STAY FOR A SPELL

A princess is cursed to remain inside a bookshop until she unlocks her heart’s desire.

Princess Tanadelle de Courcy, of the island kingdom of Widdenmar, spends 30 weeks of the year traveling as an emissary of the royal court. Though she’s a book-loving homebody who would prefer to spend her time curled up by a fire, she endures long hours in the royal coach traversing the country, cutting ribbons and laying cornerstones. It’s during one such visit to the quaint hamlet of Little Pepperidge that Tandy stumbles on the run-down Beulah Bonecrusher’s Emporium of Books and meets its elderly proprietor, Mrs. Gooch. Hoping to enjoy a few carefree moments browsing the shelves, Tandy instead finds herself accidentally cursed when the dying woman hands her the key to the shop—keys being a powerful conductor of old magic—and says, “May this key unlock your heart’s desire.” Now physically unable to leave the confines of the bookstore, Tandy is nonetheless delighted by the prospect of a break from her duties. She takes to her new role as bookstore owner with aplomb, recruiting a local teenaged dracone named Sasha to help her get the business back on track. Even Bash—the insouciant and irritatingly handsome pirate who has taken to hanging around the shop—can’t dampen her spirits. But when Tandy’s parents start sending the seven princes of the realm to Little Pepperidge, intent on breaking her curse with a kiss, her quiet new life is threatened. Can she figure out her heart’s desire and break the curse on her own? And if it means going back to her stifling royal life, does she even want to? Filled with fairy-tale elements, lovable characters, and sweet romance, Coombe’s novel has magic swirling around it like dust motes in an old bookshop.

Get ready to fall for your new favorite cozy fantasy.