This is such a charming cozy romantasy with a sentient plant you will absolutely fall in love with!!!

The perfect cottagecore, slow-living, magical vibes. Perfect for the cozy reader, fantasy genre-related or otherwise. Sweet and fun with lovely atmosphere. Can't wait to recommend to all my friends and customers!

Here I sit in the dead heat of summer, wishing for a fall day to curl up with a cozy mystery with a nip of chill in the air.
Alas, we can't always get what we want.
While I appreciate the very Disney-esque imagery, it felt a little heavy handed on the romance. I didn't feel like there were enough tasks to settle into a repetition, the plot points of cozy fantasy that I enjoy the most.

The author said in her acknowledgements “I wanted to write a book that felt like a warm hug.” Well done! This is a beautiful cozy fantasy about found family and a magical island. I loved this book so much.

The Spellshop was the perfect combination of cozy, whimsical fantasy and wholesome romance. Kiela is living my dream - opening a jam shop on a small island with her best friend, a sentient plant, and running a secret spellshop on the side. I identified a lot with Kiela, as she’s very introverted and prefers the company of books and long bouts of comfortable silence. I absolutely loved the story Sarah wrote; everything stayed cozy but the plot had enough I was never bored. If I could go exist in this magical world featured in The Spellshop, I wouldn’t hesitate. This has been one of the best cozy fantasies I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bramble, and the author for sending me an early copy!

Sarah Beth Durst said in the afterword that she wanted to write ‘a warm hug of a book’ and she knocked it out of the park.

Librarian Kiela flees the Great Library of Alyssium with her assistant Caz (who is hilarious and unexpected) when revolutionaries take control of the city and set fire to the Library. (NGL, did not approve of this bit, but plot, so whaddya gonna do?) With crates of spellbooks she managed to save, she and Caz sail to the only place of safety she can think of – her childhood home.

This is absolutely lovely. It’s sweet without being twee, romantic without cloying. Cozy fantasy at its best! Halfway through reading this, I realized that it was now on my list of ‘books to read when things are not going well in my world and I need comfort’.

Recommended for everyone (some tweens would love this, I would think), go read it, you’ll love it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Dnf at 50%

I’ll start off this review by saying I’m a very big mood reader, so I think this may have just been right book wrong time and I may be revisiting this one someday. The writing was great and the characters had heart, it was just a little too slow paced for me at the moment. I would still highly recommend this to anyone who is looking a cozy fantasy set in a magical world that has a unique premise.

Thank you so much to the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cozy fantasy story at it's core. It will warm your heart, make you believe in love and magic. If you are. a cozy fantasy person you don't want to miss this. I loved the beginning, I felt completely entranced with the story, writing, world building and the characters. However, I think this is a me problem, I started to feel bored around 25 percent in. I just think that comes with cozy fantasy not being my favorite though I hoped that this would keep my attention. There is a fabulous talking plant who is our main characters companion, I loved him. The world itself is very fantastical and I didn't love that, which sounds odd but there are a lot of different creatures and people and for some reason that just lost me. Overall, I think if you like very fantastical stories and cozy fantasy you will enjoy this.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this novel; all opinions are my own.

DNF at 50% - the audiobook was great and well-narrated. I was just bored. Each new fantastical element added to the story only made me wonder what was going on. I didn't love our main character and I think this just wasn't for me.

This book is all vibes and not a lot of plot (which is 100% fine but just not what I was into at this time).

What a fun and entertaining way to do a cozy fantasy book.
In a time that cozy fantasy is pretty copy and paste this coming home/finding yourself story really stands out.
The world was full of vibrant characters and creatures, including the best character in my opinion, Caz, the slightly murderous talking house plant.
I found myself laughing out loud (that doesn't happen often for me with books) and really connecting with the characters who all felt familiar to me.
There were a few things this book could have really done without, like the full chapter of cleaning... but overall was such a good time.
The romance was sweet and just enough for a book like this (imo).

“I like to be alone…”
“You can be alone with me.”
🥲🥺🥹

🫐Well sugar, spice, and everything nice, this book was DARLING.
🍊We’re talking a pine cone (coven) society, sweet jam jars tied with fabric and ribbon, and a plant that is more alive than the one on your windowsill.
🍓 I loved Kiela’s personality, and the way she was honest about being a very set introvert while wanting to make a difference in a little community.
🍋Helping people and creatures alike through the magic of a jam shop was heartwarming, and this book left me with extra spoonfuls of joy.
🌵Meep (if you want to learn the cuteness behind that, please read the book)

I loved this one. I loved all the cozy fantasy/magical elements to it, especially all the fun creatures throughout the story! I also loved the author’s writing style which I can be picky about so that’s definitely a plus.

