Review – Keeper & Kindred (Meow: Magical Emporium of Wares, Book 2) by Toni Binns (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Length: 422 pages
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: February 3, 2026
ASIN: B0G3JRZX3B
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the MEOW series
Source: Borrowed ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4/5 stars
“The winter solstice is coming, and with it, a reckoning.
Sable thought being the Shopkeeper meant serving coffee, shelving books, and managing a talking cat’s attitude. She’s made peace with the magic, even embraced her role as guardian to Indigo, the world’s most curious baby bookdragon. But as the solstice draws near, a magical teacher arrives at the shop’s door—someone from the Cat’s past who might hold the key to his freedom.
The Fates begin whispering to Sable through golden auras. Old bargains, made long before her time, surface with dangerous demands. And somewhere in the chaos of rearranging shelves, interrogating a cryptic teacher, and managing interdimensional customers, Sable has to figure out how to tell her mother she won’t be home for the holidays.
The secrets she’s uncovered can’t be ignored. And the Cat—mysterious, maddening, and more vulnerable than he’d ever admit—might be the key to everything, if only Sable can get him to trust her.
Coffee can only solve so many problems. But friendship, courage, and one very determined Shopkeeper might just be enough.”
Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in the MEOW series. I borrowed this on ebook from Kindle Unlimited.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this second book in the MEOW series. The story moves a bit slow for me, but I am enjoying the characters and the concept of the MEOW. I like that the background story makes more progress here and I love learning more about Cat’s history.
Sable is continuing her contract as Shopkeeper for the Magical Emporium of Wares (MEOW). Every day is a new adventure as she helps Cat to serve different interdimensional visitors. As Solstice approaches, Sable is determined to make the holiday special for everyone at MEOW. Little does she know she might have magic of her own she needs to manage and learn.
I am not a huge fan of “day in life” type of reads, and this has a lot of that in it, those type of stories just move a bit too slowly for me. However, that being said, there are enough elements in here that I really enjoy that I am liking this series quite a bit. I love Sable and her constant positivity and willingness to confront each day like a new and amazing adventure. I love Cat with his tentative hopefulness and the baby Bookdragon full of insatiable curiosity. I am also really enjoying the unfolding of Cat’s past and the hints that Sable’s birth family is not exactly what she thinks they are.
I enjoy that we get little odd stories from day to day as well. The beings that show up at MEOW are varied and intriguing. I also enjoy the expansion and discovery of Sable’s own magic. This is a cozy, creative, and intriguing read.
The only thing I don’t enjoy is that the days can feel a bit repetitive despite the changing customers, and the story moves a bit too slow for my liking. However, that is a personal preference and I have always preferred my stories fairly fast-paced.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I am really enjoying this series. I love the characters, the unique premise, and how some of the mysteries behind Cat’s past and Sable’s magic are unfolding. I am still struggling some with the slower pace to this and the very “day in the life” feel. If you are looking for a cozy, creative, magical, and deliberately paced read, I would definitely recommend. I look forward to reading each book in this series, even though there are points during reading the book where I wish things would progress a bit quicker.
