When I read the first book in this series I was not really into the cosy books yet. Now however I absolutely crave them. When I saw this book on Netgalley I therefore had to request a digital copy and luckily Tor granted my request!

This genre, more than other books, leans on the connection between the reader and the characters. And in this book it felt like I was reading about me. Especially the heroine and I are alike and I loved seeing her deal with the challenges I deal with on a daily basis. I also liked the hero of the story. He is quiet, he is not a talker and he's not a people person, but his heart is so beautiful and it was therefore so easy to fall in love with him.

I also loved the setting of this book. The greenhouse felt like a complete magical world. We've seen quite some awesome places in this book and yet it feels like there might and can be even more. The author did an amazing job combining nature and magic. And I especially loved the little dragons and their labyrinth and of course all the talking plants! I'm not even a plant person and yet I really wished I could visit this place.

The author also did an amazing job connecting this book with the first book in the series, while also making sure that this book can be read as a stand-alone. If you haven't read the first book yet and this one speaks to you, you can totally start with this one and you will enjoy it without missing much. If you did read the first book, like I did, there are a few moments when you will smile because there is a nod towards that book. I hope the author has some more ideas for books in this world.

Ternu was such a great and relatable character. If you have read The Spellshop, you will know Ternu as the librarian who used illegal magic to create Caz, our favourite sentient spiderplant, because she was lonely. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and left in the library.

She wakes up in the snow, alone, no library in sight. Upon search, she finds greenhouses, room after room full of wonder and beautiful plants, but no one is in sight. Until she stumbles upon a grumpy gardener, Yarrow.

This is a story that has wrapped itself around my heart and will stay there forever. Forever!!!
It will give you everything, a story of kindness, belonging, perseverance, and finding ones own place in life. A story about 2 people and a lot of plants, that will make you dream beautiful rooms full of tiny dragons, underwater plants and turles, singing plants... story of beautiful imagination and beautiful writing.

It's a story that highlights the need for human connection, the need for it, that reinforces the motto "one day at a time." Seriously finishing it meant I was sorry I wasn't at this island as well. Terlu, send some honey cakes!!!

I understand this won't be for everyone, but It was perfection for me. I love nature, plants, preparing nutrition food, and finding joy in small things around you. But mostly what spoke to me are these two people who find support and acceptance from each other. Because that's how love feels, truly!

Title: The Enchanted Greenhouse
Series: Spellshop - Book 2 (standalone)
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Genre: Cosy fantasy

Book in emojis: 🌸🪏🪴🏝️🏡🪄🌻💖

About:
This standalone follows Terlu Perna, the creator of Caz the spider plant from The Spellshop after her brief stint as a statue (her punishment for using illegal spell work to create Caz). She wakes up on a nearly-deserted island in the middle of winter and stumbles upon hundreds of enchanted greenhouses and a somewhat reclusive gardener. Terlu, who one would expect to wish to return home, falls in love with the magical world of these greenhouses and instead decide to stay and help.

My thoughts:
As with the first standalone book in the series, The Enchanted Greenhouse felt like a warm hug and a cup of hot chocolate in a cold winter’s day. Sentient plants that are both adorable and funny, tiny dragons that hoard treasure, and magic that creates wonders but also destroys if it’s not stopped in time makes this a truly enjoyable read. It is however, the friendship and community built between all the book’s characters that truly makes the story what it is. A story about giving yourself, and others a second chance, a story about self discovery, and a story of finding one’s place in the world with the people (or plants) that make your community.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan / Tor for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

#cozyfantasy #cozy #fantasy #sarahbethdurst #theenchantedgreenhouse #spellshop2 #netgalley

I loved the Spellshop, so I was so glad to be back in the same magical and cosy world. This one follows a different set of characters, one that is briefly mentioned in The Spellshop, so this could be definitely read as a standalone.

The romance in this was slow and subtle, and my favourite trope: grumpy X sunshine, so I very much enjoyed that aspect of it. Terlu definitely helped to bring Yarrow out of his shell.

