Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Penguin Publishing Group
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. Romance. HTML: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 peril 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… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member nbmars
Mika Moon is a 31-year-old witch who has always been told by Primrose, leader of “The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches” that witches must hide their magic and keep apart from other witches, lest their combined power draws attention to them. She loves doing magic though, and can’t
But one person sees through her. Ian Kubo-Hawthorn, 82, lives in “Nowhere House” in the Norfolk countryside, and is in need of a witch. He sends Mika an email offering her a job as a tutor of witchcraft for three young girls. She is intrigued, and happens to be searching for new employment and a new place to live anyway.
When Mika arrives at Nowhere House, she meets Ian and his husband Ken, their housekeeper Lucie, and Jamie Kelly, 36, who is a very handsome but curmudgeonly librarian and caretaker for the girls. The girls, Rosetta, 10, Terracotta, 8, and Altamira, 7, are indeed witches, and clearly in need of instruction on how to control their power. They were taken in as wards by the absentee owner of the house, Lillian Nowhere, who is always off on some archeological mission or other. (The girls, orphans like all witches, were named for great archeological discoveries.)
Mika settles in, fighting the feeling of “home” because she has never belonged anywhere, and she is terrified of finding and losing her “Holy Grail,” as she later explains: “To be loved an accepted exactly as we are. Isn’t that the thing we’re all searching for?”
But the girls provide challenges, as does Mika’s growing attraction to Jamie, and there are dangers ahead: apparently in six weeks Edward Foxhaven, Lillian’s solicitor, is coming to the house, and if he detects any abnormalities, he will no doubt call the authorities. Mika needs to help them seem “normal” in that very short time.
Evaluation: I liked the premise of the book, but the author seems to have several stories in mind when writing it that didn’t always mesh. There is a how-to-manage-being-a-witch aspect, a traumatic-childhood-coming-of-age aspect, and a steamy romance aspect, and even the language of the plot lines differs. I would have liked to see some better editing to integrate the stories more smoothly. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining, feel-good story in the end
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resist posting videos pretending to be a witch, sharing some of what she can do that (she hopes) people will assume is fake. But one person sees through her. Ian Kubo-Hawthorn, 82, lives in “Nowhere House” in the Norfolk countryside, and is in need of a witch. He sends Mika an email offering her a job as a tutor of witchcraft for three young girls. She is intrigued, and happens to be searching for new employment and a new place to live anyway.
When Mika arrives at Nowhere House, she meets Ian and his husband Ken, their housekeeper Lucie, and Jamie Kelly, 36, who is a very handsome but curmudgeonly librarian and caretaker for the girls. The girls, Rosetta, 10, Terracotta, 8, and Altamira, 7, are indeed witches, and clearly in need of instruction on how to control their power. They were taken in as wards by the absentee owner of the house, Lillian Nowhere, who is always off on some archeological mission or other. (The girls, orphans like all witches, were named for great archeological discoveries.)
Mika settles in, fighting the feeling of “home” because she has never belonged anywhere, and she is terrified of finding and losing her “Holy Grail,” as she later explains: “To be loved an accepted exactly as we are. Isn’t that the thing we’re all searching for?”
But the girls provide challenges, as does Mika’s growing attraction to Jamie, and there are dangers ahead: apparently in six weeks Edward Foxhaven, Lillian’s solicitor, is coming to the house, and if he detects any abnormalities, he will no doubt call the authorities. Mika needs to help them seem “normal” in that very short time.
Evaluation: I liked the premise of the book, but the author seems to have several stories in mind when writing it that didn’t always mesh. There is a how-to-manage-being-a-witch aspect, a traumatic-childhood-coming-of-age aspect, and a steamy romance aspect, and even the language of the plot lines differs. I would have liked to see some better editing to integrate the stories more smoothly. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining, feel-good story in the end
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LibraryThing member foggidawn
Mika Moon is a witch, and witches survive best on their own. That fact has been hammered into Mika by Primrose, her austere guardian (also a witch). So that's how Mika survives: moving from job to job and place to place, not forming any attachments or putting down any roots. Then, one day, she gets
My summary manages to completely leave out the romance, which is a major part of the book's structure, so sorry about that! I liked this book a lot; it has some of the same cozy fantasy vibes as The House in the Cerulean Sea. It's a quick and comforting read, recommended to readers who like romance with a twist of fantasy, or vice-versa.
