this was definitely most stressful of the bunch with almost too much going on, and yet it didn't keep my attention as well as the others.

i'm very much still in the opinion that these shouldn't have been marketing as cosy fantasy. but this was a great ending to a great series.

i think i really just wish that this has leaned more into being the epic fantasy series it wanted to be because the storylines and world building were incredible and so where the characters. excited to see if that epilogue is leading to a different series in the future.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✖️✖️

Finally we reach the end of this cosy fantasy quartet which I have been looking forward to completing since I started it last May.
These books are a true joy to read, just easy to understand, heart-warming fantasy where you fall in love with the characters and the town. If you enjoy cosy fantasy, this series I would say has mid stakes as there is always something going on and this book starts with a bang. Occasionally I found myself a bit lost in the plot but I was always smiling at our characters at least. I can't say too much without spoiling the series, but I will say I adore Kianthe and Reyna and their relationship with my whole heart. It had an incredibly sweet epilogue too and was the perfect way to end this story.
I will definitely be keeping my eye out for what else Rebecca Thorne publishes in the future as I think she is a great writer in this genre.
3.5 stars (rounded up to 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, The Storygraph and rating to be shared on Instagram at the end of the month.

Alchemy and a Cup of Tea is a warm and whimsical conclusion to the Tomes & Tea series. It carries forward the charm, wit, and heart that made Can't Spell Treason Without Tea and Tea You at the Altar so beloved. With delightful alchemical twists and a deepening of Reyna and Kianthe’s journey, this final instalment feels like a comforting farewell hug. A must-read for fans who’ve loved every magical sip of this series!

Alchemy and a Cup of Tea is the fourth and the last book in the Tomes and Tea series. There’s not much I can say about it without spoiling the whole series, apart from the fact that this might be my favourite one from Rebecca Thorne.

Returning to this series felt like meeting old friends, and finishing this book made me sad. The novel is rather fast-paced, as it starts with a kidnapping and progresses into chasing dangerous alchemists. It also has more cosy and emotional scenes, similar to the other books about Reyna and Kianthe. The book also introduces a new magical creature I would love to read more about.

To sum up, the book is a perfect addition to the series, which I would love to see continued.

This was the perfect conclusion to the story and I adore the characters even more than before. I am going to miss the comfort of these books and I am thrilled to have experienced the ride. This series is perfection and obviously dragons!

I'm sad to see this series end but what a wonderful book to conclude on.

The series has a perfect mix of cozy, wittiness, and a well developed world with significant lore and intrigue. We get to spend time with all our favourite characters from previous books but also introduced to some fabulous new characters. One in particular that nearly broke my heart, who are part of the conclusion to a mystery that's been ongoing since book 1.

I finished the book being highly entertained, with all the fuzzy cozy feels and a huge smile on my face.

These books just continue to get better. I thoroughly enjoyed the previous offering, Tea You at the Altar – and this one was even more excitingly packed with action and emotion. The best feel-good fantasy authors don’t flinch from putting their protagonists in real and urgent danger, or providing grittily nasty villains. What they avoid is a bleak mood throughout, copious amounts of gore (a reasonable amount notwithstanding), a miserable ending and main characters you’d hate to take home for Sunday dinner. So just to be clear, a feel-good fantasy, or romantasy (they’re not necessarily the same thing) doesn’t have to be drenched in sentiment or only offer up stakes so low your pet tortoise could scramble over.

Thorne thoroughly understands this dynamic – and then goes on to prove it by putting both her powerful and able heroines in real danger. This antagonist has a form of magic that can drain Kianthe and kill Reyna without drawing a sword. I found it hard to put this book down as the threat posed by this difficult opponent had me turning the pages.

The other storyline I also found riveting was the problem with the influx of tourists. I’ll be honest – I felt that the solution offered was more of a temporary fix, rather than a final answer to the problem of wealthy travellers wanting to unwind somewhere new and different. After all, if Thorne really had the answer to this issue, she’d be able to give up writing and offer her services to places like Venice, Greece and southern Spain, who need the income from a constant churn of visitors – but also pay a very high price for their popularity.

