By Sarah Beth Durst
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Spice rating: 🌶️
Audiobook rating: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Blurb
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.
When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.
In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.
But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.
Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.
Category: Romantasy
Read if you Like:
🌱 Small town
🌱 Secret magic
🌱 Adorable side kicks
🌱 Closed-door
🌱 Cozy vibes
My Thoughts:
If you like a small town romance with some really cool magic this story is for you! I loved reading about Kiela and Caz's (her sentient plant assistant) return to her hometown and loved seeing her make connections there. I want to visit and ride a mer horse immediately!
I loved reading about Kiela's attempts to learn magic and build her shop. She was so terrible about being secretive but had such good intentions. This book was sweet and cozy while also being romantic and interesting. I loved the magic and the world!
The romance was a smaller plot in this one. The story is all from Kiela's POV and her self-discovery and attempts to make a home really drive the plot. However, fans of a cozy romance will love this one! If you loved The Very Secret Society for Irregular Witches but want the summer version this is it!
I listened to the audio version of this title and thought Caitlin Davies did a great job! Romance readers may know her from Ex Hex. She has a lot of experience with romantasy titles.
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC. All opinions are my own.
