This was a delightful continuation of this series. The characters and plot continue to be beautifully written and richly imagined. I look forward to the final book in the series!

Audience: Adult
Plot: 4.5 out of 5
Characters: 4.5 out of 5
Spice: 0 out of 5

Keywords: Romance, Fantasy, Cozy Fantasy, Sapphic, LGBTQIA+, Political Intrigue, Mystery, Hidden heir, Dragons, Pirates, Adventure

Tea Pairing: Reading Nook Tea by Plum Deluxe — a chamomile, lavender, and rose blend (Reyna’s blend)

I received copies of this book through NetGalley from Tor Publisher, and audio from Macmillan Audio. Thank you! All opinions are my own.

The third installment in the Tomes & Tea quartet takes place several months after the events of book two. The pacing in this book felt relatively quick — with all the events taking place within a week. Reyna and Kianthe are planning their upcoming nuptials, and it’s going to be the event of the year. Everyone is invited — but it’s not all smooth sailing. New friends, and old ones, arrive in Tawney all wanting to wish the couple well. Well, maybe not everyone…

Oh wow! Book three was absolutely amazing. This is probably my favorite in the series so far. Following Kianthe and Reyna on their relationship journey has been an absolute joy. And I can’t wait to see what adventures they’ll have in the final installment of the series. I absolutely enjoyed this book, as well as the audio narration by Jessica Threet. I’ve enjoyed Threet’s performance for all three novels so far. She gives each character their own unique voice and style, and I can really appreciate her commitment to the performance and voice work.

Overall, Thorne has created a sweet, cozy, fantasy series, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys sweet romances, fantasy bookstores, and of course, tea.

Rebecca’s books always put a smile on my face these books give you everything thing you want in cozy fantasy and more I will always pick up her books when I need an escape with no high stakes

Tea You at the Altar is the third book in the Tomes & Tea cozy fantasy series, and it follows Kianthe and Reyna as they plan their wedding… and possibly a coup. (This review contains spoilers for books one and two.)

I really enjoyed Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, but I thought the second book faltered. While the first book was mostly cozy with a few dramatic scenes, A Pirate’s Life for Tea felt like a series of slow speed boat chases—neither cozy nor exciting. It also didn’t help that Kianthe and Reyna were separated for a lot of the story. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but I’m happy to say it returned to a lot of what I liked best in Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea.

Because the plot revolves around planning the wedding and its accompanying political confrontation, there’s a bit of a countdown element, which is fun. It also is a great balance between coziness and epic fantasy: there’s tablecloth colours to pick and allies to persuade.

Similarly, at the same time that Reyna and her allies are trying to decide on a replacement government, she’s also trying to win over her parents-in-law. Kianthe’s parents planned for her to marry a man. They always expected her to end up with her childhood best friend. After being estranged during her magic education, they unexpectedly show up prior to the wedding—with her childhood best friend in tow.

Reyna is initially surprised and even amused, especially because “Female pairings are always preferred in the Queendom.” Still, being rejected and seen as inferior by her in-laws is painful, and trying to win them over and help to repair their relationship with Kianthe adds a whole layer of complexity to an already overwhelming endeavor.

Another fun aspect of the wedding is that it brings together characters from the previous books in a new setting. There’s Bobbie and Serina, of course, who played a major role in A Pirate’s Life for Tea and still haven’t totally settled into their new relationship, often resorting to bickering like they did as kids. There’s also the Dastardly Pirate Dreggs, who is a fun addition.

The lost princess Tessalyn along with her bodyguard are the new additions to this growing cast, and I really liked them. Tessalyn is coded as asexual and aromantic. She also grew up in a culture that values academics above all else, so she brings a different perspective. I appreciated her strength in her own convictions and independence, regardless of pressure from others.

The subplot I found most interesting was Reyna’s questioning of her faith. Until recently, she lived in the Queendom, where its citizens worship a pantheon of gods. Kianthe, like most non-Queendom people, worships the Stars and Stone that she draws her magic from. As Reyna questions more of what she was taught, she also begins to doubt the gods—but there is so much else going on, she doesn’t have much time to think about theology. What comes out of this helps add to the worldbuilding.

I will say that sometimes the cozy and high stakes elements clash a bit and end up with something like a Disney movie villain confrontation, but I think that’s okay. It may be a little overly neat, but you’re not going to cozy fantasy for realism. I also want to warn that this volume ends on a cliffhanger, but we’ll be getting the last book in the series in August.

I'm in the middle of this right now, but I doubt my feelings will change. I'm enjoying this third outing of Reina and Kianthe more than the second so far. The time crunch makes for some very clear stakes (which seem pretty high in this one, making me feel like I can't exactly call it cozy, the way the first book was). Always good to spend more time with these two and their growing circle of friends.

I really enjoyed reading the next installment in the Tomes & Teas series! And the fact that this ended on a massive cliffhanger made me very happy that I'm on Tor's email list for the monthly catalogue, so I was able to start the next one immediately after.

