“Books promise you that your life can change in an instant. And bookstores? Bookstores offer refuge, a home away from home. No matter how far you travel, you can always find a little piece of home inside a bookstore.”
When Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar steps into a small-town bookshop for a brief respite from her busy schedule, she’s merely looking for some new novels to escape into. Little does she know, this visit will turn into her greatest adventure when she finds herself cursed to remain until she unlocks her heart’s desire.
Befriending some of the eccentric townsfolk and hiring a mopey teenage assistant, Tandy settles in and gets to work breathing new life into the rather run-down bookshop. However, even though she’s secretly enjoying her newfound freedom from her royal duties, her parents are not convinced.
The King and Queen begin sending along a steady procession of seven princes to try to break the curse with true love’s kiss. Something Tandy feels is preposterous and highly unlikely to work…especially because, with each passing day, she’s becoming increasingly flustered by a handsome pirate who hangs around the bookstore and steals trinkets.
“The first, the most fundamental rule of summoning is this: if you don’t want a certain thing to happen, do not commit the possibility to paper. The moment the universe gets an idea, it’ll run with it. Don’t give the universe ideas.”
Stay for a Spell is a delightfully fun cozy fantasy romance for those of us who’ve always dreamed of a quiet, joyful life. The magic system blends folklore with whimsy, cementing the world in its safe & comfortable fantasy setting. I also love the gentle little tweaks to gender-specific roles and ideas to subvert expectations. And it is a truth universally acknowledged that every cozy fantasy reader has wanted to run a bookstore, isn’t it? (Of course it is.)
Tandy is an engaging heroine who learns to stand up for herself as the bookshop and her newfound friends give her the support she needs to flourish. And Bash, the aforementioned handsome pirate, is cheeky and charming and oh so aware of it—but he’s got secrets too, and possibly a crush (wink, wink). Their slow-burn romance is entertaining and surprisingly sweet, filled with flirting that could make anyone blush.
The playful writing reflects its story’s cozy nature, while remaining relatable at its emotional core. Stay for a Spell mixes fairytale tropes with magical elements and cute romance vibes to serve up a feel-good bookshop adventure; it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but instead cherry picks inspiration from each trope to make its own journey towards a happily ever after.
