While I didn’t love “The Spellshop” as much as other readers did, I definitely still wanted to give this sequel a chance. As many of my struggles with the first book came down to my dislike of the main character, I had a lot of hope for this one as it is following a new character; I mean, she’s a librarian, so….. And, as predicted, I did enjoy this book more for this very reason!

Overall, I thought Terlu was a much more interesting and sympathetic character to follow. I enjoyed the set-up, with her having spent the last six years frozen as a statue as punishment for creating a sentient plant. Thus, when she wakes up, she, like the reader, is seeing her world through fresh eyes. Yes, there were times where her internal monologues and reflections became a bit repetitive, and I think the book could have benefitted from some editing down. But, overall, her story was exactly the sort of low stakes cozy experience that readers of this genre are looking for.

I also think that the love story worked better here. Again, I did have a few quibbles with it (it was a bit too fast burn for my personal taste), but the grumpy/sunshine nature of their relationship worked much better here than it did in the first book (if indeed that was even trying to be a grumpy/sunshine relationship; I’m still not convinced the heroine wasn’t meant to be a better character than how she came across).

I also enjoyed the quirky cast of characters found in the greenhouses. As I was returning to this world, I was better able to turn my brain off a bit as far as the world-building goes, but the entire set up of the new location we explore in this one helped with many of my qualms from the first. Here, I think the whimsical nature of the greenhouses worked in natural-feeling manner and left me with few questions about how this all worked.

I have to say that I struggled with some of the inner narrative word choices at times. I just don’t like modern lingo in books like this, and there were too many instances of a casual “yay!” and such for me to fully settle in to the story. But, again, this is highly subjective, and there were many other parts of the writing that I enjoyed more, particularly some of the descriptions of the world and its magical creatures.

However, in many ways, this book was very familiar. This can be seen as a good or bad thing, depending on how you feel about that first entry. I think there were definite improvements with the main character and with the love story. But many of the beats of the plot felt very familiar, as well as the cozy elements. They were cute and quirky, but just a bit too shallow for me to fully enjoy any of them. That said, I’m not a huge cozy fantasy reader, and given the popularity of the first book, some of my negatives here will be definite positives for others! So, for readers looking for more of the same, this will likely be a hit! And even for those who were a bit on the fence with the first book, this may be worth a read!

Rating 8: Perhaps aggressively cozy at times, but I still enjoyed the love story overall!

Link will go live on The Library Ladies on July 19

It's hard to review an ARC, knowing it might not be close to the final version. Sure, it usually is, but what if it isn't? Entire endings have changed based on ARC reviews. I've read an ARC that accidentally had editor notes in it!

It's also hard to blame writers for the absolute machine publishing has become since the YA boom of the 2000s, when the next book needed to be out by the next year or else you'd lose that literally-growing audience.

All this to say, this ARC feels messy, like it could use another pass. The book doesn't feel like it really begins until 15% in. Some of it is repetitive. There are a few continuity errors which I hope will be fixed by publication time. The main character's past could be more on the page for the sake of informing her present.

But mostly, it's a delight. Talking plants are the best. The romance is sweet. I'm glad I read it.

Terlu, a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium is sentenced to statue-fication(?) after illegally using magic to create a friend - a sentient spider plant. This was intended to be a life sentence, but one day, Terlu wakes up on an island inhabited only by a grumpy gardener, a sweet winged cat, and several hundred greenhouses.

After discovering that the magic within these greenhouses has been failing one by one ever since the island's sorcerer died, Terlu knows she needs to help - even if it means she'll be breaking empire law again. This time, however, she has support from her new friends.

