What an incredibly cozy, low stakes novel in a very unique and fun world. Like Legends and Lattes meets Animal Crossing meets The Tea Dragon Society meets Kiki's Delivery Service. (And honestly better than Legends and Lattes.) Queer friendly, too.

A librarian escapes the national spell library, sailing out of the city that revolutionaries are burning, with a boat full of spell books and her pet-plant-friend, Caz, the talking, mobile spider plant. She lands on the island she grew up on and quickly sets up an illegal spell shop, intended to heal the island that has been neglected by the kingdom's sorcerers, disguised as a jam shop. The cast of characters includes mermaids, merhorses, antlered folk, centaurs, giants, flying cats, cloud bear tree spirits, and more!

Durst writes in the afterward that she wanted a book that was like sipping a mug of cocoa and she absolutely did that! Recommended for readers looking for something light, cozy, low stakes, and cottage core.

The Spellshop feels like Gilmore Girls meets Hallmark with magic. It's the professional woman returning to her small hometown that she barely remembers and the handsome next-door neighbor with good intentions helping her without being asked. Caltrey is an island that takes care of its own and urges you to be at home wherever you are. Kiela and Caz do not feel like they belong, but they see how they can find their place by using the saved library books to magically (and illegally) save the island. The question is how much is Kiela willing to risk with her amateur spellcasting between her safety and her heart.

My fantasy reading tends to skew towards dark fantasy with higher stakes, but I really enjoyed this sweet story that feels like a hug, which was the author's intent. She scored. The final edition is set to have sprayed purple edges, so I have a choice to consider. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor/Bramble for the chance to read this early!

This book is completely sweet and entirely cozy. I read in the acknowledgements that Durst intended to write something that reads like a cup of hot chocolate and I’d say she succeeded. This story is a warm hug in book form. 😊

I related so much to the main character, who is a librarian like me, someone who prefers solitude and a good book to most any social situation. I also appreciated the author adding the authentic detail that our heroine acquired an advanced degree to become a librarian (lots of folks don’t realize that, so it’s a pleasure to see represented accurately in fiction).

The romance element was nice, and I appreciated the bit of romance for a couple of side characters, as well. I was pleased to see a bit about the winged cats, and even the sentient plants worked for me.

The mild peril was the perfect amount to make the story interesting without sacrificing the comfortable tone of the read, in general. The theme of found family is strong in this book, contributing to the warm hug appeal.

I hope this author writes more books, either set in this world or another; I will want to read them. I will also be inclined to read this again as a comfort reread! 🥰📚

ETA: I just learned she’s written a zillion books so yay! ❤️

If you're a fan of Animal Crossing, and Stardew Valley, this book will be your jam. Literally.

The Spellshop is a cozy fantasy through and through and is perfect for fans of The Little House books who really enjoy reading chapters worth of homesteading. The fantasy characters and creatures are a fun addition, and I will be naming a spider-plant Caz at my earliest opportunity. Overall, I personally found everything a bit Too Sweet, but I know there are readers who will gobble this up.

A sweet and soft book perfect for lovers of cottagecore and found family narratives. It was a bit redundant to the point of distraction, but the world of Caltrey & the side characters kept me hooked (would read entire novel focused on Caz the talking plant). It was so well intentioned and kindhearted, it’s hard to speak poorly of it.

This was a super cute and wholesome story and I had a lot of fun reading it. Could have benefitted from better world-building, but that's my opinion.

Sarah Beth Durst wrote one of my favorite books of 2020. That story was about a woman who did magic with bones, on a mission to save her husband from death. It was a beautiful love story that had me hooked and crying at the end. That story, however, felt darker, and there was more at stake for the characters than in "The SpellShop.' By no means is this a remark on this story negatively. It is more of a remark on the wide range of her story-telling.

"The Spellshop' is a story about a librarian who escapes the revolution happening in the capital city with an illegally created sentient plant and five packed crates of magic books. 

She flees back to her home island and struggles with whether she should share the magic or keep it secreted away for fear of the possible consequences. See, magic is banned for everyone, but only those designated. If she doesn't use her resources, though, the islanders will suffer, with their land and animals dying. She can see that they need her help desperately.

