The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

                              

Title: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Author: Sangu Mandanna

Published: Berkley, August 23, 2022

Pages: 334

Genre: Cozy Paranormal Romance

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 for....

Mika Moon is the cutest of the cute. I love her and she is to be protected. Ok. Now that that is established.

Mika is a witch. Through her social media accounts, the caretakers of Nowhere House find Mika and reach out to her. They are in need of a witch's help to care for the three young witches in their charge. So Mika accepts. She has a lot to work through about her own past, and she pledges not to allow these three young girls to grow up the same way that she did. 

These three young girls are adorable! Rosetta, Terracotta, and Altamira are so spunky and sweet. They love one another and their lives at Nowhere House. They aren't all willing to welcome Mika right away. But Mika's shockingly patient with the two most obstinate family members. One is about 8, so she took little convincing really. But Jamie, the grumpy librarian, is particularly tricky to win over. 

I love the chemistry between everyone who lives at Nowhere House. Louise, Ken and Ian are like the sweet, doting grandparents. Jamie is the overprotective father figure. And Mika swoops in to be the vibrant, nurturing mother. It's perfect. They are care for one another, and take care of one another. Well, eventually. It takes a bit for Mika to carve out a space for herself, and for Jamie to allow it. But it's lovely to watch that happen. Then you've got the girls. Learning magic and being mischievous. Weaseling their way into all of their (and our) hearts. It's magical. 

And then you have the romance. It is very swoon. Jamie is grumpy as Heck. But he's also incredibly nurturing. And he just wants to show Mika that there are people out there who will care about her. That it's worth it to let some roots grow, and to let people know you as well. He does it almost begrudgingly, but in the face of Mika's unending sunshine....his grumpiness eventually wilts. And it is glorious to behold. 

I can't leave out the audio production. If this story were any more soothing, it would have been the perfect bedtime story. As it is, if I had tried to listen at bedtime I would never have been able to sleep. It's entirely too compelling. But Samara MacLaren's narration was perfection. 

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 1/5