OMG this book was absolutely delightful and warmed me up from head to toe. A delicious blend of whimsical magic and grumpy sunshine that had me chuckling as early as Chapter 2 and smiling hugely by Chapter 26.

Corinthia is a sturdy, quiet, no-nonsense woman who believes in books, order, and logic. She allows herself the delights of chocolate, the comfort of her loyal hound, cozy blankets, and peaceful evenings after dutifully seeing to the needs of the library and its patrons.

Love, sweet kisses, eyelash batting, and the occasional flirtatious double entendre is much more the realm of her carefree environmental-focused best friend.

But a curious wind blows in a beautifully fragile, wonderfully sweet slip of a woman and Corinthia is suddenly believing in things she’s never even considered. Doing things she’s never done. Enjoying the peaceful sway of a silky blue sarong and naps on soft green moss.

Where did strait-laced Corinthia go? Can she allow herself to fully let go of all that she once held true and fall headfirst into the magic of the forest?

P.S. Buford was everything!!!!!!

A Nest of Magic is a quick and cozy fantasy. If you’re looking for rainbows, sunshine, and some lighthearted banter you’ve found the perfect read! This story follows Corinthia, a quirky librarian with a love for chocolate, novels, and her rescue dog, Beaufort. I really enjoyed the unique magic system, the sincere friendships, and the comforting warm atmosphere — especially the dreamy description of the library! I would love to have a further glimpse into the magic system and Rosemary’s story!

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was great! It did read very much YA, which doesn’t tend to be my favorite, but it worked well for the vibe of this book.

Thank you to Kate Moseman for the ALC of this book!

This was a really enjoyable lil cozy read that will be great for fall vibes! I think I would have enjoyed this more as a visual read, as the narrator (Hollie Jackson) has a very distinct voice and accent, and I am familiar with her more explicit narrations (specifically Ice Planet Barbarians) which made it difficult to get into the “cozy fantasy” headspace while listening.

That said, I still enjoyed this book! Corinthia’s grumpy well matched Rosemary’s sunshine, and the sort of sentient forest was a really fun concept! I would recommend this for those looking for a quick, lighthearted read with great sapphic representation and a fun little taste of magic!

The narration was really great for such a cozy and soft sapphic romance! The fantasy elements are low in a contemporary setting, but really hits the spot for someone wanting a cozy read. Our mc is a librarian who hates being outside (which is a whole-hearted mood), but ends up making a bet with her closest friend to walk into the nature preserve that's connected to the library. Once she does, a lot of amazing and mysterious things end up happening around her.. all while she's semi pre-occupied with possibly wooing a new patron to the library.

3.5/5

This review is for the audio version of the book, narrated by Hollie Jackson.

This was really cute!

I loved the grumpy-sunshine main character, Corinthia. I can relate to her self-described "killjoy" personality, difficulty with connecting to people, and desire to follow the rules. The side characters were a lovely, eclectic, collection of silly people.

The vibes were very much on point. The entire story radiated "cozy". From the description of the town, to the Refuge, to the way people there treated each other.

The plot was just "ok for me. It's a "love at first sight" kind of story, which is fine, but it felt like it was dragged out a bit. For how long the book was, it felt like there should have been more depth to it.

I had a pretty good time with this. If you're in to sapphic/cozy/fantasy, then this should be worth your time.

This is a whimsical, cozy sapphic magical romantic fantasy. This book is perfect for curling up with a cup of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket. A Nest of Magic was filled with sweet and funny small town charm, Shadow Ridge seems like the town that would wrap you up in charm. Corinthia is a quiet, librarian who is typically a very logical no-nonsense type of lady, who loves her books and her rescued hound dog! When her Best friend makes a bet with her, they end up hiking in the nature preserve behind the library, where she comes upon a mysterious woman named Rosemary. Corinthia doesn’t believe in magic, however the lore time she spends in the nature preserve and the more strange things that start to happen that aren’t easily explained just maybe she might start to feel the magic start to flow. If you need a warm hug and all of the happy whimsical feels this is the perfect book for you!! I binged this audiobook and loved every second of it!

In this story, we follow a librarian who has not really given love a chance as of late and has become interested in a library patron who leaves her very curious. Her supportive best friend encourages her to just talk to the mysterious lady, and in doing so, even more mystery is unleashed. This is an adorable cozy read where magical happenings do not only exist in books. If you are looking for a lighthearted mystical cozy romance, this might just be the book for you. I would definitely recommend the audio book. The narrator was perfection with the different voices of the characters, and truly brought the characters to life.

Review plan: my StoryGraph review is already up. I’ll share it on Bluesky, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org the day the book is scheduled to release.

My honest review was provided in exchange for an audiobook ARC on NetGalley. Thank you, Victory Editing, for giving me this ARC! And apologies for any character names I may have misheard and/or misspelled.

Writing: 5/5
Narration: 4/5

This book is a warm cup of hot cocoa.

Corinthia is a kind, no-nonsense librarian that values the indoors, rules, and logic. She is intrigued, and a little more than smitten, by Rosemary, an ethereal new patron at her provincial library. She loves her rescue hound and enjoys the local Scrub Jays that live in the nature refuge behind her. But she’s also cautious after her first excursion into the refuge left her with a feeling she can’t quite explain. And while she loves the possibility of a sapphic romance like “Alien Space Lesbians”, she can’t imagine how love could bridge that wide of a cultural divide. But maybe there are things she isn’t considering? Corinthia has lived in Shadow Ridge for a decade, but with each passing day, she’s realizing she has so much more to learn about her world than she ever imagined.

PROS:

I love how this book is written! The omniscient narrator has a humor and cadence that I find delightful. I particularly enjoyed how well the author weaved a sense of wonder with absolutist no-nonsense, and how she lightly poked at Corinthia’s excessive practicality. As someone who can often sacrifice whimsy for facts and logic, it felt like a gentle and loving nudge to appreciate the need for a balance of both.

I found the characters to be lovable and quirky. Stevie was a fun foil to Corinthia, and I enjoyed their interactions and the moments of friendship they shared. I thoroughly enjoyed the opposites-attract romance, and how well Rosemary complimented Corinthia’s character. I also enjoyed watching Corinthia’s growth, as she became less high strung and more open to the world around her.

I also enjoyed how the author marries fantasy and reality. Character experiences juxtapose the mundane - do I call my homeowners insurance - with the fantastical - because the magic of the refuge destroyed my fence. Combined with the omniscient narrator’s humor, it feels absurdist in a light and refreshing way.

CONS:

I struggled with this narration. I did not like some of the narrator’s heavy-handed voices because they made characters feel like caricatures. For example, Rosemary’s voice was so dreamy that she sounded perpetually out of breath, like she spent so much time running wild with fantasy that it took her breath away. Likewise, Dru’s voice smacked of what someone who isn’t from NYC thinks a native New Yorker sounds like, and that “hey, I’m walking here” stereotype just felt out of place. It took me out of the story, which was a shame, because she really brought the omniscient narrator to life. I think her cadence and inflection amplified the whimsy and light absurdity beautifully, and really added to the story’s atmosphere.

Regardless, though, I really enjoyed this book. I think fans of cozy romance will really love this one. Fair warning for readers, though. This book is cozy in the strictest sense. Stakes are very low, and most tension is light flirtation or characters battling relatively benign impulses to embrace change. The ending is neatly-tied, with very little in the sense of real trouble or action. It’s an easy read, and a beautiful palette cleanser or escape from reality. But if you crave stakes or tension, the lack of both will likely turn you off.