Review: Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe

Stay for a Spell 

by Amy Coombe

Release Date: April 14, 2026

2026 Ace

Ebook & Audiobook ARC Editions; 373 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593955536

ASIN: B0FHJSXKT4

Audiobook: B0FHLHG1YR

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Cozy / Romance

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar is disillusioned with life as a princess. She longs for real conversation, the chance to build a life of her own making, and uninterrupted reading time.

During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, Tandy’s dream comes true when she finds herself cursed to remain in a run-down bookshop until she unlocks her heart’s desire. Certain that someone will figure out how to break the curse eventually, and delighted by the prospect of an entire bookstore of her own, Tandy settles into life among the stacks.  
There's just one, minor problem: as Tandy's royal duties go unfulfilled, her frantic parents start sending princes to woo her, each one of them certain their kiss will break the curse. After all, what more could a princess want but a prince?

 

My Thoughts

Stay for a Spell is the first in a planned trilogy, and while I did enjoy this, I did find it a bit predictable and honestly, other than a whole series of princes showing up to kiss the princess, nothing really happened. I understand this a cozy fantasy, but I have read a lot of cozy fantasy as fantasy is one of the genres I read a lot, and I do feel there should be more happening than Tandy crying every time she thinks she has to return to her duties.  She is a princess of the realm after all.  

 

I didn't mind Tandy as a character and I liked the fact she got drunk and went a little wild as I appreciated the fact she was alone for probably the first time in her life and was able to do things she was forbidden to do.  It kind of reminds me of university students let loose the first week and have no parental supervision for the first time in their lives and realize they don't have to answer to curfew or whatever.  I don't really feel like her character was fully developed however as she felt so superficial in her responses.  

 

The secondary characters were interesting, but again, I didn't really feel like I got to know them or understand them as they were developed on a one-dimensional level with little depth. Yes, I know the characters had issues, but they were minor and I didn't really empathize too much as I couldn't really connect with them. And this isn't just because this book is a cozy fantasy as I have read other cozy fantasies where the characters were written in-depth with a lot of personality.  The pirate had so much going for him that he could have been the most interesting character. I understand there is going to be another book, but to withhold too much information for this reason seems sort of silly to me. 

 

The plot was simple and predictable and you could tell exactly what Tandy needed to do to break the curse from the minute it happened. Being a cozy fantasy doesn't mean there aren't any stakes or issues for the MC, but this just rolled along as if Tandy could just ignore the fact she was a princess and just have her greatest desire and this didn't sit right with me.  There were some fun things in this book and I don't want to ignore those as I enjoyed the scene when she gets drunk and I did think some of the scenes with the princes were funny as well, but I did wish the author had spent more time describing the world and how it worked, especially how Tandy's family fit into it.

 

Verdict

Stay for a Spell was a low-stakes cozy fantasy that was quite predictable and had a very simply plot. While I enjoyed it, I did wish both the characters and the plot had been more developed; the characters were one-dimensional with little depth, and the plot just rolled along with little happening and Tandy whining about how she doesn't want to be a princess.  I just felt like there should have been more stakes involved considering she was a princess and it wouldn't be that easy to get away from your duties. That being said, as a whole, the book worked, was fun, and would definitely appeal to those looking for a light fun read.  The next book in this world will be published in 2027, The Dark Wizard Falls in Love. 

 

Review: The Library at the Edge of the Wood by Liz Delton

The Library at the Edge of the Wood (Cozy Cottage Series, #2)

by Liz Delton

Release Date: February 16, 2026

2026 Tourmaline & Quartz Publishing LLC

Ebook ARC;  265 Pages

ISBN: 978-1954663336

ASIN:  B0GCVDZ5FX

Audiobook: B0GMKDWDJD

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Cozy

Source: Review copy from author

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

On his way back from delivering a parcel one day, Everson stumbles across an empty cottage at the edge of the wood, where he quickly discovers its there’s magic within these walls, and he can make this place into the secluded home of his dreams.  His dreams, of course, include wall to wall books. 

 
Born with silver hair and pointy ears of the “cursed” faerûn, Everson has always had to hide his identity, particularly ever since his mother married the lord of Wrestia—and he’s kept to himself ever since.

