Aww, I am truly so sad that I just didn’t enjoy Sarah Beth Durst’s <i>The Spellshop</i>. There was so much in this book’s premise that really appealed to me and everything was off to such a fantastic start—

Book loving librarian? √
Book thievery to save knowledge? √
Whole swaths of society in desperate need of magic to support their communities? √
A monarchical government that hoards the magic for themselves? √
Exciting rebellion against said tyrannical kingdom? √
Literally the coolest magical companion in an enchanted spider plant the size of a dog? √√√√√

—only, once we arrived at the cottage that would become the main character’s future spellshop, everything just went downhill for me.

A great, grand total of nothing happens for the vast majority of this book. I felt like I spent the entire first half just waiting for something interesting to happen, but instead I was forced to sit through a whole lot of empty with the occasional character interaction as Kiela—with some help from Caz the spider plant and neighbor boy, Lauren—puts the cottage back together and starts building a front of selling jams in order to begin her magic business. We spend <i>far</i> too much time watching her flounder, insist repeatedly that she’s not comfortable with help (and possibly human interaction), and meander her way through doing, again, a grand total of nothing interesting.

If there’s one thing I hate but will sit through in hopes of it getting better, it’s boredom. I was so not expecting this to be the case with <i>The Spellshop</i>, but it literally takes forever for anything to happen that actually raises the stakes in this book. And when that does happen, it is resolved in the most annoyingly simple way imaginable. Then that leads to conflict number two, which is <i>also</i> resolved in an annoyingly simple and exceedingly lucky manner. Which, finally, leads us to the last conflict…which is resolved in much the same way.

I feel like I’m being exceedingly forgiving of this book with the rating I chose, but I do have to admit that I absolutely loved and adored the creativeness involved with the creation of Caz as a character. Were it not for this beautiful, endearing soil core creature I don’t think I would have made it through this book in the first place, let alone have enjoyed anything about it. But Caz was phenomenal. And, if nothing else, Caz is the one thing that Durst did right with this book. I will love and protect him into the ends of the earth.

Finally, I deeply enjoyed the narration for the audiobook. I imagine it might have been quite a bit more difficult to get through the story had the narrator not been as fantastic as she was.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for sending me an audio ARC of The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst in exchange for review.

4 stars

Cozy fantasy is something I’ve dabbled in. It’s nice here and there but not generally my “go-to”. However, this was absolutely delightful. The only thing I can compare this to is like the vibe of watching a Hayao Miyazaki movie it’s lighthearted and fun with big found family and magic. In my mind anyway, the island is colorful and full of adorable small town beauty. Overgrown plants and warmth. Kiela is likable and clever, starting a fun shop to give the islanders what they really secretly need.

The romance was cute and simple but in my opinion took a very extreme turn near the end that seemed a little off and I wish it had been a little less serious?

I also wish there were a little more details about the characters like maybe I just personally missed it but I remember being part way into this book and being shocked to find out Kiela was blue??????????

But Caz is the true hero of the story of course we love a sentient plant pal. I wish I had one that’s for certain anyway.


I just love all the whimsy and it furthers my want to live in a small town where you can trust the few people that you know nearby.

I’ve actually had this book preordered since October 2023 and now having read it I will keep my preorder to display this wholesome trophy upon my shelf. Thank you Bramble Books!

I have historically not loved a lot of cozy fantasies - I think I typically want just a little more plot in my books. But I think this is my favorite cozy fantasy that I've read! It has a good balance of coziness and some plot. What I do like about cozy fantasies is that we're often just dropped into the world and there's not a ton of world building to contend with. We were part way through this book when I realized that some of the characters were actually magical creatures or had other...non-human elements.

I enjoyed the narration and think it added to my experience, though I will say that I have no idea how to spell any of the characters names which can be tough for fantasy!

Read for:
- A Sentient Spider Plant
- Merhorses!
- Jam making
- Spells!

Sadly, this didn't fully work for me. I gave it a good 54% but I just didn't care and I'm sorry for it because I do like the vibes, the talking spider plant companion, the merhorses, the idea of a sort of undercover spellshop, and the cottagecore aesthetics.

I just didn't like this FMC, she kind of rubbed me the wrong way and I didn't warm up to her. Also, though this is low stakes, it felt like nothing much was happening and what was happening just wasn't interesting or engaging me in any major way. The romance didn't hit for me either, I wasn't at all invested and, as far as I read, he deserved better than this rude woman lmao. Maybe she grows and changes or whatever, I don't care enough to find out. Again, I'm sorry for it, I went into this book hoping to love it.

Giving it a soft 3 stars for effort and because I acknowledge that many other people will love it and find magic in this as it is.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year and I’m so disappointed. This had so much potential, but it fell short. The gorgeous cover art and Caz, the talking spider plant, were the best parts of this book!

The first half was very slow paced and it didn’t pick up much. Some of the politics didn’t fit in with the cozy story and most parts of the story were more telling, than showing.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

Magical and sweet - and I'm not just talking about the jam.

