This was a cute book. A queen’s guard and a powerful mage run away together to open a bookshop/tea house. This had adventure, romance, a fantasy world and cozy setting. Overall I liked this one but didn’t love it. I think advertising it as a cozy fantasy similar to Legends & Lattes did it a disservice and set my expectations too high. It had cozy vibes sometimes but never really established a cozy community like I love in cozy fantasies.

Billed as a cozy fantasy in the vein of Legends and Lattes I was hopeful in finding a new story to sink into. Although I enjoyed the book it didn't quite hit all the points I wanted in this new genre.
We are introduced to Reyna, guard to a cutthroat Queen who sees her people as disposable and who is regularly injured in her role as protector. Reyna however is in a relationship with a powerful mage, Kianthe who is Arcandor - magical protector of the region. Kianthe is not happy about how her girlfriend is used by the Queen and has been trying to persuade Reyna to run away with her to set up a bookshop which serves tea. Disillusioned with her life Reyna decides to take the plunge and heads off into the wilds with Kianthe to start a new life.
All the key elements for romance and adventure are there , however although problems presented themselves they seemed to be overcome too easily - there was no striving / togetherness for Reyna and Kianthe to a shared goal. Possibly this is due to the established nature of their relationship, sadly this was just the book for me.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this ARC, all views are my own.

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**TL;DR:** I have to say I’m disappointed. This was a bit overly long, and I feel mislabeled as cozy. It was dull with moments of very high stakes and I was left with a feeling of whiplash.

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is a book that’s been on my radar since it was independently released. It’s been recommended many places as a good title to read if you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, and it was so well recieved that Tor picked it up for a big release. It’s the story of two women who run away together to start a life in a book and tea shop.

The premise sounds amazing, and possibly why I was so excited. I love bookshops, tea, and cozy fantasy in general but this one had some issues I found frustrating. First off, this didn’t feel cozy, instead it felt just a dull. The story, instead of the constant warm feeling that a cozy builds gradually, went through lulls of slow and rather dull moments where problems and issues were hand-waved away and moments of high tension where characters and others lives were at stake. The ‘things’ of cozy fantasy were there. Plants, books, tea, pastries, etc. But they felt like set dressing and very flat.

The relationship between the characters could have also affected this because it just didn’t have it. The two women are in a relationship from the beginning and as such we never see the initial coming together. Instead we’re told a lot how they fell in love or how they feel, but shown mostly the slow less interesting side of a relationship. Their conversations, while never overly long always devolve into one of two things: Sex Jokes or Oh WOW Our Communication is SO good.

The world could be interesting and I might consider picking up the second book on a whim, but I really hope the whiplash feeling of slow and dull to abruptly high stakes is evened out. Cozy, to me, is a slow build to whatever is lingering behind the characters. This was an up and down rollercoaster billed as ‘cozy’ and left me feeling very off balance.

3 Undying Plants out of 5

I loved this book!

Although I've never guarded a Queen, I can understand the frustration of being stuck in a job you want out of - and wanting a peaceful life. So, in that way, I could relate to both of the main characters motivations.
I was charmed by many of the secondary characters too, especially the Griffon.

This was a peaceful foray into the pursuit of a life one wants, not a life one is fated for. I wouldn't say it was low-stakes though!

All in all, I am thrilled with this story. I've found myself thinking of the tale and the characters quite often.

A Must Read!

Sitting at about a 3.5-4 star rating, I definitely enjoyed this sweet cozy fantasy. A soft, slow story was definitely something I needed to read this month. Also a bookstore/tea shop is literally my dream. I really enjoyed the way the author wrote all of the characters-- the main characters Reyna and Kianthe, as well as the people in their community. Something that brought it down from a full 4 star rating for me was really a personal preference issue, in that I'm not the biggest fan of reading stories with an already established romantic relationship as the main relationship. I prefer watching characters get together and begin from the start. That being said, Reyna and Kianthe's relationship was still very sweet, this was just a me thing. The stakes were slightly higher than some other cozy fantasy books, which I actually enjoyed here. A true low stakes fantasy is great from time to time but I need a little something more to keep me interested, and this book delivered on that.

