Book Review: The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre

Some books just feel like a warm hug and upon hearing the pitch for The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre, that’s exactly how I felt.

You might recognize Ann Aguirre from some of her older series including the Galatic Love series, The Razorland Trilogy, or even, the first three books in her Fix-It Witches series. The Only Purple House in Town is book 4 in the Fix-It Witches series.

Despite being part of a series, all of these books can be read as standalone but none more than The Only Purple House in Town. While we get a look at some of our favorite characters from the first three books, it’s more about this new group and the family they come to be.

I’d like to thank Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me a digital ARC of this one as it was one I’ve been thinking about for months after doing a cover reveal.

The Only Purple House in Town is a delightfully cozy found-family story.

Before getting into my review, I did mention that The Only Purple House in Town is book 4 in the Fix-It Witches series. While I do think you should read the rest of the series, you don’t have to do so feel free to start with this book if you’d like.

The story begins with Iris Collins as she’s dealing with a stroke of bad luck until she finds out she inherited her aunt’s purple house. Upon getting there, she realizes it’s in decent shape so she decides to rent out rooms in the house to make some quick cash. She ends up finding two roommates quickly which are Eli and Henry Dale.

We find out that Eli has an interesting connection to Iris while Henry Dale is just looking for a place to sleep. Eventually, Iris begins to find more housemates which include Sally, a recent elder divorce, Mira who was freshly dumped, and Rowan, a non-binary teen who had a horrible family life. We watch as this ragtag band of misfits forms a family where they’re all accepted and loved.

That’s not the only plot we follow within these pages, though. While there are a lot of characters, the main focuses are Iris and Eli. Iris is dealing with some shocking family news and finding out she might not be entirely human. As for Eli, he’s dealing with lots of changes in his business and personal life.

Regardless of everything these characters are dealing with, The Only Purple House in Town doesn’t lose focus. In the end, it’s all about this found family and making sure everyone feels safe and loved as there are queer characters in the story. Coupled with the cozy setting and lots of adorable moments between everyone, the story felt like a warm hug.

That’s not to say I absolutely loved everything about the book. I did have a few complaints with one being that it felt like the story dragged on. I wish certain scenes were cut down or just cut completely. The other issues I had were related to the romance. First, Eli was definitely doing some stalkerish behavior, and that rubbed me the wrong way.

While I know what he was trying to do, he made himself seem so creepy. As cute as the romance was, I feel like the book didn’t necessarily need it. As a romance reader, that feels like sacrilege to say but I don’t know how much it added to the story.

Regardless, The Only Purple House in Town was incredibly cute, cozy, and everything I was hoping for from its adorable cover. If you’re looking for some cozy fantasy, look no further than the latest from Ann Aguirre.

The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre is out now wherever books are sold.