This was an incredibly cute cozy fantasy. I enjoyed the narrator, though I did find the accents a bit distracting at times. I also found that the plot really struggled at some points and some character decisions were not believable. This book was a really fun way to spend the weekend listening to. Overall, I did enjoy this book and I will read the author's next book.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for this AudioARC!

Like someone else mentioned, labeling this as a book like Legends and Lattes does it a real disservice. This book unfortunately gave not even one vibe similar to L&L besides there being a cafe involved. I was also excited for the sapphic romance but it was lackluster. There was zero depth to the characters. We were told they were so in love and communicated perfectly to one another and we're understanding of one another's emotions and quirks. But actual communication between the two characters barely showed this. Side characters were not fleshed out. The town they were in had no appeal. I was literally left with no desire to be in this world and my imagining of it was very basic. The world building was not done well. The story was also high stakes which isn't cozy. But even though it was high stakes, I could care less about the drama.

I really forced myself to finish this. It was a huge disappointment.

Ugh. I did it. I finished the most boring book ever. It took me weeks. I hoped I would eventually enjoy the story. But it's definitely fan fiction of Legends & Lattes. I was hoping for something a tad different but it's basically the same and not in a good way.

This has been on my radar for a while so when I saw that it was picked up by Bramble I was really excited. Billed as a cozy fantasy with a sapphic romance, I went into this with such high expectations and I think it was to the book's detriment.

While this does have more plot than it's comp title, Legends & Lattes, the plot is still slow and meandering. I think where I struggled the most is in the relationship. At the start of the book, Reyna and Kianthe have already been together for a while so we don't get to see their relationship develop and while I liked seeing the caretaking elements of their relationship I had a hard time buying into it. This edition had an extra at the end that was their first meeting, and I think if the book had started with that I would have liked it more. Maybe it was the audio experience or my headspace but I struggled to remember the names of the main characters and with a cozy book, character buy in is a necessity.

While I'm disappointed I didn't love this as much as I wanted to, I have seen others adore it so you're mileage may vary. I'll probably pick up the sequel at some point when I'm in more of a cozy story headspace.

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is a perfect addition to the cozy fantasy genre, including just enough action to keep you wanting more, and enough intrigue to keep you hooked. Kianth and Raina are lovable, sometimes goofy, and the perfect duo to open a bookstore/tea shop combo.

The world setting is queer-normative and features a cast of diverse characters. Some lovable and some frustrating. The lore is fairly deep, with good setup for future adventures, and the magic system is interesting. Overall it’s a fun read, perfect for anyone who enjoys their fantasy on the lighter and less world-ending side.

Most of "Can't Spell Treason Without Tea" leans less cozy than Legends & Lattes--meaning there is a lot more peril and stakes and tension and f-bombs, which somewhat defeats the intent of "cozy". I would categorize this one into general fantasy and leave out "cozy" for accuracy. There are dragons, gryffins, ruthless queens, rival town supervisors undergoing their own enemies to lovers plot in the background... there's a lot going on and not all of it is satisfyingly resolved at the end of this book. The writing style lean more modern/casual, which is fine for the Fourth Wing audience and less preferred by some, so be forewarned.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillain Audio for the early audio copy.

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.

I did listen to this on audio and enjoyed the narration and pacing.

Fans of Legends and Lattes won't want to miss Can't Spell Treason Without Tea. This delightful mystery is perfect for those that love a cozy thriller. I listened to the audible and the narrator added to the perfect delight of the story. If you like cozy mysteries set in bookshops with unique characters, you definitely won't want to miss this story. I couldn't put it down and finished in in a matter of hours.

“Can’t Spell Treason without Tea” by Rebecca Thorne is a sapphic medium-stakes mystery fantasy. I listened to the audio ARC provided on NetGalley.

The book starts off a bit difficult to distinguish between Reyna and Kianthe, the two FMCs. Kianthe is a powerful mage, while Reyna speaks with the Queen’s accent and is employed as a Queensguard, a position she inherited from her mother. The book starts off two years into the women’s relationship, and when Reyna decides to leave the Queen’s employ. The Queen is awful, and is a main conflict throughout the story, in addition to dragon attacks on the women’s new village. I saw the book is medium-stakes because the book is primarily character and relationship driven, focusing on the women’s establishing themselves, creating a business, while also being true to themselves, and becoming part of a new community. The ending does feature a chapter (flashback) when they met and began dating.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it for those who enjoy low to medium stake mystery or fantasy that center on community.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Rebecca Thorne for the complementary audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I'm a massive fan of cozy fantasy, and there was a lot I was excited for with this one, but something baout it just wasn't clicking for me. I was hoping I could push through with the audiobook, but I couldn't get past the 15% mark, so I'm gonna set it aside and try to come back to it at another time.

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝓐𝓾𝓭𝓲𝓸𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: (𝟑.𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩!). 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 “𝐜𝐨𝐳𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲” 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐲𝐩𝐞! 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐩 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞/𝐭𝐞𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩? 𝐇𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧, 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠; 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬.

𝐈𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 (𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐳𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲), 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝!

𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝑅𝑒𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒸𝒶 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓃𝑒, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

This was super enjoyable! I saw a lot of reviews comparing it to Legends and Lattes, which I also really enjoy. I think this book had similar elements, but was also more action packed. There was a nice balance between the fast-paced action and the slow, cozy moments.

3.75 ⭐
I've been getting more and more into cozy fantasy/ cozy mysteries ever since I read Legends & Lattes. I got real excited when I got the opportunity to get an advanced listeners copy for "Can't spell Treason Without Tea" through Netgalley I knew I had to jump on the chance.

