Stay for a Spell

Author: Amy Coombe

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A cursed princess must discover what her heart truly longs for in this charmingly cozy romantic fantasy for everyone who’s ever lost – or found – themselves in a bookshop. 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. She finds it easy to exchange balls and endless state dinners for teetering piles of books and an irritatingly handsome pirate who seems bent on stealing her stock. She even starts to believe she's stumbled into her very own happily ever after. 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?

Reviews

Review by Cozy Sabie

Genre: Cozy Romantasy
Rating: 4.25/5
Format: eBook ARC
Review:
I love when we have books about books and Stay for a Spell was a lovely combination of cozy fairy tale vibes with an FMC that loves books and wants to own a bookshop. Her dream comes to life through a curse, which she can't undo unless she unlocks her heart's desire essentially.
Tandy (our FMC) was lovely to get to know as she moves into her bookshop in the small town of Little Pepperidge, which again SO cute. This is a tale of Tandy learning to not be a people pleaser and to put herself first for once, despite feeling the weight of her responsibility as a Princess. As another people pleaser (not exactly like Tandy because I don't have a bookshop), I felt that a lot of this was relatable. She got to slow down and learn what she wants from life, even if it takes her a while to admit it to herself.
We also get to see her blossom in her friendships with Sasha and other characters plus we get to see her blossoming romance and the start of her falling in like with her pirate, Bash. The setting is so fitting for Tandy as a person to allow her to breathe in for the first time in her life and realize who she is and what she wants.
I think the only thing I wanted a bit more of is a bit world building and an understanding of where the various Princes came from and how they differed. I feel we got this a little as they were all unique and stood out, with some of them being funny, some droopy...etc.
All in all, this was a lovely cozy book that features a bookshop and I look forward to reading more by the author.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Arc copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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