"Stay for a Spell" by Amy Coombe is a charming cozy fantasy following a cursed princess who needs to find her heart's desire to break the curse. I adore cozy fantasy with fuzzy vibes, and this book was really everything I want from a cozy fantasy novel.
Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar doesn't like being a princess. Most girls dream of being princesses. Not she! As a second-born princess, the duties of the royal family — traveling around the kingdom, kissing babies, cutting ribbons — fall on her, and she is tired of it. During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, she enters the local bookstore and unwittingly is cursed to remain there until she unlocks her heart’s desire. But she wonders if it's really that bad. She will have freedom, plenty of books, more reading time, and time to figure out what she wants out of life while running the bookstore and learning to do basic magic.
Her loyal secretary, Honeyrose, goes back to report to her parents and figure out a solution. Her peace and quiet are soon interrupted by a thieving barn pirate — Bash — cursed with a fear of water, a 15-year-old gothic dracone girl — Sasha — and a procession of princes her parents keep sending in hopes of breaking the curse. Add in Bluecaps (a helpful breed of will-o'-the-wisps who know where each book is located) and an illusioned cat, and the bookstore is anything but quiet. After all, what is a bookstore without a cat?? And I am a dog person, at that.
I loved the book immensely. The world-building may be thin — more info about the magic and the races wouldn't go amiss — but it was enough for me. I enjoyed the quirky characters, the banter between them, the slow-burn romance, the exploration of human nature, found family, family relationships, friendships, angst, freedom, and life choices.
Tanadelle/Tandy was too nice, too accommodating, and eager to please, and I am glad she developed a spine and learned to stand up for herself. I loved that she wasn't the typical damsel in distress needing others to save her. I like that she wasn't spoiled and, with the help of Sasha, turned the bookstore around. She was tied to the store, but was freer there than in her previous life. Honeyrose was also delightful, although she wasn't present in most of the tale.
Her mother really irritated me — the way she loaded all the royal duties on her daughter to the point of breaking, failing to see the effect it had on her. I loved the interactions between Tandy and the pirate. It was sweet that he left something in the store for every item he took. His kleptomaniac tendencies did lead him into trouble occasionally, though. I love that each visiting prince was different — but it was a bit odd that the one princess among them was also referred to as prince of the realm.
I found the ending was a bit abrupt. Not all loose ends were satisfactorily tied up — hopefully a sequel is planned which will tie up those ends. Also, a few practical details felt slightly underdeveloped — there was no bath in the living quarters, and the princess seemed to live solely on turnips. I couldn’t help wondering why she couldn’t at least send for food from the inn. I know, it’s nit-picking, but still...
That said, I absolutely recommend it and give it full stars. The pace is steady, and although the plot is relatively simple, it was well written and engaging. Fans of sweet cozy fantasy will fall in love with the characters and the setting. I know I did! I came for the curse, and stayed for the spell.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* For more info about the book: "Stay for a Spell" by Amy Coombe
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