The Spellshop- Sarah Beth Durst
Narrated by Caitlin Davies

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️
Narration 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

This book has lived up the the hype in my opinion. It was absolutely adorable with all the magical creatures, plants, and a found family within this tiny island who will do anything for each other to keep them safe and happy. The audiobook was phenomenal. I felt like I was right in the action and practicing the magic right along with the characters.

This was the coziest comfort read of 2024. I loved it so much that I listened to the audio as well. The most beautiful cover as well. The narrator did a great job! I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great escape.

Entertaining cozy fantasy. The audiobook narration was great. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

I can't believe this is a DEBUT NOVEL. This was such an adorable and cute romantasy novel that made me want to have a cute cottage-core aesthetic and do witchy things on my days off. But more than that, i loved the cozy plot and story.

Such a warm cozy hug of a book! I’ve recommended it to a ton of people to unanimous acclaim. I would love to read more books by this author!

Thank you MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for a ALC
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This was my book club’s pick for August and it was just a delightful read! Caz won my heart immediately. Filled with fantastic characters, magic, mythical creatures, small town “going home” feels and some romance, it was just one of those books that makes you smile and is good for your soul. Caitlin Davies did an amazing job of bringing all the characters - even the plants! - to life. And the cover! Gorgeous!!

This has been one of my favorite reads this year, and I greatly enjoyed the audiobook version of this story. It flowed nicely, with great character choices by the narrator and easy to understand pacing.

I also greatly enjoyed the story itself, and I am now officially swayed towards the fun and excitement of cozy fantasy reads. This read like if Stardew Valley was turned into a fantasy novel, and it was a great enjoyement to read. I finished it in less than a day!

I will definitely recommend this author to others, and I look forward to their next story.

- This book is a delight. If you are into the cozy fantasy genre, THE SPELLSHOP is a must. What’s not to love about a rogue librarian, an anxious spider plant, and an attractive merhorse herder, along with the rest of the island’s inhabitants?
- I also liked the conversation layered into the story about whether libraries are for keeping information from or sharing it with the people.
- I read the audiobook, and narrator Caitlin Davies is super engaging, managing to do slight voices for each character without making it cartoony (even when said character is a sentient plant).

I LOVED The SpellShop. This book is the definition of a cozy fantasy read. The world the author created is full of whimsy and endearing characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to escape for a high fantasy low risk book. The audiobook narration was great.

The Spellshop was an absolutely lovely book! I loved the descriptions - the setting, the mystical creatures, the humour and the story. The main character and the friends she met along the way, I enjoyed their banter and her journey from loneliness to community. Caz and Meep are the best and they're hysterical.

I’ve been a fan of Sarah Beth Durst for years now, so I was happy to see the attention her latest novel is receiving. Of course, I eagerly grabbed a copy and devoured it. It’s an understatement to say that The Spellshop is wildly inventive, sweet, enchanting, and impossible to put down.

Fleeing the violent revolution in the capital city, librarian Kiela packs a few crates of precious books of spells (which are illegal for non-approved sorcerers to cast, by the way) and escapes with her friendly assistant, a talking spider plant named Caz, who has more common sense than most humans. She lands on the island of her birth, where she thinks to hide in her parents’ abandoned house until—she does not know, she can’t plan that far ahead. Nor can she cope with the sudden appearance of her neighbor and childhood friend, merhorse herder Loran, who shows up on her doorstep with a welcoming gift of cinnamon buns. Soon Kiela and Caz are drawn into the community of humans and magical beings, ever fearful to keep their stash of forbidden hidden. Before long, however, Kiela ends up creating spells (for reasons that seem good at the time) that she calls folk “remedies,” sometimes with hilarious results (like the apple-tree bird or the sentient cactus that Caz falls in love with).

The world building and cast of characters are fresh, original, and charming, but for me the best part of The Spell Shop was the skill and sensitivity with which Durst portrays how those characters change and grow. In particular, she captures Kiela’s voice as the reclusive librarian slowly emerges from her isolation with evolving insight into the motives and emotions of others…and herself. No wonder Book Riot called Durst “a hidden gem of the fantasy world.”

File this tale under: Perennial Comfort Reading. And buy a second copy to lend to special friends.

This book was cozy and wonderful. I thought Kiela was relatable to an introvert like myself. And Caz was the star of the show. I loved every minute of it.

Thanks net galley, publisher and author for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was a cute, cozy read. Absolutely obsessed with this book. Will definitely be picking this up again. I will definitely be reading it on my kindle as I felt sometimes I lost track due to not being able to focus lol adhd.

As soon as I saw "sentient spider plant sidekick" I knew I needed to read this, and it didn't disappoint. I've seen some classify it as romantasy but the romance is sparse and not at all the main focus of the plot. I'd say it's more of a cozy fantasy with light romance. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was great!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Spellshop is a charming fantasy romance from a promising debut author. Sarah Beth Durst has created a beautiful and engaging story with good world building, lovable characters and a cozy plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one from this author.

I did find the narration difficult to enjoy and had to speed it up just to be able to get through. I believe this is a newer narrator, and I think she does have potential. .Her character voices are good. For me, though, it just felt amateur and young. While I would give the book 4 stars, I’d lower the audio to 3 stars because of the narration.

Escaping a war Kiela never expects to find a home on the island of her birth. A home and a life full of people and love while she helps heal the island with the magical texts she saved from the library where she had worked. Good narration and storytelling that helps you visualize the magical world where Kiela lives.

ARC Review of Audiobook: A librarian who valiantly saves books from a burning library! A sentient spider plant best friend! An island brimming with charm and magic, as well as kind and welcoming creatures! This book is incredibly cozy and sweet. I loved all of the characters, and enjoyed watching our protagonist grow as a person throughout the novel. I highly recommend this cottagecore book to anyone who loves cozy fantasy. This was my first time reading one set on an enchanted island, and I thought the author did a fantastic job building this world. Whether you listen to the audiobook or read a physical copy, pick this one up soon!

A very nice and cozy fantasy story about an introverted librarian who has to abandon her beloved library and flee back to her hometown, with books to protect and a spider plant for a companion!
Perfect for the summer.

DNF at 35%. This was my first time trying a cozy fantasy and the stakes were a bit too low for me. I think this just isn't my genre!

I thought I wouldn't like this book, but turns out, I absolutely loved it. The Spellshop bewitched me with its cottagecore aesthetic and cosy fantasy plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.