"Can't Spell Treason Without Tea" by Rebecca Thorne invites readers on a delightful journey through a world brimming with love, magic, and intrigue. Thorne's narrative skillfully immerses us in the lives of Reyna, a steadfast Queen's guard weary of her ruler's tyranny, and Kianthe, a gifted mage longing for a simpler existence alongside Reyna. Their forbidden romance blossoms as they dare to dream of escaping to open a quaint book and tea shop, but their path is fraught with challenges from both past and present. Despite occasional pacing fluctuations, Thorne's adept storytelling maintains reader engagement throughout. The charming town of Tawney and its eccentric denizens provide a cozy backdrop that enhances the enchanting ambiance of the tale. "Can't Spell Treason Without Tea" strikes a harmonious balance between romance, magic, and mystery, weaving a captivating tapestry of fantasy that ensures a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience from start to finish.

The Queens Bodyguard and the Mage of Ages running away together to open a bookshop, plus a sapphic romance?! Yes Please!! 😍

In the beginning I was really enjoying the story. I liked our two main characters and I enjoyed watching them restore this old barn and turn it into a tea/bookshop. We got introduced some of the locals, all of whom were just the right level of quirky, and we also learned a bit about their ongoing issues with some nearby dragons.

Around the 50% mark, however, I found I was beginning to struggle with the slow pace, and it was beginning to feel a little repetitive. It got a lot more interesting again towards the end but I felt like it could’ve been a little shorter.

The ending set up the sequel pretty nicely and I hope to pick it up at some point soon.

After hearing so much about this book, I was really excited to finally be diving in. Admittedly, I don't have a great deal of experience with cosy fantasy, but I have ADORED the cosy fantasies I have read so far.
Unfortunately, I don't think this one was particularly for me. I loved the characters and how different they were, but I wasn't a huge fan of the world created. It was intriguing, but not really for me.
I thought the writing was great, and while I would 100% recommend this book to other people, I just feel it wasn't for me.

I first read this book back in 2022 when it was independently published, and I'd just got into the world of Cosy Fantasy and wanted MORE!! I only rated it a 3/5 which I do think was very unfair, and I'd have to blame it on reading it initially just after reading Legends & Lattes which has a lot of similar elements but the world is a little less fleshed out than this book. Reyna is a Queen's guard (ignore for now the fact that the queen is a psycho) and her girlfriend Kianthe is basically the head sorceror in the world. After being threatened by an assassin and basically told to shake it off Reyna escapes the palace and her nutball boss to go and start a book/tea shop in a remote town. There are a lot of side characters in this book who add to the feeling of community in Tawny, and the cooperation and friendliness that they're trying to build. There are several side stories that expand into the other books in the series (I'm guessing from the sneak peek at book 2 and where the plans were left at the end of this book anyway!). I'm really glad I gave this book another chance, I enjoyed the story a lot more when not comparing it so heavily and I'd say it's a 4.5 star read.

Loved it!! 🤩 Definitely Legends and Lattes vibes! Cosy fantasy with the most wholesome adorable sapphic romance. Dragons, baby griffins, bookshops and tea! What more could anyone want in a fantasy novel?! 🤩

"Can't Spell Treason Without Tea" by Rebecca Thorne is a delightful story that takes readers on a charming adventure through a world filled with love, magic, and mystery.

Thorne's writing brings readers into the lives of Reyna, a determined Queen's guard weary of serving a harsh ruler, and Kianthe, a powerful mage yearning for a simpler life with Reyna. Their forbidden love grew as they dreamt of escaping their oppressive circumstances to open a quaint book and tea shop. After their escape, they both navigate challenges from their past and present, and their relationship develops, offering a sweet f/f romance.

While the pacing is uneven at times, Thorne's storytelling skills keep readers engaged. The charming town of Tawney and its quirky residents create a cosy atmosphere that draws readers into the magical world of the story.

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is a good blend of romance, magic, and mystery. Thorne weaves together elements of cosy fantasy with moments of tension, ensuring an enjoyable read from beginning to end.

For fans of Legends & Lattes looking for an f/f romance in a charming fantasy setting, this book is for you.

