Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis. All opinions are my own.

Wooing the Witch Queen was such a fun and easy fantasy to get into. The story was lighthearted, and the romance was very sweet. I’d recommend this book to readers that enjoy cozy fantasy stories.

I enjoyed both main characters in this story because they were likable and their conflicts with each other were easily resolved.

The other creatures in this book were also a fun addition, and I liked how the witch queen treated her household staff as family even when other people looked down on those creatures.

The audiobook narrator was great for this story. I do wish that there would’ve also been a male narrator for the archduke’s parts, but it was overall enjoyable.

The romance was slightly open door but there wasn’t much explicit content at all, so it would be easy to skip if you wanted to.

Overall, I would recommend this book!

This was a delightful fantasy romance with a strong heroine and sweet hero. I'm a fan of a kickass heroine who is the protector and a caring hero who is on the softer side. There's a moment where she says the words, "who did this to you" (yaaaa-aaa). There is some deception since the hero is someone the heroine believes is her enemy. Unbeknownst to her, he's coming to her for protection. When he overhears her saying that she hates the Arch Duke, he decides to stay disguised and enter her employ.

There were a lot of sweet moments as they get to know each other. This is a slow burn with a bit of a strangers to friends to lovers vibe. There is a crow sidekick who is a fun addition to the cast of characters.

While I loved it, there was something a little simplistic in the writing that took it down a little. I'm not sure if I can explain why, but it wasn't a 5 stars for me... but it was really fun and I recommend it. I received this audiobook for free as an advanced reader copy.

Safety deets
- The hero is 23 and the heroine is 25 (I think) which seems a little young for how much history each of them have.
- The hero was married before and lost his wife more than a year ago. He had married a childhood friend and they made the best of their marriage before she died from an illness. He was only with the one woman before the heroine.
- The heroine has a prior lover who still works for her and it sounds like she's slept with various other women and maybe some men as well. There's a wee bit of jealousy/drama on the part of prior lover, but it's not a big part of the story.
- This is kinda open door, but didn't feel very explicit or spicy at all.
- I always hate when a character doesn't allow their romantic partner to reveal their secrets before they get intimate. That was a little frustrating but thankfully, it doesn't blow up the 3rd act too much.

A magical romance.
I love how this jumped right into the story. It gave the important background quickly without drawing it out and becoming tedious. The witch queen was strong and everything you’d want out of someone with her title. Felix really comes into his own. They have such a magical story. It evolves well within the relationship and the events around them. I look forward to what happens in the future with the fairy queen.

Delightfully wicked and surprisingly sweet. Wooing the Witch Queen is such a fun book to read and in my case listen to. The narrator, Amanda Leigh Cobb, did a fantastic job narrating everyone. I was very excited and eager to read this book, I was so hopeful that it was going to be as amazing as it sounds and boy did Stephanie knock it out of the park! The side characters were a lovely touch, our gentle librarian not-an-evil-wizard hero and fed-up-with-everything queen are perfect. I love this book. I can't wait for the rest of the world to fall in love with it, too!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC! ♥

This book surprised me with a great story and increasing action in the toward the end. The characters were fun and the slow burn was delightful! the pacing was good throughout and absolutely driving in the third act.

The cover and title of this book were mildly off-putting but the description sounded so intriguing I picked it up anyway and I’m so glad I did! I started off hesitantly but the story and characters drew me in and by the end I was giggling and smiling and having a grand time slamming pages as the excitement increased and the story ends so satisfyingly.

I was lucky to try both the ebook and the audiobook version of this title and I switched back and forth. On the audiobook version, it was nice to hear the place names pronounced. The narrator pronounced Gryphon differently than I’ve ever heard, but I got used to it by the end of the book. She did a good variety of voices and inflections so that the characters were distinct.

This was a fun story and I enjoyed it!

This was so easy to listen to! It feels like a cozy fantasy but the lead character is wicked so the attitudes, perspectives and plot has a lot more intrigue. Amanda Leigh Cobb did an amazing job narrating both Queen Saskia and her secretive librarian Felix. Although my favorite character is probably Oscar the crow.

If you love a flip on the het-norm stereotypes, then you will adore this romance! Saskia is so sick of people. If it was up to her, she'd never have returned to claim her throne, focusing instead on her magical sciences. But someone had to kick her tyrant of an uncle to the curb. Now she has a whole kingdom to bother her. She decides to hire a wizard to help her since only men were allowed to study magic secularly. She's expecting a pompous, sexist pain in the ass but man who arrives is quiet, polite and shows her the proper deference. And that is because Felix is a fraud!

The writing was delightfully chirpy with Saskia's anti-social black cat energy and Felix's sweet nervousness and admiration. The author introduces you to the world and other Queens of Villainy so gently. And then in the last 25% it all explodes into an incredible political drama that sets up the next books in the series. It's so masterfully done! Everything just ties together. And the excerpt of Book 2 proves that this is not a one-hit-wonder. I will be closely following this series next year.