I'll be interviewing Rebecca for Tea You at the Altar in a couple weeks for my podcast, Novel Finds. It will be available on all podcast/music platforms when the episode releases.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

Rebecca Thorne brings us Tomes and Tea book three in Tea You at the Altar. Kianthe and Reyna are getting married in seven days when Kianthe's parents turn up and try to derail things in honour of a homegrown male suitor. Their baby dragons are out of control and Reyna is sucked into a plot to dethrone the nasty queen. Kianthe is the Arcander who controls elemental magic and Reyna was the queen's assassin. Now they operate a tea shop with books and want to be left alone. Not going to happen. Mayhem follows in its own wacky way. Read this lightly moving fantasy.

Rebecca Thorne at her FINEST!

After reading the first two books in this series as they were independently published I was SO excited to see what Rebecca Thorne could do with Tor behind her and let me tell you it is MAGIC.

A wedding AND a coup? Say less. I absolutely loved this book and encourage absolutely everyone to pick up this series. Not only do I love the hijinks and adventures our couple gets into I also LOVE the relationship. Really this series shows you exactly what its like to go through life with someone so different from you who compliments you PERFECTLY. So real, so cozy, so relatable, and SO heartwarming.

I can't wait to read the final book in the series and see what Rebecca Thorne gets up to next.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start by saying this is probably one of my all time favorite stories and definitely one of the best cozy fantasy series out there. I have loved both previous books and I'm so excited to get the opportunity to review the third book in the series.

Tea you at the Altar picks up after the swashbuckling romp of book two and sees Key and Reyna back in their new home town of Tawney. The couples pending nuptials prove to be a far bigger deal than they had thought. The wedding of a Mage of Ages is guaranteed to be a celebrated event, but with Reyna's history with Queen Tilaine still unsettled the guest list may prove to be more than they bargained for. After a Queendom spy approaches the couple with plans that could halt Tilaine in her tracks the couple decide to prepare a wedding like nobody has ever seen.

A tale of Pirates, Dragons, Magic, Celebration, and of course a little treason this is such a fun story. I loved every minute of it and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. You don't have to be a strictly cozy reader for this story. The stakes may be low, but that doesn't mean there's no action to be had.

All that said I'm sure at this point that if you're reading this review than I'm mostly preaching to the choir. You've probably read both of the previous books and have enjoyed them enough to seek out the next book. However, on the off chance that this is your first time encountering the series I want to strongly suggest you go start with Can't Spell Treason Without Tea. It's a great read and from there I'm sure you'll find yourself making your way here again soon.

Another hit in the tombs and tea series! This instalment covers the different kinds of love that can fill our lives. Reyna and Kianthe do not get enough page time together, but the rest of the characters build on the beautiful story begun in the previous books. Reyna and kianthe and their lovely found family remind us that love takes work and all parties must contribute or it will never work. I can’t wait to read the last book in this quartet, and anything else Rebecca Thorne wants to write. One of my favourites this year so far!

I keep trying to make my way through this series and each time is the same. I pick up the book, get into it and then it falls flat in the end. I do still love the piratey aspect of this but overall I wish this book was an easier read.

I went into this thinking it was the final book in the series, but in case there are any other prospective readers making the same error I did, Tomes & Tea it is a quartet and not a trilogy so there is still one more book coming! Which I'm honestly pretty excited about because I find these to be fun reads.

I started reading this series as a cozy fantasy, and while it definitely still has some of those elements and the general vibe of coziness, the stakes have gotten a little too high in the continuing installments for me to really classify it as 'cozy fantasy' anymore. They're still a lot of fun to read, but I wanted to make the point in my review that there are some bigger world events at play, and our heroines play a direct role in those events.

Things I really enjoyed:
-More dragons! And I especially liked the discussion of dragons/magic/belief that happens around the reappearance of dragons in this world.
- Reyna gets a little more spotlight. As the fiance of the Arcandor of all Magic, I did feel she was getting overshadowed a bit, but not anymore. Her moment has arrived.
- The found family keeps growing! Reyna and Kianthe just keep collecting awesome folks in their little border town, and it's so much fun.
- Pirates!
- A unique wedding perfectly suited to our heroines.
- So many puns.

One thing I had a little trouble with was the pacing in this book. There are so many plates in the air with preparations for the wedding and various meetings, and it did lag just a bit for me. That said, the action really picked up at the end, and I'm hopeful that the next book is going to be a wild ride to the finish.

Tea You at the Altar is the third installment in the Tea & Tomes series, and it is a fun read that continues to move the overall story along. I wouldn't recommend starting with this one because it is part of a larger arc, so if you're new to the series it would be best to start at the beginning. The series is perfect for readers who like cozy fantasy elements with medium stakes, lots of found family, and of course puns.

Ahhh I was so excited to return to the world of Tomes and Tea and the hilarious puns found within.

“Wait. Is there a God of Puns?” Kianthe gasped, bouncing on her toes.
Despite everything, laughter bubbled in Reyna’s chest. “Yes, and I’m convinced it’s punishing me for the wrongdoings of my life.”
“It’s…pun-ishing you?”

