The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island

by V. K. Ruiz

Warm and witchy, The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island is a cozy fantasy and slow-burn sapphic romance for fans of The Spellshop and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

A spell gone wrong leaves a witch powerless—but opens the door to a new kind of magic.

Paloma has spent a decade as a witch's apprentice, dedicating herself completely to the craft of spell casting. But even with her whole future planned, all it takes is one sneeze to send a spell awry, extinguishing her magic completely. Paloma's distraught: Without her powers, can she even call herself a witch?

At the gentle urging of her mentor, Paloma returns home to verdant, magical Marigold Island. There, she launches By the Broom, a successful courier service, and finds community in a house of other Queer misfit witches and their familiars—including a straw hat–wearing raccoon named Nori. Still, the ache of losing her powers—and her sense of self—lingers. Even a flirtation with Liss, the charming café owner whose chocolate chip cookies are literally enchanted to feel like a hug, can't quiet her grief. As she zooms around making deliveries, she can't ignore the blight creeping across the island—or the feeling that Marigold's magic is fading too.

Paloma's used to solving problems on her own. Can she learn to accept her limitations and trust her new housemates to help her save the island they all love before it's lost to them forever?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Lesbian, Adult, LGBT, Queer, Cozy

256 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 23, 2027

Reviews

[vaishnavi ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*]

── .✦ pre-read 𖹭.ᐟ
this is the first galley I've been pre-approved to read and a raccoon is wearing a hat and there's a black cat on the woman's shoulder 🤭 this is perfect for me omg 🥹💞

[Sam’s Sapphic Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island definitely had focus points, and it showed. There were so many messages hidden within the story, and the growth someone can have even put into difficult situations.

The focal point to me was the fact that if we focus on only one thing in our lives everything else will pass us by, and sometimes it’s important to step back and let things be. This is something Paloma was forced to learn and do when her magic was suddenly stripped from her.

Paloma lived a really lonely life where her only goal was to become a better witch, but she let it consume her. Seeing her thrown into situations where she didn’t know how to act (such as making new friends) was so relatable but it was cute seeing her being all awkward.

It really is so hard to not focus on the future and feel like your life isn’t going anywhere. But putting too much pressure on the future can ruin it. I loved reading about Paloma being more present with herself and others.

I really liked reading about her progress with being more open, but once she got closer to people I started to like her less. She was extremely back and forth with Liss and made almost every situation about her, Paloma felt more and more childish by the second at 28 years old.

It was like there was progress, progress, big setback, and then “learned” everything and grew in one scene. I’ve always felt like learning and growing is a much longer process than one situation to completely flip her thinking outlook, but that could be a personal thought.

I didn’t really like the last 10ish% of the book. The romance JUMPED INSANELY in the end. It’s barely there throughout the story, then BAM it’s thrown at you. One kiss and really no conversation about their feelings for each other and “I love you’s” are said? I think it would’ve been better with minimum romance and a focus on Paloma finding herself.

The ending itself is a bit cheesy but still heartwarming. It gave scooby doo “you’ll never get away with this!” which isn’t bad, but it gives YA.

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC!

[Nic & Ry Meltdownerz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and the author for this 6 star read! OMG I knew I was loving this book but why at the 70% mark were the emotions were hitting so hard and I was reading this while crying and sobbing 😫 V. K RUIZ you ate with this one I fear. My boyfriend had to go get me tissues because I was balling my eyes out. I'm not well rn.

SERIOUSLY ANYONE READING THIS, PRE ORDER THIS BOOK, IT'S WITCHY, COSY, EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN & EMOTIONAL. I haven't cried this hard at a book in so long. Relating to the feelings of grief I guess, sigh. I will be pre-ordering this book, I want to read this every YEAR, yes it's that serious for me. The culture in this was BEAUTIFUL.

The romance felt slow, and snuck up on me, i didn't realise I was feeling emotionally invested until I was giddy and wanting. I loved where the story went. Sorry but that ending!!!!! You're a genius, I had so much fun! This felt like when I used to watch Sabrina the teenage witch but also an adult Kiki's Delivery Service 🥰.

Well done on this amazing achievement, you were meant to be a writer. I will promote the hell out of this book when it's out coming out, purely because I am now obsessed! I hope you're writting more books right NOWWWW! YOU'VE GOT A LIFE LONG FAN I ME. 💜💜💜 6 STARS!!!!!

[★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lesbians!!!! Very cute book!! With lesbians!!!

The story follows a young witch that lost her magic and decided to come back to her old home, which is on an island by the way.. #jealous

Paloma is, in some simple words, a very relatable character 🥹 I liked how the entire "i lost my magic" thing worked out. She lost something that was literally her entire life, but!! she stayed strong, kept her ground (especially with people who didn't respect her), and tried to get better for herself. We saw her go through all sorts of emotions but it wasn't the main focus and something forced onto us. Instead, the main focus was her relearning who she was without magic, and i think it gives a nice message to the readers

Liss' life is really something out of a movie and i am really jealous right now. Cafe that's decorated to her own personal preferences, doing the job with her magic because she wanted and not because she was forced to, that's a dream!!!! i liked her a lot!!

The romance was.. sweet and pretty quick to happen in my opinion, which was probably the only thing i minded. Wishing we saw more of Paloma's relationship with Liss. Paloma was so obviously bad at flirting 🙂‍↕️ it was funny to read, and Liss was throwing hints the entire time but the only thing on Paloma's mind was probably "am i just a lesbian or is she actually flirting rn" like girl idk let's find out!!

