OFFICIAL AUTHOR BIO: Sangu Mandanna  was four years old when an elephant chased her down a forest road and she decided to write her first story about it. Seventeen years and many, many manuscripts later, she signed her first book deal. Sangu now lives in Norwich, a city in the east of England, with her husband and kids.

FORMAT/INFO: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was released on August 23rd, 2021. It is 336 pages split over 30 chapters. It is told in third person from multiple POVs, including Mika. It is available in ebook, audiobook, and paperback formats.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: As a witch, Mika Moon is always ready for unusual things. What she isn’t ready for is a request from a stranger to help tutor three young witches in their powers. Witches don’t live together as a rule, as the more there are together, the more magic fluctuates in unpredictable ways. It’s why Mika herself has never put down roots, moving a few times a year and rarely seeing any of her fellow witches. But upon meeting the girls, each orphaned and adopted by the owner of Nowhere House, it becomes clear that breaking apart this make-shift family would be cruel. As Mika settles into life at Nowhere House and gets to know the other inhabitants – including the grumpy and protective librarian Jamie – Mika finds herself questioning for the first time if maybe she deserves to be a little selfish and finally build a lasting home for herself.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a charming fantasy romance that is as much about finding your people as it is about finding your true love. Mika Moon has lived an isolated life. Because of needs of secrecy and because magic tends to misbehave when multiple witches gather together, Mika has extremely few people she can have a normal conversation with. She doesn’t communicate with her fellow witches, and mortals who learn her secret usually have their mind quickly erased by the lead witch in the area. As a result, Mika is all-to-ready for her social life to fall apart at a moment’s notice, and rarely sees herself as part of any group. Her journey of accepting friendship and a place in a self-made family is just as important as her three pupils learning how to control their magic in view of mortals.

I said earlier that magic likes to misbehave, and I did mean that in the literal sense. One of the aspects I really enjoyed about the story is that magic is treated like a whimsical creature, sometimes moody, almost always mischievous. Learning to use magic is about a balance of asking magic politely for its assistance while also putting it on a leash so it doesn’t cause any harm. Treating magic like a sentient spirit added a delightful aspect to the tale that I enjoyed.

And yes, I found the romance delightful. It’s a slow burn over the course of the book, as Mika and Jamie each begin to let their guard down and learn to leave their emotional doors open in case anybody wants friendship – or more. I appreciate relationships that start with friendship first and grow from there, so this was a perfect fit for me.

CONCLUSION: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a cozy little romance, perfect for curling up over a weekend with. And with it taking place shortly before Christmas, it’s also secretly a holiday read! If you enjoy a book all about finding your people, this is definitely a read for you.