Kiela is kind and brave; however, she hadn't started the story that way. Her character grows throughout, from quiet and reserved to strong and outgoing.

Caz (the sentient talking plant), is by far my favorite character. He's fierce and protective, and except for water, he's fearless as well.

To judge this book against "The Bone Maker" would be unfair, as this is a cozy fantasy and the content is nowhere near as dark. This is more like a comforting lie-in, snuggled under a heated blanket.

Ah! I almost forgot about the winged cats and the cloud bears. I understand I was supposed to be scared of the cloud bears, but I would absolutely be the idiot cooing at them, trying to get their attention. Maybe even try to hug them? I would be the basis of the cautionary tales told to keep the children away from the cloud bears.

And the cats! I would also love it if winged cats were real. The cover illustration of a winged cat napping is so adorable. I can easily imagine how it would be to hold one; I bet they are soooo soft!

Finally, the world-building is amazing! Her writing is clear and descriptive, and I had an easy time seeing the town, the steps, the garden, and the cottage that, just like "The Bone Maker," I will be able to visit in my mind for many years from now.
Highlights - 　
　
Chapter Twenty-Seven　-- Page: 283
She would never have believed how attached she could become in such a short amount of time. She
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　Chapter Twenty-Seven　　-- Page: 284
“You can be alone with me.”
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Thank you TOR publishing for the arc! This was one of my anticipated reads for the year and it didn't disappoint at all. It definitely gave cozy vibes, I loved the main character Kiera. The descriptions was so good I could picture it perfectly while reading. Definitely going to be a re-read for me.

This was a different take on the war/dystopian trope. Kiela leaves a city that is going through a revolution to return to her home island, far from the political intrigue she was subject to as part of the Great Library; with her she is taking contraband books she has saved. Once there, her journey becomes one that is much more personal as she has to discover who she is outside of the walls of the library, and how far she will go to protect her new home and found family. I hope that there will be more books that follow these very unique characters.

Spellshop is a very cozy read that hit all of the right cozy fantasy beats: leaving an old life behind, starting over somewhere new, finding a community and a purpose within it, and a little no-spice romance. Bonus points for a sentient spider plant, bookish characters, mermaids, and a few other pretty cool magical elements.

I did struggle initially with the main character's insular attitude towards other people, but she has a decent growth arc. So if you find yourself rolling your eyes at her at the beginning, I'd say to stick with it knowing she's going somewhere. And it's arguable that her frame of mind at the beginning does have a function in keeping the tone of the story lighter, because there are some rather high stakes things happening in the larger world, but her world view keeps our focus pretty small with everything else being more in the background.

This was an easy read, and cozy cottagecore is an excellent descriptor for it. I think it will be an easy win for fans of cozy fantasy, especially if you love books and houseplants!

This was the most wholesome cottagecore cozy fantasy I've ever read. I love the enchanting world that was built. The romance sub-plot was endearing as well. The sentient houseplants gave me so much joy. This is a small-town romance with an endearing side of cozy fantasy elements.

I love the fantasy genres new trend towards cozier novels and beautiful world building, like Legends and Lattes or the perennial favorite, The Princess Bride. Romance and daily life with a dash of adventure and drama but not too much. No battles and great wars. No five year long treks across a wasteland or down a river. The Spellshop is a feel good, find yourself and your tribe story. The feeds your soul, perfect for winter reading with a cup of tea, the perfect escape to a fantasy world of cloud bears, unicorns and merhorses.

Kiela was a studious girl growing up on a small island in the far reaches of her realm. Her parents were happy but they wanted the best for their bright and talented child so they moved to the city. The family continued their happy life until young adult Kiela lost her parents tragically but she found her dream job as a librarian in the Great Library. Buried in book, Kiela didn’t pay much attention to the outside world so a rebellion took her as a bit of a surprise. She escaped back to her island hometown with her assistant and some rescued books.

Trying to quietly rebuild her life included a few bumps and a stumbles but her chosen family and friends are there to back her up when trouble came calling.

Delightfully cozy! In the acknowledgments Sarah says she asked herself every chapter if this was making her happy, and you can tell she just threw in everything she loved. I didn't find this boring like I do some cozies, there was enough of a plot and intrigue and conflict. The romance was delightful, I loved the main character, and the vibes - immaculate!

