Kiela and her spider plant friend Caz have fled their library and the city they live in inorder to save their lives. The only thing they bring with them are crates of books that they managed to save from the fire engulfing the city of Alyssium. Kiela and Caz head back to the island that Kiela was from to start their lives over. Without looking back they hid the spell books in her family's cottage and try to make a life for themselves. Caz is always worrried that he will be eaten by something and is afraid to leave the cottage. Kiela is trying to figure out how to make money to buy food and supplies in order to survive. Between them both they decide to try some magic to help them along the way, even though it is forbidden. This is a clean romance with mythical creatures that help both Kiela and Caz along the way. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for alowing me to listen to this audio book.

OOOH this was such a cute cottagecore cozy fantasy. The librarian who just wants to be alone, the magical island, a complex magic system, a living spider plant, magical books, a handsome loner, and nosey neighbors! So perfect. If you like Legends and Lattes, Can't Spell Treason Without Tea, or The Honey Witch you'll love this.

FYI, this is not sapphic, so just want to make that clear.

This audiobook was fantastic! The narrator did a great job making me feel a part of the story!

The adventures of Kiela and Caz were very fun! I loved how they escaped and made a home on the island. Helping themselves by helping everyone else!

If you ever dreamed of running away to a hidden cottage in the woods and becoming a witch, this book is for you.

It is the most enchanting cozy cottagecore fantasy, and such a delight to read. The writing was immersive, and the world was just so lovely. This book has sentient plants, flying cats, raspberry jam, cloud bears, and spell books. The found family was perfect, and the romance was sweet.

As a socially awkward introvert, I LOVED Kiela. I am Kiela, and she is me. I've never resonated with a character more. Seeing her fumbling through interactions with various characters was hysterical.

This book was such a joy to read.

I almost gave this book a five. It was so cute from start to finish. I love the main female character and I love the main male character. I think Kaz was my favorite by far. He was so funny and made me laugh out loud. I can picture this location. I can picture all of the town's people. It was so well written. Really a joy to read.

Cannot rave about this book too much! I was lucky enough to snag an ARC audiobook. I've been anxiously awaiting the release since I saw my first targeted add.
And I couldn't be happier!
Caitlin did an amazing job on the voice acting. I love the warmth she adds to her reading.
But Sarah is the main event. Not only did she created an enviable coastal island. She filled it with the sweetest, most adorable characters. Making it a hometown feel good book.
Not only is the book cozy, it's chock full of magical creatures, some you might recognize. While others were wholly original. If that doesn't tempt you, the homespun romance and sassy plants certainly should.
If you loved Legends and Lattes, or PC Cast's New World Series. You won't want to miss this one.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillion Audio for the ARC of The Spellshop in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 9th
⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Spellshop is the low stakes, high vibes, cozy fantasy of 2024 🍿

This is a really fun quick listen. Kiela is so painfully awkward and introverted seeing her trying to interact with people is hilarious, but the real star of the show is not one, but TWO talking plant side kicks and a sassy chicken 😂🌱🌵🐥

Plot (no spoilers):

Kiela lived in a library where she reads all day, food is brought to her, and she doesn't have to interact with anyone (the dream life really). A raid in the city causes her to flee with as many books as she can manage but with nowhere to go she finds herself on the island where she was born.

Trying to figure out how to survive in this new life, Kiela struggles to interact with the real world again on top of the fear of being discovered by the empire for stealing books and doing magic. Throw in a hot neighbor who's also awkward, villagers that give you all the warm and fuzzy feelings, and Kiela awkward desperation to keep her past a secret. 🫠💕


#2024newrelease
#thespellshop
#macmillionaudio
#sarahbethdurst

Such a fun book to read. It's hard to imagine this is a standalone novel. There is so much depth and character it could be a series! I would enjoy more stories about this far away island.

This writer knows how to pull in a reader and make them feel connected to the characters and the story! I want to move to the little town and live in a cottage just like the main character! I loved this and plan to later purchase a copy of the book for my shelves. Also, I’m obsessed with the cover design!!

What a gem! I am a big, big fan of cozy fantasy and this did not disappoint. The writing style flowed along so easily and the story of course was darling. I loved every single character (even the grumpy ones) and how they added to the plot. Definitely will recommend!