All in all, the town, themes of finding out who you are after dedicating your entire life to something, finding that same purpose with people that support you.. in a romantic, found family, and even maternal way.. it was a very nice read. A lot went unexplored. I wish we'd found out more about the magic and their animals.. or the town, the history of magic.. i was honestly just curious to hear more about their magic, that's all 🥹🥹

So yea 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ I think everyone who wants a small town sapphic romance with relatable and likeable characters would probably appreciate this a lot more than me :))

Huge thanks to Netgalley for providing me an arc in exchange for a review!! All thoughts are my own.

[mo • lesmotsdemo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cute and sweet read. It was also a quick and easy read, which was lovely. The plot was interesting, and the cast of characters was pleasant. The romance was leaning on the insta-lovey side unfortunately, I wish the characters took more time (the love interest especially felt in a sort of a rush with the main character). It has no sexual content, which was highly appreciated. And there was a healthy mother-daughter relationship (between the main character and her mother), it was great. If you’re looking for a cosy sapphic romantasy to put on your anticipated releases’ list for next year, I recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[CJ Alberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for work, such a sweet and cozy fantasy story about belonging, finding your purpose, and building community

[ran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Bindery Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had expected to love this book, with it revolving around witches, magic, found family, and a sapphic romance. And while there were things I did enjoy about it, I unfortunately felt like it didn't quite live up to its potential for me.

I really loved the setting. The island was definitely my favorite part of the book because it was so easy to picture its beauty while I was reading. The descriptions made the island feel so full of life and magic and I could really imagine myself being there throughout the book. The whole storyline surrounding the island being threatened by people trying to turn it into a tourist attraction also worked for me because it tied into its themes of community and protecting the place they call home.

I also liked the queer community Paloma had and the found family aspect of the story. I loved seeing her find people who accepted her and gave her a sense of belonging after spending so many years feeling lost and without people she could call hers. I just wish we'd gotten more time with these relationships because despite liking the characters, I often felt like I didn't really know them well. A lot of the secondary characters felt more like people who were there to help Paloma through her own journey rather than being their own characters.

Paloma herself was a character I had mixed feelings about. I really liked her journey of trying to figure out who she was outside of her magic and her work, which her life before going back to the island revolved around. Her grief over her father and feeling like she lost her connection to him through losing her magic were some of my favorite parts of her story. But I did find her internal conflict a bit repetitive at times. There was a lot of her blaming herself over things that weren't her fault at all and I understand that with her personality, it's understandable, but it got frustrating after a while. A lot of the emotional conversations were a little too direct for me as well. I understand that this book is more focused on healing and too much conflict might not fit this book but there were still a lot of scenes where we could've seen the realizations and lessons happen naturally instead of the characters explaining exactly what they felt and what they needed to learn from the situation. I feel like it would've been a lot more impactful that way. The romance was very sweet and I thought Paloma and Liss were really cute together, but I also felt like their relationship progressed a little too quickly. I wish we had more scenes of them hanging out and seen them getting to know each other and becoming friends on the page.

Despite all my criticisms, I really did appreciate what the book was trying to say about community, grief, belonging, and finding yourself after losing the life you'd planned and worked to have. The setting was lovely, the found family was wonderful, and there were a lot of sweet moments. Unfortunately, this was a case of me liking the ideas in the book but wishing they'd been explored a lot more. Still, it's a cozy read that would definitely work for other readers, especially if you're looking for a quick and sweet read.

[Luc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of advanced copy received from NetGallery
It was the first book I’ve read in e-arc copy and there couldn’t have been a better start, thank you to the publisher, the author and Net Gallery!

Rating: 3.5 rounded down (I kept swinging between wanting to give it a 3 or a 4, as the sweetness of many moments kept getting to me.)

I enjoyed the book greatly, and I was sad I wouldn't get more time in the setting, Paloma grew on me. One of the highlights for me was the descriptions of the island, which were very warm and conveyed exactly what they were trying to. In a way, it reminded me of those cozy Switch games where your character gets back to their hometown and plot ensues (which I love, so I was up for a good start). A perfect read for the end of summer, so I was delighted to be reading it at this time of year.

The main problem, in my opinion, was in fact with the descriptions, but not of the landscapes and setting, rather of the people. I can't remember the number of times "messy bun" was mentioned. The first description of the main character made my teeth ache because it reminded me of all those meme One Direction fanfictions about "I throw my band T-shirt on and put my hair up in a messy bun," and it's such a shame because otherwise the scenes were great! This didn't happen just once, but with every new character that was introduced, which made reading about new characters, especially the roommates' introduction, feel like a list I immediately forgot rather than something more natural. This was "fixed" the moment you got to know them better, but I think it could have been handled in other ways that didn't involve describing what the characters were wearing in most scenes with "he had a () tee, and () pants and () hair." Of course, in scenes like going out to the club, it made sense, but it still felt superfluous and a bit forced in a handful of occasions.

I found this tied into the other main issue I had, which is the "unsubtlety" of the writing. From the very first moment, we are told in very direct language, "my father died and I'm still grieving." Paloma gets back to the island, and from then on, it feels a bit like Instagram therapy speech in the way Paloma rationalises everything with "I know I need to do X, but I'm trying, but I can't manage because I'm still trying to be Y." It's not wholly against her character, as we got to know her, but it still felt mechanical at times. Despite this, I enjoyed her journey, and her fears about how she wasted years and about the future are very real. I found her relatable. Her breakdown, spiralling in her own thoughts, etc., was touching and tender, and I found its progression well written compared to other similar moments. This is also the reason why I didn’t find the ending too rushed, because all the previous chapters worked as a constant build up, first to the breakdown then to the resolution. The only disappointment I had was that I would have liked more time with the characters.

