*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I just looveee books like this! Cozy fantasy is my favorite and i just love reading the so much! Would recommend for sure!

This was so cozy and I absolutely loved it! The setting, the tea, the royalty - it all came together into a comforting, cozy read!

I received this audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book so much! It is a perfect cup of tea, while snuggled up in a chair next to a fire. I love our main characters and their relationship. I love the friendships they develop with the side characters. I love the fact that, even though there is a lot of political intrigue and worldbuilding, this series focuses on the cozy.

I think Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is listed as a cozy fantasy, but I think it would be what people are now calling a romantasy. Reyna is one of the Queen's private guards, and very good at her job. When she is taken hostage by an assassin, and the Queen's response is basically that it's your job, get over it, she decides she has had enough. Kianthe, who she has been in love with, is the most powerful mage there is. They want to leave their lives and open a Book/Tea Shop and live a quiet life. It's not that easy to just leave that life, but they do. They flea and settle in Tawney, a town nestled in the icy tundra near dragon country, and open the shop of their dreams. Queen Tilaine is not happy and decides to bring Reyna back, using whatever means possible.

I enjoyed meeting Reyna and Kianthe and thought they were very well fleshed out. Each had their own strengths that helped them in their new life. This was a slower paced story than I had anticipated. I liked the inclusion of the gryphon, Reyna's pet/partner, but would have liked more dragons, especially as that is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of the book leading into the second book in the series. I think the themes of running away to follow your dream and living a life with the one you love despite the odds are quite apparent. The banter, puns, and loving feel between Reyna and Kianthe seemed realistic. As a couple, I liked how they supported one another and fought for their new life when they had to. I am ready to find out what is next for this pair, but hope it moves a bit quicker in the next book. Jessica Threet narrated this audiobook and does a nice job with the voices and tone. Her pacing was a bit slow for me, but that is something I often expect. I listened to this one at 1.7 speed.

I really enjoyed this cozy fantasy. The characters were easy to fall in love with and I enjoyed their story together. So enjoyable!

the bookstore, tea and fireplace make this cozy. cozy fantasies might officially be my jam after reading this. i was left with a warm fuzzy feeling once i finished this one!

I really wanted to like this a bit more than I did. It’s not bad, but it could have been better. Though, it’s important to note that I will be reading book 2 at some point because I’m a bit invested in the dragon egg and crazy queen plots. Unlike most cozy books I enjoyed the higher stakes plot points here but found the characters relatively boring. Normally I read books because I adore the characters and the plot is an afterthought.

What is hard to reconcile is that this is being called cozy fantasy and yet the characters are not all that interesting. Their jobs and roles are; but as individuals and even as a couple I just didn’t care that much. The lack of sparks or even remotely hot thoughts of our main gals for one another makes me wonder if these aren’t the least interesting lesbians ever written. I wanted some sapphic side comments about boobs, or curves, or elegance of magical skill; or even a cute comment on the hotness of the feminine masculinity of our guard gal. Instead I can’t remember a single visual attribute of either lady; nor am I convinced that they even noticed one another’s attractiveness throughout the story.

Overall this is a bit of a letdown. It could just be a weak beginning to what is going to be a great series. Actually, that is what I’m hoping will be the case as book two sounds more interesting and has our leading ladies put amidst another cute sounding lesbian couple. Besides who can’t love the dedication of book that essentially says to all the 1-star reviewers that hated the first book because of the lesbian couple, book 2 has two lesbian couples! Lol. Can’t help but love the attitude of the author to stick it to the homophobes.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

This was the sweetest coziest book I have read in awhile. The story is low stakes but gives just enough problems to keep it interesting. The worldbuilding is well done and not too extensive to understand. The characters are ones that you really enjoy and feel close to. I loved the narrator and the character she adds to each person. The ending really sets you up to be intrigued in the next novel in the series. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cozy fun read.

This was unfortunately a letdown for me :(

I live a cozy fantasy but this didn’t feel cozy. The stakes were higher than I feel is deserving of that name and the characters I really struggled to even like.

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is a wonderfully cozy story of Reyna and Kianthe as they runaway from the kingdom to settle down in a rural town. They connect with the community that they've chosen.

This is great for fans of Legends and Lattes. I'm excited to see where the series takes us!

Sadly, this book was a bit of a letdown. The description checks all the boxes for a cozy fantasy- set in a magical world, a bookshop that serves tea, a queer romance - but the stakes were too high to feel cozy and the characters were too irritating to want to spend too much time with. This would have been improved if it was trimmed down to novella length.

I can see why others rave about this cozy fantasy, but I found it a bit slow and meandering. This made it perfect fare for a nighttime sleep hygiene wind down, but if you want something to make your heart race until 2am look elsewhere. Don’t get me wrong I will absolutely be reading the next volume when it comes out and would happily recommend it to friends looking for comforting chicken soup in book form

This audio was just perfect! It made me feel like I just fell right into the story and was amongst the characters. It is not often that an audio book has that effect over me as I listen to many books this way but this one accomplished this effortlessly!

There was so much hype surrounding this title, but it did not live up to it. here's my succinct review: This is not cozy fantasy.

I adore this book. It gave me everything I look for in a cozy adventure. I was invested in the characters and wanted to visit their shop for a cozy cup of tea.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

4.5/5 ⭐️

"I thought all stories needed heart-pounding action, but that one proved me wrong. You're right; the princess lives her best life by abandoning it all."

I first read and fell in love with this story as the indie published version and I'm so happy to say that holds true and then some for the trad pub re-release. I love this sapphic cozy story. Kianthe and Reyna are such fun characters that you can't help loving them both and laughing along with them. They love each other so fiercely while simultaneously being strong powerful women it's truly just *chef's kiss*. Like come on, the most powerful mage and an ex-queensguard who is very adept at hiding multiple knives on her person? Perfection. This story combines both moments of high stakes with also the overall feeling and dreams of a cozy fantasy.

I ended up tandem reading both the audio and physical book. The narration is excellently done with the tones and cadences fitting the individual characters so well. The narration style has a very storyteller feel to it as well. It doesn't feel as if words are simply being read off a page to you but there is an element of performance to the characters as well.

Overall if you want to read a sapphic cozy fantasy about a couple who just wants to open a tea and book shop with high stakes, found family, and tea puns then you definitely need to check this book out! I mean who doesn't want to forget your daily troubles and run away to open a bookshop?

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is the perfect audiobook companion for an afternoon curled up on the couch with knitting and a cup of tea. A wonderful new voice in the cozy fantasy genre!

A cute little fantasy romance with slice of life vibes. I loved the characters and the narrator was awesome with her voices. Not sure if we need a sequel, but still a good story.

*Can’t Spell Treason Without T* by Rebecca Thorne is an absolute delight! This cozy fantasy novel is filled with warmth, wit, and a charming found family that will steal your heart. The story weaves together the perfect mix of magic, tea, and treason, creating a light-hearted adventure that’s as comforting as a cup of your favorite brew. The characters are endearing, and the bonds they form feel genuine and heartfelt. If you’re looking for a cute and cozy read that leaves you with a smile, this book is a must!