That is just one of those books that just makes you smile. I love the characters. Everyone needs a friend like Caz! If you love cozy romantasy with a side of laughter, you should read this book. This has been one of my favorite cozy reads!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)

Listening to The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst as an audiobook was a delightful experience. Caitlin Davies' narration really brought the story to life, making it easy to get immersed in the cozy fantasy world.

Plot and Characters:
The story begins with Kiela, a shy librarian, escaping a burning library during a rebellion. She ends up on her childhood island with crates of valuable spellbooks and her unique assistant, Caz, who is a sentient spider plant. The island, which has seen better days, becomes the perfect place for Kiela to rebuild her life and form new connections.

Kiela is a wonderfully relatable character, especially for anyone who loves books and sometimes prefers solitude. Her transformation from a solitary librarian to an active member of the island community is heartwarming. The developing romance between Kiela and her neighbor, Larran, is sweet and adds a nice touch to the story without taking over.

Caz, the talking spider plant, adds a lot of humor and charm to the story. His quirky personality and the diverse cast of magical creatures and townspeople make the island feel vibrant and alive.

World Building:
The world-building is engaging but could use a bit more detail. The magic system, in particular, felt somewhat vague at times. Additionally, the political backdrop of the rebellion could have been explored more to add depth to the story.

Imagery and Descriptions:
Durst does a great job of creating cozy, inviting scenes. However, some descriptions felt sparse, making it a bit challenging to visualize certain characters and settings. For example, Larran, the love interest, is described in general terms, leaving his appearance somewhat open to interpretation.

Ending:
The ending felt a bit drawn out, with several conflicts arising and being resolved quickly. This made the final chapters feel slightly rushed and repetitive. Despite this, the overall conclusion was satisfying and left a warm feeling.

Final Thoughts:
The Spellshop is a charming and cozy fantasy that is perfect for those looking for a feel-good read. The audiobook enhances the experience, making it easy to get lost in Kiela’s world. While it has its imperfections, the lovable characters, sweet romance, and magical elements make it a book worth reading. If you enjoyed Legends & Lattes, you’ll likely find The Spellshop a delightful addition to your reading list.

Thank you NetGalley and author for allowing me an ARC audiobook for The Spellshop.

This was such a cozy read and had lots of sweet found-family moments/ loveable characters (meep!!) The world building and imagery was so cozy and imaginative!

This book had stakes while still remaining cozy, which is a five stars in my book.

AND THAT COVER!!! It is GORGEOUS!!!!!!

This book was absolutely perfect. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life and the voices are the best. I imagine listening is an even better experience than if I had read it on my own in my head. The story is charming - the main character does have some problems to fix but ultimately very low stakes. I want a Caz of my own as a friend. The idea of an alive, talking spider plant is a great friend. I already bought a physical copy of the book before I even finished it because I knew I would want to read it again. Thanks so much!

4.5 Stars.

A cozy story of a introverted librarian who learns the value of good friends and community. Kiela and her sentient spider plant, Caz escape the revolution and go back to her homeland, an island cut off from the rest of the world with many of the spellbooks stolen from the Library. Larren, the friendly neighbor is kind and thoughtful, and the sweetest cinnamon roll character and I’m a little in love with him. a bit. He builds bookshelves and keeps merhorses <3

This story was one of the few cozy fantasy stories I actually enjoyed. Normally I need more plot than some cozy stories have offered and this one had enough to make it enjoyable. The romance was slow burn and the characters were sweet.

A few negatives: Kiela was a little too introverted in the beginning and I thought I wasn’t going to like her but I warmed up to her pretty quickly after she decided to open the shop. Also, the story seemed a little too long for my personal tastes, Like maybe one less story beat would have made it better?

This was a wonderful, cozy fantasy! The Spellshop has a delightful cast of characters starting with Kiela, a spellbook librarian who has fled her position as a librarian in the city of Elysium with crates of precious spellbooks and arrives at her childhood home on an idyllic island. On the island, she slowly bonds with the locals and dabbles in spellwork to help various people and creatures. She has a talking plant sidekick and finds a heart-warming found family by the end of the book. Her romance with her neighbor on the island was so charming and sweet. This book wasn't heavy on the romance, but we still get enough moments of connection that I was fully convinced of their feelings for each other. There was just enough plot with an overthrown dynasty and a mysterious visitor to the island to drive the story without it feeling too high stakes for a cozy fantasy.

The audiobook narration was fantastic! The narrator wasn't simply reading the words; she added all the right emotions and brought the story to life. Each character had their own voice so the world felt very fleshed out. I will definitely be seeking out more by this narrator.

Overall, a charming read perfect for those seeking some cottagecore cozy escapism!

