Title: The Spellshop

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

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.

The author said she wanted to write a book that felt like a warm hug….and she succeeded!

Kiela is a librarian and when a revolution happens and the library burns, she sails to safety to the island she grew up on with Caz, a talking spider plant and some stolen goods! But Caltrey hasn’t fared well since she’s been gone.

What you then get is found family, island life, a close knit community, jam, friends and love! And it was beautiful!

I was so hooked, I just kept on reading until I finished and then I felt all warm and cozy!

Special mention to my favourite character, Caz, I need a talking spider plant in my life!