I typically steer clear of fantastical elements but one page into this librarian saving books with a sentient spider plant side kick, and I was hooked.

Kiela and Caz are creatures (one human, one plant) after my own heart. As a librarian, definitely resonate with loving the quietness of a slow day at the library. When rebels intrude on their solitude, they both have to hightail it before they're burned to a crisp. They escape, with as many books as they can, to a distant island and they are quickly welcomed into the community. Something dangerous lurks, though, and Kiela/Caz have the magical means to help the community out. This was a lot lighter than I was expecting, which isn't a bad thing. I definitely have been reading a lot of grittier fantasy and space horror lately, so this was a really nice detour from that. It's also been really cloudy and rainy here in Georgia, so it's been nice to sneak a few magical chapters in between checking in books. I liked the cast of characters, and I liked getting to watch them interact with one another--everyone felt well-realize and were supportive. This was a very middle-paced book, too, so if you're not someone who absolutely needs to fly at breakneck speed, you'll probably get a kick out of this story.
I really enjoyed this and I cannot wait to get our physical copies in here at the library, I just know that our fantasy readers and our cozy fantasy readers will really like this!

Kiela and Caz ( her talking, thinking, feeling spider plant assistant) have spent years holed up in the library. They mind their own business and let all the other librarians mind theirs. They like not having to talk to other people. They like taking care of the rare magic spell books they are in charge of. But, unfortunately, the world intrudes in the form of rebels who burn the library. Kiela and Caz must escape before they are burned alive. With little time, they save as many books as they can. With a library boat they sail away to the small island hoping to just be left alone. But they are welcomed into the community and loving it. The island is in trouble, though. Kiela and Caz might have the means to help.
This is a sweet and magical book. The characters (who are not all humans) are fun and supportive. They have a lot to learn and a lot to love.
I was able to read an ARC for this book and I am so glad I could. If you like a fun, light, fantasy you will enjoy this book.

I'm not much of a cozy fantasy reader, but I'll read anything Sarah Beth Durst writes, and I found myself pleasantly surprised with this one. I liked Kiela a lot, and Caz was my absolute favorite. Although not the most high-stakes plot, there was a significant conflict that I really liked. I would have liked to have had some more worldbuilding, but I guess that's why it's a cozy fantasy.

Loved this cozy read of a librarian and her sentient spider plant assistant on an adventure neither really wanted to go on. Kiela has very happily hidden herself away in the Great Library but when revolution hits the empire and her beloved library is burned, she and her assistant load up a boat with as many books as she could select in time and head off to find somewhere to hide. They end up on an outer island where Kiela was born but is slowly dying. Luckily, Kiela's saved/stolen collection of spell books might be just the thing to save her island and remind her that other humans aren't all that bad. I loved the entire cast of characters here and the turns of the story kept it moving at a good pace. Definitely a book I wish I could visit the setting!

In the acknowledgements Ms. Durst said that she wanted the book to feel like a really good cup of hot chocolate with a nice pastry and a dollop of raspberry jam on the side and I'd like to say she most definitely succeeded. As soon as I met Caz the sentient spider plant I was hooked, and the book just kept getting better and better from there. I have immediately put in on our list of books to order for the library this year and I plan on buying it for my personal collection as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan publishers for a digital ARC of this book.

Like a warm hug, the citizenry of Caltrey will embrace you, support you, and love you. Reading this felt like eating a PB&J made by a loving parent--sweet, predictable, and encouraging. I loved the upbeat and collaborative tone of this story. Joining Kiela, our removed librarian, as she grows with her garden and (pun intended) works herself out of jams along with her new friends was delightful. This book single-handedly sold me on the cozy fantasy genre! If life hadn't intervened, I would have gobbled this one up in less than a day. I truly hope this isn't the last we see of Kiela, Larran, Caz, Bryn, and of course, MEEP! Cheers to Durst. Maybe a Caltrey cookbook in the future?

A truly, lovely cozy gem of a story. Sometimes you just want to read something that feels like a warm hug and this was the exact vibe of this book. It also very much left me wanting to learn how to garden and make jam!

Imagine: you're sitting on a patio in the sun, there's a cat purring on your lap as you're sipping a large cup of iced tea and eating biscuits with homemade raspberry jam. If you feel a sense of happy calm at that image then you would love The Spellshop. An easy, low-stakes fantasy about a recluse librarian finding community, and yes, even love, on a small island with merhorses, winged cats and LOTS of raspberry jam.

Kiela discouraged interactions and friendships as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, which is why it was only the scent of smoke that warned her the library was burning. She escapes with her sentient spider plant assistant, Caz, five boxes of books and limited food and clothing. She returns home to outer islands, hoping to outlast the revolution and protect her magical treasures. But life has changed since her childhood and the island needs a mage to balance out the magic.
Kiela's not that, as a librarian she's willing to research and experiment as long as she can keep her books and secrets safe.

Why I started this book: I've requested too many Netgalley ARCs recently... and I knew that I needed to stop browsing and start reading.

Why I finished it: This is a gentle fantasy. Once Kiela and Caz have fled the destruction, they are busy rebuilding their lives and exploring new options. This feels like Legends & Lattes, a slice of life in a fantastical world.

Absolutely adorable cozy romance. I really enjoyed basking in the sun of Cultry, a little island escape, and seeing a community come together to make their world brighter. I struggle to write reviews of the books I love the most, as there's just too much to love to put into words, but I can tell you that this is a perfect book for fans of cozy fantasy.

