Review: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping, by Sangu Mandanna
Title: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Cozy Fantasy/Romance
Date of Publication: July 15th, 2025
Number of Pages: 336
See it on Goodreads: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping
See it on Goodreads: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping
Summary
Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps her aunt run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power…
Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and might just know how to unlock the spell’s secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.
Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.
Review - Cozy Up With Magic
Another one of my most anticipated books of 2025 is here! A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping is the follow-up book of Sangu Mandanna, author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Having absolutely loved the previous one, I was more than eager to read it (or listen to it, as the audiobooks are amazing for both books).
As you can gather from the synopsis, the story is based on a magical inn, run by Sera Swan. The thing is that Sera has lost her magic, and at the same time, magic strangely manifests in the inn. This setting sets the stage for a strange cast of characters (that even includes a zombie chicken and a talking fox) to gather and create a found family that will melt your heart. And it's no secret that found family is the trope that I adore in my cozy fantasies. Plus, the book takes extra points for representation - from Sera's unique background to same-sex couples and an autistic child, this book showcases a diverse set of characters.
Apart from this though, there are so many things to love about A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping. Magic is present in every page of the book, and its descriptions are imaginative. Yes, Sera finds a spell that could help her find her magic again, and the spell contains some crazy ingredients. However, in this book, magic feels flexible and personal to the witch - Sera's ingredients would be totally different from another witch's.
Of course, you would expect some romance to bloom between Sera and Luke - it's in the blurb! Yet, the romance never takes over the story, which I appreciate a lot. Our two protagonists gets to know each other while working together on the spell. And when they finally admit their feelings, it's so cute and warm. However, I have to say that we could do without the intimate scene. I'm usually fine with spice, but this is such a sweet book that we could have omitted it altogether.
If you've already read The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, you know what Sangu Mandanna's writing style is like. The book flows nicely and there are funny moments, heartwarming moments, and even some tense moments. My only real fear before getting this book was that it would feel too similar to the author's previous novel. Yes, there are similarities, and if I'd read them close to one another, then this could potentially have bothered me. However, now that it's been about two years, it felt familiar and comforting.
But, I can't say that there is a part in this book that I felt like our heroes were in real danger - I knew that the outcome would be the one I was hoping for. I know that the point is for it to be cozy, but since there are real stakes for the characters, I would have loved to feel more anxious for their fate.
All in all, A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping brought me the magic and the feels that I was expecting. This book solidifies Sangu Mandanna as one of the authors that I will be keeping an eye on. If you want something cozy and sweet, you love the found family trope, and enjoy reading not so insta-lovey romances, then this is definitely for you.
Read more of my reviews here.
Comments
Post a Comment
Hello, everyone! Thanks for stopping by. I value comments a lot. So if you have anything to say feel free to express yourselves on the comments below! I try to respond to all of your comments and if you leave a link to your blog I will visit it :)