4/5 stars

This is book is pure cosy fantasy. I really enjoyed the world building, the magic, the characters and their journey together. Dragons are always an essential addition to a good book. A hug in a book!

“You like tea, I like books. Let’s open a shop somewhere remote and forget the world exists.”

I loved this book! It was super cosy but had enough action to keep me engaged. The relationship between Reyna and Kianthe was adorable and I loved the found family in the town that they choose to set up shop in. There were a LOT of plotlines and I can’t wait for the second book to come out as some of them weren’t concluded!

The author mentions that this was influenced by Legends & Lattes and that definitely comes across. It’s the perfect book for cosying up with a hot drink and relaxing.

I am going to start this by saying that I did end up DNFing this book. I was so excited for a sapphic cozy fantasy and that’s not what I got. This is a standard fantasy book. The world building is big, the pace is fast and I can see this working for a fantasy reader but I am not one. I did like Legends and Latte which is what prompted me to request this but this just didn’t feel cozy to me.

Firstly, thank you to Rebecca Thorne and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Can’t spell treason without tea is described as a sapphic cozy fantasy- I love fantasy, I love sapphic books, and yet this book was such a letdown.

I genuinely don’t understand why this book is labelled as a “cosy fantasy,” it didn’t feel cozy in the slightest. This book constantly see-sawed between “cozy” and high stakes fantasy and the way this book was marketed does not make sense. High stakes fantasy and cozy fantasy can definitely exist in the same book however, this was very poorly executed in this book.
Personally, I felt like I had no connection to any of the characters as they all felt painfully underdeveloped. In comparison to most fantasy novels there was almost no worldbuilding which felt incredibly lazy- almost as if the author thought that the book could rely on the very little description just being centred on the bookshop/tea shop. Alongside this, very few plot points in this book made sense and overall the writing felt clumsy with an unorganised plot.
Despite the main characters being in a relationship for roughly two years at the beginning of the book, it felt like there was almost no chemistry in their relationship. They communicate in a very healthy way and it’s clear that they have a lot of respect for one another but throughout most of this book it felt like they were two friends who just occasionally kiss. As a queer woman, I find this kind of representation incredibly frustrating and it feels performative and lazy.
On the whole, I found myself forcing myself to read this book and it felt so boring and underdeveloped. I will not be reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the review copy. This was a nice easy fun read. I did not enjoy it as much as legends and lattes, but then again there are many similarities to the two stories so it perhaps felt less original despite having a a quite well fleshed out world.

Sadly, I think the hype and constant comparisons to Legends and Lattes wasn't the best way to go into this read. Whilst I enjoyed this and it was a great palette cleanser read, it just didn't quite hit the spot.

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is a cosy fantasy with slightly higher stakes, dragons, treason and of course tea. Whilst this novel does feature a sapphic couple giving up their past roles (kinda) and running away to open a bookshop with all the required baking, books and tea, call backs to their previous roles, specially our magician character mean that the stakes remain on safety of a kingdom level.

Proof that everyone dreams of opening a cafe/bookshop. Even if you’re essentially the head of magic or a trusted queen’s guard.

The slow-paced, low-stakes fantasy was like curling up with a warm cup of tea. I loved the relationship between Reyna and Kianthe, and the found family they find in the small town the settle in.

A fun read that’s left me interested in reading the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC.

3.5 ⭐️
Clearly a story inspired by Legends & Lattes, which was very nice. I enjoyed the characters and I love that there are also dragons in this world. A lot happened but the pace was good.

While it is supposed to be a low stakes, cozy fantasy it's just plain fantasy that's trying to be cozy but isn't really at all. It's not because the main characters have a bookshop that serves tea, that the book qualifies as a cozy book. Still, I enjoyed this book and its characters and will definitely be reading the second one. Just wished it wasn't marketed as cozy fantasy

I really thoroughly enjoyed this book!
If I could describe it in just three words they would be warm, cosy and delightful.
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the characters and following the journey of the main characters throughout. This book is as welcoming as the townsfolk contained within.

