The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais (Review by Bruna Looby)

“Why were we taught to fear witches and not the men who burned them?” What a delightful, fun, and refreshing read! I was a little bored with books. It felt like everything was more of the same. This book was exactly what I needed! Preorder (or order) it now and read it while drinking a delicious pumpkin spice latte to get ready for fall. Think The Golden Girls meets Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic. Filled with diversity, feminism, empowerement, love, friendship, and secrets. And lots of magic, of course! The witch sisters Ursula, Queenie, Ivy, and Tabby are waiting for their sister Ruby to come back home after 33 years. They’re quite in a pickle. Their huge, old, and beautiful property is going to be taken away from them if they don’t come up with the money to pay for it. The people who want to take it away from them are the old town men, who simply feel threatened by the presence of these women. They want to turn their property into “Men’s World”. It would literally be like Disneyland for men. Persephone is a fifteen-year-old curious girl, who gets closer to the sisterhood, and is willing to help them raise the money so they can stay in their coven. Let me tell you, this book will surprise you. The plots are so well done, and every detail matters. Everything is tied perfectly in the end. The author left nothing behind. You’ll laugh, you’ll feel emotional, and you’ll fall in love with the characters. I must say, it took me a few chapters to get situated, and understand who’s who. There are a lot of characters. But once I was invested, I couldn’t put down!