The Honey Witch

Truly, it's like this book was written for me specifically. The magic system feels fresh and inventive but still relied on enough "basics" that it was easy to follow, the characters are all likeable even when they're not, the YEARNING, breaking generational trauma....The Honey Witch has it all. I absolutely adored it. A bisexual protagonist and a femme/femme romance?? Yes, thank you very much. Reading certain passages made me actually squeal and kick my feet and I cried so hard at the ending. Will be looking out for more books by Ms. Shields!!

I wanted to like this book. I'm a sucker for regency romance, witches, weird magic, and plucky heroines. The writing, though, gave everything away. Nothing was earned, no discoveries were made. I dnf'd when the grandmother showed up in the second chapter to explain that she is literally called a "Honey Witch" because...of magical honey. Emotional moments are discarded almost as soon as they're introduced and foreshadowing lasts barely through the paragraph in which it's introduced.