You really can’t just have a bookshop with plants and tea as a part of your setting and slap “cozy fantasy” on it when the stakes of everything else and the rest of the action is this high. If it were just the trading off of almost-life-threatening hurt/comfort, I could see that, but the story is much more about the wider political issues and trying to keep under the radar so Reyna isn’t /executed/ than the cozy setting up shop or starting life in a new town and the day-to-day things. Even when the shop is set up and the issues with the queen are dealt with, then there’s dragons to handle? It’s all a lot and we don’t really get time to bask in the cozy nature of the shop or Rain and Ki’s relationship.

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is a very sweet, low stakes, sapphic, cozy fantasy that lovers of the genre will love! It follows Reina, a member of the queens guard and Kianthe, the most powerful mage. Reina decides to abandon her post (at the risk of treason!) to run away with Kianthe and open a tea and bookshop.

I liked this but my main issue with the cozy fantasy genre as a whole is that because I know it's low stakes and the plot really isn't going to be a main thing, I tend to space out, particularly during audiobooks, and have definitely missed some key pieces. This was an issue for me in this book though I don't think it took away from my enjoyment per say. I liked all of the characters - particularly the griffins!! I thought it was very sweet but ultimately I just need a little more grit or plot in my books.

I liked the narration by Jessica Threet and enjoyed listening to her performance. She brought a lot of life into the story.

Thank you to Macmillan audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for providing a audio arc.
TW: self doubt, burn marks, manipulation
4.5
Can’t Spell Tea Without Treason is an adorable sapphic cozy fantasy. The story features our main characters Reyna and Kianthe as they try to escape their past from murder hungry queen to open up a tea shop/bookstore. The banter between the two main fmc characters is adorable. I love the fantasy setting the fact that both characters are bad ass. Kianthe with her magic and Reyna with being an assassin. I will say this story leans more on the fantasy aspect and does have higher stakes than other cozy fantasies out there but that doesn’t take away from the story. Imo it enhances it. I will say I wish there was a prequel to explain the magic system more as well as fleshing out how the two fmc got together. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

(If you love dragons, sapphic love, griffins, bad ass fmc, found family and tea this is the book for you).

I needed to cry when I ended the book, because I never wanted it to finish. THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Cozy, romantasy sapphic and cute. It gives you all the fuzzy feeling with the most beautiful and strong characters.

THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ!

This was such a cute, sweet, adventurous, and cozy read! And, it has dragons!!! A queen's guard escapes to open a bookshop and tearoom with a mage. While hiding out and creating their dream, these two women have adventures with bandits, stolen dragon's eggs, and the queen on the lookout for her runaway guard who committed treason in the escape. I absolutely love the relationship that develops between Rayna (guard) and Kianthe (mage)! They are caring and sweet and try to have open communication. This is such a cozy fantasy book!

This was... disappointing. I feel like this had one foot in cozy fantasy, and one foot in high stakes fantasy and never fully committed to one world or the other. The world building was lack luster, I still don't REALLY understand the magic, or the queen, or the power dynamics, or who is in charge of or fighting who. The romance was cute, but joining them mid relationship and then getting one flimsy look back at how they started? Wasn't enough for me. The stakes felt both too high and also too low at the same time! Either Reyna or Kianthe were constantly fighting too hard or wearing themselves out but ultimately, for what? Even the dragon "attack" felt ultimately silly.
And then the big battle? With the heartless queen? Who fell for an unconvincing lie? And let EVERYONE go free and have what felt like reality show immunity for the next book? So stupid.

I was so excited to get to listen to the audiobook version of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne! It is the first of a trilogy and is THE perfect cozy fantasy. Narrator Jessica Threet does a fantastic job with this story and is a delight to listen to. Even at faster speeds, her telling of this story is always easy to listen to and her voice acting is so good that you'll see the journey of Reyna and Kianthe as they build their life in Tawney.

If you read this book before Ms. Thorne was picked up by her traditional publisher, you will be pleasantly surprised at how this fun, low-stakes fantasy has evolved. It is worth re-reading in every aspect!

