The Little Shop of Grand Curiosities

Tales from the Faraway North #1

by Iris Lake

Nepheli’s Little Shop of Grand Curiosities is the last scrap of magic left in the humdrum city of Elora as the Dreadful Mundane slowly takes over its residents’ hearts, and she is determined to preserve it any way she can. But when Apollo, a charming and mysterious traveler from the other side of the world, walks into her Shop, bringing her all kinds of trouble, Nepheli, for the first time in her life, is stolen away from the familiar wonders of her Curiosity Shop and is thrust into a dangerous world of lethal creatures and heartbreaking magic.
As the two of them embark on a long journey of self-discovery, Nepheli will soon realize that the most curious things in life lie right beyond the reach of one’s comfort zone.

The Little Shop Of Grand Curiosities is a lighthearted fantasy romance about the true meaning of love, the power of empathy, and the unremitting yearning to be extraordinary as an act of rebellion against the mundaneness of the world.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Cozy, Cozy Fantasy, Fiction, Fantasy Romance

351 pages, Paperback

Published June 2, 2024

About the author

Iris Lake is the pen name of a girl lost in daydreams. She loves art, poetry, and writing stories full of stardust, magic, and unapologetically romantic characters.

Reviews

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a magical fusion of Howl's Moving Castle and Once Upon a Broken Heart targeted to more grown up audience.

Unlike the Apollo form OUABH you will certainly love this one! This story's Apollo is The Prince of Broken Hearts. He's heartless - literally, his heart is stored in a box somewhere unknown to him. His search after his heart brings Apollo to The Little Shop of Grand Curiosities where he meets Nepheli.
Thanks to unfortune circumstances (or more likely thanks to Apollo's mischievous fingers) they're are transported to The Faraway North where their journey full of dangerous routes, secrets and blissful romance begins. And yes, they stay one night at an inn with only one bed ☺️
Like every magical story this one, too, has its own happy ending full of true love (even tho Nepheli's true love doesn't literally save Apollo).

If you skip chapters 21 and 29 (you know for what reason) and don't mind little puns with few spicier replies, this book could pass for YA in my humble opinion.

Please, give this book a chance! Iris Lake is a self published author so please show her some love, she deserves it 🫶🏻

[Trin ˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🪞🌷| Pre-read- trying my tbr again🫩. IF I READ ONE MORE POORLY WRITTEN, PLOTLESS, TRASH BOOK, I’m donating my kindle to goodwill.

“For the first time in a very long time, it didn’t matter that I was heartless. I had her, and she was my heart.” ARE YOU KIDDING?? I loved this so so so much. I hope the next one is just as good🥹

[Bellariina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected a cute and easy fantasy read, but what I got was a heartful story about a curious and sheltered woman and a mysterious man with scars. I cried, I laughed, I related, I gasped and most importantly I was completely sucked into this beautifully written story.

Would recommend and I will be reading her other books!

[Samia | Bookaroundandfindout · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK AND THIS WORLD!!!

What started as a whimsical tale of girl meets annoying boy became our main character, Nepheli's, ascension into adulthood. Apollo, our rakish MMC, drags Nepheli out of her comfort zone to run away from monsters. All the things that Nepheli hoped and dreamed of, read about in her little shop of curiosities, are now very real and right in front of her. She should feel the excitement and wonder of all the things that she had read coming to life with her at the center to explore.

So why is she so scared?

Apollo doesn't have feelings, he doesn't care and yet he barrels into Nephili's in search of something that might solve the all the problems he's ran away from for so long. As he destroys the shop that he barrels into, he turns Nephili's world inside out.

And now he's stuck here's with this infuriating beautiful stubborn woman.

As the pair travels together, they fight the urge to kill each other (or is it to kiss each other)? They discover what it means to be themselves, to shed the skin of who they used to be, and to build themselves into who they can become. I personally loved this novel for its sweet love story and amazing banter—I love a good verbal parry, and the whole book is a verbal foreplay into something—ehem— quite spicy, and satisfying.

I also love the exploration of what it means to be human and how we constantly restrict ourselves, thereby restricting all our hopes and dreams along with it. Nepheli struggles to reconcile the ideas and images she has in her head with the reality of the magical world she is in, to put aside her immediate judgment of everyone and everything because it’s easier to judge than to be judged. She truly grows, and along with her, we find that Apollo grows as well, learning the kind of man he could have the chance of being if he could be that man for her.

100% recommend as a gorgeous summer day beach or garden read for those who love an enemies-to-lovers romance, the fantastical world of stardust, and vintage fantasy cottagecore vibes.

