If you are looking for something with some romance, magic, and all the cozy vibes you can handle then check out The Spellshop! I really loved this set up and how the humans in this one were super bland but other creatures/beings in this story were so amazing!! I loved how the main characters grew through the story and the ending was epic in a cozy way. I can not wait to get my hands-on the next one.

I apologize for the lateness of this review. What a warm hug of a book. It was like all the best fairytales, full of fantastical creatures and compelling characters. Having the heroine be a librarian introvert was icing on the cake. Thank you for allowing me to read this book.

3.5 stars

I’m not sure I’m totally cut out for cozy fantasy, but this was super cute! The love interest was a sweetie cutie pie and the story wasn’t wholly without plot. But I do think I need a bit more of it. This, however, is the best cozy fantasy I have read.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is an enchanting and whimsical story that will captivate readers with its imaginative world of magic. The protagonist, Kellen, is a relatable and likable character, and her journey to take over her family's spellshop is both heartwarming and adventurous. The magical system is well-crafted, with interesting twists that keep the plot engaging. While the pacing can sometimes feel a bit slow, the story is rich in charm, and the relationships between characters are well-developed. Overall, The Spellshop is a delightful read that fans of fantasy will truly enjoy, even if it doesn't fully hit every note.

The coziest and cutest little fantasy! This had just the right amount of soft romance, fantasy elements and quirkiest little creatures around. It was immersive and all I wanted to do was sink into it! I am so looking forward to Sarah’s next. Books! This was excellent.

Super cute cozy fantasy. I had a fun time with this one - definitely a perfect fall read.

Also not about the book specifically but I loooooove the cover.

Absolutely loved this story! I think this is one of the best cozy fantasy books I have ever read! I felt like there was actual conflict but not so much that it felt heavy. There were so many lovable characters and I love how they all came together as a family! ❤️ Kiela and Caz were such a great duo and I felt like I could see myself in them, their love of books and their willingness to help others. The fantasy aspects of this book were so whimsical and imaginative. ✨ I felt like I could vividly picture what the author was describing without the author needing to go into excruciating detail. I will be telling everyone that they need to read this book!!! 📖

The Spellshop is an absolutely adorable cozy fantasy novel with a wide array of magical creatures, plants, and beings. Cozy fantasy is not usually my favorite sub genre of fantasy, but this one was just too cute not to love!

Starting with the characters, I think I loved every single character in this story. They’re all unique and lovable and funny, while also being flawed in the most beautiful ways. We get some excellent neurodiverse rep, including a presumably autistic MC and an anxiety ridden talking plant who may be my favorite character in the whole book. The character interactions and relationships were so sweet, and I loved the budding romance in the book.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I enjoyed this book. If you like cozy fantasy, I recommend it. However, it’s also been referred to as fantasy romance and I don’t think that is accurate. There is a sweet romance, but it is not a major part of the story.

The characters are wonderful. I had no idea how a sentient spider plant would work, but I loved Caz. The fact that Kiela had lived on the island when she was a child made the quick bonds she formed believable. And as a librarian myself, I loved that aspect of the book. I completely related with her desire to just hide away from the world with her books.

The plot dragged a bit for a while, but an event caused it to pick and I enjoyed it much more after that. I was happy with the ending and will definitely read more books by Sarah Beth Durst.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bramble for providing me with the eARC for this book.