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a very strange invitation, or rather, job offer: tutoring three young girls in witchcraft. Though she's sure it's some kind of hoax, she goes to the address provided to see what's going on -- and discovers that there are indeed three young witches there, surrounded by a loving found family that knows exactly what they are. Their absentee witch guardian hasn't bothered to train them to control their magic, and that's where Mika comes in. Against her better judgment, Mika takes on the job, fascinated by these people and the home that they have created. But having four witches in one place goes against everything Mika has been taught about flying under the radar and staying safe...My summary manages to completely leave out the romance, which is a major part of the book's structure, so sorry about that! I liked this book a lot; it has some of the same cozy fantasy vibes as The House in the Cerulean Sea. It's a quick and comforting read, recommended to readers who like romance with a twist of fantasy, or vice-versa.
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LibraryThing member spinsterrevival
Deciding not to tag this as romance as while there is a romance that takes place, I don’t feel that this is a romance book as it’s definitely not the point of the story (even if technically there’s an HEA); wondering if I should create some sort of romance-adjacent tag.
It was a lovely story
It was a lovely story
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about magic, loneliness, and found family, but it was odd to me that I only got a sense of understanding Mika and perhaps a little bit of Jamie; everyone else seemed to be missing something. I unfortunately wasn’t really invested at all as this took me forever to finish, but I did appreciate all the action that made up the big finale. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookappeal
Not as witchy as I'd hoped but a cute slow-burn romance with fun characters. Reminiscent of T.J. Klune's "The House in the Cerulean Sea" but with enough differences to be entertaining, including some unexpected plot developments.
LibraryThing member AVoraciousReader
Book source ~ NetGalley
Mika Moon is a witch in Britain. A powerful witch. Who has to hide what she is so she ends up moving around a lot. When she gets a mysterious plea for help, she scopes it out and then leaps into a situation that could end up being a disaster or the best thing that ever
This book is an absolute delight. I love it. All of it. The writing, the plot, and most of all, the characters. It just flows so smooth and quick that before I knew it I was done. I blew through it and didn’t want to put it down. Then I was sad. For a bit. I want more of this world. Will there be more? I don’t know. But in the meantime I know I’ll be revisiting this story over and over again in the years to come. Especially when I need a happy and fun read. Not that it is all puppies and rainbows (it brings all the feels to the table), but it’s one that is full of joy and hope. With magic. Here *shoves book* - read it!
Mika Moon is a witch in Britain. A powerful witch. Who has to hide what she is so she ends up moving around a lot. When she gets a mysterious plea for help, she scopes it out and then leaps into a situation that could end up being a disaster or the best thing that ever
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happened to her.This book is an absolute delight. I love it. All of it. The writing, the plot, and most of all, the characters. It just flows so smooth and quick that before I knew it I was done. I blew through it and didn’t want to put it down. Then I was sad. For a bit. I want more of this world. Will there be more? I don’t know. But in the meantime I know I’ll be revisiting this story over and over again in the years to come. Especially when I need a happy and fun read. Not that it is all puppies and rainbows (it brings all the feels to the table), but it’s one that is full of joy and hope. With magic. Here *shoves book* - read it!
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LibraryThing member bookwren
Mika Moon is honest, compassionate, humorous ... and rightly proud of her potion abilities. Unfortunately, she cannot reveal that she is a witch (remember the Salem Witch Trials?). So she takes short-term jobs, moves constantly, and doesn't make connections. Until she finds Nowhere House in
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Suffolk. Sangu Mandanna is a delightful writer, full of the fun, compassion, and honesty of her main character. I am now reading her juvenile series about Kiki Kallira, infused with East Indian mythology. Show Less
LibraryThing member fionaanne
Cute premise but very choppy and tends to descend into telling when it would be easy enough to show. Mandanna either needs a better editor or a stronger need for perfection.
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
review to come
Such a sweet read, Mika is part of a group of witches that meets every 3 months and never in the same location twice. But she wants more than that. Raised by a series of nannies that didn’t know she was a witch and had their memories wiped by Primrose head of the witches. The
Such a sweet read, Mika is part of a group of witches that meets every 3 months and never in the same location twice. But she wants more than that. Raised by a series of nannies that didn’t know she was a witch and had their memories wiped by Primrose head of the witches. The
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biggest rule the witches follow is never to be together and don’t let anyone know who they are. But Mika starts a You Tube channel that most people think it is fake, but one man reaches out to her to say he has 3 young orphaned witches that need a tutor. The problem with witches is they are cursed so that when one has a witch child they die soon after that. Ian is the son of a witch and has no power but can see magic so knows Mika is the real deal and wants her to help teach the girls to control magic. What Mika does find when she arrives to the house is a family that she can call her own. This book is so cozy and happy, and it reminded me a lot of Becky Chambers in that feeling I got when reading it. Show Less
LibraryThing member murderbydeath
This was just what I needed after a run of mediocre reads. It's cute, but not cutesy or twee - it definitely has a cozy vibe going on, as nothing about the story is dark. There is a lot of dysfunction though, and a lot of magic, and at least 1 overly-precocious 8 year old who talks like a sassy and
A well-written, fun read.
