Thanks to NetGalley and TOR publishing for this digital ARC.

This gorgeous book delivered what it set out to…a warm hug of a book that forced you to believe in all things unbelievable.

What I enjoyed most were the reference to starting fresh, libraries, gardening and setting up shop. All things I feel great affinity towards.

It did feel a little like the author had a checklist of all things cottage-core lifestyle to cover.
Potions - ✔️
Quilted aprons - ✔️
Boundaries - ✔️
Magical cats - ✔️
Plant babies - ✔️
Canning - ✔️
Baking - ✔️

But overall, this found-family fantasy was soothing and engaging. Great way to start off my reading year.

Oh to live in this book.

This is a read for the vibes first, everything else second readers. It's a nice vacation from heavier hitting novels.

The Spellshop gives the vibes of the video game Sun Haven in the most complimentary way. It's so wholesome. The natural setting, the creatures, my new bestest lad Caz, its got it all.

The message about breaking down barriers to access will hit home with anyone in the library field and active library patrons.

The descriptions get a tad repetitive of times (I get it, the water is pretty!) but that's a crux of the cozy genre as a whole and not a point against only this author.


Now if you'll excuse me, this book made me need some jam on toast for the soul.

The best word I can think to describe The Spellshop is endearing. The author wrote in her acknowledgements that this book started with hot chocolate, and I can see that perfectly. Just enough magic & whimsy too. Also a special mention of Caz is necessary. What a fun character!

I received an ARC of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a fellow author (and fan!) of cozy fantasy, I was *so* excited to get my hands on this book--and am delighted to say that it was everything I'd hoped it would be and more.

Set on a lush island, The Spellshop was a gentle, warming tale about finding a home in others. The book sparkles with whimsy and magical details -- herds of merhorses, bear-like forest spirits, sentient houseplants! -- and, of course, all the raspberry jam you could possibly want. But it manages to be sweet without turning saccharine, and is grounded by the protagonist's (a socially awkward librarian! my heart) complicated feelings about returning to a past she thought she'd left behind. Along the way, there's a charming romance with the kind, helpful former-boy-next-door, plenty of baked goods, and a cozy cottage on a hill.

Stardew Valley in book form -- a cozy, comforting daydream of a novel.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is a delight. When revolutionaries force the librarian Kiela to flee the burning library she works for with her assistant Caz, a sentient spider plant, she returns to the small island she grew up on. She left with what may be the last remaining rare spell books from the capital's most prestigious library. Now, the only way Kiela and Caz can protect the books is to keep their existence a secret, even though helpful neighbors keep coming around to help them. Will they be able to protect their secret as the temptation to use the information inside the books to help everyone they meet grows? Can the surly Kiela resist the ever-helpful, sunshiny Larran forever? If you are looking for a warm hug of a cozy fantasy book look no further.

Now, I was inclined to like this book after enjoying many books in the cozy fantasy canon and many of Sarah Beth Durst’s backlist. Nevertheless, this book is a delight. The Spellshop explores what it means to come home and how people can redefine what home means to them at any stage of their lives. Kiela begins the book as an isolated character whose primary interactions are either with Caz or a library patron. She ends the book as a member of the community who cares about others and is cared for. Everything from the character dynamics to the magic system, to the political unrest just makes sense. As an aside if you are looking for a fantasy book that references the negative environmental effects of wealthy corporations and groups misusing natural resources to the detriment of the rest of society, you have found it.

Simply put, The Spellshop is a likable book. I like the main character and her slow-burn romantic relationship with her neighbor who just so happens to be her long-lost childhood friend. I like her friendship with her sentient plants. I like the townspeople and the bakery and the mermaids. The book just brought a smile to my face the whole time and I cannot recommend it more.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is set to release July 9, 2024, from Bramble with sprayed edges to complement its gorgeous cover, so I would recommend preordering a copy as soon as possible. I know I will. Thank you to Bramble for an eARC for an honest review.

