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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.
BookBrowsers Ask Jaleigh Johnson, author of The Reimagining of Thornwood House
...I asked around for a lot of recommendations. I hope that THORNWOOD is what you're looking for! Can I also suggest, if you haven't read them already, THE SPELLSHOP by Sarah Beth Durst, or (if you don't mind a dash, a touch, a smidgeon of sci-fi) Becky Chamber's A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT. Both books warmed my heart in the best ways...
-Jaleigh_J
"Those who come for the cheery aesthetic and celebration of everyday successes... will find this utterly delightful." ―Publishers Weekly
"A story full of love, magic, plants, books, and mutual aid, for those who love to see heroes fight for a gentle life and a cozy corner of the world to call their own." ―Booklist
"Kindness is king in this soft and breezy low-stakes cottagecore fantasy." ―Kirkus Reviews
"The Spellshop sweeps readers into a world of merhorses, illegal spells, and first loves… it's as comforting as homemade jam on a fresh baked muffin!" ―Rebecca Thorne, author of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea
"Thoroughly enchanting! The Spellshop is brimming with cozy charm, endearing characters, and reminders that sometimes the biggest risks lead to the sweetest rewards. I'm looking forward to reading more of Sarah Beth Durst's magical books." ―Heather Webber, USA Today Bestselling author
This information about The Spellshop was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Sarah Beth Durst is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty-five books for adults, teens, and kids, including cozy fantasy The Spellshop. She's been awarded an American Library Association Alex Award, as well as a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Several of her books have been optioned for film/television, including Drink Slay Love, which was made into a TV movie and was a question on Jeopardy! She lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat.
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