Like "Legends and Lattes" but with much higher stakes, "Can't Spell Treason without Tea" is a charming sapphic romance full of adventure and cozy vibes. We follow Reina and Kianthe, who decide after a few years of dating to abandon their posts and open a tea and book shop together to allow their relationship to grow. However, Reina abandoning her post comes at a high cost-TREASON! As Reina and Kianthe weather the highs and lows of moving forward in their relationship, they must decide if their decision is ultimately worth the cost. This story has everything from dragons and treason to cute, fuzzy romance. I think if you liked "Legends and Lattes" but wanted a bit more action/adventure, this story will be for you.

Audiobook narrator:
I thought her pacing was excellent. I listened to the audiobook on normal 1x speed and never felt like the story rushed or dragged. The narrator put a lot of emotion in to these characters, and you could really tell when they were at the climax of their emotions (stress, panic, gushing romance, etc). My only complaint would be that the "narrator" and Kianthe's voices sounded exactly the same, while Reina's was a British accent. Sometimes I felt the narrator lost Reina's accent when in a time of high emotion. However it was overall enjoyable to listen to; I just think I'd prefer to have physically read this one.

The Book:
-Contains action, adventure, romance, coziness
-Sapphic romance/LGBTQ+ friendly- the main love interest is f/f and there are many non binary characters
-Depicts mental illness in an accurate way (severe anxiety and panic attacks) and delves into healthy relationships and how to speak with your partner to relay what you need

I would definitely recommend this to readers who want wholesome, cozy vibes PLUS some extra action. There are definitely HIGH STAKES in this novel, but also times where you get to see friendships blossoming and chill tea/bookshop scenes. 4/5 stars- I can't wait to read the second novel to see where Kianthe and Reina's relationship goes, as well as continue with them on their adventures!

Thank you so much to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advance listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

You see the cover and description and thing Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea will be Uber cozy fantasy. It is part cozy part high stakes. Yes there is the whole let’s move away to a small town and build a cafe/ bookstore but we also have an upset queen and threat of dragon attack.

I still thought it was a cute story and the two main characters were a nice couple and just wanted them to succeed.
If you are a fan of cozy fantasies then you will probably like it but if not into them then this will not be your book.


Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Rebecca Thorne for the Audio Arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ALC. This book was really sweet. I can see why it is compared to Legends & Lattes. I can see why that is but this book is markedly different in tone and oftentimes feels as though it’s a pursuit of coziness fantasy because the main characters just want to settle down but are forced into action because of previous ties and commitments! Anyways this was excellent and a really good palette cleanser!

What a cute lighthearted adventure!
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
I appreciated the lighter nature of the story, but still included a bit of action and high fantasy elements to round it out a bit. Our two FMCs relationship is relatable and realistic, even for the setting. I wish we got the magic system and world explained a bit better, but I believe this is the first in a series so maybe we’ll get more later.
I will also agree with other reviewers that the PDA was oddly timed and seemed out of place for most situations they were in.
Overall, it’s a nice escape and inspiring daydream away from the hustle.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for this audio arc! This is a wonderful cozy fantasy. The story itself follows a queens guard who has decided to finally break free and run away with her girlfriend. But her girlfriend isn’t just any old person she happens to be the queen of mages. They set up a tea and bookshop in a small town and we follow their journey of learning how to live a normal life.
But it’s not as simple as it seems with spies, guards, and dragons lurking about threatening to shatter their new cozy life together.
The narration for this audiobook was wonderful. Jessica Threet who narrated this book put the reader in the small town of Tawney to follow our characters story as if we were with them in the room. Through the narration you could feel the emotions of the characters which is a big plus for me in an audiobook.
I would recommend this to readers and audiobook listeners. I will be checking out the second book!

