Eli's had a crush on Iris since they were kids and now he's moved into the house she inherited from her aunt. This is a romcom that's as much about found family as it is about the romance- with a little magic thrown in. Eli and Iris alternate chapters as they tell the tale of the house and its residents, some of whom are, shall we say, a little ephemeral, I didn't know that this is the latest in a series but that didn't make a difference- it's fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Light reading for the beach.

I requested this book entirely because of the cover. I skimmed the plot summary, had absolutely no idea it was part of a series, but the cover absolutely got me and if I’d seen it in a bookstore I would’ve purchased it immediately. Unfortunately, I’m glad that was not the case.

The Only Purple House in Town was just okay. The title didn’t really seem relevant to the story. The story didn’t even seem relevant to the story. Nothing happened. Things were always happening but nothing happened. The first 85% was just one big slice of life moment, then some kind of interesting, yet anticlimactic, conflict that gets resolved immediately compared to the way the rest of the book dragged on for no reason. So many side stories and characters when other parts needed to be developed so much more.

I will say I liked a few of the characters. It was really wonderful to have so much Queer representation and found family is one of my favorite tropes. Henry Dale was my favorite. Rowan was kind of annoying. Iris was a little frustrating and I didn’t understand Eli’s obsession with her. The majority of the book I only kept going because I needed to know what made her different. Eli was okay. He gave off incel vibes a little in the beginning but I still thought he was a genuinely nice person with good intentions even if he didn’t know how to go about them in normal or healthy ways. I was Not a fan of the miscommunication. I can handle some but everything started off with a lie and it was too much.

Overall, nothing stuck. It was a little too much of everybody’s stories and not enough of any in particular. There were several subplots that I would’ve been interested in but they were never fleshed out and it got out of hand to where none got the details they deserved. The writing style just didn’t work for me. I’ve seen other reviews saying that the rest of the series is much better, but I will not be going back or continuing if there’s more to come.

One whole extra star for the cover. I wish the story inside reflected it.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Iris unexpectedly inherits an old Victorian home and decides to rent out the extra rooms for some much needed income. One of the rooms is rented by Eli, a successful app developer who has been harboring a secret crush on Iris since middle school.

I wish I could tell you that the content of this book matched the absolutely gorgeous cover, but I cannot.

The writing was incredibly disjointed and the pacing was all over the place. It jumped from one pov to the next with no warning or really anything to indicate the pov was switching. There were too many random side characters to keep track of.

The main characters needed a lot more development. Iris was whiney and unbearable. Eli was a low key stalker with no memorable personality traits. They had no chemistry and the romance felt forced. Mira, Sally, and Rowan felt like afterthoughts. Henry Dale was the only likeable character in the entire book which is ironic because he was a grumpy old man.

Plot-wise I just felt like there were so many things thay could have been trimmed down to give room to flush out the more important parts of the plot.

I think the concept was great, but execution was just not there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book had the potential to be a good book, but the writing style fell flat for me and disengaged me quite quickly. I did appreciate the queer side character rep and the found family trope. This book was the fourth in the series, but could be read as a stand-alone.

I had no idea that this was part of a series until I was well into the book. This made some of the version of the world that Iris lived in a little confusing. That being said, it was still a cute book. I liked the main character, not so much the male lead, but what can ya do?

I did not realize at first that The Only Purple House in Town was the fourth in the Fix-It Witches series. While I have read the first two in the series, I haven’t read the third yet, so I was curious how this novel would fit. For readers who have not read any of the series, I believe this could be read as a standalone. There are characters and some smaller callbacks to the other novels, but a reader can understand everything without the background. Iris Collins inherits her great aunt’s house in St. Claire, Illinois. She decides to rent out rooms in the house which works out for Eli Reese. The two met when they were younger, he was ~10/11 and she was ~12, and he’s had a crush on her ever since. The novel is written in third person with some first-person thoughts included and alternates between Iris and Eli.

The story itself is sweet with romance and found family elements. It is lighter on the fantasy side, but this was expected, for me, as I read other novels in the series. The characters were interesting, although Eli was not written in the best way. I believe the intention was to show the connection Eli felt for Iris and how he never forgot her over the years, however, this is not what the reader got. Instead, he comes off as a stalker who looked her up secretly over the years and kept some tabs on her. He is not forthright about their past, so this is one of the main expected conflicts. I think this element of the novel needed a lot of work to make it come off better to the reader. Their romance ends up feeling a little lackluster as I did not connect with Eli at all. Readers will have their own feelings about him and his potential relationship with Iris. I enjoyed Iris and her journey, so I felt conflicted about my feelings once I completed the story. Overall, this was a decent read and I would read more from the author in the future.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

* Received a copy for review.*

I love this series. It is the best of cozy paranormal/ fantasy romance. Iris has never felt like she belonged in her family. They are energy vampires who never accept responsibility for their actions. One of her sisters has stolen her most recent boyfriend and no one thinks that Iris should be mad about it. Her mom is terrible.
Eli remember Iris as a hero from his childhood. She rescued him from a bully in elementary school and he was never able to thank her. Now she is in the town where he's helping his Gamma sell her house.
This book is just lovely. It's so much found family and learning to appreciate people for who they are. There is an awful neighbor and some mild conflict but overall it's just a lovely, excellent read.

Such a cute book, but also not quite was I was expecting. I felt that at times I was swimming in the details and didn't really connect with what was happening in this book. However it was a nice read, just not my fav.

Oooooooof.

How did book 4 in a series suffer from first book in a series syndrome???? (Answer: because this book does not belong in the Fix It Witches series.)

While the Fix It Witches (plus Leanne) have finished their task and made witches visible, random person Iris steps onto the scene for no apparent reason. About 70% of the book is about flipping the house and building those found family relationships, yet once a character was established, another one was quickly introduced. I felt like Rowan was a last minute diversity add to the story. As well as Keshonda since her skin tone is mentioned whenever she is in the room.... Eli was also SO BASIC. what did he look like? Idk. Couldn't tell ya. But I remember Liz had bantu braids...??

I really wanted to love this book. I think it had potential if it had been set up as a new series, faster pacing, more emotional depth and a little less "poor me" from Iris.

I am so sorry Ann Aguirre but this book is no where near as enjoyable as the first three in the series.

Ms Aguirre's writing is like being sat down at your grandma's table where a feeling of peace and joy at just being in the presence of love envelopes you.
Everything Ann writes is gorgeous, lush with detail that makes your soul ache. Bravo.

I did not expect this to be connected to the Fix It Witches books! It definitely is. I picked this book up 4-5 times and I couldn’t get into it. I got to about 40% on the ebook and gave up. I think it’s a “not the book for me” situation and not a bad book. I’ll give it another try in audio after it is released.
Disregard star rating, I didn’t finish the book.

Alright Fix-It Witches Book 4. Honestly going in with a different cover I definitely thought this was a new separate series. Luckily I had read the other ones because the world building was already set up and didn’t re explain.

I really enjoyed the first three Fix-It Witches.

I really did not enjoy this.

So Iris is down on her luck and broke as shit (which seems to be her main personality traits) when she inherits her Great Aunt Gertie’s purple house and juuuust enough money to pay her back rent and some cleaners to scrub the old house. Iris decides to turn the attic into a loft and rent the rest of the rooms out to finally make some money. But then she gives everyone huge deals and is whiny about money the whole time. It was making me anxious for her tbh.

All while this flips povs to Eli. The love interest. The stalker. This guy. When he was a kid an avenging angel stopped his bullies and drops a bracelet. About two DECADES later he still has the bracelet and regularly checks this heroes’ socials (obviously Iris) so. He’s a stalker. He also is wealthy. He also has the personality of a wet napkin. *raspberry noise* He doesn’t need to rent from Iris but he does anyway.

The best part is Iris rents to other people as well and they are great side characters. A little under developed but maybe they will get more development in the next books?

I think my biggest problem with the book is it felt like it was trying to meet a word count and a diversity checklist.
Someone needs to let this author know that if you introduce a character as a Black woman you need to introduce your white characters the same way. White is not the default.

Overall verdict: I liked the found family-the romance was a SNOOZE FEST. I’d probably read book 5.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for an eARC.

By chapter 2 this book I had never read before was a comfort read. I’m not even surprised by that. Ann Aguirre writes books that are fun and kind. Her books are fluffy cinnamon rolls, even when she is delving into emotionally difficult topics.

The Only Purple House in Town exists in the Fix-It Witches universe. Iris Collins is a disappointment to (most of) her family of psychic vampires. When we first meet Iris, she feels like a failure because her abilities have never manifested and she hasn’t been able to support herself financially. She’s in debt to her housemates, owes back rent to her landlord, and desperately does not want to ask her family to bail her out again. Fortuitously, she is notified that she has received a bequest from her great aunt – her home in St. Claire, Illinois and a little cash.

When Eli Reese was little, Iris stood up to the bullies who were harassing him. Eli was too shy to talk to Iris again, but he never forgot her. When he sees her again at a coffee shop in St. Claire he chooses to be brave. Since Iris is looking for renters, she mistakes Eli for a prospective tenant, and he choose to not correct her. Iris begins to gather a household of people who need a soft place to land.

There is some plot in these vibes, but I was just happy to spend time in the Violet Gables house and read along as individuals became a community. They each have their own burdens and idiosyncrasies, and learn to accept and respect each other. Aguirre’s world is delightfully queer. In the current climate of hostility and violence, Aguirre’s books are a safe and welcoming space. There is bigotry and conflict, but acceptance and joy win.

You don’t have to have read any of the previous books in the Fix It Witches universe to enjoy The Only Purple House in Town. I do recommend that you read them, just for the enjoyment value. I have them all and preordered this one.

CW: toxic families, death of parents in past, memories of bullying, feelings of isolation and failure, threats of harassment and bigotry.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

— 2 stars
⭐️⭐️

📖 | 368 pages
👤 | author Ann Aquirre
🏢 | publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca
📅 | release date 11 July 2023

What you can expect:

• Book four in a series | Can be read without reading the rest of the series
• Found family
• Dual POV
• "He falls first"
• Third-person POV
• Queer side-character representation

I want to preface this by saying that I as a reader can be generally very easy to please. I hate giving lower ratings on books and tend to feel guilty as I acknowledge the time and work that goes into publishing a book. However I will always commit to being honest with my own personal reading experience and give an insight to what readers could expect from a book. Readers are entitled to their own opinions judgement-free, and I aim to be direct but polite with my opinions on a book I do not like.

I went into this book with high hopes. The cover is stunning and the title is intriguing, and I was fully prepared for a fun, fantasy romance novel. Unfortunately this book did not sit well with me. I found some of the writing to be choppy and rushed, whilst other elements were slow to get to the point. The heroine is yet again another "powerless" member of her family with little to no confidence, a terribly unsupportive mother-figure and her character just felt very overused in general. However what I absolutely hated was just how creepy the mmc Eli was. I do not agree with any forms of romanticisation of Eli. At the age of 10 years old Eli was constantly tormented by bullies until a then twelve-year-old Iris stepped in and defended him. From that moment on Eli became utterly obsessed with Iris, and I'm not using that term lightly.

"Eli Reese was an internet stalker."
"Which, come to think of it, sounded like something an internet stalker would say."
"I should stop this."

"But over the years, he never lost track of Iris."
"Eli had developed this habit of checking out her social media. Once a month, no more."

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?"

"How am I supposed to tell her the rest without her concluding I'm a stalker or a creep or both?"

What honestly disturbed me the most is how acutely self-aware Eli was with this behaviour. This man is a full-on stalker and yet it was played off as something quirky that could be explained. It was supposed to come across as sweet and devoting... it's not. It was obsessive and just plain wrong. Eli met Iris that one time when she defended him as a child and they never spoke again. Iris herself didn't even remember the incident from when they were children. This man genuinely stalked Iris's social media accounts on the same date of every month. And then at the end when Iris finds out about Eli's stalkerish tendencies it's basically just cast aside as Iris decides that "he's not perfect but neither am I." No. Just no. This book is advertised to be a cute, fluffy paranormal romance. I would've sooner believed this book if it were instead a dark-romance with the hero instead being the villain. I'm all for the "villain gets the girl" in a novel, but this is not the book for it.

I'm sorry but these facts alone had me not enjoying this book. I'm sure there were positive elements to be enjoyed in this book, but I cannot overlook the creepy behaviour constantly highlighted with the mmc.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Ann Ann Aquirre for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This cozy supernatural story takes place five years after the end of the Fix-It Witches series. While set in the same universe and some of the previous characters make brief appearances, it can be read as a stand alone. Iris has a difficult relationship with her family, so when she inherits a house from her great aunt, she uses that as an opportunity to rebuild her life. She incidentally gathers together a new family for herself through her roommates. Eli, the love interest, has pined for Iris since she saved him from a grade school bully. He becomes one of her roommates and friendship and romance blossom from there. The writing is excellent, and I love the way the book talks about grief and found family. However, the novel just didn’t work for me. I think it took Eli too long to reveal that he previously knew Iris, has been covertly following up on her on social media, and that he has been using his finances to support her behind the scenes. The resolution felt rushed.