Can he create the welcoming library of his dreams, or will it crumble to ruin before he even gets started?

My Thoughts

The Library at the Edge of the Wood was exactly what I needed at this time, a lovely, cozy fantasy that was fun to read and with delightful characters.  I read a lot of heavy material including historical non-fiction and grimdark fantasy, so I have really taken a huge nosedive into searching out these slice-of-life fantasy stories and love them because I don't have to worry about the MC being punished, being destroyed, being downtrodden, being destroyed again, being punished again and again, you get the point. While there was some tension, it was relaxed and enjoyable. 

 

The plot did move along quite quickly, but this book represents a lot of what I look for in cozy fantasy.  It was very much character-driven with a host of wonderful secondary characters and a MC in whom I could definitely relate. It was comforting and relaxing as I knew that the stakes would be low for our MC and everything would work out for him, everything a cozy fantasy needs to be. However, don't underestimate the themes in this book as it does explore childhood trauma, prejudice, loneliness, poverty, illness, and other themes, but does so lightly and a lot of them were resolved quite easily. This is the reason why I didn't give the book a full five stars as I did feel like themes could have been explored more deeply without destroying the overall comforting feel of the book, but I do understand why the author chose not to do so. I definitely enjoyed the theme of family woven throughout the book, and how family does not necessarily include your blood relations, but can include different kinds of family as well. I think this is where the author managed to add a good layer of complexity and nuance to the book as well as a bit of tension, but not too much as I knew it would all turn out well.  

 

Everson was a delightful main character, one who is thoughtful, kind, and caring. Because he is part faerun and has 'cursed' blood running through him, he has spent his life hiding his true identify, and I enjoyed watching him break out of his shell and grow to embrace every part of his heritage.  He always kept that hopeful attitude of building something great for his community and never hesitated in sharing every gift he received, something I enjoyed reading about.  I loved his interactions with the people in his community and enjoyed watching his library grow and develop.  

 

Verdict

The Library at the Edge of the Wood was a delightful cozy fantasy and I enjoyed both the world-building and the development of the main character. It was exactly what I needed at the moment, a low-stakes fantasy that only had a little bit of tension, but honestly, still contained some themes that are worthy of discussion and could have been explored a little bit more without destroying the overall comforting feel of the book.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an engaging read, comfort, and low-stakes tension, but at its heart, is about a welcoming library and a love for reading.  

 

Review: Chasing Tails by R. Lindsay Carter

Chasing Tails (The Familiar's Legacy, Book 3)

by R. Lindsay Carter

Release Date: June 10, 2023

2023 Rock and Flower Press

Ebook Edition; 334 Pages

ISBN: 979-8985907278

ASIN: B0C79VC6BT

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Cozy

Source: Review copy from author

4.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Cressida Curtain has gone from hunting bad guys to being hunted, and she’s been forced into hiding for safety. She yearns to dig her claws into a new assignment to alleviate the boredom of her current lifestyle. The thrill of the chase calls to her. She never expected adventure to land, quite literally, on her doorstep in the form of two strangers. Both seek help from Cressida to further their own agendas. One is trustworthy. One is not. A wake of death and destruction seems to follow them. Her chosen family is relying on her to make the right choice. And making the wrong one could have dire consequences—for her loved ones, for her personal safety, and even for her world. Nobody told her that being the legacy bearer would be this difficult.

My Thoughts

Chasing Tails is the third entry in this series and I thought i was just as much fun as the first two entries. In this entry, Cressida chafes while she hides from those who are hunting her down, spending this time training and learning to control the new powers she didn't know she had as well as trying to figure out how to break the curse she received in the first book.  Frustrated, she decides to take matters into her own hands. And while I could understand her frustration, after what she has been through, you would think she would have given a moment of reflection when she embarked on this next journey.