While this book was advertised as cozy fiction, the only thing really cozy about it was the setting of the bookshop, otherwise this felt like a typical fantasy. A fun and easy read, the story features concepts of adventure and of choosing a different life for yourself to avoid boredom and self-righteous rulers. I love that it featured a queer romance that was healthy and mutually beneficial. This story did feel similar to Legends & Lattes, though I cannot say I prefer this one more. Overall, it was a fun read.

3.5 : to be completely fair, cozy fantasy may not be my thing. I may need the high stakes. BUT, anyone looking for a cozy, heart-warming fantasy, this is for you. This story follows the Queen’s ex-private guard, and her partner, the most powerful mage there is, as they settle down in a town and open a tea/bookshop. They get to know the townsfolk and assist with their troubles. It was all around a cute story. I did enjoy the already established sapphic relationship between the two MCs, and will likely continue the story with the next installment.

I really was hoping I would like this but I did not sadly. It was really herd not to compare it to Legends and Lattes, but it was inevitable. In general it's missing some of the charm L&L has. Some of the plot points don't seem to be resolved, they will come up and won't be mentioned again. There is also a good bit of telling and not showing.

Honestly I don't think I can read another cozy fantasy about bookshops, coffee shops or tea shops. Maybe a cozy fantasy about a taco truck.

Can't Spell Treason without Tea is a delightful cozy fantasy about two women starting a new life together, with their past not far behind them. Reyna is a former guard on the run from her psycho queen. Kianthe is the most powerful mage and sick of life behind walls. Together they open a tea and book shop in a small town.
Reyna is a former guard and puts everyone else ahead of herself. She was incredibly relatable as a character. Kianthe is so powerful and deals with anxiety. She deals with panic attacks and learns to manage them.
The plot was a little more than cozy fantasy. Reyna has a high stakes plot as she's abandoned her post as a royal guard to a queen who's incredibly possessive. Kianthe has a couple high stakes plotlines involving her being potentially forced to stay with the other mages, away form Reyna. There's also another one with dragons. All of which was really exciting, but felt like a lot for a cozy fantasy. While I really enjoyed it, I would definitely caveat that when recommending it to other cozy fantasy fans.
Overall, it was really cute. I love the saphic rep and the adorable shop they put together. The little town is delightful and so are the side characters. Definitely recommend to any cozy fantasy fan.

US traditional pub date: 5/7/24
Genre: cozy fantasy
Quick summary: A love story between a queen's guard and a powerful mage has to be dramatic, right? Reyna and Kianthe just want to escape and open their bookstore-cafe, but their past will eventually catch up with them...

From the description of this book, you're probably thinking of LEGENDS AND LATTES, which author Thorne admits was a huge inspiration. But I felt like this was different enough to keep me interested - I enjoyed how Reyna and Kianthe created their new life together. It was clear they were in love but didn't really fully "know" each other yet, so there were plenty of funny little conflicts that popped up. There wasn't much at stake until the last third of the book, so if you want an action-packed read, this probably isn't the book for you. But if you dream of escaping everyday life and opening a bookstore, definitely give this one a try! 3.5 rounded to 4.

Thank you to Tor/Bramble for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to enjoy this, for all that it looked like a Legends & Lattes clone. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the warmth, charisma, and humor of Legends & Lattes. The main couple alternately acts like they've just met and that they're in the incredibly dull part of a long-term relationship. I don't care about the townspeople. I never feel like the fire–or anything else–actually has warmth, and what else is cozy book but a sense of suffused warmth from sinking into a low-stakes world?

DNF 37%

2.5 stars. So far, Legends & Lattes is a fluke on how much I enjoy so-called cozy fantasies because every book after that one has been a disappointment, and unfortunately, this one was one too.

This book had a lot of telling not showing. We are told that Reyna and Kianthe are in love, and we are definitely shown their PDA in inappropriate times, but we are never shown how they fell in love and why they are willing to risk everything for each other besides they think each other is hot. We also do not see why they love this new town; they say it's now their home. I wanted to feel the intricacies of them falling in love with small-town life with the quirky neighbors with town fairs and festivals unique to this region. I wanted to see the town get together, help solve the magic problem, and show that their new neighbors become one of their own. Instead, we get a quick "yep, we built this tea and book shop in like 5 pages, and now somehow, even though we only know 2 couples in this town, we are accepted."

