The Spellshop

Oh my heart, this is the most adorable cozy fantasy! Such a delightful cottagecore story of love and found family and helping others.

Kiela is a librarian who has to flee the imperial city when a rebellion begins. Narrowly escaping from the burning stacks, she saves as many spell books as she can carry and sails to her home island where she hasn’t been for many years. Her trusty assistant, Can, a sentient spider plan, comes along for the ride as they settle into their new island life, determine how to make a home for themselves and help their new neighbors (including the attractive man next door) with “home remedies” which are definitely not spells because that would be highly illegal.

This was a light and fluffy cozy fantasy romcom. I absolutely adored Kiela and Caz’s adventures, as well as all the townsfolk and magical creatures.

Check this one out if you’re looking for:
✨ Cozy fantasy Hallmark romcom
✨ Spells and magical creatures
✨ Found family
✨ An incredibly relatable love of books
✨ Sentient plants and their antics

The narration is adorable and the narrator is so well cast. I loved how she brought the magic to life off the page, delivering me into the story.

Thank you to Maximillian Audio for my ALC!

I was so excited to get an audio copy of The Spellshop by sarahbethdurst from netgalley and macmillan.audio.

We start out The Spellshop with our FMC, Kiela, and her sentient spider plant friend, Caz, escaping the libraries as they are being burned to the ground. In this world magic is controlled so only those employed by the Emperor may use it, and the people are revolting.

They escape to the only place Kiela can think of to go, her remote childhood island, her parents cottage is still there. She arrives safely with her 5 crates of books and makes it to the cottage. Only to be awakened by her neighbor, and childhood friend.

We follow Kiela and Caz as they restore balance to the island, crush on her neighbor, make jam, and friends!

Perfect if you want a low key, cozy fantasy novel. The narrator was great for this story. Her voices for Caz 100% relayed the panic and anxiety, and just really kept my attention the whole story!

This is super adorable and has a great cast of characters that make up a found family. It reminds me of Legends and Lattes! I loved the narrator and the way that she differentiated the characters. It was very well done.

Macmillan Audio ARC, these are my own thoughts & opinions. Thank you for the advanced copy!

This was such a cute cozy fantasy read! I don't know why, but the entire time I read it I kept thinking about the Disney movie Luca. Same vibes maybe? If you're looking for a low stakes cozy fantasy read that will give you all the bubbly feelings, this one is for you! Bonus, the narrator did a phenomenal job and kept me entertained and hooked the whole time, which I ususally struggle with when listening to fantasy books.

DNF at around 15% in, I just couldn't really get into this. Not sure if it was just being an audiobook or not.

Thank you net galley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and absolutely loved the story. It is truly an adventure for book lovers & plant lovers alike!

I never thought I would love a sentient spiderplant... but here we are! Caz was such a cute co-star in the story. I can't wait to read more by this author!!

Is cozy cottagecore romantasy a thing? Because if so, this book embodies it! This story feels like a warm hug, smells like old books, and tastes like raspberry jam. (Not literally, but it does give all the cozy vibes!) I rated this 4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫. While I loved the journey we went on in this book, the ending and romance felt a little rushed and forced. But I think this book is absolutely worth reading if you want to read about a cute talking plant and small-town friendships with fantasy elements! 🪴 💚

Synopsis:
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

Thank you, @netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a free ALC copy in exchange for my honest review! (This narrator is so so good!) 🎧

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. All opinions are my own.

I have very little reading experience with cozy fantasies, but after reading this book, I’m going to have to read a lot more because I loved this book so much!

The Spellshop is such a sweet story with found family, a cute romance, and a sentient spider plant!

Unlike a lot of fantasy books, this story is a standalone and is very low stakes. It’s a relaxing read and has such lovable characters.

The found family aspect was so sweet because the town welcomes the main character into their community so quickly. They were protective and so helpful to her.

While the romance wasn’t the focus of the story, I still found it really cute and wholesome. The love interest was so sweet and was constantly doing things for the main character.

One of my favorite parts was Caz, the sentient spider plant. He was so funny and sarcastic. This was such a great addition to this story.

Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute cozy fantasy.

