Book Recommendation: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Cozy Fantasy Romance

by Sangu Mandanna

When I read this, I was fairly new to audiobooks, and new to the cozy fantasy genre. This book was exactly what I needed at the time. It had a warm, feel-good atmosphere, with low stakes and nothing too overwhelming. Light on magic, it focused more on family and love, but still managed to be enchanting. It was the perfect comfort read, and in retrospect in launched me on a path of craving cozy fantasy audiobooks during the winter.

The book follows Mika, an isolated and lonely witch, used to living on her own and hiding her magic. She travels to a remote area of England to take up residence at the mysterious Nowhere House and teach three young witches how to control their magic. She becomes entangled in the lives of the residents, including the handsome and irritable librarian, Jamie.

Why I think you might like it:

• A standalone cozy fantasy. Sometimes you just need one book to distract you and make you feel…well…good.
• Romance. Mika and Jamie are a classic Grumpy/Sunshine trope. It’s like enemies to lovers but way lighter and neither character is a reprehensible villain. They are both just normal people with baggage they need to deal with in order to be happy.
• Funny children. Sometimes I find children in books can be really annoying or obnoxious—probably when written by people who don’t actually know kids, so it lacks nuance. But these kids are pretty funny and sweet. They are definitely a bit salty with Mika at first, but it’s fun to see those relationships develop as the kids learn to trust her.  
• Feel good, but still has some darkness. The overall tone of the book is very light, but there is a weighty undercurrent that helped it feel more mature and gave everything a slight edge.
• Found family theme. This is a hallmark of cozy fantasy, and this book does it very well. Each of the characters was interesting and compelling. It was satisfying to watch Mika get to know them all and find her place with them.