This book was maybe a little bit slower paced than the Spellshop, but around about half way it picked up a lot.

It had a flying cat, mini dragons, talking plants, and, of course, an enchanted greenhouse, and so much more magic that definitely added to the cosy feels.

I really enjoyed this book!

when I read the Spellshop, I always wondered what happened to the librarian that created Cass and it was a joy to finally read her story. This book is a perfect example of a cozy read. I adored Terlu, really sympathized with her feelings of loneliness. The grumpy/sunshine trope is strong here, Yarrow is a lovable grump and by the end I was really invested in both Characters.

The plot and pacing were good and I felt invested throughout.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys cozy fiction with a grumpy/sunshine romance subplot.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

This is my second book that I read by Sarah Beth Durst, and I must say that I love how she writes cozy fantasy, in this case we have as an element the magical greenhouses.

Terlu has committed a serious fault within the magical laws and therefore has been condemned to be a statue, when years later she wakes up she realizes that she is in a totally deserted place, well except for a grumpy gardener with whom she will have to interact if they want to rescue these greenhouses that are being drained of the magic needed to maintain themselves.

It's always a good time for a cozy read, and on this island you won't be immune to how beautiful everything is.

I can only say that you must read it, you are sure to have a great time with Terlu and her plants.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

Thanks to the publishers for an arc!

I loved The Spellshop so I was SUPER excited to read this one! I enjoy the fact that it’s in the same world with the same main character as well! It’s starts off a little like woah, what happened, but then the story evolves and we get introduced to the magical greenhouses and more talking plants. This book was literally a hug in a book and I will happily re-read in the winter when I need those cosy vibes. I would like a winged cat please, where can I get one? Also, handsome gardener Yarrow…we can be friends! The pullunating dragons were adorable as well. I liked Terlu as a character too, she was just craving human interaction and I think Yarrow was a good fit for her story, but it was good how the theme of loneliness was portrayed throughout the book. I must say though I did get a little fed up of allll the talking plants, I like a few but it felt like there were more talking plants than characters and it made it hard to fully invest. Overall, a good read and like I said, a re-read in the ‘ber’ months is most likely. 4 stars from me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In The Enchanted Greenhouse, we follow a young ex-librarian stepping into a new chapter of her life as she is turned back to human form after years of being trapped in a statue. She finds herself in on an island inhabited only by a shy, quite reclusive gardener... and some delightful magical creatures! The island has a set of enchanted greenhouses at its centre, but the magic sustaining them seems to be failing... and something needs to be done about it. Between forbidden magic, the development of a gentle romance and meetings with unexpected creatures, the ex-librarian (and ex-statue) finds herself on a cozy adventure that truly marks a new beginning for her.

I adored The Spellshop, so I was thrilled to return to this magical, cozy world the author has created. This one didn’t capture me quite as much (I'd rate it around 3.75) but I still really enjoyed it.

I loved the magical atmosphere, the total acceptance the main characters show one another, and the way they hype each other’s strengths, even when they don’t see those strengths in themselves. The romance was absolutely adorable. And the magical creatures? The collection of sentient plants, the flying cat, and the mini dragons - I loved every single one!

I’m not sure I can pinpoint exactly what didn’t fully click for me... maybe it just didn’t sweep me up like the first book did. It also took a while before I really felt the stakes, even though they were personal and fitting for a cozy fantasy.

I’d definitely recommend this to fans of cozy fantasy and anyone who loves stories with adorable magical creatures and gentle, affirming relationships.

