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.
My Thoughts:
I won't lie to you, I picked this book up 100% because the book is beautiful, and I wanted to live in the cottage on the front cover. From the start, I was immediately in love with Caz, and to the end, he was my favorite character.
Sarah Beth Durst crafts a whimsical tale that blends magic and self discovery against the vibrant backdrop of a unique island. Magic is only accessible to the rich and powerful, but a rebellion has taken over and Kiela is forced to flee the city with her assistant Caz. They save as many books from the library as they can and sail to the island that she grew up on. Once she arrives she is set on living alone with help from no one, until Larran shows up and derails her plans. With the help of the magic books she saved from the fire at the library, she starts a jam shop and helps the island recover from magic storms while makes a few friends along the way.
What I liked:
The island and its inhabitants are phenomenal. They have winged cats, need I say more? I loved the small-town atmosphere, the cozy cottage, and Kiela's gradual journey toward trusting others. It added so much warmth to the story. Caz the sentient spider plant provided endless smiles. I loved him.
What I didn't like: Kiela was hard to like. She starts out grumpy, short-sighted, and downright annoying. The abrupt turn that her character takes to be the savior of the town and friend of everyone was a little jarring. Poor Larran, we don't even get a real description of him except that he is huge. The magical creatures are described in detail as well as the island and we get nothing on the love interest.
All in all, it was a wholesome ( no spice at all) and cozy read that I enjoyed immensely.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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