The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst
The Enchanted Greenhouse
by Sarah Beth Durst
Fantasy | Cozy
375 Pages
Released July 2025
The Spellshop series #2
Rating: ★★★
Goodreads
Content Warnings
I don’t read cozy fantasy too terribly often - mostly because I find it can stray into the “boring” territory. But work has been rough, and I was in desperate need of a book that would soothe my stressed-out brain. I’ve had this sequel on my want-to-read for a while now and decided it was time to pick it up.
This book follows Terlu Perna, a librarian who broke the law by casting a spell to create a sentient spider plant in order to ease her loneliness. Her punishment is severe, and seemingly never-ending. Until, one, day, she unexpectedly finds herself on an island with enchanted greenhouses. There she meets a grumpy (and handsome!) gardener and learns that the greenhouses are dying. Despite her fear, Terlu is determined to use magic to save them.
If coziness and comfort was a book series, this would be it. This is the second book in the Spellshop series and every bit as heartwarming and peaceful as the first. I’m facing some serious burnout at work, and this has been the perfect story to decompress me after a long day.
There’s a lot I appreciate about Durst’s writing. For one, I’ve really enjoyed all these different magical settings. The series all take place in the same world, so the world building has been gradual (this is definitely welcomed on my end as I feel like recent fantasy tends to be very info-dumpy at the beginning). I also think Durst’s writing is improving with every book, so I’m hopeful the series gets even better as it goes.
I was a bit curious to see if this book would be too similar to the first, and while it definitely has overlapping themes (found family, a sunshine and grumpiness love story, magical creatures), I found the setting and characters to be plenty unique to keep the story fresh and interesting. And similar to The Spellshop, this story has rather low stakes too, which made it a relaxing read (while still tugging at my heartstrings!).
It’s hard not to fall in love with Durst’s characters. They’re not terribly complex but still written in a way that makes them interesting. The love story is sweet, shy and undramatic which, again, is, a breath of fresh air.
Lastly, and maybe this is silly, but I love books that talk about food in a way where I can clearly imagine it. The food mentioned in this novel sounded so amazing, I was half-tempted to start googling honey cake recipes and start baking on the spot. I have a soft spot for food in literature and this book really scratches that itch.
I’m glad to see the series is continuing and I look forward to learning more about this world and the wonderful characters in it, especially since it seems like the newer books will center around some side characters we’ve already been introduced to.
If you’re looking for a cozy, low-stakes love story, with found family and an atmospheric setting, I really recommend this book. And while you need not start with The Spellshop, I do think starting from the beginning will give you a better wold-building experience.