“It sounded madder than a box of frogs, and yet it was, somehow, the reality of Sera’s life.”
You know, it would be the understatement of the year to say that my expectations for A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping were absolutely out of this world, but Sangu Mandanna just proved that it is indeed possible to catch lightning in a bottle twice! Yes, this story is chaotic, yes, it’s batshit crazy, and yes, it’s so sickeningly sweet that your insulin levels will probably rise just from reading it, but I think that is exactly where its magic and irresistible charm lies; this is simply everything you could wish for in a cozy romantic fantasy.
After falling head over heels in love with The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches last year, I was beyond excited to read whatever Sangu Mandanna would put out next. I mean, her charmingly chaotic and effortlessly witty storytelling honestly tickles my brain just right, so it was no surprise when I opened A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping and found myself giggling, cackling, and kicking my feet in sheer delight within just a few pages.
I mean, just hear me out: Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain, until she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine (and a long-deceased rooster, oops) from the dead 15 years ago, then lost almost all her magic and got exiled from the Guild of magic. For the most part, she is now content just spending her days helping out at her aunt’s inn where she lives with said resurrected aunt, an overly opinionated witch trapped in the body of a semi-villainous fox, her 11 y/o cousin with budding magical powers, an older lady aspiring to become a proper hobbit, a 20-something softie cosplaying as a knight all day every day (I would lay my life down for Nicholas, my knight in historically inaccurate but dazzlingly shining armour!!), and a reanimated skeleton chicken.
Why yes, life at Batty Hole Inn is just as crazy as its name suggests, and it doesn’t help that Sera can do little more than cast little protective spells around the inn to ensure that only those in need find their way to its doors. But what do you know, their most recent guest, Luke Larsen (a.k.a. a stoic Scottish historian with deadly good looks), might just be the key to unravelling the mysteries of the old spell book that is her last remaining hope to restoring her magic. Cue the banter, cue the over-the-top drama, cue the unexpected feelings, and cue some heisty vibes (say what?); I was so here for it all.
Now, A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping really doesn’t pretend to be anything else than it is, and your mileage may vary on whether you find it charming and comforting or just annoying and frustratingly predictable. Sure, the logic might not always have been logicking, the messaging might have been a bit too on the nose, and the way that the whole conflict with the Guild played out might require quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, but ultimately the vibes were vibing, the feels were feeling, and I was just totally along for the wild ride.
The intimate and wonderfully magical setting of Batty Hole Inn (which is honestly a character in itself) just had me instantly enchanted, and all its eccentric inhabitants absolutely stole my heart with their unapologetically loud personalities and wild shenanigans. For me, Mandanna just struck a wonderful balance between the cookiness and the more serious, heartfelt moments in A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping, and I really appreciated the casual and authentic representation of queerness, mixed race heritage, disability, autism and mental health.
Moreover, both Sera’s inner conflict due to the loss of her magic (and subsequently her purpose in life) as well as Luke’s doubts, fears and struggles as a caretaker for his autistic little sister tugged on my heartstrings in all the most unexpected ways, and I loved seeing these jaded, broken souls organically bond and heal throughout all the crazy trials and tribulations that they had to endure together; this is exactly the type of slow-burn, mature and emotionally-driven romance that I live for.
Sometimes you just need a warm hug of a book that rekindles a bit of hope and faith in humanity, and that is exactly what A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping delivers. It’s got the best found family vibes, lots of magical mayhem, a ton of humour and heart, and just the most delicious dash of sweet slow-burn romance. So, if you like your cozy SFF in the vein of T.J. Klune or Becky Chambers, then I can’t recommend this gem highly enough. What a joy, my heart is full.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is scheduled for release on July 15th, 2025.