What I particularly enjoyed throughout this series is the relationship between Kianthe and Reyna. While they had their ups and downs – there was never any idiotic ‘crisis’ that could have easily been solved by a ten-minute honest conversation. And while they clearly found each other attractive – this relationship is powered by the deep affection and thoughtful acts to please each other. They are friends as well as lovers, which often isn’t the case in fictional relationships and isn’t as easy to write convincingly as Thorne makes it seem. Meanwhile, the cast of supporting characters also have their own storylines to be completed and I was pleased that Thorne took the time to ensure we got to see how they would be also going forward after the series finished.

All in all, this was a triumphant conclusion to an engaging and enjoyable series and whatever you do – don’t pick this one up if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading the previous three offerings. You’ll be robbing yourself of hours of escapist pleasure if you do. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy featuring a LGBTQ marriage, griffins, dragons, danger and punning humour throughout. While I obtained an arc of Alchemy and a Cup of Tea from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10

This fantasy series runs at a different pace, and there’s always time for a cup of soothing cup of tea. Like the previous books Reyna, Kianthe, their human friends, griffins and dragons are all here at the centre of domestic relationships, and more complex national issues. Once more there is an unexpected villain to be brought to justice. I’m just sad this is the end of the series. I’ve enjoyed each book in turn. Thank you to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

What a perfect ending to a series that has felt like a warm hug from the very beginning. Alchemy and a Cup of Tea delivers everything I hoped for in the final chapter of Reyna and Kianthe’s story: magical moments, emotional depth, cozy charm, and a beautifully satisfying conclusion.

The book begins exactly where the third left off, with Queen Reyna kidnapped by rogue alchemists. True to her nature, she handles the situation with sharp wit and surprising calm. What she and Kianthe uncover is far more dangerous than expected, hinting at a deeper magical threat involving forbidden alchemy and a long-lost dragon egg.

At the same time, their beloved town of Tawney is being overwhelmed by tourists, all eager to catch a glimpse of the legendary warrior queen and her powerful mage wife. What was once a peaceful life centered around tea and books has suddenly become chaotic, and the couple must face an impossible question: should they close their shop and leave the town they love in order to save it?

Rebecca Thorne has a real gift for blending whimsical storytelling with real emotional stakes. This final book is full of heartfelt moments that show how much Reyna and Kianthe have grown as individuals and as partners. Their relationship remains one of the most refreshing in fantasy, built on mutual respect, unwavering love, and quiet strength. Watching them face both magical and deeply personal challenges together was such a joy.

What made this finale so powerful was how it brought everything full circle. Lingering questions are answered, especially the mystery of the dragon egg from the very first book, and side characters we’ve grown to love each get their moment to shine. The magical world feels more expansive than ever, but the heart of the story remains close to home.

There is just the right amount of action and adventure, balanced with cozy domestic scenes, clever banter, and moments of quiet reflection. The final chapters, and especially the epilogue, hit all the right emotional notes. I cried, I laughed, and I closed the book feeling completely content.

I already know I’ll return to this series whenever I need a comforting escape. If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy filled with magic, love, found family, and the gentle adventure of choosing peace over power, Tomes & Tea is a must-read. This finale was everything I hoped for, and more.

This was everything I wanted the final book to be and more.

I’ve absolutely loved this series and I know it’s one I will come back to again and again. The characters, the world, everything about it is just brilliant.

I can’t wait to see what this author does next!

I absolutely blasted through this fourth and final instalment in the Tomes and Tea series. I had such a wonderful time with this book but I'm so sad that the series is over!

I adore this series so much. A cosy fantasy following a head Alchemist and a trained Queen's Guard, a forbidden romance, dragons, griffins, murder, pirates, dragons, magic, and so much more! There is also amazing representation, both in terms of the people but also seeing good and healthy communication in all types of relationship.

This was such a fantastic conclusion to the series, being just as cute but drama filled as the first three books. I would love to read more in this world! Even if we don't get any more from our two wonderful main characters.

Alchemy and a Cup of Tea isn’t just the fourth and final instalment in the series: it’s also the strongest.

This one gave us a true partnership between our leading ladies. It didn’t focus on one or the other; it didn’t give one significantly more power or influence. Both Key and Raine had a role to play, and it was combining their strengths that allowed the story to unfold.

This was the relationship we should have got throughout, given they were already established at the start. Part of me wonders if this one worked so well because the plot was focused on their adventure, and not trying to shoehorn them taking the next step in their relationship into said adventure.

