This book is so cute and so cozy, I absolutely loved it. The atmosphere Sarah created with this books makes me want to immediately run away and create a jam shop with only one flavor and secretly sell "remedies" on the side with my talking spider plant.

This was good but not my favorite read. I wanted to venture into fantasy romance and it’s not really my thing. There’s was a lot I liked but also a lot I didn’t. I’d still be willing to try her other books but idk it just wasn’t it for me

This is a wonderful cottagecore fantasy story with a colorful cast of characters. I loved the island and all of the fantasical creatures that inhabited it! I need a spider plant that can help me with my library - especially one who can read, write & will be my ride-or-die bestie! This is the perfect for when you need a break from the high fantasy or are craving a cozy romantasy. Also, I kind of want a winged cat and a seahorse now. Thank you, Sarah Beth Durst, for this new obsession!

Kiera, a librarian on the run from a rebellion in the capital, goes back home with her bestie Caz, a sentient house plant, and 5 crates of stolen? borrowed? definitely saved magic books. She is determined to be self-sufficient and alone - so, of course she ends up being inundated by neighbors, hot ones... hmm hmm, and friendly townsfolk who remember her and her family and offer her help. Magical Hijinx ensue and her dream of having a place of her own starts to take root. Literally. Soon - there are business plans forming, feelings for our neighbor growing as well as the chances of getting caught doing illegal magic.

Will Kiera have to leave everything she never knew she wanted to protect those she has grown to care about?

PS - Heartstrings will be pulled for the enchanted side characters. I need pics for this... and a movie!

The spell shop is a cozy romance with medium stakes, and some fun side characters. Kiela is a socially awkward librarian, more at home in the stacks with her books than she is with humans. However, when tragedy strikes and revolutionaries set fire to the library she's forced to flee for her life, grabbing as many of her precious spell books as she can on her way out. Helping her along the way is a sentient spider plant named Caz.
She escapes by boat and ends up back at her childhood home on an island. Fearing that she'll be arrested for the 'theft' of the spell books she decides to start a new life on the island. Helping her is her unsurprisingly hot and capable but also shy and damaged neighbor, Larran. As Kiela starts trying to figure out how she's going to make her new life and help the island recover from years of neglect from a magical government, she starts to fall for Larran.
The story is largely predictable in a comforting and cozy way. There is minor peril in the form of Kiela worrying that someone will find out about her illegal spell casting.
My only real downsides is that I wanted to know more about the side characters who were intriguing. And that they went HARD on Kiela being anti-social and prickly in the beginning. If the hot neighbor helps fix your chimney, maybe let him ;)

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

This book is super-cozy and predictable and wonderful, one of my favorites in the new surge of fantasy romance novels. It ticks all the boxes. Introverted librarian lead character. Sentient spider plant as a sidekick. An intimate everyone-knows-everyone island with a beautiful, dreamy cottage-shop. A cinnamon roll of a romantic interest who is not only kind and builds bookshelves, but raises merhorses! There are even winged cats in the village! Yes, it is transparent how everything will come together, and it's fantastic in that, because everything is so satisfying and right. Such a joy-filled book.

I LOVED this book! I ended up reading it in one sitting. I definitely recommend grabbing a snack and something to drink and prepare for the cutest romance ever. I love Kiela and how she blooms from her shell as she tries to make her childhood home HER home.

Kiela, a librarian who oversees a collection of spell books, must flee when revolutionaries set fire to her library. Along with her sidekick, Caz, a talking spider plant, they smuggle out crates of spell books and set sail for the small remote island where Kiela grew up. Kiela and Caz cannot resist the lure of the spell books and when they start casting spells to improve life on the island, it doesn’t go unnoticed and without consequences. Fans of Legends and Lattes and The House in the Cerulean Sea will enjoy this magical cozy fantasy.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.

The Spellshop is a cozy Romantasy. Our main character, a librarian, flees the violence of revolution in the capital, and the destruction of the library, with only a few provisions and one friend, a sentient spider plant. Returning to her remote home island, she quickly discovers a new life and the chance at love.

This was so freaking cute.
I will admit, my main reason for requesting and reading this book is because the shop I work at is already having this author come, but I have No regrets.
This was the perfect cozy fantasy and romance.
As a bookworm (and seller) Kiela is so relatable and real to me, and the relationship between her and Larran was so wholesome and heartwarming.

Extremely charming! I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy fantasy. It’s got a touch of political frisson, but not so much as to overwhelm the plot or primary character dynamics. As with most cozies, it focuses a lot on found family, but there’s a sustainability message woven through, too, which I quite appreciated.

This book was entirely heartwarming and I loved it. One part anti-social librarian, one part small island town, and of course a talking plant companion. It was lovely, and it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

I thought this was adorable. I love these type of stories now and I’m so happy I was able to read this early!!! I’m such a huge fan of Sarah now and will be reading what she puts out next

Sweet, charming, funny, warm–like the summer cozy fantasy to Legends & Lattes's winter cozy fantasy.

I first read Sarah Beth Durst with The Lost, a book I'd picked up at the Harlequin booth at Book Expo America and didn't open until I needed it for a reading goal. That was my mistake, because it was a strange and fully-realized book that deserved better than it got.

