Mika is a member of a secret society of witches. She longs to share her love of magic with others – but the society only meets a few times a year because it’s dangerous for too many witches to be in one place at once, and no one else can know about her magic. So Mika decides to post videos about magic on the internet. Surely no one will be able to tell that it’s not all special effects, right? But soon enough, she is contacted with an opportunity to be a tutor to three young burgeoning witches who are being raised in a house in the countryside by a motley group of individuals – a retired actor, a gardener, a housekeeper, and a grumpy (but annoyingly attractive) librarian who doesn’t trust outsiders with his young charges easily.

This is the first of the recent batch light-hearted witchy romance novels I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it. It’s super cute! Sweet, but not nauseatingly so. I love a found family and I love a little old couple and I love a good dog and I love the grumpy/sunshine dynamic... this book has all those things and more. There’s even a twist that I totally did not see coming. This was adorable and anyone looking for a fluffy but well-written romance should read it.

Representation: Indian main character (written by Indian author) and other POC characters, LGBTQ characters

CW: homophobia and racism (implied, not explicit), child abuse and neglect (past)

LOVE. Secret magic and witches, magical children who may or may not be capable of murder in the name of love and found family above all else. those are the selling points for this incredibly fun, flirty and fantastical read. A warm tale about an isolated estate, a witch with only her wits to rely on and the love that can be found anywhere. Mika Moon has known her entire life to hide her true nature, keep to herself and NEVER associate with other witches, until and offer she cant, or wont refuse puts her in a place where she has no other choice. A handsome but standoffish librarian, a lovely elderly gay couple and the sweetest woman and three unforgettable children need her help, who is she to say no?

This was probably one of the most adorable stories I've ever had the opportunity to read! I loved all of the characters we were introduced to, but more than anything - the children were the best! It was the perfect book to read to try and get out of a reading slump because it was a happy-going book the entire time!

Sangu Mandanna was definitely stargazing when she thought of this delightfully warm story. Power in the wrong hands is a disaster waiting to erupt, but instead, think power meets Mika Moon. “I’m sorry, but who the hell is Mika Moon, and what does she have to do with power?” Well, Mika Moon is a 31-year-old witch who grew up an orphan. She was raised by Primrose Beatrice Everly, who erased the memories of the nannies and tutors that did the actual raising of Mika whenever they found out that Mika was different.

“Alone is how we survive” - Primrose.

Growing up, Mika was taught to hide her magic from the world and to keep her distance from other witches because that would spell danger. However, The Very Secret Society of Witches is a group of witches under the supervision of Primrose, the oldest witch in the county. They met on the third Thursday of every third month and never in the same place twice. The only time the witches spoke to each other was during these meetings. Mika’s way of being subversive and being a little bit of herself was to post videos online “pretending” to be a witch.

Ian Kubo-Hawthorn of Nowhere House, who has a knack for spotting real witches, stumbles across Mika’s videos. Ian tells the other inhabitants of Nowhere House that Mika is a real witch and she might be a good tutor for the three little witch orphans living in Nowhere House. Nowhere House is home to five adults and three little kids who found a home in each other and became family by chance. The Nowhere House family are crazy, loving, kind, and beautiful. Ian might just be my favorite despite his eccentricities. Ian messages Mika to inform her of the tutoring position, and eventually, she convinces herself to take the job.

“Too much magic left unchecked in one place, she said, would draw attention.”

Well, there is a whole lot of magic in Nowhere House, which is why Mika is needed as a tutor for the three little witch orphans. Lillian, the Nowhere House custodian and a powerful witch who is excellent at casting protective spells, has been gone for a long time. The protective spells over Nowhere House need to be recast every spring, and Lillian does this annually. Oh, did I mention that Lillian is hardly ever at Nowhere House? No? Okay, well, Lillian is hardly ever at Nowhere House. The dilemma now is that Lillian has gone AWOL for a while, and spring is almost here, so the protective spells need to be recast. Edward (Lillian’s solicitor, whose suspicion that the unworthy inhabitants of Nowhere House have harmed Lillian is rapidly growing) will be at Nowhere House to pick up some documents the day after Christmas. And the three little witches need to have mastered how to control their magic by Christmas.

“It’s not always enough to go looking for the place we belong,” Jamie said, his eyes on the House ahead. “Sometimes, we need to make that place.”

And that is precisely what the family of Nowhere House did.

Is Mika, who is used to loneliness and is incapable of creating lasting connections going to make Nowhere House a place she belongs? Or is she going to leave and break several hearts, especially that of the kids and a special someone, when she finds out the real reason she was hired to tutor the kids? Is Edward’s suspicion going to turn out to be true when he visits Nowhere House on boxing day? And where the hell is Lillian? Oh! You thought I was going to spill the tea? Sorry, but I do not kiss and tell, which is why you must grab a copy of this book to find out.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkely Publishing for sending me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is voluntary and all opinions are mine.

I fell in love with the characters in the book, especially the children, and I am ready to run away and join this secret society! This was so well done and I love the happy gooey feeling it gave me

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches...What a delight!! This is the very magical story of finding your family. Mira Moon was orphaned as a young child. She is raised by nannies and taught that witches need to stay away from other witches to avoid drawing attention to themselves and their magic to keep them safe. Mira grows safely to adulthood but is very lonely having moved every 6 months to avoid detection.

Mira is offered the chance to tutor 3 young orphans who are just learning of their powers and need guidance. We are then introduced to all of the amazing characters who make up this household. What proceeds is just pure magic!

Hint, hint.. hint...I am hoping for a sequel. We just have to see more of Rosette, Terracotta and Altamira. We have seen them at ages 7, 8 and 10 and absolutely need to see them grow up...can't wait for the teenage years!!

You know those books that you wish you could go back and read again for the first time? That’s how I feel about The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by @sangumandanna. Thank you @berkleypub and @letstalkbookspromo for the free #gifted ecopy. This book is available now!

Mika is a witch living in England. There are other witches, but according to the Rules, they can’t live close or get together more than once every few weeks. Mika was raised by nannies and occasionally visited by her guardian, Primrose, but has spent most of her life hiding her secret. Except for her YouTube channel where she ‘pretends’ to do witchy things. Then, a letter arrives from a place called Nowhere House and she finds herself teaching three young witches how to control their powers. This breaks all the Rules, but she goes anyway and finds herself embracing her life with the girls and the other adult occupants of the house - one of whom is a very attractive librarian that starts out rather prickly but softens as the book unfolds.

I. Loved. This. Book. I loved the characters most of all. They are all wonderful, especially the children. Terracotta and Altamira are hilarious, and I adored them. Ken and Ian, Lucie, and Jamie are all so well written they seem like real people…and people that I wish I knew. I loved the found family trope, and how this group of people all came together to protect the girls, and to have quite the happy ending.

The description of the magic and how it worked just made so much sense to me. It wasn’t super fantastical, which I appreciated. I especially enjoyed how Mika used different plants in her potions, drawing truth from their true uses (like lavender, peppermint essential oils etc).

Go read this book - you don’t have to wait until Halloween, since it’s not spooky. It’s going to be one of my top reads of 2022!

Mika Moon is a lonely, orphaned witch that always follows the rules. Well…all but one rule. She has an online social media account where she “pretends” to be a witch. One day she received a message in the mail from Nowhere House and they know her secret. She goes to answer the letter in person, to find a house hidden behind strong wards with three witch children living among a motley crew of caretakers. Risking everything, Mika decides to help the children learn how to take control of their magic, and along the way finds a family and love. Magic being out of control is not the only threat this new family faces, a new one outside of Nowhere House is dangerously close.

My thoughts:

This was a very unique and fun read! One of the children reminded me of Wednesday Addams. It was delightful. I enjoyed Jamie, the librarian, as well. This one I listened to on audio and the narrator was perfection. Difference voices/accents for every character. So easy to follow and get lost in.

If you love cute witchy stories, this one is for you because it doesn't get cuter than this. Such a fun light heartwarming story.

Mika Moon is a witch, and yes that's her name, it's the cutest. She lives an isolated life, hiding her magic, and only interacts with other witches four times a year.

One day, she receives a request to travel to Nowhere House for a tutoring job. The job? Help teach three young witches about magic.

Nowhere House is filled with 3 precocious girls, an adorable elderly gay couple, a lovely housekeeper and a brooding young man. Every single one of these characters is perfectly developed and endearing in their own special way.