5⭐️s I loved this! Such a good, cozy fantasy. Wonderful narration by @caitlindaviesny. She never disappoints me with her narration. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst will be available July 9th on audible, kindle, and hardback with beautiful purple sprayed edges on Amazon. But always check with your local bookstores too. #supportsmallbusiness

Kiela is just a librarian surrounded by spell books at the Great Library of Alyssium. With the help of her assistant, Caz, they manage to save as many books as they can when the revolution brings a fire to the library. With no where else to go, they both set off to Kiela’s family cottage. What she finds when she returns home is a cottage in need of a lot of work, a town neglected, and a very handsome neighbor. With spell books hidden in the cottage, Kiela gets an idea. If she can manage some of the spells, she and Caz can help grow and fix the resources this island needs. The only problem is it’s very illegal. They create a plan for a jam shop that they can also sell plant remedies to help the town grow the resources they so desperately need. But, what will happen when a magical storm brings someone from the empire and questions are being asked.

Thanks so much to @netgalley, @macmillan.audio, and @sarahbethdurst for the advanced listener copy. #advancedlistenercopy #netgalley #cozyfantasy #sarahbethdurst #sprayededges #thespellshop

A librarian working for the Great Library Alyssium, Kaela is forced to flee when a revolution sets the city on fire. Fleeing with her sentient spider plant, Kaz, the two head to Kaela’s family home on the island. Taking with her as many spellbooks as she can save from the library, she vows to lay low. When she gets to know the town, however, she realizes how neglected by the capital the island is. Lacking magic and quickly deteriorating, villagers are struggling to survive on the land. Using magic that’s illegal outside of the library, Kaela uses her powers, spells, and potions to heal the island. Meanwhile, Larren, a local merhorse owner, finds out and decides to help her heal the town. As their love for each other grows, they can’t help but worry about what will happen if the emperor’s guards discover what they’re doing. Will the two heal the town? Will the two’s romance last?

Narrator, Caitlin Davis’ unique intonations bring life and humor to the characters. Her narrative pace is a little slow, but matches well with the author’s writing style. The plot is slow-paced and more character-driven, but is endearing. The characters are underdeveloped, but grow on the listener. The world building is thin, but believable. Readers who like Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, magic, fantasy, and romance will want to pick this one up. Recommended for libraries where cozy romantic fantasy novels are popular.

Please Note: A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are our own. No other compensation was received.

Delightfully cozy, fantastical, whimsy, and simply scrumptious! There is something so comforting and special about diving into cozy fantasy that just warms your soul and leaves a smile on your face. The Spellshop is a feast of the most gorgeous and whimsical imagery. Starting with the cover, which is one of the most stunning covers I’ve seen, to the vivid and lush descriptions of the inhabitants and landscape of this world, this story is an experience for all the senses and will have you craving adventure and a warm piece of bread slathered in jam.

The entire cast of characters were delightfully quirky and endearing and so very lovable - Caz wrapped his little spider plant tendrils around my heart and was my favorite character. I loved how the villagers rallied around each other, became a close knit family, and offered grace, support, and a safe haven for those in need.

Caitlin Davies is one of my favorite narrators and I love hearing her narration. She brings so much color, heart, and humor to her performances and I especially loved her voice for Caz.

My only critique is that the story is a smidge too long. Especially in the last portion of the book, the pacing slows down a bit and I think some of it could have been cut down.

If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy that will fill your heart with warm fuzzies, has a beautiful found family, and will transport you to the most gorgeous realm with fantastical creatures like talking plants, merhorses, and cloud bears, I highly recommend this delightful tale!

A comforting and a cozy fantasy, full of kindness, friendship, small town charm, and dizzying amounts of jam. Kiela, an empire librarian, escapes on the eve of rebellion with crates of stolen spell books to keep them safe. She returns to the island she was born on, hoping for quiet and secrecy. Instead, she finds a town who wants to befriend her, a neighbor who might be more, and a home.

This cottagecore fantasy was a delight to listen to and enjoyable to follow along. I think we could have tightened up the pacing jsut a hair, but overall, a stunning read.

What a lovely, whimsical, and enchanting little story. This gave me all the comfort and cozy vibes. Perfect to enjoy im your coziest reading setup. You will not be disappointed after reading this warm story full of found family and funny side characters. Thank you so much for this ARC opportunity, I love audiobooks and this was an enjoyable experience.

I thought this was a very cute, cozy and entertaining audiobook. A mix of two books that I have enjoyed: Legends and Lattes and A Very Secret Society for Irregular Witches. Loved the found family aspects. The plant Caz and Meep the cactus were adorable side characters. I would have preferred more romance in the story, there was some but felt like such a little part of the book. The pacing was slow and felt bored at some parts but it was easy to get back into. Would recommend! I wrote a Bookstagram review for it which is linked below.

Thank you to the publisher for my ALC! All thoughts are my own.

Delightful, whimsical, enchanting, and just plain fun! I truly enjoyed this escape as well as the memorable characters and setting. The narrator was great and I loved how each character was portrayed. The audio was of good quality and I never had any issues.