Such a phenomenal cozy fantasy! I loved following our lovely heroine, especially with her love of books.

A librarian with books she saved when her library burned down seeks refuge in her hometown. While her parents left the island because they wanted the hustle and bustle of the big city, she instead finds solace in small town life alongside her charming assistant Caz.

The conflict comes from the fact that the rescued books are spell books, which are illegal to use by all but approved sorcerers. When others from the city start showing up, Kiela may be forced to choose between her happiness and the safety of her newfound community.

I loved the cozy atmosphere built by the author and the amazingly diverse cast of characters. There are merpeople, tree spirits, and talking plants (my favorite). The found family and cozy community were completely heartwarming and reminiscent of my own experiences with small town life.

The narration of the audiobook was perfect! It was such a wonderful listen with emotions - particularly Kiela’s anxiety - expressed so realistically. It really brings you into the story as the listener.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to and review this title.

My heart is so happy.

The Spellshop is exactly the fun, magical book I needed.

It’s also beautiful and sweet, full of memorable characters, a vivid setting, and so much love.

The audiobook production is excellent. Caitlin Davies brought me right into the story and my attention never wavered.

This is the perfect feel-good fantasy that will make you believe in magic!

I never expected to fall in love with a sentient spider plant, but here we are.

I am so glad I gave this audiobook a shot. This book could easily be one of my favourites for the year. The VA is perfect for the FMC, and I truly enjoyed listening to this book! I wasn’t even halfway through before giving this five stars.

Cottagecore
Slow burn romance
Quirky plants, and animals
Spells, and witchiness

Just overall a lot of fun, and very cute.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is a sweet slow burn cozy fantasy.
We start off with a fire and revolution and our main character Kiela needs to escape with her trusty assistant Caz, a spider plant who is terrified of goats.
Kiela makes it back to her home island that she hasn’t been to since a kid. The island needs help and Kiela and Caz are ready to help with jam and “remedies.”
The island is super cute and whimsical with all the townspeople and magical creatures who live there.
If you are a fan of Legends and Lattes and other similar cozy fantasy then you will enjoy this.

"The Spellshop" is the perfect cozy fantasy, full of magic, friendship, and a touch of romance. I knew within 5 minutes of starting the audiobook I was going to love it!

We follow Kila, a librarian in the city of Elysium, and her sentient spider plant Kaz as they flee from a fire in the library caused by a rebellion. They take as many spell books as they can in their little boat and end up in Kila's home town, Caltrey. Kila and Kaz aim to lie low, but when it turns out the island has been suffering under the neglect of the empire, it's up to them to fix the town with their magic as indiscreetly as possible.

The audiobook narrator for this book was wonderful! As previously mentioned, I was hooked immediately. I loved the differences the audiobook narrator was able to produce to create different character voices. Her voice also drew me into the story. It's possibly the best audiobook I've ever listened to.

The story had me wanting to listen to more even when I had to turn the audiobook off. I loved the cozy, small town vibes, the cute budding romance, and the bits of magic interspersed throughout the story. The characters were wonderful, and I love the found family aspect to the story. I also loved learning about the magic and seeing what spell Kila and Kaz would try next. I truly think this is a contender for favorite book of the year!

If you like the cozy fantasy genre this book is for you! I think you'd like this if you enjoyed "Legends and Latte's" or "Can't Spell Treason Without Tea". While it's marketed as adult, I think it would be great for teens as well.

5/5 stars-would give it more if I could!!!

Thank you so much the Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced listener's copy in exchange for an honest review.

📖 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐭
🎧 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐬

Ohmylanta! This is the most magical and vividly captivating story I’ve read in a long time! The audiobook is quite literally the epitome of whimsical. 𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐬 hit this one out of the park!

If you are a fan of worlds created by Hayao Miyazaki you need to add this to your summer tbr. It reminded me so much of Kiki’s delivery Service and I freaking loved it.

The story follow Kiela, a librarian and her trusty sidekick, Caz, a sentient spider plant. They have fled the capital with illegal books in order to protect them from the political upheaval taking place. They end up in Kiela’s childhood town and have to figure out how to make a life for themselves while also protecting the books.

The town, and all the townspeople were such a great addition to this story. I loved them all so much. There were so many unique species of individuals. Larren, was so unbelievably head over heels in love with Kiela right from the get go.

Caz, was literally the highlight of this story! His character brings both comedy and wisdom to the book.

If you love fantasy stories that are vividly captivating, low in drama and have a dash of love, add 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 to your TBR today!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 releases on July 9th. I could listen to this audiobook on repeat so I can definitely recommend consuming this amazing story via the audiobook produced by 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
✨ 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤
🦄 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴
🪴 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘧𝘺 𝘚𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴
☕️ 𝘊𝘰𝘻𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺
📖 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧
🏝️ 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘰𝘸𝘯
♥️ 𝘓𝘰𝘸 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢

I adored this book! It's the perfect mix of cozy and fantasy. Engaging plot and characters. A slow burn romance mixed in, and it's all around perfect.