This book is wonderfully paced, and I was hooked from the very beginning absolutely devouring it in just a couple sittings. The story follows Kiela, a librarian who rescues books from a rebellion and flees to her childhood home on an island where she uses her knowledge of research and magic to help make the island a better place. The book includes romance, world building, and a talking spider plant! It is a lovely read for fans of cosy fantasy such as Legends and Lattes.

This fantasy book shares the importance of books and how much we can learn from books in a fun, magical way. The characters were great, but my favorite was the talking spider plant. The narrators really brought the story to life.

I received an e-arc from Net Galley to review.

If you are looking for a cozy fantasy about spells, sentient plants, and found family with a touch of romance, this is your book. It reminded me of Legends and Lattes as far as pacing and the amount of tension.

Pros: There is a quaint village full of magical creatures and distinct personalities from a cast of villagers. Our FMC shows character development growing from a quiet, introverted librarian to a strong spell caster that puts it all on the line for her new friends. There is a sentient spider plant capable of doing advance research and also a sentient cactus that only says, “meep.” A golden retriever MMC that is utterly devoted to our FMC and definitely falls in the, “acts of service,” love language category.

Cons: The magic system isn’t well fleshed out - it’s just there with no lore or anything that makes it special. If you can mix together some common ingredients and recite a spell, you too can do magic. There were some great opportunities to explore the system more and really play into something other than mixing and reading that came and went within pages The found family trope goes a little too far - everyone can get in on this group. There is some instant love with a side couple.

Overall, it was a cute story that will give you cozy feelings without requiring too much thought on your part. It needs more details / specificity to really create the world though so I don’t think it will stay with me for very long. 3.5 rounded up

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is a charming and heartwarming tale that blends magic, romance, and a touch of adventure in a sweet and lovely story. With its engaging premise and likable characters, this novel is an enchanting escape that earns a solid four out of five stars.

The story follows Kiela, a reclusive librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, who finds solace in her work and the company of her magically sentient spider plant, Caz. The peaceful routine of preserving spellbooks is shattered when a revolution erupts, forcing Kiela and Caz to flee the burning library. Their journey leads them to a remote island, Kiela's childhood home, where she must start anew.

Kiela’s character is completely relatable to me. Her struggle with social interactions and her subsequent growth throughout the novel is portrayed beautifully. The presence of Caz adds a touch of whimsy, providing a companion for Kiela and a unique element of magical charm to the story.

Once on the island of Kiela’s childhood home, her handsome and helpful neighbor brings a much needed and sweet romantic subplot to the story. Kiela's rescued spellbooks from the library combined with her parents' old recipe book is how Kiela plans to earn income. However, it is repeatedly stressed that Kiela 'stole' the spellbooks, she did not resuce them. I'm not sure why that is an obsession that the author focuses on - the library and the city were burning. Kiela clearly rescued them, but over and over again Kiela states that she stole the books. It's a niggle, but it is annoying.

The novel’s setting, a quaint island with mythical creatures and a close-knit community makes the entire setting cozy, not just Kiela's cottage. Aside from my annoyance at the repetition of 'stolen spell books', some secondary characters and subplots, while charming, lack the depth and complexity that could elevate the story further.

The Spellshop is an enjoyable and cozy fantasy novel that offers a perfect blend of magic, romance, and heartwarming moments. It is an enjoyable read. 4 stars.

Rating: Absolutely Loved it, 5 stars

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is cozy fantasy exactly how I like it! It is more in the vein of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea than Legends and Lattes. There is a plot with a little more stakes and a dash of romance. In this, we follow Kiela, a librarian at the Great Library where the realms collective knowledge of magic is stored. When there is a rebellion in the city, she flees with Caz, her sentient spider plant assistant, and all the books she can carry with her. They end up back on the island that she grew up on. Kiela now has to figure out how to make her way in the world and ensure that she is able to protect the books and herself when rogue magic is highly punishable in her world.

