Loved this one. I really wasn't expecting to, honestly, I thought it would be another cozy fantasy box-ticking exercise, but I was very very glad to be proved wrong. We've chosen it for our SFF book club pick now!

A cosy, quirky read ♥️

I was so excited to read this book, and while I did enjoy it, it did fall flat for me, the plot could have been so much more, but I did really enjoy, I know that sounds contradicting 🤣 but if your looking for a easy, cosy fantasy that doesnt make your head hurt from trying to figure everything out then this book is perfect!

This was such a cosy, heartwarming read. The story follows Kiela, a librarian who flees a revolution and returns to her childhood home on a remote island. There, she opens a secret spellshop with the help of her sentient spider plant, Caz. Alongside her new jam business, Kiela navigates the challenges of sharing magic with the townspeople while avoiding the empire's attention.

What I loved most was how the book blended magical elements with everyday life. The world-building was rick, featuring merhorses, winged cats and enchanted plants. The romance was a slow burn, adding a sweet touch to the story without overshadowing the main plot. The characters were endearing, and the sense of community and found family was heartwarming.

It’s books like this that give me hope in the cosy fantasy romance genre again 🥹
Absolutely loved this book, the perfect blend of cute & cosy mixed with delightful characters & just enough plot to keep my interest! I am basically ready for my own talking plant & jam shop!

This made me horrendously, ridiculously happy!

This was so cute and cosy and lovely and I cried multiple times. "You returned my grandfather's soul to me"???? That completely did me in. I want to go and live on this tiny island with winged cats and sentient plants and cloud bears and apple blossom birds and merhorses.

Every character in this filled my heart with warmth and love, the dialogue is so natural and the wit in here is brilliant too, I was laughing out loud at so many moments. The plot is gentle and almost secondary to the character work, as Kiela learns to trust and open herself up to her neighbours, who are eager to welcome her back to the island.

If you're looking for the perfect pick-me-up, this is absolutely one to read.

This book is one of the coziest books I've read! From the talking plant to the love for books the characters have, it was all so lovely!

Reading this book feels like a warm hug that you didn't know you needed. The magic, the cottagecore vibes and of course that ending - chef's kiss! This book is like Stardew Valley but with more books and of course a cinnamon roll hero.

If you want a cozy fantasy that will become your next obsession, this is it!

I highly recommend reading this. One of my favourite books for the year.

This cosy fantasy was exactly what I needed to get myself back into reading. Well written with wonderful characters and a sentient spider plant that will steal your heart.

A cosy, low-stakes fantasy with a charming premise, The Spellshop offers a mix of cottagecore vibes, magical books, and quiet romance—but it didn’t quite deliver for me.

✨ A librarian on the run & a secret spellshop 💀 Sentient plants & forbidden magic 📚 A slow, meandering plot with minimal tension

While the world-building is whimsical, the pacing feels dragged out, and the stakes remain too low to keep things engaging. The romance is sweet but shallow, and the conflict lacks urgency, making it hard to stay invested. If you love gentle, slice-of-life fantasy, this might still be worth a read—but it didn’t leave a lasting impression.

An adorable little adventure with some lovely characters, the found family trope and a city the holds together whatever it takes!

A sweet tale of a magical girl finding herself, finding family, and finding love. As well as some talking plants and magical creatures. It can’t get much better than that!

I love cosy fantasy and this a great addition to this genre. LOVED IT, LOVED IT . Due to health issues cannot not but will write a proper review at a later time
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This unfortunately wasn't the book for me as it felt too cosy and low stakes. While I enjoyed the world building and the gossip between the islanders, I wish this one had managed to engage me more and have some stakes to intrigue me.

Absolutely perfect.
Cosy and mysterious, excellent atmosphere and the best characters in the world - honestly who doesn't what a sentient plant?

This is a debut for the author into the romantasy genre and what an amazing debut this was. I have been wanting to read the other series the author has written called The Queens of Renthia. Now that I have read this book I am hoping to get to this series ASAP. Would highly recommend it if you're looking for a cosy romantasy that has great witchy vibes and sweet romance.

