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Read Time
3 min read
Reader ratingreader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
4.6
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The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst Review: A Charming Cottagecore YA Fantasy
The Faraway Inn is a young adult fantasy novel by Sarah Beth Durst, published by Delacorte Press on March 31, 2026, that blends supernatural mystery, sweet romance, and cozy inn-keeping into a coming-of-age summer story — and has debuted as a #1 New York Times bestseller and #1 national bestseller.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Teens and adult readers of cozy fantasy who want a warmth-first supernatural story centred on a crumbling Vermont inn, found family, slow-burn romance, and baking — especially those already fond of Durst's cottagecore mode or the broader comfort-fiction wave.
Worth it if
Worth it if you're looking to settle into an atmosphere-forward YA fantasy where the magic deepens the domestic cosiness rather than disrupting it, and where emotional stakes — family estrangement, self-discovery, unexpected connection — matter more than escalating supernatural peril.
Skip if
Skip it if you prefer high-tension YA fantasy with morally complex world-building or darkness woven alongside the light — the novel's deliberately gentle, comfort-first approach is a feature, not an accident, and it won't satisfy readers expecting expansive supernatural stakes.
What readers & critics say
Kirkus Reviews calls it an "irresistible cottagecore fantasy" in which "all the right ingredients combine," while reader reviewers at bibliosanctum.com and bookcraic.blog consistently praise Durst's ability to deliver warm, emotionally resonant comfort fiction that works just as well for adult cozy-fantasy readers as for its YA audience.
“All the right ingredients combine to create this irresistible cottagecore fantasy.”
— Kirkus Reviews4.6from 1,372 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
In This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Is About
- Cozy Fantasy as a Craft Choice
- The Praise It Has Earned
- Where the Book May Challenge Some Readers
- Who This Book Is For
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Debuted as a #1 New York Times bestseller and #1 national bestseller, reflecting significant reader enthusiasm at launch
- Kirkus Reviews calls it an 'irresistible cottagecore fantasy' with all the right ingredients
- Enthusiastically praised by multiple prominent YA authors, including C. B. Lee, Axie Oh, Kamilah Cole, and Tricia Levenseller
- Features a specific, grounded premise — a teen managing a supernatural Vermont inn alongside found-family dynamics and a slow-burn romance — rather than vague magical adventure
- Published by Delacorte Press with a full digital feature set, including enhanced typesetting and Page Flip support
What Doesn't
- The deliberately gentle, comfort-first tone will not satisfy readers who prefer high-stakes or darker YA fantasy
- The supernatural elements are subordinate to the cozy domestic frame, which may disappoint readers expecting more overtly expansive world-building
A #1 New York Times bestseller and #1 national bestseller, The Faraway Inn arrives as one of Sarah Beth Durst's most warmly received works to date.
The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst front cover
What the Book Is About
When sixteen-year-old Calisa is sent by her parents, Mom-Kate and Mom-Elise, from Brooklyn to rural Vermont for the summer, she expects to find the cozy bed-and-breakfast her great-aunt Zee runs. What she finds instead is a rundown inn with a broken porch, a weed-filled garden, and a dusty library — and an Auntie Zee who makes it quietly clear she doesn't want Calisa there. After a series of inexplicable magical events and strange encounters with the inn's quirky guests, Calisa begins uncovering supernatural discoveries that deepen her questions rather than answering them. When Auntie Zee disappears entirely, Calisa must join forces with Jack — the son of the resident groundskeeper — to keep the inn running and bring her great-aunt back, all without alarming the guests. Along the way, Calisa's baking skills and Jack's innkeeping knowledge prove to be a quietly perfect pairing.
“Durst's cozy storytelling is at its best here, radiating joy and love on every page.”
Cozy Fantasy as a Craft Choice
Durst has built a reputation as a reliable voice in what readers and critics have come to call "cozy fantasy" — stories where the supernatural is present but never overwhelming, and where warmth, found family, and the rhythms of everyday domestic life anchor the magic. The Faraway Inn leans fully into that mode: the Vermont setting, the grumpy resident cat named Portia, the guests with their peculiarities, and Calisa's baking all serve as the connective tissue of the narrative. Critical coverage describes the result as "all the right ingredients" combining to create "an irresistible cottagecore fantasy." The book is structured around a teen protagonist managing genuine emotional stakes — family estrangement, self-discovery, an unexpected romance — within a framework that consistently prioritizes comfort over dread.
The Praise It Has Earned
The novel arrives with notable enthusiasm from fellow authors in the YA and fantasy space. C. B. Lee, the New York Times bestselling author of Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe, calls it "a soothing balm for any aching heart" and writes that "Durst's cozy storytelling is at its best here, radiating joy and love on every page." Axie Oh, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, describes it as "filled with magical mysteries, whimsical surprises, and a dash of sweet romance" and "the perfect cozy read." Kamilah Cole, a Lodestar Award finalist, praises Durst's ability to give readers "the perfect balance of familiar and fantastical" — a consistent thread in how the novel's blurbers characterize its particular appeal. Tricia Levenseller, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, adds a food-centered note: the book, she writes, "will also, consequently, make you crave cake."