The part in which this kind of talk fits well is certainly the tarot reading scene, which was one I greatly enjoyed, both because I love tarot (and reading the Minor Arcana and not just the usual Major Arcana was!!) but also because the cards' use is exactly the kind of descriptive language Paloma needed. Paloma getting defensive was perfectly in character and allowed for that sort of self-reflection in very clear terms that, in other scenes, seemed forced and like an effort to make the book's theme clear. I believe it would have been clear without it being mentioned so directly in most scenes.

At the same time, I did appreciate the same clarity when it came to gentrification/the state of the land, because it never hurts at all to be reminded that it is the villain of every story, and also because of its role in the magic. It was a bit Scooby-Doo like at the end, and I mean that as the best comment possible, since the team reminded me of them too at times (I was fully rooting for the Daphne and Velma costumes for Paloma and Liss).

Overall, I did need a read like this. The queerness of the book was part of the reason I picked it, and it didn't disappoint at all. I was glad for these amazing lesbian characters without any playing around about who they are. Paloma has a great journey in learning more about herself and how to be around people, but being a lesbian was never in question. I felt the same about the cultural aspects, even if I'm not latina, but as a whole, it expressed so much joy that I felt it nonetheless. Día de los Muertos, with its scene, was perhaps one of the most touching moments for me.
I will definitely read more from the author in the future, while hoping some aspects of the writing that I mentioned will be a bit more refined. Honestly another book in the same world and with the same characters would be an instant read for me.

Sum up: cozy, sweet, a journey of joy and grief, perfect for both summer and autumn, community and CAT FAMILIAR 🐈‍⬛

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review for an advanced reader copy received from NetGalley. Final edition to be published by Bindery Books. Original review published to my blog, Pages and Parts.

I felt like trying something cosy and The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island is cosy. It’s just so sweet and wholesome. I want to visit the island and eat all the food! There’s a lot of food mentioned and I loved it. It did make me hungry while I was reading though… At one point, I thought how great would it be if there was a recipe book to go with it. I’d eat so much of the food!

While I say Misfit Witches is cosy, there is tragedy and grief. Paloma losing her magic brings up all the emotions tied with grief. Loss, sadness, confusion, anger, but it also prompts her to open up to processing a past trauma. While going through her last ten years attempting to achieve her goal, which is valid, doing so allowed her to hide behind the work, isolate herself, and not grieve.

I can’t help reading further into the story and seeing the journey in psychological terms and a trauma survival journey. What I enjoyed was how relatable it was, but also light. Not the trauma, but the healing. When Paloma comes to Marigold Island, so many avenues open up for her and this helps her heal.

I love a good healing journey, in real life and in stories. When someone realises they are more than their pain and what really matters is the connections you have with people, it makes me so happy. It gives the person so many opportunities and this is what I read as I followed Paloma’s story.

Now, what made it even cosier, besides all the magic, was everything else! The familiars and animals are great. The secondary characters are delightful and the romance is so cute. I don’t read romance novels, but this wasn’t all about the romance. It was part of the story, not the focus, and I feel it really added to the plot.

The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island gave me so much joy while reading and thinking back on the story warms my heart. I highly recommend it if you want something cosy with touches of magic, animals, and baked goods.

[Misha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

I went into this book expecting a cozy read about magical witches and the power of friendship. While it is ostensibly about both of those things, a lack of depth does the story a great disservice.

Paloma is a talented, up-and-coming 28-year-old witch living in the magical equivalent of the big city, saving up to co-own an emporium. Unfortunately, her single-minded focus on her studies and career leaves her with no social or love life, leaving her to mostly hang out with her cat familiar, Hades (an incredible name for a black cat). Due to an unfortunately timed sneeze during a run-of-the-mill spell, Paloma finds that her magic has abandoned her. She moves back to her hometown, the witchy village of Marigold, to recharge, reconnect, and relax. As she copes with grief from the town reminding her of her deceased dad and tries to find a place to live alongside other young magic users, she falls for Liss, the proprietor of the local coffee shop. To keep money coming in while figuring out her life sans magic, Paloma launches a delivery service.

At its core, this is a story about grief, community, and focusing on the present rather than the past or future. Paloma is a likeable protagonist, but she feels immature for her age as the plot progresses. My enjoyment dipped as everyone in Paloma’s life repeatedly gives her a pass for being rude and ghosting them, rather than holding her accountable or encouraging her to mature. The last 20% of the book was my least favourite because everything accelerates to wrap up loose ends and resolve conflicts unrealistically fast. I would have preferred if the plot had been expanded into a duology, giving the ensemble of fascinating, diverse queer characters—and their delightful animal companions, like Hades the cat and Nori the raccoon—more room to breathe. This would have allowed Paloma to work through her relationships with magic, her family, and her new friends at a more deliberate pace. As it stands, I would recommend this book to a YA audience rather than adult readers due to the shallow handling of emotions and relationships.

Overall, this was a cozy read set in a fun, welcoming world where queer and magical people live openly. It features a Scooby-Doo-level villain, a wonderful cast, and a compelling setting centred on reconnecting with nature's magic.

[Sof · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

For the last ten years, Paloma has been working as a witch’s apprentice in the city, making a name for herself as a brilliant spell-caster. But after a spell goes awry, Paloma’s magic extinguishes completely. Distraught, she returns home to Marigold Island. There, she moves in with other Queer and misfit witches, starts her own courier service called By the Broom, and finds herself falling for Liss, the owner of a charming little café. But there’s something wrong with the land on the island; parts of it are dying and spreading quickly. Paloma’s used to solving things on her own, but here, she’ll have to learn to trust her loved ones for guidance and help in saving the island before it’s too late.