This is a very low-stake, charming and cozy book. The world building isn’t super elaborate but it is creative and engaging. Kiela is a bit of a lonely librarian whose people skills are not the best. She can be prickly not realizing she is being rude but overall her heart is kind. Her assistant, Caz is a sentient spider plant, and is able to smooth things a bit and is a perfect friend to Kiela. The residents of Caltrey, her hometown island, all have their unique personalities and add to the color of the town. Larran, Kiela’s neighbor and someone from her childhood, is a sweet, quiet presence that adds to the story. If you are interested in romance, it is here, but it is definitely slow burn and not the main focus of the story. If you are looking for a delightful, low angst story about a librarian fleeing back to her hometown and selling jam and low-key selling magical home remedies then this is for you. It’s all about quiet bravery. You can finish it in one sitting.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group|Bramble for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

This book was magic. Pure, simple, cozy vibes and fresh ripe raspberry magic. I love the characters in this book, from Caz to Larran to Eidith, and Meep. There wasn't a character in this book that I didn't want to introduce myself and make friends with. Even the secondary cast of beings was amazing. The tree guardians, the seahorses, mermaids, and the flying cats! Kiela is an amazing MC, she started out so timid and stuck in her comfort zone. As more fantastical things started to happen around her it was great to see her grow and become such an integral part of the island. I enjoyed the romance between her and Larran and how sweet and awkward it was, Caz's remarks on such were hilarious and i found myself giggling at the banter. I also loved that there was so much representation in this book, some kinda disguised and fantastical but it was there none the less. I love this idea that with the right mid set and a little magic anything can be accomplished. The determination, sense of community, and loyalty all made this such a cozy read. One that i will reread and keep on my shelf .

This was a cozy, quick, non-spicy romantic fantasy read. The characters are cute and sassy - love Caz and Meep, the sentient plants. The fantasy elements of weather magic are interesting - I think the cloud bears were my favorite. Light and fluffy but felt like there was more substance than any of the Legends and Lattes books, for sure.

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley! A cottagecore fantasy romance YES PLEASE. The Spellshop follows MMCS a librarian Kiela and a spiderplant Caz as they are running away from the city and the political unrest to her home on a small island. If you enjoy fantasy and are looking for a wholesome and magical story to be transported into, try this book!!

Years ago I read The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst and enjoyed it. I always meant to continue with the series, but I never did, and then I kind of forgot about it. But then I saw The Spellshop on Bookstagram and it sounded so sweet, and knowing I already liked some of the author’s other work, I decided it was a must-read for me.

And I’m so glad I gave it a shot! I honestly didn’t expect to love it. I love cozy things, and while I sometimes want a sweet, cozy story, they usually stay firmly in the “liked it” category. But this book was so good. It was well written, the atmosphere was lovely and vivid (a summery cottage-core island with gardens and cinnamon rolls and jam), the characters were sweet (as was the romance), there are awesome creatures (a sentient plant and merhorses and cloud bears 🥹), and it’s filled with magic and books.

If any of that sounds good to you I definitely recommend this one ☺️💛

Thank you to NetGalley and Bramble for the eARC of this book.

A charming and cozy romantasy! With cottages core vibes, magic, and a sassy, sentient plant sidekick— what's not to love?!

Sarah Beth Durst is both prolific and talented. Her mastery of story is further emphasized by this lyrical cozy adventure that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you want to dive into her whole backlist.

The Spellshop reads the way a sunbeam illuminates dust in the air on a sunny day.

Is it simple? Yes. Is it beautiful and mesmerizing and sweeps you out of your tangled thoughts for a moment suspended in sunlight? Absolutely.

Sarah Beth Durst has created a world of comfort and quiet peace between these covers. It is warm and luminous and will be perfect for anyone searching for the sweet and sweeping heartstring melodies of Howl's Moving Castle (Kaz gives such fun, joyful Calcifer vibes) or yearning to step into their soft cottagecore era. Durst's writing is gentle and bright and the plot progresses at a steady but forward-focused pace. There are hijinks and treats and recipes and spells interwoven into a story that had me grinning for pages on end. My soul felt happier after having read it.

Overall, this is a well-rounded and delightful romantasy debut that leaves me expecting more wonderful things from this author in the future.