If you’re looking for something like Legends and Lattes this is it! A cozy and sapphic fantasy about queen’s guard Reyna and mage of ages, Kianthe, as they run away together to open a tea and bookshop. I think almost every reader I know dreams about leaving their day jobs to open a cozy bookshop. I wouldn’t say this is as low stakes as Legends and Lattes, and some of the conflicts are unresolved but I think this is to set up for more books in the series. I did get very invested in all of the characters, and even the side characters. They were all well thought out and very likeable. The narrator does a great job distinguishing the two FMCS and uses various accents throughout. The audiobook includes what I think a hint at the next book in the epilogue and a prequel chapter which I really enjoyed. Overall this is a fun read, I just wish some more of the conflicts were resolved. Thanks to NetGalley, Rebecca Thorne and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

There were so many things I loved about “Can’t Spell Treason without Tea”. One of the things I enjoyed the most was the atmosphere that the author created. It is one of the most whimsical books I have ever read. The combination of an alluring fantasy world with a book and tea loving couple who open their own small business was lovely. “Can’t Spell Treason without Tea” has the setting of a cozy fantasy, but without the low-stakes. It doesn’t make you feel cozy. There are multiple overarching conflicts that make you feel anything but cozy. I enjoyed the plot of this story, but that is something that should be noted for any future readers.

One of the things that I love the most about this book is the characters. I loved their banter and wittiness. However, I felt the two main characters were written in the same color. It was difficult to distinguish which character was which at times during the audiobook. The two main characters are voiced with different accents, but I still had trouble understanding which character was talking. It was if any line said by one of the main characters could have been said by the other. They characters in general did not feel unique from another, outside of dialogue either.

Overall, “Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea” was a cute read with an adorable setting. I had fun reading it, but I doubt I will ever pick it up again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was more of sapphic fantasy than cozy fantasy imo. I liked the premise but occasionally found myself bored. I’m definitely glad I listened to it over reading. I really enjoyed the narrator. I feel like some books I just prefer audio and this is one of them…..if that makes any sense.

I did like the overall story and genuinely liked Reyna and Kianthe as characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is a story about two female lovers, one a member of the royal guard to an unkind queen, and the other a famous, powerful elemental mage. The two, Reyna and Kianthe, decide to abandon Reyna's post in hopes of finding a simpler life. The two women come upon the town of Tawney, where they decide to plant their roots and open a book & tea shop. The two befriend the town's locals. The town, however, has a history of dragon attacks and the women must assist with the situation.

This book was very cozy - for the first half. It seemed to lose its cozy purpose upon introduction of the dragons and the queen hunting for the traitor. I loved listening to Reyna and Kianthe's efforts with finding the perfect place to open their shop and the means of getting products. I generally liked the conversations between the two women, though times I felt like the conversation was dragging for far too long. I also didn't experience enough differences between the two characters other than physicality and careers. I had a difficult time remembering which character was who due to the lack of difference.

Overall, I think if you enjoy Travis Baldtree, this may be the read for you.

My first dnf book. Dnf @ 11%. Normally I can keep going until the end of a book.

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea was not my cup of tea!

This is a story about Reyna and Kianthe who wants to run away and open a bookstore that serves tea. Reyna is one of the Queen’s private guards and Kianthe is a powerful mage. I did catch myself laughing or smiling at times. However, it was not what I’d hope it would be.

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

I went into this book blind with no knowledge about it and I just loved it! Who doesn’t dream of quitting their day job and opening a tea/book shop! It was such a wonderful read the action scenes were great, with plenty of suspense, the romantic scenes were sweet and loving. I will be buying this book immediately when it comes out.

I was really looking forward to this title but I must admit, I did not love the style of writing. The storyline was engaging enough but the conversations between the characters did not grab my attention and although I stayed through to the end of the book, I lost interest at the midway point.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I had heard a lot about this book through TikTok and I'm happy I waited for the audiobook before I picked it up.

The story is great. I like the fact that we catch Reyna and Kianthe when they decide to leave, when they relationship is already a strong thing and moving further along. It gives us a good view of how far they've come and further they are willing to go as long as they are together.

I didn't expect that much plot, considering it's a cozy fantasy, but there were a lot of things happening, but the relationship is always at the center of it all, and it was a good reprieve from end-of-the-world stakes that I usually read in fantasy. The book was a very good journey.

I don't have much to say about the narration, expect that I wish Netgalley offered some speed between 1,75 and 2, because one was too slow but the other was too fast for me. The naration was really great and made the story lively and enjoyable. My only complaint is that the laughs we hear through the book lacked some diversity, but I can understand why it would be complicated to laugh outright whenever Kianthe guffawed at one of her jokes.

Overall, a very good moment for me !