Kianthe and Reyna’s love oozes off of the pages of this book and into my ears from the audiobook. But it also seems to uplift and improve everyone around them. They help so many other characters and it is so beautiful. This series is like drinking a warm cup of tea (or my preferred coffee) on a cold and rainy day. It warms me up, both body and soul. I wish to live in this cozy world especially under the new regime.

The audiobook was magnificent. The narrator is so perfect for this series and I hope it does not change for book 4 either.

Tessa is my favorite new character from this book and Kianthe is forever my favorite for the puns and the sass.

“Arcandor, I must be frank.”
Unfortunately, Kianthe had given up all pretenses.
“Well I thought Tilain was a lovely name, but if you say so. Queen Frank has a nice ring.”

Tea You at the Altar is book three in the Tomes and Tea series, and just as cozy and fun as the previous two books. In this installment, Kianthe and Reyna are just days away from getting married when they become involved in a plot to overthrow the queen. I loved the politics, the cozy small town, and baby dragons. This was a fun and really cute read, with just the right amount of magic, adventure, and of course plenty of puns. The ending sets things up perfectly for book four, and I can't wait to read the final installment in this series!

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC!

4 stars if you like cozy romantic fantasy. Probably not for other fantasy readers? It’s very relationship focused in a couple that would really just like to settle down to a quiet life. But the evil queen is really really evil so,heroes must hero…. It’s kind of amusing the couple is very good about talking through things. It’s kind of nice to see an emotionally healthy romance. But…. it definitely makes it a gentle story and not a tale of overwhelming passion! For the right reader this is an excellent series!

Beautiful, funny, cozy, and so romantic. Thorne knows how to develop our favorite couple and bring the action and adventure, but sealing it with a cup of tea and a hug.

<i>Tea You at the Altar</i> is the third installment of the Tomes & Tea series, this time bringing the action back toward the two main characters of the series, Kianthe and Reyna as they focus on their wedding. This was an event two books in the making, so it's fun to actually get to this point and see how the characters have developed from the first book.

And <i>Tea You at the Altar</i> is definitely a stronger book than the first in this series. Although my love for the series will always be in its pirate adventure chapter, this novel brings the story back into the network established by the first book and strengthens a lot of the story beats first introduced in <i>Can't Spell Treason Without Tea</i>. In some ways, I feel this book is perhaps a more direct sequel to the first book than <i>A Pirate's Life for Tea</i>, given that it brings us back around to many of the conflicts introduced and then sort of left on the sidelines for the second book in the series.

But Thorne's characters still carry a lot of the charm that made them lovable in the first place, with complicated emotions and a resilient partnership that defines the series' coziest elements. The series itself is a good bit of fun, and this is a welcome chapter that moves the story forward and gives us a greater focus on our main couple. Can't wait for the finale this fall!

Rebecca Thorn delivers us a third installment of the cozy fantasy delight from the Tomes & Tea series. Brimming with quick banter, social and political tensions, adorable romance, dragons, magic, and found family, it’s such a warm hug of a book.

Reyna and Kianthe are uniting at the altar, gathering their friends and family together to celebrate their wedding. It’s not surprising that it can’t just be an easy affair, treason always has a seat at the table. The unrest of the realm comes to a head and tensions must be settled. Queen Tilane has done enough damage to the kingdom.

I love how quickly this book moves along, and due to the nature of the genre there isn’t much friction. It’s a cozy world to slip in and out of when you need a break from the real one. Though Shiparin citizens aren’t without conflict, you can always count on a wonderful resolution. I can’t wait for Alchemy and a Cup of Tea from Rebecca Thorne!

🫖🩶 Tea You at the Altar ARC Review 🩶🫖

Thank you so much to Rebecca Thorne and Bramble books for the opportunity to read and review this book

Tea You at the Altar is a cozy sapphic fantasy novel and book 3 in the Tomes and Tea series. Kianthe and Reyna are just a week away from their wedding. They’ve done everything possible to plan their special day, but things will always go wrong no matter how detailed the plans. Will they both make it to the altar?

This was a cute read! Reyna and Kianthe are wonderful characters and I really enjoyed this chapter of their story. This was a super cute balance of wedding stress, family drama and fantasy politics. I did feel like some of this book was setup for the next in the series, but in general the plot flowed well

Overall this was a cute four star read! I enjoyed seeing more of these characters and look forward to seeing them again in the next book. This book did have some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. While this book had a romantic plot, there wasn’t really any on-page spice, so one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of cozy fantasy novels with low angst, magical worlds and found family vibes, then absolutely pick this series up! Even though this book is technically a standalone, I’d recommend reading the series in order to get the most out of it.

Love a good cozy fantasy - and I really enjoy Rebecca Thorne's writing. This perfectly blends having interesting characters and a nice pace with interesting plot. I find so often "low stakes" can err on the side of dull but she is amazing at making things interesting and captivating the reader. It took me a little bit to understand who was new and who was an existing character. This was just a good time.