I wanted to love it, but it did not work for me. The cover is gorgeous, and the narration was excellent. All the different creatures ang magic were interesting but I was bored a lot with this. It felt very young and repetitive. I wanted more romance, and it just wasn’t there.

The cover caught my attention and I went ahead and took a gamble on this after reading the blurb.
Cozy fantasy isn’t for me. I’m glad I read this one but it’s not one that I would like to reread. I prefer reads that have more action and a much quicker pace so this is why the book didn’t work for me. The narrator,
Caitlin Davies did a great job portraying all of the characters. I really enjoyed the island and it seemed so dang dreamy.
If you love cozy fantasy with a dash of romance and a lovable character named Caz, then this book is for you.

I've always enjoyed Sarah Beth Durst's stories and this was no exception. This whimsical cozy fantasy was so adorable. I loved the atmosphere and the cottagecore vibes. The sentient plant friends and the fantastical creatures were so charming. Loved the awkward book nerd fmc and the cinnamon roll hero. The audio narration was great. The cover is so beautiful. About the only thing that kept this from being a 5 star was the fact our fmc could be unintenionally rude sometimes so I didn't feel the chemistry between her and the hero super strongly. Overall though this was so cute and I loved the story.

Love this spellbinding piece of work!! I was totally invested as soon as the author described her main character and her relationship with books and her need to protect them! I love her journey back to where she grew up and developing new relationships! Will definitely be recommending it to friends!

𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙟𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚.

When I saw that Sarah Beth Durst was making her romantasy debut, I knew I wanted to give it a go. My kids have loved her middle grade books, and I thought this would be the perfect way for me to introduce myself to her work.

After Keila makes a daring escape from the burning library she calls home (during a rebellion, no less) she takes as many spellbooks as she and her best friend, Caz (a sentient spider plant) can carry, and make the journey to the island where she grew up.

I’m going to be honest. I WANT to love cozy fantasy, but more often than not I just find myself underwhelmed. But, finally! Not this time! It took a minute for me to really get invested in these characters, but just around 20% it happened, and I loved all the whimsical, cozy, cottage core, small island community vibes. 🥰

I loved how introverted Keila was so awkward while meeting so many new people on the island, especially after all that time secluded in the library.

The romance was definitely slow burn, and I would say that it did feel more like a side plot than the main focus of the story, but Larren was very cute and devoted to Keila, and I loved watching her open up to him more and more as the story progressed.

The town friendships were also a great highlight to the story, and Caz will definitely be a favorite of many readers. I also really enjoyed the conflict of the story; it was just high stakes enough to keep it exciting, but not so high it took away from the cozy vibes.

Audiobook notes: The narrator was wonderful, and really did a great job bringing the whimsy off the page.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for providing me an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fantastic read! I loved reading about this librarian who all she really wanted was to protect the books, and the circumstances that came up in her way to keep her from doing that. It was such a delight to read!

The laws about magic, and spellbooks, in this magical world, oh, man, I just wanted to shake those with power, because they didn't care about everyone else, no matter how affected these other people are if they aren't allowed to do small magics like they used to, and you're not sending out magicians to maintain the various magics that keep the island going. Bah!

Kiela is not a people person, she'd rather have her nose in a book. But when the revolution happened, well, going to the island where she was born, which was small and not well known, seemed like a good place to ride out the upheaval.

This cast of characters was so great, and watching Kiela find her place there, and all the various schinangans that happened, to keep the books safe, to make a home there, yeah, it was all so much fun to read! I loved how it ended, that was a good place for the future to go from here!

Love dreading this book and I can't wait to read more by Sarah Beth Durst!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

This is the exact perfect book that I needed right now. A low stakes cozy book without dead bodies. Its a delightful experience and I hope beyond all hope that it is going to be a series. Or at least have other books set in the same world. A true gem of a book that warms your heart without causing your anxiety to spike. I adore it.

"The Spellshop" is a cozy fantasy story set on a small island where everyone looks out for each other. Our main character Kiela arrives at this place, escaping the rebellion in the big city and looking for a refuge for herself, her books, and her pet plant. But she didn't expect to fall in love with this beautiful community and her sweet neighbor who keeps showing up for her.

This one was a warm hug from the very beginning. Kiela and Caz stole my heart from the moment I met them. I was very surprised to find the extent of this fantastic world, but there are mermaids, centaurs, winged cats, talking plants, merhorses, magical storms, forest spirits in the form of bears. I loved this book so much I want to reread it right now.

The romance was very sweet. Lauren is a cinnamon roll, and him with Kiela just made a lot of sense.

This book is the definition of wholesome. If you love:

- found family
- Introvert (white cat) x extrovert (golden retriever)
- Cozy fantasy but with a little bit of high stakes
- A lot of magical creatures
- A lot of spells
- Plants that will steal your heart

You need to check out this book.

