I loved the first book in this series, so I was waiting for an opportunity to read the second installment.

It took me a while to get into the story. I thought it had not much content in the first couple of chapters, but as I read on, threatening events started happening, and then more and more subplots were thrown in for good measure. In my humble opinion, there were too many threatening situations, and I felt sorry for the poor protagonist, who is rather more insecure in this book than in the first one.

I like Ms. Elliott’s smooth writing style and have read all of her books, so even with the overabundance of threats to the wellbeing of our heroine, I still like the cozy elements of this series, and the locale. I really liked the new addition of the Irish Gran, and her Irish accent.

As in the previous mystery series by Ms. Elliott, I am not a fan of the heroine’s extremely wishy-washy feelings in the romance department. I just wish she would make up her mind regarding a partner, and that the romantic aspect of these books would not take so much of the story with a lack of decision on the heroine’s part.

I did not suspect who the murderer was, and was surprised at the end, which I liked.

The last chapter was a whirlwind of explanations trying to close all gaps and tie all loose ends…however, there was another bucket of cold water poured on poor Shay’s head, and an ongoing threat is still not resolved…I will have to wait until book number 3 to find out more…

Thank you, Net Galley and Kensington Cozies, for allowing me to read an Advance Reader’s Copy and leave an honest personal review.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of MURDER IN A CUP (Book 2 of the Crystals & CuriosiTEAS Mysteries) by Lauren Elliott in exchange for an honest review. Since inheriting her tea shop, Shay Myers has been exploring her witchy abilities, continuing to nurture the plants in the greenhouse, and mixing both the magical and mundane tea blends birth mother sold. When Shay finds out that some of her mother’s plants were poisonous, she requested the assistance of the botany program of a nearby college to rehome the dangerous plants. The clean up seems to come too late, however, when one of the recently removed plants is implicated in the poisoning of a client. Shay’s employee becomes the prime suspect. As such, Shay becomes involved in the investigation in an effort to find alternate suspects for the crime.

I liked both this book and the first in the series. I recommend these books to fans of paranormal cozy murder mysteries featuring origin stories, mysterious amulets, tea shops, and fortune telling.

#MurderinaCup #NetGalley

When the local owner of a mystical shop dies, she leaves everything to Shay. After Shay figures out why, she and her sister Jen proceed to turn the shop into Crystals and CuriosiTEAS, a teashop that also offers special blends to people needing help or guidance. Occasionally, Shay will also do tea leaf readings, which has become popular amongst the locals.

One group, known as the white gloved ladies, has made the shop a weekly visit, and because they are so respected, Shay's new tearoom is booming. Between her, Jen, and their teenage helper Tassi, they manage to make things work. For a while, anyway -- until Tassi's dad shows up and declares that he's fighting her mother for custody. Tassi dislikes her dad's fiancée, and refuses to go with him. But one night, during a group reading, one of the women in the white glove group dies, prompting Tassi's father to get a restraining order against Shay and vowing to ruin her.

Shay is distraught, but when pub owner Liam Madigan returns from Ireland with his grandmother, known as 'Gran', the woman seeks out Shay and takes her under her wing. To make matters worse, Liam is having troubles of his own, and his cousin shows up out of nowhere.

Shay has her hands full and her pockets temporarily empty, but will she be able to rectify the situation? Will she be able to find out who really killed the woman? And more so, will she be able to get her life back to where it was?...

This is merely the second book in the series but I am completely hooked on it. I loved the first, and this one even more. Shay is growing as a person, and being accepted for who she is. Her life in this village begins to round out, until Tassi's unfortunate being of a father shows up. She's sure he has an ulterior motive, but when he starts harassing her, she wonders why.

I love the character of Gran. She's completely delightful. A bit of the 'Old Country,' if you will. I am pleased that the author brought her into the series, and hopefully will keep her there. I did like Liam quite a bit, but as most men (don't get upset, we all know), he's a bit oblivious when it comes to certain things. Read the book and you will know what I am talking about.

And let's not forget Spirit, the magical dog who appears just where he's needed most. He's more than just a dog, but an intelligent friend who senses danger and knows just what to do to prevent it. Ah, if only humans could understand what he is trying to say...

The murder itself is very well planned out, and quite a bit intriguing as well. We watch as Shay tries to navigate her desire to help Tassi and figure out who the murderer might be at the same time. While I knew who it was before Shay, it was entertaining to watch her figure it out and put the clues together. In the end, it gives us a glimpse of what to look forward to in the next book, which, I think, will be just as enjoyable as this one. Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

This was a delightful cozy mystery. Shay is coming into her psychic abilities after inheriting a Tea Shop. While she’s holding a tea leaf divining group, a member drops dead. One of her employees becomes the prime suspect and Shay is hell bent on proving otherwise. There’s a side of romance, deadly plants, and lots of Irish accents. This was a super cute read, great for when you want to escape the real world. It’s a second book in the series, but the first book isn’t required reading necessarily.

Shay Myers is an intriguing sleuth - she's descended from an Irish witch and is the recent owner of a unique shop, Crystals & CuriosiTeas. Recently, she has learned she has "seer powers". When a client drops dead after a reading, Shay has to find out why before she or her assistant becomes a suspect or victim!

The mystery kept me reading and try as I !might, I couldn't guess "whodunit" . One of my favorite characters is Shay's dog Spirit who adds even more mystery to the series. A little romance and an entertaining mystery awaits. Grab a cup of tea and cozy up for a fun read!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Love this series , as well as the characters themselves, it the type of series you can get lost into before you know it .

