Cups & Curiosity

From Spells to Seeds: A Cozy Dive into Sarah Beth Durst’s The Enchanted Greenhouse

After being completely charmed by Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop, I couldn’t resist picking up her newest novel, The Enchanted Greenhouse. If The Spellshop felt like a warm hug on a rainy day, The Enchanted Greenhouse feels like stepping into a sunlit garden where every corner holds a secret—and maybe a dash of magic.

Durst has carved out a space as one of the leading voices in “cozy fantasy,” and these two novels feel like sister stories. The Spellshop swept readers away with its idea of reinventing your life—of daring to open a little bookshop, of finding courage in unexpected places. The Enchanted Greenhouse feels like the natural next step. This isn’t just about starting over; it’s about staying—tending to the life you’ve chosen, nurturing it, and watching it grow.

Both books share that thread of quiet magic woven through ordinary lives, but they play with that magic differently. In The Spellshop, magic was something to wield—spells written, traded, and sold, a reflection of ambition and self-discovery. In The Enchanted Greenhouse, magic is something to nurture—it sprouts from soil, drips from morning dew, and thrives when given attention and care.

Even the protagonists mirror and contrast each other beautifully. In The Spellshop, Kiela was a dreamer ready to take a leap, while in The Enchanted Greenhouse, Terlu is more tentative, rooted in caution but slowly learning that growth can’t happen without trust—both in others and in yourself. Terlu doesn’t storm into change; she coaxes it along, much like the plants she tends, and that slower, gentler transformation gives the novel its unique heart.

One of my favorite parts of this book is how the greenhouse itself feels like a character. It isn’t just a setting—it’s alive, whispering, creaking, blooming. Durst makes it feel like an entity you grow attached to, the way you might feel about an old house or a beloved childhood treehouse.

I also loved how the magic here feels earthy and grounded. Unlike the overt spellwork of The Spellshop, the magic in this novel is subtler—plants that hum, herbs that heal more than they should, vines that respond to mood. It makes you look at your own houseplants and wonder if they’re holding secrets.

And of course, the relationships in this book are heartfelt and tender. Where The Spellshop leaned into found family and the bonds you make when you step into a new life, The Enchanted Greenhouse leans into healing—mending old wounds, fostering trust, and letting people in again. It’s a slower, softer story, but in the most rewarding way.

This book is for anyone who craves a story that feels like comfort. If you loved the gentle humor and warmth of The Spellshop, The Enchanted Greenhouse carries that same charm but grows in a slightly different direction, making it the perfect “next read” if you adored Kiela’s journey. It’s also for anyone who finds peace in gardening—Durst captures the magic in dirt-under-your-fingernails moments and makes them shimmer just a little. Fans of cozy fantasy like Legends & Lattes or Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries will also feel right at home here.

Sarah Beth Durst has once again proven she’s the queen of cozy fantasy, but what’s special is how each of her stories plants something different in your heart. The Spellshop taught us about taking the first brave step; The Enchanted Greenhouse reminds us that growth is ongoing—that the life you dream about still needs watering, patience, and love.

If you’re craving a book that feels like tea in a sun-drenched kitchen, or if you simply want to lose yourself in a world where magic is as soft and steady as moss under bare feet, The Enchanted Greenhouse is waiting for you.

See my review of “The Spellshop” by Sarah Beth Durst