[Ashley Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Once Upon A Broken Heart, but with CRACK in it. i might still be on the high that was this book, but this IS the best book I’ve ever read!!!!! I was a bit sus at the beginning bc it seemed like a copycat of ouabh and while there are alot ALOT of similar or even identical elements, this plot is completely unique and even better?? i don’t like to give anything away in my reviews so basically you just have to read it!

iris lake will be an automatic buy author from now on !

[Dahlia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up all night to finish this and oh it was a journey! This has to be the most unexpected read of this year because I thought it was going to be a lighthearted Romantasy and it ended up being an emotional, heartwarming, funny (and a little spicy) journey through a beautiful, fairytale world. Nepheli is now my new favorite comfort character. Pretty much anything she said I related to.

[Hannah Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart 😭 I live, breathe, and die for this book. The world. The characters. A new all time favorite! If you love Flynn & Rapunzel, Once Upon a Broken Heart, and/or Stardust by Neil Gaiman, I think you’ll enjoy this!

[Debria · Rating 5 out of 5]

•1 MILLION out of 10
Read this if you:
•Wish Jacks from Once Upon a Broken Heart said F*ck
•If you love books laced with Crack
• If you need a book that will make you feel every feeling you've ever felt all over again and make you feel a little less alone in the world
•Loved Howl's Moving Castle
Oh and refering back to point 1.....you'll LOVE this Apollo 😉 (iykyk)

I have a favorite series, this book is now tied as my favorite of all time with that series. When Once Upon a Broken Heart Trilogy ended, I never thought I'd read a book that made me feel the way it did ever again, and I was wrong. Grand Curiousities cured my sadness over the end of The Broken Heart Series because I can totally see Eva, Jacks, Nephili and Apollo getting along. Grand Curiousities is whimsical, heartfelt, steamy and downright laced with crack. I couldn't put it down. Every word of this story had me wrapped around it's finger and in a chokehold at the same time. This story pulls at your heart and makes you feel so many feelings its hard to put into words how good it is. Iris is one of the newest and greatest writers of our time and I am so happy I get to experience her beautiful books in my lifetime. If you love Once Upon a Broken Heart, and Howls Moving Castle, you need to read this book right now!!!
*I may update my review with a few quotes later because this book was this good!!

[Ellie J. (semi-hiatus with 👶🏼🎀) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my stars, where do I begin?? For every romance girlie who loves cozy fantasy with a dose of spice, this is for you!! 🩷

(Seriously, go read it! You won’t be disappointed 🥲)

This Howl’s Moving Castle inspired story was so much more than a whimsical tale of a magic-loving woman and a heartless prince. It’s a romantic ode to adulthood itself—to all the wonder and magic of this journey called life, and to all the book-loving, curious girlies of the world who still dare to dream 💫✨

Thoughtful and extraordinarily well-written, this indie book was one of my BEST READS OF THE YEAR. No book has ever made me feel more seen, and I absolutely will continue supporting this author! 🥰

Favorite Quotes:

🌙 “Books are mirrors for our souls. They force us to contemplate every small and grand aspect of life, and then they make us question how we fit into it. Reading is such a self-reflective practice that you both find and lose yourself at once.”

🌙 “If you always try to force people into seeing the world the way you do, you will never love anybody. You will only love the pieces of yourself you find in others.”

🌙 “I’d like to believe that time doesn’t determine how you feel about someone. It’s the experiences and conversations and interactions, no matter how brief, that bring two people closer.”

🌙 “How brave it was, really, to leave behind all the things that were no longer meant for you.“

🌙 “To be known for all you were was lovely. But to be known for all the things you could be was extraordinary.”

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything. It was a fairytale whilst also being a story of self discovery and learning to love. Napheli and Apollo have my heart in every way. I would give my heart to Apollo in two seconds✨

When I bought this book I thought it was going to be a fun book about a girl and her curiosity shop. But it was so much more than that. The main character had been living her life unfinished. She felt empty in the beginning because she gave her everything to her family curiosity shop. Time was moving but she was stuck at a standstill until a certain heartless prince with a mischievous smirk came barreling into her life. They were born from the same shooting star 💫 the magic from the star that pulling their fates together.🫸


The love in this book was so deep. Apollo couldn’t love her with his heart so instead he loved her with his soul🥲 The whole book was them discovering the love that they always held for each other 🤌 and Nepheli discovering the world she always read about and herself.