Fans of Sarah Beth Durst's previous offering, The Spellshop, will find much to love in this companion novel. While it is not essential to have read The Spellshop to enjoy The Enchanted Greenhouse , there are a few references that will mean more to those who have. In this book we follow Terlu, a young librarian who was turned into a statue as punishment for illegally using magic to create a sentient plant companion. When she wakes up from the spell and finds herself in a mysterious greenhouse she has no idea of what happened to break the spell, where she is or how she even got there. The only other person on the island is Yarrow, a grumpy but kind gardener who is far more interested in the greenhouses that cover the island and the plants that fill them and unfortunately he thinks that Terlu is a powerful magician who can restore the magic of the island and fix the failing greenhouses. When he learns that she is not a magician and has only ever cast one spell he is so distraught that Terlu is moved to try to help, researching the papers left behind by the magician who created the island and unleashing all kinds of havoc in her attempts to fix the ailing island. Invariably the situation brings the couple together, and along with a winged cat, some miniature dragons and several sentient plants they fight against time to solve the puzzle of what has gone wrong.
This is such a cute, cozy, charming read, a real feel good book, and I had such a fun time reading it. I loved the character of Terlu so much and really enjoyed seeing her come out of her shell and gain self confidence over the course of the book. There is some heaviness to counterbalance the sweet, with a theme of loss and grief that permeates the story, but it is handled well and added another dimension to the story that I really appreciated. The grumpy /sunshine trope is used to great effect but even at his grumpiest Yarrow is still such a kind and supportive character that it is impossible not to root for this couple to get together but be patient, it is definitely a slow burn.
If you are familiar with this series you know to expect low stakes and a gentle pace, so if that is not your thing this might not be the book for you, but if you want a book that feels like a hug from your best friend this might be right what you are looking for.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I was looking forward to this book, even if I was a little disappointed to learn there’d be no Caz in this story!
The sequel to "The Spellshop" but this time the focus shifts to Terlu, Caz’s creator, who broke the law by creating a sentient spider plant out of loneliness and was punished by being turned into a statue. She wakes up years later on a quiet, snow-covered island filled with magical greenhouses that are slowly dying. Taken in by a grumpy gardener (with a soft side, obvs), Terlu finds purpose again, trying to save the island’s failing ✨ magic ✨ with a little help from some talking plants and a flying cat.

There are plenty of sweet and whimsical elements here: animated flora, cosy baking scenes, and second chances but overall, I felt a bit... lukewarm. The pacing dragged for me, and while the book aimed to explore grief, guilt, and starting over, I didn’t feel much emotional connection to the characters. I wanted to love it more than I did, and I am a bit disappointed that I didn't...

Overall, I'd still recommend this book as I think it’ll still be a comforting read for fans of quiet, low-stakes fantasy, especially those who love plant magic and soft stories about healing.

3.25/5 ⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst is a warm, whimsical fantasy that delights in quiet magic and the comfort of found family. Set in a greenhouse teeming with sentient plants, singing flowers, and even miniature dragons, the book is filled with enchanting details and gentle humour. While the story takes its time to find its rhythm, once it does, it blossoms into a heart warming tale about second chances and belonging. The subtle romance adds a soft emotional thread, and the cosy, low-stakes tone makes it a perfect escape for readers who enjoy comforting, feel-good reads.

Although the pacing is slow at first and a few moments feel a little convenient or repetitive, the charm and creativity of the world more than make up for it. The nods to The Spellshop were a lovely touch, though you don’t need to have read it to enjoy this story. Durst has a talent for crafting magical spaces that feel lived-in and full of heart. The Enchanted Greenhouse may not be action-packed, but it’s a soothing, satisfying read that lingers like the scent of blooming herbs—gently magical and unexpectedly moving. A solid 4-star read.

4.5⭐

The Enchanted Greenhouse is a cozy fantasy book.It follows librarian Terlu Purna, who was punished for using illegal magic by being turned into a wood statue. Years later, she awakens in a magical greenhouse on a distant island where the lone remaining gardener who is struggling to maintain things after the death of the death of the island wizard and the degradation of the spells maintaining the greenhouses.

We get a grumpy/sunshine slowburn romance with a plus-size heroine, more sentient plant companions, and a lovely story about letting people in, finding healing, and embodying your purpose.I loved the gentle pacing, the whimsical setting, and how wholesome this book felt the whole way through.

