After months of work stress, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was exactly what I needed. This cozy fantasy romance introduces us to Mika Moon, an orphaned witch living in the UK. She meets every quarter in secret places with fellow witches of Britain. They’re not allowed to talk to each other except at these meetings, lest they be discovered and persecuted. Primrose, Mika’s guardian, is the de facto head of the witches who enforces these rules for the greater good.
Much to Primrose’s dismay, Mika yearns for connection and has a YouTube channel where she “pretends” to be a witch. Unexpectedly, someone emails her who believes she to be a real witch. The mysterious man asks her to visit him and considers three young children in the ways of magic. Mika cannot resist and finds herself at Nowhere House meeting little girls who are bursting with personality and uncontrolled magic. Their caretakers are Ian a retired actor in his 80s, his husband Ken a quiet Japanese man and gardener of the estate, Lucie the 50-something housekeeper, and Jamie the 30-something librarian. He is the main protector of the little witches. As such, he is absolutely against this whole idea. But is overruled. Mika agrees to stay there and teach the children how to control their magic before a looming evil solicitor is planned to visit. Through her various adventures with this found family, she learns that being alone even if it’s for a good reason isn’t worth it. And discovers that the handsome cranky librarian is a total softie inside.
This was like a warm hug. I didn’t expect this to be a slow-burn romance, but it was still very satisfying. The author did a wonderful exploration of loneliness and why Mika belongs at Nowhere House. All the characters were delightful, especially the hilarious interactions between the children. Ian and Ken were so in love and inspiring to Mika and Jamie. I also loved the South Asian representation of Mika. I highly recommend reading this book if you’re a fan of The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, witchy romances, and hilarious banter.
Read more of my musings on my blog, Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict.