Stunning photo by @beautyandthebook26!
Hey fairies!
Welcome back to day 4 of our readalong of The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields! Let’s get comfy and get reading!
Yesterdays section finished at an interesting point so I’m excited to see what’s going to happen!
Today we’re reading from Chapter 22 to the end of Chapter 30.
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for The Honey Witch, from chapters 22 to 30. Please only read on if you’ve finished this section!
-!SPOILERS!-
A little snippet confirms Marigold’s worst fears… Versa is awakening!
And Mari’s LEAVING! She has no idea Versa is waking up as Benny escorts them away from Innisfree.
One of my favourite tropes – only one boat room! Mari and Lottie have to share, Mari can’t even look at her, but not for the reasons Lottie assumes. She’s attracted to her.
Mari decides she wants a bee tattoo and OH GOD this TENSION!!!
Lottie doesn’t believe the curse at all, she struggles to see how anyone could think Mari is unlovable. They’ve both grown so much. 🥺 Lottie has a theory… and leans in to kiss Mari. If there’s anything to be taken as a bad omen during kissing, I would say nose bleeds and convulsions would be quite high on that list?
For a sceptic, Lottie’s theory was actually spot on. It seems like she’s falling for Marigold and it’s making her sick?
Lottie admits she has feelings for Mari, she really wants to make it work. From the first moment she saw Mari, she felt… nauseous. I think this is the only scenario where that’s actually wildly romantic?
We’re living out our true Bridgerton sapphic DREAMS right now. Trips to the modiste, outings to the pleasure gardens, masquerades – I’m living for it!
Mari’s siblings make her sing and I’m thrown back into that moment of one of the Featherington’s singing around the piano in season one and being absolutely terrible. I love this too much!
When Mari wakes up, there’s no sign of Lottie. She soon finds her outside and in their playful state, Mari leads her to her meadow. Lottie draws her (swoon!) and we learn that it’s not the first time she’s drawn her (double swoon!).
The masquerade goes… interestingly. They dance and have a lovely time… until Mari gets really REALLY jealous. She gets almost aggressive and this definitely isn’t like our girl! Could this be part of the curse?
Speaking of the curse, after that display, they decide to leave and test the limits of the curse together.
Something triggers a flashback, and Marigold sees a battle between her grandmother and Versa. Her mum nearly died! Is this what she meant by Mari not knowing all of the truths? I would love to know why Versa is coming back now. I’m thinking Althea’s passing triggered something that made her wake up!
Their romantic notions come crashing down quite heavily when they bump into August and Frankie, who are VERY loved up. Frankie notices how close Marigold and Lottie are and brings up the curse. Well done, Frankie!!! *sigh*
It makes Marigold feel foolish and weak for trying. 😔
What a rollercoaster of a section! I’m so nervous to see what’ll happen next.
What do you think will happen when they return to Innisfree?
If you could pick between being a witch but never having true love, or losing your powers but living normally, which would you choose?
Did you see the August/Frankie pairing coming? 👀
So scared and excited for tomorrow’s last section – see you there!
Love,
Shannon
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I saw the August/Frankie pairing when the spell pointed towards Bardshire and considering their current status. I think they would make a lovely couple! I’m glad for them, they’re very cute. I think Mari’s family overall is quite sweet.
I’m now convinced that Lottie is an ash witch (and doesn’t know it? I’m not ready for a betrayal.) Maybe the arrow tattoo protects her or hides her from Versa? I wonder if having both an Ash and Honey witch in Innisfree (working together and being friends – or more) will bring balance? They would need to defeat Versa first, and I’m not sure we (or Mari) are ready for it…
Many of us don’t find true love, it’s not really guaranteed. So I’d take being a witch any day! 🙂
I think they’d made a cute couple too! And wholly agree, I’d take being a witch as well! 💜
It was a total surprise to come back home and go back to the historical romance part, with some dashes of magic. I loved the Bridgerton dream of modiste and masque dance party as well, but I got very nerveous when they start trying out the curse without a back up plan. It feels like one of them is going to get really hurt.
August and Frankie are a great match, it was total love since they saw each other and they are so cute!
They’re SO cute, I love it! 🍯🐝
I’m still worried about Innisfree with Marigold visiting Bardshire, but am happy to see the happy and welcoming family dynamic with the Claudes. I wonder if that fortune teller was Versa and she followed Marigold? She was creepy and seemed sinister… I’ve already deduced that Lottie is an Ash Witch, but as for how that plays out, I’m unsure. It would be lovely to have an Ash and Honey Witch care for Innisfree forever. Maybe Versa and Lottie are related and the reunion softens Versa’s cruelty and desire for immortality.
I definitely called the Frankie and August pairing, almost immediately, and then the soul mate spell lead August to Bardshire, and it was the logical conclusion. No surprises among this small of a cast.
As for choosing between being a witch but never having true love, I don’t have true love now so this is an easy choice. I would choose the certainty of being a witch and having power over the uncertainty of having a soul mate. Besides, humans are delicate. I could meet a soul mate and they could pass away the next day for any number of reasons. Being a witch is the sensical choice.