Thank you Macmillan Audio, Stephanie Burgis and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook. I'll start by saying,,, damn! Aren't "villains" and witches and women misunderstood all the time, too often? Then WHYYYYYY was this so good? I adored the sweet secretive MMC and his more passive approach to heroics, not ostentatious or showy at all, just genuine and lovable. And I loved the softening of the FMC while still maintaining her ferocity and strength. This was just a wonderful fantasy romance and I can't wait to read a bout the rest of the Queens of Villainy.

I am a witch girly and this was a really great paranormal/fantasy. Saskia is a newer queen and by defeating her uncle she has finally been able to rule her kingdom. She is a little unsure of herself as queen, but with her new dark wizard by her side she is becoming more comfortable being strong.
Felix has run away from his kingdom to seek refuge with Saskia's, but she mistakes him for something he is not and rather than tell her and risk harm, he pretends to be a wizard to help her in her library. As they get closer and closer he wars with himself daily. He wants to tell her about his past, but he is scared.
I thought it was great to have the woman be the alpha here (in my opinion) and have Felix be the counterpart to believe in her and make her stronger. They are both strong characters in their own rite, but the way they play off of one another was great! I can't wait for the next books in this series. The narrator was great!
Thanks to Macmillian, Netgalley and Stephanie Burgis for an ALC.

This was a sweet cozy fantasy and I had a fun time listening to it! A kind, gentle, librarian with a crow familiar for and MMC and a cool witch queen who is supposed to be evil but is actually super kind and inclusive…?? Love it. And the FMC is the one who says “who did this to you…..” with menace and rage behind her tone. Had great found family vibes too. Overall a good read. I’m actually really looking forward to the next book too! There was a short excerpt from it at the end of the audiobook!

Review up on Goodreads!!

“She might be a wicked queen, but she wasn’t a monster.”

Wooing the Witch Queen is an adorable and funny story of hidden identity, characters with terrible reputations hiding hearts of gold, a variety of magic races, and some swoony slow burn romance.

I loved the two main characters- prickly, overpowered Queen Saskia and her gentle, kind dark wizard librarian with a secret.

While there are some high stakes and genuinely villainous characters (mostly offstage), the wonderful found family and overall vibes make this a sweet and cozy read.

This was my favorite of the recent reads with the “villain” as lovable main character. If you enjoyed Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis or Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, you’ll love Wooing the Witch Queen!

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Amanda Leigh Cobb, was excellent. I’m already planning to reread the book when it releases on February 18!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy.

This was such a fun, surprisingly warm-hearted fantasy! I loved the idea of these Queens of Villainy and seeing all these strong women lead with love even though they let the world think they're evil.

Queen Saskia might try to appear as the wicked sorceress everyone fears, but truly, she is a good friend and leader - truly just someone who wants to believe in her own strength and be able to protect those she loves. And ah Fabian, my little sweetheart!! What a sweet, loving character. I really loved seeing Fabian as the softer one in their relationship, while also facing his fears and strengths after so many years of being used.

This was not at all what I was expecting but I loved every second of it! This audiobook captured everything perfectly and made me fall in love with the characters! I cannot wait for the next book!

A wonderful cozy fantasy romance. The wicked queen, the librarian, the crow friends and the ogres just went so well together. This is a slow burn which focuses more on the plot and I was absolutely here for it. I had the chance to listen to the audiobook and it was fantastic. I’ve been sort of in an audiobook slump and I finally find myself wanting to listen with this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy! You can pick up Wooing the Witch Queen on February 18, 2025.

This book was exactly what I needed – a sweet and spicy romantasy with wicked witches, gentle librarians, and royalty in disguise. I loved Felix and Saskia's relationship and how we see them truly yearn for each other and develop a deeper connection over time. The mask hiding his identity added just the right amount of tension (plus, the mask stays ON, iykyk), and I love how both characters felt they could truly be themselves around each other for the first time in ages. Felix and Saskia were used to others fitting them into boxes for those others' selfish needs, so to see the two of them empowering and uplifting each other was so heartwarming.

The magic and lore of this world was also SO fascinating. I loved the lowkey politics and the way different species interacted with each other (there are DEFINITE found family vibes). Plus, the female friendships Saskia developed with the other "Queens of Villainy" and the hints we got for the next book in this series were lovely and hilarious.

10/10 recommend picking this up if you want a cozy and spicy romantasy!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to Wooing The Witch Queen.

The most powerful witch queen, a huge miscommunication, and a sweet slow burn with a librarian/ archduke- sign me up!

