This book is a perfect cozy, low stakes fantasy. It did feel a little slow at times, but that's me comparing it to the higher stakes fantasy. This book is a casual summer breeze in a world full of storms. I loved the world building, it's subtle but beautifully written, it felt very dreamy. I could smell the salty breeze and feel the sun warming up my space. The Island of Caltrey sounds like a gorgeous, quaint coastal town, full of vibrant characters. There's the usual variety of race amongst the fantasy characters, but the star of the book for me was Caz. Who wouldn't want a sentient spider plant as a bestie?!
You will also find the classic 'sunny/grumpy' romance trope here, with Kiela, our blue hair, blue skinned FMC as the grump. Honestly, I related to her so much, when she reminisces on the night of her initiation into the library, the 'party', in which they are given free reign to read what the want for hours, get cake and leave without a word.... Yes please! My dream scenario!
She's not an easy character to love by any means, but I really liked her and understood her desire for solitary life.
The way she writes magic into the story is, well, magical. Very well written. It's clear Sarah Beth Durst is a well seasoned writer.

Overall, it's a lovely, slow paced fantasy novel that will be perfect for those long, slow summer days.

Cozy cottagecore fantasy meets small-town romance in Sara Beth Durst's The Spellshop, a charming but slightly too wholesome adventure full of whimsical magic, second chances, unexpected friendships, lively sentient plants, and blooming love.

When rebellion in the capital brutally turns Kiela’s comfortable life in the library upside down, she and her sentient spider plant Caz save as many forbidden spell books as they can and flee to the small sheltered island where Kiela grew up. In order to survive, the introverted and socially awkward librarian decides to open an illegal spellshop disguised as a jam shop, and soon she is faced with all the delights and horrors of a small-town community; town gossip, meddling friends, rude customers, and of course a very handsome nosy neighbour who might be able to help her outrun the past that is catching up to her.

Now, I will have to admit it’s honestly quite an impressive feat of writing when the best character in a book is a sassy and slightly anxious sentient plant; where can I find myself a companion like Caz? If only the rest of this cast of intriguing characters had been just as vibrant and full of personality, this book could have been an absolute gem for me.

Honestly, if I think of The Spellshop as a small-town contemporary romance with some whimsical magical elements, it absolutely works. But as a proper cozy fantasy that tries to introduce solid world building and political stakes, it honestly just falls apart. Despite its slow pacing, the plot is quite hectic and hinders the development of the characters and their interpersonal relationships, which should have been the heart of the story.

On the surface, I quite liked Kiela as a protagonist, and I probably related a lot more to her disastrous social awkwardness than I would probably like to admit. Even though she lacks some emotional depth and has a very predictable character arc, I still enjoyed following her as she reinvented herself and refamiliarised herself with the little town she grew up in.

Her dynamic with the townspeople was honestly quite amusing and heartwarming, and even though their relentless kindness felt a bit unbelievable, I still liked the found family vibes that slowly started to develop. And then there’s the muscular seahorse breeder with a tragic backstory… cue the romance! Again, I liked their sickeningly sweet dynamic on paper, but I would have loved to spend more time actually developing their romance to really feel all the feels. Plus, there are significant hints at trauma for multiple characters that we just do not explore at all, which really hindered my immersion and emotional investment.

Ultimately, I think The Spellshop is just a perfectly fine version of a romantic cozy comfort read that delivers exactly what it promises; the atmosphere of the small town on the isolated island is delightfully quaint, the magical elements are wonderfully whimsical (sentient plants, winged cats, tree sprites, unpredictable spells), and the tender childhood friends to lovers romance is entirely too wholesome.

Even though it lacked a certain little spark for me that makes it stand out from the rest of the cozy crowd, I still think The Spellshop is a nice light-hearted escapist adventure if you just turn off your critical brain. If you want a more high-stakes and romantic version of Legends & Lattes, I’d recommend giving this a shot. And if nothing else, read it for Caz the sentient spider plant!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Looking for a cosy fantasy? Look no further. This is the cosiest of fantasies. In her acknowledgements, Sarah Beth Durst admits that she was aiming to write a book which embodied the qualities of a good hot chocolate - comforting, warm, and full of sugar - and there's no question that she has achieved that vision.