The Spellshop leans hard into cottagecore cozy, introducing an introvert librarian who loves books and plants. After a fire at her job in the big city, Kiela returns quietly to her hometown for lack of anywhere else to go. There her desperation turns to resolve as she finds a place for herself to belong.

The story is cute and wholesome, exactly as expected for a cozy fantasy. Kiela overcomes obstacles, makes friends, and tests forbidden magic spells as she builds her new life. The magic trial and error and the mythical creatures make for lovely fantasy elements.

So why not five stars? Kiela's over-the-top prickliness toward her friendly neighbor Larren feels off. Mostly though, the book is a perfectly sweet cozy story that just didn't wow me beyond that. If you love cozy fantasy, The Spellshop is a great option!

Thank you @brambleromance @macmillan.audio #partner #macaudio2024 for the gifted copies of this book!

Holy mystical frijoles! This book was like stepping into a magical fairytale and being swept away on a glorious fantastical journey. It felt reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel, mixed with beauty and the beast, a little mermaid and a dash of Smurf’s. 😂 I know that’s may sound ridiculous but there is the MOST adorable talking cactus that completely stole my heart (beauty and beast talking teacup vibe), merhorses (little mermaid), a talking spider plant, this cottage in the woods that felt extraordinary (like Smurf’s and Hansel and Gretel). This book literally stole my heart. I was not expecting to absolutely devour and love this story like I did. This book is unique in the most charming way. 🫶 Let me also tell you that the audiobook MADE me so engrossed in this world. I cannot get over “Meep” the cactus. I mean for real the cutest most adorable thing ever. Can you tell he was my favorite? 🌵I 💯 think you need a physical copy of this book because the cover is gorgeous and it has PURPLE sprayed edges but you also need audio because…oh my goodness there is a talking cactus. 🤗

If you love a lighthearted, found family, romantic, quirky, magical story you need this book. PS. It has a talking cactus. 🤩

I loved it! I’m new to cozy fantasy, and this book felt like a warm hug from your brave best friends when the real world is scary and uncertain. Librarian Kiela returns to her small home island when the revolution in the city explodes in fighting and chaos. She brings as many books as she can save and her best friend, a sentient plant. On the island she finds life difficult, albeit magical, and opens a jam shop in her family cottage. She also finds lovely townspeople, yummy cinnamon rolls, merpeople and merhorses, cloud bears, a sweet romance, and the courage to stand by her new friends when they need it most.
The conflicts in the last third felt a bit repetitive, as did the resolutions, but I was still entranced and would definitely read more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

The fantasy world this is set in is really lovely, and I definitely wanted to learn more about the animals and plants as our main character moved throughout the book. I would say this is definitely for fans of Legends & Lattes or You Can’t Spell Tea Without Treason, though obviously the main couple of this is not queer. The world, however, is queer normative and there is a queer side character.

The pacing was a little roughshod—it felt like we were just bouncing from idea to idea to idea without a real sense of a unified story arc—but the author was very clear in the internal monologue of the main character what she wanted the takeaway of each of the events to be. The story has a sweet romance which is a central plot point but not the only thing moving the plot forward, and this is not a spicy book. I would say it is generally written in a straightforward manner than would not be inappropriate for YA readers, if they were interested in the subject matter.

The narrator was pleasant to listen to and had good inflection throughout. In some places it felt very much like she was reading a children’s book in tone but I don’t necessarily think it was inappropriate for the content being read.

Perfect for fans of cottagecore with a touch of cozy mystery! Can really brought some lighthearted humor to this tale!

Thank you to Bramble and Macmillan Audio for the review copy!

This one is definitely for the “Legends and Lattes” crowd - it is all vibes. I switched between reading it, another romance, and rereading the Game of Thrones series, so it was exactly what I needed while I gaslit myself into thinking that maybe the Red Wedding wouldn’t happen during this read of A Storm of Swords.

I felt a little lost by the worldbuilding - we were dropped in and introduced to a very fantastical world that became more clear as the story unfolded. There were a lot of details that our narrator remembered or didn’t remember that I found confusing, but seemed to come from moving back to her childhood home. Her old memories were fuzzy because of how young she was, but I kept waiting for some sort of magic spell / amnesia plot line to unfold. Especially because she describes herself as someone who remembers details more than most!

The romance was cute, but the meet cute felt sudden and instalovey from his end - it took a bit to get the backstory necessary for me to really care.

The book took a big turn around the 50% mark - it went from cute to endearing, and I went from considering DNFing to absolutely loving it and couldn’t put it down. The found family feel and talking spider fern really stole the show for me! I would recommend it to someone looking for a cozy fantasy with some romance.

🎧 I liked the narrator a lot. I do think I would have benefited from reading the beginning with my eyes, which is typical for me while reading fantasy. But overall the story was clear and the performance gave life to all of the characters in such a fun way!

This is one of my favorite books of 2024. I loved everything about it. The narrator was incredible. This was exactly what I wanted from a cozy fantasy romance. The characters were perfect and I love the world and magic.

