Rounding up to 3.5 Stars
✨Magical/Cozy Fantasy
✨Grumpy x Sunshine
✨Slow Burn Romance
✨Found Family
✨Mystery Subplot

I am such a lover of cozy fantasy. This book felt like curling up in a sunny window with a cup of tea.. The Enchanted Greenhouse gave me all the whimsical, cozy fantasy vibes I was hoping for: tiny dragons, sassy plants, flying cats, and a magical island full of greenhouses you could happily get lost in. I loved Terlu’s hopeful, big-hearted energy and how it slowly wore down Yarrow’s grumpy walls (grumpy/sunshine is one of my favorite dynamics).

It did move a little slowly in the middle, and there were moments I wished Yarrow would meet Terlu halfway a bit sooner, but the gentle slow burn and the lush, detailed world completely made up for it. I kept smiling at the little magical details (especially the plant personalities)and by the end, it felt like I’d just left a place I’d want to visit again. If you like your fantasy warm, whimsical, and full of heart, you will enjoy this one. I listened to this on audio and thought the narrator did a great job. It was light enough that I didn't get lost in all the details and cozy world building.

I wish the beginning was more fleshed out, we were immediately thrown into her trial for creating a sentient plant and she was getting it turned into a statue. I wish we were given a prologue of her making the plant or getting caught, as becoming a statue is a major plot point and is very important to her character but it seemed like all of this was over by chapter 3.
I don’t read grumpy sunshine books very often, but I felt Terlu was way too much. I was very annoyed with her for the first 3/4 of the book. I recognize it was a reflection of her anxiety, and she started to mellow out as she was healed from her past traumas, but still. I did, however, believe the romance and the love that they grew for each other. I think Terlu and Yarrow really understood each other and balanced the other very well. The narrator was incredible and I don’t think I would’ve picked this book up or finished it without having it being read to me as an audiobook. The narrator really brought the characters to life, and she did a great job with the male versus female voices.

I loved The Spellshop and I was so excited to get my hands on the sequel, The Enchanted Greenhouse by @sarahbethdurst. I absolutely loved it. Dare I say, this story was utterly enchanting? There is something magical about greenhouses and Durst did a wonderful job infusing real magic into this story full of adorable creatures, sentient plants, and the whole world. Our main character is Terlu who was punished for turning to magic for companionship and she ends up on an island full of greenhouses. There is one gardener left on the island and of course, Yarrow turns out to be grumpy and swoon worthy. Honestly, I would be a grump too trying to take care of an island of plants because gardening is no joke. They end up working together to save the greenhouses from the failing magic protecting the plants. Talking plants, baby dragons, tasty treats, hopeful yearning - it cannot get any cozier than this. I would absolutely prance into this fantasy world. This book was released in July so it's everywhere now, what are you waiting for? 😄 The audiobook was fantastic and I can't wait to get a physical copy for my shelves.

This book was absolutely precious!

I loved the narration by Caitlin Davies. This was a fun story and she made it even better.

I enjoyed the magic and the mystery, and Terlu working together with Yarrow and Lotti.

I would 100% listen to this again. It was so comforting. 💚

The audiobook edition of The Enchanted Greenhouse is a delightful escape, earning a full five stars for its warm narration and enchanting storytelling. The term cozy fantasy is perfection for this type of story, and though it might be considered a low stakes fantasy, it is as delightful as anything I've ever read.

Durst weaves a narrative rich with healing, second chances, and found family. The setting, lush with sentient plants and whispered secrets, creates a vivid, inviting world perfect for snuggling up with headphones and a warm drink. The narrator adds a rich depth to the story that allowed the characters to come to life amid the intricate story world.

The slow-burn connection between Terlu and Yarrow unfolds with gentle authenticity. Their moments together—quiet, tentative, and full of mutual respect—are some of the audiobook’s sweetest highlights. And there’s plenty of quirky magic alongside it, from honey cakes to talking flora, creating a narrative that’s as cozy as it is wonder-filled.

Such a cute lighthearted book! It was a fun cozy read. All the characters were lovable and the talking plants were a fun touch. I liked how it was a standalone, but you got snippets from the first book.

Sarah Beth Durst does it again with a wonder and whimsical story! Like her previous, The Spellshop, The Enchanted Greenhouse was was full of quirky and loveable characters (including more sentient plants) and a unique world you wanted to be transported to. This book can be read as a standalone, but it takes place in the same world as The Spellshop and there are a few instances where this previous characters are mentioned.

