50/5 stars! This is the second book in the Tomes and Tea series and I adored book 1, so I was so pumped for this one. The queer representation continues to be amazing and Kianthe and Reyna have my whole heart. This book has a bit more adventure and a bit less cozy, but I think that seems fair when you're out on the high seas. This is becoming an auto-buy author for me.

Having not realised I had not read the first book in this series so I think I missed a bit by not reading the first one. It was an okay book for me but not one I enjoyed that much. Cute, but I think I need to read the other book and come back to this one in order to get more out of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan McMillan for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this one more than the first! While we still got the characters we loved from the first book, introducing a second couple and actually experiencing their story unfolding gave more development than previously. We didn't have an already established couple of knew where their relationship sat, but more of a friends-to-lovers (almost enemies-to-lovers at the start, one could argue), and that gives us someone to root for!

There also felt like there was more of a story arc. It wasn't just two people trying to set up a tea-shop without any of the usual issues that come with those kind of stories because of magic fixing everything. Instead, we got an adventure full of pirates and magic, skirmishes and morals. Characters had to find what they were willing to fight for, and find themselves in the process. It was fun!

The action gave it a faster pace and the couple of different story-arcs kept the momentum going. Again, this is what felt like was missing from the first one. A Pirate's Life for Tea was a brilliant second book and I'm looking forward to seeing how the trilogy ends.

Oh my word! I flew through this book so quickly!
1. I love Kianthe and Reyna more than ever after this book.
2. Bobbie and Serina are a great couple story (great additions - more lesbians the better!)
3. I loved the pirate theme - It's not often that women are written about in the pirate setting, so this was awesome :)
4. I missed bookshop and everyone in Tawney, but I loved this adventure even more!
5. Ponder and Visk are everything!!
I cannot wait for book 3!

Rebecca Thorne delivers another gem in this delightfully cosy sapphic fantasy, blending humor, heart, and adventure. The story picks up with Kianthe and Reyna’s quest to save their hometown, but it quickly spirals into delightful chaos as they’re roped into a scheme involving dragon eggs, a local lord, and a fiery pirate.

Thorne’s hallmark charm shines through in the witty dialogue and nuanced relationships. While Kianthe and Reyna remain a wholesome and endearing duo, the tension between Bobbie and Serina adds an irresistible enemies-to-lovers subplot, perfect for fans of Our Flag Means Death. Reyna’s matchmaking antics are a highlight, adding layers of warmth and humor amidst the action.

The worldbuilding is rich yet inviting, with a balance of lighthearted mischief and stakes that feel tangible. Thorne also excels in crafting a narrative that celebrates queer love in all its forms, offering representation that feels joyful and affirming.

Much like the first book in this series, this was a cosy but engaging book! I was thrilled to be back with Reyna and Kianthe, and still find their relationship adorable. I love all of the puns and corny jokes.

I can't wait to read the third book in the series to see what happens next!

This was top tier for me. It was fast paced and so easy to read. Loved the characters and the development. I csnt wait to read book 3

A welcome return to Reyna and Kianthe's story with some additional characters who were well developed and relatable. The stakes here are higher than in other cosy fantasies I have read, but I personally enjoy that, whilst also still knowing things are going to work out in the end.
A really good combination of action, magic, world-building mythology, and humour. Well paced and easy to read.
I also really enjoyed the bonus extra chapter at the end which I did not see coming!
Thanks to the publisher and author for the ARC!

If you love a cosy pirate read then this book will be right up your alley.

A Pirates Life for Tea is the second book in the Tomes and Tea series!

Personally I didn’t enjoy this read as much as book 1, however I loved the continuation of Reyna and Kianthe and seeing them on a new adventure in a different setting was such much fun! The new found friendships/relationships were so lovely and overall make it such a fun medium stakes read!

A Pirate’s Life for Tea is an exciting read filled with action and adventure. It’s the second book in the Tomes & Tea series, but where Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea could still be called a cosy fantasy novel, the second instalment seems to move away from the genre altogether.

In this novel, the stakes are higher, the pace is faster, and there are no bookshop scenes. Nevertheless, the book remains a quick, light and funny read. There is also more romance, as we now follow two couples, but it remains rather sweet.

To sum up, this was an entertaining read, and I will definitely reach for the third book in the series once it’s out.

I knew I was going to enjoy this one just from how much I enjoyed You Can't Spell Treason Without Tea, and it did not disappoint me.
I love Reyna and Kianthe together. Ponder is adorable - I want a baby griffin now! Reyna and Kianthe's matchmaking is highly entertaining, and i look forward to seeing their next efforts.
I think Bobbie was quite cute from the get go, and I love that she crochets when she gets stressed 💜
Serena had to grow on me, but I ended up liking her.

Also, I love that the author is the kind of petty to double the lesbians because some people complained about there being lesbians in the first book 🤣

DNF at 30%

I was excited to be back in this world with Reyna and Kianthe because I loved the first book, but this was a frustrating read. It didn't feel like a cozy fantasy, but rather a normal fantasy where the main characters kept on making jokes. The joking was so over the top that I didn't find it funny anymore, but rather cringe and annoying. I just wanted them to have a serious conversation once in a while! I also did not understand the motives behind Reyna's actions, which further irritated me. As I was becoming more and more frustrated, I decided to DNF.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you very much for this eARC.
What a nice continuation of this cozy fantasy series. If you enjoyed the first book, this is one of the series worth reading the sequel.

A worthy, pun-filled second installment in the Tea & Tomes series, now with even more lesbians! Reyna and Kianthe are hot on the (decades old) trail of the dragon eggs when they come across a young couple in dire need of some matchmaking. A pirate who steals food and the anxious officer of the law desperate to protect her? Soudns like a job for the Mage and her consort!

A Pirate's Life for Tea is the second book in Rebecca Thorne's Tomes and Tea series, and it keeps a very similar tone to the first. Ostensibly Reyna and Kianthe are continuing their quest to find some missing dragon's eggs, but the majority of the book is centred on a diversion in the form of assorted pirates to track down.

The small-town charm of their bookshop is missing in this book, but many of the ingredients of the first novel are still present. Centrally, Reyna and Kianthe's relationship and interactions still have the same tone. The story tries to set them up as the established couple showing an example of a mature relationship to the younger characters, but unfortunately they still feel so teenage in their dynamic that this doesn't always come off successfully. They do, however, make a credibly happy couple and it's nice that there is no artificial threat to their relationship introduced.

The new young potential couple are quite fun. There is no will-they-won't-they tension, but they both have their own goals and opinions. Other supporting characters are also used well, with not too many being introduced at a time. Once again, there are plenty of queer and non-binary characters who clearly live in a world where this is accepted and unremarkable.

The baby griffin, Ponder, steals her scenes admirably.

This is written to be a gentle, cosy fantasy so I'm trying not to judge it too harshly for realism, but there were a few points that genuinely broke my immersion. The idea that two people can paint the entire trim of ship in less than a day is genuinely absurd. There is also a squeamishness around violence - the book constantly tells us that Reyna is a killer, but every fight involves politely knocking people out or pushing them overboard only for them to swim to safety. The politics and piracy are incredibly naive, but this seems to be a deliberate choice to support the cosiness of the book.

A Pirate's Life for Tea is a cosy book that promises and delivers a happy ending. If you are interested in the series you'd definitely be wise to read Can't Spell Treason Without Tea first, but this story does just about stand alone. The version I read also had a bonus 'spicy' short at the end that can be skipped without missing any plot.

Overall the book delivered what it promised, and with a similar level of quality to the first. If you enjoyed that then hopefully you'll be charmed by Reyna and Kianthe's adventure away from the bookshop.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I wasn't completely sold on the first novel in this series, but enjoyed it enough to come back for round two and was definitely rewarded. This book was a fun, swashbuckling adventure but with moments of quiet romance and empathy that brought the novel together. I enjoyed the continued focus on the realities of relationships and working through problems together that is often neglected in the more sensationalist romantasy fiction. A very fun and satisfying read.

I loved this continuation of the series and the introduction of pirate characters! I thought it was beautifully written and normally I’d be desperately waiting on the next book coming out but I was recently approved for the next book and I’m delighted to start reading it! Kianthe continues to be my favourite character but Reyna and other characters were really well-written and explored perfectly, and this book is just the right amount of action and adventure in a cosy fantasy, with a bit of romance throughout. A beautiful read and one I definitely recommend.

This was a highly anticipated read after reading the first book the month before and it did not disappoint. I loved the further development of the two main characters (and their relationship) from book one, as well as the two new characters introduced. If you love the puns and banter from the first book then you'll love this as it just continues delivering the fun - this also has the friends to enemies to lovers trope which is one of my favourite tropes and I hope we get to see more of those characters in future books. Cosy fantasy is such a fun genre to read when you want fantasy with a hint of danger but overall pretty low stakes, and this series is perfect for that.
(Also, unrelated to the story, but the dedication from the author in this book is fantastic and she definitely delivered with double the lesbians)

The whole Tomes and Tea series is a cosy sapphic hug following the adorable romance between Reyna and Kianthe. In book 1 (Can't Spell Treason Without Tea) they were setting up a cafe/bookshop in a remote village with a dragon problem, but in book 2 they undertake a quest to recover some lost dragons eggs. A new plot line and romance is added this time when Bobbie, a constable, is given the task of capturing Serina, her childhood friend who has now become a pirate. This book was a cosy, warm, and lovely romantic cosy fantasy and I look forward to book 3.

A Pirate’s Life for Tea is the second instalment in Rebecca Thorne’s Tomes and Tea series. I loved Reyna and Kianthe in You Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, so I was happy to see their quest continue in this second book. In addition, we also get the pairing of Bobby, an overworked and stressed-out constable who decompresses by crocheting, and Serina, her childhood friend turned pirate, who steals from Diarn Arlon and re-distributes food to the people in a Robin Hood-esque fashion.
I enjoyed the return of all of Key’s bad puns and liked how the author managed to interweave the two storylines. We get a continuation of the plot from book 1, even though the main focus is on Bobby and Serina’s storyline. I was at times butting heads at how oblivious those two were of their feelings for each other, but overall I really enjoyed the vibes of the book. It felt cozy in many parts, despite there being some elements of higher stakes and life-threatening situations the characters were thrown into. Really looking forward to reading the third book when it comes out!