I loved following Kiela as she figured out how to survive and to thrive. She is socially awkward, prickly, and very anxious about the fact that she is committing treason by keeping and using the books to help her new neighbors. I loved seeing her relationships build, and there were some really touching moments as she interacted with her neighbors and began to build friendships. She also was on a journey of self-discovery and rediscovery of her past.

I thought it was just a really charming, lovely story. Kiela was an endearing character and all the side characters were very likable. I especially loved the sweet romance that bloomed between Kiela and Lorn (? unsure on spelling, I had the audio copy). He was her very kind, very helpful neighbor who was just a smidge too helpful for Kiela's comfort with all her contraband books lying around.

The world itself was absolutely delightful with so many colors and magical creatures about: sentient house plants, winged cats, merhorses, mermaids, unicorns, sprit bears, and so much more. It was just a delight to read. And the plot, while many times a meandering slice of life, still felt like it had stakes. I was stressed out because while I knew it had to resolve, I just didn't know how, and I really struggled to put this down. The narrator did an excellent job, and the narration added an extra element because there is a lot of description of colors, sights, sounds, and food. Sometimes that can grate on me, but it really worked in this one for me.

Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend if you like your cozy fantasy with a bit higher stakes. I had a fantastic time and highly recommend! Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for an early copy of the audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The Spellshop releases July 9, 2024.

The Spellshop is a perfectly quirky story filled with magic, intrigue, and enough danger and excitement to keep readers entranced! Fans of The Good Witch or Charmed will love this book. The audiobook was great, and the narrator was charming.

Did I bake two pies, a batch of jam, and homemade soup with sourdough in the two days it took for me to listen to this book?

Yes. Yes, I did.

Cozy is a good word for how this book made me feel, but giddy and giggly might be even better. There were multiple points at which I giggled out loud. Caz was my absolute favorite character until about halfway through the book and then... MEEP! 🌵

And The Pinecone Coven? Come ON! 🥹😭🥰

Some of my favorite quotes:
- “Is a sentient spider plant a plus or a minus for a business?”
- “Questions are the heart of a functioning society.”
- “You shouldn’t argue with a woman who has hooves!”
- “The more friends I have, the safer I am.”

4/5 ⭐️ Only because, while I loved settling into the atmosphere, the plot took a while to develop. It was about the 50% mark that all of the threads were present and then slowly woven together throughout the remainder of the book. It felt a little slow at times.

PS. Merbabies!!!
PPS. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance audio copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was fine and cute. I think it started strong but became repetitive quickly. Drama, nitty-gritty of solving the problem, problem is solved by everyone no matter what. By the time the imperial ship I was actually thinking, "Seriously?? ANOTHER round of the same plot line!"

I did like the characters and the jam and the talking plants quite a lot. My one thing is how weirdly resistant to the MMC the FMC was. I was starting to wonder if the reader was supposed to like him for her or not.

Finally, I listened to this on Audio (Thank you, NetGalley!) and the reader was...odd. She over-enunciated every word. The voices sounded like anime characters rather than serious people. She was not my favorite for this.

This book was so fun and cozy. It's perfect for anyone looking to disappear into an entirely new world! I loved the way the writing made me feel like I had disappeared onto the island. Kaz, the sassy spider plant, was so cute and funny. Will be recommending it to anyone looking for a fun escape.

I really loved this book. The start of the story was a little bit rough for me (I was promised cozy, and library fires are NOT cozy), but once we got past the set up, this fantasy really leaned into it's cozy vibes. Are the stakes potentially quite high? Yes, but the general story revolves around an introvert finding her community and reorganizing her life into one that is more enjoyable for her. Labelled as a 'cozy romantasy', the romance is not really the main focus of this story. It is important, but no more important than any of the other friendships that come along Keila's way. I loved the way that the world was fully-magical and had clear rules about that magic, but didn't spend too much time explaining all the details. Our lead has blue skin, why? Who knows? It's not important to the story so we're not going to waste any time there. I would compare this book's vibe to that of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea, where the ultimate stakes do feel higher than is often normal for cozy fantasy, but where the general vibe and the cozy tag let you know that it's all going to turn out fine in the end. I hope that there will be more books coming in The Spellshop's universe. I look forward to meeting more of Durst's colourful characters.