The Enchanted Greenhouse 'enchanted' me just a little bit less than The Spellshop did. It's still a delightfully sweet story overall full of loveable characters and mouthwatering food descriptions that had me constantly hungry. It warmed my heart and had me giggling and kicking my feet at some points. Yarrow (our "grumpy" MMC) may be a man of few words but I loved that we got to see his affection and support shown so heavily through his actions. Also, when he does have words? They're the right ones (except for that one very painfully out-of-place trope-y line). And Terlu is a sweetie who is a bundle of anxiety but desperately wants to do the next right thing. Just a couple of cuties, to be honest. Honestly, just nice to see some main characters in romantasy who are flawed but not toxic. The secondary/support characters were also fun and added extra warmth (and stakes!) to the story.

Otherwise, it's a bit too long. It took me way longer to get through this than it should have because I found it dragging a bit as the plot aspects started to become repetitive instead of getting wrapped up.

Especially right now while the world is...stressful (to put it lightly), The Enchanted Greenhouse may just be the sweet, hopeful retreat some of us need (I know I did!).

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group (Bramble) for an advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This title comes out July 15, 2025 for those interested!

This book was quite simply charming. I was captivated from the first page to the last. I love how the author blends two of my favorite things, books and plants, into such an engaging story. I love the world building done by the author. The imagery throughout this story is so vivid you can easily picture the scenes in your mind while reading. I really enjoyed the overall plot as well. It’s relatively straightforward with trying to save the greenhouses but the way Durst went about it made it feel so complex and engaging. I also really enjoyed the pun jokes woven throughout the story even if Yarrow didn’t appreciate them. Speaking of characters, I appreciated how well developed and different Terlu, Yarrow, and Lottie were. There were also fun nods to The Spellshop for those that have read it. I also have to mentioned the adorable winged cat and tiny dragons. They added an extra level of delight to the story. The audio was captivating as well. Caitlin Davies did so well with matching the energy and tone of the story. I struggled to stop the audiobook to focus on other tasks. This is easily a binge worthy book. Overall, this was a cozy fantasy lover’s dream.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bramble, Tor Publishing Group, and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Enchanted Greenhouse on July 15, 2025.

Sarah Beth Durst does it again in even more cozy and spectacular fashion. If you loved The Spellshop, you'll be easily swept away by The Enchanted Greenhouse.

Our main character, Terlu, is a former librarian who was punished for using sorcery to create a sentient plant (Caz, for those who read The Spellshop). She's sentenced to become a statue, but after six long years, she wakes up in the woods on a mysterious island. Turns out the head librarian sent her there to be freed and to use her budding sorcerer skills to save an enchanted greenhouse run by a handsome and shy gardener.

I absolutely loved Terlu and Yarrow's sweet relationship. They're two people who care so deeply about the world and everything in it, but they've always had to care for themselves or find their own place to call home. Seeing them open up to one another and let the other take care of them had me giggling kicking my feet.

I also have to give a shoutout to my girl Lottie, who might be one of the best side characters out there. All of the sentient plants had so much personality, but Lottie especially had me laughing out loud (shoutout to the narrator for voicing her perfectly). I love that Sarah Beth Durst doesn't just emphasize the main romantic relationships but takes time to break down important friendships and relationships between family members.

This book's conflict was also executed really well. The stakes felt high as they struggled to save the greenhouse from collapsing and keep the plants from dying, but it didn't take away from the cozy nature of the book. I loved the ending, and I just want to read about more sweet moments between Terlu and Yarrow, okay? Also, the winged cat has my heart.

This book was so lovely and a perfect follow up to The Spellshop! I love that we get to learn the fate of Terlu, the librarian who was sentenced to be turned into a statue for casting the spell that created Caz, the sentient spider plant from the first book.

This book was a warm cup of hot tea on a snowy day. The coziness was turned up to eleven on this story. I absolutely adored it and luckily was perfectly in the mood for full comfort and low stakes.

Thanks to Tor, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley, I was able to read and listen to this book in full immersion and it was brilliant that way! The audiobook narration was completely well done, it felt like multiple readers even though it was only one. Such excellent voice work!

The Spellshop is one of my favorite cozy fantasy books and this one is just as good, maybe better.

