As a huge Rebecca Thorne fan it should come as no surprise that I found Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea delightful. Kianthe and Reyna come to life on the page and are so well thought out and the supporting characters are just as endearing.
Additionally Jessica Threet did an outstanding job with her narriation! I loved the different accents and it really helped keep who was who clear in my head. I know this is going to be added to my list of comfort read audiobooks.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is my favorite read of 2024 to date!! The cozy atmosphere was so comforting. I LOVED the diversity of all of the characters. Sometimes, I can be a bit picky with narrators, but I had no issues with this one. I thought she brought each of the characters to life and made them very distinctive. Definietly a great read for someone intimidated by high fantasy or for a beginner fantasy read. I will absolutely be continuing on with this series! The audiobook will release on May 7th and is narrated by Jessica Threet. Absolutely a treat to listen to it, even if you have already read the physical copy.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ So this book was adorable I was given this audiobook through netgalley which I'm thankful for I thought this was so sweet and I'm definitely in my cozy fantasy era now due to this book it was like the L word meets legends and lattes. I thought the relationships were really cute and I found the characters very lovable if you would like to know more about this book you can check it out Now and audiobook comes out May7th . #comfycozy #cozyfantasy #lgbtqia+ #romantasy #reading #bookstagram

2.5 rounded up.

This is a cute little fantasy that many will enjoy. I would not necessarily describe it as cozy, but I think many people who are fans of cozy fantasy will enjoy it, so long as they know what they are getting into.

The main romance in this is not a new romance, but an established one. I thought this was a nice change of pace, as I have experienced very few books where an established romantic relationship is a main aspect of the story. The couple was very sweet and I really enjoyed their banter.

I would not describe this as cozy. Yes, the couple open up a tea/book shop together, but one of the women is an assassin and there are extremely high stakes as the book goes on. I think that people who like cozy fantasies will very much enjoy this if they're looking for a higher stakes cozy-adjacent fantasy, but if you are picking this up solely for cozy vibes, I would not recommend!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was given an advanced listener copy of the audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Note: If you bought this book previously before its re-release, there is a noticeable difference between the two. The second book has some added scenes and other minor changes.

Notes about the audio version: The narrator was great, and she added to the story overall. I found the audio version more enjoyable to listen to than reading the text alone.

This book seats itself pleasantly in the category made popular by Travis Baldree - cozy fantasy. The author states very clearly in the acknowledgements that she was inspired by "Legends and Lattes", and thus mental comparisons between the two were unavoidable. I do enjoy this niche genre immensely, and this book is very cozy. There was moments that are incredibly charming and sweet, and the conflict's story-arch is well-written.

However, the general pacing was off. We would have moments that felt incredibly slow, and those would be buttressed with scenes that went quickly, given that they held value to the overall story. I think some tightening up could have been done.

The romance in the novel is also very cutesy, which is not my favorite type of romance. If that's not for you either, you have been warned.

I came so close to dnfing this one early on. The characters were constantly laughing and chuckling and giggling and snickering and smirking... *all* of them. And every single one was tagged in the dialogue AND the narrator would act out with a breathy "ahahaha" which was the most annoying thing I've encountered in an audiobook in a LONG time.

The characters were cardboard cutouts. We were told what they were feeling, what they were thinking, how good they were at communicating... but we didn't see any of it. We were just told.

Everything happens instantly. They go to a town, decide to stay based on... I dunno really. Find an abandoned barn and magically get permission to use it in one day. They then complete all the repairs, off-page, in a few days. They have communication breakdowns (despite how 'good' they supposedly are at communicating), then resolve everything within a paragraph. They meet someone new and are instantly besties. It was infuriating.

There are all these plot threads that get dropped. Like oh no! Gotta find those dragon eggs stat or the dragons will destroy the town. Next day: eh, dragons live a long time they probably won't be fussed for a while we'll do it later. Like ???

Also, can someone explain to me how the hell how Raina's plan with the bandits worked? Like... ok, they want the barn that was previously a bandit hideout. And it's fine, until one shows up. But Raina's just like, *wink* I got this. And she convinces him, in a few sentences, that the store is a front for this mysterious bandit organization and now they have to come in and pay two coins for an 'assignment' (which is like, go take care of the problem this neighboring town has) and they give her the money and go away and... who is paying them for these supposed 'jobs'? Raina certainly isn't. How does this scheme work exactly? It makes zero sense.

I stuck it out to the end because I had been looking forward to it and it was so highly recommended and... it was ok I guess? But really it was time I won't get back that I could have spent reading an actually good book.