✨The Spellshop Review✨
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Rating: 4.5/5 stars
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The Spellshop is such a wonderful and cozy story! It features Kiela, a librarian, and Caz, a sentient spider plant and Keila's best friend. They work at the Great Library of Alyssium until it is burned down during a revolution. Kiela and Caz save as many spellbooks as they can and flee to a tiny rural island where Kiela lived as a child. Forced to adapt to a rural lifestyle, Kiela and Caz learn new skills (including gardening and making jam), figure out how to make friends (difficult as Kiela has social anxiety), and discover how they can contribute to the overall wellbeing of their new community.
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Things I loved:
- Caz was hands down my favorite character. He's sarcastic and sassy, and his friendship with Kiela was adorable and heartwarming.
- Kiela's introversion and social anxiety were relatable, and I loved following along as she reconnected with the island community and become friends with her new neighbors.
- The romance subplot - this book is marketed as a romance, and it is, however I found the romance to be secondary and complimentary to the main plotline vs. being the main plotline, which I quite liked. The grumpy (FMC)/sunshine dynamic was well done, and their journey from neighbors to friends to romance was very sweet. (Note: for those who are curious, there is no spice.)
- The cozy feeling throughout this story - the author notes that she set out to make a story that reads like drinking hot chocolate, and she succeeded.
- The way this story explored community, starting over, learning new skills/self-discovery, and reexamining your assumptions.
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I didn't quite love:
- it did feel like the ending was rushed, with a higher stakes plotline suddenly emerging and then being solved in a very sshort amount of time. It felt a bit abrupt and like it wasn't allowed to breathe and develop naturally the way the rest of the story did.
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This was one of my favorite reads and I would highly recommend it to those looking for a cozy fantasy with relatively low stakes and a sweet romance. If you like slice-of-life or cute cottage-core stories, this would be a great book for you.
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I would not recommend this to anyone who is looking for a story with a ton of action or high-stakes. This is a very sweet book, so if you're in the mood for or prefer heavier fantasy books, this one probably isn't going to work for you.
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*Thank you to Netgalley and Bramble for the eARC, which was given in exchange for an honest review*

🎧 THE SPELLSHOP by Sarah Beth Durst
Genre: fantasy
3 stars

💭: i think if i read the physical i would’ve loved it so much, but the audio didn’t do it for me. It was the definition of a cozy cottagecore light fantasy read with magic and spells and woodland forests. Great vibes but not for me

I absolutely adored this cozy fantasy read. It's definitely a must-read for those who want to curl up on the couch for the night with a blanket, a cup of tea, and be transported into the wonderful world that Sarah Beth Durst has created. The characters are so much fun, and who would have thought I'd fall in love with a talking spider plant? But Caz is the best! I need a Caz in my life!

Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop is the perfect cozy romance pick me up to cure your summertime sadness!
Set in a magical world where only the elite are permitted to wield magic, The Spellshop is a heartwarming tale of social justice, found family, grief, and community. Durst delivers beautiful landscapes, colorful characters, and an emotional journey many will relate to. Reading this book felt like taking the first bite of a freshly baked cookie. It is warm, sweet, and leaves you wishing there were more.
The story follows a surly librarian named Kiela. When a revolution breaks out in the capital city of Alyssium, Kiela is forced to flee with a stockpile of forbidden magical tomes before she and the books burn in the chaos. Kiela and her library assistant, a talking, sentient plant named Caz find their way to Kiela’s remote childhood home on the remote island of Caltrey. There, she cleverly disguises the stolen texts in a seaside cottage left to her by her dearly departed parents.
Soon after arriving on Caltrey, Kiela realizes she’ll need to forge relationships with the islanders in order to survive. With little knowledge on how to live in a world outside of the library, she must rely on the kindness of her neighbors to survive and thrive on the island. All while hiding from the unrest in the capital. One of those neighbors is a handsome merhorse herder named Larran who has a tragic past of his own.
While Kiela may have escaped the death and destruction in the capital, it was only a matter of time before it would make its way to Caltrey and test the bonds of her new relationships and threaten the safety of the entire Island.
Hurst does a fantastic job of keeping heavy topics such as grief, loss, and social unrest relevant without bogging the reader down. The Spellshop is an enjoyable read that tugs just enough at your heartstrings while leaving you feeling fulfilled by the end. Kiela is such a relatable character for any introverted book nerd. You can’t help but root for her. When Kiela’s secret is threatened to be exposed she delivers one of my favorite quotes of the book: “Whoever cast this spell clearly cared more for what was right than what was the law.”
Another aspect of the book I thoroughly enjoyed was all of the personalities of the neighbors. While they have fur, antlers, blue skin, and even some with wings, they distinctly represent people we might find in our own neighborhoods. The elderly woman who knows everything there is to know about the town, the welcoming rebel who befriends you without asking, the grumpy old man who hates change and wants you to stay off their lawn, they’re all in this book.
If I could change anything about the book, I would have liked to see a bit more context for the revolution. The hoarding of resources is something I think we can all understand, but I think a little more background information on how the imperial family came into power, how the laws for the use of magic were written, and how the rebel cause came to power would have given the book more depth.
I would have also liked a little spice when it comes to Kiela and Larran’s love story. Maybe I’ve been reading too much smut, but the lack of spice was a tiny bit disappointing and made the ending seem rushed. Overall, I still find the emotional growth they share to redeem the lack of spice.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Spellshop! It’s the perfect book to take on a summer roadtrip, to sit by the pool or beach and soak up some sunshine, or anytime you need a literary hug. I think the book is great as a standalone, but I wouldn’t mind returning to Caltrey for more adventures with Kiela and Caz.