I hope she finds great success with this book, because it deserves it: it's got great pacing, great characters (I LOVE YOU, CAZ! I LOVE YOU, MEEP!), a cute little romance that doesn't overshadow the main character's journey or fade into the background. It's got found family and delicious descriptions of food and even a light plot. It's maybe the best cozy fantasy I've read so far.

This is a pinch-your-cheeks cute cozy fantasy that's perfect for tea time. Kiela is a reclusive librarian who is completely content working in one of the Empire's largest libraries. When the literal flames of revolution engulf the city, Kiela is forced to flee the library with a small collection of books and her sentient spider-plant assistant, Caz. Kiela returns to the one place that feels safe, a tiny island far from the chaos in the Empire's capital. There, she plans to hide in obscurity in her childhood home, but the friendly local community and a handsome neighbor make that difficult. When Kiela finds that the Empire's neglect has resulted in troubles for her island, she decides to open a shop to sell small magics to aid her community. Jammed (literally - when you read it, you'll know) with good feeling and sweet moments, this is a delight.

In "Spellshop" by Sara Beth Durst, readers are whisked away into a whimsical world where magic thrives and secrets abound.

The characters in "Spellshop" are a delightful mix of eccentric personalities, each with their own secrets and desires. There is a relatable protagonist, struggling to find her place in a world where her magic sets her apart. The supporting cast, including the enigmatic neighbour, adds depth and dimension to the story. With its enchanting characters, whimsical setting, and heartfelt message, Sara Beth Durst's latest novel is sure to cast a spell on readers of all ages. Highly recommended for anyone in search of a magical adventure!

In the Acknowledgments, Sarah Durst writes that she "...wanted to write a book that felt like a warm hug." I think it's safe to say that she achieved exactly what she set out to accomplish! This book and it's characters can be described as a cozy, supernatural, warm hug. I found myself falling into the world effortlessly and wishing I could pack my suitcase and head to the island of Caltrey! I would recommend this book for fans of cozy, supernatural, cinnamon roll romance that leaves you feeling warm and happy.

<i>First, a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

Originally, I had given this book only 3 stars, but after some thinking and waffling, I decided to round up to 4. It's a <i>soft</i> four.

Listen - I remember reading [book:The Lost|18528430], and HarperCollins did us fucking DIRTY by buying Harlequin and the not publishing the remainder of the series; I remember being absolutely heartbroken because I really loved <i>The Lost</i>.

So when I saw I had an email from the publisher about this book, and upon instantly recognizing the name... I knew I had to read this book.

And I am an absolute WHORE for cozy fantasy. Especially after all the duds I've read lately, going back to basics, something I know will have a happy ending, be a nice, relaxing read... I was down.

Don't get me wrong, there were things I loved about this book, like Caz, for example. Other things were lukewarm for me, like the romance, some of the basics of the plot (a jam store?), and just... I am not sure. The vibe in general.

This wasn't a stand out read to me. It wasn't necessarily something super special. But I keep thinking about it, I had positive feelings, and I think I am out of my reading slump because of this book... so okay, twist my arm, I'll make it 4 instead of 3 stars.

3.75
I've got mixed feelings about this book, but overall, I was pleasantly surprised. My issues with it seem to be common critiques I have of cozy fantasy as a whole. While, in concept, I really love it, sometimes it ends up being a bit bland or underdeveloped. For example, a revolution plays a pretty big role in influencing the events of the story, but the characters and thus the author never seem to make a firm stance for or against it. Another example is that there is a sentient plant (by far my favorite character), Caz, who is terrified of herbivores and anything that might endanger his leaves but has no qualms harvesting leaves from other plants for spell-work. Maybe I'm asking to much to have my cozy fantasy to have political insights and complex world-building, but I've seen it done, and will continue to beg for depth as well as fluff.

So what did I actually like about the book? First off, Caitlin Davies is an excellent and engaging narrator who added even more charm to this already charming story. Second of all, I love seeing a shy main character represented and watching her find her community and place in the world. Thirdly, the island Kiela flees to after the library where she worked and lived is destroyed by the revolution, is as idyllic as Tolkien's Shire and definitely a place where I'd want to live (as long as they keep the magical storms under control). While there, Kiela revitalizes her abandoned childhood home, opens up a jam shop, helps out the island folk with forbidden spells, and gets to know her cute neighbor. Of course, she lives in fear of someone from the possibly-not-fully-overthrown empire discovering the spell-books she stole and so struggles to open up to those around her. Overall, this is a sweet and cozy tale that will totally have you craving raspberry jam! Just don't expect it to be more than that.

The Spellshop was everything I hoped for in a cosy fantasy book. A heartwarming story, compelling characters, found family, strong cottagecore vibes, it was all I was expecting and more. The lore and world building were also stunning.

It wasn’t a five star though as I think the book was a tad too long for a cosy book, with some repetitive scenes in the first half. And as much as I love them, the characters were a bit too black and white for my liking. That doesn't stop me from recommending The Spellshop to anyone looking for a good cosy fantasy!

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I love a book that has the theme of creating free access to knowledge for all people. That is one of the main things that sold me on the story. I loved the sense of community that is built on the island and how the characters are always looking out for each other. I personally really wanted to know more about what was happening in the capital and whether the movement toward free access to the magic was actually going to happen. Kiela is a loveable character who shows tremendous growth and change throughout the story and she develops a new life outside of the library. Caz is a delight and the perfect companion to Kiela. In the end this was a good book.