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hilarious 30 year old. I enjoyed the little twist at the end that I probably should have seen coming, but I was too relaxed in the story to pay all that much attention to care about what was coming next. A well-written, fun read.
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LibraryThing member tornadox
Cute witchy romcom of a book. One of the protagonists is even a librarian.
Would be a refreshing read after the much darker Gallant by VE Schwab.
Would be a refreshing read after the much darker Gallant by VE Schwab.
LibraryThing member MHThaung
A quick and cosy read. This is a low-stakes story with well-intentioned characters, although they don’t always see eye to eye. There’s an emphasis on found family and acceptance (both giving and receiving), and an overall optimistic tone. The storyline is straightforward with no major
Overall, a comfortable, low-tension read.
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surprises, and it all fits together neatly at the end.Overall, a comfortable, low-tension read.
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LibraryThing member Amzzz
Delightful, feel good story
LibraryThing member bibliovermis
I have to admit I didn't find the romance portion of this romance novel at all compelling, but all the rest of it was a delight, so it didn't even matter. All the characters, the magic, the plot—all highly enjoyable
LibraryThing member phyllis2779
Charming book Enjoyable. Fresh.
LibraryThing member KallieGrace
Cute, witchy story with a lot of found family and themes of belonging. I thought I was reading this out of season (June) but this didn't feel particularly Halloween-adjacent. They are just people trying to figure out their relationships while also being witches.
LibraryThing member untitled841
A feel good story about finding your family.
LibraryThing member Romonko
This book was given to me as a gift, and when I picked it up to finally read it I expected silly, sappy, romance with a witchy twist. Guess what? That is exactly what it was. I read the whole thing because it was a gift and that is why I gave it 2 stars. If I DNF it, it would have gotten 1. This
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may be an enjoyable book for the YA crowd. If nothing else the three young witches in the book were the best thing about the story. It wasn't a complete waste of time for me because of them and that is why I finished it. I can't recommend this one unfortunately. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bodagirl
Very cute. I don't think this story is finished though, it felt much more like an introduction to a world rather than a complete story. The plot point I'm most concerned about is the curse that witches dies shortly after they give birth - doesn't give me a lot of hope for Mika and Jamie, unless
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they decide not to have biological children (which is totally valid). Show Less
LibraryThing member Herenya
Mika Moon has always been told that witches, for their own safety, should not meet up often, let alone live together. But then she’s offered a job as a tutor to three girls, all witches, who have been living behind the warded hedges of Nowhere House.
This is cosy, amusing and romantic, very much
As rain dripped steadily down from the cold, muddy-grey sky, Primrose cleared her throat. “How are we all, dears?”
“Wet,” Mika couldn’t resist pointing out.
“Your contribution is noted, thank you, poppet,” said Primrose, unperturbed.
“We’re pretending to be a book club, Primrose,” Mika replied, exasperated. “We don't need to hide in the middle of nowhere. Why couldn’t we just meet for a sodding coffee somewhere with central heating?”
This is cosy, amusing and romantic, very much
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about found-family, with a couple of twists I didn’t anticipate. I didn’t love it -- aspects of its witchcore aesthetic don’t appeal to me, and some of the supporting characters don’t have a lot of depth, which ended up eroding my sense of them being real people… I’m filing it under “a matter of personal taste” rather than “narrative weakness”. (Supporting characters often don’t need a lot of depth, and I haven’t pinpointed exactly why the lack bothered me here.) But all the same, it was still entertaining. As rain dripped steadily down from the cold, muddy-grey sky, Primrose cleared her throat. “How are we all, dears?”
“Wet,” Mika couldn’t resist pointing out.
“Your contribution is noted, thank you, poppet,” said Primrose, unperturbed.
“We’re pretending to be a book club, Primrose,” Mika replied, exasperated. “We don't need to hide in the middle of nowhere. Why couldn’t we just meet for a sodding coffee somewhere with central heating?”