The writing was overly narrative for me personally, and I stopped after chapter 1 (3%). That said, the target should be really happy, as it feels like solid pacing and solid vibes. I’d imagine and easy three stars with four to five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

I just finished this book and it is one of my new favorites. I have already preordered a copy for myself. As a librarian, this book has become very special to me and speaks to many of my beliefs about the mission of libraries. I will be recommending this book quite a bit and can't wait to hold a physical copy in my hands! I will be rereading it as soon as it is released!

A lovely, sweet cozy fantasy with a similar vibe as Travis Baldree's _Legends and Lattes_ and Sarah Addision Allen. A little romance, a little magic, a little conflict (but not epic "end of the world" type conflict), and a talking spider plant. What more could you want from a book?

The cottagecore fantasy romance we’ve all been hoping for definitely lives up to the hype! I loved all the characters and was rooting for all of them the whole time. I would live in this fantasy world if I could. It was definitely lacking something I couldn’t quite put my finger on but overall it was a solid 4/4.5 stars. Can’t wait to read more from this author

I absolutely loved this story as an atmospheric fantasy with lots of cozy vibes. I found the themes of community, moral rights versus legal right, and freedom of knowledge had added and enhanced the ongoing plot threads that were taking place in the story. I really enjoyed the characters in the story, especially the side characters and their development which I didn't expect for them to get as much development as they did. The romance aspect of the plot was very simple and sweet with the boy next door vibes and I honestly preferred that since with all the plot (even though low stakes) the story was, there was a lot to take in. Even the worldbuilding was given enough space to fully let set in as we redefined the what a librarian does to fit the world that was created and its themes as well as the political struggles that slowly bubbled to the surface the closer you got to the end of the novel.

I overall really enjoyed the novel and think this would be perfect for anyone that need something to read on a quiet rainy day that wanted a fantasy read that wasn't too hard to follow but also had a bit of a sweet romance.

I really enjoyed this book! It is a great magical fantasy story complete with a girl who loves books, talking plants, mermaids, merhorses, flying cats and all sorts of magical creatures. There is romance, imperial investigations and comic relief that make this a heartwarming tale of what it means to go home again and how we can all choose our own family no matter where we are in life. There is a touch of romance, lots of great character developments, forging friendships and magic.
I don't generally read a lot of fantasy but I am soooo glad I read this book & will definitely be preordering the beautiful lavender sprayed edges hardback. Honestly, after reading this book I am questioning my career choice. I should've been a librarian. LOL!

It was the promise of a sentient spider plant and a beautiful cover that initially drew me to this book. I love concept of a cozy fantasy but often find myself having a difficult time being absorbed in the plot even though the world may be fun - and I am so excited that that was not the case with The Spellshop. The stakes of the plot itself remained high without all of the stress and tension. Overall The Spellshop is a cute, fun and easy read that I think a lot of readers will find refreshing!

Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. I think individuals who love fantasy books (especially COZY fantasy books) will devour this book. However, this is not for the fantasy romance readers. I would have loved more romance, but that was on me because I don’t think I understood that this wasn’t marketed as a romance read to begin with! :)

Stardew Valley along with Animal Crossing meets Harry Potter care of magical creatures class mixed with some heavy-duty cottagecore? Absolutely yes… with some caveats.

*Kiela - introverted book lover (librarian of magic books)
*Caz - sentient plant companion / assistant
*homecoming
*cozy cottage with plot of land, in need of tlc
*gardening
*Larran - charming next door neighbor
*mythical creatures and beings (winged kitties! merhorses! cloud bears! merpeople!)
*a super secret spellshop fronting as a jam shop
*charming and wonderful descriptive sentences about locale, food, and aromas.

My issues -
*Most of the characters, I found to not be as fleshed out as I wanted, more stereotypes than fully formed.
*Kiela is such an introvert that she shuns humans, preferring only the company of a sentient spider plant who is really the saving grace in some slower parts of the novel (this is no spoiler - she informs us of that fact regularly - and after reading it so often, it started to really irk me). This introvertedness is also rarely mentioned after she makes friends - that’s not really how it works, but okay.
*we get it, Kiela is so completely clueless when it comes to relationships that she doesn't recognize when others are attracted and hoping to spend more time with her. She doesn't believe he's interested, directly up to their first kiss - I grew to despise this after it was consistently brought up.
*I went through parts of this just cringing and rolling my eyes.