I received a free copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was so cozy!!! I loved all the characters and how an introverted librarian became something more and learned to be happy! Jam, magic and sentient plants. This is a must read for all cozy fantasy readers.

Love Sarah Beth Durst so much which is why I had to pick this book up. For fans of cozy fantasy, please pick this up. Atmosphere is on point and is the perfect book to just curl up in bed with.

A cozy fantasy written by Sarah Beth Durst.
A sweet, placid and funny novel with little action and many tender scenes. A magical book, embellished by enchanting and evocative prose, which completely captivated me!

The book premise had me at "sentient spider plant". It took me a bit to get sucked into the story, but once I did I couldn't get enough of Kiela and Caz. It was a joy to read about their integration into Caltrey and get to know the island's residents alongside them. Highly recommended if you enjoy cozy novels with found family, flying cats, and main characters that also happen to be plants.. :)

The Spellshop is a brilliant cozy fantasy, perfect for fans of Legends and Lattes! I really needed a change of pace from the heavier fantasy books I had been dedicating my time to, so I picked this up well before the release date. This was the perfect, heartwarming balm for my soul.
The Spellshop follows Kiela, a librarian fleeing from the capital city of Alyssium as political unrest boils over into something more deadly. The library is burning and Kiela and her spider plant companion Caz flee with several crates of books to her home island of Caltrey. Caltrey is a small, backwater island where folks protect their own and Kiela’s parents never sold their family home, making this the perfect place to rebuild a life.
As one expects from a cozy fantasy, the stakes aren’t quite so big as saving the world, but they’re high enough to matter to the characters. Kiela’s main concern is fixing up her childhood home to a livable state, while finding a new way to make a living and keep the spellbooks hidden and covertly make use of them to improve things on Caltrey. Due to the political unrest, the sorcerer's no longer come out to the small, more remote islands and magical storms have begun to boil up suddenly and other spells that kept fruit trees growing or springs producing water have begun to fade away. Kiela’s new home is slowly dying and she must find a way to help it… so she starts a jam shop. It’s all a cover for her more illegal magical workings, which I totally love. She’s not great at subterfuge, but Caz the spider plant is a cutthroat negotiator and would definitely stab someone.
As one might expect, there’s also a darling slow burn romantic element to The Spellshop as well. It’s well done and fits the characters actions and personalities which is delightful! While it’s not the main focus of the plot, it does play a central role in the story overall. Larran, the handsome fellow, keeps the merhorse herd on Caltrey. Who doesn’t love a guy that cares for his animals AND can fix a chimney and build shelving??
I loved The Spellshop immensely, which is no surprise given how much I’ve enjoyed Sarah Beth Durst’s previous standalone books. She’s a talented writer and her range is vast - each book has been so different from one another but I’ve enjoyed all of the ones I’ve read. I can’t recommend this enough for any cozy fantasy fan, but particularly those who loved Legends and Lattes.

A little slow to start, I still ended up loving this story. Once you get past the little hiccups, the author does a good job of keeping readers engaged in this cottage core fantasy and romance.

The Spellshop incorporates, a beautifully storied world with uniquely interesting characters and othered beings. This story serves as a purpose to the growth we see of Keila's character on page. From the development of her romance with the mmc to finding community with the people in her home village after years. As a reader, imo, you can get caught up in the fantasy of The Spellshop. Well done and highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read/review.

This book is delightful. Absolutely worth reading if you aren't in the mood for anything remotely heavy and want to escape into a fantasy that doesn't belabor the world building. The plot felt unique and the characters LOVELY. Go figure that I started to care about the fate of a spider plant and cactus. Big thanks to Netgalley for an early copy. If you liked Legends & Lattes you'll want to add this book to your TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor/Bramble & Sarah Beth Durst for the digital galley of The Spellshop in exchange for an honest review.

This magical, cozy fantasy follows Kiela & Caz (her sentient spider plant) as she works at the Library of Alyssium protecting all of the empire’s spellbooks. That is, until a revolution (You want a revolution? I’ll give you a revelation! Sorry – couldn’t help myself!) comes through & scorches the library. Kiela & Caz have to flee with only the books they are able to grab & save & retreat to an island Kiela grew up on to hide from the revolution, which is here she meets her hottie of a neighbor and sees that her town is in disarray. Unknowingly, Kiela has been partially responsible for the spellbooks she was tasked to protect draining power from her island home and she vows to make things right, so she opens a spellshop to share magic with the townspeople & also does some self-reflection for herself.

The cover art is STUNNING! And the story lived up to its premise. THANK YOU! I have been on a bend of bad books lately. I NEEDED this story. It was so whimsy & enchanting.

This book was a warm hug that I just couldn’t get enough of. If you’re in a book slump, this is absolutely the book for you! The premise is very interesting, it’s written well & all of the characters were so loveable.

This book will capture your heart & you will not want to let it go. 5 full stars!

I've been reading a lot of cozy mysteries and this is my first foray into the cozy fantasy genre. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I was sucked into the story. Very tongue-in-cheek that the main character, Kiela, was a librarian who didn't like "dealing with people" and that her job meant she didn't have to. The characters were all unique and fleshed out and I especially loved the idea of a sentient spider plant as Kiela's assistant. Overall, I would recommend this for anyone looking for a nice, cozy read.