Member Reviews
A really adorable (maybe too adorable for my taste), book-and-teashop cozy fantasy and sapphic romance inspired by Legends & Lattes and beloved by the TikTok crowd. I didn't find the writing all that great; there were way too many adjectives and adverbs and overwrought descriptions of the main characters' feelings.
On the other hand, I am 100% invested in the plot of the next book and wish I could read it right now, so Thorne has clearly worked some magic on me. Personally, I would like more dragons and more of the evil queen. If adapted I would definitely watch it on TV.
An excellent cozy fantasy! The romance is sweet and realistic at the same time, and I love the community Reyna and Kianthe find in Tawney. The threats are there but not overwhelming. If you like puns like I do, Kianthe is your girl. All her puns are terrible in a fantastic way.
While not for my middle school library, this book was a delight. You may be recommended another book with a beverage in the title, but this one was much more for me! I hope you enjoy it, with a cuppa.
This book gave me "Legends and Lattes" vibes, and I appreciated the author acknowledging its influence. One stark difference is there's more action/adventure in this title. I thoroughly enjoyed it
I love that lower stakes cozy fantasies are being written. The author even said that they were inspired by Legends & Lattes, and to be honest I liked this book just a little more than that one. This had 2 women who wanted to start a life together by opening a tea and bookshop (which are 2 of my favorite things). I wouldn't call these LOW stakes necessary but lower to moderate instead. The relationship between the Rayne and Kianthe is wonderful. They are open and honest with each other and recognize their faults but solve their issues through good use of communication. There is NO doubt that they love each other. The fantasy elements are magic and dragons. My only wish is that all the people weren't human. There is non-binary representation as well as LGBTQA+. The ending completed the story but left room for the series to continue. Can't wait to read the next one.
If you like Travis Baldree, this book has the same sort of cozy fantasy vibes. I look forward to reading more about Reyna and Kianthe.
A) I haven't met her, but I love Rebecca as a person, so my review is biased, but I only follow her because I know her books...soooo OH WELL! B) Dear gawd she knows how to write cozy and sweet and sapphic. I love this the whole way! I picked it up with my own cuppa, and just didn't put it down 'til it was done. I love these women and their pet ;)
For someone who loves the cozy vibes but also digs a bit of plot and conflict, this hit all of it for me. A good balance that kept me intrigued and also provided a healthy dose of escapism. I truly can't wait to read more from Rebecca Thorne
The highlights of this book are definitely the cozy aspects: the sweet relationship between Kianthe and Reyna and how they deal with challenges, and the town of Tawney banding together in setting up their idyllic little tea and book shop, New Leaf Tomes and Tea. I also really enjoyed the neighbor characters. The overarching conflict didn't cloud the general coziness even when the stakes seemed high, which was the novel's main strength. Overall, this story felt like being wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket with a warm cup of relaxing lavender and chamomile tea.
This fun, cozy fantasy title was so lovely and sweet!
A powerful mage and a Queen's guard fall in love. The two women fall in love at first sight but circumstances keep them apart at first. The romance is closed-door, so isn't at all spicy, but the relationship building is good.
This comfy story has great, interesting side characters and a plot full of excitement and adventure (and griffins and dragons!).
The adventure is not finished at the end of this first book, so I look forward to more installments of this series!
Cozy and comforting. A recommended purchase for collections where lowstakes/cozy fantasy is popular.
Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne, just not for me. I tried to get into this book and it simply failed for me. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book and I do think others will enjoy it
Can’t spell treason without tea was a fun lightweight story with just the right amount of charm to keep me turning the pages. I loved the world-building and the characters, and if you are also looking for a fluffy and a wholesome story, then like me, you too would definitely enjoy this one.
If you are looking for a cozy (closed door) romantasy then this book just might be it. Our characters escape from unpleasant situations/jobs and hide out in a faraway village on the edge of Dragonland. They open a tea/book shop, explore their relationship, fight dragons and when their old lives come crashing back they figure out a way to have a happy ever after. It's a sweet, fluffy, and very low-stakes story that ends with a gentle cliffhanger making you want to see what comes next for our 2 main characters and the cast of friends they have made along their journey. For readers of Legends and Lattes with a side of Fourth Wing.
Oh, this was lovely! It reminded me a lot of Legends and Lattes and that's a great thing, I love the idea of just because the adventure is done, doesn't mean the story is. I hope we get more, the characters were great, I loved the setting, it was the perfect vacation read.
I love this book, full stop. I'm so glad Tor picked up this series, even if it means I have to buy duplicate copies so that the editions match.
I loved this book! It's so cute and wholesome, and the world is very well developed. The story is well balanced between romance and external plot. I can't wait to read more!
Can’t spell treason without tea is a delightful dose of escapism into a tea/plant/bookshop with your love, where you meet friendly neighbors and find community.
I can’t say much critically, I only wished it was a bit shorter because repetition is my enemy and I hate when I like a story but get a bit bored.
My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.
I really wanted to like this book, based on the description of it. Sadly, the book failed for me on too manylevels.
The main characters are both supposed to be somewhat mature women, both having excelled in their respective fields for several years, but they each keep making truly horrible decisions. Their brains turn to mush any time the other is in any kind of trouble. They decide to move/retire to a small town on the border of the very kingdom of the queen who is horribly vindictive and known to take excessive measures against any perceived slight; what could go wrong with that? Several denominations of currency are given names, but with no context as to how the denominations relate to each other. The book talks about them using savings to pay for renovations to the building that will be their shop and home, but the warrior character fled from their job on a moment's notice and had no time to recover said savings. And the magic user is given mastery of way too many types of magic.
On the plus side, the food descriptions were pretty good, and there was an interesting mix of townfolk to be interacted with.
Thank you Net Galley and Bramble Publishing for this digital ARC!
This was excellent! I can see why people are comparing this to Legends and Lattes, and there are some similarities between the two, but don’t be mistaken. Can’t Spell Treason without Tea is unique and incredible all on its’ own.
Kianthe and Reyna are the perfect pair. They balance each other so well, I could keep reading their story for ages. There’s the perfect amount of everything in this book, with a little political intrigue, mystery, coziness, found family and GRIFFONS with personality!
This story is as warm and inviting as it is fast-paced and exciting. The author does a great job of balancing out the adventure with quiet days in the tea/book shop.
This book is a great read all around, and I am so excited for book two, It’s a Pirates Life for Tea!