. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

3.5 stars rounded up--- and wowie this has such a rough start. Between how unlikeable Kiela comes off in the beginning to the odd, overly wordy writing style, I nearly dnf'd at 1%, 5%, and 15%. But right around 30%, it started to majorly improve. At the start, you have none of the things you want and it's tough to convince yourself to stick with it.

But then this book comes around with the townspeople, the magical creatures, and Kiela is forced to be a better person or literally starve, and it becomes bearable. The chemistry between her and Larran actually sparks up, the conflict (however small it actually is) starts to blossom, and the world blooms. I can honestly say I enjoyed the middle portion of this book filled with jam, spell craft, and home renovation.

However, it kind of falls apart towards the end. Radane is a raging jerk and no amount of explanation can forgive that. The major stress point feels both rushed and drawn out. The ending falls really flat because it goes on too long after the resolution. And the reminder that Kiela has only been on this island for a few days knocks the wind out of you at the marriage proposal.

Overall, it's not a bad book, and it is very cozy. But it feels far more Young Adult or even Middle Grade than something like Emily Wilde or the Honey Witch, mostly due to the intensely wordy writing style. Sometimes there would be three or four (Kindle) pages between lines of dialogue in a conversation because of all of the exposition being dumped. It was hard to work around and I wish it was refined a little further. One of the best features of this book is that it is a neat and tidy standalone--- no cliffhanger, no threat of a book two, just a simple happy ending. I'll be interested to see what Durst comes out with in the future.

This book felt like cottagecore Animal Crossing and I loved it. I read this entire book with a smile on my face.

This book was adorable and loved it. The sprayed edges are gorgeous on the hardback copy and then the story was very well developed. It was out July book club pick!

Sarah Beth Durst brings the benefits of magic to a small island in The Spellshop. Kiela escaped the burning great library as the emperor and empire falls and returns to her childhood remote island with spellbooks rescued from the library and her plant friend Caz. She opens a jam shop which is backed by spells. Mystical cures help the island, but she has to deal with off island snoops. Gentle fantasy.

'The Spellshop' is a new cozy favorite! I have already recommended it to several friends and fantasy readers. It has heart, atmosphere, and all the cozy vibes you could want. It is exactly what I was hoping for and so much more. If you loved Legends and Lattes, this will be a new favorite for sure.

🍃⋆˚✿˖° The cottagecore + farming game vibes are THE best in this book ˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ.

The Spellshop is a cozy fantasy about a librarian who escapes her city after the rebellion hits and the empire is overthrown. She escapes with a good amount of books (spellbooks) that she isn't supposed to have, so when she arrives to her childhood home on this island, the first thing she does is hide them. But to start over in a new place, she must build it all back up, right? So, she decides to start a new business: JAM MAKING 🍒

Kiela was such a good main character, I felt for her and went through all the different emotions just like her. She comes to this island with her sentient plant named Caz and yeah he talks and is hilarious and helps her out and basically is her best friend. There, she meets so many new people and creates this little family. There's also a living cactus who says "meep" a lot (and is adorable!), a chicken who runs away, tree spirits that look like bears, merhorses, cats that can fly, and even a singing apple tree. This book is the definition of cozy I SWEAR TO GOD. Plus it reminded me of my favorite cozy/farming games like Wylde Flowers and Cozy Grove.

The romance? It's adorable, slow-burn, soft and beautiful. I loved Kiela and Larran together and how they were from the very first time they met. Their dynamic was adorable and I wanted to read more and more about them with each passing page ❀˖° If you like heroes who can't help but blush around the heroines, read this. If you like heroes who are always there for them even if they're hiding secrets that could change everything, read this. I'm obsessed that at one point Larran was like "what do you need from me?" and he didn't care about the secrets, the outcome, anything - only her and her safety.

🎀🍓 I wish I could have my memory erased so I could read this for the first time again! It was that good and I definitely want to get a finished copy so I can put it up in my shelves. I want to revisit and go back to that place and those characters and that romance and the vibes again and again and again. Really, Sarah Beth Durst YOU WROTE A MASTERPIECE. ༘⋆♡⸝⸝💌⊹。°˖➴

Did you read Legends and Lattes? Encyclopedia of Fairies?

This book was right along those same lines, and I want to see it animated as a Disney film.

Everything about this book was cute, slightly mischievous, and gave a quirky mystery. Caz the spider plant hands down was my favorite supporting character, and I would love to have the recipe for the actual jam made in the book. There's a small romance element, but it doesn't overrun the plot, and was awkward at first, because these two people didn't know how to respond to each other, but that's what made it adorable.

This is fun in a similar vein to Legends and Lattes--cozy fantasy with romantic elements. The pacing feels stilted in sections, but the worldbuilding and sense of community Sarah Beth Durst builds is phenomenal.

An absolutely precious book! So sweet and cozy, the cottagecore fantasy of your dreams, with the cutest creatures and an adorable romance. I highly recommend!!

Kiela never expected to return to her hometown after so many years. And yet, she has no choice but to return. There is revolution in the city, and she needs to be safe. Thankfully, her parents still own a house in their hometown. It’s going to be challenging for Kiela because she is going to start over again. 

