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Cover of The Spellshop

The Spellshop

by Sarah Beth Durst

🥛clean·spoiler·Spellshop #1

Why Read This?

You'll feel restored by its cozy charm and believe in the magic of community and quiet love.

Synopsis

The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love. 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.

At a Glance

4.00 ★ Goodreads
Spice Level🥛clean
Endingspoiler
PairingM/F
Romance Pacingslow burn
Energylow

Top Tropes

forced proximitysecret relationshiphidden identityslow burngrumpy sunshine

Mood

cozyheartwarminglightheartedwhimsicalmagical

Book Details

Goodreads Rating

4.00 ★

Page Count

377 pages

Published

2024

Primary Genre

Cozy Fantasy

Pairing

M/F

POV

Third Person

Romance Pacing

Slow Burn

Cliffhanger

spoiler

Audiobook

Available

Yes

Format

Standard

Narrator

Caitlin Davies

Narrator Count

Single

Tropes

RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

Mood

Writing Style

lushwhimsicalwarm

Story Pacing

slow

Emotional Weight

light

Energy Required

low

Vibes

Cottagecore fantasy with stolen spellbooks, illegal jam, a sentient spider plant best friend, and the gentlest slow-burn romance on a magical island.

Characters

FMC Archetype

bookworm/scholaroutcast/lonersoft/gentle

MMC Archetype

cinnamon rollgolden retrieversecretly soft

Relationship Dynamics

mutual piningslow burngrumpy sunshinefound family
revolutioncensorshipgriefanxiety
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World & Setting

World Type

high fantasy

Primary Setting

cottage / cabin / homesteadsmall town / villagecoastal / island / beach

Fantasy Creatures

Representation

N/A

Reading Context

Emotional Payoff

Best Time of Year

summer

When & Where to Read

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