Genre: contemporary paranormal romance

Iris Collins comes from a family of vampires. Not the blood sucking variety, but the sort who feed off of human emotions. Iris feels like a failure because she’s just normal. She’s a college dropout, behind on her rent, and her success is measured by the few hits she gets on her handmade jewelry site. Her windfall comes from a great aunt who passes away and leaves Iris her violet-colored Victorian house. Unsure of what else to do, Iris opts to fix up and rent out rooms, trying to make just enough money to stay above water.

She meets Eli Reece, who is so tongue tied he forgets to tell her that they met when they were in grade school and she saved him from a bully and that while he doesn’t need to rent a room he can more than afford it because he’s a very wealthy app developer. As the house begins to fill with quirky roommates, though, the neighbors take notice, and don’t approve…

The fourth book in the Fix-it Witches series, The Only Purple House pivots away from Danica and Clem’s coven, and towards the other supernatural beings who have started coming out of the woodwork as the news of the witches went public. It has a little bit of a first-in-series feel, as there are a lot of new characters and new ideas, but still while tied to the magic system Aguirre created in the first three.

I loved the expanding feel of the supernatural beings in this world. From vampires to shifters to witches and fae, it’s fun to see the variety, and not just a small town coven. The highlight of the book is the found family that Iris creates through renting rooms to her five roommates. Each roommate has their quirks, and some are supernatural while others are not. The house is a wonderfully safe place for all of them, and Iris works hard to protect that space from prying neighbors.

On the other hand, the romance was a little flat for me, and maybe a bit too straightforward. I know Aguirre can give me a more convincing romance, and here Eli and Iris as a couple felt a little more like background noise rather than central plot. This is still a romance novel with an HEA! But with the larger cast of characters, the emotional depth between Eli and Iris just wasn’t there for me.

You can easily pick this up not having read the first three Fix-it Witches books!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an eARC for review and @book.club.bitches and @whitneyloveshobbies for the buddy read! The Only Purple House in Town is out 7/11/23!

Sweet story involving to very deserving characters. Perhaps a bit too slow and saccharine for this grouch but it made me smile. Which is basically how I feel every time I watch a Hallmark movie. So its got that going for it.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

Romantic fantasy
Small town romance
Slow burn
Closed door romance
🏳️‍⚧️side character rep
Found family


This can be read as a stand-alone but it seems like other books will follow with a rotation in the spotlight.

An all new cast of characters! With sprinkles of characters from the first 3 books making appearances.

This burn is slower than slow. Also there is a big jump in ch 24 that feels really choppy. After that too much went to perfectly tied up a bit too quickly for my taste.


Thank you sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This one was so heartwarming and cute, I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed so much reading about this band of misfits and how the found family they formed with each other. Also the natural LGBTQIA+ representation incorporated with the supernatural was just beautiful. Such a wholesome read. Also I hadn’t realized this was book #4; it can be read as a standalone!

Iris Collins has always been the odd one out in her family of psychic vampires. Her powers never manifested and she wasn’t as successful as her siblings. Just as she is running out of options, her great aunt passes and leaves her a house. Iris moves to the town of St. Claire, and sees that money potential in the remaining rooms of the house, and puts out an ad. She finds herself taking in others who are also down on their luck, and together they begin to make the house a home. Both literally and metaphorically.
Eli is well off after creating multiple successful apps, but has always held an interest in Iris since she stood up for him in middle school. Running into her at the coffee shop was a coincidence, and ending up being one of her housemates was an accident. But now that he has the chance to actually get to know her, he feels conflicted on if he should tell her the truth of how he really knows her. To believe shapeshifting wasn’t the biggest secret he was keeping from Iris.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was truly a joy to read.

I love the cover and the title of the book. The cover is magnificent and I was really enticed to read it. I went in this story blindly.

At first, I love the idea of the vampires who are emotional vampire more than blood vampires.
I would have love to know more of this. I didn't know this book was the fourth of the series. It was written nowhere. Maybe it would have make more sense if I have read the precedent one before ? I don't know ! The plot is really fast. In the first chapter, we learned that Iris is broke, she can't pay her roommates and she's panicking. The solution came fastly through the door by her great aunt Gertie who let her in her will her house. Then, what truly irritates me, was the creepy MMC. I read all kind of books, with all kind of kinks but this one is a hard no for me. Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for this Advance copy reading through netgalley in exchange of an honest opinion.