*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

I have to be honest up front, I skipped #2 of the series but that didn't seem to be a problem. "Tea you at the Altar" continues the romance of Kianthe (mage of the ages) & Reyna (ex Queensguard). I wasn't overly fond of the first book because it felt unrealistic and the world building was weak. Not much has changed in this one but the couple are planning their wedding and to overthrow the evil Queen. Some extra drama is added when old friends and family show up for the wedding but I honestly couldn't care about the far-fetched extra drama that did not contribute to the stories at all. I also do not really want to write it but the wholesomeness of it all is so overly sweet it makes me sick. There's no real character development, the grand twist with the new Queen makes new sense at all and I was mostly annoyed. I like parts of the book and I think the main characters are a cute couple but in terms of story and world building, this book is pretty weak. Please enjoy it nevertheless, it just wasn't for me! 2.5 stars

A cosy fantasy with wedding chaos, political scheming, and baby dragons causing mayhem, Tea You at the Altar is charming—but doesn’t always deliver the depth I was hoping for.

✨ A wedding with more obstacles than vows 💍 A kingdom teetering on rebellion 🐉 Baby dragons making everything more complicated

Thorne crafts a light-hearted adventure where romance meets political intrigue, but the stakes never quite hit as hard as they could. Kianthe and Reyna’s dynamic is sweet, their found family delightful, but the tension surrounding the coup feels more like background noise than a driving force. The cosy tone is fun, but I wanted a little more bite, a little more urgency behind the conflicts.

If you love fantasy weddings, mischievous dragons, and a story that leans into warmth over high-stakes drama, this one is worth picking up—just don’t expect the rebellion to steal the spotlight.

I love this series, and part three was a wonderful addition! I am so excited for the next part this summer!

While I enjoyed the earlier adventures – this is the book where Thorne hits her stride. The relationship between Kianthe and Reyna is depicted with great tenderness and love. They both look out for each other and the banter between them is both funny and sweet without getting too sickly. That’s a difficult feat to pull off.

In amongst the strong love that runs through this story – and I’m delighted that Thorne hasn’t resorted to some ‘misunderstanding’ between this appealing couple in order to produce some added tension – there are all sorts of mishaps that threaten to ruin the wedding they’ve been working towards. Unlike some of the events in the previous book, I didn’t feel anything in this instalment was contrived. And I thoroughly enjoyed the twist where I thought the plot was going in one direction – and turned out to going somewhere else.

Despite the jokey title and the genuine warmth of emotion that radiates off the pages, there is real threat to the happy couple – not least from the dreadful Queen Tilaine. Kianthe’s parents also appear, which give us an interesting insight into the powerful mage’s background and her vulnerabilities. Plots within plots… untimely visits from inconveniently curious young dragons… uncertain weather threatening the ceremony… powerful and touchy guests… these are all handled with skill and perfect narrative timing to produce a funny, emotional adventure with plenty of tension that had me turning the pages when I should have turned the light out and gone to sleep.

When I came to the end, I sighed with that particular mix of satisfaction and sadness that always hits at the conclusion of a thumping good read. And a fervent hope that Thorne’s next mishap-laden adventure featuring our two favourite same-sex couple won’t take too long to write. While I obtained an arc of Tea You at the Altar from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

I know I am starting from the end, but WTF was that ending?? This is cruelty! Bad author, no cookies!

That said, let's try and go with some order.
Finally, we get to see the wedding between our two adorable MCs. And it is so sweet and bonkers, as you would expect from this pair. And this is a thing I would love to see more of. The wedding! Usually, the authors torture us, and it's really hard to find a nice wedding in books. Usually, they are full of drama and other things going on. Or better, it happens here too, because the wedding has a hidden scope too (and not a small one!!), but we get to see all the preparations. And it is really nice because the whole village is taking part in it, and it is soooo sweet!
So, I was really happy with this part.
And then we have the dragons and the griffins!! They are sooo cute!! We get to see them playing around and it was the cutest thing ever!

And as per usual, we have a great cast of characters. Kianthe and Reyna are such a cute pair! I love their relationship! And the villagers are all great. It is nice to see such a close knit community, and it's nice that every one of them is not just a person on the background!

All in all, this is a nice blend of cozy and middle stakes (are those a thing? We don't have exactly high stakes, but they are not low either). We have action and plots, but we also have romance and cozy vibes. It is a nice blend, and I can't wait to read the next, and last, book in this series! (Especially because that ending is killing me, how dare you do something like that??????)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I think this might be my favourite of the series - who doesn't love a wedding combined with a political coup? Kianthe and Reyna continue to delight with their loving but thoroughly realistic relationship, and I liked the family dynamic this novel introduced too. Another home run from Thorne.

