The Wonkiest Witch (Wonky Inn, #1)

by Jeannie Wycherley

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

I started The Wonkiest Witch on a complete spur-of-the-moment whim and I'm so glad that I did! I've been listening to a lot of intense, action packed, even dark stuff lately and it's been taking its toll on me. I knew I needed something light and fun, but had no idea what. The Wonkiest Witch was right under my nose and it was just what I needed.

I've just finished organizing an audiobook blog tour for The Wonkiest Witch, but wasn't planning on listening to it myself. However, when I began reading the tour reviews and hearing how much everyone was loving it, I knew it was something I had to try. I was teetering on the edge of a listening slump and The Wonkiest Witch was like a splash of cold water to my face. It was a quick, light, and fun listen, as expected. But what I wasn't expecting was how involved I would become in the story.

The premise may seem slightly familiar at first: A witch who has shunned her powers and magical ancestry suddenly finds herself in a situation where she must face her magic- and her past- head on. But what sets The Wonkiest Witch a part is the absolute brilliance of the writing. Cozy mysteries are something that I want to love, but unfortunately, I've been spurned by juvenile writing too many times to keep returning to the genre that I could so easily adore. If all cozies were written this well, wouldn't life be lovely?!

The Wonkiest Witch combines magical world building with the coziness of a British murder mystery set in a small English Village. Think Midsomer Murders, if inspector Barnaby was a witch. Bizzarre, I know, but that's what kept popping into my mind as I was listening. It's an atmospheric story and the setting perfectly complements the protagonist.

What surprised me most about The Wonkiest Witch was how well Wycherley was able to pace the story. It's just over four hours long, but I don't exactly feel short changed by the short runtime. Of course, I would have loved it to have been longer, but it didn't need to be. Wycherley told a complete story and probably provided more background information and well-developed characters than do most 8-hour stories.

The Wonkiest Witch was a solid, well-rounded, and satisfying tale. I will 110% be listening to the next installment, which I'm told is only weeks away from being released on audio! I would binge this series in a heartbeat if it were already available. It's heartwarming and adorable, yet substantive at the same time. The Wonkiest Witch is the perfect little witchy cozy mystery and a magical start to a series.

Narration review: From the first sentence, Kim Bretton's narration had me hooked. Her voice was the first thing I noticed about this audiobook and it propelled this story from good to great. Her narration was absolutely delightful and she is clearly a talented performer. Her voicing of Alf, the protagonist, was wonderful. But what really shook me was her voicing of the secondary characters. She switched between accents seamlessly, with each of them as authentic as the one before it. That actually had me wondering about her natural accent, which I will have to investigate, because I honestly could not tell which one was native to her. They all seemed so natural.

If you're planning on giving The Wonkiest Witch a try (which I suggest you do, since it's likely better than whatever cozy you've heard lately), try it on audiobook! Bretton's performance amplifies the magic of the story in a way you have to experience to believe. ♣︎