Key was a calmer mage. The immaturity that annoyed me last time was less present, and the puns weren’t forced into the dialogue consistently. You see her in her role properly this time, even visiting her old school, and get a glimpse of her past that has been denied to us so far. Her magic wasn’t used for tricks, either, but to rectify dangerous spells and threats, and it gave her so much more depth. I wish we’d seen that Key from the beginning.

Raine, too, has come into her own. While she may be queen, her true power this time is her communication with the dragons. Admittedly, I’m still unclear how that happened other than her crisis of faith in the third book, but it’s a fun development and allows her to be involved in situations more than just those requiring a sword to be swung. Or kidnappers to win over. Either one.

The plot and pacing also felt stronger. As if Thorne had come into her own with her writing and developed her craft. There wasn’t a huge problem that felt too big for the length of a book that was trying to be cute and romantic. Yes, there was a serious threat, but it came with increased tension and pace, a sense of danger and the concern our characters were genuinely in real trouble.

The serious adventure was balanced by a more light-hearted issue of what happens to a small town when someone famous moves in, and the resulting issues. It was enjoyable having something set in Tawney and the townsfolk coming together to protect their homes. It gave the place a sense of home for Raine and Key, which felt important for a final book.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed this series. Yes, I’ve had issues with the individual books. But the writing has grown stronger as each book progressed. The whole premise is a cute one – and who doesn’t want to run away from their lives to open a bookshop with baby dragons on the roof?

While I wouldn’t read again, they are light, quick reads if you are after some escapism. If you don’t take them too seriously and can look past some quite major character flaws at times, this is a cute series I’d recommend.

I can't believe this series has come to an end! It has been such an amazing and cosy series, and I'm sad that there's no more books. That being said, I did love the final book, and it brought the series to an end really well. I also loved seeing a lot more of the dragons in this book!

Because it's the fourth and final book, I won't include any spoilers about the syoryline. But I will say I have loved following Reyna and Kianthe's story. They have been great main characters. This series also has an amazing cast of characters, some that appear throughout the whole series and some that pop up only in certain books, but I think the cast of characters really adds to the series. Matild is a personal favourite of mine!

If you want a cosy series, that's very bingable, I highly recommend this series.

This was such a nice end to the series!

Continuing on from the end of the previous book, not only do we find out what happens to Reyna but the previous unfinished storylines are wrapped up.

I loved how Kianthe and Reyna's storyline wrapped up in the epilogue. There was also a surprise in the epilogue which does leave it open for another series which would be very interesting!

An absolutely wonderful end to one of my favourite cosy fantasy series.

Queen Reyna’s been kidnapped, which is sure to at least slightly disrupt her day, however proficient she may be at dealing with threats. Combine that with the mage of ages and the queen now resident in Tawney, causing the town to experience a tourist boom they didn’t expect and cannot cope with, and there are high emotions all around. Oh, and the alchemists appear to be trying to siphon power from anywhere and everywhere, including the stone of seeing. What happened to that quiet life our favourite couple were hoping for?!

Alchemy and a Cup of Tea had the same wonderful cosy vibes and medium stakes as the rest of the series. We see Reyna and Kianthe facing different concerns as a couple, and wondering how and whether their relationship can weather all the changes they’ve been forced to make. I really love the fact that our main couple have an established relationship throughout this series - it’s a dynamic we don’t often see as so many romantic storylines centre finding your partner - and seeing how they and their relationship grow and change with time.

Overall, Alchemy and a Cup of Tea had everything I’ve come to love and expect from a Tomes and Tea book - there were dragons, and tea, and a crisis (but not *too* big of one) and I hope Reyna and Kianthe can settle down to a quiet life now their novels are over - although somehow, I doubt it!
I am both delighted to have read the end and gutted this series is over, and I will eagerly await more books by Rebecca Thorne in the future!

Thank you to the publisher for the earc!

I can’t believe Reyna and Kianthe’s story is over! What am I gonna do now?! I loved it, I think it was a beautiful closure for the series. As usual nothing goes easy for them, but they find a way to not only save their town, but their own life’s too.

I can just highly recommend this series, it’s the perfect cozy fantasy with magic, dragons and found family.

Alchemy and a Cup of Tea is already the last book in the Tomes & Tea. I started this series with a lot of expectations regarding the characters and the cozy fantasy. It never could quite meet up to that. The last book follows on in that same vibe as the rest of the series. If you've enjoyed the other installements, you will enjoy this one.

