I have seriously mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I was sick while reading and having a hard time focusing, so I needed something easy to read. This fit the bill, but I suspect that if I *hadn't* been sick I would have been a lot more critical of it. I also suspect that if I had read it rather than listening I would have been a lot more critical of the writing. Even in the audio it took me a while to get into it because I could tell the writing wasn't great, but I was eventually charmed by the found family.

I didn't realize it was fourth in a series until I'd already finished it, but I would argue that that doesn't matter and it works just fine as a standalone - you just don't recognize the cameos. And I suppose you have to accept the world for what it is with all the magical creatures, but that seemed natural enough.

I wasn't ever 100% on board with the romance. Eli and Iris are each disasters in their own way - Eli reads as autistic and while he is quite good at making money by developing successful apps he is a disaster socially and has pretty much given up on it. Iris is a disaster financially/adulting-ly and reads as ADHD but is great at pulling in a charming found family.

I can forgive disasters though. I can't as easily forgive Eli for his initial stalkerish behavior. She saved him from being bullied when he was 10, he's stalked her socials monthly ever since, but he runs away every time he tries to talk to her. Then he works up his courage to thank her and give her bracelet back and ends up accidentally renting a room in her house. I mean, he grows on me. He's sweet and seems to mean well and wants Iris to succeed and to help her, he just goes about it in a stalker-y way that is uncomfortable. And Iris, while being initially creeped out when she discovers it, forgives it VERY quickly and just lets it all go with an 'oh but he meant well.'

The actual romance takes up very little page time and is implied rather than shown. I was a little relieved to not get a sex scene as skimming those is harder via audio, but a single sentence 'they became one' was also a little weird, especially when the rest of the romance takes a back seat to the rest of the found family.

I have mentioned found family quite a bit haven't I? It's because that's where this book shines. Iris collects misfits, and as her house and life fill up its just so, so satisfying. Several of them are even queer which makes it even better. As they slowly work together to refurbish the house, they grow closer and become a real family. I was so happy that this takes up the majority of the book because it's the part that really kept me hooked. I would have happily read twice as much about them slowly coming together and making the house shine. (I think it's the proper length as-is, I'm just saying I didn't want to let the characters go.)

The ending twist came out of left field (yes, it was foreshadowed but still) and I'm not entirely sold on it, but it was entertaining. I don't think enough questions of Iris' background get resolved though. And I also don't think enough logistical questions get resolved (how they earn a living beyond Eli just quietly buying essentials, questions of inheritance, property taxes etc, how things actually get resolved with the nasty neighbor...).

Basically read it for the found family, but be prepared to forgive/overlook a lot of everything else.

The narrator does a great job with different voices for the characters and does a lot to help smooth out the writing but it is still a bit awkward in places.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Dreamscape media for providing an early copy and early audio copy for review.

Iris’ life is a bit of a mess until she unexpectedly inherits an old purple house from her great aunt. Things start to come together for Iris when she opens the house up to a series of misfit roommates and finds her chosen family. This book is fairly lighthearted and low stakes, with moments of T J Klune -esque sweetness. A great summer read!

I went into this story really interested in the plot. I was turned off pretty quickly from Eli's stalker tendencies. It went past cute and was extremely creepy and gave me the ick. If that element was treated differently the story would have been better in my opinion. I just could not get behind their love story. It would have been so easy to say, oh I know you and everything else would have been okay. I did enjoy the aspect of found family. There were a lot of characters to keep up with but they all felt unique which was enjoyable. Overall a cozy light fantasy and if you are looking for a easy read that doesn't have complex things going on, I'd recommend this.

This book was amazing…
A cute story about found fameliy, and finding your place in The world..
Loved every person in The story and meating them and learning there story

I love a good story of a small magical town. Throw in running a house you inherited, and I'm hooked. This book was a little long, but overall it leaves you with a warm and cozy feeling. Found family, belonging, and discovering who you really are, are key themes in this book. Plus lots of magic. I really enjoyed this book, and absolutely recommend it for your next cozy fall read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

The Only Purple House in Town is a heartwarming tale of love, acceptance and found family.
Iris is a powerless physic vampire who is at rock bottom when she inherits her Great Aunts’ house. Looking for help with her finances, Iris rents out the other bedrooms in the large purple house. In doing so she she assembles the family she has been looking for with the eclectic bunch of people who rent the rooms from her.
While I enjoyed the story I found myself wanting more from the magical system and world building side of things. I feel like the surface was only just scratched when explaining Iris’s world but overall still a fun, enjoyable read.