Five big huge stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 stars
thank you net galley for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book!

while I did enjoy many aspects of this book, I felt that there was a lot going on and some things that could’ve been left out and story still would’ve thrived. without giving too many spoilers, the mentions of ghosts and spirits didn’t feel necessary and I feel that if terlu continue to search laiken’s journals then they wouldn’t found the answers they were looking for without the supernatural elements.

that being said, I loved all the talking plants and I very much enjoyed the romance. two lost souls who are not easily trusting of others come together with the same goal - to save the plants and greenhouses - who fall in love. a grump x sunshine type of love, she softens his heart. she falls first but he definitely fell harder and even if he doesn’t want to admit it. yarrows love language is acts of service is so out of character for him but it makes you love him even more.

the details and descriptions really bring you into the world and you can feel the atmosphere growing around you. the determination of the plants and people to save the greenhouses and island, is so beautiful and motivating.

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕟𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕟𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖
Sarah Beth Durst
Pub Date: July 15, 2025

This is such a magical story of endurance in the face of adversity! If you enjoyed the spider plant, Caz, in The Spellshop, you will adore all the sentient plants in The Enchanted Greenhouse, especially the rose. We are not only introduced to them, but to the gardener who cares for the many greenhouses.

The dilemma is, ‘Do we break rules to do the right thing?’ Of course, doing the right thing would include using magic, which is against the rules.

I fell into the story. It is sweet and silly yet includes serious issues as well. It takes the reader to a whole new world filled with life.

I couldn’t help but picture myself there with the characters, seeing what they saw and watching their daily lives. The writing style makes it easy to immerse yourself fully in the plot.

If you are in the mood for a magical, imaginative, charming story, I’d suggest this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with this ebook to read and review.

This was almost too cozy. Unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me, and was quite dull. I couldn't get into it, I gave it a good shot, but wasn't able to finish the book. It wasn't for me.

Turlu, a young librarian, cast a simple spell to make a plant sentient. She is prosecuted and sentenced to be turned into a wooden statue to stand as a warning that only sorcerers are allowed to cast spells. After some time as a statue she is awakened to find herself in the snow on a mostly deserted island covered with hundreds of enchanted greenhouses .and one grumpy gardener. The problem is the greenhouses are dying one by one and the plants inside are as well. Obviously the greenhouses are sustained by the spell work of a sorcerer but the sorcerer has died. Turlu is terrified that if she tries to help she will be arrested again and turned back into a statue or worse. Can the greenhouses be restored?
This is a beautiful story of friendship and trust and working together for the good of all. The imagery of the flowers in the greenhouses and the special creatures that help tend the plants are exquisite. The book is a feast for the imagination.

***I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley.*** This book is perfection as a cozy magical read. I've read Durst's previous book, The Spellshop and was so please to see that she was bringing reader's back to the same cozy lovely setting with new characters and some old! She has a way with creating romantic suspense that is wholesome and sweet, and I love the magical elements of spellcasting and legendary creatures. Add some plants in the mix and you've got a book that I want to read again and again. Terlu was a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium until she was condemned to life as a statue for magically creating a sentient plant. Her reasons were curiosity and loneliness, but spellcasting is illegal for anyone that is not a sorcerer. Her punishment is cruel and is done to make an example out of her, leaving her half awake and frozen in the library until she wakes, cold and alone on an island far away. In her attempt to find warmth and stay alive, she wanders into a greenhouse full of wonders and meets the gardener, who is all alone, grumpy and handsome. Soon she realizes that she's there to help save the greenhouses that are falling to ruin by doing the one thing she was punished so cruelly for, casting spells. Adventure, romance, and flying cats, this book is such a confectionary treat of delight!