The story is mostly about family and friendship but there is a bit of a love story too, although not the main element. I do love romantic love, but appreciated the focus on all kinds of love in this book.

This is the cutest story I've read in a long time and definitely makes my all time favorites list!

The world Sangu Mandanna has created is similar to our own. Here witches exist but they must hide their powers from regular people and even hide from one another. All witches are orphaned at birth or soon after as an old curse causes the parents to die. They grow up largely in isolation as it is dangerous for witches to gather together - their magical powers will draw attention. Mika Moon keenly feels this isolation and never stays in one place too long so as to not form an attachment to anyone. The only time she gathers with other witches is on the third Thursday every third month and it is in largely desolate places. How long, though, can she hide herself away without totally losing who she is?

I don't read a lot of fantasy but when I do, I generally like it to include witches. With the title The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, I was expecting a humorous women's fiction or chick-lit type story. What I got was a much more serious and thought-provoking novel.

Mika Moon is a thirty-something Indian woman living in England. She has lived in England since her mother died shortly after her birth. As her maternal grandmother was also a witch, she isn't alive either to raise her. There isn't much mention about her father or his side of the family. Another witch, Primrose, brought Mika to one of her homes to be raised by nannies and tutors. Whenever the nanny or tutor would discover Mika was a witch, Primrose would erase their memory and send them on their way. So Mika grew up without any emotional attachments and it has followed her into adulthood.

While there are witches in this book, it is more about belonging and finding your place in the world. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a sweet story. Mika may be a witch but her childhood trauma is something every reader can understand and to some extent identify with. How many us have felt like we didn't belong or didn't fit in?

The characters are great. They are a bit eccentric but they are truly motivated by love. They are the kind of people that you hope to surround yourself with - people who are more than friends, they are family.

If you are looking for a sweet story with a beautiful message then this should be your next read.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday, Aug. 26 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/08/the-very-secret-society-of-irregular.html

Time for another #BerkelyBuddyReads! I was super excited to dive into The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna. If this is any indication of the author's writing in other books, consider me a new fan! Many thanks to both @letstalkbookspromo and @berkley for the early gifted copy.

One of my very favorite tropes is found family and this book has that in spades. Mika is a witch and like all witches before her, she is an orphan. She's been told her whole life never to be around other witches for a long time. So when she answers an ad and ends up as a tutor to three orphaned witch children, she isn't sure what to do. However, much like me as the reader, she quickly falls in love with everyone at Nowhere House.
I've been seeing a lot of comparisons to The House Under the Cerulean Sea and I can certainly agree from the found family/wholesome/big hug vibes from both books. One thing that surprised me most about Witches is that I wanted more of the children. They were so quirky and fun and I was kind of sad they didn't have more on page time. I also caution my romance fans that this one is a very slow burn. I yelled just kiss already a lot.
Overall, it was a very cute story and I had a hell of a lot of fun reading it. I recommend this one to anyone who needs cozy witch vibes and wants to read about an eclectic cast of characters. The magic system was also really fun.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a very cute contemporary paranormal romance book that was a fun, quick, and easy read. Mika Moon is one of just a few witches in Britain and she knows the rules: keep her head down, hide her magic and don't mingle with other witches so their power doesn't draw attention. Raised as an orphan, Mika has never felt a part of anything. She had no family, was raised by strangers, and never stayed in one place long enough to make friends or plant roots. Her only bit of rebellion; an online account where she posts videos of herself "pretending" to do magic. She thinks no one actually believes she's a real witch - until a letter arrives.

The letter asks her to travel to remote Nowhere House to teach 3 young witches to control their magic. It breaks all of her rules, but Mika still goes. She is met by a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie -the handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House. Shortly thereafter she is tangled in all of their lives and feeling like she may have finally found a place to call home. But of course, things can never go that smoothly and when a danger knocks on the door, Mika's dreams of finally belonging somewhere may shatter.

I loved this book. Mika is smart, strong, capable with a cute personality and a great sense of humor. Despite her lonely upbringing, she is charming, loving, and kind and it broke my heart to read about her sad and lonely upbringing. Her longing for a place to belong was palpable. The supporting characters were a lot of fun and added humor and levity to the book. The interactions between Mika and Jamie were so cute and I loved how their relationship developed and grew. It was hard to not fall in love with all of the characters, even the prickly Primrose.