I am so the ideal audience for this concept, but the execution was not for me. This felt like someone read Sorcery of Thorns or Emily Wilde and cranked it up to 15, but not in a good way. Kiela feels more like an exaggeration than a real character - every other sentence referenced back to the library. It was her only personality trait, and it started to feel sugary sweet and cheap.
Cozy romantasy is great - please keep signing it! But a little more meat on the bone would be great. Something can be sweet and still have substance.

PS: I love this narrator - Caitlin Davies is fantastic, and I've enjoyed her character work in so many other books. Please keep using her!

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst had me turning pages like a magical bookmark! The whimsical story with its stolen spellbooks, talking plants, and blue heroine felt very reminiscent of T. Kingfisher's delightful works.

However, Kiela, the heroine, was a bit of a hurdle. While I appreciate a protagonist who struggles socially and isn't afraid to be blunt, there were times her abrasiveness veered into almost cruel territory. It made it a little hard to fully root for her at times.

Despite the prickly protagonist, the story itself is charming. The romance is sweet, the island setting idyllic, and the touch of danger with the secret spellshop adds a dash of intrigue. Overall, The Spellshop gets four out of five stars. It's a perfect escape for fans of cozy fantasy with a touch of bite.

4.5

This was every single thing I wanted from the cover and summary. Wow! I had so much fun in this cozy world. I felt like we had just enough stakes to keep me invested and engaged as reader, but also everything was calm enough to give me every single cozy fantasy vibe i wanted.

Thank you, NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced audiobook. This was a sweet fantasy debut about a librarian, Kiela, and her adorable sentient spider plant, Caz, who steal/rescue spell books and hide in the woods in a run-down little cottage. Kiela tries to start over in her childhood home as a normal jam maker, but as she meets her handsome neighbor and the mystical creatures in the area, she realizes she needs to use the spells in the books to save magic while trying to stay hidden from the empire. This was an adorable story with magical creatures and a cute love story that shows you need to believe in yourself. I really enjoyed the audio version with the narrators.

I loves this book, the characters were facinating,and you get pulled into a cozy world that has political intrigue in a parish land. I loved how the main character really had so much growth that felt like it made sense and wasn't just because

"The Spellshop" enchanted me right from the start and earned the distinction of being my first 5-star read of 2024!! Let's GOOOOO!
From its gorgeous cover art, to the captivating premise, through it's varied and vibrant characters, this novel weaves a spellbinding tale that lingers long after the final page.

The protagonist, Keila, is a devoted librarian with a passion for books and knowledge. Keila, literally waits until the library is burning around her, and there is fighting in the building before she escapes. (She wanted to believe the revolutionaries wouldn’t want to destroy books, WHO would dare!?) Her decision to rescue forbidden books on magic, accompanied by her sentient spider-plant sidekick, Caz, sets the stage for a discovery-filled journey.

One of the most striking aspects of the story is Keila's unwavering dedication to preserving knowledge, which sets a poignant backdrop for her eventual escape to her childhood island home. Her goal was to hide the books until they could be returned. She saw herself as a guardian and caretaker of the books...But... here, against the backdrop of her parents' abandoned cottage by the sea, Keila embarks on a transformative journey fueled by her decision to use forbidden spells and the desire to heal neglected lands.

The narrative unfolds with a seamless blend of magic and realism, as Keila uses spells like rapid growth to have the resources needed to establish a jam shop, gradually justifying more extensive magic to rejuvenate the island. Along the way, she forms deep connections with friends and kindles a romance that adds warmth to the story without overpowering it.

While "The Spellshop" isn't primarily a romance, its cozy romantic subplot adds depth to Keila's personal growth and the overall narrative. The story maintains momentum with well-balanced stakes and a compelling drive that propels Keila forward in her quest for self-discovery and empowerment.

The world-building in "The Spellshop" is nothing short of exceptional, rich with vivid descriptions that bring to life a diverse array of characters and magical creatures. From cloud bears to merhorses, each element adds to the story's enchanting allure and expands your imagination.

"The Spellshop" is a delightful blend of fantasy, adventure, and personal growth. With its endearing characters, imaginative world-building, and a narrative that seamlessly balances magic with real-world challenges, this novel captivates from beginning to end. Highly recommended for readers seeking a magical escape filled with warmth, creativity, and a touch of romance.

And Lastly, I must thank Net Galley, MacMillan Publishing, and Sarah Beth Durst for the pleasure of allowing me to preview this book!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher and an ARC of this audiobook.

This was the perfect "if you liked Legends and Lattes you'll like" book.

Keila is an anti-social librarian caught amid a political rebellion about ready to destroy the library she works at. With the help of her sentient spider plant Caz, the two save several crates full of spellbooks and escape the city. She returns to her childhood home on a remote island where Kiela thinks she can survive on her own. However, Keila is pretty helpless and begins a plan to barter jelly and spellwork, or "remedies", in exchange for her needs.

This is the perfect cozy fantasy. It has low stacks, light romance, found family, some action in the climax, and lovable side characters. A couple of critiques would be I wish we had a little time with Keila as a librarian before the conflict. The book starts right in the action of her escape, but I think I would have liked more information about her life before beyond what we were given in flashbacks. For a brief minute, there was a love triangle thing going on and I didn't need that. Besides that, I adored it.