I see comparisons to Legends & Lattes everywhere and this book is not it. Legends & Lattes was well-written and made sense and things built gradually and I loved it. This was all plot holes and flat characters that are hard to tell apart and telling telling telling and I do not recommend.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy for review.

I was drawn to this audio by the cover, title and the fact that it's listed as a cozy fantasy. I tried to get into it but I found that I couldn't. The beginning was very slow for me and I just didn't get pulled in. I listened to it over the span of a few days but sadly this one just wasn't my cup of tea. I think the characters had a lot of potential and for a couple of them that potential was realized, there's LGBTQIA+ representation and multiple different characters in the mix. The plot and pacing were largely what didn't work for me but the narrator does a great job with the different voices and accents and is easy to listen to. It did feel like a cozy read so if you enjoy books that are a bit slower and with some action later on this might be a good fit for you.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the digital ALC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

- This is such a great addition to the cozy fantasy genre! The vibes were so good, and the plot has enough action to keep the book moving without feeling too high stakes.
- At the beginning, I was a little worried by how similar it was to Legends and Lattes, but it quickly distinguished itself!
- I think cozy fantasy relies on strong MCs and an interesting cast of side characters, and this one delivers!! I loved getting to see their relationships develop throughout the book, and I really want to read more about the little town!
- The world-building, especially of the different countries and the Queen, was so interesting!
- Since cozy fantasy tends to be slower paced, I love audio for the genre. The narrator did a great job with the different voices/accents for the characters, and it felt so easy to fall into the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Audio ARC!

Jessica Threet is a wonder, an absolutely amazing narrator! The way she brings the characters to life and captures the intensity and coziness this book embodies is nothing short of perfection.

If you’re looking for a warm, cozy, heartwarming, magical adventure - you’ve found it! Rebecca Thorne does an incredible job of creating a beautiful world with dynamic characters that will leave you laughing and crying like real friends. The love story is precious, the conflict is interesting, and the writing is high quality.

It’s obvious Thorne was inspired by Legends and Lattes, it even says so in her Acknowledgements. But honestly, I love it - Legends and Lattes set a precedent for cozy fantasy, a high bar, that Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea definitely meets. This is the perfect read for any fantasy lover - especially if they love cozy!

Tawney is a town you will quickly fall in love with and want to return to over and over again - I first read this as an Indie ARC ages ago, but getting to return to this world and these characters is nothing short of pure joy. It's like a warm hug and a cup of hot tea at the end of a long day - a balm for the soul weary that will leave you smiling to the very last word. Thorne is an amazing author that has a clear vision and truly cares about her characters and readers, and it shines through on every page.

You won't want to miss this one, I promise!

What a fun story this was! The stakes were a little too high for it to be a cozy fantasy but the story was definitely cozy-ish! I really like the setting and the characters were just so lovable. I got to listen to the narration and it was just so good! It was helpful with the accents because sometimes it felt like the main characters were a little too similar to one another. It was okay though, still tons of fun!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Rebecca Thorne for giving me access to the advanced narration copy. All opinions are my own.

I got an ALC of the audiobook for this one, which, thanks ever so much to NetGalley, Macmillan, and Rebecca Thorne. Honestly? I had a great time. It was a cozy little sapphic fantasy that I had a lovely time reading. Was there a little more action and politics than I was expecting? Sure, but I like that in a novel. It isn’t a carbon copy of Legends & Lattes, and I think it’s doing this book a disservice to go in expecting that.

I did have some minor issues- the main characters themselves were a little on the blander side and I have a horrible pet peeve when it comes to using “the mage said this” or “the woman said this” instead of just saying the character’s name. HUGE pet peeve, and this book did have a lot of that. It would have probably knocked a star off if I’d been reading a physical copy of this, but friends, the audiobook was superb.

Jessica Threet was a fantastic narrator and even listening at 1.75 speed (my default, yes, I’m broken, I know) you can tell that she’s a good one. The amount of emotion she packs into some of the more fraught scenes was a huge treat and I highly recommend opting for the audiobook version of this just to experience it.

All in all, great little read. I had a ton of fun. Also, I highly advise listening to the bonus chapter with their first meeting because I think it adds a lot to the characters.

For fans of cozy fantasies, a newer subgenre of fantasy, especially for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune. I loved the relationship portrayed in this story and how much communication was a part of it. It's not a full blown graphic romance at all which I like. A bit of found family, finding yourself, and your place in the crazy world.

Cozy read with just the right amount of high stakes to keep you reading. Characters are enjoyable and fully developed!

Audiobook version is wonderfully narrated. The narrator's voice is soothing while still giving a full set of unique voices. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book!