Terlu was incredible relatable; having felt out of place and like her life wasn't turning out how she expected. All she wanted was a friend, someone who would get her. This feeling of loneliness lead to her creating Kaz, a sentient spider plant, something that was strictly forbidden. As punishment, Terlu was turned into a wooden statue to live out the rest of her days. To her surprise, Terlu woke one day back in her body on an island. As Terlu explores and looks for whoever could have broken the spell that had been placed unpin her, she discovers a grand and wonderful greenhouse full of hundreds of rooms. She also stumbles upon the islands only inhabitant, a grumpy gardener by the name of Yarrow. Terlu and Yarrow must work together to save the greenhouse which has started to fail. Terlu and Yarrow must work together to save the greenhouse before any more plants are lost!

This book was full of heart and wonder, with talking plants, winged-cats, and tiny dragons! I really loved this cozy read and hope we will het more from this world!

The narrator, Caitlin Davies, did such a wonderful on bringing all the characters to life. She was so expressive and has such a natural talent making all characters feel unique ad distinguishable.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 10%. I believe this book is going to be great, but it is just not a good fit for me right now. I look forward to returning to it in the future.

Sarah is definitely a queen of whimsical cozy stories and if you need a heart warming, low stakes adventure to give you some warm fuzzies, her books are a great bet. I will say though that I definitely preferred The Spellshop over this one. I really enjoyed the forced friendship we got in book one and this felt a bit lacking in that area. There's tons of magical plants and an adorable grumpy/shy romantic interest, but I missed our mc being forced to make friends too when that was really what she needed under her tough shell. I ended up less invested in this one since I guess I didn't relate to the mc the same way, but overall it was still cute and fun, just a bit less memorable for me personally this time. The ending totally had me "aww"-ing and smiling though and wondering if there will be a third entry about another certain librarian next...

I am grateful for the gifted audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio and NetGalley.

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️

Summary: Terlu Perna had been so excited to go to the city and become a librarian until she realized that she was lonely and unhappy. To cure her loneliness, she decided to create a magical sentient spider plant, which was strictly forbidden. As punishment, she's turned into a statue. Until one day, she wakes up freezing and with no idea where she is. Here she meets a grumpy gardener doing his best to keep the magical greenhouses on this island running. They work together to save the island, using the forbidden magic along the way. Discover a new corner of The Spellshop world in this standalone tale, where second chances abound – not just for personal growth, but for rekindling connections with others.

My Thoughts: Adoring The Spellshop, the opportunity to delve back into its world with Terlu was incredibly exciting. The mystery of Terlu waking up on the freezing island was truly intriguing. Unraveling it alongside her and discovering the island's wonders was a captivating journey. The grumpy gardener, Yarrow, was a favorite character of mine. Despite his initial grumpiness, he had a sweet heart, always looking out for Terlu. All the magical sentient plants were fun to watch as they woke up and slowly began helping Terlu and Yarrow save the island.

Never having heard of honey cake before, the descriptions in the book created a desire to try one; they sounded incredibly delicious. This was a beautiful story of the power of second chances, not just extended towards others, but especially to yourself. I loved this cozy fantasy because it felt like a nice warm hug on a chilly day!!
🎧Caitlin Davies did a wonderful job bringing Terlu and the other characters to life throughout the audiobook. I enjoyed listening to this story because it made me feel like I was right there with them trying to save the island! Audiobook lovers, take note of this one!

What You'll Find:
✨Cozy Fantasy
⛅️Grumpy/Sunshine
💚MMC with Green Flags
🪴Sentient Plants

This was a very cute, clean and magical romance with talking plants and a flying cat with puppy sized dragons and it ends in an HEA. I was able to listen to this as an audio from.

While I didn't particularly enjoy this book I do think it will have its audience. (Loved the cat though)

I found it too over the top cozy and didn't enjoy the main character. I think the narrator was also part of the issue for me- something about her voice or the way she was reading it was unpleasant to me. Which is uncommon for me to dislike a narrator.
I think I would have enjoyed this more as a physical book rather than audio.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆

By: Sarah Beth Durst

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••

She’s spent the last 6 years as a wooden statue. Waking up to rows and rows of magical greenhouses (365 of them if I remember correctly) she finds just one other human besides herself there. Plus a winged cat.