This was such a cozy and comforting read! 🩷 I loved the themes that the author delved into, such as community care, compassion, taking care of the land, and more. The coexistence of the people and all beings on Marigold Island with the land itself, reminded me a lot of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book The Serviceberry, where she talks about gift economy, the idea of giving and receiving as a means of sustainability. Basically, generosity and coming together to support one another. I loved how this was incorporated in the book! I loved Paloma and her character development. She learned a lot about not only trusting herself but those around her. I really liked her friends and roommates, especially AJ. And of course, I loved Liss, who was kind and soft for Paloma when she needed it.

What I liked most were the little flashback moments Paloma had of her father. Not only is Paloma grieving the loss of her magic, but also the loss of her father a decade prior. This is a grief she didn’t fully acknowledge until recently. I think the author did an excellent job of portraying the complexities of grief and how that affects how we establish relationships with others, both platonic and romantic.

In all, this was a beautiful story! I enjoyed the magic, the characters, the island, and the familiars. I also thought the mystery element was engaging and I honestly LOVED how Paloma and her friends went about solving it. There was one particular special moment that happened in that scene that was actually my favourite part of the book 🩷

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review 🩷🩷🩷

[Sona’s Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: A witch loses her magic when a spell backfires. She returns to the island community where she grew up to heal and regroup. She notices right away that something isn’t right with the island. She finds herself, friends turned family, love, and her place in the process solving what ails the island.

Pacing: slow, then faster at the end.

Magic and World-building: light! Our real world, but some people are witches. Simple and accessible.

Writing style: Easy and enjoyable. I especially loved the Mexican (and other) food descriptions (honestly one of my favorite things about the book). Matcha, coffee, cookies, rompopo, tortas, tamales. Droooool.

Character and relationship growth: this aspect of the book felt like it had some fits and starts. I wanted to know more about Liss! I wanted to get more into Paloma’s head about why she is the way she is. I almost wish the book had 50 extra pages to develop some more deep intimacy between Liss and Paloma. And between Paloma and her roomies. The familiars and animals were darling. But more! I wanted more of them!

Themes: Here is another place this book SHINES. The short noc touches on a lot, and beautifully! Self-worth and productivity, mental health, finding your people, grief, platonic and romantic love. Along with those themes, the book weaves a story about the links between one’s roots and how they feed the future (magical or not). Last but definitely not least, there is a story of community care and activism, about standing up and speaking out against gentrification and toxic real estate and tourism.

Romance: queer romance, I wanted to read more of this honestly. It felt like there was a lot of avoidance and then strong feelings with not building up to it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the eARC!

[Keeley Irons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher & V.K Ruiz for the advanced reader copy in return for a review.

This book was an easy 5 stars for me because it was a whimsical witchy sapphic romance that made me feel warm & fuzzy inside! Paloma is a cool young witch on a journey to success when she suddenly loses access to her magic and finds herself moving back to her hometown for some self discovery. This book is full of whimsical moments, loveable characters and unfortunate events. If you enjoy the likes of The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Very Secret Society of Irregular witches, you’ll definitely enjoy this!

I was so excited to read a sapphic witchy romance and this definitely lived up to my expectations. Paloma is a flawed character but she is so loveable and her flaws are quite relatable. The other characters are also complex but sweet and the author has created a wonderful setting for them to thrive in. I feel like I could be friends with the group Paloma begins to bond with!

The plot of the story is fairly simple but it’s nuanced by its interesting characters and a world of magical complexities. I also felt a connection to the emotional flashbacks Paloma experienced and this only added to the importance of love, family & friendship weaved throughout the story.

I have a lot of praise for this book and can’t wait for it to be released next year, March 23rd 2027.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paloma has lost her magical abilities and returned home to Marigold Island figure out her life. While there, she discovers someone is intentionally hurting the island and its residents. Unfortunately, Paloma often came across as whiny, for most of the book she was moping and pushing people away which was frustrating. Then, suddenly, in what felt like an instant, she figures everything out and everything is all better.

There were aspects that worked, or almost worked. I loved Ruiz’s description of Paloma’s cultural heritage and her celebration of Día de los Muertos to remember her father. I could also see Ruiz trying to build a diverse found family, but that fell a little flat. There were simply too many characters without enough development, making it difficult to feel attached to any of them.

It’s a pretty big risk billing a book as perfect for fans of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. It sets the bar incredibly high. Ultimately, this one wasn’t what I hoped, which is a bummer because I wanted to love it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Julia · Rating 1.5 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book sounded super enthicing, so I was really excited to read this.

The first 31% was good and had a lot of potential. But that’s when it got bad.

The story moved too slow, nothing was really happening until maybe 80% in and even then nothing was really happening.

At 63% I realised that this book is just not for me.

I felt like it was written in a very child-like way. Maybe this was meant for a younger audience.

I have to admit that I was pretty bored most of the book.

I also didn’t like that animals could suddenly talk to witches, but that might just be me.

I sadly can’t say I enjoyed this book, but I really wish I did.

The main character is also the most boring person I have ever come across and that didn’t help either.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun cozy read and I’m so thankful to @netgalley and @bindery_books for sending it my way.
We meet Paloma who left her island community to seek mentorship and find her way in the broader world. Then, in an unfortunate accident, all her magic disappears. So she does what many of us do when life hands us big curveballs: we go home to heal and regroup.
Marigold Island is such a special place. It is also going through a mysterious hard time as well. It is full of very special people including Paloma’s mother, stepfather, and eventually a whole group of found family. There is even a raccoon in a straw hat and a whole bunch of fun familiars.
The romance is sweet and a slow burn. It takes a bit of a back seat to the rest of the story for those of you who don’t like romance as the whole focus of a book.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, I think many people will. I found the conclusion satisfying and I’m left curious about the other characters and what stories live with them. My only complaint is that it comes out in the spring instead of the fall. However, it will be worth the wait.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up.

