After being recommended this by a friend who read it when it was indie published, I knew I had to request it as she raved about it. Sadly I didn't enjoy it as much. Whilst the concept is interesting, I just don't think cosy fantasy is the right genre for me.

The writing was great though.

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is a captivating tale full of magic, books and tea. It’s well-written and has likeable characters and a storyline that keeps the reader interested. This book is advertised as a cosy fantasy and often compared to Legends and Lattes, but I found this hard to agree with. Rebecca Thorne’s novel is instead an original blend of cosy and high stakes. While the characters crave peace and quiet, they are often forced to abandon their bookshop and face their past and other duties. This creates a contrast between cosy scenes and those full of action, which some readers might find annoying. For me, this only stressed the comfort of returning home. Also, I enjoyed reading a different kind of romance subplot from the usual new lovers slow burn, as Reyna and Kianthe have been a couple for a while but never had enough time for each other. Living and working together is a big step for them, and it was refreshing to see their relationship.

To sum up, I recommend this book to all fantasy fans but keep in mind that it’s not exactly what you would expect from cosy fantasy.

I've had a pleasure of reading yet another cozy fantasy lately. Can't spell treason without tea by Rebecca Thorne was on my TBR for a long time, in the version with the old cover. As I love cozy stories, I was happy to see it on Netgalley and decided to try it.

In the story we follow a sapphic relationship of two pretty distinct characters. It's really similar to Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree, with a plot where characters that had lead pretty dangerous lives decide to settle down.

In the beginning, I've found something in the writing style jarring, though I can't really put my finger on what it was. I've just had a hard time with getting fully invested in the story. After getting used to it, I've enjoyed it quite a lot!

There was some action, more than I've anticipated by the premise, and the growth of characters, which I always enjoy. The relationship between the main characters seems pretty realistic, with each of them having some insecurities. I've really liked the approach to communication between them!

Overall, I'm really glad I've read it, it was fun. I won't remember a lot of the plot some months in the future, but I'll remember it as a good time.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for granting me access to an e-arc.

A cute sapphic cosy fantasy read perfect for fans of Travis Baldree and T Kingfisher, I’d definitely recommend it to those both new to fantasy and those more familiar with the genre

I really wanted this book to be all things cozy romantic set in a fantasy and I found the audio book foat and not what I thought .

Im sure others will love it but it just wasn’t for me .

Sapphic cosy fantasy with dragons - there was no way I wasn't going to love this. I enjoyed Reyna and Kianthe's romance and how they created their own home and helped the people of Tawney.
I would have liked a bit more of the cosy vibes but I did really enjoy it and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Overall, I really enjoyed the book but the narrator of the audiobook got on my nerves a bit.

Oh I just absolutely loved this. It was exactly what I needed. I just had such a lovely cosy time reading this., utter perfection in its genre. The audiobook was also great

4.5

I really enjoyed this book and have included it on the podcast, it is like Legends & Lattes but with tea, which means it is a winner for me. Lovely.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Can’t Spell Treason without Tea is so sweet, fun, cosy, romantic and has a beautiful LGBTQIA+ couple at its heart. It is a five star read and gorgeously narrated.

As someone who's struggled with cosy fantasy in the past I was pleasantly surprised with how much I adored this book.

Can't spell treason without tea by Rebecca Thorne is an adorable, sapphic fantasy that had me hooked from the beginning. The characters are so well written that I could help but root for them and even in the quieter moments Kianthe's humor kept things interesting.

While this is advertised as a cosy fantasy I would disagree with that and put it as more cosy adjacent. From the beginning some pretty high stakes are involved and there's even a couple of tense action scenes. Those high stakes kept me intrigued and definitely have a satisfying conclusion.

Overall this book was adorable and I loved it. The audiobook especially knocked it out of the park and the narrator really managed to breathe life into both Kianthe and Reyna.

Highly recommend if you want cosy with a little bit of action or if you're like me and you are unsure of cosy fantasy.

