"A Pirate's Life for Tea" by Rebecca Thorne is the much anticipated second book in her Tomes and Tea series. It is a sapphic romantasy with a lot of adventure and magic.

I really like the main characters in this series, Reyna, formerly of the Queen's guard, and her fiancée Kianthe, the Mage of the Age. Kianthe has a griffin named Visk, and they are raising one of his babies named Ponder.

In this one, they are conscripted to help Constable Bobbie catch the pirate, Serina, who is stealing from the local Diarn, Arlon. It turns out these two ladies, Bobbie and Serina, were childhood friends and then became enemies, but ultimately, there's more.

The story is decent, but way too long. I got bored with it and had to stop a lot. The audiobook ran 13 hours. The second half was the best. Jessica Threet was the narrator, and I found her voice to be rather harsh to listen to for long periods of time.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 3/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 1/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Narration - 2/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 24/8 = 3 stars

After the book ends, the epilogue has an intro to the next book. Following that is a short and spicy story starring the main characters, and you won't want to miss this unless you dislike that sort of thing.

Thank you to Netgalley, MacMillan Audio, and Rebecca Thorne for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I have been all about cozy fantasy’s lately and this one was exactly what I needed.

I read the first Tomes and Teas book and absolutely loved it. I was a little cautious going into the second book, because I have found they don’t always live up to the original. I loved this one so much though! This book has everything you could want (assuming you want loveable queer characters, pirates, and puns).

I loved this book so much that after listening to the audiobook I bought both the North American and UK special editions. Both are beautiful and I am more than happy to support this amazing book.

Continues to be a favorite read. I love the balance of cozy moments paired with activity. It keeps the characters moving forward, while their quirks make them endearing!

I went into A Pirate’s Life for Tea not expecting a cozy fantasy, but that’s exactly what it ended up being. With pirates, Sapphic lovers, a quest for stolen dragon eggs, and a Robin-Hood-esque pirate, it had all the ingredients for an exciting read. I was definitely invested at first. But as the story went on, my interest started to wane. I found myself pushing to finish it more for my Sapphic September picks than out of enjoyment.

In the end, it just didn’t fully click for me.

I enjoyed this audiobook, especially since I was able to tandem read it with the eARC on my e-reader (which is my preferred way to read audiobooks I’ve not read in another format before.
The story was engaging and I can’t wait for book three!

I loved this book. I don’t often find the sequel to books too be as good as the first one, but this one definitely was!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free advanced listener’s copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.

The definition of a cozy fantasy. Full of adventure and my favorite kind of romance, the kind that’s already tested all those trials and just wants to settle down in a bookshop. I think the semi-reluctant nature of Reyna and Kianthe’s adventuring is so enjoyable to read and the relationship building they do, even when they’re engaged is such a great part of romance that often gets left behind in all the meet-cutes, the enemies-to-lovers, etc. that are at the center of the genre.

Jessica Threet does a wonderful job again bringing all the characters to life and her emotional deliveries are right up there with her goofy ones.

As the second book in the Tomes and Tea series I highly recommend both existing parts and I hope you fall for these characters as much as I did.

Cute and adventurous. Always appreciate a good cozy fantasy as a palettes cleanser read. Especially Sapphic, cozy fantasy!

Im not going to lie, I was about to DNF it. Why? Well because I was lost through out 30% of the story. This is a multiple POVs which was one of the reasons I was lost, there was characters that it seemed I was supposed to know them but I had no clue who they were. Which made me question if this was a continuation of a series and not a standalone. And yes, it is the 2nd book and I blame myself for not doing my own investigation before diving into this book. The second reason I continue to get lost was because of the narration. Although Jessica Threet did a fantastic job. There was times that her voice was the same, although she changed characters and that confused me a lot to whom I was listening to. It was a lot of characters with back and forth so I can’t image how challenging that might have been for the narrator. I just wish it would have been two narrators instead of just one but overall it was an amazing story. The moment I got the hang of what was going on and the world building, I started to enjoy it. I definitely recommend this story as long as you read book one first.

A Sapphic cozy fantasy, this confection includes puns, pirates, and a world where the most powerful mage and her fiancee run a tea/bookshop. A sequel to <I>Can't Spell Treason Without Tea</I> finds the couple venturing out to recover a clutch of missing dragon's eggs. They discover a dastardly plot, encourage a romance, and meet with a pirate hero.

The narrator, Jessica Threet, does a serviceable narration on this longish audiobook (13+ hours), though the occasional mis-emphasis can be jarring.

The adventure is mild-mannered, with a writing style that's easy to follow and while there are are few surprises, this sequel will appeal solidly to fans of the genre. It's Lesbian-positive, cheerful, and full of small joys.


Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

Thank you author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!!

There’s something about Reyna and Kianthe meddling in other people’s relationships that’s just hits so hard. Also all of them fangirling over dreggs is just super funny.

This book has a lot of things happening but it still feels low stakes and I love that.