This book’s greatest flaw is that it ended.

The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island is cozy, idyllic, and full of characters that I wanted to spend more time with. I could’ve happily read another 100 pages of these witches just existing on their island. Even the minor characters felt distinct and interesting, which only made me wish we’d gotten more of all them.

Some of the plot beats felt a little cookie-cutter, but they’re handled with enough heart that I didn’t mind. The themes of belonging, community, and finding your purpose really worked for me.

More witches. More island. More pages. That’s my review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book genuinely feels like the warmest hug. If you like found family and cozy fantasy this is definitely for you! Paloma is the most avoidant person who tries to run from everyone and everything. To me, she's a very well-written anxious person with avoidant coping.

All the side characters are also so sweet (sometimes more than Paloma deserves tbh). I wish we would've gotten more time with Nori tho.

The plot in this book kind of felt like an afterthought and is mostly used to enhance the feeling of family and belonging.

It was a nice palette cleanser for me and I finished it in two days.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to net galley for this advanced reader copy!
closer to 3.5⭐️! i really liked parts of this book and i thought some others fell a little flat. this is a story about a witch who returns to where she grew up (marigold island) to try and find herself. it was very cute and it had a lot of elements that i love including found family and a lesbian romance! i just thought it was a little unpolished (to be expected from an arc!) and i didn’t fly through it like i was expecting to

[Envaria · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

What happens when your life doesn’t go the way u thought it would? Will you rebuild? Fight to get everything back? Or does the ‘magic’ to recovery lay elsewhere?

Absolutely love this witchy, queer, lesbian story of The Misfit Witches of Marigold.
Also read this while I was on a holiday to a literal flowery island, which made it more special to me.

As a lesbian, there were alot of moments in this book where I smiled from recognition. There were also more serious subjects, which I will get into later.

Thank you for this advance copy, it was such an enjoyable, heartwarming and at times an educational/important read.

!!!! <<<< spoilers >>>> !!!

likes:
~ the growth of the MC going through burnout, hopelessness and finding herself again
~ lesbians!!!!!! The normalisation of being queer; the talk about butch 4 butch lesbians having to fit a certain role; very undertalked subject!!!!
~ ace representation
~ the finding of REAL found friendship with no expectations
~ witches, magic, and familiars!
~the part where the author describes the island as a home, a community, a family. & that the colonisation by stupid white men trying to make this island into a tourist attraction is super harmful to everyone (unfortunately this is a very real subject)
~ Liss saying to Paloma she doesn’t need her to be perfect, just needs her to be present with her and vulnerable.
~ the grief Paloma felt towards her father was very real. At the end I caught myself crying at his spirit showing and her magic returning.


dislikes:
~ the self blame the MC goes through in this book gets a little annoying at times. it’s alot of “its my fault, I’m ruining everything” a bit frustrating but part of the character development I guess!
~ this read to me as a Young Adult book, which is not what I would look for right away (personally).
~ some feelings and subjects had a bit of a forward explanation and description, which made it easy to follow; but for my personal taste I like a bit more conversation and mystery to ‘let’ the reader figure things out on their own.

[Giggles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Bindery Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This isn't normally my genre of book
but when i read the synopsis & it said there is a straw wearing hat raccoon i was intrigued 😂
Here is what i like about the book

-There's a cat called Hades 🐈‍⬛

- There was a scene where a lizard called Scales stole a cookie 🦎

- There is a straw hat wearing raccoon called Nori who's scared of plastic bags but will still rummage through them to find food

- There is a cafe called sip 'n' savor & omg the way the author describes it sounds so cozy, I could picture myself there 🥰

- The ending made me smile, it was sweet

Stuff i didn't like

- The main character Paloma is 28 so i'm assuming the other characters are in that age range but they read like they are early teens

- Also a lot of the book is about food so the book makes you hungry 😂

Apart from that I did enjoy it. If you like cozy, witchy, magical vibes then you might enjoy it more than i did 🧙‍♀️

[asia - books district · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

I’m so so so sooooo sorry to be giving this book 1 star, especially since it’s the author’s novel debut, but throughout the entire reading experience I was thinking of DNFing it, so I really couldn’t give it much more :(

Personally the main problem for me was the waiting style: there was no rhythm, every sentence was either unnecessary short or long, repetitive, and -most times- didn’t add anything. I feel like the way a good writing style can help the book flow seamlessly is understated, and I certainly felt it while reading this one.
One more thing I simply didn’t get: the main character spends an entire page saying she won’t do something - and then she does exactly that in the following page. And not once or twice, there’s definitely a pattern! It was so frustrating, especially because it kept happening and felt both annoying and redundant.
Now, allow me to be redundant and repetitive and redundant and repetitive: throughout the book there were constant repetitions to events and situations already seen a million times. One example is literally the one I wrote about before: MC loses her magic - feels disoriented - decided it’s something she needs to navigate on her own and won’t talk about it with anyone - spends a full paragraph highlighting how she absolutely won’t mention it to X - sees X and mentions it - X gives a heartfelt talk about she’s not alone on this and other stuff that reads like any self-help book I imagine would sound like, or how AI would probably answer to a problem when you need reassurance. And this exact scheme happens with X, Y, Z and more.
And on that note, why does a character that should be 28(ish) act like a teen? And is it really necessary to remind the reader every other page of how she likes to stay home and read a book instead of socializing and going out? She reminded me a lot of Bella Swan (not really a compliment).
That made it hard for me to empathise with her and care about her character or development, as she was always whining and behaving weirdly (not in a way that made sense for the character, just weird). And of course, she doesn’t know how to make friends or interact with other people, but what she CAN do is fall in love with a woman -after ghosting her repeatedly- and (minor spoiler???) tell her she loves her in, what, a couple of weeks??
Believe me when I say it takes very little for me to enjoy a sapphic couple, but this time there was no feeling between the characters, everything (not much actually) happened so fast that the big, final moment between them felt underwhelming. I get that the romance wasn’t the focus in the book, but it felt even less than something in the background.

