The Enchanted Greenhouse

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

Admittedly I am in my cozy fantasy era, and I love to garden, so this book ticked ALL of the boxes for me: Lovable characters who do lots of gentle growth while finding their place in the world, plus gardening talk, sentient plants, and a magical greenhouse on a remote island. Sounds like the perfect place to escape the world, and this book is a lovely little literary getaway in its own right.

The Enchanted Greenhouse is a companion follow up to The Spellshop, and while it works just as well as a stand-alone story, continuing readers can enjoy mentions of favorite characters from the first book. Like Spellshop, the Enchanted Greenhouse manages to be a gentle tale set during a time of general upheaval. It starts off with a bit of a dramatic bang, which might put readers off if they're hoping for cozy vibes only, but it does even out pretty quickly as the tale goes along so I'd say to stick with it. Because the real story is about what comes after.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it's ultimately a tale about extending the same grace to ourselves that we do to those we care for. I would recommend it for fans of cozy fantasy and plant enthusiasts alike.