This was such a lovely feel-good story. Kiela the librarian and her assistant, Caz the sentient spider plant, are on the run after a revolution destroys the library. She and Caz save as many books as they can carry and flee to the faraway island. What follows is a cozy tale of Kiela, who is introverted, socially awkward, and book-loving, starting life over again and building community. The book starts slow and it took me a while to be hooked: it's a lightweight immersive fantasy that doesn't have much action. There are a lot of fun magical creatures, some magic, and of course a romance. This book will be a good choice for readers looking for a cozy heartwarming story with a cottage-core setting.

My new go-to comfort book. I immediately wanted to re-read as soon as I finished, and will be recommending to pretty much everyone I know.
The characters are so lovely, the setting feels cozy and comforting, and the magic/spell system is fun and interesting (perhaps even more so when it goes wrong). The writing is wonderful and just feels like coming home.

The audiobook narrator is one of my favorites, and was a perfect fit for this book. Voices were clear and distinguishable, pacing and expression were great, and overall performance worked so well with the book it was easy to listen and just soak up the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

A delightful story about a woman building a life for herself and supporting her community through her love of books. This is definitely the sort of cozy fantasy that I enjoy: a little bit of romance, a cozy cottage on an island that I would love to visit, and a main character who seeks a home.

I found Kiela, Caz, and the rest of the supporting cast to be endearing and interesting. I enjoyed the audiobook version that was narrated by Caitlin Davies, who is fantastic at injecting life into all of the character voices. I tend to listen to books at 1.5x speed, but her voice was clear and I was able to keep up with the pace I set it at.

I think this story suits readers of most ages if they are in the mood for something light and cute set in a jam shop in the woods. I could see preteens and parents listening to this audiobook during a long car ride and all getting a kick out of it much as they would an animated film. I mean that in a good way -- sometimes it is nice to enjoy a story where here is no spice and there are cute talking spider-plants. I rather wish it was an animated movie, as that is how it played out in my mind as I listened to it.

Although it was a nice world to visit, it isn't a place I'm going to miss once the story is over. I liked the visit, but a lot of elements were on the surface and didn't go deeper than necessary. Kiela, for example, is blue with blue hair, but we don't know if that is the norm in their world or not as there are many characters with different features (multiple arms, animal features, etc) but all of it seems rather normal. There are world-building elements, such as the political unrest in the empire, but doesn't have a direct impact on the village more than the narrative tension, so the details stay fuzzy. It's definitely for readers who aren't in the mood to sweat the small stuff.

I adore this book. Like there aren't enough words to describe my adoration. The entirety of my listening was like being embraced in the warmest, coziest, most magical hug. I expected to like it because I generally like magic-lite romances, but it's actually going to be one of my 2024 faves.

Obviously it's all about the characters. Kiela is a delightfull, socially awkward introvert. Lauren (I have no idea if this is the spelling of his name) was the kindest, most thoughtful neighbor crush someone could ask for. And Kaz and Meep are the sentient plants that need to do crossovers in every book I read going forward. The found family plot was also really lovely.

Caitlin Davies was divine in her narration. She seems to have found her niche with these kind of romance fantasy books and is always a delight.

Also I love the cover of this book. The strong cottagecore vibes! I'd do a diamond painting or paint by number of this image.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
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The Spellshop was a cute cozy fantasy. This was a first for me and it was not necessarily a favorite of mine but I also didn’t dislike it either.
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The beginning of the story is extra slow, and it really takes a while for anything to start happening. I mean if I am being honest, not too much really happens that is worth mentioning. I did love the descriptions of the cottage and all of the elements of the shop and even how Kelia created her own kind of magic. Pacing wise this is a slow burn throughout.
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The characters are okay, Kelia could be a smidge annoying at times. And Caz reminded me of T. J. Klune characters, but he was pretty endearing. I did enjoy the romance aspect. I kinda felt that it was super predictable overall as to what was going to happen. I still enjoyed this one though.
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This was not a hit or miss for me, this one was cute, but nothing standout. Will I remember this in a month? Probably not, but I will remember Caz, that is for sure.
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I listened to this one via audiobook and it was narrated by Caitlin Davies. I loved listening to this one. If you decide to pick this one up - I definitely recommend the audiobook.
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Overall, I have seen some super rave reviews for this one. I am pretty much in the minority with this review, so take it with a grain of salt. The Spellshop will be releasing on 7/9. Be sure to check it out. Huge thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Beth Durst and MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.