Ughhhhh it was just so good. The book was so poetic🫸 every time I read there was another quote I had to save. Who the hell was going to let me know about Iris Lake 🫸 and why does no one know about this book. It’s literally inspired by howels moving castle and Alice in wonderland 😩

I already miss it. I would rate it six stars if I could✨

[Jordan Daigle · Rating 5 out of 5]

IRIS LAKE is an amazing author. I personally love her writing style. The twist and turns she throws at you OUT OF NO WHERE!!! I’m consistently interested, and enthralled by her books. THE LITTLE SHOP OF GRAND CURIOSITIES is much more than a fantasy romance, and that will be revealed to you as you read.. it puts burning tears in your eyes. moments you realize you were holding your breath, and catch yourself rereading paragraphs because they were just that good.
Iris’s books are my most annotated books. I will always recommend her books.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. If I could pick it up and read it again for the first time I would. Perfection.



“Do. You. Want. Me?”

“Like a madman,” he gasped. “I want you like a man possessed. I need you like the air I breathe. My head is so full of you, you’d have to kill me to grant me some peace, and I cannot be killed, damn it! You think you’ll leave Thaloria, and I’ll be okay? That I’ll be rid of you? There is not enough distance you can put between us to repair the damage you have done to me. You are all I want and everything I cannot have.”

[Breanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars! ✨

Hello??? How is no one else talking about this book???

[Sara Barquero · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was such an amazing book. It’s perfect when you want to read a light-unique romatasy on an afternoon . The story has a lot of interesting elements and characters and it actually explains everything with detail, that at the end you end up without doubts and it really feels like a finished story. Love that it is just 1 book and the romance is just on point. Giggles and butterflies throughout the entire book, the tension and enemy/lover relationship between the characters was just perfect!! In spice I would say it’s a +4/5, for the extension of the book it has the correct amount of romantic/spice scenes cause ir doesn’t revolve around that, it really wraps up with the rest of the story and its timing. ALSO: This is an Apollo that you will love (If you have read OUABH), it also has some vibes that remind me of OUABH and that made me enjoy it even more!! Also it’s a book for people who feel like they don't fit in anywhere and who feel alone. It helps to reflect on many points of view about personal growth and that was one of the things I loved most about it. I liked that the main character is not superficial or strange, she is completely unique. It made my heart warm and make me rethink many aspects of my life in a friendly way. I really recommend!! 5/5

[Christina (stinarinareads)]

DNF at 15%

Ugh, it started off on a great foot and I wanted to love it. The writing was pretty good and it felt like a grown up but still whimsical fairytale.

Things started going downhill for me when the MMC was introduced, and his overuse of the pet name darling. I searched and there are 104 uses total in the novel😭 I love a good endearment but it can’t be used almost every line, or so it felt.

Then the overall dialogue started to get a little modern/out of place too, and so I think I’m done with this one. There’s so much potential in the writing and world-building here though, and I hope others enjoy!

[Hollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, it was just ok. It’s called The Little Shop of Grand Curiosities… but only first and last chapters involved the Shop. The adventures were barely adventurous, the spice was only kind of spicy. There were multiple times during the book where I felt myself rolling my eyes at the corniness of it all. More than once, I found myself saying out loud: “OMG I get it, you’re in love with each other!”

The culmination of the book seemed to happen really suddenly but then somehow drag on. I wouldn’t actively deter anyone from reading but I won’t actively recommend it either.

[Sigil Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was not only very cute and cozy but it was also so magical and enchanting! I just love Iris Lake's books so much. She could give me her grocery list and I'll be fed.

[mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

i finished this book in a singular sitting on my kindle. i have been highly awaiting this release since it was announced !! it is one of my favorite books i have read this year !! i absolutely ADORE the setting in this book !!! it begins with a girl that owns a magic shop, and through an encounter with a customer, she has no choice but to go on a journey. in this journey, i experienced laughter, heartbreak, and unimaginable realization. the things the characters would think and say settled so deeply in my soul that i highlighted almost every single page while reading.

the way that this story unfolds the meaning of a heart and what makes it beat when you feel like that space in your chest is barren is truly special. it was such a reminder that what people can hold in their hearts is extremely personal to who they are. if you can find other hearts that understands how yours beats— even when you don’t— i think that is the most important thing.

this is going to become a comfort read that i come back to every so often FOR SURE !!! AND THE BANTER. THE LONGINGGG HELLOOOO

i am very excited to get my physical copy and immediately reread and annotate all of my thoughts and feelings that i felt reading this story!

[Gabrielle Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOOOOVED this book. It just scratched the perfect itch for me. I can’t explain how deeply I miss Jacks from OUABH, and Apollo was very reminiscent of him—a broken boy hurting for love but feeling unlovable. The banter, the angst, the desire, but also sweetness. This was just so lovely.

[Aimée · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Love doesn't have a timeframe. You should know by now that love tends to be strongest when it is the most unreasonable."