Wow I think I might have loved this one even more than The Spellshop!
We follow a librarian, Terlu who has committed the illegal act of using a spell to bring a spider plant to life. Terlu is not a sorcerer and therefore not allowed to do magic. But she just wanted a friend. Her sentence is being turned into a statue. After being a statue for an unknown amount of time, she is awoken in a strange place. She finds a greenhouse and a gardener. This grumpy gardener tells her that he asked for a sorcerer to fix the failing greenhouses of Beld. But Terlu isn't a sorcerer. She doesn't know why she was sent here. Can she do anything to fix the greenhouses and help the plants inside?
Right off the bat, I loved the nod to our favorite sentient spider plant, Caz. I love that we already know what happened to Caz and now we get to see what happened to the person who created him. Throughout the book, Terlu thinks about Caz and wonders what has happened to him.
The characters in this book were fantastic. Terlu was an extreme sunshine character and the gardener (Yarrow) was a super grump. Despite it being illegal, Terlu is determined to figure out how to save the plants inside the failing greenhouses. She tries to pull Yarrow out of his hermit shell even when it gets hard. Yarrow has been left alone on the island. The sorcerer (Lakin - not sure how to spell it) died without ever taking an apprentice. Before he died, he sent almost everyone off the island leaving Yarrow and his father. His father got sick and left Yarrow alone so he could get medical help and never came back. He thinks it is his duty to take care of the greenhouses even though he was never Lakin's apprentice. There is also a flying cat named Emeryl and several other sentient plants, the first they meet being a rose named Lotte.
I loved the plot of this book. It was peak cozy fantasy. It felt like a high stakes situation because Terlu had committed this crime, but she was just sent to this island and was helping bring greenhouses back to life. I loved all the different plants in the greenhouses and just watching Terlu figure out how to fix everything. Terlu and Yarrow also had a great relationship. At first it's obvious Yarrow is hoping that Terlu will leave because he has lived with this solitude for so long even though he is kind to her. But they really grow to have this great partnership and even more.
The atmosphere of this book is fantastic. Despite it being a fantasy world with these crazy plants, I found it easy to imagine the scenery and immerse myself in it.

I loved this cozy follow up to The Spellshop. I actually think I liked this one more! I thought the romance was more thought out and naturally built between our leads. And what is better than magic plants? It satisfied all my cozy fantasy cravings. I loved that the author chose this story to continue building this world and we see Terlu, not as a character referenced as a backstory for Caz, but as a whole person finally freed from such a severe punishment for what should not have been a crime in the first place.

I want to thank Netgalley and Bramble Books Publishing company for the digital ARC of The Enchanted Garden by Sarah Beth Durst.

Sarah Beth Durst brings us back to her fantasy world filled with magic and more living plants. One thing I love about this book is that you do not have to read the previous book to understand this story. Reading the Enchanted Garden, I wished I could physically visit all the different magical greenhouses and befriend a sentient talking rose. The story was a slow read in the beginning but once the plot developed, it hooked me in. The message I took from the book is about giving yourself a second chance and I think this message is important for young adult readers.

This book is great for young adults/ adults who like fantasy and mysteries and readers who loved Sarah Beth Durst’s previous book “The Spellshop.

Step into the cozy world of Alyssium once more with the sorceress who made Kaz! Terlu finds that she woke up on an island and doesn't know exactly what to do or who to be after being a statue for so long. Terlu has to overcome her trauma and learn to love herself as she helps save the greenhouses on this magical island. If you loved the Spellshop, then this one is for you. With just as much coziness, magical plants, and love, this one is sure to please.

DNF @ 50%
I really enjoyed the first book, The Spellbook, but had to force myself to push through this one and I only made it halfway. The inner monologue was also too much for me, it was 90% inner monologue and I can’t keep it up, it was definitely annoying for me and just ruined the story. I wanted to be invested in this as much as the first but i couldn’t. It did have a cozy fantasy vibe, but maybe the lack of actual characters was the issue, there’s just the two of them and then all the plants. It was unfortunately boring for me.

Terlu is a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium but she was lonely and hated being alone so she found a spell to make her spider plant sentient. After a patron complains she is brought in front of a judge and punished as an example for breaking the law. She is turned into a statue but she is still aware f everything she is seeing and for years she is trapped that way. When Alyssium falls she is smuggled out of the library and sent to an island where a man is attempting to find a sorcerer to save the magical greenhouses he cares for. This was beautiful heartfelt story about finding happiness as well as figuring out boundaries. I loved both Terlu and Yarrow. And absolutely adored the enchanted greenhouses. I love the Spell shop so much and this didn't disappoint!

