The Honey Witch

by Sydney J. Shields

Niall Grant (Illustrator) and Blanca Montiel (Illustrator)

'Reading The Honey Witch is like dreaming in a fragrant sunlit garden while bees sing around you. It's a gorgeous book, with a lovely cottagecore ambience and a heart-warming sapphic romance intertwined with unique magic that enchants the imagination' India Holton, internationally bestselling author

The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn't believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.

Twenty-one-year-old Marigold Claude has always preferred the company of the spirits of the meadow to any of the suitors who've tried to woo her. So when her grandmother whisks her away to the family cottage on the tiny Isle of Innisfree with an offer to train her as the next Honey Witch, she accepts immediately. But her newfound magic and independence come with a price: No one can fall in love with the Honey Witch.

When Lottie Burke, a notoriously grumpy skeptic who doesn't believe in magic, shows up on her doorstep, Marigold can't resist the challenge to prove to her that magic is real. But soon, Marigold begins to care for Lottie in ways she never expected. And when darker magic awakens and threatens to destroy her home, she must fight for much more than her new home-at the risk of losing her magic and her heart..

A delicious debut that combines the swoon-worthy romance of Bridgerton and the whimsical sorcery of Practical Magic, with a dash of The Secret Life of Bees thrown in for good fun.

• ISBN13: 9780356523132
• Publish Date: 16 May 2024 (first published 14 May 2024)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Orbit
• Edition: FairyLoot Exclusive
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• Special: Bonus Content Sprayed Edges Illustrated

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Honey Witch is a sweetly engaging historical romantasy by debut author Sydney J. Shields. Released 14th May 2024 by Hachette on their Redhook imprint, it's 368 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is a cottagecore/witchy F/F romantasy. The magic system is somewhat diffusely described, leaving readers to largely puzzle it out themselves. The honey and nature magic are interesting, but never directly developed (potentially to come in future works?). It's a historical setting, based very loosely on Regency England. Appealingly, but unrealistically, it's homonormative, lots of characters are in openly homosexual relationships, without any repercussions. It's pure wish fulfillment to read a historical romance without homophobia, and will likely deeply appeal to readers who want some escapist happy reading for a change.

There are some odd details which are introduced and then aren't resolved ideally (or at all) in the novel. It's mentioned, for example, that tattoos are hugely taboo and forbidden (illegal even), and then just ignored without explanation for the rest of the book. The prose is dreamy and the characterizations are diffuse and indistinct. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 13 hours 1 minute and is capably read by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw. She has a very young sounding voice which complements the YA(ish) vibe of the book. She does a good job delineating the various characters and keeps them distinct. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Three and a half stars. It's not a YA read, but has a definite YA/NA vibe. It's dreamy and there's not a distinct plotline. Definitely readable, but readers looking for definition and directness and plot resolution tied up in a nice package are destined for disappointment. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.