I liked this one more than I disliked it, hence my rating and recommendation - magical, engaging, and cosy, read this one when you're looking for a much slower pace, without much tension, and with more of the fantastical, less fantasy.



Thank you to Tor / Bramble and NetGalley for the DRC

I hesitated to pick this up as I'm not much into the romantasy trend - but this book was like a warm, cozy hug from a loved one. Honestly, it felt like the romance was mostly incidental to the found family vibes and story of a woman re-discovering what home means and learning how to connect with people. The Spellshop brought to mind books like Legends and Lattes and A Psalm for the Wild-Built, in the best way. Sarah Beth Durst always has fascinating worldbuilding and I would love to see more books set in this universe. Definitely a book to read when you're feeling down or uncertain.

What I enjoyed about this book was the development of themes like the inherent problems of imperialism (such as the restriction of knowledge/magic/power to an elite few), the desire to escape political upheaval in favor of the simple life, the importance of community, and the need to let kindness and human decency prevail over a legalistic view of what is "right." The plot was intriguing and reasonably well developed. But the character development fell flat with the main characters, with a lot more telling than showing and with a repetitive attention to less than useful details, and that really kept me from getting too engaged with the story. Yes, it's a nice cozy read and worth the time, but unfortunately not as much for the characters (except for Caz and Meep and even Bryn), so I was a little disappointed overall. 3 stars,

Thank you, Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Kiela has never been a people person, so her job as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium is perfect. But when a revolution breaks out in the city, Kiela must flee her sanctuary. Along with her sentient spider plant, Caz, and as many books as she could smuggle out, Kiela sets out for the faraway island she grew up on. When Kiela arrives, she notices that the island isn't what it used to be. The upheaval in the capital has meant that smaller islands haven't received the much-needed magic that keeps them prosperous. Kiela knows that using the magic from the books she stole is forbidden, but she's determined to help her home. She decides to set up a spell shop, and soon, Kiela finds herself opening up and finding a community of her own. But when the empire comes sniffing around, will Kiela lose the life she's starting to build?

First, can we talk about how gorgeous this cover is? I want to crawl in and live it in. Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of cozy fantasy. I've enjoyed some, but I usually find them boring. Sadly, that is what happened here. I like my cozy fantasies to still have some bite to them, but this was more slice-of-life. The stakes were so low that I had difficulty staying interested. Caz was the highlight and saving grave for me. A sassy sentient spider plant sidekick was everything I didn't know I needed. I also loved all the food descriptions. My mouth was watering every time a cinnamon roll was mentioned. It wasn't a bad book; it just didn't work for me and my reading tastes, but I think it'd be perfect for fans of a slower-paced story.

"The Spellshop" by Sarah Beth Durst is a romantasy debut that unfolds a lush cottagecore tale filled with stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet melodies, and even sweeter love. This gorgeous hardcover edition features lavender spray-painted edges.

The story follows Kiela, a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, who has always struggled with dealing with people. Sequestered among the empire's most precious spellbooks with her assistant, Caz, a magically sentient spider plant, Kiela's life takes a turn when a revolution breaks out, and the library is set ablaze. In a bid to preserve magical knowledge, she and Caz flee to her childhood home on a faraway island. There, Kiela encounters a nosy neighbor and finds the town in disrepair due to the empire's neglect of those who depend on magic for their livelihood.

Haunted by her past role in the destructive storms created by the empire's magic, Kiela is determined to make things right. Despite the risks involved—sharing magic with commoners is punishable by death—she decides to open the island's first secret spellshop. As she integrates into the quirky community and builds relationships, Kiela discovers that breaking down the walls she built around herself is essential for making a life in her former home.

Described as a Hallmark rom-com filled with mythical creatures and powered by cinnamon rolls and magic, "The Spellshop" promises to heal hearts and feed the soul. Sarah Beth Durst's storytelling is praised for its enchanting qualities, blending romance with fantasy in a captivating and delightful narrative.