Overall, I found myself bored and uninterested from beginning to end. I kept thinking there would come something exciting that would change my mind, but unfortunately that wasn't the case :(

My hopes were sooo high for what I hoped could be a fun, cozy, sapphic read. Definitely not my cup of tea, but hope you enjoy it! <3

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for V.K. Ruiz's debut novel, The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island.

You can tell that V.K. Ruiz has a background in poetry because their prose was elegantly descriptive. I could envision the island and everything our main character, Paloma, experienced was practically tangible.

The themes of found family and grief were beautifully woven throughout this story. Paloma wasn't just grieving her father nor her loss of magic, but evidently, the connection she felt was severed between her and her father. The magic they shared was the last thread that connected the two, so once her magic left her, grief moved in swiftly.

"If the magic was never only in you--never strictly yours--could it truly leave you?"

However, there were times I did struggle to route for Paloma. In my opinion, the dialogue between Paloma and the other characters didn't feel very authentic. Perhaps it's more that or the conversations didn't seem to begin and conclude in a way that felt authentic? It was difficult to pinpoint. There was a lot of tell and not enough show for my liking. This did lead to a slight disconnect with Paloma's internal thoughts and feelings and her actions. As the reader, I couldn't always discern the primary driver for her specific actions. She also did seem immensely immature and I did struggle to envision her as a near thirty year old woman. However, that could just be me!

Lastly, I did feel as though the pacing was a bit off. For the first 50%-60% I didn't feel as though much was happening to truly move things forward. Paloma continued to struggle with allowing herself to be open, honest, and make connection. Though important to her character arc, for me it felt slightly too repetitive, to the point I wasn't quite sure if we would eventually see a conclusion to the troubles of the island. The breadcrumbs weren't significant enough for me to believe it was the main plot. Conversely, I thought the romance was the primary plot; however, that wasn't necessarily the case.

Despite all of this, I found this book to be enchanting, warm, and wonderfully crafted. Specifically, I adored seeing the author's love of astrology play a significant part in the worldbuilding. One small detail that immediately stuck out to me was how they referred to the sun as "He." That traditional personification of a celestial body was very immersive and something I greatly appreciated, though I was looking for the same treatment when the moon was discussed! Nevertheless, there were numerous small details throughout that gave so much depth and warmth to the setting and the characters.

Lastly, I adored how the author injected so many cultural traditions. Seemingly, they grounded the setting, magic system, and community dynamics in their own cultural roots. This was incredible to experience and I learned so much.

Thank you for NetGalley and Ezeekat Press for the ARC and for the chance to share an early review.

[Katya De · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew I was in trouble when I realised I was around 70% into this book and... not that much had actually happened. But weirdly enough, I really liked it up to that point

The emotional side of this story was easily my favourite part. Losing your sense of purpose, dealing with grief, and realising that the path you chose no longer aligns with what you actually want from life felt very relatable. There were quite a few moments that really resonated with me, and I loved how those parts were written.

But I think the book tried to do a little too much.

The found family was probably my biggest issue. There are some lovely moments between the characters, but overall it felt more tell than show. I knew these people were becoming important to each other, but I didn't always feel it. I wanted more of the smaller moments that actually build those relationships and make me care about the side characters as more than just people surrounding the main character.

The romance had a similar problem. It was cute, I liked them together, and... that's kind of it? There wasn't anything wrong with it, but it needed more time and depth to become something I was really invested in.

The timeline didn't help either. Months are supposed to pass, but in my head we had been there for maybe a few weeks. Apparently time flies when the reader isn't paying attention But I think this again comes back to those missing moments in between. I needed to see more of the relationships slowly changing to actually feel that time had passed.

And then we get to the final part of the book.

The bigger threat had been there, but never really felt threatening enough for the ending we eventually got. Suddenly everything needed to be solved, everyone came together, and it started giving me slightly too much power of friendship saves the day. And because I wasn't that emotionally attached to the group as a whole, the big community moment just didn't hit the way it probably should have.

Which brings me to the slightly weird conclusion that I think this book needed less plot, not more.

The quieter emotional parts were already working. That's where the story had the most depth for me. I would have much rather spent more time developing the found family, the relationships and that feeling of trying to figure out what you want from your life when your original plan no longer fits.

Final thoughts:
There is a lot I genuinely liked about this book. The themes around grief, purpose and changing direction in life really worked for me, and at times they hit surprisingly close to home. I just wish the story had trusted that side of itself more. It had a strong emotional core, but tried to fit so much around it that some of the relationships never got the depth they needed.

Sometimes less plot is apparently the answer. Who knew?

