Sometimes you just need to read a cozy little fantasy to make you smile and kick your feet. The Spellshop was exactly that for me!

To be fair, if I hadn't been in the mood for a slower-paced, low-risk fantasy, I'd probably be thinking differently about this book and giving it a lesser rating. That said, I saw this book as a brief vacation from the usual fantasies I tend to gravitate towards, and Kiela being the character she is helped as well. I mean, hermit librarian saving crates of books and holes up in a small island with just a spider plant and no plans of ever interacting with people? Sounds like my idea of a good time.

I enjoyed reading about the characters in Caltrey. I thought Kelia's meet cute with nosey neighbor Larran was adorable, and their relationship--albeit not spicy--was still something that made me smile every time.

That said, this book was fairly slow-going, even as a cozy fantasy, and it was difficult to gauge the passage of time between scenes. At times it felt like days had gone by, and others it seemed like the day just kept going. I wasn't sure how some of the relationships got cultivated between characters, and when there was meaningful exchange happening, it often got interrupted by blatant use of plot device. It was also a much longer story than I'd anticipated from a cozy fantasy, and I felt like this could have been much shorter and delivered the same atmosphere and message.

Anyway, I still enjoyed this, and I hope we get to see more of this world in some capacity. I'd be sad if I didn't get to see the merhorses or winged cats again!

Also, Caz and Meep need to be protected at all costs. AT ALL COSTS.