Terlu is such an adorable FMC. I wanted to protect her from the start and was fully rooting for her. And Yarrow? Grumpy, patient, and soo quietly supportive. If you're looking for a green flag MMC, look no further.
Their relationship is full of care and respect, and I was SQUEALING when they finally kissed.


"Thank you netgalley for the arc "

After enjoying The SpellShop by Sarah Beth Durst, I decided to give this book a try, hoping for a similarly charming experience. While there’s no doubt that this story is filled with unique, fun, and lovable characters, I came to realise that cosy, slow-paced reads might not be for me.

Although I did enjoy aspects of the book, I found it lacked the excitement I typically look for—I was never particularly eager to jump into the next chapter. That said, if gentle, heartwarming stories are your thing, this is definitely a cute and comforting read to get lost in. It just wasn’t quite the right fit for my personal taste.

⋆｡°✩ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ✩°｡⋆

ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ : The Enchanted Greenhouse
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ : Sarah Beth Durst
ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ : Book 2 in the Spellshop Series
ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅ: E-book

Tropes:
⚬ Magic & Spells & Sentient Plants
⚬ Cozy Fantasy
⚬ Grumpy x Sunshine
⚬ Cottage core
⚬ Found family
⚬ Secluded Island

The Enchanted Greenhouse is about Terlu, the librarian who casted the spell to create Caz. This follows her waking up on a strange island that houses a massive greenhouse and its sole occupant is a grumpy man. Terlu doesn't want to go home, she sees the island needs help and is determined to do whatever she can to help the island flourish again.

Terlu is SUCH a sweetheart omg. I really love her and i feel so sorry for her being encased in wood for 6 years. It broke my heart when she found out how long it had really been. She is such a people person and i was so worried for her being on such a isolated island. I love all the non human sidekicks as well, Cute cats with wings and talking rose!? That was so fun! Yarrow is such a grumpy grump and i love how cute and cozy it is, You can understand why he's such a grump but you sit and wish so much he will warm to Terlu!

I love a grumpy x sunshine trope doesn't matter which way round the tropes are i always really enjoy the book! Also the fun little Easter Eggs of the previous books was so good! Also shout out to the mini dragons OMG SO CUTE!

I cannot wait to see what else this author brings us from this world!

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2025/07/14/review-the-enchanted-greenhouse-spellshop-2-by-sarah-beth-durst/
My Five Word TL: DR Review: Sweet as Sweet Can Be

The Enchanted Greenhouse is a companion novel set in the same world as The Spellshop. In fact it brings to us a character that we hear about in that first novel, a young woman called Terlu Perna who broke the law of the land by using magic (without being a sorcerer) and, in order to make an example of her, was sentenced rather harshly to be turned into a wooden statue on permanent display at the library of Alyssium – a perfect deterrent to others who might be similarly tempted.

I would say that I really don’t think you need to have read The Spellshop in order to pick this up – obviously some of the characters and places are mentioned here which was nice but this works perfectly as a standalone. In my opinion The Spellshop had a little more of an edge than this one so I would heartily recommend you to pick it up but equally you could start with this one and work back.

This is cosy romantasy at it’s best. If that’s not your thing then you have been warned. This is charmingly cosy, it’s like a warm hug and a cup of steaming cocoa. There is no high stakes here and the ending is blissfully lovely not to mention squeakily clean. So, if you want angst, anger, drama, warfare, fighting or sexy times then you need to look elsewhere. Instead, what The Enchanted Greenhouse gives you is a lovely pair of characters, brought together out of necessity who eventually become totally smitten.

To be honest it would be hard not to love this book in so many ways. The setting is lovely, I do love a bit of gardening so the greenhouses and it’s plants and inhabitants were great to read about. There’s plenty of magic and mishaps. Terlu isn’t a sorcerer – but she is clever – so she eventually works out how to use the books left behind by the previous sorcerer (long since passed away) and creator of the greenhouses.