What a pleasant cozy fantasy! For me this genre is very much hit or miss - some of my past exploration with other titles had me disengaged by the lack of stakes, but in this case the mix is just right.
One thing the author did particularly well was to explore how two characters with radically different personalities and approach to life can both work in making the relationship healthy and solid - understanding each other's needs and trying to fulfill it by applying little communication tricks here and there but never turning into someone else to appease their partner.
For a first time cozy fantasy experience I would definitely recommend this over Legends and Lattes, not only for my clear tea preference but because it is a much more faceted and rounded book, it has a little bit of everything that is needed to make you experience yes cozy, but never boring.

This is a very cute cosy read that is a perfect pick me up read. I loved the main characters and watching how their relationship grew while they moved from a long distance relationship to building a bookshop and community together. There's a lot of fun in the various side quests they have, and the pun jokes were 10/10. I look forward to better things in the second book!

Despite the good job done by the audio narrator, this story wasn't gripping for me at all. I would have liked to see the world/society fleshed out a little more given that this is aimed at the adult market. Equally, I felt most things just seemed to come too easily to the MCs, both in low and high stakes situations. This may be a personal preference as a reader but I wasn't a fan of their relationship already being so established from a character development stance. As a story, it was...fine, however, cosy fantasy might not be for me.

This book has been compared to legends and lattes which i loved. But sadly comparing this book to legend and lattes actually causes disappointment because by making the stance your putting this book on a high pedestal.

For the size of the book i was expecting more. But there was little action, little development and at times was hard to know who is talking. It sadly wasn't ingaging and did feel like it dragged.
It was runaway, set up a book and tea shop (no problems instantly popular yet new to a town...) and other plots seem to get forgotten.

This was like a cute warm hug in a book. I loved the characters so much and was very invested in their new life. I just felt that there could’ve been a bit more to it. But it was a really enjoyable read.

This book was far cosier than you’d think a book with treason, danger, and spies could be and it was a charming small town read. I enjoyed following Reyna and Kianthe as they started a life together in a close knit village away from their obligations, finally able to be together, though not without risks. Anything with a community vibe really draws me in and I loved to see the two women making friends and bringing others together as they settled in. The talk of tea and baked goods was giving me cravings and I could happily have curled up in Reyna and Kianthe’s shop with a book and some treats.

The audiobook was well narrated, with Jessica Threet doing a great job of voicing Reyna and Kianthe especially so their voices and accents were distinctly different.

Fans of Legends & Lattes are sure to find something familiarly cosy in this book.

This book was so adorable! I loved every second of it and I wanted more. Reyna and Kianthe were so adorable and badass! I literally want to open up my own book and tea shop. This is a low-stakes cosy book and it was perfect. The pacing was slow, which is how it should be, but I loved the slower moments just as much as the more action-packed ones. These characters grew on so quickly, I never wanted to put it down. Luckily I swapped between the book and the audiobook so I could keep reading even when busy!

I am really enjoying these cosy, magical reads at the moment! I loved Reyna and Kianthe and their relationship. I really enjoyed this sweet book! I also enjoyed the narrator and reading along with my physical proof!

This is just the cozy fantasy for people who love legends and lattes. I’ve preordered this too but the audiobook was a delight to listen to!

Can’t wait to see more from this author.

So unfortunately, this was not it

Nothing of massive interest actually happened for the first 60% of the book and I wasn't massively invested in their relationship. It was cute but I need more than a little cute for 60% of a book.

The actual book I felt happened in the first chapter and everything after the 60% marker but it felt really random. In 40% worth of book you have dragons attacking, being caught by the queen, lying to the queen with that whole "twist" that isn't fooling anyone, the gryphon thing, one of thems decided to go searching for dragon eggs, proceeds to not search for dragon eggs, both of them are really ill and that's worth chapters.

If this wasn't an audiobook I would of dnfed. If the pacing was better and there was a clear cut goal I probably would of liked this book a lot more.