At the end of book 3 we got an epilogue where Reyna got kidnapped. This is where the book starts from. I found it a lacklustre addition and it was just a means to an end to find something that is important throughout the rest of the book. But it was very obvious. The rest of the book kind of meanders from this to that just for those things.

I also took a bit of issue with Kianthe in this book who returns back to the magicary after she spends an awful time away. And she thinks she gets all the say about how things are being run there? Like no, that is not how that works. You might be the mage of all ages but you are not putting in the work there and you leave everybody else to clean up your mess all the time. You can't just come in and be the boss. I'm just kind of over that attitude of hers.

Reyna also just leaves Tillaine behind like she isn't the queen. And everybody excepts it. I get that they want the council to rule, and that is fine. But she is still a figurehead and she can't just run over the whole world, just because. It just takes a flimsy approach to responsibility in this book. They think they can take all these responsibilities and still be in the town with their bookstore. It was unbelieveable. Not realistic. For a while I thought they might actually have to take some kind of responsibility. But of course not.

It is a fine read, don't get me wrong, if you can see past the things that I just mentioned. Its just an annoyance I've had with these characters that has been growing throughout the series.

Awww…this was a good end to the series!!

. . . or was it? Something tells me this might not be the end just yet, as there is still a mystery afoot that was introduced in the final moments of this book . . . We shall see! When you’re ready, Rebecca!

The Tomes & Tea books have really grown on me. They’ve endeared themselves to me over time and I’ve looked forward to having one of these books to come to, as I know I’ll have a decent time and a good read. Are they the best? No. I can pick out some faults with the plotting and pacing and sometimes the characters get on my nerves, but in some ways these books feel a bit like family!

I liked how this one focused mainly back on Kianthe and Reyna and their small family unit. I liked seeing them, in some ways, return to their roots, and in other ways find themselves within their duties. And I always love seeing them banter and joke and fight and defend each other.

Loved getting extra dragon lore and I also love Visk and Ponder moments!

Excited to see whether or not this is the end for these characters…

4.5 stars rounded up

Dragon captives, magic feuds, and city management issues converge in this cozy fantasy finale to the Tomes and Tea series. For me, this is the best one yet!

I have enjoyed each of Kianthe and Reyna's adventures, but this one hit a little different. While all of the books have had their share of more serious moments (near death experiences, starving populations, assassination threats, rebellion...), Alchemy and a Cup of Tea brings all the threads together and has both MCs struggling to balance their responsibilities against their more selfish desires. It all boils down to one big problem: can they truly lead a peaceful life together?

This final book centers around just Kianthe and Reyna, making it feel more intimate again. I liked having new characters introduced in the last two books, but things got pretty hectic with the wider cast. This time, it's all about our main couple. However, that's more than enough because they are thrown into one situation after another. There is absolutely no rest for these two - they're tackling a tourism boom that threatens to destroy their neighborhood, a rogue magic user who is experimenting with dangerous alchemy, and more... It's super action packed!

My only issue came with the epilogue. This is meant to be the conclusion of this series, but SO MANY LOOSE ENDS are highlighted in the final pages. Why end with the focus on Bobbie and Serina?? I need to know if Wylan and Feo are together as there is zero mention of the Lord during the meeting. I want to see how the new problem is resolved as it sounds so dramatic. I am curious about Quinn!!! I truly hope this means some spin-offs are in the works...

Other than the epilogue chaos, I loved this book and it was definitely one of my favourites in the series. The characters and their issues have come full circle and it's a lovely way to wrap things up for the pair!

Picking up where the last book ended, Reyna is kidnapped. But Reyna being Reyna, she isn't very fazed about it. The only thing that irks her is that there is a strange alchemical circle under her cell. This needs investigating and leads Kianthe and Reyna to the Magicary, which leads them to rogue alchemists, which leads them to... Ha, no, not going to spoil it.

Meanwhile Tawney is swarmed with tourists hoping to visit New Leaf and get a glimpse of the Arcandor and her wife the Queen. The townsfolk isn't happy with the influx of tourists and the tourists aren't happy with how the town handles the situation. It might mean the end of New Leaf and relocation for Kianthe and Reyna.

This last book wraps up the series nicely, but I'm still sad this is the last book. I hope we get some spin-offs or novellas set in this universe in the future.