Calisa wants to use helping her great aunt as an escape, but she doesn’t know how far it will take her.

This book is a must read if you like: Portal fantasy, coming of age, LGBTQ+ Representation, Cozy fantasy.

About the Book:

Title: The Faraway Inn
Genre(s): Sci Fi & Fantasy; Teens & YA
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Published by: Random House Children’s Books | Delacorte Press
Date Published: 03/31/2026
Format Read: Hybrid/mixed media read
Where I Got It: NetGalley ARC/ALC
Stand alone or series Number: It is a stand alone book.

Snapshot: what do you need to know before you pick up the book.

Profanity: Light, H-word, Lord’s name in vain
Intimacy: Light, Kissing, hands under clothes
Violence: Light, Some mild action
Themes: Light, LGBTQ+ Representation, Portal magic, Parent Loss, teen breakups

My Thoughts

This is an adorable light hearted YA. It is set in our world, but True to Sarah Beth Durst you can’t keep the magic away for long.

I gobbled this story up. I did feel like the Story was set for younger readers but dealt with some older level content.However, as an adult reading it I really enjoyed The cute concept.

This book was totally my vibe. I love finding secret worlds and portal stories.It also had some adorable moments and fun twists and turns.

It has been a long time since I’ve read a book with portal worlds written for this age group.

One of my favorite parts of the book was all the unique and fun characters. They are all so engaging I cant pick a favorite.

I can’t pinpoint what exactly made me feel like the book was fighting it’s self a little bit. I don’t think it was a big deal, but I have heard others mention it as well.

I enjoyed the narration and found it perfect with the story.

I really enjoyed this book. I think it is an adorable YA with some great moments and awesome characters.

Description

After a devastating heartbreak, a teen girl decides to spend her summer helping her eccentric great aunt manage her quaint Vermont inn—but the fixer-upper is hiding a magical secret—in this cozy and irresistible new YA fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop.

When sixteen-year-old Calisa arrives at her great-aunt’s B&B in rural Vermont for the summer, she’s shocked to find a rundown inn rather than the cozy bed-and-breakfast she was expecting. Grumpy and eccentric, Auntie Zee is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn . . . even though she clearly needs the help.

To convince her great-aunt to keep her around, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundskeeper’s (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the surer she is that there’s something strange about the B&B—and its guests. Something almost . . . otherworldly.

The inn is keeping a magical secret—but to protect the place she’s come to love, Calisa must unravel the truth before it’s too late.