Spellshop

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Spellshop is a very cozy read that hit all of the right cozy fantasy beats: leaving an old life behind, starting over somewhere new, finding a community and a purpose within it, and a little no-spice romance. Bonus points for a sentient spider plant, bookish characters, mermaids, and a few other pretty cool magical elements.

I did struggle initially with the main character's insular attitude towards other people, but she has a decent growth arc. So if you find yourself rolling your eyes at her at the beginning, I'd say to stick with it knowing she's going somewhere. And it's arguable that her frame of mind at the beginning does have a function in keeping the tone of the story lighter, because there are some rather high stakes things happening in the larger world, but her world view keeps our focus pretty small with everything else being more in the background.

This was an easy read, and cozy cottagecore is an excellent descriptor for it. I think it will be an easy win for fans of cozy fantasy, especially if you love books, houseplants, and the seaside.