I truly love Kiela so much. She was so adorable, even though she may be a bit standoffish, but it’s only because she is a librarian. Everyone should know that book lovers are loner people. We always prefer the comfort of our books. And that’s what Kiela represents. 

I also adore the side characters in this book, especially Caz. Who would have expected to fall in love with Caz, the talking plant? Not me, but I love his sassy yet adorable self. He makes the read so much better. And I love Caz even more because he is very protective over Kiela and her love of books. Hell, he loves books as well. 

Honestly, I think everyone needs to read this cozy fantasy book. It’s literally so perfect for the fall season, especially for the book lovers. Best vibes ever!

This book felt like drinking a warm drink by the fire and I loved and needed it. This was a sweet and cozy fantasy to its bones and its core and I loved reading in the acknowledgment that it was “inspired” but a cup of hot chocolate. The story does start off with some heartbreaking destruction of a library but it ends with beautiful found family and the hope for a new future for the island. I will admit at first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the main character, you could feel her focus on her task and that was it but that ice quickly melted. Larran was also such a cinnamon I loved it.

This book was super cute and cozy! I loved escaping into this world for a while and just enjoying the read. Perfect for the warm weather escapists who wish it was fall!

I loved it! I want to go visit Caltrey and stay in that sweet little cottage, ride a merhorse, play with a merbaby, enjoy tea with the Pinecone Coven and watch Caz and Meep play with the chicken. I'm sure I could be quite happy there. Until then, I'll read books and make jam here. Oh, and hand sell The Spellshop. It really is a wonderful break from reality.

This story was amazing. It works building and character development was on point

A cozy romantasy and standalone that’s a perfect weekend read. Not a ton of action. But that’s why it’s more cozy less adventurous.

A perfect cozy fantasy, The Spellshop delivers a spellbinding story about adventure, love, and personal growth.

As a librarian in the Great Library of Alyssium in the ruling city of her world, Kiela’s life is complete with just her books and her assistant, the talking spider plant Caz. But when the Great Library is set to flames amidst a revolution, Kiela and Caz have to flee from the city and bring whatever books they can manage to find refuge at her childhood home on a remote island. To survive, Kiela will not only need to talk to other people (including an annoyingly handsome neighbor who keeps dropping by) but use a touch of illegal magic in the books she saved to get her new business selling her family’s jam off the ground. As Kiela gets to know the community, she begins to understand how the island’s inhabitants have been abandoned by the empire and face increasingly worrying natural disasters. She has to decide how much to risk helping out—can she share the great knowledge from her books to help the town, without anyone realizing she’s using illegal magic?

❤️ What I loved: The Spellshop delivers in the cozy fantasy genre—lovable characters, a fantastical setting, and sweet romance. I would definitely say this is a romantic comedy, with many humorous moments to balance out the emotional ones. The characters are so endearing, with some great character development throughout for Kiela in particular. Our main romance is very innocent and sweet in its development and feels very realistic in its cute awkwardness. The story does have some high stakes as it goes on, but the tone of the writing keeps things from feeling too dire, ultimately creating a hopeful story of self-discovery, love, and friendship.

💔 What I didn’t love: A bit of a slow start in the early part of this book detracted a bit from the overall strength of the book, but in general, this was a lovely read!

I would highly recommend this book to fans of cozy fantasy looking to escape to a unique world full of funny and lovable characters. I would love to see more in this world from Sarah Beth Durst in the future!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4-4.5)

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Beth Durst, and Tor Publishing/Bramble, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

Charming book. A very sheltered librarian flees the city with several boxes of spell books when the library is set on fire during a revolution that is bringing about the downfall of an empire. She ends up at the island where she had lived as a young child, through chance (or mis-chance) opening up a jam shop and dealing in small spells for the betterment of her community. Of course, making spells is illegal for her, so she has to hide that and it becomes the major source of conflict in this book. Lots of interesting folks and species and creatures to give the book even more flavor.

I think I have come to the realization, that for now, cozy fantasy isn't really for me. I really wanted to like this but I found it a bit slow. I loved the premise, especially the talking spider plant, but found it a bit too slow for me.

The back blurb for Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop says it is “Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic.” That is pretty much a perfect descriptor, since this charming novel is a lovely, magic-infused delight.

Kiela and her sentient spider plant friend/assistant, Caz, have spent the past eleven years managing the spellbooks section at the Great Library of Alyssium. It’s been a fabulous job for them. Caz, created by illegal magic, finds safety sequestered among these highly restricted volumes, and Kiela loves the solitude of working in a closed, confined section of space. Scholars send her lists of what they need, and if their request gets approved, she delivers the volumes to them. It’s a quiet, peaceful life.