We're given romantasy, we're given cottagecore, we're given jam and pregnant mythical sea creatures when we're introduced to Kiela, a librarian from the Great Library of Alyssium who is in the process of fleeing for her life to the island of her birth. We're also given her sentient, spider-plant companion Caz (goats, stay back!), and her delightfully two-dimensional, muscled-and-kind love interest Larran (not just the boy-next-door, he's ... literally pretty much just that? With added merhorses?). Add in an ambulant succulent, a furred baker, a mysterious semi-drowned redhead, a centaur whose clothes descriptions I still can't wrap my head around, and one grumpy neighbour, and you have a cast of characters for the fluffiest book you'll read in 2024.

Substance? Never heard of her. Baked goods? We have lots of them here.

You will adore this book if you're looking for a slice of escapist, cotton-candy sweet pie, or as one other reviewer has put it, you've ever dreamt of running away to live in Stardew Valley or on an Animal Crossing island. If you're looking for anything other than this, stay far away - this book does what it says on the tin, and does it very well.

This book was perfect. Imagine coming home from a cold evening and sitting next to a fire and then some one hands you a hot chocolate and you take your first sip and the warmth spreads right into your bones, thats how this book makes you feel. I immediately need more stories of Caz and meep. This book made me laugh, smile and cry tear of happiness.
I absoutley loved it and will never not recommend it to anyone and everyone.

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒋𝒊𝒔: 📚🪴🌊🫐🌳🦄🧜🏼‍♀️✨🐓

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕:
A Cozy and whimsical Cottagecore Fantasy that follows introverted librarian Kiela and her sentient plant companion as they flee to Kiela’s childhood home, the island of Caltrey, in the wake of unrest and rebellion.

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕:
🪴Sentient Plants & Magical Creatures
📚Cozy Cottagecore Vibes
🪴Magic & Spells
📚A Sweet Slow burn romance (no spice)
🪴He Builds her bookshelves! (AKA a dream man)
📚Found Family

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘:
This was a wonderfully light and easy read that felt like being wrapped in a warm hug. It was delightfully calming, whimsical and cozy with a relatably introverted slightly socially awkward book loving FMC and a plethora of fantastical magical characters and creatures. If you’re a fan of low stakes fantasies and enjoyed books such as Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea and Legend and Lattes then you’re in for a treat!
Kiela’s cottage and the island of Caltrey sound like an absolute DREAM to me I’d love to live there!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for an earc- this is my honest review 💜

𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

{AD} This was such a lovely and heartwarming read. It had my favourite found-family trope, a slow-burn romance, and an evocative island setting. Caz was incredible (he's a sentient spider plant!) and Meep was so cute. Pure cottagecore that envelopes the reader in a warm and comforting hug.

This was the cosy fantasy that I didn’t know I needed in my life…… it is the perfect amount of high stakes and cosy that it was a joy to read…. Book loving librarian and a sentient plant who escapes home in boat saving spell books and starts making jam! I absolutely loved this and am definitely buying a physical copy!

Today is my stop on the tour for The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst 💖 Thank you so much to the lovely Olivia-Savannah and Pan MacMillan/book break uk for my gorgeous copy and for having me on the tour!

I have been so excited to read this, I’m on a cosy fantasy high right now and this just screams CUTE!

I immediately fell in love with Kiela, the quote “It wasn’t that she didn’t like people. It was only that she liked books more” is such a vibe, I completely relate to that 🤣 And Caz the sentient spider plant was so sassy and such a fun sidekick! I really enjoyed Kiela’s character development and how she starts to open up to the people of the town and make friends!

I loved reading this so much I finished it in one sitting, it was one of the best evenings I’ve had in a while! 😂 I loved everything about this so much, the worldbuilding was so fun and I really enjoyed the creative use of the spells and especially the Jam store front to hide the illegal magic!

This is such an amazing cosy read and perfect for fans of Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea & Legends and Lattes!

The author described wanting to write a book that was like ' drinking a mug of hot chocolate'. And she nailed that feeling. This is peak cosy fantasy. Our main character kiela works in a library, however it has burnt down and she must leave and start over. She moves with her sentient plant Caz and sets up shop in a small rural community who of course immediately take her in.
Its such a wonderful cosy low stakes read, yes the plot moves slow and there isn't much tension but that is the point. Its like a warm hug slice of life read. There is still an underlying plot, and sweet friendships and romance elements, so it still moves forward, but just at a gentle pace. You could dip in and out of this book as you want, and just escape from the stress and rush of life for a while.
As always with these cosy fantasies the side characters often end up my favourite and this was no exception. I could spend more time with any of the characters here.