The Enchanted Greenhouse is for the lovers of all things sweet, cozy, and plentiful in vegetation. This is the sequel to The Spellshop, but I think it would work fine as a standalone reading experience. Any context you need is explained throughout the book.
This follows Terlu Perna, a librarian who was turned into a statue as punishment for illegally using magic to bring a plant to sentience. For those who've read the previous book, you know that this is Caz the spider plant. Terlu awakens from her punishment on a snowy island covered in a sprawling magical greenhouse, with a single gardener named Yarrow tending it. According to Yarrow, after he requested the assistance of a sorcerer to fix the failing greenhouse spells, her statue arrived on the island of Belde with a note about how to perform the spell to awaken Terlu. Though Terlu may not be a sorcerer, her knowledge of languages and spells from her time working the library prove invaluable in saving the place Yarrow calls home.
The Enchanted Greenhouse is a very sweet book and very much has the same vibes as The Spellshop. Terlu and Yarrow start out somewhat awkward around one another but during the course of their work on the old sorcerer’s journals teasing out the secrets of the spells keeping the greenhouse working they begin to grow closer. It’s not rushed and there’s plenty of blushing and loving offers of honey cakes, tea, and support. This is cozy and clean, so it would also be appropriate for young adult readers as well. There are some explorations of themes like family dynamics, second chances, and supporting someone you love. Nothing too heavy here.
Perhaps the best part (for me at least) were the greenhouses themselves and all the magical flora and fauna found within. This is a vibrantly magical world anyway, but the denizens of the greenhouses are darling - miniature dragons, leafy mice, a slew of sentient plants, and the ever present winged cat named Emeral. The greenhouse is a wonder, with hundreds of rooms that contain plants from all over the world and even a few created by the sorcerer who built the greenhouse of Belde. It’s definitely a story I’d love to step into and explore! The Enchanted Greenhouse seems like it would be a perfect book to read near Christmas, as the story is set in winter and everything is snow-covered and that makes the scenes with lots of warm food and cozy blankets even nicer.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful story though I think The Spellshop remains my favorite of the two because the stakes were just a bit bigger in that story. I certainly didn’t want the greenhouse to fail, because it was marvelous but it just didn’t feel as perilous as saving the livelihood of an entire island’s people. I can’t wait to see what Sarah Beth Durst has in store for this world next - I read somewhere that there were several more books planned in this universe!

I was so honored to have been sent a copy of Sarah Beth Durst's newest cozy fantasy! After reading the Spellshop and LOVING it, I could not wait to read The Enchanted Greenhouse. When the publisher sent me a copy, I was over the moon!

The Enchanted Greenhouse is everything I wanted in the companion novel to The Spellshop. Once I started, I couldn't stop. Just like with Spellshop, you find the characters so endearing. I loved our newest setting as well! The romance was absolutely perfect, and I hope that Sarah Beth never stops writing these wonderful tales.

If you loved The Spellshop as much as I did, you are going to adore The Enchanted Greenhouse as well!

Somehow I loved this sequel even more than I loved book 1 which I didn’t know was possible! In a time of uncertainty this book was a beacon of hope that doing the right thing and protesting unfair laws does matter. I adored the queernormative world and the sentient plants. I don't know how this author keeps making me fall for plants but I was once again wooed by their charms. This book was such a warm hug. Our main character has been discarded and forgotten and I found it incredibly healing to watch her find a home where she is loved and appreciated. The romance is pretty slow burn and somewhat secondary to our main character's journey so don't expect it to be the main focus of the story. I did find the romance plot to be very adorable and all the yearning was adorable to read about. If you are here for a healing story about a librarian finding a purpose and a home then I'm sure you will be charmed by this delightful book.