Nepheli and Apollo, I will terribly miss you both! What an adventure this has been. ❤️

[Aimy · Rating 1 out of 5]

TO ADDRESS THE COMMENTS: I'm just going to add this here rather than responding to them separately for the sake of being concise.

My entire point of the review below was this: There are TOO many similarities. As I stated below, I'm definitely not usually someone to nitpick parallels between books, because truly unique ideas don't exist and that's okay. However, what I have laid out below, the sheer AMOUNT of near identical plot points, definitely FAR exceed that. This is also the one and only time I've ever compared two books side by side, because they were THAT much alike. You're entitled to disagree, of course, but it's not like I made these parallels up. This isn't my opinion, this is beat for beat written in print. I invite you to check the parallels yourself if you're curious.

Also, yes, the name "Nepheli" might be of Greek origin. I'm not fighting anyone on that. However, two things can be true at the same time. It doesn't change the fact that "Evangeline" and "Nepheli" are directly reminiscent of each other, even more so if you put it in context with all the other 3475 parallels I meticulously laid out below.

If you enjoyed this book, I am happy for you. I do not wish to take that away from you, nor should you let my review affect that. I didn't enjoy it, because, for me, the start of it read like a direct copy of a book I have already read, and I couldn't look past it. And that's okay.

***

The book starts in a nearly identical way to Once Upon A Broken Heart, by Stephanie Garber. Both books open with a chapter from the perspective of a curiosity shop, owned by the soft girl main character, trying to warn said main character that something bad is going to happen. There’s even a line where the shop angrily jingles its entry bell as a warning, which also happens in Once Upon A Broken Heart (henceforth abbreviated as “OUABH”.). And in both books, the soft girl main character ignores the shop’s warnings because they’re both starry-eyed, incurable optimists.

(I will be mentioning details from the OUABH trilogy in this review, but I will stick to non-spoilery information just in case.)

At first I thought I’m making a big deal over nothing, but the longer I thought about it, the more alarming similarities I found. For example, OUABH’s main character’s name is Evangeline. This book’s FMC’s name is Nepheli. Evangeline. Nepheli. Evangelism. Nephilim. “Evangeline” even has “angel” in the name, drawing an easy connection to “Nepheli”. So, not only do both girls have odd and unnatural hair colors, the same exact character disposition, and a magical, sentient shop of curiosities, but they also both have very closely related names.
Also, this book series is titled “Tales from the Faraway North” and in OUABH, there is a plot significant region called “The Magnificent North” where magical stories (dare I say tales) hail from. The author didn’t even pick a different cardinal direction.

But that’s not all. Nepheli has a deck of magical oracle cards and ends up picking the one titled “The Stranger”. The card then proceeds to warn her that The Stranger will come into her shop that day, and that she shouldn’t entrust him with her heart. And if that’s not enough, not TWO paragraphs later, Nepheli reads in the newspaper how the, I quote, ”Prince of Broken Hearts” is soon to return. Anyone who has read the beginning of OUABH knows that newspaper clippings are a big part of the story, and Evangeline first finds Jacks through a newspaper article in the first place. Jacks, a Fate, who used to be trapped in the oracle card Prince of Hearts, titled so because he notoriously breaks girl’s hearts.
It will surprise absolutely no one when I say that this book’s love interest has a practically identical personality to Jacks, if Jacks wasn’t limited to a PG 13 rating. What’s worse is that his name is Apollo. Which, yes, is the name of yet another character from OUABH. And if you’ve read A Curse for True Love, then you know how ironic that name choice is.

There’s more! This book also has secret, magical doors, that lead different places than they realistically should, just like in Howl’s Moving Castle. Even including the little dial at the door.
The street on which Nepheli’s shop is located on is called “Diagonia Alley”. DIAGONIA ALLEY. Come on, seriously? Even Harry Potter wasn’t safe.
I picked all of that out from chapter 1 ALONE. If there are any further similarities, I don’t know them, because I DNF’d this book after the first chapter.

I think inspiration is fine and I don’t normally pick out similarities from book to book. I’m definitely not one of those people who preach that every book has to have a unique, never-been-done-before story. But there’s a difference between being “inspired” and directly copying pieces of a different book. Renaming them doesn’t change that. That’s like writing a book whose main love interest is named Roar Penwyvern, and he has a wandering townhouse and a little, talking radiator. All that to say, I would’ve been fine with it had Iris Lake taken all of these little things and made them uniquely her own, rather than just taking them nearly one for one, simply altering the name a bit. There’s an abundance of cozy books with magical curiosity shops and soft female main characters that DON’T make me feel like I’m reading blatant EvaJacks fanfiction.