There was some beautiful worldbuilding elements, but I felt I wanted a little more out of it, some plot areas seemed mentioned then never brought up again such as the politics of the world and how it influences our characters. But ultimately, exactly as described, cosy and sweet and warm and fuzzy, with some humorous elements thrown in.

This book is a very cute, fluffy cosy fantasy perfect for curling up with under a blanket.
The stakes here are very low, at least on the surface however, when you get attached to the people who live on the small island of Caltrey (which you will) you will realise how high they are through their eyes. While they aren't anything world-shattering or truly perilous, for a small town-cosy read they are enough to underpin the plot and move the story along steadily.

This was my first Sarah Beth Durst book, and it won't be my last. I really enjoyed the writing style. It was so easy to read and the pages flew by, but it still had enough description to allow me to build up pictures of the setting and characters and get invested in the story.

This is honestly the ultimate cosy fantasy, and I recommend for anyone who loves Travis Baldree or TJ Klune.
Also it has one of the most beautiful covers I've seen this year!

Cosy fantasy with low grade angst, a side order of slow-burn romance subplot and a hiding in plain sight FMC. And can I just say sentient, talking spider plant as a bestie???? Best match up ever!

Kiela loves being a librarian, she can hide out in the library with her books and rarely has to see anyone except the odd student or academic. But when a change in power leads to a revolt, she and her assistant/friend/plant Caz save as many books as they can and make for the only place she thinks they will be safe - her small, out of the way home village.

The house she inherited is more run down than she thought and she has to make a living somehow so she decides to use some of her mothers recipes and open a Jam Shop. But the locals need a helping hand, they are being left to deal with rogue magic which is causing more harm than good.
So she may or may not be doing some magic spells on the sly!

Then there's the slightly grumpy but very handy neighbour. He's fixing up her shop and generally being irritatingly helpful! They also have a connection from Kiela's past and she is feeling oddly ...not irritated by his presence!

This cosy fantasy is everything I wanted. Friendly, witty and engaging characters, diverse and welcoming islanders, talking spider plants and many other magical creatures. It's fantasy that reminds me an awful lot of Terry Pratchett's DiscWorld - fantasy with a huge dollop of humour and irreverence for itself! I cannot wait for more!

This is one of those books that I'm happy I read, will absolutely recommend to people, but other than that, don't really have a lot to say about. It's a cozy, wholesome fantasy, with a cute romance, and plant companions that make for some really adorable friendships. It's about finding your place in the universe, and helping people and the world for the sake of kindness. There are merhorses, merbabies, cats with wings, and a lot of other fun elements. The nature descriptions are lovely, too.

A big part of the story is Kiela figuring out how to survive in her old home, and setting up a spellshop/jam shop, so you get parts that are just her figuring out recipes for both. It didn't quite hook me in the way Legends & Lattes did, but that may also just have been my mood. It does start off quite slow, but by the time I was halfway through, I was pretty into it.

The romance between Kiela and Larran is sweet, even though I initially thought there was a bit too much dislike for very little reason on Kiela's part. But that smoothed itself out as well.

🪴 Are you in need of cozy cottagecore fantasy? Look no further! The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst has exactly that in store (ha!) for you.

Kiela, an introverted librarian, has to flee the rebellion-ridden capital and returns to the small island where she grew up. She has a talking spiderplant with her, who is always ready with advice and puns. She encounters her family's old estate, a cottage (see the beautiful cover!), quaint villagers and her neighbour, a captivating seahorse breeder 😏

Oh, the atmosphere was really wonderful on this island. It was buzzing with magic and magical critters that appear in Kiela's Spellshop. The weather plays a big part, as does the sea - and of course the merhorses, although they really are the size of horses and you can ride them 🌊 small town vibes were totally present too. Lovely!

However, a few little things that add up in the end still bothered me.

The world building unfortunately had logical flaws - sure, cozy fantasy and all that, you can read past that, but here we actually have a somewhat dramatic plot. The magic system didn't really fit well with it or the behaviour of the islanders and the threat from outside was very naive and simple. Simplicity in all honour, but there was a point where I rolled my eyes and that's not a good sign 😅

The romance was pretty standard. I can summarize the love interest for you in a few words: Muscular merhorse breeder with tragic backstory that actually doesn't play a major role. Kiela's development was also... very standard? Not much different from any other small-town romance.

The highlight was the talking spider plant and the island atmosphere!