Ugh this is a painful review to write because I was so excited for this book. First off, this book was NOT cozy fantasy. Yes, there is a bookshop but they just sort of appear there periodically; yes, there are townsfolk but we don't really get to know them and they just suddenly accept everything and help out...like that is prime space to develop relationships and characters! Instead we get a lot of cut-to events or get told that something took place. Which is probably my biggest complaint of the book - show don't tell! I'm begging you. The asides ruined so much of the book. Also, since the info was force fed to you during the most inopportune moments, it trashed the pacing of most of the scenes. Like, each thing that we came upon needed a bunch of paragraphs to explain why we should care about it. Which makes the worldbuilding shallow as well. Every other character is pretty bland (probably because every character has to have at least one info dump) and most of the banter was kinda childish. Unfortunately this was not for me. Jessica Threet is a good narrator and did try to distinguish the characters with voices and accents. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing like a cozy story along the lines of romance. There was good character building for a lot of the side characters, which is always nice and a cozy fantasy. I wasn’t sure the two main characters gave me a vibe that they really clicked. They were very different and their jobs that they walked away from were very high profile, so it seemed that the reaction to their son the disappearance didn’t quite match the level of the job they had.

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan for an ALC of this book.

Cozy fantasy has been a genre that has become a favorite and a comfort to me.

I throughly enjoyed this book. Two lesbians up and leaving the Queendom to open a Book/Tea shop is just a dream come true.

I loved the story between Reyna and Kianthe. How Reyna still battles being a warrior for the Queen and how Kianthe is this sorceress who is very powerful. Through their battles and troubles, they continue to find comfort in one another.

I am so thankful to have had this opportunity to read this book. I will continue to constantly recommend

I had heard so much about this that I had to do some mental readjustments when NetGalley allowed me access to the audiobook. This wasn't what I expected at all, with all its comparisons to that other famous book.
However. If you go in with an open mind, this is a fun fantasy world with interesting characters and a ton of action. I'm not a romance person but this was great because the romance was the motivation for people I liked doing great things to be together. When the story feels done, there's more interesting story in the epilogue.
The narrator does a good job convincing me of the story and now I need to go see if there is more by this author!

I really wanted to love this, but it just wasn’t for me. I have enjoyed other books in this vein, but this one just bored me. I felt like the action didn’t happen fast enough, and when it did happen, it wasn’t enough to keep me invested. I just didn’t love it. The narrator was great, though.

⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is a sweet, sapphic fantasy with loads of action, love, and tea.

I enjoyed many parts of CSTWT. The sapphic romance was darling, and the side romances were just as sweet to experience. The action scenes, characters, and bookshop scenes were beautiful elements of the story. I also enjoyed the strong and smart feminist incorporations to the story.

However, some parts of the execution fell flat for me. Some scenes and moments in the story felt repetitive and stiff. The writing style was lovely but sometimes choppy, and a few parts felt thrown together. The characters got on my nerves a bit, but I still loved them. Although I loved the cozy aspects of the story, I would say that this is more of a fantasy with cozy moments than a cozy fantasy. There were many action scenes and near-death experiences that may be a little much for some to experience in their cozy fantasy. That being said, I will definitely recommend CSTWT!

I want to touch on how AMAZING the narrator of this story was. Her accents and delivery of the prose and dialogue made this story even more immersive and enjoyable. The accent used for Reyna was PHENOMENAL.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

Another cup of "Can't Spell Treason Without Tea" for me as we dive into the audiobook narration. Thank you to the author for an ARC of this novel and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the audiobook.

This is my second re-read of CPTWT and I will summarize my initial review: Queen's guard Reyna is sick of being put in harms way and dreams of a tea and book-filled life with mage girlfriend Kianthe. There's only one problem: to leave the royal guard is treason, but have you ever met a lesbian who was not willing to go through travel and danger for their one true love? With battles, dragons, and navigating regular life in a new town, Kianthe and Reyna start their happily-ever-after filled with low-stakes adventure.

CPTWT is a quintessential cozy fantasy novel that has higher stakes that its Legends and Lattes counterparts but features some very lovable characters and warm atmospheric writing. I am a fan of Thorne as both a writer and social media personality, it's hard not to root for her.

The audiobook: I was not a fan of the narration at all. The narrator's accent seemed to wax and wane between characters and the shouting of the chapter titles was jarring. There were moments of hesitation during the narration that took me out of the story a few times. For me, this didn't feel up to standard for a traditionally published audiobook. I don't think I would recommend the audiobook route for those looking to enter the world of Tomes & Tea world.

Story: 4/5
Audiobook: 2/5