Where the Book May Challenge Some Readers
The Faraway Inn is designed as an unabashedly cozy read, and that is both its clearest strength and its most honest limitation. Readers who gravitate toward high-tension fantasy plots, morally complex world-building, or narratives that prioritize darkness alongside light may find the deliberate gentleness of Durst's approach unsatisfying. The novel's supernatural elements are woven into a domestic, hospitality-centered frame — the magic serves the warmth, not the other way around — which means those seeking the kind of escalating supernatural stakes found in darker YA fantasy are unlikely to find them here. The book is specifically calibrated for readers who want to settle in, not be unsettled.
Who This Book Is For
The Faraway Inn is squarely aimed at teens — the publisher lists a reading age of 17 and up — but its appeal extends to adult readers of cozy fantasy who came to the genre through Durst's earlier work or through the broader cottagecore-inflected wave of comfort fiction. It is a strong recommendation for anyone who has enjoyed books that pair magic with baked goods, found family dynamics, slow-burn romance, and a setting that functions almost as a character in itself. Critical coverage describes the cozy Vermont inn, complete with its supernatural guests and resident grumpy cat, as enriching the story's supernatural fantasy — and that texture, detail-first and atmosphere-forward, is what the novel is clearly designed to deliver. For readers ready to, as Kamilah Cole puts it, "brew some tea and settle in," The Faraway Inn offers exactly what it promises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Faraway Inn worth reading?
LuvemBooks considers The Faraway Inn a strong recommendation for readers who enjoy cozy fantasy, describing it as delivering exactly what it promises: magic woven into a warm, domestic setting anchored by found family, slow-burn romance, and atmosphere-forward storytelling. The review notes it has earned the status of a number one New York Times bestseller and a number one national bestseller, reflecting broad reader enthusiasm. At $8.99, it represents solid value for fans of the genre.
Who is the target audience for this book?
The publisher lists a reading age of 17 and up, placing the book squarely in the YA space, but the review notes its appeal extends to adult readers of cozy fantasy who came to the genre through Durst's earlier work or through the broader cottagecore-inflected wave of comfort fiction. It is specifically recommended for anyone who enjoys magic paired with baked goods, found family dynamics, and settings that function almost as characters in themselves.
What is this book about?
Sixteen-year-old Calisa is sent by her parents from Brooklyn to rural Vermont for the summer, expecting to find a cozy bed-and-breakfast run by her great-aunt Zee, only to discover a rundown inn and an aunt who doesn't want her there. After inexplicable magical events and strange encounters with the inn's quirky guests, Calisa and Jack — the groundskeeper's son — must work together to keep the inn running and find the missing Auntie Zee. The review highlights that Calisa's baking skills and Jack's innkeeping knowledge form a quietly perfect pairing at the heart of the story.
What genre is this book?
The Faraway Inn falls squarely into what readers and critics call cozy fantasy — stories where the supernatural is present but never overwhelming, and where warmth, found family, and the rhythms of everyday domestic life anchor the magic. The review also describes it as a cottagecore fantasy, noting that critical coverage characterizes it as combining all the right ingredients into an irresistible read.
What are the main themes in this book?
The review identifies family estrangement, self-discovery, and unexpected romance as the core emotional stakes Calisa navigates throughout the novel. These themes are framed within a cozy fantasy structure that consistently prioritizes comfort over dread, with found family dynamics and the warmth of domestic life serving as the connective tissue of the narrative.
How does the Vermont setting function in the story?
The review describes the Vermont inn as functioning almost as a character in itself, with its detail-first, atmosphere-forward texture being central to what the novel is designed to deliver. Critical coverage cited in the review describes the cozy Vermont inn — complete with supernatural guests and a resident grumpy cat — as enriching the story's supernatural fantasy rather than simply serving as a backdrop.
What is the writing style of this book like?
The review describes Durst's approach as warmth-first and atmosphere-forward, with the magic serving the warmth rather than the other way around. Blurber C. B. Lee is quoted saying the book radiates joy and love on every page, and the review characterizes Durst's prose as leaning fully into the cozy fantasy mode, prioritizing comfort and domestic rhythm over tension or darkness.
What is cozy fantasy and how does this book fit the genre?
Cozy fantasy, as the review defines it, refers to stories where the supernatural is present but never overwhelming, and where warmth, found family, and everyday domestic life anchor the magic. The Faraway Inn leans fully into that mode, using the Vermont setting, a grumpy resident cat named Portia, quirky inn guests, and Calisa's baking as the connective tissue of the narrative.
Who are the main characters in this book?
The protagonist is sixteen-year-old Calisa, who is sent to Vermont to stay at her great-aunt Zee's inn and ends up uncovering supernatural mysteries there. Jack, the son of the resident groundskeeper, becomes her partner in keeping the inn running after Auntie Zee disappears, and the review notes their pairing of baking skills and innkeeping knowledge is quietly perfect.
What role does Portia the cat play in the book?
Portia is the inn's resident grumpy cat, and the review names her as one of the specific details — alongside the Vermont setting, the quirky guests, and Calisa's baking — that serve as the connective tissue of the narrative. Critical coverage also singles out Portia as part of what makes the cozy Vermont inn feel enriching and characterful.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
bibliosanctum.com
- 2
kirkusreviews.com
- 3
penguinrandomhouse.com
- Further reading
- 4
sarahbethdurst.com
- 5
booksthatslay.com
- 6
commonsensemedia.org
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