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Review
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!! This book embodies the vibe of “aaaah” when you just sit down after a long day at work, or when you finally get a drink of ice cold water in the boiling hot summer. This book IS summer.
Paloma is a witch, from her dad’s side, she’s an incredibly dedicated spell casting apprentice who has her whole career focused life planned out. Then she sneezes. Then she sneezes her magic away along with a piece of her curtains. She’s then basically forced to take a sabbatical because what’s a magical apprentice with no magic, so she goes home to her magical sunny perfect home of Marigold Island to stay with her mum and her new-ish husband (but we like him) If mum can’t fix Paloma then who can? When Paloma arrives in Marigold she immediately senses something, it’s wrong, it’s dark, but she can’t figure it out, and mum doesn’t mention it, then she sees it, a dark gloomy swamp? marsh? Foggy purple mess with no sun?
Palomas mum encourages her to go to a relatively new-ish cafe called Sip ‘n’ Savor. Now this is just an Amelia Theory but if you ask me mum only wanted Paloma to go so bad because of Liss, I don’t think Paloma’s mum is ever mentioned going there herself. Liss is the owner of Sip ‘n’ Savor, she is a witch who adds a sprinkle of magic to her products, she’s the supportive and understanding and easy to talk to person everyone needs in their life, she’s also super pretty but Paloma definitely doesn’t notice that. I LOVED their relationship, I love when it’s easy like that, when you literally could just be talking for hours and it feels like ten minutes, when you can be truly yourself around someone, when you can open up and not fear judgement, when being around that person doesn’t drain your battery.
Without Spoiling, the storyline was SO good, I enjoyed the fact that everyone knew the bad guy from the get go, the issue was nobody could prove it. I loved the queer found family friend group, I loved the progression of the destructive gloom, I loved the familiars, OH I LOVED that scene with ALL the animals at the house- I think that was my overall favorite. And I loved the insight to inside Paloma’s mind, to her struggle without magic and her struggle finding out who she actually is and what she is good for in life without magic. I don’t think it was too much but it was the perfect amount to signify how important that was to Paloma’s character without shoving it down readers throats. I also loved the day of the dead parts, it’s one of the holidays in the world I find most interesting and have always been so intrigued by it. Those scenes were BEAUTIFUL and if it wasn’t so late at night I’m sure I would have cried.
I loved this book so much and I truly hope everyone in the whole universe reads it and loves it.

[Abbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-book ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

This is a deeply introspective look at growing and belonging and learning to just be oneself. While parts of the book do match the cozy fantasy genre (the focus on magic, tea/coffee and baking, kind-of found family, and a happy ending), most of the book is focused around Paloma and her internal struggles and healing and growth. Not sure what we'd call it. Cozy-adjacent introspective magical realism fantasy is a mouthful.

That's not to say this book is bad, at all. I really enjoyed reading it and I think Ruiz is a good writer. They did a great job of capturing the inner maelstrom of anxiety and stress, and the (frankly) bad decision-making that can often come out of feeling insecure and unwanted. Paloma has seen her only value in what she can do for others, and allowing others to do things for her and simply be with her - whether Liss in a romantic way, her roommates in a friend/found family way, and even her mom in a maternal and family way. The way the island is falling apart mimics what is happening in Paloma's life, and I think that was a good connection and healing moment at the end.

I think this book will speak deeply to anyone who has felt like they don't belong, who has struggled to find their people. Some folks have talked about how Paloma seems to act a bit more like a teenager, which I don't think is true. I think she's acting like an adult in their late 20s who has never actually taken the time to mature emotionally. So yes, she feels deeply and she overreacts, because for ten years she's locked herself away from people and done nothing but work. It's going to take time to undo that. I think a lot of readers will see themselves in Paloma.

I do wish we'd learned more about the magic of Marigold Island. How the heck are the bison tame enough to be around people, much less foxes and coyotes coexisting calmly with birds and small animals? And how big is this island that it can have a bison preserve? Having lived near a bison and elk preserve at one point... they need a LOT of space.

All that aside, I think this is a lovely debut novel, and you can feel the personal connection from the author as they pour parts of their story into it (do read the author's note/acknowledgements at the back of the book). I hope we see more from them!

[Emily Capri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island is a lovely, cosy book. Paloma moved away from her hometown, Marigold Island right after her father passed away and she graduated high school. Her and her father are/were the only ones within their family with magical abilities and after he passed, Paloma moved away to the city to further her magical abilities and train under an experienced witch. After an issue with a spell causes Paloma to seemingly lose her magic, she doesn't know what else to do but return home to Marigold Island. Paloma meets some new and unexpected people once back on the island and starts rediscovering herself. She also discovers Marigold Island has been having some trouble of it's own.

The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island is a low stakes cosy fantasy and was a nice read. The story was paced quite well and the author did a good job at having so many seemingly different parts interconnect. I often find magical realism so fun and interesting, getting to see the ways different authors weave magic into the "real world". I enjoyed the author's version of this, especially the way non-magical people could buy things like spells or potions for certain requirements. The writing was quite descriptive and I felt like i could really envision the people and places. I did unfortunately find the writing a little young for my preference. Personally, I felt it read more YA and while that is not a critique as such, it was just not what i was expecting and didn't love the way this was done. But by no means is it poorly written, this is just personal preference.

There were quite a few different characters in this book but the author balanced it all so it never felt crowded or confusing. All the characters depth and layers, even ones with smaller parts to play. The main characters, particularly Paloma and Liss, had so much going on below the surface that would come out in well-timed and well-written ways. Paloma experienced a lot of genuine feelings of grief, insecurity, loneliness and even worthlessness. I could almost feel at times her grief at losing her father and how desperately she wished she could talk to him. My only real frustration was that I consistently kept having to remind myself Paloma was almost 30 as she often acted early 20s at best. She seemed to lack emotional maturity and this caused issues a few times throughout the book.