The Spellshop is snuggling up in your favorite chair with a cozy blanket, a mug of hot chocolate, and a beloved pet sleeping on your lap. Every fan of cozy fantasy should give it a read.

Kiera, a blue-skinned blue-haired librarian, and Caz, a magical sentient spider plant, flee political unrest in the capital. They've rescued several crates of books but most contain forbidden knowledge of magic so they need to lie low. They head to Kiera's home island, where her parents still owned a home.

There are elements of a Hallmark movie - gal from the big city returns to her home town and learns how to live again. There's even a tall neighbor guy who helps with handyman stuff. There's also a bit of Tea Dragon Society mixed in. The island is populated by many fantasy creatures: centaurs, goat-horned people, mer-creatures, and I'm not sure what to call some of them. The island is doing poorly due magical environmental damage and storms.

The spells of Kiera's definitely-not-magic shop are made from plants and other natural reagents, along with magic words. Not everything is native to the island, so they need to improvise, and Kiera has no training in magic. There are some hiccups as she figures things out.

The pacing is very slow and everything is richly described with all five senses. You can smell the salt water, taste the cinnamon buns, hear the birds, and feel the worn quilts left in the cottage by Kiera's parents. It's not pure vibes; there are conflicts and worries to overcomb. Even at its most stressful moments, The Spellshop left me more relaxed and optimistic than when I started reading.

This book was so cute and full of adventure and wonder. I love the atmosphere the author paints here and it is so quaint. The characters were quirky and detailed.

I absolutely adored this book. Watching the main character grow and develop sweet relationships with the people around her was incredibly heartwarming. The worldbuilding was well thought out; not only was the magic system clearly explained, but the variety of species that inhabited this world helped make this standard romance plot feel new and refreshing. I'd definitely recommend this title for anyone seeking a fun cozy fantasy.

The Spellshop follows a librarian as she flees from her burning library and ends up back home to the place her family moved from when she was a child. It’s feels a bit Hallmark in that, for the huge stakes Kiela faced, none of them felt that big. Extra stakes were inserted and promptly diffused, and all the characters were very forgiving.

Overall, the Spellshop is a cheerful light read.

The Spellshop had such a cute premise but ultimately this book missed the mark for me. I think I’m finding that cozy fantasy is just a little too slow for my liking and the stakes were so low that nothing kept me hooked. I liked the world building and the idea of an introverted and sheltered librarian using the knowledge from her books to help her community. For romance readers, this is very light on the romance and the main character repeatedly doesn’t understand why she is attractive, so that may be a turnoff for you. I don’t think it’s a bad book by any means, just not for me! Readers who enjoy a comforting, sweet and slower paced stories will love this.

Books! Spells! Found family! Romance! JAM!

This book is everything I love about the cozy fantasy genre but with one of my favorite authors at the helm. I was so excited to get an arc of this to review as I've love Sarah Beth Dursts previous work, and I was not disappointed at all! This author has done several different types of fantasy that I've read from their Queens of Renthia series to their standalones that I loved and still think about Race the Sands and Vessel. I was confident she would rise to the challenge of cozy fantasy which I find a delightful but suddenly saturated genre.

The characters are brave and gentle and nuanced in a way I sometimes wish for more in this genre. This was a bit longer and more fleshed out than others in the genre I've enjoyed also. It was also very focused on the MC's growth and journey with friendships being just as important as relationships. There is also an incredible message about censorship and the accessibility of knowledge that I think hit home for me specifically as a librarian. I am hoping others will enjoy this as well, and perhaps think about these topics more deeply thanks to Durst. For these reasons, I worry some romance readers might find themselves missing a specific something they were looking for, but please give this book a chance to delight you and enjoy the journey!

This was so sweet and fun I found myself craving jam to match both the plot itself and the delightful vibe of the book itself!
Recommended for anyone looking for a book in a beautiful island setting with a focus on community and personal discovery.

The Spellshop was one of my best reads in 2023. It was everything I love in a book. It had libraries, magic plants, a diverse cast of magical beings, found family and romance. It is one of the coziest fantasies I've ever read and I rank it as high as I rank Legends and Lattes! I could not recommend this one enough!