Just by way of a little background – Terlu mysteriously awakens on a lonely island in the midst of winter with no idea of how she came to be there or how she found herself resurrected from her ‘statue’ condition. The island is home of many beautiful and interconnected greenhouses, they go from wonder to wonder, packed with magical and sentient plants and tiny little pollinating dragons. The only other inhabitant is a grumpy, yet indecently handsome gardener who appears to be supremely disappointed when he learns that Terlu is not a sorcerer. It seems that the magical greenhouses are beginning to fail, some of them have already fallen into decay, the plants have died and Yarrow (aforementioned gardener) is desperate for a solution. As mentioned above Terlu has of course used magic successfully before and once she sets her mind to helping the two have quite a few excursions in the search for answers.

The romance here is a nice slow pace. Both characters have certain things holding them back. Terlu is constantly aware of the fact she’s breaking the law and has no desire to return to the state of being a statue. Yarrow is filled with guilt and despair over the plants and greenhouses already lost, he feels let down by his family and indeed the sorcerer whose magic is now sputtering out and having spent many years alone, and feeling that this would be his lot in life, coming into contact with the quite bubbly and never endingly curious Terlu is a bit of a shock at first.

Certainly this book is about second chances and in that respect it works perfectly. It was delightfully easy to read, Yarrow and Terlu make a lovely couple (Yarrow is particularly easy on the eye and too good to be true in so many ways – thoughtful, great cook, caring – if he was any more perfect it would be positively illegal).

The only minor issue, which held this book back a little by comparison to the Spellshop, was the lack of any real tension, which, you kind of expect with the whole ‘cosy’ genre, and yet I felt the first book raised the stakes a little bit. I also felt that there came a point where the deserted island began to feel a bit lacking – even though we had plenty of active and talkative plants, I wanted a bit more company, something to disrupt things a little – which, of course, eventually happens.

All told this was such a delicious little book, dripping in honey cakes and other goodies that will make your mouth water (Yarrow at all!) If you’re in the mood for wonderfully cosy then this could go to the top of your list.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

I really thought that this is like a sequel to The Spellshop, but honey this was just in the same world with different main characters to love.

The author is really in her cozy fantasy era that she is living it by her novels.

I am in love with Sarah for embodying a plus-size heroine in a cozy fantasy book, with slow burn romance and a story about healing and finding and knowing your purpose.

I can't wait for the readers to finally divulge into her new book. It's just amazing

I was very excited to receive this book as an ARC from Netgalley! I loved 'The Spellshop' and couldn't wait to get back into that world :)

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst is a cosy fantasy set on a faraway island full of enchanted greenhouses that house every species of plant imaginable (and some you wouldn’t imagine too).

Terlu Perna, a librarian, broke the law by bringing a spider plant to life for some company, as a result she was harshly penalised and sentenced to being turned into a statue. Over her 6 years as a statue she slowly loses sense of the passing of time before next thing she knows she wakes up freezing on the forest floor in a place she doesn’t recognise, with nobody around and upon exploring, nothing to see but an endless maze of greenhouses. Terlu eventually bumps into a quiet and seemingly grumpy gardener and sets about trying to befriend him and understand where she is and what is going on.

It turns out that she is on an island that used to be home to a sorcerer who created enchantment after enchantment to turn the island into a paradise! However, it turns out some of these enchantments are failing and it is down to Terlu and Yarrow to figure out a way to stop it from happening.

The Enchanted Greenhouse is a delightfully cosy and warm (despite the freezing temperatures) fantasy with a whole host of magic and whimsy along the way including a flying cat, teacup sized dragons, and sentient singing plants. The book is full of fantastically wholesome moments that make your heart smile and you cannot help but root for both Terlu and Yarrow. Durst created two extremely likable MC’s and went even further by adding in a bunch of very likable side characters too! It’s hard not to enjoy the journey!

