Tag: cozy fantasy

ARC/ALC Book Review: The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Cozy Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: Delacorte
Release Date: March 31st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

After a devastating heartbreak, a teen girl decides to spend her summer helping her eccentric great aunt manage her quaint Vermont inn–but this fixer-upper is hiding a magical secret–in this cozy and irresistable new fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop.

Sixteen-year-old Calisa is desperate for a change of scenery after her lying ex ruins her perfect Brooklyn summer. When her parents suggest she head to rural Vermont to help her great-aunt run her cozy bed and breakfast for a few months, she jumps at the chance.

But when Calisa arrives at the B&B, she’s shocked to find a rundown inn with only a handful of guests. And to make matters worse, upon meeting with her great-aunt it quickly becomes clear that Calisa was not invited. Auntie Zee is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn…even if it is clear she needs the help.

To earn her keep, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundskeeper’s (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the more it becomes evident that there is something strange about the B&B—and its residents. Something almost…otherworldly.

The inn is keeping a magical secret—but to protect the place she’s come to love, Calisa must unravel the truth of it, and her aunt, before it’s too late.

Thank you PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

NICE AND COZY.

One of these days I might give a five star to a cozy fantasy but at least I’m still overall liking them. I’m continuing to enjoy SBD’s writing style and the themes she adds to her stories.

The pacing was my only issue here. I think I just really like an edge to my fantasy books. But if you’re someone who’s all in with cozies, don’t miss this one. I appreciate that it is good for a young adult audience and kept themes in the same tone. I liked seeing Calisa work hard and be open to the ideas and world around her. She’s caring and well-meaning and found an escape by staying at the Inn.

I liked the soft romance and personality of Jack was just right. He’s so dang sweet and I adored watching them figure things out together. I’m glad that Jack got his moments for his character arc too. The family dynamics worked for me and I think the push and pull between Calisa and Auntie Zee made sense. They had to butt heads a lot to break down some walls and find a way to reconnect.

All of the characters who stayed at the inn were charming and added a delightful little touch throughout. I loved the idea of the different realms converging at the inn and the importance of having a place to rest.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Cozy Fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild

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Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3) by Heather Fawcett

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Cozy Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Author: Heather Fawcett
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: February 11th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm-as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival-now fiancé-the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world-how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in-Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic-and Emily’s knowledge of stories-to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

DON’T COME AT ME.

I wanted to love this conclusion so much, but I don’t know if it was a right book, wrong time scenario or if this book wasn’t going to click for me regardless. I think it’s a great little cozy series and if you are a cozy person, absolutely try them. This sub-genre can go sideways for me sometimes and it did here.

This felt a lot like “how many times can I separate the couple rather than have them work together.” Rinse and repeat. I missed out on so much banter with these *forced* separations that I thought the plot ran dry.

So while not a hit, I still had a good time overall and look forward to whatever is next.

Overall audience notes:

  • Cozy fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: mild

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Book Review: The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Cozy Fantasy
Length: 336 pages
Author: Julie Leong
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: November 5th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A wandering fortune teller finds an unexpected family in this warm and wonderful debut fantasy, perfect for readers of Travis Baldree and Sangu Mandanna.

Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells “small” fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences…

Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.

Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy.

IT WAS FINE.

I’m realizing I am someone who wants to love cozy fantasy but that I really need some dark and tense action to stay fully connected to a story. This book is charming, and I didn’t have glaring issues. I just never became invested enough.

The plot felt a bit meandering and like scenes were added to get to a certain page count. I did enjoy the characters and the rag-tag group of souls who found each other and worked to find a lost child. There’s some good charm, and some good themes woven in too. I also liked the audiobook narration too.

Things came together well in the end and it definitely fits the cozy vibe if that’s what you’re after.

Overall audience notes:

  • Cozy Fantasy
  • Language: none – low
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale #1) by Christina Baehr

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Cozy Historical Fantasy
Length: 208 pages
Author: Christina Baehr
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 6th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As a Victorian clergyman’s daughter, Edith Worms has seen everything — until a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap. When a letter arrives from estranged relatives, Edith is swept away to a crumbling gothic Abbey in the wilds of Yorkshire.

Wormwood Abbey isn’t just full of curious beasts and ancient family secrets: there’s also a tall, dark, and entirely too handsome neighbour who is strangely reluctant for her to leave.

An unexpected bond with her prickly cousin Gwendolyn gives Edith a reason to stay in this strange world — especially when it turns out that Edith herself may have a role in guarding her family’s legacy.

But not all of the mysteries of Ormdale are small enough to fit in her lap…and some of them have teeth.

WORMWOOD ABBEY, Book 1 of The Secrets of Ormdale, is a cosy gothic novel of mystery, dragons, and the perils of friendship, perfect for fans of EMILY WILDE’S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES and Maria Grace.

MIXED FEELINGS.

This wasn’t quite everything I hoped for, but also not a complete dud too? I think I do want to read book two because this one felt more like a prologue than a first book for a series. At barely 200 pages there was just a lot missing and I thought things ran dry.

I enjoyed Edith as a main character and can see her potential throughout the series. I also liked that there does seem to be a romantic plot line as the books goes on because you know your girl loves a romance.

I’m curious about the dragons and abbey and this gave some good initial inklings on those matters. It also had some light faith themes I wasn’t expecting but weren’t over done either.

Overall audience notes:

  • Cozy historical fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: low

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