I didn't read the first book, but was hoping I could just jump into the series. I think the book does a good job of laying out the magic system and back story without having the knowledge of Book one. This is a romantasy set in what feels like a medieval world with magical creatures, mages and alchemy, and lots of puns. If you're looking for a cozy sapphic romance, this should do it for me.

Unfortunately, it wasn't my cup of tea. While I loved seeing the LGBTQIA+ rep, and the action scenes were entertaining enough, personally, I found it a bit jarring to have what felt like modern idioms sprinkled throughout the historical setting. The cutesy, quirkiness of some of the characters was a grating to me and I just found myself signing and rolling my eyes throughout. There was very little spice to make up for it, but the short story at the end of the audiobook was fun.

***Thank you to Macmillan audio for providing me with the Audiobook for free via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

If you are looking for a cute cozy fantasy with sapphic romance (non-spicy - there is a cute spicy one shot at the end of the audiobook), then look no further.

Griffins, dragons, mages, spells, and pirates fill this book -- but the narrator speaks very slowly. I had to sped the audio speed to 2x to be able to pay attention.

It wasn't my cup of tea but I know someone will love this cozy little fantasy.

A Pirate's Life for Tea was the perfect cozy fantasy read for me to start my Fall reads with and I can not wait to snag a physical copy next time I drop by books a million. Having already loved Can't spell Treason without Tea last year I was delighted to be granted a audio copy of this installment and found every moment of it to be wonderful. While this title is technically book two of a series and thus wonderful for returning fans I do think its episodic nature also makes this an excellent read for those new to this author's works.

While I remain invested in this story, I should have picked up a physical book since this would have been more enjoyable if I had been able to read it myself. Regardless I love this series and can’t wait to see what happens next!

An excellent second installment in the “Tomes & Tea” series! In this adventure, we follow Kianthe and Reyna as they journey to find some lost dragon eggs and save their home. Along the way, they make a deal with a local lord who promises to give them information about the eggs—just as long as they take care of a small pirate problem in the region first. Joined by Bobbie, one of the lord’s constables who nervously crochets, they venture to confront the chaotic pirate Serina. As they get closer to her capture, it becomes clear that Bobbie and Serina have a complicated past of friendship…or maybe more. Do Kianthe and Reyna turn Serina in and tear the two apart forever? Or do they play matchmaker and push Bobbie and Serina together, putting at risk their home and those they love?

❤️ What I loved: I love the work that Rebecca Thorne has created in this series—it’s full of interesting characters, magic, and a unique setting. It’s all a little ridiculous, but I also appreciate that the story doesn’t take itself too seriously. I thought the broader cast of characters and set of perspectives in this story was fun, and I hope that continues in the next book in the series. Something I really love about this series is how healthy of a relationship Kianthe and Reyna have. It’s always refreshing when we get to see a romance without the drama centering on whether or not they should be together. I read this as an audiobook–I appreciate the range of voices the narrator uses and thought they did a great job setting a humorous tone for the story.
💔 What I didn’t love: This is a personal preference, but the way the narrator would add some sound effects to the dialogue started to pull me out of the story at times. For others, they might find that really engaging, but it just wasn’t great for me.

This series is great for fans of lighthearted, cozy fantasy stories and queer romance. I am eagerly awaiting book #3!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4.5-5)

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.

3.5 rounded up

I did not find this book as charming as the first and the mouth sounds added by the audio narrator made some scenes very hard to listen too. BUT, there is still a very solid, interesting story at the heart of this book. The secondary romance in the book didn't speak to me at all and I found the smug matchmaking of our main characters to be annoying. When the story focused on the adventure and mystery it was delightful and I wish there had been more of that.

There is a spicy one shot bonus at the end of the book which I did not listen to because from the way the author writes and the way the narrator voices the characters, I could not imagine it not making me cringe to listen to.

This was a fun lgbtqiap+ cozy fantasy story that is book two in the series. Having not read book one and not having time to go back to it just now I was leery going into this. I figured I’d be lost regarding plot and characters, but the author did a good job of properly introducing characters and backstories. There were two sets of MCs and while I quite enjoyed Kianthe and Reyna (the MCs from book one and the MCs of the series) I did not care for the other couple. Bobbie and Serina were quite annoying to me. I ultimately liked the story, but I’m not sure I’ll read more of the series.

SO, I got approved for this arc and then forgot to download it. I purchased it anyway (physical copy) and this is my feedback:

3.5/5 Stars | Much More Action then Anticipated

What I liked: I love Rain and Key's dynamic and how goofy they are. I like the world and the magic and how this book doesn't take itself too seriously.

What I didn't like: This is not cozy. I know the first one teetered on the edge, but this is decidedly not cozy. It's irreverent and funny, but it's not cozy, and it didn't meet my expectations for a cozy book. It's still a very good book, but it didn't live up to exactly what it was marketed as.

Perfection, perfection, perfection! Can't Spell Treason Without Tea was one of my top reads this year, and this is just as fun and adventurous. I loved getting to revisit one of my favorite fictional queer couples and then got to meet a new one!

This story alone is phenomenal, but the audio narration just brings it to life. I adored all the POVs and this twisty turning pirate Robin hood tale!