I would recommend this story to Cozy Fantasy and Cozy Romance fans 😁

Thank you Netgalley for this review copy.

When I heard about The Spellshop via TikTok, I was hooked. Low-stakes cosy fantasy with cottage-core vibes? Hell yes. I wanted to like the book so much. Unfortunately, the book fell utterly flat for me. Please, don't get me wrong: it is a cute cosy fantasy with cottage-core vibes but it isn't exactly a low-stakes cosy fantasy because the author included a rather big conflict towards the end.

What I did like was the wide variety of magical creatures that the author included in the book. Sentient plants? Yes. Merhorses and merfolk? Hell yes. Centaurs and other non-human beings that aren't just elves/fae? Yes.

And while I loved the inclusion of these elements, they highlight one of my issues with the book: the world-building. It is so extremely vague that it just disappoints me. A few points are explained as "magic created them" but that's it. I'm aware that cosy fantasy books tend to lack intensive world-building but I would appreciate it if authors of those novels would just put in some effort. I don't need Sanderson's massive worlds but at least enough to get an idea of the world where the book plays in.

Aside from the vague world-building, I didn't connect with any of the characters but especially not with Kiela. All characters are rather underdeveloped and require some editing to flesh them out but Kiela ... God, I disliked her so much at the end. She grew up loved by her parents (although partly it feels like she doesn't remember them very well, which is weird) and then lived very secluded in the Great Library of the Empire where she worked as a librarian. Her character relies very heavily on the "reclusive librarian who lives for books and hates people" trope and there's not much about her besides it. In the first half, she constantly reminds the reader that she hates to deal with people and doesn't trust anyone aside from her books. Unfortunately, she has zero skills to live on her own and requires constant help from the other characters, which in turn, is something that she hates. Most often, the help arrives in the form of her love interest to whom she is incredibly rude because of her distrust of people and because she's utterly set in her ways. The lack of social skills doesn't help either. It got annoying to read again how she berates herself again for trusting him despite him proving that he has no hidden agenda. Also, I didn't understand her logic concerning the books. First, she acts as if she is saving them from the revolution when it spills into the library, which is understandable in my opinion. As soon as she arrives at the island, she berates herself for taking the books with her because they are spellbooks and no one can know that she has them. Yet, she sets up a shop to sell jam and "remedies" (aka spells) to help the island. Of course, people realise rather soon what her remedies are but she still acts like "if we do not say it aloud, it is not true", which is the logic of a small child and not an adult woman. As for Larran, her love interest: he is a wet paper towel who has zero social skills either and cannot take a hint from her. The combined awkwardness from Kiela and Larran was too much and is utterly cringe-worthy.

As for their romance: what the fuck? It is instant love with zero chemistry and I don't understand why they fell for each other because their interactions are so awkward. I truly wish that the author would have left out their romance and the romance between two side characters (likely being the main characters in another book) and would have focused on friendship, found family and community as themes. It would have worked so much better, in my opinion, and not every book requires a romance.

Concerning the high stakes towards the end: it was so unnecessary and felt just like the typical third-act break-up in contemporary romances. It just added tension and stress for a few chapters until it gets solved rather smoothly and without any issues, because it is along the lines of "doing good deeds will always prevail".

TL;DR: Cosy fantasy with cottage-core vibes, insta-love, characters with poor social skills, sentient plants who can speak (either fluently or just "meep") and unrequired third-act tension plot. The main character basically oopsies her way into friendship and love. On the plus side: it is a fast and quick read.

This is a cosy cottage core romantasy book, reminded me a lot of Legends and Lattes which I adore!
I felt like this was a little bit higher stakes than the average cosy fantasy but there’s still a happily ever after. The side characters were great, especially the plants which are super cute vibes. There’s also found family and a bit of humour so overall really we’ll rounded in terms of theme. The world building was well done and the pace was great so I didn't lose interest after having a long break from reading! If you're looking for your next fun cosy fantasy book, this is for you!

📚 The Spellshop, by Sarah Beth Durst 📚

I loved all the cozy vibes in this magical, warm-hug book! Cozy fantasy is a risky one, as it can easily fall flat, but Sarah Beth Durst successfully created a whimsical world, full of intriguing creatures, heart-warming characters and So. Much. Coziness!!