The Spellshop is an absolute cozy delight. In a true testament to Durst’s writing, she was able to craft an engaging character in the form of a spider plant as well as an adorable Groot-esque cactus. Don’t get me wrong, almost the entire cast of characters are wonderful, but there’s something about those two that’s just pure perfection. I also really appreciated Durst’s world building and magical system. Additionally, get yourself a partner who will build you bookshelves to store you allegedly stolen spell books. For being a cozy read, I felt that there was plenty of action mixed in to keep the plot moving forward and avoid slowing down too much. I read this via ebook and audiobook. While the ebook is great, the audiobook is phenomenal. Caitlin Davies was superb at evoking peak cozy cottagecore vibes making the story a full experience. I highly recommend adding this to your TBR pile because it’s sheer binge worthy delight.

Cozy Fantasy • Cottagecore • Romance
Low Stakes • Spells • Magical Creatures
🎧 ALC • Pub Date 9 July 2024

Thank you @macmillan.audio for complimentary early access to this ALC!

Needing to slow things down? If you’re craving a change of pace, here’s a #cottagecore read full of raspberry jams, blueberry 🫐 preserves, cute sentient plants 🪴 and other magical creatures 🪸🐚 🌊, with a cozy romance subplot to boot 💘

Kiela is an introverted former librarian turned refugee. She flees the big city for small town island life after her library burns to the ground under suspicious circumstances. Escaping with only a crate full of now stolen spell books and her sentient spider plant Kaz, Kiela must keep her true identity and former life a secret while she attempts to start over from scratch.

The only problem? Kiela has no marketable skills. Which makes it very tempting to just peek into some of those spell books...surely one or two small enchantments would not hurt to help Kiela bootstrap herself off the ground. She finds herself opening an apothecary selling jams, preserves, and other herbal remedies... Enter Larran, friendly neighbor and handyman extraordinaire. Sparks may fly, hallmark style, but what will happen when Kiela’s past catches up to her?

The first third is slower paced than I usually prefer, but it does pick up in the second half. However at its heart this is a low stakes cutesy cottage core fantasy featuring small town, nosy neighbors, and the boy-next-door. Perfect for fans of Legends and Lattes, Bookshops and Bonedust and Can’t Spell Treason without Tea.

Actual Rating 2.5

Kiela was comfortable with her relatively solitary life as a librarian in the capital city, but when rebels unexpectedly set fire to the city threatening the library, she finds herself fleeing with as many book as she can. She flees with her companion, a talking plant named Caz, to a small island where she was born. Once there, she does her best to fit in with the locals while trying not to get caught using magic as it’s against imperial law. But magic is unbalanced on the island, and Kiela soon realizes she may be the only one who can help. Will she be able to make a new life for herself and save the island?

This was an easy read that didn’t require any real focus to enjoy. I enjoyed some of the elements of the magic though it wasn’t ever really explored in much detail, and the island setting was described relatively well. It’s also very light with a happy ending and some cute secondary characters, so it could make for a good comfort read if you’re looking for something along those lines.

However, it took over 50% of the book for any real conflict or forward motion to happen, which made the first 50% begin to feel repetitive, especially when it came to the protagonist’s internal dialogue. She just worried about the same things over and over with no new information or action taken to the point where it became frustrating. I also felt like nothing in this book ever went beyond surface level until much nearer the end of the book, and even then it didn’t go much deeper. This made it difficult to really become attached to the characters or any aspect of the book. Despite being in Kiela's head, I felt like we learned almost nothing about her as a character aside from the two or three character traits she was assigned.

There was also essentially no real worldbuilding included beyond what was needed to barely keep the plot supported. The author also used words that don’t have a fantasy feel (e.g., police), which was an oversight and detracted from the fantasy vibes.

I have minimal experience with cozy reads, so it’s possible that my dislikes here have more to do with the genre in general than this specific work (I’ll have to ask Srivalli!). If you like cozy reads, light fantasy, and cottage core aesthetics, you might love this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work, which will be published July 9, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a lovely cozy fantasy romance with strong cottagecore vibes! The stakes are a bit higher than some other popular cozy fantasies, but it didn't feel too stressful to bring the reader out of that cozy feeling. Also, the author had me at "sentient spider plant."

This is an absolutely ADORABLE, cozy read that I was immediately obsessed with. The narration is fantastic and provides emotion, enthusiasm and unique voices to go with all the unique characters within this story.

“ 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.”

I love a library, I love plants, I love cozy forests and unique and fantastical characters and I LOVE a handyman neighbor (Luke Danes anyone?). This was an absolutely magical read and on audio it was even better, I felt like I was being carried off by Merhorses to listen to a fairytale and I was totally mystified by Sarah’s writing.

This was a perfect blend of cozy and high stakes but most importantly had interesting and unique characters that you cared for and wanted to have in your own life. Truly a mesmerizing read.