All in all, I would recommend The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island to anyone looking for a cosy, queer, witchy book.

[Sequoya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This book was such a delight. I was expecting a cozy read but this really surprised me with how much heart was in it. We meet Paloma, who has had a spell go haywire and suddenly doesn't have any of her magic. Her mentor tells her to take some time and go back home, a sabbatical of sorts. She meets so many new people who open their arms to her immediately, and we are with her as she struggles to let people in and with how empty she feels without her magic.

I loved this. I found Paloma's journey very compelling and pretty accurate for a 20-something who has lost her purpose. I found all her self sabotaging habits to be believable and loved how she held herself accountable even as she was making mistakes. I appreciated how her grief over her father's passing was still present and woven throughout the story, and the flashbacks felt natural within the storytelling. I loved her relationship with her mother, and her mother's new husband - and how he continued to hold space for the man who had passed in their lives.

And Liss!? I was over here kicking my feet at Paloma and Liss' relationshiop. It was so slow and sweet, and a quiet kind of love. Paloma is so lost, her life plans derailed after her loss of magic, and Liss is so grounded and stable and knows what she wants from life. Seeing Paloma open up to Liss and Liss constantly show up at every state Paloma is in was so refreshing.

The group of 'misfit witches' that Paloma ends up living with are all fantastic. Each has a distinctive personality and I never found myself confused as to who was who. It was so nice to see AJ call her out early on, and make her think about his invitation to go out instead of automatically saying no. They all push Paloma out of her comfort zone but in such a gentle and understanding way.

When reading, I thought we could do without our big bad of the story - a real estate developer who is buying up properties that keep getting damaged by "foundation issues." However, during the climax of the book I ended up tearing up multiple times and I don't know how we would have had the same message about community if we didn't have a common enemy.

I loved how community was woven through the book and how it ultimately is most magical thing of all. What a great read, would definitely recommend.

--

Thank you to NetGalley & Bindery Books | Ezeekat Press for the ARC!

[Sara Beatriz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Misfit Witches of Marigold Island by V.K. Ruiz had a story that I genuinely enjoyed, but the writing kept it from reaching its full potential. There is a lot to love about the premise, the magical atmosphere, and the sense of community throughout the novel. Unfortunately, I found the execution lacking in several areas.

My biggest issue was the romance. While I liked the idea of the relationship, I never felt that it was given a strong enough foundation for me to truly believe these characters were in love. They had a lot of cute moments, but not the type of moments that would make me believe this is a good relationship, but rather kick my feet in the air... so a good start, but that's it.

I had a similar issue with the main character's development. Her personal growth is an important part of the story, but much of it is explained to the reader instead of being demonstrated through her actions, decisions, and experiences. Because of this, some of her character arc felt less impactful than it could have been.

The beginning of the novel also felt repetitive. The protagonist repeatedly tells the reader, in different or very similar ways, that she doesn't like change or that she isn't capable of changing. While I understand that this was meant to establish her mindset, it was reiterated so often that it slowed the pacing without adding much new insight into her character. A more concise approach would have made those moments much stronger.

Despite these criticisms, I still had a good time with the book. The story itself is engaging, the magical elements are charming, and there is a warmth to Marigold Island that made me want to keep reading. I think this is one of those books where the ideas are stronger than the execution. With tighter editing, more subtle character development, and a romance built on a stronger emotional foundation, I believe it could have been an excellent read.

Overall, this was a solid 3-star read. I enjoyed the journey and appreciated the heart behind the story, even if the writing didn't always live up to the strength of its ideas. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on V.K. Ruiz's future work because I think there's a lot of potential here. I'm looking forward to seeing how the author's writing evolves in their next book.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC!

First thoughts; this is Kiki’s delivery service meets Sarah Beth Durst, with a sprinkle of Encanto.

Okay, I really enjoyed this one!! This is a beautiful story of grief and loss and finding your fire again. It’s also a love letter to the communities we build outside of our own family.

I love that both Paloma and Liss are women of colour. Gimme more. Liss having Vitiligo was also a nice touch. Something else I really loved was the author not shying away from using the word “Lesbian”. So much of the time authors will say anything EXCEPT “Lesbian”. For example sapphic, wlw, even “only attracted to other women” or “never attracted to men” to describe a character’s sexuality or identity because they don’t want to use “Lesbian”. So if your character is a Lesbian, just say Lesbian. It’s not a dirty word. Thank you, Ruiz!

I do wish we got a little more of the slow burn between Paloma and Liss before really coming together. Those three words from both of them at the end felt a little like, out of nowhere? I didn’t think their relationship was developed enough to be dropping L bombs on each other.

I loved learning about the cultural practices of the island residents and Latin American peoples! It was written with such adoration, really beautiful.

Found family! One of my favourite tropes! Everyone was so different from both of the main characters, but talking about their identities never came off as excessive with explanations. Well done.

Ruiz really knows how to build atmosphere. Reading about the smells on the air and the island breeze was wonderful. The island felt tangible, like it was just beyond my fingertips.

The bad guy was so hilariously… typical? Some people might take issue with how basic and predictable he was, but honestly I really enjoyed it and it worked in this story. Not every story needs a Scooby-Doo reveal!

This book knows what it’s saying when it talks about space and healing and the importance of just ✨stopping✨ sometimes for a minute to breathe.

The pacing needs a little work, I feel. It’s not a terrible problem, the story is still great, but it needs to be paced a little more evenly. The second half of the book was so jam packed and fast that the ending didn’t really feel like it paid off?

Overall, I will 100% be adding a physical copy of this to my shelves!! Thank you!