The Honey Witch Audiobook By Sydney J. Shields cover art

The Honey Witch

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The Honey Witch

By: Sydney J. Shields
Narrated by: Mia Hutchinson Shaw
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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 Fantasy Historical LGBTQIA+ Creators Literature & Fiction Magic Science Fiction & Fantasy Heartfelt Witchcraft Feel-Good Magic Users

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
Beautiful Prose • Magical Storytelling • Outstanding Narration • Whimsical Atmosphere • Emotional Depth
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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!!

Cutesy Romantasy

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

Character development

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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.

MUST READ

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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.

Beautiful Prose — Flat Story

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This book has a pacing issue. We're introduced into a rich world, but the love interest isn't introduced until midway, which I think is too late. The world of magic is rich. I like the positive LGBTQ+ relationships, but there's something that doesn't ring true in the 19th century setting and with only the main characters and one other couple representing. The author also uses tattoo artistry, but it doesn't come into play enough to really make a difference in the story. All characters are committed to the truth of the world, but it is unclear if witchcraft magic is commonly accepted or kept a secret. The twist comes way too late. A lot of backstory before we get to plot.

There is also a genre issue. The story does not know what it wants to be, there are elements of coziness, suspense, mystery, and horror. That would normally be a good thing to have such variety, but in this story it does not blend well. The performer for my audiobook was too quiet, would have liked better expressive storytelling. I loved a lot of the prose, beautiful description; low magic system that could have been made more clear. I found it hard to like either main character until later in the book. Try it for fun, but don't have high expe tations of this first book. I'd like to see more work from the author in the future.

Too Saccharine

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Too melodramatic at times and at times very slow moving storyline . The ending dragged on too long

Not as expected

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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.

Sweet Like Honey

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I had been looking forward to this novel since the author started teasing it on TikTok and it lived up to my hopes for it. I’m not a big fantasy reader but felt easily swept into the story regardless. Absolutely lovely, even if it did make me tear up some. Excellent narration as well.

Truly Delightful

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3.5 star. This is a good story, but it took a long time to get to the point. I saw the ending a mile away. This is a fun little story, but I don’t think I’d reread it.

Good story

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

Slow slow

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