I'll start out with the positives for this review. I was immediately drawn to the cover and synopsis of this book. The cover is perfectly whimsical and I think embodies the essence of what this story was supposed to be. The synopsis was intriguing and made me want to pick the book up. However, there was nothing in the description that indicated that this was a continuation of a series of books that can be read as standalones. I think that would be important to mention because it really threw me off. The whole "stalking" plotline was slightly uncomfortable to me. Overall, the magical elements were nice and the found family aspect worked well. Some of the writing started to get repetitive, and it started to become annoying. The book accomplished what it set out to be about, but it just didn't do it in the way I would have hoped and could have used some more development.

The non-vampire from a family of psychic vampires inherits a rambling, purple Victorian house in this fourth book in the Fix-It Witches series from Ann Aguirre. Low on funds and needing a place to live, Iris Collins uproots her life to move hours away into the purple house and begins acquiring roommates, one of which is a man from her past who—unbeknownst to Iris—has been holding onto the memory of her since childhood.

Eli Reese is only in town to prepare his grandmother’s house to be sold. After that, he plans to fly back to his condo in another state and continue working on and developing apps, but when the avian shifter encounters childhood crush Iris in a coffee shop and stumbles into renting a room from her, his plans change.

I tend to enjoy paranormal romances, and I appreciated the found family and LGBTQIA+ rep in this book. I liked how the characters found a place to belong at Violet Gables.

Unfortunately, though, I just wasn’t very engaged or engrossed in the story. There was more telling, than showing from the author, and the characters didn’t feel multidimensional to me. Maybe it’s because there were so very many characters, but I would have preferred for at least all the characters that lived at Violet Gables to be more fleshed out. It also felt like some of the conflicts were left open-ended or were quickly brushed aside instead of finding resolution.

Ultimately, my favorite thing about the book was cranky, old Henry Dale, the man who rents the room next to the kitchen because he doesn’t want to live around the others.

I received an advance copy of the book from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

I have kind of mixed feelings about this book. It’s supposed to be the fourth book in the Fix-It Witches series (I have read the first three books), but the cover and the vibe are very different. You probably can read this book as a standalone, but I do think it makes slightly more sense having read the previous books. The first three books, from what I remember, were spicy. This has zero spice (which is fine, but if someone’s reading this book as part of the series, they might be a little disappointed if they’re expecting that kind of content. I saw some reviews upset about the mmc “stalking” the fmc, but what he did before they met did not come across as stalking, in my opinion. He looked at her social media every so often - and that’s it. I obviously feel he should have been honest with the main character, but that’s a fairly big plot point, mentioned throughout the story. I do also think she seemed unnecessary angry when she finds out he has money. I was glad she was the one to seek him out to resolve things.
This series always has a lot of LGBTQ representation, which is great, but there’s so much of it, it almost starts to seem less realistic. It totally makes sense that marginalized people would seek each other out to form community, but this almost seems to go beyond that. It doesn’t bother me, but takes me out of the story a bit.
It took me some time to get into this story, but for most of it, I was really enjoying the cozy fantasy, which a bit of romance. It didn’t end great for me (from when the fmc gets upset until the end) and the situation with her birth parents didn’t feel quite fleshed out enough, but mostly I had a nice time reading this story. I just don’t think it should be considered the fourth book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

I didn't realize this was 4th in a series, but I think it stands alone well.

It's a cute and cozy story of found family. Yes, it beats you over the head with that message but whatever. It's not one I would've picked up on my own but I still enjoyed it overall. Sooner of it's a bit unrealistic but whatever. It's a fun read.

I found myself genuinely charmed by this book. Iris and Eli were characters that tugged hard at my heartstrings and had me feeling very protective of them. There was an underlying layer of sweetness to this couple's story that really worked for me, and I was fiercely rooting them on. The combination of magic, romance, humor, drama and heart was quite fun, and I greatly enjoyed this quirky read.

At the time I requested this, I thought it sounded like a very cute standalone. Come to find out, it's book 4 in a series. This unfortunately did not work for me at all.

I liked the found family aspect. Iris is broke as a joke and made that her entire personality. She seems incapable of any planning or willing to hustle to get herself out of the things she gets herself into. If you find yourself mooching off of roommates, find a day job for a bit and work on your passion projects at night? She inherits her aunt's home in Illinois and bounces from her life basically upon opening the book.

When she gets there, she is spotted by Eli who has been lowkey stalking her for years and he immediately moves into her house as a boarder. I felt their romance was entirely flat.