What a delightful, cozy little book. This was just a fun and sweet read from start to finish. Fantastic characters that had me rooting for them from the start and the perfect amount of conflict. If you are looking for oodles of angst this isn't the book for you but if you like your fantasy low stress and you enjoyed the House in the Cerulean Sea, you should definitely give it a read.

If you haven't read a cozy fantasy, this is a great one to start with. It gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling and I didn't want to put it down. Who knew I'd fall in love with a sentient spider plant (Caz often steals the show) and an island community of unique personalities? The magic, the hope, the connections, the friendships, the romance, and the growth. I loved it all!

This is the exact sort of cozy magical book that is perfect for autumn reading--full of sweet treats and positive vibes.

3.5 ⭐️

In The Great Library of Alyssium, Kiela has always preferred the company of books over people, making her role as a librarian a perfect match. But when a revolution disrupts her quiet existence, she must flee with her quirky sentient spider plant, Caz, and a handful of cherished books. Returning to her childhood island, Kiela discovers a landscape in decline, starved of the magic that once nourished it.

Determined to make a difference, she opens a spell shop, transforming from a reclusive, blue-skinned librarian into a beloved figure within her community. The whimsical world brims with diverse creatures—merhorses, flying cats, and adorable cloud-like bears—which adds an enchanting flair to Kiela’s journey.

While the cover is a visual delight, the pacing of the story leaned more toward slice-of-life than the cozy fantasy I typically enjoy. The stakes felt low, making it challenging to stay fully invested. However, Caz’s sassy antics were a saving grace, infusing humor into the narrative. Plus, the mouthwatering food descriptions—especially the cinnamon rolls—were a treat for the imagination.

Though it didn’t fully resonate with my reading preferences, this charming tale offers a warm, gentle escape for those who appreciate a slower-paced story. If you’re a fan of cozy worlds and character-driven narratives, Kiela’s adventure may just be the cozy escape you’ve been looking for.

This book was so good! I was sucked in immediately when I realized that Kiela was just as passionate about books as I am. A librarian who wants to spend all her time reading and researching is immediately a protagonist I want to succeed. From saving multiple crates of books from a revolutionary fire, to starting a new life on an island she half remembers, Kiela and Caz handle everything with so much energy it's great to see. I also loved the side characters, they all felt like they had their own lives to live and not like they were only there because of the story, but genuinely had things to do that just so happened to bring them in to the story. The pacing was also really enjoyable, and I finished this book so quickly because I wasn't able to put it down, that's how good it was! I want to know more about Kiela and Caz and Meep's lives on the island, how much better they've been able to make it with their "remedies" and what changes have been made now that the political situation has shifted. I also loved learning about the merhorses, and how they impact the health of the island. Honestly, all of the facts made my nerdy little heart so happy, mostly because I also just blurt out random facts when nervous. Not only do I want more, I want all my friends to read this so that we can all discuss our favorite bits.

This book had me at librarian and kept me engaged until the end. Kiela is quickly shown to be more than just a librarian lost in the stacks, although she doesn't seem to know it herself. Her desire to see see valuable knowledge saved and willingness to help others with that knowledge are what make her a compelling character. The community in which she finds herself is full of caring and close-knit, which makes it all the better to see Kiela earn their trust and connect with them. Fans of cozy fantasy and romance will not be disappointed. I would love to see this become a series as the world building and characters are grade A.