Kiela doesn't particularly like people but she loves books. When the revolution comes to Alyssium, the Great Library goes up in flames. Luckily, the librarian, and her assistant, Caz - a magically sentient spider plant - manage to save some of the books from being engulfed. The only problem they have is finding somewhere to stash them. So, Kiela heads back to the island where she was born. She and Caz take refuge in her parent's old home and settle into island life. The pair start making a living using an old recipe book and some illegal magic. As she gets to know her neighbours, Kiela realises she can use her stolen spell books to help people. But can she do it without revealing her secret? Especially to the handsome neighbour who insists on helping her at every turn.

I will admit, a few things about this book didn't quite work for me. I found the characters to be a little basic and underdeveloped. Kiela is a slightly tired cliché of an anti-social bookish girl who is also incredibly charismatic. She felt like a Mary Sue in that everything just worked out for her. Yes, she has a few setbacks but nowhere near as many as would seem realistic. Of course, she has way more depth than most of the island residents. Her love interest is particularly bland as the handsome guy who you know is sensitive because he likes animals. This is a kind of Gilmore Girls situation where the supporting cast is full of quirky and strange characters that are essentially all nice. There's a lack of nuance for the most part. We get a few grey characters towards the end but this book feels simplistic.

The story is also pretty basic. There's a slight conflict towards the end but it's mostly just about making jam. I know it's a cosy fantasy but there's nothing to say that cosy books can't also have depth. It felt a bit long for such a thin premise and it didn't help that the most engaging character was the talking plant. It also didn't help that the world-building was a bit lacklustre. There's a whole history to this world that's alluded to but not really developed. We know that magic is illegal on the island but we don't go too deep into the background. I'd have liked to know more about the revolution and why the capital was taken over. I know it's a cosy romance but there are ways to add this detail without getting it bogged down.

Essentially, this is a hallmark movie set in a vague fantasy land. I didn't have a problem with that but it missed the mark as a fantasy novel. It was an easy book to listen to but I know that my mind was drifting occasionally. A lot was going on but none of it really added much to it. It was fast-paced and you didn't get much chance to get invested in anything. The pair had left the city and set up a jam shop in a matter of pages. I wish we'd seen more of them setting their plan in motion. Just like the romance. Kiela meets her love interest and is pretty much in a relationship after a few chapters. You don't get any time to breathe here. You can't indulge in the setting or the characters.

This is a sweet read that has plenty of fun things about it. Unfortunately, it didn't give me the world I was hoping for. I wanted more fantasy and I'm not a lover of romance. However, I can see how this would work for someone who enjoyed Legends & Lattes.