For the record, I love the characters in this book and have enjoyed their character development. Naturally, Cressida's development is the strongest as she is the main character, but I am happy to see more of the secondary characters play a stronger role in this book and we get to learn a bit more about their pasts and their motivations.  Grimm is definitely my next favourite character after Cressida and I was happy for him to play a more central role in this book.  It did lead to some interesting revelations and I am really curious as to how the author is going to continue the story line that developed with Grimm in the next book. There were also several new character introduced and I liked how smoothly the author integrated them into the story; they should play pivotal roles as the story moves forward so I can't wait to learn more about them. 

I don't think the plot moved along as quickly as the second book, but it was still interesting and there were a lot of threads from the previous books that were resolved.  The writing style is engaging and the dialogue continues to be witty, drawing you into the story and the plot.  Because Cressida is a shape-shifting cat, she can use that ability to get herself out of difficult situations, except when her opponents know about her abilities, so it was fun trying to see her get out of those situations where she was trapped. I have always liked how Cressida relies on her friends and family for help and the author doesn't make her out to be this big heroine, even though the is supposed to be the one to save the world. The author makes great use of other characters to help Cressida, as family and friendship continues to be a running theme throughout this series. 

Verdict

Chasing Tails is another fun entry into this series, and it is just as compelling as the first two books with great storytelling and good character development. With some unexpected twists and turns, this book had me turning the pages quickly, but I enjoyed every moment of it. If you are looking for a fun, fantasy series, then I highly recommend this series.   

 

Review: Relative Truths by R. Lindsay Carter

Relative Truths (The Familiar's Legacy, Book #2)

by R. Lindsay Carter

Release Date: November 17, 2022

2022 Rock and Flower Press

Ebook Edition; 352 Pages

ISBN: 979-8985907261

ASIN: B0BK2GPW72

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Mystery

Source: Review copy from author

 

5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Cressida Curtain doesn’t let much get under her skin when it comes to bounty hunting. In fact, there’s only one person who can really ruffle her her work nemesis, Gavin St. Cloud.

Still, she’s a natural at her job, and she’s been offered an exclusive high-stakes bounty to prove it. Now it’s a race to find the truth before any other hunters find the bounty first. And the truth may be messier than even Cressida imagined. She might need some help from the last person she’d ever ask–if he’s trustworthy enough.

 

 

 

My Thoughts

Relative Truths is the second book in The Familiar's Legacy series, and while I really enjoyed the first book in this series, I absolutely loved this book. This book has everything I love in a cosy-fantasy type story; secrets galore, a mystery to solve, great world building, good character development, and enough new threads built in to the story, continuing into the next one, without being overwhelming or left so unfinished you get frustrated.  

 

Cressida is a really fun main character. A shape-shifting cat, I loved her personality and her reactions to all things human. While she is spunky like a cat, she also gets spooked, and I was trying to imagine her with her tail all puffy while in human form. Too funny.  Her escapades as a cat were some of the best pasts of the book.  I really enjoyed the Gavin as a secondary character and the growth we saw from him throughout the book. Although there is potential here as a love interest for Cressida, the way things went in this book, I am not sure what is going to happen, but I am enjoying how things are playing out for the moment. Gavin was not fond of cats at the beginning of the book and I really enjoyed his reactions to some of the scenarios in which he found himself with Cressida. Also, without giving too much away, the end of the book had me sputtering with laughter as Gavin took on his next task, something I bet he thought he would never do.

 

While the series is interconnected, the actual books could be read as stand-alones. The plot moved rather quickly, with Cressida jumping from clue to clue, tracking her father to figure out what was happening. Because she didn't know him at all, and she wasn't sure of his guilt or innocence, she still had to be careful. Realizing there was a lot more going on than she though, she had to team up with Gavin in order to get more information and to figure out who was involved. I enjoyed the banter and the competitiveness between them as they searched for clues, loved the witty dialogue, and thought the way Cressida used her cat identity to sleuth was downright fun.  There was definitely a lot going on, and while the focus was on her father, there were clues to the curse that has involved Cressida's family for generations twisted around everything as well.  

 

Verdict

Relative Truths has everything from ballroom scenes to prison breaks to a scene straight out of the musical CATS, at least that was how I kept picturing it in my head.  There were a lot of adventure and great creativity in this book. Highly recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a fun read with lovable characters and a great story.