If you're looking for a fun, sweet, paranormal romance, I highly recommend this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.

A very sweet found-family/romance combo with lovely characters, this feels like a hug while still having some heartbreaking thematic elements and a new sort of magical mythology. While the softness and the pacing did sometimes seem to keep the emotions a little muffled and the romance in particular from being deeply felt, the world-building did leave something to be desired, and the problems didn't necessarily feel resolved, this is simply a really nice read. Especially recommended to those who like TJ Klune's work, or anyone searching for Eva Ibbotson's juvenile fantasy all grown up.

I really liked this book and the witchy halloween vibes. You’re looking for a cute and sweet read this is the book for you!

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Mika Moon is a witch, and as with all witches, is orphaned early on. Primrose is the oldest witch and has set forth rules that witches can’t be together often as their magic could be too powerful together and draw attention to themselves. Mika is sent an unusual request to teach Magic to 3 young orphaned witches at Nowhere House. What she finds there is everything she has been wanting; family, belonging and the chance to be herself.

I adored this book! It was such a warm, sweet tale of found family and learning to trust people. I love a good witchy story and Mika was the sweetest character. It had similar vibes to The House in the Cerulean Sea where it was like a warm hug in the end:) There is a touch of romance but mainly it is about finding where you can be yourself and still be loved and valued for exactly who you are. 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Thanks to @netgalley, @berkleyromance and @letstalkbookspromo for the arc for an honest review!

Tis the season for witchy books and let me tell you, this isn’t one to pass up!

This is an urban fantasy / paranormal romance full of shenanigans, secrets, and schemes. It’s a slow burn, but very good with just a bit of spice. There’s grumpy sunshine, found family, a whole cast of loveable and diverse characters, and an out-of-pocket but wildly entertaining family.

The writing is so cute and fun. The perfect fall fluff I needed in my life. Mika is such an inspiring character to be the way that she is after everything she’s faced in life. I love that she names absolutely everything— down to her broomstick. Enter James the grump and the loads and loads of drawn out build up / pining. I get that that isn’t for everyone, but I enjoy it a lot.

This story is so charming. It has an overall cozy and uplifting vibe even with the heavy topics throughout the plot. It touches on loss, grief, finding yourself, and being proud of who you are. I love all of the magical elements as well!

Mika is a 31-year-old witch. It would seem like the world is her oyster, right? She is young, carefree, and has magic at her fingertips. The reality however is very different. She was an orphan and raised by nannies and tutors under the watchful eye of Primrose. Primrose strongly believes that witches should be kept apart, and this rather lonely and hidden life is all that Mika knows. When she accepts a tutoring position at Nowhere House, she has no idea how much her life will change.
Ian, Ken, Lucie, and Jamie are the adults caring for three young witches (Terracotta, Rosetta, and Altamira), while their guardian Lillian is away. These strangers have made this house a home and Mika has her first taste of belonging to a chosen family.
Of course, everything is not magical as Lillian’s lawyer Edward would like nothing better than to pull this family apart. Such a heartbreaking (at times) and heartwarming (at others) tale of learning to not only be yourself but to embrace those around you who see and accept the real you. I won't say anymore and risk ruining this heartfelt tale, except that I really enjoyed every facet.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to @letstalkbookspromo, @berkleypub, @sangumandanna, & @netgalley for the advanced copy of this read.

This one was a really sweet read that kept me guessing with every page turn. Mika needed to feel a sense of belonging & l thought she found a place that fit the bill, until it didn't. Jamie needed to trust, but that didn't come easy. The other characters were all so much fun. I loved the 3 young witches. The representation in this book was amazing as well! If you're looking for a sweet read, this is the book for you.

Thank you again to the above mentioned!

I thought this book was super cute and everything you want in a cozy, witchy read. I actually wished I would have waited for the Halloween season to read it, because it's the perfect read for it! I loved that Mika didn't back down in teaching her young witches the ins and outs of magic. There was a tad bit of romance but the book primarily focuses on learning to embrace yourself and love who you are.

This was such a fun and light read that had me soooo invested in these characters. I was hoping for a House on the Cerulean Sea vibe and I got just that! There were so many elements of this book that gave me all the feels. Perfect start to witchy season.