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LibraryThing member DKnight0918
One of the best books I’ve read this year.
LibraryThing member zjakkelien
Absolutely lovely. It's cosy, it's romantic, and it's heartwarming. Basically it's a warm bath.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Mika Moon keeps herself to herself. She is one of a very few witches in England who keep apart and keep themselves safe. As her life is going nowhere, her last job finished up a while ago and her tenancy of her house is about to lapse she's at a loose end when she spots an ad for a witch wanted to
This was a fun, cozy read that I really enjoyed and I was rooting for the characters to succeed throughout it, some of it felt a little contrived but overall it was a good read and I want to read more by that author.
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be a tutor to three girls, she decides to take the chance and joins a mixed household where three young witches have to learn some self-control and some adults need to learn to find a place in their world, and also face a lawyer who is suspicious of what they're up to.This was a fun, cozy read that I really enjoyed and I was rooting for the characters to succeed throughout it, some of it felt a little contrived but overall it was a good read and I want to read more by that author.
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LibraryThing member midmomo
A different take on witch culture. What happens if you were a witch and couldn't be around others like yourselves? I like this found family book and would recommend to others who like a light witch novel.
LibraryThing member Kimberly103164
Book Club is today @capitalbooksonk and hosted by the lovely Hilarie @hilarie_reads . This was the book chosen, so today I decided to write my review.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Stars: 4 of 5
Author: Sanga Mandanna @sangumandanna
Publisher: @berkleypub (@penguinrandomhouse)
31 year
Mika has a tendency to be a loner and moves around quite often. She has a YouTube channel where she pretends to be a witch. It is one of these videos that catches the attention of a man namedsimply stated ”Witch Wanted”. Mika finds this message very intriguing and she contacts Ian. Mika ends up driving her car aptly names Broomstick to Nowhere House to meet Ian and the rest of the gang. When she arrives she is told there are three young sisters who are witches and needs some on to teach them.
The story is about Mika and how she teaches the girls and the relationships than ensue with the members of the house. The interactins and shenanigans between all the book’s characters is very enjoyable. The ending of this book is surprising and well worth the read. This book is sweet, heartwarming, very entertaining and would recommend it to all.
#theverysecretsocietyofirregularwitches #sangumandana #bookscoffeebrews
#witches #mikamoon #TheVerySecretSocietyOfIrregularWitches, #IrregularWitches, #Witches, #Witchcraft, #Magick, #SecretSociety,
#Bookclub, #BookClubbing, #BookClubReads, #BookClubGoals, #BookClubBook, #BookClubLove, #booklover #bookaddict #booklove #booklovers #booklover #bookaddict #booklove #booklovers #readersofinstagram #bookworms #alwaysreading #bookreviewe
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Stars: 4 of 5
Author: Sanga Mandanna @sangumandanna
Publisher: @berkleypub (@penguinrandomhouse)
31 year
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old Mika Moon is a witch and a member of what she calls”the very secret society of irregular witches“. Mika is an orphan who was “raised“ by another witch name Primerose who is the head of the witch society. Primrose has strict rules that witches are to follow. The society only meets every three months.Mika has a tendency to be a loner and moves around quite often. She has a YouTube channel where she pretends to be a witch. It is one of these videos that catches the attention of a man namedsimply stated ”Witch Wanted”. Mika finds this message very intriguing and she contacts Ian. Mika ends up driving her car aptly names Broomstick to Nowhere House to meet Ian and the rest of the gang. When she arrives she is told there are three young sisters who are witches and needs some on to teach them.
The story is about Mika and how she teaches the girls and the relationships than ensue with the members of the house. The interactins and shenanigans between all the book’s characters is very enjoyable. The ending of this book is surprising and well worth the read. This book is sweet, heartwarming, very entertaining and would recommend it to all.
#theverysecretsocietyofirregularwitches #sangumandana #bookscoffeebrews
#witches #mikamoon #TheVerySecretSocietyOfIrregularWitches, #IrregularWitches, #Witches, #Witchcraft, #Magick, #SecretSociety,
#Bookclub, #BookClubbing, #BookClubReads, #BookClubGoals, #BookClubBook, #BookClubLove, #booklover #bookaddict #booklove #booklovers #booklover #bookaddict #booklove #booklovers #readersofinstagram #bookworms #alwaysreading #bookreviewe
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Awards
RUSA CODES Reading List (Shortlist — 2023)
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — August 2022)
Original publication date
2022-08-22
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Mandanna |
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