I was completely captivated by The Faraway Inn. This isn't just a book about a magical B&B; it's a beautifully written story about grief, finding your place in the world, and the power of family. Watching Calisa navigate her new life and uncover the inn's secrets is a delight. The relationships she forges—with her quirky great-aunt, the handsome groundskeeper's son, and the inn's mysterious guests—are at the heart of the novel. It's a heartfelt and genuinely charming book that shows you can't go back once you open a magical door.

Sarah Beth Durst is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors for a cozy read. This book was so heartwarming, healing, magical, cozy and mysterious. It was a fantastic read, and the characters were so incredibly lovable.

Calisa was such a strong young main character. She is still in high school, and figuring out her life. She goes to her great aunt's bed and breakfast hoping to heal her heart and get a little space from life. Being that young and being able to navigate a heartbreak in a healthy way, was nice to read. I did truly dislike her ex, the author did a great job making him unlikable from the beginning.

The mystery with the inn and what's actually going on there was so fun and cute. The little things that happen, the guests and their individual quirks, the magic that pops up that can't be logically explained, it was all perfect. The side characters really make the book, I loved any scene that they were involved in and I loved the bits of background that we got for each of them. I would have absolutely loved more in depth backgrounds on them all.

This was a really great, light and cozy read. I can't wait to get my physical copy for my shelf!

This is such a cute book! Exactly what I needed. I think this will be a perfect read for spring. It's so heartwarming and cozy and feels like a warm spring day.

I loved this book just as much as her other two! This book does have a bit slower start than The Enchanted Greenhouse, but it is every bit as magical and special as that series. However, this book has many more magical creatures and is just such a fun time! Sarah Beth Durst is truly at the top of her craft. I love the subtle romance in this book and I just got completely sucked in. Wonderful cleaning scenes, cake baking, domestic bliss! It ticked all of the right cozy fantasy boxes and was the perfect fall read that I did not want to end.

I received this book from netgalley for free for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you for the opportunity.

I have read the author's other books and found them really whimsical and lightly romantic. It was the same with this book,like jumping in a fairytale

So far, I’ve read every single book this brilliant author has released, and once again, she’s swept me off my feet. I’m sticking with my decision to crown her latest masterpiece with another magical, enchanting five stars. This novel transported me through shimmering portals into magnificent worlds, bursting with incredible creatures and dreamlike universes described in such vivid, lyrical detail that I felt like I was walking through them myself. At the heart of this adventure are two utterly adorable main characters: Calisa, a good-hearted, selfless, curious, and wonderfully adaptable young heroine; and Jack, a sweet, caring, and capable boy whose kindness and knack for fixing anything make him the perfect companion. Together, they stumble upon the strangest bed-and-breakfast inn imaginable, a place brimming with eccentric guests who come seeking healing, seclusion, and the safety of secrets.

The story opens in Brooklyn, where sixteen-year-old Calisa believes her whole future is planned around her boyfriend Ethan—until she catches him cheating and promptly dumps him. Heartbroken but determined to heal, she follows her two moms’ advice and heads to rural Vermont to spend the summer with her great-aunt Zee. Calisa hasn’t seen Zee or her beloved inn since childhood, but instead of warm memories, she finds a dilapidated shell of the place she once adored. Worse, her aunt greets her with hostility, telling her to return to the city, insisting she’s not a good fit for the inn or its secretive guests. Zee lays down strict rules: don’t pry into anyone’s life, don’t ask questions, and absolutely don’t open any closed doors. Yet curiosity—and a certain handsome boy—make following those rules impossible.

Enter Jack, the groundskeeper’s charming son, whose easy smile and hidden worries make him instantly captivating. Jack encourages Calisa to stay, even when Zee’s frosty demeanor suggests otherwise. As Calisa helps with chores—scrubbing dusty floors, rescuing gardens from invading weeds, baking cakes to serve with tea—she begins to uncover the inn’s mysteries. Its guests are unlike anyone she’s ever met: Mulligan, a night-dwelling gentleman who speaks like he’s stepped out of a Shakespearean tragedy (and may or may not be a vampire); Melidor, a green-haired girl with the unnerving ability to communicate with beavers and unleash ear-splitting screams; and Kendra, a commanding yet elegant woman who seems deeply tied to the sea. Each guest’s room, Calisa discovers, is more than it seems—each door opens to another world, a shimmering threshold between reality and dream.

As she digs deeper, Calisa realizes the inn is more magical—and more endangered—than she ever imagined. The thin veil between universes is fraying, her aunt is hiding family secrets about their ancestors, and the inn itself is on the brink of ruin. Determined to restore the inn to its former glory, Calisa throws herself into the project, even as Zee prepares to give up. Jack, of course, stands loyally by her side, and their friendship—perhaps even something more—blooms amid crumbling walls and enchanted doors.

Overall: I adored every page of this story. The tone is sweet yet mysterious, tinged with fairy-tale wonder, and the setting feels like a character in its own right. The cast is marvelously drawn—eccentric, layered, and endlessly fascinating. This is a book that made me smile, ache, and dream all at once. I highly recommend it to fantasy lovers craving a story filled with magic, heart, and discovery. I cannot wait to dive into Sarah Beth Durst’s next creation and see what wonders she shares with us next.

A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books / Delacorte Press for providing this enchanting fantasy’s digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I received a temporary digital copy of The Faraway Inn from NetGalley, First Ink and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After experiencing a devastating break-up, 16-year-old Calisa flees to her aunt's bed and breakfast in Vermont for the summer. She had been to her aunt's B&B as a child and remembered it much differently than the run-down inn she arrived at. Determined to prove to her aunt she can stay for the summer, Calisa begins helping to restore the building and grounds. In the process, she notices there is much more to the B&B and its guests than she originally realized.