1. What do you think will happen when they return to Innisfree?
I hope the island will have become better since Lottie was away, but I think it has become worse since Marigold was gone, the protection was wavering and Versa was on the verge of waking again
2. If you could pick between being a witch but never having true love, or losing your powers but living normally, which would you choose?
I’d choose love any day!
3. Did you see the August/Frankie pairing coming? 👀
Yes! Since the moment August said he felt the pull towards Bardshire to come with Marigold I suspected it was because of Frankie
I really love this book!
What do you think will happen when they return to Innisfree?
I think Innisfree will be in rough shape. I’m hoping the spirits will be saved because I love them. I also think Lottie is an Ash Witch, except, I do not think she realizes her power. And this will probably cause conflict upon this discovery.
If you could pick between being a witch but never having true love, or losing your powers but living normally, which would you choose?
I would choose living normally with my true love. I’m definitely a romantic and I need affection. haha. Powers would be amazing, and maybe if I was younger, like Mari’s age, I would do differently. But, I do think I would have regretted it. But naturally, I believe that you can have both: power and true love. So….haha.
Did you see the August/Frankie pairing coming?
I did. I wasn’t even surprised in the slightly bit. But that’s okay. I do like them together!
I feel like Marigold is definitely getting closer to figuring Lottie out (and I still maintain that Lottie is both an Ash Witch and Marigold’s soul mate). I’m not sure what “true love” means in this aspect, which is pretty much what confuses me about Marigold’s curse. It’s clear Marigold’s family love her no strings attached, yet she’s still angry that she doesn’t have love in her life? I know that kind of love is different to what she wants to find in Lottie, which is a fairly selective love as far as curses go. Honestly, if I got to have that power, I’d keep it. I can still love the people I love, and finding “true love” is enough of a rarity that I personally don’t think I’d miss so much. I loved that August and Frankie found each other! I did expect that, though, the moment August had a hankering to go north with Marigold. I’m really waiting for things to go down on the last bits of the book!
Yeah, I think it’s all gonna come out in the next section! 🍯
I have a bad feeling that the “poison” will have set into the island and a sense of foreboding for their return. Really praying that versa is not lotties grandmother and it’ll all come out! Now i wonder though if that day when Mari was five is what Benny was remembering. I saw August and Frankie coming about 2 pages before it did 😂 they seem really cute together though in the short time they’ve been together in the story.
I’m gonna be so nervous if that happens! 🥺
I really worry that Innisfree is going to be in a terrible state when they return. With Lottie having the arrow tattooed on her, i am very curious to her parents. Her mother had to be a witch, right? I do not know which I would pick. Her powers are absolutely amazing but come at such a high cost. I can’t wait to finish this book!
It’s looking like they could’ve been witches! 🖤
That tattoo scene was something else *swoon*. I’d pick love over magic for sure, I’d just like a simple life with my love! And yes I’ve seen Frankie and August coming basically since the introduction of the soulmate spell, they seemed like a good match, especially after August remarked about Frankie’s letter! Agh this close to the end I can’t figure out how they’ll break the curse but I need them to have a happy ending!!
What do you think will happen when they return to Innisfree?
I think the island is going to be in a bit more disrepair than they would like it to be in. I’m worried about the spirits though.
If you could pick between being a witch but never having true love, or losing your powers but living normally, which would you choose?
I think I would lose my powers and live normally with my true love.
Did you see the August/Frankie pairing coming? 👀
I didn’t see it coming but I’m very glad it did. I like them together.
What do you think will happen when they return to Innisfree?
I think Versa will be awake and they will be entering into the battle of ash vs honey.
If you could pick between being a witch but never having true love, or losing your powers but living normally, which would you choose?
I think I would want to live normally. When you are a witch there are too many potential boundaries with life/death, fate etc that could be messed with. I also think the power could get to people. Plus who doesn’t love true love and love matches.
Did you see the August/Frankie pairing coming? 👀
Yes!!! when they first met and started making eyes I knew it. I had a feeling that Augusts true love would be someone she knew but I wasn’t sure if it would be family or someone in that circle.
I think Innsisfree will be suffering when they get back and hopefully Lottie helps Mari take down Versa, even though it’s probably her grandmother.
I guessed at Frankie and Augusts pairing pretty early on when I realized August and Mari wouldn’t end up together haha.
I would choose to live normally with no magic.
What do you think will happen when they return to Innisfree?
I think a lot of the spirits will be black and it will be dire!!
If you could pick between being a witch but never having true love, or losing your powers but living normally, which would you choose?
Definitely a witch! I can always read books to live vicariously 😉
Did you see the August/Frankie pairing coming?
Yes! I was so excited!! As soon as he and his old beau split up I was like hmmmmm maybe he would get along with Frankie?? 😂
1 – I’m not sure what will happen when they return, but they better zoom on a broom, because Innisfree is in DANGER!!! Keep those landvaettirs & bees safe, Marigold!!!
2 – I would pick being a witch faster than anything. So long as you don’t have to be lonely, friends can pull you through anything.
3 – August & Frankie hooking up was more than a tad obvious, but they are so CUTE together.
Undoubtedly, Lottie is an Ash Witch. The flames she created around herself & Marigold in the maze have me worrying that the poor girl is going to find out she killed her parents with her fire. Please say it isn’t so… I’m sobbing at the thought.