The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

By: Sangu Mandanna

Narrated by: Samara MacLaren

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

“This is one of my coziest reads of the last year, and I find myself thinking about its enchanted setting all the time.”—Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author

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.....

©2022 Sangu Mandanna (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"An effervescent stunner."—The New York Times

“This whimsical romance is full of quirky, lovable characters who will charm even the grumpiest of readers. It’s an enchanting story that brings to life the wonders of finally finding your people and letting love find you.”—The Washington Post

"The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a warm and witchy hug of a book. Full of endearing characters, romance and found family, it's the cozy magical romance you've been waiting for. I absolutely adored it!"—Tasha Suri, Author of The Jasmine Throne

The perfect cozy fall read!

Ugh, this book is so cozy and lovely and the perfect fall read. It fulfills my desire for stories with richly described worlds full of magic, casual diversity, and wonderfully round characters without ever sacrificing the plot or depth of the world it’s created. The twists and turns were lovely and just predictable enough that they felt both refreshing and believable. The characters are so lovable and feel like old friends only a few chapters in.

The narrator is charming, lovable, and so so enjoyable to listen to — she’s spoiled other romance audiobooks for me because I keep comparing them to her! Her accents are amazing and I just love her and this book so much.

Constant Foul language

I hated this book. At the beginning it had one character that used the F word. I didn’t like that but I tried to ignore it because the book was recommended to me and had high reviews. I became invested in the story. Then, halfway through, the author let loose. The F word became constant. Who wants to listen to that? It is insulting to the reader. I’m angry that I used my last credit on this.

A heartwarming story about love, family, and trust

I loved every minute of this book and was so sad when it was over because I wanted more!!! The characters were all excellent, the pacing just right, the narration fit the story beautifully from start to finish, and even when it was predictable it still was very polished and an absolute delight to listen to the way that it all unfolded. I enjoyed it so much that when it was over I promptly bought and shipped a copy of the book to my grandma. It also made me so hungry that I decided that I needed to try clotted cream (I'm American) and looked up a recipe and made myself some to have with pastries and tea just so I could enjoy feeling like I was there. If you want a cozy, feel good read full of magic that will fill up your cup and still leave you wanting more, I highly recommend this one. This is one of my all time favorite witchy novels.

Perfect Cozy Fall Read

This was a delightful cozy fall book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a tiny bit of spice and a lot a bit of cozy.

Beautiful sunny magic

I loved everything about this novel. Excellent writing, perspective and narration. I wish it didn’t have to end. I look forward to hearing more from this refreshing voice.

Cozy Read

I picked this because a reviewer described it as very much like Practical Magic haha the story was warm and fuzzy and did not disappoint. I was caught off guard with some of the twists but not totally shocked. A nice palate cleanser for me after some heavy reads.

Blew Me Out of The Water

For whatever reason I came into this book with low expectations, but how it proved me wrong! I loved this book, it was amazing! Definitely top 10 books.

Just right!

For those who have enjoyed any/all of the Chronicles of Narnia, the Harry Potter series, A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, etc., this will be right up your alley. Enjoyable and bingeable; much more light than dark.

Read this book ♥️

I read half of this book with my eyes until life got in the way. Then I decided to listen to the audiobook and quickly fell in love with the narration, so I started it from the beginning. This book is magical and beautiful. It reminds me a bit of The House in the Cerulean Sea, mixed with The Holiday and Matilda. I can’t wait to read it again next autumn.

lovely, sweet and hilarious

Really enjoyed this coy read. Such a sweet story about finding family and love and creating the world in which you want to live. Samara MacLaren's narration was utterly beautiful