#thespellshop

[storiaegattini]

[bucolicbook]

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

US pub date - 7/9/24

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Stardew Valley along with Animal Crossing meets Harry Potter care of magical creatures class mixed with some heavy-duty cottagecore? Absolutely yes… with some caveats.  

*Kiela - introverted book lover (librarian of magic books)

*Caz - sentient plant companion / assistant 

*homecoming 

*cozy cottage with plot of land, in need of tlc 

*gardening 

*Larran - charming next door neighbor 

*mythical creatures and beings (winged kitties! merhorses! cloud bears! merpeople!)

*a super secret spellshop fronting as a jam shop 

*charming and wonderful descriptive sentences about locale, food, and aromas. 

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My issues -

*Most of the characters, I found to not be as fleshed out as I wanted, more stereotypes than fully formed. 

*Kiela is such an introvert that she shuns humans, preferring only the company of a sentient spider plant who is really the saving grace in some slower parts of the novel (this is no spoiler - she informs us of that fact regularly - and after reading it so often, it started to really irk me). This introvertedness is also rarely mentioned after she makes friends - that’s not really how it works, but okay. 

*we get it, Kiela is so completely clueless when it comes to relationships that she doesn't recognize when others are attracted and hoping to spend more time with her. She doesn't believe he's interested, directly up to their first kiss - I grew to despise this after it was consistently brought up.

*I went through parts of this just cringing and rolling my eyes.

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I liked this one more than I disliked it, hence my rating and recommendation - magical, engaging, and cosy, read this one when you're looking for a much slower pace, without much tension, and with more of the fantastical, less fantasy.  

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Thank you to Tor / Bramble and NetGalley for the DRC

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst