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3 Cottagecore Books That Feel Like Living in a Fairy Tale

Sometimes you just need to feel like a hobbit sitting by the fire.

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Looking for a cozy fantasy read that makes you feel like you’re living inside a fairytale? We’ve got your back. Here are three cottagecore books to add to your to-be-read pile.

1. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen is one of the most whimsical reads out there. This cozy cottagecore book follows The Waverleys, a particularly curious and mystical family with special abilities and a reputation that precedes them. 

One of the Waverly women—and among the three of them left—suddenly returns home after abandoning her sister for years, as their mother had years prior. But she’s not alone: she has a young daughter of her own in tow. Now, the women must face their past and work through their adversities to 

As Goodreads puts it, “In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town, is an apple tree that is rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it.…”

2. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is the epitome of a cozy cottagecore novel that feels like living in a fairy tale. The book follows Kiela, an introverted librarian who flees her city to a remote island amidst a revolution. Of course, the island was once Kiela’s home, bringing back painful memories of her childhood and late parents. 

Once Kiela arrives in childhood home, she quickly realizes she must branch out to the community around her and find a way to bring in some income. How will she do it? Through magic, of course.

What starts as a simple job making jam for a local bakery turns into a full-fledged career in magic, using illegal spells and opening a secret spellshop. 

As Goodreads reports, “The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.”

Of course, no cottagecore book would be complete without a wholesome romance, which is exactly what you’ll get from this story. 

“Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul,” its synopsis boasts.

3. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery is a heartwarming, classic middle-grade novel that’s filled with whimsy and charm. The story follows Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan who arrives on Green Gables, an old-fashioned farm on Prince Edward Island, to live with the Cuthberts. Little did she know, her new family had anticipated adopting a boy, not a feisty little girl. 

But in no time, Anne is able to win over their love and affection, finding a sense of home for possibly the first time in her life. The cozy setting in Anne of Green Gables perfectly matches the cottagecore vibe you’re looking for.

As its synopsis reads, “A much-loved classic that explores all the vulnerability, expectations, and dreams of a child growing up, Anne of Green Gables is also a wonderful portrait of a time, a place, a family… and, most of all, love.”

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