I honestly can’t even recommend the book aside from all that, because, despite this being adult fantasy romance where the FMC is a 23 year old grown woman, the overall tone is extremely juvenile. It reads like very young YA. I can tell that Iris Lake was trying to go for a whimsical, quirky, funny tone, but it reads as immature. Nepheli thinks and sounds like a 14 year old. And I’m sorry if that sounds mean, especially after everything else I’ve already said, but it’s true. It honestly reads like this SHOULD have been YA, but Iris Lake wanted to write spicy scenes and raunchy banter, so she aged the characters up without adjusting their mental maturity accordingly.

[tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I wish I could read this book for the first time again.
~
Where do I even begin? The banter between the two main characters was so fun to read (reminded me of Powerless by Lauren Roberts and I love that book) and the way the author describes the whimsical setting throughout the book was so delightful to read about. I related to Nepheli in more ways than one and the lessons I learned in this book hit so close to home. I laughed, I cried, I giggled and kicked my feet, I went through all the emotions one could go through. If you couldn’t tell already, I love this book SO MUCH 😭💗 The characters and their development, the PLOT(!!!!), the setting, the writing (the quotes in this book were chef’s kiss), everything was so amazing and I feel so blessed to be in a world in which I read and experienced this book.
~
“Life had such a funny way of becoming marvelous or unbearable, only to fall back into its usual rhythms as if nothing of consequence had happened at all.” (one of the *many* quotes that I tabbed)

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️!

I'm not typically a fantasy/romantasy reader, so I don't have much to compare this to, but this book DOES make me want to explore more of the genre. Apollo and Nepheli embark on an adventure together, each finding a piece of themselves (in Apollo's case, quite literally).

I was definitely surprised by the ending, but I agree with another reader that it dragged on just a tiny bit.

Overall, I loved this book. 🧚 It was sweet, a little spicy, and definitely a welcome change from my usual reads. If you like enemies-to-lovers or forced proximity (and also want to try out romantasy), then I highly recommend it. I'm excited to read more from this author! ✨

[Cora · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve been catfished

[Amber :) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is this not a knock off of Once Upon a Broken Heart…?

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️wow. i am so in love with this author and writing. this was the most laid back yet full of adventure book i’ve read in a long time with no miscommunication. it’s a magical adventure about healing, hope, and personal growth. within the whimsical challenges, the protagonists find strength in each other and the bond that unites them. the relationship they formed was with ease and put a spin on fairytales!

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Yes, the world isn't as beautiful and romantic as you thought it was, but that doesn't mean you should cease believing in all the things that have made you who you are. I understand your journey has changed you, but don't disregard the girl you once were for the woman you are now. She was perhaps a little naive, a little softer, but she still deserves to be a part of you."

[Alora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: The Little Shop of Grand Curiosities by Iris Lake

The Little Shop of Grand Curiosities is a breathtaking, enchanting escape into a world woven with whimsy, mystery, and slow-burning romance. Iris Lake has crafted something truly magical here—a story that sparkles with the same stardust that gave Neil Gaiman's Stardust its charm, while standing firmly in its own radiant light.

From the very beginning, we’re swept into a rich tapestry of magical places—each one more captivating than the last. Lake’s world-building is immersive and lush, filled with wonder, secrets, and that elusive sense of enchantment that makes you believe anything is possible. It’s no surprise to learn in the end credits that Stardust was a source of inspiration—there are echoes in the fairytale logic, the magic hidden in plain sight, and the idea that love can quite literally move worlds.

But the true soul of the novel lies in the relationship between Nephili and Apollo. Their connection is tender, layered, and full of wonder. There’s a kind of gravity between them that never feels rushed, and yet it carries the reader effortlessly along. The balance of magic and emotional intimacy is beautifully maintained; the "spice" is just right—tasteful, meaningful, and rooted in character rather than spectacle.

The pacing of the adventure is pitch-perfect. It unfolds like a dream you don’t want to wake from: there’s momentum, yes, but also space to savor the beauty of the language, the quirk of a side character, the quiet ache of an unspoken truth. Every chapter feels like opening a door to another realm of surprise and beauty.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s a story I wanted to wrap around myself like a favorite cloak. Nephili and Apollo will linger with me for a long time—and so will the magic of the world they traveled through. If you’re a dreamer, a romantic, or someone who believes there’s more to this world than meets the eye, The Little Shop of Grand Curiosities is a must-read.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

All shining stars for this read!!

This book is now one of my favorites!! Not only was it a good story, but it also captured many emotions for me throughout. Iris explored many different points of self reflection, doubt, love and all other aspects of emotions we go through in life. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend reading her other books also!! 🤍