Caffeinated Reviewer

Amy Coombe’s Stay for a Spell was something I had the chance to both read and hear. This cozy, romantic fantasy has it all, from curses to princes, and it all takes place in an enchanting bookshop!

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?

I began reading this before switching over to the audio version narrated by Lottie Bourne, who did a great job of giving voice to this story and its characters. Coombe introduces us to Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar as she travels to the town of Little Pepperidge for a Royal visit. As the youngest princess, Tandy has an exhausting schedule. She longs for a simple life with cozy conversations, bookshops, and plenty of time for reading.

Before departing the village, Tandy slips off to the bookshop where things go awry and she finds herself stuck in the bookstore and its new owner. Oh, the horrors! Despite being confined behind the bookshop walls, Tandy settles in and enjoys it for she knows soon enough her parents will find a way to break the curse and free her…but hopefully not too soon.

The tale that unfolded was filled with books, magic, magical creatures and oozed with charm, humor and a slow-burning romance to curl your toes. I loved the slow transformation of our heroine as she grew in confidence and belief in herself. Her parents, believing a kiss could break the curse, sent princes from every kingdom. It was fun. But it was Tandy’s assistant, Bash, and the townfolk who gave the story its heart and had me fully invested.

Stay for a Spell delivered a character-driven, cozy, romantic fantasy that offers the perfect feel-good, low-angst escape sure to make you smile.

Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm

About Amy Coombe

Born and raised in California, Amy is an award-winning writer, editor and publisher. She has lived all over the United States and is now based in London, where she uses her degrees in Law and Modern History to do neither of those things. She’s an avid reader, a licensed mudlarker, an enthusiastic fossil-hunter, a fledgling birder, and a font of useless trivia.

Website

About Lottie Bourne

Lottie Bourne is a Multi-award nominated British voice actor from the beautiful Oxfordshire in England.

Instagram

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2026 Audiobook Challenge

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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