The Only Purple House in Town is my favorite Ann Aguirre book yet. Iris has always been unable to quite reach her dreams. When Iris unexpectedly inherits a house, Violet Gables, she quickly realizes that she’ll need to rent out rooms to make money. Enter Eli Reese, who knew Iris from childhood. He doesn’t really need to rent a room, but finds himself doing so and unexpectedly loving it. He also has a secret- he's a hawk shifter. Iris manages to find a lovable and eclectic bunch of neighbors to rent rooms with her, creating a unique community. But as she succeeds, she learns a shocking revelation about her biological family. With an irritable next-door neighbor, city codes, and a rise of anti-magic sentiment, can the found family of Violet Gables manage to hold onto their home? 

The house has a magical feel to it, though only certain characters actually possess magic. It’s reminiscent of Ilona Andrews’ Innkeeper Chronicles, mainly in the found family aspect and how they all find a way to improve the house using their talents. I enjoyed the Fix-It-Witches cameos, from previous Ann Aguirre books. My favorite part of this book was absolutely the LGBTQIA+  rep and found family. It was such a strong theme throughout the entire book, which I loved. I felt just as invested in the other characters as I did in Iris, especially Henry Dale and Rowan. The pacing was a little slow at times, but it had a very cozy feel to it so I didn't mind. I was frustrated at how long Eli waited to tell Iris that he knew her from childhood. However, I really enjoyed the conclusion and hope to see this cast of characters again in a future book! 

The Only Purple House in Town would be perfect for readers who love contemporary with a touch of magic, quirky yet lovable characters, and queer found family.  

Thank you to Ann Aguirre, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.