This series keeps getting better and better with each instalment! Each book is like a friend wrapping you in a hug and handing you a nice, warm cup of tea!

Cozy, warm fuzzy feelings, baby dragons and our favourite FMCs about to walk down the aisle - what more could you want for a pick me up on a rainy Sunday afternoon?! 😊

This was an amazing follow on for this series, and I loved it! It follows Reyna and Kianthe preparing for their upcoming wedding, and working out what they’re going to do about the Tilaine-sized elephant in the room. I loved that while there was conflict through what to do about Tilaine, the book was still mostly a cosy fantasy and I was almost in tears at the end! Such a fantastic read and I can’t wait to get started on book 4!

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. This is the third instalment in the Tomes & Teaseries, following Kianthe, a mage of the ages, and Reyna, a former Queensguard soldier, as they plan their wedding while also attempting to overthrow the evil Queen of the Queendom. The setup has all the ingredients for a charming cosy fantasy, dragons, magical mishaps, found family elements and of course, tea, but I found it a real struggle to get through.

The worldbuilding felt underdeveloped, and the characterisation didn’t go far enough, especially for a third book in a series. Kiantheand Reyna’s relationship lacked chemistry for me; their interactions were so sugary sweet they veered into inauthentic, and their dynamic felt almost childlike rather than romantic or emotionally compelling. The dialogue was often stilted and I found myself wanting more complexity and growth from both characters.

The concept is whimsical and with high stakes, a wedding with a secret coup on the side, but unfortunately the execution fell flat. I really wanted to enjoy it, but this one just wasn’t for me

Cozy as always. I do have to say that at some point the story has to end, but it was an ok ride so far. Thank you for the arc.

What an amazing read once again 5 stars!!!! Rebecca Thorne just keeps giving. I am excited to see what comes next from this author

Big thanks to @bookbreakuk for providing an advanced eARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

If you've read the other Tomes and Tea books, you'll know exactly what you're getting with 𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗿 by Rebecca Thorne - an actual healthy fantasy relationship, heartwarming friendships, cute magical creatures, etc. And sometimes, it's just good to know what you're getting - like a favourite meal or movie marathon of that series you've seen 100 times already.

Like Thorne's other installments, Tea You at the Altar is most definitely cosy fantasy, but with some decent stakes to sink your teeth into - a balance I've really loved throughout this series. After the last book's nautical adventures, here the plot takes us back to Tawney (which I loved) and leans more into political machinations (which I also loved) - so I think it's safe to say it's my favourite of the series so far!

This is the third part of the 'Tomes and Tea' series, and Reyna and Kianthe have made it back to the cosy town of Tawnee in time to plan their wedding. To complicate matters, it is also a coup. They are hoping to lure Queen Tilaine - head of Reyna's home country - to the ceremony, where they intend to denounce her in front of the great and the good of several countries, replacing her with a long-lost sister.

The plot is fairly simple, and partly an excuse to allow various characters to have fun. The Dastardly Pirate Dreggs makes an early appearance, filling the town of Tawnee up with pirates to support the coup. The potential heir and her companion also have strong personalities, along with Kianthe's childhood best friend, and the various interactions between them all keep the novel moving despite the rather slight plot.

As with previous novels in the series, the political side is quite simplistic. There is a plot that includes a spymaster, but this isn't a book that is full of intrigue and there are no shades of grey in deciding who to support. The wedding planning side of things is gently entertaining, and keeps the book feeling cosy. This cosiness is turned up even higher with the introduction of games nights and book clubs at Tomes and Tea. There is, of course, the traditional tension of the inlaws arriving and potentially disapproving, but there is no danger that this threatens Reyna and Kianthe's relationship. .

Fans of the previous books will find a lot to enjoy here. The LGBTQ+ fantasy space is added to with the revelation that same sex couples can conceive children with the use of magic, and that people can alter their bodies with the use of alchemy. We also learn that FF relationships are the default in Reyna's country, the Queendom.

On the negative side, the puns do seem to have increased, which can get annoying. The book also feels more specifically American than the previous novels - possibly due to the specific wedding traditions that are taken as a default - and this takes away from the fantasy space a little. There are also times when the cosiness slips into feeling like parody or fanfiction, such as when they play 'Cocoa and Capitalism' at the games night. I also found it a little jarring that Reyna and Kianthe simply expect to have children as a default, without us seeing them discuss it and make an active decision. It would have been nice if the book had been a little more thoughtful about these default assumptions.

However, as a whole the novel is a lot of fun. It isn't the right place to start the series, but established fans should enjoy it. I particularly liked the return to the teashop setting after the second novel's wanderings, and the reaquaintance with the Tawnee locals. There is apparently one more book to come, which I look forwards to reading.