Until it’s not. When whispers of revolution first reach her, Kiela is unconcerned. She is confident no one would burn books and that both sides of whatever fighting takes place will show respect to the librarians and the tomes they care for. Caz is less sanguine and urges her to prepare for the worst. Very reluctantly, she places emergency provisions in one of the ships the library uses to transport books across the canals of the city to those who request them. Kiela also begins sorting through her inventory, setting aside any duplications and making sure she places in crates those volumes she thinks are most rare, most valuable, and most powerful. So she is semi-ready when an angry mob storms through the building, burning and pillaging as they sweep through the many floors of the structure. Because Kiela and Caz are in one of the upper stories, closed to the public, they have extra time to take the crates and themselves to the back of the building, board a boat, and sail towards safety. At first, Kiela is unsure where to go, but lacking clear direction and ill-equipped to be out at sea indefinitely, she heads to the faraway island home she and her parents left long ago. Her folks have died, so their old house technically belongs to her.

The good news is that the dock her family used to moor a boat to is still standing. So is the house. The bad news is that both are in need of the kinds of repairs Kiela doesn’t know how to do, and nor does she have the funds for major renovations. But those are problems for the future; for the present, she needs rest. She spends the night in a very dusty abode after consuming a dinner of the limited provisions she’s brought. She awakes to see an extremely handsome man wielding a scythe standing in her doorway. His name is Larran, he’s her neighbor, and he claims he knew her as a child. Kiela has limited memories of living in the outer islands - she left when she was nine - but she accepts his word for all of it, assures him she has a legitimate claim to the cabin, and sends him on his way.

Kiela and Caz’s initial goal is simple: to build a decent shelter for themselves and the precious cargo they are preserving until the rightful government returns to power. But as Kiela settles into this surprisingly satisfying new life, she comes to a startling realization. The empire hasn’t been protecting magic, they’ve been hoarding it. By limiting the number of people who can practice wizardry, they have harnessed the power of sorcery for the benefit of only the rich and powerful. The end result has been magic run amok, with crops and livestock failing due to magical malnourishment and destructive storms caused by residual enchantments raging across the seas. As the gatekeeper of the magical volumes of their land, Kiela has played a role - albeit unknowingly - in creating this messy situation. Determined to right this unintentional wrong, she begins to use the knowledge in the books surreptitiously. She doesn’t dare sell spelled items or potions outright, but labeling certain goods as “home remedies” that heal trees and speed crop production seems like a doable alternative. It has the added benefit of bringing in some necessary income so she can pay for repairs and other necessities. But it’s risky. Extremely risky. The consequences of the unauthorized use of spells are often far more agonizing than mere death. Yet Kiela is determined not to let fear keep her from doing the right thing. Of course, that’s easy to say now while the war rages far from her bucolic new home. Will she still feel that way when whoever wins arrives at her door?

As mentioned above, this little meringue of a book is saccharinely sweet. Kiela is all the things a heroine should be - honest, earnest, clever, caring, and politically correct. Larran is the hero equivalent - brave, handsome, loyal, supportive, loving, and open-minded. While both are initially a bit wary of each other and unsure how to go about building a relationship - Larran is taciturn by nature, and Kiela is keeping some big secrets - they soon settle into a rhythm of neighborly camaraderie that blossoms into something more.

While Kiela is initially described as a pretty intense introvert, the story uses the ‘finding your tribe’ trope to bring her out of her shell. The village is full of quirky, kindly denizens eager to embrace the recently (reluctantly) returned Kiela and her surprisingly effective “home remedies”. The vast bulk of people she meets on the island are welcoming and go out of their way to be helpful and accepting. They are so nice, you can’t help but fall in love with them.

In addition to the terrific characters, I appreciated the world-building and the view of magic as a tool - anyone can do it; it just takes training, patience, and courage (spells can go dangerously awry) to pursue it. The writing is excellent, the plot intriguing, and the romance handled with deft balance. It doesn’t overshadow the initial storyline, but it isn’t just tacked on to the narrative, either.

This leads me to my one and only complaint about this book; like a diet comprised only of sweet baked goods, the fact that the story doesn’t give us a nuanced look at how good people can differ or how small towns rarely accept outsiders, even those born there, makes it impossible to see this as anything but light, fluffy and ultimately inconsequential. Even though the entire tale begins with people dying, buildings burning, and necessities being hoarded, the removal to a remote location allows the reader to focus on a dream world where everyone is working to make things as they ought to be - and they all agree on what that is!

The Spellshop is a wonderful read, appropriate for everyone who loves fantasy, whether they are 12 or 120. It is, however, a cinnamon roll - sweet, warm, and uplifting but totally lacking nutritional value. Pick it up, savor it, and love it. But don’t expect a whole lot of depth.

Well isn't this just the cutest! What an adorable cozy fantasy! After reading a ton of heavy lot this is just the escape I was looking for. Found family is one of my favorite themes and the Spellshop explores it wonderfully.

The Spell Shop

When I saw the cover of this book I knew I needed to read it! It’s so pretty!
I did an immersive read with this one and it was WONDERFUL!
This was THE BEST cozy fantasy! I really enjoyed Kiela’s character and her assistant, Caz, who is a snake plant! I mean, who wouldn’t want a snake plant as a sidekick?!?!
The world building was so fun and the small town neighborhood was endearing. You also get to meet a ton of magical characters and I am still trying to figure out which are my favorite.

The narration by Caitlin Davies really brought the story to life and I just love when a story feels like a nice, big, warm hug!