Short Summary: Reyna and Kianthe just want to open their own little bookshop/teashop hybrid. However Reyna works as one of the Queens private guards and Kianthe just so happens to be the most powerful mage in the world. All of that makes it a little hard to simply leave and start a new life so to speak. One day on a mission Reyna gets taken hostage and decides that she has had enough with this life so both of them settle in a small town in order to pursue their dreams but things are never as easy as they sound. a book full of silly mishaps, mysteries, and a temper tantrum throwing queen, the two women must discover what they mean to the world as well as each other.

Our main characters Reyna and Kianthe are in a relationship from the start of the book, so we don't exactly get to see them falling in love which is something that I don't usually like in books BUT I did enjoy seeing the two characters growing together as a couple and learning how to live together. It's a very relaxed and chill book it reads more like a little slice of life fantasy with mild violence sprinkled on top than a big epic fantasy so keep that in mid when picking it up.

the narration was good as well!

on to book #2 cause duh PIRATES!!!

Thank you so much Netgalley for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook version of this book.
I’m not the one that determines Genre of books, however, I don’t think id go with “cozy fantasy” if I were. This story outlines higher stakes than what are typically in cozy fantasies. I love fantasy, and romantasy and when I’m in the mood cozy reads but I feel like this book can’t decide.
I couldn’t really connect much with the two main characters leaving me not really caring. I think some will love this book but it just wasn’t it for me.

I requested this based on its clever title. But it wasn’t really my genre, I thought it was a mystery cozy and instead it was a fantasy cozy and it just wasn’t for me.

This book is high fantasy and low stakes, and absolutely cozying to the heart! Both of the main characters try to leave their past lives behind and open a tea and book store. Their past lives seem to keep popping up and trying to pull them back, when they just want to start their own romantic life together. The romance is so sweet, and their obvious love and care for each other can consistently be felt. I was on the edge of my seat, rooting for them the whole time. The narrator is absolutely amazing. She brought this book to life and I could picture each character so much clearer with her interpretation and voice inflection. One of the coziest and sweetest sapphic romance books I've read in a while!

**Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4.5 rounded up)**
What an adorable book! In *Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea,* we follow Reyna—a runaway Queen’s guardsperson—and Kianthe—the realm’s most powerful mage—as they take a chance on love and escape together to a small town where (they hope) no one will find them for a while. As they work to build a life together and their Tea shop and bookstore, they find community, try to solve a town mystery, and protect one another from powerful forces that seek to control them.

>> What I loved: This is probably the first book I’ve ever read that featured a relationship without any unnecessary drama or a super slow burn. I love that the author found ways to build a captivating story without relying on relationship drama between our FMCs. Thorne created an exciting, cozy, and queernormative world complemented by an engaging plot and cast of supporting characters.
> > What I didn’t love: A few parts where things felt a bit slow in the pacing of the overall story, but overall I was a big fan!

This is an easy recommendation to anyone looking to escape into a cozy, queer fantasy*.* I was excited to see there was a second book in the series, and I look forward to continuing to follow these characters in their next adventure.

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Thorne, and Macmillan Audio, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

Overall it was a good time. The characters where likable and the Queen was annoying. The creatures in this book were the great. The thing is I did not get cozy fantasy. The stakes are high from the beginning. Something big happens at the beginning and they run away. There is never a calm moment where they arrive where they wanted to be. While they set up shop there is so much going on. It was a great fantasy with big stakes but I didn't get the cozy vibe.

I didn't feel the love of book or the love of tea. I expected there to be more about teas, but it was not the case. Like I said overall great fantasy without the cozy vibes for me.

Okay so I really enjoyed this book. I will say the writer definitely has cozy fantasy down. I enjoyed the main characters in their own right, but I especially loved their relationship with each other. The way they talk to each other was adorable and funny. I really enjoyed their healthy relationship. The side characters were pretty great too. There wasn't too many, which I like so I can remember everyone. This book was sweet and hilarious to be honest. The narrator for the audiobook did very well with different voices for different people. Another note on the audiobook version of this I love the music that they play at the beginning of the audiobook. To sum up I say definitely go read this book!

I first read this book back in 2023 when it was independently published, at that point in time I was going through a lot. i was recovering from a back injury, stressed emotionally because of that and how my previous place of employment used me in so many ways. My previous manager overstepped so many boundaries and I was just in such a low place. Then one day, I decided to redownload tiktok as a source of entertainment since I was confined to my recliner and I stumbled upon a content creator called MegsTeaRoom and she recommended this book. I hadn't read a book in so long. As someone who used to frequent going to the library and woke up one day and just stopped reading, I felt strongly urged to pick up this book.

I had KU at the time so I immediately downloaded it and I finished the story within a few days between lots of rest. I cried. I cried so hard because I didn't think it was possible for me to feel as happy as I did after reading that story, to feel anything like that. I am not crying as I type this out no way. (okay so I actually am.)

Because of this book. I decided to I was never going to allow myself to fall out of love with reading again because it made me remember how powerful the words of a book can be. They have the power to heal, to show compassion, love. From that point, I just kept reading and watching content creators on tiktok and found myself itching to really become apart of the community. and so that I did.

Fast Forward over a year later and I am now finishing the audiobook that comes out soon. This book has received a trad deal and I am blessed to have found and made so many friends within the book community. I found so many stories to love and share and that emptiness and hurt I felt are not there anymore. All because I learned of this book.

If you have a story in your mind and heart that you want to write, I say go for it. You never know your story could be to someone else what this story was for me.

So if you like stories where a queensguard flees the queendom to open up a tea and bookshop with the love of her life, that has a pinch of adventure and and friendships to be had, you should absolutely read this book.