Title: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Dates read: 17/08/25 – 18/11/25
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 (4.25 stars)
Publisher: Hodderscape
Number of pages: 336
Fiction or non-fiction: fiction
Subject or genre: contemporary, cozy fantasy, romance
Book blurb:
A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family—and a new love—changes the course of her life.
As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos “pretending” to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.
But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.
As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for…
How I discovered or acquired this book:This one’s been on my physical TBR since the paperback came out August 2023!
(it was worth the wait)
My thoughts:This book felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket, handed a mug of something spiced, and told that everything is going to be okay. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a cosy, magical contemporary story about found family, healing old wounds, and learning to let people in – all wrapped in gentle witchcraft and cottagecore charm.
Mika Moon is instantly endearing: lonely, bright, trying her best, and just a little chaotic. Her arrival at Nowhere House creates this wonderful atmosphere of mismatched people trying (and often failing) to do right by three magical children, and watching them slowly knit themselves into a family was genuinely delightful.
The romance is sweet and low-angst, more warm simmer than dramatic flare-up, and while it’s predictable in places, it’s intentionally so -this is a comfort read through and through. If anything held it back from a higher rating, it’s that everything is very tidy. Conflicts resolve softly, emotional beats land gently, and you can often see where things are going from early on. But honestly? That’s a huge part of its charm.
At 4.25 stars, this is whimsical, cosy, and full of heart. Perfect for readers in the mood for magic without darkness and a love story without sharp edges.