I'm a fan of this author was anxious to read the second book in this series*. The writing is great and the story easy enough to follow for those who may not have read the first book (you should though).

I love the characters of Shay, Jen, and Liam. And now we have Gran to add to in and she's a gem. She knows Shay's history and some of that comes out in this story but not all. Way to keep them wanting more, Lauren Elliott!

In this story, there's a death and it's causing problems for Shay and Tassie. You will root for them to win but of course we need to go through with the sorting of details and clues. Shay had help via her friends and family.

It's fun to see the characters grow and learn more about them while new characters are added to the mix. I look forward to see what happens next with Shay.

*while I don't personally believe in crystals, tea reading, seers etc I can view it as make believe and still enjoy the read.

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc.

Shay finds herself somehow connected to the death of a woman who was poisoned and died in her shop. While she had the poisonous plant in her greenhouse, she has gotten rid of it, so who poisoned the woman? With Tassi as the main suspect, since it was her future step mother, Shay has to do whatever she can to clear Tassi and save her from being charged with a crime her father believes she committed.

I fell in love with this series when I read the first book and can’t get enough. The Celtic connection, the family connection, the locals who support, and Spirit rally bring me back to immersing myself in the stories. Each reads fine as a stand alone, so dig on it.

I loved the setting! The beach, the CuriosiTeas tea shop with its greenhouse… It’s a very nice light read, a simple mystery (no twists for those who love them, but I wasn’t expecting any). I enjoy the mix of cozy plus psychic abilities – it’s a cupful of tropes, pardon the pun. So if that’s what you are looking for, go for it. If you want some serious reading, look somewhere else. Nice characters, as is to be expected. The one thing I did not like as much were the “ye”, “yer”, “dese”, “dat” for the Irish characters – it was a little heavy handed for my taste, but understandable, and the granny was a nice addition, anyway.
Suffice to say I had not read the first book of the series and now I will – and the next in the series, which I hope will continue. I look forward to read what will happen to Shay – and to Spirit, the dog!
Update: so I went back and read the first book before posting. Mild spoiler ahead:
Really, if the vet was just a friend of Liam, why did they end up living together in what seems a matter of weeks? And now it seems he’s hooking up with someone else. So I don’t care about his electric blue eyes –Shay deserves someone better ;)
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book and get to know the series.

#MurderinaCup #NetGalley is a great addition to this unique cozy mystery series. Shay is learning about her gifts, but a bizarre murder has her working hard to prove her young assistant is innocent.
Deadly plants, lies, and secrets are bound to grab your curiosity and have you reading long into the night.
This author is becoming a favorite of mine and I'm always happy to recommend Lauren Elliot to other readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Murder in a Cup by Lauren Elliott is a great cozy mystery that is the second book in the A Crystals & CuriosiTEAS mystery series.

I really like where this new series is going. This sophmore effort from Ms. Elliott really brings the main characters into their own. Shay is a great main character and has depth and a unique set of gifts. She and Liam make a good team (and Spirit too).

There is a murder/mystery that kept my interest throughout and that mixed with the paranormal threads, really made this fun and entertaining.

Definitely looking forward to where this series will be going from here.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 11/28/23.

I was such a fan of the first book that I immediately read the second one jumping it up over many many books in my queue. And I loved the second book just as much. My only disappointment is now how long I will have to wait for the third one. Shayleigh is growing into her Inheritance of the tea shop and the amulet with the blue diamond when during a group tea reading a woman drops dead. One of her employees becomes suspect number one and Shay is compelled to prove her innocence. The characters are interesting and I love the addition of Gran.

The 2nd book in this new series was also pretty good as Shay's assistant, Tassi, is accused of murdering a woman at a tea reading party. The only question is, how, exactly did she manage it? And why is Tassi's dad doing everything in his power to make sure that she goes to jail for it? Shay has been struggling with understanding the magical powers that she has been given, and is really unsure about how to handle her instincts and reactions to things the amulet is trying to tell her. Luckily for her, when Liam returns from a trip to Ireland, he brings his Gram, who used to know Shay's mother and is determined to help in any way she can. Shay needs to learn that she can count on her family and friends to help her. And, of course, on Spirit! It seems to also be the book to discover that some dad's aren't all they are cut out to be...it seems Shay's dad is trying all sorts of ways to get the amulet from her. Looking forward to the next book, in which Shay and company are planning a trap for him. Thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGallery for the chance to read this.

Murder in a Cup, the second book in the Crystals & CuriosiTEAS Mysteries series by Lauren Elliott, once again enraptures the reader with Shay’s unique and ever-evolving abilities as she continues to acclimate to her life in Bray Harbor.

As Shay struggles to grasp the potential of her gifts, she once again finds herself amid a murder investigation that hits too close to home. With dynamic and relatable characters and a fast-paced and captivating dialog, the story intertwines fact with fantasy in keeping the pages turning as the reader becomes invested in not only Shay, but also in whom among her acquaintances would do harm within her shop.

Ms. Elliott has the unique ability to engage you in such a way that you’ll find yourself feeling the myriad of emotions her characters do...she's especially adept at conveying the heartbreak Shay continues to experience because of Liam, unbeknownst to him of course.

As this series progresses, I'm fully invested in what's in store for Shay as she learns to embrace her ancient abilities.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily submitting my honest review.