The Honey Witch

By: Sydney J. Shields

Narrated by: Mia Hutchinson Shaw

Length: 13 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

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.

©2024 Sydney J. Shields (P)2024 Orbit

Critic reviews

"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. I was so charmed by this impressive debut."—India Holton, international bestselling author

"The Honey Witch will charm you with its setting, its appealing characters, both young and old, and its love for all things natural—especially bees! This tale of a young witch dealing with a curse and a battle between dark magic and light, with her romance in the balance, is one all fans of witches and folk magic will love."—Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

"As sweet and warm as honeyed tea. Shields’ debut deftly explores love, loss, and loneliness—and the joy of seeing magic in all things, however small. With charming characters and a lush setting, The Honey Witch will delight fans of cozy fantasy."—Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic

Character development

Simply put in one word Amazing! I can’t wait to buy the book and read it again.

Beautiful Prose — Flat Story

Shields has a poetic writing style that, at times, is disarmingly beautiful. This novel has some truly stand-out lines, and the choice of narrator here was right for the theme of the material. The premise of the story is awesome (as is the queer representation), but, ultimately, the pacing is so off that it was difficult to finish. The first 30% of the novel should have been the first chapter. Critical scenes were glossed over while insubstantial scenes and details were given far too much real estate. Because of the prose and the imagination of the author, I would try another of her novels, but she needs a better developmental editor.

Cutesy Romantasy

Booktok recommended me this book
It was a very cute, light read. Definitely similar vibes to the Bridgerton books. However, I felt the romance needed more time to develop. It developed very suddenly and advanced quickly. I felt this book was enjoyable but lacked depth. Parts of it were too predictable for my taste. I also wish we got to see more of the tattoo artist in her element!!

MUST READ

Absolutely loved this book. I bought the physical copy as well as the audiobook. Amazingly whimsical story with sapphic love. The love story builds as the novel continues exploring other plot points as well, making it relevant, but not the only point of the book. I will forever recommend this book to any fantasy / romantasy reader. It perfectly portrays the tenderness of sapphic love with a little bit of spice towards the end.

Whimsical cottage core Bridgerton practical magic

The vibes in this book were immaculate. The narrator did a phenomenal job bringing the story & each character to life. The pacing was a little off for me. There were times where I increased the speed to get through it. BUT I still wanted to see what happened next. It was a little predictable, but overall very enjoyable.

The world of the honey witch was amazing!

Loved every second of this one. I hope she writes a sequel! The narrator was amazing and gave life to each character.

Slow slow

If you like a slow read this is for you. If you like any action packed fantasy book look somewhere else.

The Vibes

Love love love this book. Incredibly cozy and beautifully written. The voice actress gave the passion that this booked deserved.

Excellent story telling

This story was unique, which I appreciate. The naratation was perfection. I recommend this if you are looking for a well written, unique, cozy story. The only flaw I really see with this is Lottie, and how lopsided her arc was. I wish we had more depth from her character.

Sweet Like Honey

This book was giving Wylde Flowers (video game) meets Bridgerton meets Halloweentown in all of the best ways and I adored every second of it. the characters were fun and I love a Sapphic romance where the couple can challenge and frustrate each other just as much as they can strengthen and soothe each other. 10/10, very good story.