Besides lacking the cozy feeling I wanted, the higher stake plot points were never concluded. This could sometimes work in a series, but what this book did was extremely abrupt and literally made me say, "Wait, that's it????" I thought true treason was gonna happen, and I was so confused when nothing happened, and the dragon thing ended so strangely that it left the whole book unsatisfying and unresolved.

The writing was fine, and I could see this book being good with several more rewrites and editing. This book had the kernel of a great book, but with all the generic world, magic, unresolved ending, un-comfy feeling, and characters that were not memorable, it was just a disappointment.

"Legends and Lattes" was a breath of fresh air in a deep cavern of grimdark fantasy; I loved its unique approach and its charming characters. While the prequel didn't do it for me, I was happy to check out a new series of cozy fantasy, and "Can't Spell Treason Without Tea" seemed like a good bet with a sapphic romance and the main couple's ambition to open a bookshop.

Unfortunately, I was tired of literally every aspect of this book only a few chapters in. First of all - this is not cozy. Which is fine! But there are assassination attempts and violence and being wanted by the law and all of that pretty much immediately. I adjusted my expectations for something that was maybe medium-stakes rather than low - no big. But the characters were so bland that it was difficult to tell their voices apart in their POV chapters, the romance was already established so there was no character building there, and the worldbuilding was just nonexistent. It's like the author heard "low stakes" and drained the tension out of the wrong things. The writing was all "tell don't show", the villain comically evil, and the style reminded me a lot of YA writers trying their hand at adult rather than anything approaching depth.

I'm not sure who this was written for - I know this is a fantastic book for someone, and I can glance at the star rating and see that my opinion is an outlier. But it was a bear to get through. Not for me!

As a major fan of Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree, it was a major disservice to this book to compare the two so closely in promotional efforts.

Does Can’t Spell Treason without Tea have similar elements at times to Legends and Lattes? Sure. But here is the biggest difference—Legends and Lattes is truly a cozy, low stakes fantasy read. CSTWT is a higher stakes fantasy read with cozy elements at times.

Unfortunately, the high stake elements of this book directly contradict the cozy fantasy vibes. Take out the added tension with Queen, and focus on the town and even the dragons? Even that would have passed my cozy fantasy vibe check. But two major conflicts outside of the central location/pairing (book/tea shop and main couple) detracted from the cozy vibes.

HOWEVER—that is not to say that I didn’t enjoy this book. I did, quite a lot. It is just slightly improperly labeled as a true cozy fantasy story.

Outside of this genre mishap, my only other complaint was that this story felt longer than it needed to. In general, I think focusing in on one big conflict and the relationships with the town and its residents would have helped this story flow a bit more smoothly. It just needs to be cut down a bit to help focus in on the best parts of this story.

I look forward to following Reyna and Kianthe as they continue their journey in book 2.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 (rounded up to 4)
Spice: 0/5

Okay. This was irresistible! The cozy fantasy vibes, the sweet endearing sapphic romance, and just the overwhelming kindness that just radiated through this book. I absolutely loved this.

Kianthe is the mage of ages and is in love with Reyna, a guard for a quite evil queen. They decide to run away together and find the perfect middle of nowhere town. They get to work opening their tea shop and bookstore, not yet knowing how attached to this town they would become or the difference they would make.

This has plant magic and earth magic, dragons and dragon eggs, and a very loveable griffin. Not to mention the utter calmness this book brought me with its wonderful townspeople and solvable problems.

I can't recommend this enough!

Out May 7, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Thanks to netgalley and Tor publishing group for the arc of this book.

I loved the story a lot! Kianthe and Reyna are so sweet together.

Kianthe os the mage of ages and Reyna a guard for the tyrant queen Tilaine. They want to open a bookshop with tea corner together, but that means they have to leave there responsibilities behind. One they Reyna leaves the queendom in the night to run of with Kianthe. They start their bookshop adventure in a town called Tawney and meet new, lovely, people.

The story is dual pov which I always love. I think this book is a great combination of cozy fantasy and a little action. It doesn't feel like high stakes but, I like that there's some action in the story. I love that the story starts at the point that Kianthe and Reyna are already in love and that you read about them settling down. The ending definitely shows there is going to be a second book. And I will definitely read that!

