Reviews - The Enchanted Greenhouse

1.45k reviews for:

The Enchanted Greenhouse

Sarah Beth Durst

4.34 AVERAGE

gabprovo's review against another edition

The writing is shit

an_alaskan_fairy_tale's review against another edition

4.5

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

monalyisha's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Is Sara Beth Durst’s writing sometimes saccharine? Picture me answering this with a Yarrow-like shrug that means, “yes.” But I’m not mad about it.

Her books are total wish fulfillment *and* they show characters working through emotional trauma to reach a healthy place. Who’s going to complain if that place is one with tiny dragon pollinators; endless honey cakes; a shanty-singing myrtle plant; a purring & winged cat for a scarf; a community with respect for all beings & their chosen pronouns; and a man with deep sea green eyes, calloused hands, and a sensitive heart? It certainly won’t be me!

I’m not one to shy away from ambiguous endings but in this case, I love that SBD is such a pro at tying up loose ends and leaving no tiny detail unaddressed. Hopeful and satisfying, both.

If I could change anything, I’d open that closed-door romance…but I’ll begrudgingly admit that it feels appropriate, vibe-wise, for it to be shut. It’s more welcoming to all readers that way. Also, I *really* hate the cover. The writing at the beginning is a bit weak (there are some conflicting details about whether statues “sleep” and Terlu verges on being annoying) but every aspect improves as the story progresses.

I suspect if we’re granted a third installment of this series, it will be Marin & Ree’s story, which I will most definitely read. 🌊

scotia_mullin's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book was a wonderfully wholesome, cozy, and whimsical read.
The book is set in the realm of the Crescent Islands (the same world as the authors book The Spell Shop) and follows the story of Terlu and Yarrow and their quest to save an enchanted greenhouse.
Some parts of the book felt like a very similar plot to The Spell Shop but I did not mind too much. The book expertly deals with some sensitive topics and is thought provoking yet still light enough to not be a slog. The book has some nods to The Spell Shop so I would definitely recommend reading that first but it isn’t essential.
A wonderful book to sit down too with a cup of tea and a biscuit or five!

Content Warnings

jngarz's review against another edition

3.0

lighthearted medium-paced

bec143's review against another edition

4.0

funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

thejestess's review against another edition

I love cozy fantasy and happy endings and whimsy and so by rights I should have loved this book and I simply did not. It might have been the writing (there were sections of introspection that went on far longer than needed, descriptions or information given multiple times in similar ways close to each other, etc) but it also might have been that given the same premise I would have tweaked the characters slightly to make them and the plot feel more tangible, or integrated with the worldbuilding. Also it was very hard to track the passage of time, and especially in books with romance and people loving each other I hate that