I loved that this book and town seemed to have a diverse cast of characters and all of the side characters seemed to be LGBTQ+ friendly but can we talk about how the author chose to have a stranger drive by the house and throw hate speech at them when they were simply fixing a porch because the color of the house was apparently too gay for them? I'm still not over it. I get that it was used to point at and be like, those people (the ones who drove the car) were awful and indicative of the rhetoric that was going around about supernaturals but that was absolutely not the way to do it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

This just wasn't my jam unfortunately. I dnf'd it at 18%. It started out good, but the whole paranormal/magic stuff was a bit forced and I just couldn't get into it. I don't feel I should leave a full bad review on Amazon and other sites as I never finished it.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Iris Collins is at the end of her rope – and the knot she’s tied in that rope seems to be slipping through her fingers. And just at the point where all of her choices seem to range from bad to worse the universe throws her a lifeline. Ironic that, as the lifeline is the direct result of a death in her family. Her Great-Aunt Gertie has died and left her a charming but slightly dilapidated house in witch-friendly St. Claire, Illinois. All Iris has to do is get herself there, sign some papers, and she’ll have a rent-free place to live and a fresh start in a life that could seriously use one.

That it will get her away from her family’s drama is icing on a very purple cake. Because her mother and sisters are literally sucking the life out of her whenever she’s near them – and not just because they are ALL psychic vampires. Literally. Really, truly. Delphine, Lily and Rose would be toxic if they were garden-variety humans – but they aren’t. And they never let Iris forget that she’s the family ‘dud’ because she is. Or so it seems.

But Iris can’t support herself and the purple house without solving her cash flow problems, which is where the whole story starts to shine.

Her solution is to take in boarders, people like herself who need a place to live. But her first new roommate doesn’t really fit that description – not that Eli Reese is going to let Iris know that. Once upon a time, back when both Iris and Eli were briefly attending Middle School in St. Claire, Iris saved Eli from a gang of bullies. She doesn’t remember him or the incident, but he’s never forgotten her.

His motives for a bit of deception at their (re)meeting aren’t exactly pure. He IS hoping to pay her back for that timely rescue way back when. But he also just wants to get close to her. That he wants to get as close as possible in ways that would never have occurred to him back in Middle School is a secret he’s even keeping from himself. At least at first.

Of course, by the time he figures it out, his lies start to unravel and so does the cozy little dream that every person who has gravitated to The Only Purple House in Town has dreamed.

Because there’s a wicked witch (even if she isn’t REALLY a witch) trying to run them out of town with an attack of flying monkeys (in the person of government bureaucracy and officialdom) who doesn’t want paranormal creatures in her perfectly normal little town.

We’ll see who wins, and if the course of true love can possibly run true after all, in The Only Purple House in Town.

Escape Rating A-: The Only Purple House in Town was the best book in the entire Fix-It Witches series. Even better, it’s more of a set in the same universe story than it is a direct follow-up to the earlier books, meaning that it is more than possible to skip to the good stuff – meaning this book – without reading the rest unless you really, really want to.

And I’m saying this even though the resolution of the drama is well and truly straight out of deus ex machina territory and none of the characters in this story who put the “B” in “witch” get nearly the comeuppance they deserve – as is true for the previous books in the series.

That’s because the residents of the Violet Gables are just so damn charming together, their found family is so full of both love and humor, and Iris and Eli were delightful from their very first meet-cute. (Their first actual meeting wasn’t nearly so cute and that’s part of the story’s charm.)

What makes this story work so damn well is the way that this found family finds itself and pulls itself together. They are a mixed bag in so many ways, from Iris, the only seemingly mundane person in a family of psychic vampires to Eli the hawk-shifter and Mina the witch. But the mundanes in the family are just as fascinating, and just as much a necessary part of that family, as the supernatural folks. Everyone has had a different journey to bring them to this marvelous place and it is delightful to see them all blend into a whole that is not always harmonious but is always filled with love and care.

And I did love that the found family aspect of the story was a bigger and more important part of everything than the romance. Not that the romance wasn’t sweet, but it was icing on the tasty cake rather than the whole cake in a way that was just right.

The story has a lot of the same cozy fantasy vibes – just with a paranormal twist – as Travis Baldree’s marvelous Legends & Lattes. So if you’ve heard about how wonderful THAT story is but the fantasy setting isn’t quite your jam, The Only Purple House in Town has a lot of that same cozy feel while populated by somewhat more familiar species.

My journey to St. Claire to explore this marvelous little town where the paranormal is normal, has bumped through more than a few potholes along the road, but my stay in The Only Purple House in Town was absolutely delightful from the first page to the last. If there are more stories like this one in town, I’d love to go back!

This has everything I love in books: magic, found family, the slow fixing of a situation/thing.

Iris is the black sheep of her family and always seems to make just the wrong decision. When her great aunt leaves her a house and some money she leaps at the chance for a fresh start.

The house is definitely a fixer upper, but it has space to allow her to rent out several bedrooms for income while she builds up her jewelry business. Slowly, one by one, she finds the perfect tenants and builds a little family of misfits.