Rebecca Thorne's Can't Spell Treason without Tea marks an exciting new entry in the cozy fantasy genre, as a Queensguard and the Mage of Ages attempt to build a quiet, peaceful life together after years of adventures and dangers have kept them apart.

Reyna is one of the queen's guards, descended from a long line of palace guards who protect their sovereign with honor. But the queen's "quirks"--a too-kind euphemism for her bent toward cruelty and wickedness--have worn thin on Reyna's sense of duty, and she longs for a quieter life in the country with her girlfriend, Kianthe. "You like tea. I like books. Let's open a shop somewhere remote and forget the world exists," begs Kianthe, who just so happens to be the Arcandor, designated by the Stone of Seeing as a conduit, "channeling its immense magic into smaller spells that benefited the world at large." Simply put, neither can run off and leave their lives behind--until one day, Reyna does exactly that, and Kianthe decides to join her.

The pair end up settling in a far-off town, where they encounter leaders disputing land ownership, learn of increasing threats of dragon attacks, and take over a decrepit barn most likely owned by bandits who may or may not return to reclaim it. In other words, it's the perfect spot to open New Leaf Tomes and Tea, so dubbed by the ever-punny Kianthe ("New leaf? Tea leaves? Turning over a new leaf? A leaf of a book?" she smirks). But the outside world continues to intrude on their dream: spies of the queen are hunting Reyna, wanted for treason after fleeing the queen's employ; plus, there is the "required mediation" of the Arcandor any time magical creatures cross human boundaries--like the dragon attacks on their new hometown, to name but one.

The adventure (evil queens, inexplicable dragon attacks, politically minded mages) of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is tempered by the inherently cozy setting of New Leaf Tomes and Tea, filled with magical plants, walls of books, the scent of scones, and the quiet sounds of tea preparation. Thorne finds a perfect balance between the workings of a suspenseful fantasy novel and delightfully commonplace descriptions of a cozy, quiet life. In this, Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is reminiscent of Travis Baldree's much-beloved Legends and Lattes (indeed, Thorne credits Baldree's novel as inspiration in her acknowledgements). With a planned sequel in the works, Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is sure to appeal to fans of Baldree's work, as well as any fantasy lover keen to imagine the inner lives of adventurers, whether they be actively adventuring or sitting at home with a book and a nice, hot cup of tea. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer

Shelf Talker: An exciting new voice in the cozy fantasy genre, as a Queensguard and a mage attempt to build a life far from adventure and danger in favor of a quiet life running a tea and bookshop together.

This delightful sapphic fantasy is perfect for fans of Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes series. Reyna works as one of the Queen's private guards, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. After a secret courtship, the two decide they are ready for the next step--moving in together and opening up a bookshop/tea shop. Unfortunately, by leaving the Queen's service, Reyna essentially puts a bounty on her head and the two are forced to stay undercover to avoid detection. Likewise, Kianthe is shirking her duties to run off with Reyna. Between the murderous and vengeful Queen on their trail, unexpected dragon attacks, and the stresses of starting a small business, can Kianthe and Reyna find the peaceful life they both desire?

This was a fun read, although I will say the book didn't quite feel completely cozy--there's some pretty high stakes and danger lurking in the background (and sometimes the foreground) with the Queen and the dragons. But I felt like Kianthe's and Reyna's characters were well developed and it was rewarding to see them grow together and watch their relationship realistically develop as they embarked on their bookshop journey. The townspeople of Tawney, where they settle, are also fun and added some color to the story. My biggest complaint is that I didn't realize this was part of a series, and while Kianthe and Reyna definitely get their HFN (happily-for-now), a lot of the overarching plot points didn't get resolved and appear to continue in the second book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, god! How I loved this book!

I have a ravenous hunger for cozy fantasy, and an equally ravenous hunger for sapphic books.
This book was so funny, and heartfelt, and so, so, so unbelievably healing for my poor little soul.

Actual rating is 3.75, rounded up to 4 stars. People who have been wishing for their cozy fantasy to have a bit more plot to it would definitely enjoy this book. I did like the plot, but I was also a little disappointed that it came at the expense of some of the mundanities of the "cozy" element. It felt a little bit like the book/teashop was just a throwaway element - there were no difficulties attached to the opening or running of it. That being said, this story and its characters were still quite charming, and I definitely plan on checking out future installments in this series, which the first book left plenty of room for.