I had such high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, the narrative did not live up to my hopes.

The Witch at the Edge of the Wood is a cozy fantasy/found family story. We are introduced to Velina as she is trying to escape the awful workhouse where she has been indentured. Whe is trying to find the witch at the edge of the woods, but she finds an empty cabin and through some shenanigans learns that there is no witch, so Velina chooses to try and help the desperate people who come to her regardless of her not being a witch. She finds friends and helps people on her journey.

My main problems with the book boil down to the novel not feeling complete. The story jumps forward in time when I would have rather seen a progression of the characters. Because of these time skips, we do not really get the opportunity to engage with Velina or her friends, nor do we really have the space or time for tension to build up from anything, leading the payoff at the end to feel illgotten.

This book does still have a lot of potential, but I think it needs some work in revision.

This was a cosy bite size novella just right for inbetween those darker loooong series of books.

I enjoyed hearing how Velina grew through helping people after younger life had impacted her trust of others.

The book flowed well and had good pace

The audio was whimsically and fairytale-esc which suit the story very well!

The Witch at the Edge of the Wood allows the listener to believe that magic can happen to anyone. As a workhouse runaway with a mysterious past goes along her travels, she finds an abandoned cottage. Needing a rest, Velina enters and finds a home. Narrated by Deborah Balm, this cozy audiobook, available on Audible, enchants fantasy lovers of all ages and can turn an afternoon into a enchanting jaunt into a medieval forest.

I received a complementary copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet and quick cosy read (listen) for the fans of witches and cottages. If you need little break between heavier books or you want something to drink tea with, that's the way to go!
Also: great narrator.

This was a cute cozy read of a girl finding her own footing in life all while she finds a little family as well. Each side story was a fun story as well. A fun fantasy palate cleanser for sure.

A quick and cozy read about a wish-granting magical cottage and a runaway indentured worker seeking freedom and a better life.

Highlights:
-Magic
-Wishing
-Witches
-Second Chances
-Found Community/Friendship
-Discovering purpose
-Teleportation

Thank you Net Galley for the audiobook ARC!

Posted to Goodreads: 7/4/2025

This was such a sweet and heart-warming story! This cozy fantasy follows Velina, an orphan who escaped the workhouses in search of a witch to help her live a regular life. The only issue is that when Velina finds the witch's cottage, it is empty and Velina must decide what to do next in order to stay safe and start her new life. She just hopes her silver hair and pointy ears don't attract too much unwanted attention and discrimination, like they did in the workhouses. This book was like a warm hug, and I hope there are more in this series. I can definitely see it being a comfort read for those who love a sweet fantasy story. I was given the opportunity to listen to this audio book through NetGalley, and I hope it finds other readers who will like it just as much as I did!

This is such a wonderful addition to the cozy fantasy genre! The characters are easy to love, and the magical cottage setting is enchanting. The storytelling and world building we're equally captivating. And I loved the found family element. I'll definitely be recommending this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an audiobook of The Witch at the Edge of the Wood in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a warm and cozy book to read! Super lighthearted, and soft!

I think anyone who reads this book will now have a new life goal of finding a magic cottage in the woods and being able to create a life there!

I loved listening to a beautiful journey of self confidence and friendship.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ALC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

The Witch at the Edge of the Wood was such a charming read. This novella adds to the cozy fantasy genre with loveable characters and low stakes, best for a quick palette cleanser read.

Velina runs away from her old life, finds a magical cottage in the woods, and pretends to be the witch. I love that this book was focused on her self-growth, with becoming a witch, making friends, and learning new things she never could before all whilst helping the people in neighbouring towns.

There’s not too much on world building but if you’re reading this book that’s not what you’re here for. The audiobook was really well done as well, adding to the overall fairytale vibes. Will definitely be reading more from Liz Delton.

A quick cute cozy read, I enjoyed the FMC and it was nice to read something not Romance based, that's rare in this genre. The audiobook narrator did a great job too. The pace was perfect and it was very easy to follow.

Thank you NetGalley and Tourmaline & Quartz Publishing for this ARC Copy!

This was such a cute story, and I was so sad when it was over because I just wanted it to keep going forever and ever. A magical cottage in the woods that gives you everything that you could ever need. Sing me up please!

I finished listening to this book last night! And what a cute little book! I loved the story of escape and self-learning! I love that she learns to stand up for herself and learns to help others in the process. Going from a lost and shy girl in the workhouse. To find a magical house that helps her learn and use her magic not only to save her but help others as well.