Terlu Perna has always been lonely. Now, waking up on a strange, nearly deserted island with no idea where she is, she is so relieved to find another person- even if he is only a grumpy gardener.

I really liked book one 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 and have been looking forward to reading book two for a while now. I did enjoy it. Of the two, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 is still my favorite.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 was more of a slower, cozier read in my opinion. A great story, just not a lot of action. And if that’s what you’re looking for then you’re definitely in the right place.

Some things I really enjoyed about this book:

�Terlu’s backstory
�the talking plants
�restoration of family
�the sweet love story
�the mini dragons
�the cozy setting
�good world building
�good character development
�the descriptions of the greenhouses
�the narrator for this book was really good

This can definitely be read as a standalone, you don’t have to read the first book to know what’s going on.

CW: Magic, gender neutral sentient plants, some LGBTQ rep, no language that I can remember

Note: no spice, kisses only

Thanks to @netgalley for the advanced listener’s copy in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

•••

I love Sarah Beth Durst's fantasy and especially her cozy fantasy, The Spellshop was one of my favorite books of 2024 and I was so excited to read The Enchanted Greenhouse.

I will admit that this book is not as good as The Spellshop. I love the atmosphere, the talking plants, and the male love interest. The mystery of the island was also interesting and I enjoyed reading about it. My biggest disappointment was that I strongly disliked the main character; she was beyond annoying. I think she got a little bit better as the book continued, and I had no desire to DNF because everything else was so interesting.

I really hope more books come out in the future set in this world, and I look forward to reading more by Sarah Beth Durst!

4 Stars.

Just the coziest, dreamiest book, and it makes a wonderful audiobook. Fantastic narrator and wonderful listen

DNF @ 26%
This book was too similar to the previous one with a very similar main character and a talking rose plant instead of a spider plant. The pacing was slow and I lost interest pretty early on.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNF @ 33%. I really wanted to love this sequel, but unfortunately, it just didn’t hold my attention. What was meant to feel cozy ended up leaning more into boring territory.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I was brand new to this series when I was approved for an ARC of this book. While it could technically be read as a standalone, I wanted the full picture—so I listened to The Spellshop first and then jumped right into this one.

Although I’m not completely in love with the series, I can absolutely see why so many readers are! The stories are lighthearted, whimsical, and perfect if you’re looking for a cozy reset between heavier reads. I actually enjoyed this installment more than the first, likely because I had more context and background on a character who reappears here.

Overall, I found this book charming, but it did feel about 100 pages too long for the amount of depth it offered. Still, it has a sweet and soothing vibe. I spotted it recently on display at Barnes & Noble with a sign that said, "For fans of Stardew Valley," and I couldn’t agree more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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

Sarah Beth Durst is a must-read author for me. The Enchanted Greenhouse is a companion novel to The Spellshop. This time, we get the story of Terlu Perna, the creator of the sentient plant Caz from the first book. After being sentenced to live her life as a statue for meddling in magic, Terlu wakes up on an island full of magical greenhouses and one grumpy gardener. But there's a problem; the magic greenhouses are failing.

The Enchanted Greenhouse is an amazing second-chance story with a slowburn romance, enduring side characters, and enough of a mystery to keep you guessing. It's fairly cozy with some action, but nothing feels too dire.

I absolutely adored this. The characters, the setting, and romance all come together. And the epilogue had me in tears. I really want a third book that connects these characters with our friends from the first book.

Thank you to Bramble and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This is set in the same world as The Spellshop, but it can be read as a stand alone without any loss of understanding. In this book, we focus on Terlu, a librarian who used the spell books in the library to bring a plant to life. And she was sentenced to be turned into a statue. When she comes back to life, she is on a strange island of enchanted greenhouses with only one other inhabitant.

I really want to play in the greenhouses. Gardening has long been a hobby of mine, so reading about all of these magical plants made me want to race to the island to help care for them.

With few characters, the pacing was slow and lovely. But there was still plenty of plot, tension, and drama. And ultimately, there were lovely themes around loyalty, forgiveness, and healing. I have so much fun in this magical world that Sarah Beth Durst has created.

Caitlin Davies again narrated this audiobook. I have come to associate her voice with this magical world.

4.5 stars rounded up