This was the perfect cozy fantasy! I fell in love with this book from the first chapter and didn't want to put it down. There were so many aspects to this book that I enjoyed. The world building was fantastic, filled with political unrest in the city and cozy towns full of magical creatures including merhorses, flying cats and who could forget, Kiela's side kick, Caz the talking spider plant. I loved Caz's banter with Keila as they try to navigate their new town and the friendly townsfolk they meet through opening their jam shop/illegal spell shop.

If you are looking for a fun cozy fantasy audiobook with a great narrator, I would highly recommend The Spellshop.

The Spellshop comes out July 9th.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review The Spellshop. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you are looking for a sweet cottagecore small-town romantasy story, this would be for you. Kiela, a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, must learn how to handle her new life after fleeing the revolution in the capitol. With only the spellbooks she has saved from the library as it burned, she has to figure out how to make a living in her childhood hometown—without anyone finding out that she might be breaking the law. Among the saved spellbooks, a sentient plant (or two?), mythical creatures, lots of raspberry jam, and a very handsome neighbor, Kiela must navigate new adventures while learning what a found family is all about.

This was a cute cozy fantasy to listen to—the narration was great. It was an enjoyable book and I look forward to more from this fantasy world.

*Provided an ALC (advance listening copy) audiobook from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

Well that was absolutely adorable!! Cottagecore and hygge goodness! The conflict is low-stakes, the romance is slow and sweet (honestly I wanted more), and the neighbors are nosy and quirky. I want to live there. I want to make this book my entire personality and just soak in the coziness. I must make jam asap. I need to lay on the shore rocks and search for merhorses. Gahhhh so magical! This audiobook got me through a 5 state drive, and I smiled the whole ride. 4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy!

If all I knew about this book was that it featured a librarian and a sentient spider plant, I would have picked it up based on that alone and would not have been disappointed.

The Spellshop features Kiela, an introverted librarian who has to flee the library where she works and ends up back on the island that was her childhood home. She brings her assistant, Caz, along with her. Caz just happens to be a spider plant. They work to set up a new life for themselves on the island which includes needing to befriend the locals - which can be hard for someone who just wants to stay in their cottage and read all day. I Ioved Kiela’s portrayal throughout the book. She is true to herself while also growing and making connections with other characters.

This story comes with beautiful friendships and some romance; however, it is not without challenges. The plot moves smoothly throughout the book and felt well paced.

If you’re looking for your next cozy fantasy read, The Spellshop is an excellent fit.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Caitlin Davies whose performance was excellent and certainly enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All expressed opinions are my own.

The Spellshop follows librarian Kiela and her sentient spider plant assistant, Caz as they are forced to flee the city due to political unrest. They return to Kiela's home on a remote island to hide. She decides to open a jam shop to make ends meet and finds herself using forbidden magic to get things started. As Kiela integrates into the village she begins to make friends and finds possibly more with her handsome neighbor.

This was incredibly sweet. A lot of the cozy romantasy books I have been reading have really fallen flat. This had a great mix of cozy vibes with actual stakes for the characters. The romance is a lovely slow burn. I loved the island village and all the people within. I hope there will be more to come in this setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst narrarted by Caitlin Davies Thank you @macmillan.audio for my gifted copy of this audiobook.

This was a fun and unquie tale. A librarian, Kiela and her assistant Caz, the sentient spider plant. If you don't know me by now, I am a *sucker* for plants. I love growing things in my greenhouse and I attempt to keep house plants, so when I got really going with the plot of this story I loved all the aspects of the nature.

While I really enjoyed the plot and premise of this story, I did struggle with the pace of it. Even when listening at 2.5 times I felt myself wondering what is next and when are we getting there.

If you are looking for a novel that has:
- a fun magical system
- mythical creatures
- a slow burn love interest
- shelf discovery
- witchy cottagecore vibes

ARC review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

A reclusive librarian, Kiela, and her unusual magical plant companion, Caz, flee the political violence in the city of Alyssium. They sail to her island birthplace and begin a new life in her family’s old cottage.

Oh my! This book was so cozy and warm, so comforting and soft. I find myself sad to have finished this book because I want to return to this world again today. I was lucky enough to be approved for the audio and the narrator was one of the best. I was fully immersed from start to finish. There is a cute little found family, a budding romance, friendship, sweet magical creatures, and of course a small town feel. This book is not one to miss and I know I will be picking it up for a reread. You can go out and grab this book July 9th,2024

Thank you #netgalley, the author, and Macmillan for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can't say enough how much I absolutely loved this book! The cozy fantasy setting was excellent and the romance was so sweet, but the found family aspect is where this story really shined for me. I loved seeing Kiela find her people and her home after starting over from a life she clearly loved. I especially loved Caz the sentient spyder plant - he was so much fun - the perfect best friend for Kiela. Caitlin Davies' narration was superb though I'm sure this book would have shined just as much in print.