4.5 out of 5 stars. This was such a charming novella that managed to be fast paced whilst also staying cosy. The setting of the witch’s cottage and its magic was really sweet, and I loved Will and his bees. When he talked about all the things he wanted to do less than being with his bees I wanted to shake the closest person near to me whilst shouting “let the boy be with the bees!!!”. I bee-lieve I’ve fallen in love with him because of that quirky trait. The rest of the characters were really adorably done too. The fact that characterisation was so strong in such a short page count is impressive, and their backstories were woven through in ways that made them feel vibrant without needing a huge amount of exposition. I feel like this would be a really good resource for anyone trying to learn how to pull off cosy fantasy because it showed a lot of skill for such a small story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for letting me have an arc of this in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait to read more of these!

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately I could not get into it. The premise sounded very enticing, but ultimately this story fell flat. I decided to DNF @ 30%.

✨ 4 stars ✨

Thank you to NetGalley and Tourmaline & Quartz Publishing for the ALC of this witchy cottage core magic!

So I read this book as an ebook and listened to it on Audio!

The Witch at the Edge of the Wood was the perfect cosy fantasy.

The first Act of the book was a little slow, but it set the scene well. It was a short story, but I felt the story was well written and nicely wrapped up. This was technically a novella, but I felt this worked well, building a compelling story.
The FMC was so fun, spirited, and strong. I loved that we had a sentient cottage and a cat companion.

Now audio-specific,

The narration was really good for one female narrator covering a wide variety of voices! I found the narrator did a fantastic job capturing Velina’s personality, her strength, motivation, and depth. I found the pacing in the first Act was slow, but going forward, I found the pacing great and the story was really interesting and had me hooked.

Tropes
No Romance
Cottage core
Sentient magic cottage
Witchy vibes
Found family
Pet familiar

Perfect for Cosy witchy, cottage core vibes.

A cozy tale about the found home and an ever-growing found family. There is almost zero tension (I found the beginning to be the most "intense" part). This book is very alike to the book, "Kiki's Delivery Service," where the "plot" is more like a series of tales/vignettes centering around the main character with many repeating side characters in chronological order.
It's cute, but not groundbreaking. This book is much like the cottage itself: you go places without actually going anywhere.

Charming, whimsical, and quietly magical.
The Witch at the Edge of the Wood was a cozy, bite-sized fantasy that swept me away with its gentle pace and enchanting atmosphere. Velina was such a sympathetic character—her longing for a normal life made her journey all the more emotional, especially as she began to discover a sense of belonging in the mysterious little cottage at the forest’s edge.

I loved the slow unfolding of the cottage’s secrets and the parade of characters who brought their wishes to Velina's doorstep. There’s something deeply comforting about the blend of soft magic, quiet resilience, and found family this story delivers.

My only wish? That it were just a little longer! I would’ve loved more time in this world and a deeper dive into Velina’s backstory and the magic behind the cottage.

A perfect pick for fans of Legends & Lattes or Howl’s Moving Castle looking for something short and heartwarming. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the Cozy Cottage series!

This was one of the most cozy, heartwarming books I've read in a while. There was something about Velina and her soft ways which made her such an enjoyable character to follow through her journey of found family and finding a place to call home.

We first meet Velina as she is on the run from the workhouses which have conscripted her to work since she was a child. She knows nearly nothing about her past but she stands out due to her silvery hair and pointed ears showing her to be fae-touched. While in the workhouses, she heard of a witch in the woods who could grant wishes and she only wants to be free and to have the ability to make choices for her own future. However, when she finds the witches hut, it appears abandoned, with few things within. So, she settles in with hopes the witch may return and may not be too angry for her trespassing.

As time passes, she tries to pass as the witch of the hut but ends up making friends and even a familiar. She also learns a few fun things about the hut itself and how things are not always as they seem.

I love the whimsy and low stakes of this story where the biggest obstacle really is Velina's own confidence in herself and her ability to trust other people. The characters are charming and I really hope we get to enter this world again in the future.

A whimsical short audiobook that is narrated perfectly. Very similar in tone to Legends and Lattes. Our main character goes to find the Witch in the Woods and finds much more than she bargained for. A cottage that is much more than it seems is the real main character of this book. I was left wishing that I lived there with the ragtag group that forms the core of this book.

A slight romance threads its way through the narrative, a gorgeous bakery with the sweetest owners will have you loving the side characters and a mystery will keep you reading. I wish that it had been a bit longer to flesh out the characters more and give the story threads a bit more but this was a perfect little palate cleanser read.