Like her novels before, Durst brings enchantment and wonder to The Faraway Inn through her gorgeous descriptions and magical realms. Four stars and hoping Durst expands upon the realms she created in The Faraway Inn.

I was excited to have a chance to read an advanced copy of this novel.

Already a fan of Sarah Beth Durst, this cozy read was hard to put down.

Reeling from heartbreak, Calissa escapes New York City to spend the summer at her great-aunt’s bed-and-breakfast. But the moment she arrives, it's clear something has changed. The once-charming inn she remembers is eerily quiet, seemingly abandoned—and before she can even knock, the rotting front porch gives way beneath her feet.

Undeterred by a little hard work, Calissa rolls up her sleeves and sets out to conquer the dirt, dust—and her own heartbreak. With help from the groundskeeper’s charming son, she begins restoring the inn to its former glory. But as the summer unfolds, strange occurrences begin to stir. And then there are Auntie Zee’s only two rules: Don’t open any doors. Don’t ask questions. But how long can Calissa follow the rules when Auntie Zee goes missing?

A cozy and romantic fantasy with the perfect amount of magic sprinkled in! I would love to stumble upon The Faraway Inn and meet all of the characters.

I loved both The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse, and this has a lot of similar vibes. It’s definitely a cozy fantasy with a hint of romance, and I think it fills a niche in YA that doesn’t have a lot of options currently. It’s not angsty, even with Calisa’s heartbreak that sets the plot in motion, and I would not call it really exciting. It’s more just a comfortable, calm read, which is a nice change of pace from the heightened emotions of so many other books. There were times I forgot I was reading a YA novel, so I think this would appeal to adult readers as well. I almost felt like it was going back and forth between YA and adult, and I wish it was a little more consistent, but I’ll be adding it to my list of books to recommend.

I read this book in one day. I could not put it down. It's the type of YA book that you forget is YA so it definitely will appeal to adult readers.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s Books, and Sarah Beth Durst for this ARC of The Faraway Inn. Ms. Durst, you are a WIZARD! Both The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse were a 5/5 for me, but I would give The Faraway Inn a 100/5 if I could! 🪄 💫
This story takes place in a different world than both of the previous books, but it’s a world I would visit over and over again with this cast of quirky, but delightful, characters.
Main character Calisa has been sent to her Auntie Zee’s inn in Vermont for the summer, and this is fine with her because she needs to put some time and distance between her and her ex. But what Calisa doesn’t know, is that it isn’t an ordinary inn. It’s a sanctuary for those who need a place to land, time to think, and space to recover. To say it’s magical would be putting it lightly. Calisa soon realizes that nothing, including her Auntie Zee, is what it seems on the surface.
Not only does Calisa overcome her heartbreak over the summer at the inn, she makes new connections and gains something much greater—a future she never could have imagined.
This is definitely an adventure you should go on! You won’t regret being a part of this magical journey. ♥️

I absolutely loved this book! So much so that I finished in one day. The author did an amazing job keeping the plot going without it getting boring which is something I really look for in books. The characters were unique and I became very invested in their journey. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sarah Beth Durst’s “The Faraway Inn” is a warm, whimsical YA fantasy that combines magical mystery, personal growth, and a dash of romance into a story as inviting as a cozy Vermont summer. Fans of Durst’s other conzy fantasy series will feel right at home, though this tale stands firmly in its own modern-day, self-contained world.

Sixteen-year-old Calisa arrives at her great-aunt Zee’s bed-and-breakfast expecting quaint charm, only to find a crumbling fixer-upper and an aunt as prickly as she is eccentric. Determined to prove she belongs, Calisa throws herself into repairing the inn, with unexpected help from Jack, the groundskeeper’s kind (and handsome) son. But as she settles in, she begins to suspect that there’s more to the inn and its quirky, oddly unforgettable guests than meets the eye.

Durst fills the pages with a menagerie of memorable characters, each with their own peculiarities and hidden depths, creating a found family dynamic that brims with genuine love and friendship. I absolutely loved Steve the little dragon as well as all the other extremely unique characters that are all lovable in their unique ways. The inn’s magical secret unfolds in a way that’s both surprising and heartwarming, introducing the concept of interconnected realms and hinting at larger adventures beyond this book. Calisa’s journey is one of self-discovery and trust as she learns that it’s not weakness to rely on others, and that sometimes the best way forward is together. This book is just filled with genuine love as Calisa learns to help the inn’s guests and the guests in turn help Calisa grow as a person throughout the book.

The romance between Calisa and Jack is sweet but never overshadows her personal growth, and the emotional reunions sprinkled throughout are bound to tug at your heart. There were a couple of moments that were so overflowing with love that they brought tears to my eyes. Durst’s signature warmth and worldbuilding shine here, offering younger readers an empowering message wrapped in a charming, magical package. I would definitely recommend this book for younger YA readers as this story has humor, love, and powerful lessons throughout.

Overall, “The Faraway Inn” is a comforting escape as it’s overflowing with love, secrets, and second chances. It’s the kind of book you want to curl up with on a rainy day, leaving you smiling (and maybe a little misty-eyed) by the final page.

I loved the Spellshop and the Enchanted Greenhouse so I was super excited to see a new book coming out. The Faraway Inn is another cozy read, which I’m usually not into but the way Sarah does it just works for me, a thriller girl! I thought this book was absolute perfection and can we talk about that cover?! I can’t wait to have the physical book in my hands!