Sea of Charms (Spellshop #3) by Sarah Beth Durst

Read this if you… love cozy fantasy, fantasical creatures, and strong women who still have a few things to learn.

Why does this beguile? I’m a sucker for cozy fantasy and Sarah Beth Durst is a master at this genre. Sea of Charms is the third book in The Spellshop series, but by no means do you have to read them in order. I enjoy the little nods to other books, but each is crafted in such a way that it’s not episodic. Sea of Charms is full of heart and love. Marin’s ability to grow despite her past hurts is admirable. She’s also delightfully relatable in knowing the right things to do, but also finding them highly annoying.

What it's about: Marin runs cargo between islands on her own boat, crew of a sea serpent and a sailor shrub, after love burned her once and she chose the water instead. A routine delivery sticks her in the middle of a revolution and pulls her composer friend Dax into danger, so she offers him a spot on her crew, on the condition he play her boyfriend at the harvest festival back home.