A cosy, warm hug of a book. A grumpy introverted librarian. A sentient plant. A kindhearted and very handsome neighbour. A community that rallies. There's a lot to love about this book, and I found it hard to find any negatives. I cannot wait for more in this universe from Durst; she has created something rather lovely.

feminism for me went out the door with this book, because now I want my own hot man to build me floor to ceiling bookshelves.

this book felt like a cosy day wrapped up in bed reading! it also really made me want a sentient plant!

Review of The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst – 4/5 Stars

The Spellshop is a cozy, enchanting fantasy that feels like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day. With its charming world, lovable characters, and a story that blends adventure with personal growth, Sarah Beth Durst delivers a delightful tale that will appeal to fans of Legends & Lattes and The House in the Cerulean Sea.

The premise is immediately engaging—a librarian-turned-magical-bookseller setting up shop in a secluded, picturesque location. The setting is richly described, making it easy to get lost in the cozy atmosphere, and the book’s magic system feels whimsical yet grounded. The protagonist is easy to root for, and the relationships, both romantic and platonic, add heart to the story.

The pacing is gentle, which mostly works in the book’s favor, though there are moments when it meanders a bit too much. Some conflicts resolve a little too easily, and while the stakes exist, they never feel overly intense—which could be a plus or minus, depending on what you’re looking for.

Overall, The Spellshop is a charming, feel-good fantasy that prioritizes atmosphere and character over action-packed adventure. If you’re in the mood for a book about finding a new path, the magic of books, and a touch of romance, this is a perfect pick.

This book is honestly like a warm, magical, can’t help but smile throughout and just makes you feel good, hug! The perfect cosy read anytime of the year with magical, small town, low stakes, sweet heart warming romance and found family vibes to top it all off!

If you’re a fan of legends and lattes I feel like you’d really enjoy this!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book ✨

This novel is a sweet, cosy fantasy position, but unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it. I liked the main character and adored Caz, who wouldn’t, but I had trouble getting into the story. It didn’t interest me, and I usually enjoy cosy stories. It also felt like the author tried to differentiate the novel from other cosy fantasy positions by creating original creatures and characters with usual skin colours, which felt forced.

4/5⭐️
0/5🌶️

The Spellshop is cosy fantasy meets cottagecore. Kiela is a librarian in the Great Library of Alyssium when she is forced to flee with her assistant Caz, a sentient spider plant, as a fire engulfs the library during a revolution overthrowing the monarchy. She saves several cratefuls of the library’s spellbooks and sails to the remote island she was born in. Her attempt to lie low in her parent’s old cottage is thwarted, however, by a handsome but nosy neighbor and her own pesky need to somehow support herself. Things become more complicated when she decides to open a jam shop as a front for selling illegal spells disguised as folk remedies to save the dying island.

This was just the perfect cosy fantasy. From the few pages of the first chapter, I knew I was going to love this book, and I was indeed utterly charmed by it. This cosy fantasy delivered charming characters in a wholesome setting, a sweet slowburn romance, and a welcoming found family. It was just very cute, joyful, and delightfully heartfelt. I like to have a bit more stakes in my own cosy fantasy reads, and this one gave that to me while not having it be too great to alienate fans of low stake cosy fantasies.

I just loved Kiela because I just completely meshed with her introverted personality and her love of books. She is socially awkward, overanalyzes things, and reads for fun. What’s not to love? I also loved her relationship with her sentient plant assistant Caz who was just a sheer delight. Oh Caz, for a plant, he is so full of personality, helpfulness, playful antics, and even some snark and sarcasm. And then there’s Larran—the kind, handsome, and gentle man who raises merhorses, has a bit of a boundary/personal space issue, and is utterly lovesick over oblivious Kiela. Their awkward and sweet romance could not have been more perfect.

The Spellshop gave me everything I could want from a cosy fantasy.

<3

TROPES/GENRES:
- cosy fantasy
- friends to lovers
- neighbours
- hurt/comfort
- small town

Thank you NetGalley & Pan MacMillan for this proof in exchange for an honest review!