I had times that I didn’t like the book and it took me a little while to realise why, and once I did I was able to get over it and enjoy it the way I should. My issue was how much I related to Terlu and how much I saw myself in her behaviour, actions, and thoughts (although thankfully not the 6 years as a statue bit). It felt like looking in a mirror and seeing myself and I did not like it at all until it clicked why I felt that way! Once I did I was able to get over myself! Durst does a wonderful job creating a MC who feels cripplingly human and real. Terlu is riddled with anxieties and doubts, she is scared to pursue things in case they go wrong, she is constantly worried about misinterpreting situations, what others think of her, what might go wrong, basically anything and everything. I think it takes true skill to craft a character who is so overwhelmingly human in her mindset.

It’s a lovely read and is far deeper than it appears on the surface. Durst does a thorough examination of human anxieties and the book is much the greater for it!

I had loved The Spellshop so much, I had to request this second book in the series. They are interconnected, there are a few mentions of characters from the 1st book, but nothing crazy. I don't know if it's the book or the mood, but this one wasn't as amazing as the first one. Some parts seemed too long for my taste, but I still enjoyed the cozy elements from it. If you're looking for talking plants, definitely check this one out !

Sarah Beth Durst really is in her cozy fantasy era and I can only approve of that. She's back with a companion novel to "The Spellshop", but the two books are only loosely connected and you can totally just read "The Enchanted Greenhouse" if you want to. This time we get the cozy goodness on a lonely island inhabited by a handsome gardener and his winged cat, a bunch of singing and talking plants, flower birds and the cutest little pollinating dragons. The island is also home to said enchanted greenhouse, which actually is a huge structure of hundreds of greenhouses, one more magical than the next. It's also the place where the main character Terlu finds herself after she spent some time as a statue, now back in flesh and bone and with no idea how and why she ended up there. She meets the handsome but unsocial gardener Yarrow and soon learns that the greenhouses are progressively dying as the old spellwork begins to falter. It seems like it's up to her to renew the spells, although that's what got her severely punished via statuefication in the first place. Still, Terlu can't just do nothing, and so she starts to sort out the mess of the previous sorcerer while also making a new home for herself. Learning a new craft or fixing something up is an important part of a cozy fantasy for me, and I'm glad that it's included in this story as well. There is way less gardening than I expected there to be, at least by the main character, but Terlu was more responsible for the "enchanted" part than for the "greenhouse" part of "The Enchanted Greenhouse". I also liked her as a character in general. She was craving human connection but had a hard time with actually finding it, because she just always ends up in lonely places and tries way to hard when it comes to other people. Yarrow is a good match as her quiet counterpart, only getting chatty when it comes to the plants of the greenhouse. He did feel almost too perfect in the beginning, though. He was passionately working on the island all alone, but as soon as Terlu arrived he was super considerate to her as a stranger, letting her live in his house and providing her with a sheer infinite amount of delicious food. It was a bit too much for me. His character eventually got some depth when his relationship with his family was explored, so it was fine in the end. Terlu and Yarrow's relationship was ok, but it was annoying how Terlu thought that Yarrow actually disliked her while she was also strangely horny for him since their very first meeting. It's the same dynamic as in "The Spellshop", and I couldn't stand it there either. (Girl, if he cooks and bakes for you everyday and lets you sleep in his bed and helps you with literally everything all day long, he likes you.) I also must admit that I wasn't a fan of the talking plants. I can deal with one or two, but a whole group is a lot, especially with the severe lack of human characters in the first half of the story. They were quirky and diverse, but they just didn't feel like actual characters to me. It got better when more humans joined the story and I liked how the lonely island slowly turned into a lively community again. The theme of loneliness was interesting and I liked how it was portrayed in such a variety: being left behind, being forced to be alone, being peacefully by yourself, being lonely even when surrounded by people. That part was done very well in my opinion and it gave more depth to an otherwise cozy and light story. I think it could have been a little shorter, but overall a good read for me.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan / Tor for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.