This is a slowwwwww burn and more of a fantasy than romance, but it was a fun listen! I loved the side characters, especially the pet Crows! 3.5 stars

While not the normal book I would go for, people who know me personally would agree that "Wooing the Witch Queen" by Stephanie Burgis is "Dan-Bait." You give me food, a raven, a job, and are planning to destroy my enemies before I even show up? I'll swoon. (Out 25 February 2025)

Three Wicked Queens have formed an alliance to protect their realms from the empire of humans next door. The Witch Queen Saskia has erected a barrier to keep their army out but needs time to experiment to make her people safe. She posts that she has need of a librarian to sort the magic tomes in her neglected library and a dark wizard promptly arrives. Little does she know that us actually her enemy the archduke, who is on the run because he had been a puppet ruler since his teens and kinda just bumbled his way into a job. Beats sending out applications.

Narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb, I always enjoy when you can hear the narrator having fun.

Reasons to read:
-I like bad witches
-Comeuppance, deserved
-Spice, that makes sense
-Side characters are all interesting in their own right
-Set up for a sequel with a trope I adore

Cons:
-There aren't any nearby witch towers to wander into

Now THIS is my kind of cozy fantasy romance. The plot is solid, the stakes are medium-high, and the romance tension is tensioning. The vibes though... they are cozy as heck. With much of this set in a castle, primarily the library, it gives those cozy bookish but medieval vibes. The crow animal companions are also a wonderful addition.

One note: I usually immediately cringe when modern-day items are found in a medieval setting. But in this case, the author took the care and time to explain the ballpoint pens so I found it quite endearing! This is all it takes, a bit of recognition for these out-of-place items and a bit of explanation of how they came to be. Either remove them or explain them - that simple. This turned what could be a loss of a star rating, into actually being one of my favourite little quirks of the book.

The romance is sweet and has a dash of spice in just the right amounts. You are rooting for them through and through, and the third act conflict wasn't unnecessarily drawn out or painful.

I highly recommend that you add this book to your "most anticipated of 2025" list, particularly the audiobook. The character depictions were impeccable, and overall, it was a fantastic listening experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listener copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a fun, dare I say, cozy read? Not a lot of action really happens in this book but that doesn’t mean the vibes aren’t spot on. With enchanted libraries, little crow friends, and a lovely cast of characters, this book hit the spot. Our two main leads were distinct and complimented each other so well that I feel sad letting them go. I’m hoping for the same impeccable vibes from the next book (although with Lorelei being the lead, I’m feeling dubious.)

Wooing the Witch Queen is a charming fantasy with a captivating plot. Burgis skillfully weaves a tale of magic, royalty, and political intrigue, transporting readers to a world filled with enchantment. The world-building is imaginative and well-developed, adding depth and richness to the story.

However, while the plot shines, the romance between the main characters falls a bit flat. The light-hearted writing style, though enjoyable, occasionally becomes repetitive, hindering the emotional depth of the relationship. The characters themselves, though likable, have an insta-love vibe that could be off-putting to readers.

Despite these shortcomings, Wooing the Witch Queen is a delightful read for those who enjoy whimsical tales with a touch of magic. It's perfect for fans of fantasy with romance who are looking for a quick and entertaining escape.

This audiobook could be better with dual narration.

Oh, this was a fantastic read! I've read a few books by Stephanie Burgis, and while I didn't make the connection that this was the same author until after I'd been approved for a copy of this book until I made this review, I was thrilled to know a book that sounded really good was by an author that I'd previously loved!

We know straight off the bat that what people thought was the Archduke, was the actions of his former Regent. He didn't want to give up power, and we learn this because we were in Felix's perspective, right before he escaped to Saskia, since she was someone the guy was afraid of.

I adored their dynamics, she was prickly, life hasn't been kind of her, but neither was it to him. They were adorable, I loved watching them fall in love, though I knew there was the truth about his identity hanging over their heads.

This world with magic and magical creatures-and humans who aren't the most accepting of those that are different, who have power that they don't have...yeah, that was pretty aggravating! So it was pretty satisfying how things ended up!

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to read more by Stephanie Burgis!

Holy holy witch queens! I absolutely loved this book! How did I find it? Fun story. I was adding Olivia Dade's new book "ZomRomCom" to my 'To Read' shelf when I saw Stephanie's review on the book. I was intrigued, loved the title and cover of 'Wooing the Witch Queen', and simply had to seek out an ARC, and here we are!

This book had me kicking my feet and giggling so hard, I couldn't put it down and finished it in a single day. I'm a huge fan of the series 'Assistant to the Villain' and the books by Kimberly Lemming, give me all the cozy fantasy vibes.

I loved the magical systems in this series, and our FMC's fight for rightness despite being labeled an evil queen. The "who did this to you" on her part?! I literally swooned and had to sit down. Gah, I'm just so in love with this book, and can't wait to have a copy in my hands. I love we have such strong characters in the book, our sweet ArchDuke in distress rising to his own power, owning his voice, claiming his love. Just, I can't get enough.

Stephanie, thank you so much for this absolute treasure of a book. I cannot wait to tell everyone about it.