The protagonist is a reclusive librarian who doesn't like to interact with people. After a revolution in the capital of the empire, she flees with five crates full of invaluable spellbooks to keep them safe, and finds herself back on her native island. Her idea of living in isolation (aside from her assistant and friend Caz, a sentient spider plant) fails very quickly, as the inhabitants of the small town draw her on with their warmth and care. Kiela needs an income, so she sets up a jam shop and begins selling little spells to help the island on the side. There's danger in this endeavour, as unsanctioned magic is illegal in the empire, but she is willing to take the risk to help save this island she finds herself loving so quickly.

It took me a while to warm to Kiela, as she was unnecessarily rude to people who were trying to simply be kind to her, especially her lovely neighbour Larran. There was significant character development throughout the book, though, which made her grow on me. Her best friend, spider-plant Caz, was one of my favourite characters in the whole book! Quirky, fiercely loyal and extremely smart, he was an excellent sidekick to Kiela! The inhabitants of the small town were also great - so welcoming and kind, for the most part, and with incredible diversity among them! I loved reading of all these different creatures living smoothly together and wish there was more space in the book dedicated to learning more about all of them.

The romance was slow-burn and heart-warming. Larran is a fantastic love interest and I loved his dedication to his merhorses! Oh, and "If you'd like, I could make you bookshelves." is the best romantic line ever 😇

The Spellshop has all the cozy vibes, yes, but it doesn't mean nothing happens. Low-stakes tensions are often in the background, with Kiela being worried the Empire will catch onto her illegal use of spells and a number of other events in the second half of the book. I enjoyed how the book kept me interested at all times while also maintaing this delightful feeling of a "warm hug" thanks to the whimsical magical creatures, the small-town welcoming vibes, the cottage in nature and the detailed-but-never-too-much descriptions of the island's beautiful landscapes.

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys cozy fantasy with low stakes, spellwork and slow-burn romance! Thanks to the Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I heard this was a cosy fantasy romance and ran to sign up for an early copy to read it! This was such an enchanting and comforting read, it’s very low stakes which makes for such a nice change when this genre is usually full of twists and cliffhangers.

The FMC is an introverted librarian of a spell shop, who lives with her sentient spider plant best friend. I loved the fantasy companions of the story, especially Caz the plant.

If you love a feel good and cosy read, then you need to pick this up immediately!

The author said she wanted to write a book that felt like a warm hug....and she succeeded!

Kiela is a librarian and when a revolution happens and the library burns, she sails to safety to the island she grew up on with Caz, a talking spider plant and some stolen goods! But Caltrey hasn't fared well since she's been gone.

What you then get is found family, island life, a close knit community, jam, friends and love! And it was beautiful!

I was so hooked, I just kept on reading until I finished and then I felt all warm and cozy!

Special mention to my favourite character, Caz, I need a talking spider plant in my life!

"This book is my gift to anyone who wants to escape and sink into a world filled with kindness and enchantment." - and this sums this wonderful book.

If you want a cozy, magical escape that feels like a warm blanket and a hot chocolate - This one's for you. I kept smiling while reading and got totally lost among the magical plants.

You can expect new friends, spells and wonders, amazing creatures and, of course, a love story.
Meep is my favorite character, and I want him in my life so badly!

I have totally fallen for the cosy fantasy genre and of course as soon as I saw The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst I knew I had to read it!

I couldn’t resist the character - Kiela, librarian in the Great Library whose life until now has revolved around her job, and her only company has been her assistant, the spider plant Caz! They are so amazing together! A revolution has come to the home of the Great Library, Alyssium and Kiela and Caz have no choice but to flee the city, saving as many books as they can carry.

Unfortunately this act makes Kiela an outlaw and her only option is to return to her homeland, the small island of Caltrey. Now Kiela needs to work out how to function in society and deal with real people and this is the story of just how she does that.

The first thing I must say is that the live thus author put into this book shines through. There is such warmth, love, kindness and forgiveness, with a small dash of conflict to keep the plot going that it just feels like a warm hug or hot cup of chocolate on a cold winter’s day.

I was also really impressed with how the author managed and described Kiela’s inability to cope with or like crowds and bustle. My daughter in neurodivergent and I recognised these aspects and the feelings they triggered for Kiela.

I have to say that most definitely yes, this is a cosy fantasy but, it doesn’t lack for plot or story and I adored the positivity that I found in it, from the adorable Kiera, the gorgeous island of Caltrey, Caz and I was truly immersed within their world.

Thank you Pan MacMillan, Tor and NetGalley for the arc of The Spellshop in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.