘witch loses her power and has to search within herself to restore it’ story has been done many a time, this story felt very special. Sera is a very likeable FMC and I felt very protective of her from the moment she came onto page.

Luke and Sera are so well matched and their love is the beautiful, understated kind that I love to read about. I love the grumpy x grumpy set up and these two interacting was hilarious at times. Bickering constantly until they slowly began to soften for each other - perfection.

The cast of characters in this really reminded me of something out of a TJ Klune book. So quirky and funny but equally sweet and endearing. I absolutely loved them all and I know that I’ll be thinking of them for months to come.

There are some gorgeous messages in this story about found family, finding your inner magic and how it can feel to finally believe you fit in somewhere when can make you feel like you don’t belong. I think at some point we’ve all been like Sera, sat on our kitchen floors with the weight of the world on our shoulders. There were some really profound moments this that I found to be so beautiful ❤️

If you’re looking for a cosy read for when you need a bit of a pick me up, I couldn’t recommend this book more!

This was a magical, heartwarming and beautifully funny love story and for me is Sangu’s best book so far. It is a fun filled fantasy with original characters and a strong story line that makes you root for a good outcome.

It was quick and easy to read as I felt I was sucked in straight from the start and whilst it dealt with heavy topics such as belonging, grief, hatred and judgement it was done in such a way that it felt light and heart warming and not a hard challenge to get through.

A superbly crafted fantasy adventure full of cosy thrills, romance, intrigue and adventure than you've ever seen - but in the best way possible.

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping was a wonderful celebration of coziness and the importance of found family.

It was the found family aspect that really drew me to this book and I thought that the author handled it really well and it made to novel feel that it had a warmth to it that made it a comforting read. This was only compounded by the slow burn romance which I felt was paced well.

This book has a certain depth to it that comes,I think, from the author’s ability to weave bigger themes and issues into her writing, such as the search for a sense of belonging.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it if you want a well written, cosy, magical story. Thank you to the author and to Netgalley.