In The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, Mika Moon grew up 
knowing that as a witch, she needs to stay out of the public eye. An orphan who was taken in by Primrose, the head witch in their region in England, and raised by a battalion of nannies and tutors, she’s never truly had friends or felt included anywhere. Which makes for a rather lonely existence. Now in her early thirties, Mika still questions if witches actually need to be so secluded. What would happen if a few of them got together? Would their power be too much for one location to hold? She gets her answers in the most unexpected of places when a job offer is sent to her to teach three girls–witches, no less–who all live in Nowhere House, after one of their caretakers saw her online “pretending” to practice spells.
‘WITCH WANTED.
Live-in tutor wanted for three young witches. Must have nerves of steel. Previous teaching experience not necessary. Witchiness essential.’
Mika loves Norfolk and Nowhere House as soon as she arrives. And she can sense the combined magic of the three girls there: Rosetta, Terracotta, and Altamira. Not sure she’s making the right call, Mika gets talked into tutoring the young witches by their caretakers Ian, Ken, and Lucie. Kind, gracious, and oh-so friendly, they’re just the sort of people she could get used to sharing her time with. But then there’s the librarian, Jamie, always with a scowl on his face for her. It’s when she sees him with the girls that Mika can sense the loyal, generous heart hiding inside him. As they all strive together to help the young witches learn to control their magic and trust their instincts, they’ll have to overcome trouble in the form of an unwanted visitor threatening their new family unit before they can settle in for good.
“Maybe we could have our own Very Secret Society of Witches,” Rosetta offered.
“Yes!” Altamira cried. “Just the four of us!”
“The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches,” Terracotta said, grinning. “What do you think, Mika?”
“I think it’s perfect,” said Mika, her heart too full to say anything more.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was a delightful feel-good story that wrapped me up in a big old cozy hug with its magic–and with the togetherness shared by the kindhearted characters I couldn’t get enough of.
‘She had never felt so welcomed and included, so much a *part* of something, and she couldn’t rid herself of a lifelong fear that it was too good to be true.’
The first thing I thought after reading a few chapters of Sangu Mandanna’s newest novel was: ‘I want to live in Nowhere House with Mika, Jamie, Ian, Ken, Lucie, Rosetta, Terracotta, and Altamira.’ And that only grew as I read more. With every comical quip from Mika or the three young witches, every grumble from our cinnamon roll hero Jamie, and every touching moment that showed the wonderful connection they had, I fell harder for them all. The family the group made together turned Nowhere House from a typical large seaside house in Norfolk, England into a true home, in every sense of the word.
I have an affinity for books that take people who might have been seen as outcasts for their quirks or supposed issues and then show them banding together as a family of their own choosing. And that, in a nutshell, was exactly what happened in this novel. The dynamics between the characters just tickled me to no end. I mean, who doesn’t like a sunshine vs. grump romance, right? Mika and Jamie personified that trope. Even though they both persevered through their own difficulties (as did all of the characters, actually), their different ways of coping with it put them at opposite ends of the spectrum. But I adored how they were able to work together. Mika with her positivity and humor. Jamie with his grumbly exterior and hidden heart of gold. They both knew what it was like to be lonely and excluded from things so they worked hard to give the girls the love and support they needed to thrive.
The rest of the wonderful cast Mandanna created jumped right off the pages, they were so realistic. There was not only a lovely diversity, but there was also a blend of personalities that gave the story a richness that’s hard to describe. From Ken and Ian’s sweet, strong relationship to Lucie’s tendency to be a mother hen, and the range of shyness, curiosity, and morbid sense of humor from the girls, I think readers will likely find a kinship with the group and also be charmed completely by them
QOTD: Can you think of any novels you’ve read that were based around a “family of choice” rather than one who is blood related?
Book Info:
Publication: Published August 23, 2022 | Berkley Books |
A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family—and a new love—changes the course of her life.
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 a threat 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….