Thank you to the publishers for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review,

After three books I think I have reached the point where I am softly DNFing this series. Part of my problem is that I thought this was a trilogy so finding out that was a fourth book coming really dampened my motivation to keep going with this series. That isn't to say that there aren't some positives to this series - the cosy vibes are wonderful and the lesbian romances are excellent - so if anyone ever asks me for lesbian cosy fantasy then I will of course recommend them this. However, I think this comes down to the writing style not completely working for me. I enjoyed Can't Spell Treason Without Tea but that isn't to say that I didn't have my issues with it and as the series has gone on those things have just started to wear on me a bit more and it's taken me longer and longer to finish each book. This is purely down to my own taste and whilst I can't see myself rereading this I will probably reread Can't Spell Treason Without Tea but I've reached a point where I am happy to leave the series here.

The third installment of Rebecca Thorne's Tomes and Tea series is just as captivating as its predecessors! As Reyna and Kianthe's wedding approaches, chaos ensues in the quiet town of Tawney; friends return, a plot is put into action, and we readers just can't get enough! Tea you at the Altar is something which I adored from first to last page. Thorne never fails to write an utter gem!

Rebecca Thorne is back and better than ever. This brilliant follow up to Can't Spell Treason Without Tea and A Pirate's Life for Tea is just as enthralling as its' predecessor and I have no doubt will be just as big as it's successor.

We are back with Reyna and Kianthe in this cosy fantasy series, Tomes & Tea book three. I don't feel like I have masses to say in this review as I just had an enjoyable and cosy time, as I always do with this series.
I adore Reyna and Kianthe's relationship more and more as the series progresses, I just love their love. I particularly love Kianthe's sense of humour too. However, I feel like I couldn't keep up with the sheer number of characters we have now introduced over the three books so far, so I did get lost at points which took me out of the story. The dragons were a big feature in this book and I loved seeing more of them.
I adore a wedding plotline, and the build up to the event was great, but I didn't feel like we had much going on otherwise even though the intention was there with the reign dilemma.
Whilst I admit I did enjoy the first two instalments more than this one, I am glad this is now a quartet and I'm looking forward to reading the fourth and final book, Alchemy and a Cup of Tea, in August 2025 upon its release.
3.5 stars (rounded up to a 4 on NetGalley)

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Rebecca Thorne for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Review posted to Goodreads, StoryGraph, Amazon and Waterstones.

This is already book 3 in Tomes & Tea and I am at the point where I am wondering if I will be reading book 4. Where I struggled with the disconnect to the new characters point of views in book 2, here I struggled with the pacing.

Tea You at the Altar, as the name suggests, is all about the upcoming wedding between Kianthe and Reyna. But not only that, they are planning a coup to overthrow a queen. What could possibly go wrong with that?

I was happy to see that this book focused back on just Kianthe and Reyna. While we do see the characters from book 2 again, we don't get their point of views nor do we get point of views of other new characters. I think this story is best told with a focus on Kianthe and Reyna with attention to the actual plot.

Unfortunately I struggled with the pacing. This book dragged on and on. It is only a little over 300 pages but it felt like there was no end to it. This is because not that much happens in the middle. There is a whole lot of talk and an attempt at a whole lot of cute. But none of that really worked to keep me immersed or even entertained. The first half is mainly focused on getting the long lost sister of the queen to take over the throne, which she refuses. Who wouldn't? Then it is about Reyna accepting her placement on the throne. There is a whole lot of talk, a whole lot of thinking. But at no point do I feel that Reyna has really made any decision she can truly live with.

I like Kianthe and Reyna as characters but not enough to not get annoyed at the constant dragging out of this plot. And at this point I would also like to see some kind of a result between our two idiots who are playing mayor together. And the dragons could have caused so much more disaster. I could have used them more on the page.

The epilogue made me truly uninterested to read the next installment. It is one of those things (tropes) that I don't care to read about to begin with. So we shall see what I will do when the fourth book is coming out. Maybe I will read it just to finish the series.

Kianthe and Reyna are getting married, but as usual their wedding isn't simply a wedding. They have plans to finally deal with evil Queen Tilane.

I enjoyed this gentle fantasy story with a strong dose of romance and an even stronger dose of relationship. The best part is watching them deal with their problems without falling out or splitting up. They understand each other.

Whether they're dealing with in laws or dragons, spies or pirates, they work together in to solve their personal problems and save the Queendom.

Highly recommend and I can't wait for the final story in the series.

Another enjoyable instalment of the Tomes and Tea series that manages to feel cozy and adventurous at the same time as Reyna and Kianthe prepare for the biggest adventure yet - their wedding!