This was a very interesting book. The premise ticked all the boxes for me, cosy fantasy, sapphic romance, dragons and a found family trope. However, I just didn't connect with it. Some chapters felt like filler chapters and I got really frustrated with the characters preaching to each other. I also feel like none of the story was resolved properly. There were no proper stakes! It's a shame as I was excited for this and had heard good things, I think I expected more.
However, I did enjoy the beginning and I know a few friends who would enjoy this book so I have recommended them!
Thank you for an eARC!

“You like tea, I like books. Let’s open a shop somewhere remote and forget the world exists.”

This book is the perfect winter read. It’s cozy and pretty slow paced, you just want to curl inside your blanket, and turn the pages with a hot mug to warm your hands. I savored it, took my time to read Reyna and Kianthe’s story.
In addition to being extremely cozy, with a subtle world building that looks more like a life building, that book teaches us that it’s okay to say no sometimes, that it doesn’t mean that you are weak or irresponsible. The rhythm allows us to breathe, despite the many events that happen. I loved the fact that for once we follow an established relationship. That changes the focus.
Both MC have pretty different ways to see life and what you can expect to deserve from it. But life threw them to responsibilities they never truly chose. When their way to look at their achievements change, that burn out threatens to show up, they finally change everything and open their shop… even if their safety isn’t better now, and they can’t expect for their past to forget them, neither for danger.
You can change the scenery, you won’t change who you are. But you might have the life you wanted for yourself.

I really enjoyed this book, i would be very happy to read the sequel when it comes out. I enjoyed the premise of this, set in a fantasy world it tells the story of Queens guard Reyna and the Arcandor, the mage of ages Kianthe who meet at the palace and fall head over heels for each other. One day they run away together and open up a Tomes and Tea shop, however they begin to be hunted by the Queens men and The Arcandor is tasked with keeping the dragons from burning their town down.

This contains a F/F main relationship and i loved every minute of that, it was romantic and sweet and genuinely heart warming and kudos to the author for not chucking in gatuitous sex scenes. The only thing i would say is that i dont really understand why the need for the pronoun paragraph about the Dairn, it made no sense to the story, it had no purpose really and i felt as though it had just been chucked in there for the sake of it. I was baffled by it for a few reasons, these people dont have flushing toilets but we are expected to believe they know what pronouns and non binary are? And the Dairn is a side character and is barely mentioned so i didnt feel it was necessary, there was a huge emphasis on the they them stuff but no conversation with the Dairn themselves about gender. It was the only thing in the book i was really baffled by.

Loved Visk and i cant wait to see the little Gryphon baby grow up, and i think there is going to be a M/M relationship between the Dairn and the Lord which you can see coming but would make absolutely zero sense.

That being said, i did enjoy it, i especially liked the dragon fight and the task the dragons set The Arcandor which should prove interesting and liked the little teaser at the end for book 2.

4/5 from me.

This book grows on you (ha, elemental magic puns). At first I was a bit underwhelmed. I liked the book/tea shop parts and the relationship between Reyna and Kianthe but felt like it was trying to set up too many plot lines.

However, as I got into it, I got attached to all the side quests and how all these things will continue is intriguing enough that I will probably read the sequel. The characters are loveable, both the protagonists and the people they meet along the way and I loved the descriptions of New Leaf.

I felt a bit thrown into the deep end with Reyna and Kianthe’s relationship at the start and almost wanted this book to be a sequel to a book of their meeting and their relationship developing. Because of that, I did really enjoy the short story at the end of the book but could have enjoyed it more if that had been the start of the story. I may just be being greedy though because I love a meet cute and it was refreshing to have the characters relationship established and the focus be on the other plot points.

Overall, this is a good and easy read! I’m a plot lover so I’m glad this has more worldbuilding and plot development than other cosy fantasies that are just vibes and vibes alone. Now to fantasise about my own lifelong dream of owning my own book/coffeeshop 💭

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 rounded up to 4

This was fine. Most comparable to Baldree’s Legends & Lattes, and it does not live up to this comparison. I enjoyed the setting and the themes of tea and coziness, but found it to be such a long book for a simple tale.

I think this could have benefitted from being 100 pages shorter.