The Spellshop is a cozy fantasy following Kiela and her sentient plant assistant after they escape a fire in the Great Library of Alyssium. This story is filled with low stakes conflict, magical creatures, and colorful imagery. I would absolutely love to see The Spellshop come to life in a video game, graphic novel, or television series to see these characters in Art form.

I enjoyed the narration by Caitlin Davies.

I received an ALC from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up reading it as I wasn't really feeling the narration. In my head, the voice didn't really match. Not saying I don't recommend the audiobook. It is good, it just wasn't for me.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is a cozy light read that’s sure to delight those who enjoy the romantasy genre.

The story starts out with a vague escape from a burning library, a return to a small island town, and a slow-burn romance between Kiela, who is awkward and anxious, and a slightly less awkward Larran.

The pace picks up about halfway through the book with more use of magic and the introduction of new characters and dilemmas.

While The Spellshop is not revolutionary or particularly thought provoking, it is certainly wholesome and readers will be enchanted by Caz the spider plant, mermaids, merhorses, and forest spirits.

3.5 / 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree! Librarian Kiela and her BFF sentient spider-plant Caz (who is the bomb) must leave the Great Library of Alysslum with several crates of magic books she must protect as revolution takes place. She escapes to her childhood home on a remote island who happened to be in need of magic and there she finds friendship and possibly love. This was so cute and such a feel good story. The narration was wonderful and the characters so whimsical.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Beth Durst for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5
This was one of my most pleasant surprises of the year, and perhaps what finally sold me onto cosy fantasy. THE SPELLSHOP is a perfect cottagecore cosy fantasy with just a smidge of cozy academia (if, indeed, one might call half feral librarians surrounding themselves by crates full of books that mean the world to them that), and a dash of romance and found family thrown in for good measure.
While the "cozy" bit may be subjective, I think that between the bookishness, literal cliffside cottage on a small island, magical garden, bakery and jam business, this covered most bases for me. There is so much whimsy imbued into every little element of this world, and the setting comes alive in vivid detail, making you wistful and longing to be transported there along our characters. Between tree spirit guardians, merhorses, sentient plants and flying cats, every little rascal in this story will steal your heart before we even come to discuss our characters!
I found the narrative of Kiela opening herself up to the world to be both true to life, and incredibly compelling, so gentle and willing to be offered the time and space it deserves to be done justice. In many ways, we don't only see Kiela negotiate the limits of her new life, but create a new version of herself in the process. In the same way as she breathes life into the world around her, she breathes new life into herself too.
This also had just enough stakes and a driving force once one got settled into the world to drive the story forward, so it didn't only feel cozy for coziness' sake, and ultimately the action really helped carry the core message of the story, and offer some nice cyclicity to it all as Kiala is no longer the newcomer, but one of the locals helping others make a home.
This was a delight.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

Oh my goodness what a cute and sweet book that just gives you the warm and fuzzies the entire time! It did start out a bit slow to me, but once I found myself attached to Kiela and Caz. I was absolutely hooked!

I love the coziness of this book and the way that it is perfectly balanced with some action. I had been worried that there wouldn't be enough action, but by the end, I was ready for everyone to go to their cozy homes and have some bread and jam. The setting is so whimsical and everything about it just has a magical light to it.

The romance is very sweet, especially with how awkward they both are. Then their backstories made everything feel that much more real and big for them, and I loved watching Kiela grow and understand what she wants in the world. She is so sweet and brave, and I loved learning about her as a character.

If you need a cozy feel good fantasy, look no further! This is going to be the book of the year!

Sarah Beth Durst created a cozy fantasy tale about all the sweet things. The “good kind of aches” after a day of honest work, the pride of seeing your beginnings blossom, small-town relationships, and .. well, jam! But most importantly, she highlighted the undying beauty of nature and the importance of caring for it all.

Every book lover will relate to “The Spellshop”. It’s simply impossible not to. I absolutely adored the main character’s relationship with books. I’m sure a lot of readers will feel the same way. To Keila (our main character) the books are her entire world. They’re her friends, comfort, unconditional love, and everything else that humans are not.

Keila, as you may have guessed, is a librarian, but she’s also in charge of caring for the spell books in the grandest library of their Empire. And that library is… burning. Can Keila survive this? Where would she go?

You’ll be chuckling out loud, falling in love with the creatures you meet along the way, and rooting for the disadvantaged. I thoroughly enjoyed it.