The Spellshop ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst 

G👀dreads

The Spellshop is a cottagecore cosy fantasy following a woman's unexpected journey through the low-stakes market of illegal spell-selling and the high-risk business of starting over . . .

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people, and as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.

She and her assistant, Caz, a sentient spider plant, have spent most of the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s precious spellbooks, protecting the magic for the city’s elite. But a revolution is brewing and when the library goes up in flames, she and Caz steal whatever books they can and flee to the faraway island where she grew up. She’s hoping to lay low and figure out a way to survive before the revolution comes looking for her. To her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town in disarray.

The empire with its magic spellbooks has slowly been draining power from the island, something that Kiela is indirectly responsible for, and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right. Opening up a spell shop comes with its own risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the quirky townspeople, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must break down the walls she has kept so high.

Genre: Fiction, Cozy Fantasy, Romance, Magic

The How/Why: Feeling in the mood for a little magical fantasy for a change of pace. Someone recommended The Enchanted Greenhouse which I thought sounded interesting. When I added it to my Want To Read in GR, I noticed its Book 2 in a series of 3 and Book 1 was already on my TBR.🤷 Might as well start with Book 1.
Plus "quirky townspeople"! My favorite characters.
AND a talking spider plant 🕷🪴👀

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

🎉 Overall Enjoyment? 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

🎣 Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣

🗣️Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes ➕

🕮 Would I want a sequel? No ➖ But there are three books in the series.  You know I'm not the biggest fan of getting sucked into a series but I liked this one enough to keep Book 2 on my TBR next time I'm in the mood for a little magical fantasy.

📚 Would I want to read more books by this author? Yes ➕

💣💥 📢 Content Warnings? Google says Griɇf and DɇaṪh but I don't think they were done in a triᵷᵷering way. 

🌶 Spice? No

🌪 Plot Twist? There are ALWAYS plot twists with magical fantasy.

👟 Pace? Very good

💻 Tidbits ~ True Confession: I believe in magic but I’m not the biggest fan of fantasy. :ducks-head: to dodge dragon fire. Let me explain before you ghost me. I like to dissect mysteries. I enjoy a good plot twist. You can’t do that with fantasy, you have to let your imagination run wild. I have a great imagination but it loses me when every dire situation is resolved with the likes of a get-out-of-jail-free-card and POOF the threat is gone.

That being said, maybe I’ve entered my Fantasy Era. I have some 5 Star Favs on my list over the past year that are Fantasy. This genre hopper is rethinking her thought process!

Now back to The Spellshop. I loved this story!

At 8% into the audiobook I was already in LOVE with Caz.
Narrator Caitlin Davies for the win with this sentient Spider Plant. Yes, a talking Spider Plant. 

Kiela is a loaner and has befriend the lovable worry-wart Caz in all his leafy wise-cracking glory. They have to flee their library when it goes up in flames. The quest to save as many sacred spell books that they can outweighs the trouble they will be in if discovered in her possession.  

They end up on a remote island that was Kiela’s childhood home. Her parents house is still there although in much need of extra TLC. She plans on just hiding out there, but why are the neighbors so friendly?!?!
This small island escape has a very cozy community welcoming her without judgement.

Between Kiela and Caz they have the market cornered on anxiety and overthinking. This book handles the seriousness of mental health in an almost cozy way, bringing together characters who accept you the way you are.
Well, except Fenerer, the one token grumpy man who seems to be on a mission to have her ousted from the island. He's highly suspicious and (shhhh) he's not exactly wrong. 

There is an insta-attraction, slow burn romance brewing that’s very sweet due to their dual shyness.

My only complaint is it’s kind of long. The audiobook is 12 hours but the narration is so good I didn’t deduct any partial stars for that.
Caitlin Davies is the equivalent of a one-man-band with all the voices she embraced and mastered in this one.

Now off to give Spidy and her Spiderettes (my spider plant) a little emotional support while I decide which sounds better: Raspberry Pastry or Cinnamon Buns?

🎧 Narrator: Caitlin Davies 🥳

🎧12.11 hours 🕮 377 pages



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