Then Iris gets the shock of her life when a family secret is revealed, truths of her roommates are uncovered and she suddenly has big decisions to make.

TBH, I'm not a romance fan so the final chapter or two was a bit much for me but I absolutely loved every other piece of this story. It makes me sad that the story ended. I feel like I'm leaving my friends behind.

Perfect for fans of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting, The Only Purple House in Town showcases the power of found family when you most need it.

Synopsis: Having inherited her late aunt's Victorian house - and struggling to make ends meet - Iris moves in and immediately starts redesigning the space. As she interviews for potential roommates, she bumps into Eli, a shy, awkward, adorable man who is looking for companionship. The plot twist? The two have already met, long ago. Told in Dual POV, Iris and Eli work together to improve the house while also making new friends, dealing with an annoying neighbor, and learning more about their magical powers.

Review: This book was really cute! It took a bit to get into, but once Iris started fixing up the house and inviting people to live with her, the story got more enjoyable. I think this book's greatest strength was the characters. All the housemates were so developed and relatable and lovable. Eli was a bit of a stalker, so I didn't appreciate that... But he eventually apologized for his stalkerish tendencies. I loved how all the housemates supported each other -- no questions asked. They were also very affirming of each other's beliefs and viewpoints, which was refreshing to read. They really were a found family <3

Some of the magic stuff went over my head. Despite the world building, I still couldn't understand how the magic system worked and how magical beings were living in society. I felt like the stuff with the faeries felt forced right near the end of the book. Also, coming into the book, I didn't realize this was the fourth in a series, so maybe I should've read the other books first? I still don't know if that would've helped me... Nevertheless, this didn't detract too much from the rest of the plot.

Content Warnings: Emotionally abusive mother and sisters of the FMC; mentions of transphobia; neglectful parenting; mentions of divorce.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for this digital ARC!

this was a cute attempt at a fantasy romance, but left a little bit to be desired. It felt like the pacing was off until the second half of the book. I wasn't aware this was going to be part of a series, so that was unfortunate for me as a reader as i went in a little blind. I did not really enjoy Eli as a MMC. He kind of skiived me out and I was never really given a reason to accept those things about him that I found offputting.

This book was a cute, light, cozy fantasy romance. I did not know it was part of a series, and I don't think my experience suffered from not having read the previous books before this one.

My favorite part of this story was the found family that Iris gathered. At the beginning of the story, she's just inherited a run-down house from her recently departed great-aunt. Looking at this as an opportunity for a fresh start, she packs up and moves 6 hours away to live in the house. In desperate need of money, she decides to rent out rooms. Iris is a bit of a misfit (meant in a loving way,) and she rents rooms to people who are also misfits. It's lovely to witness how they come together, help each other, and become family.

There is a romance, between Iris and Eli, one of her housemates. I don't think I would call it the central part of the story though. At least for me, the friendships and family bonds between the housemates took center stage.

The plot and dialogue are a bit clunky at times, and the characters are rather one-dimensional, but I still enjoyed this. I would recommend if you're looking for a quick, light read. I give this three stars, which for me means I liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an absolutely charming cozy book brimming with characters you want to know and hug in real life. If you enjoy magic in urban settings, sweet romance, and found family stories then you should check this one out!

The positivity of this book is a balm to the soul right now making you want to snuggle up in bed or on a comfy couch to read this. Full of diverse characters they are the highlight of this story and all contribute to the plot. Apparently this is part of a series but it is not required to read them, i didn't and understood everything perfectly. Another superficial highlight is the cover, how stinking cute is it?!

The conflict and tension in the story is not very high which was fine for me and while the ending did seem a bit convenient I still found it enjoyable. The romance was cute, slowly developing over most of the book but in a non angsty way. Would definitely read more of these characters.

Thanks to Sourcebook Casablanca and Netgalley for access to the digital ARC.

DNFd
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
I honestly feel bad but I’m trying to get better at not spending time on books I’m not going to love so I’m DNFing this one.
The premise is we’re following Iris, who’s family are energy vampires, she herself though doesn’t seem to have any sort of special ability and is basically the family disappointment. When she unexpectedly inherits a house from her great aunt she decides to rent out the rooms and meets many new friends.
I just couldn’t get myself to care about the characters or what was happening. At 58% through the book the majority of the story has been Iris giving discounts on rent in exchange for fixing her house, a few random conflicts with a neighbor and a blooming romance between her and Eli that I’m not really feeling. Apparently this is the fourth book in a series and I haven’t read the others so I can’t speak to them but this one was just a little too corny and a little too boring for me to stick it out to the end. I have seen a mix of reviews though so I’m sure someone would find it interesting.