Review - Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne⠀

“A person could work and work and work, and still never “earn” their dues. Sometimes success meant determination… and sometimes, it was just luck.”

If you are an avid fantasy reader, then you definitely have seen the rise of cozy fantasy. Most popular among them being Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree.

Well sit down, grab a hot beverage, get your Kindles booted, your pencils ready – because I have another cozy fantasy rec for you, and that is Can’t Spell Treason without Tea, Book One in the Tomes & Tea Cozy Fantasies series by Rebecca Thorne!⠀

Can’t Spell Treason without Tea is a sapphic cozy fantasy following Reyna who works as the Queen’s guard and Kianthe, the most powerful mage in existence. The two lovers envision themselves opening a bookshop that serves tea together. However, such a dream isn’t going to be easy to achieve.

After being abducted by an assassin and being held hostage, Reyna denounces her guard duty, and she and Kianthe settle in a village called Tawney to open the shop of their dreams.

If you’re in the mood for a cozy fantasy – with a bit of high stakes involved – look no further than this charming tale about a mage and former Queen’s guard who fall in love and build a combination bookstore/teashop.

This was a delightful read full of whimsy but also plot and tension. Kianthe the Arcandor was by far my favorite character and I loved seeing her and Reyna live out their dream. I also really enjoyed the side plot with the dragon eggs and the Queen hunting down Reyna.

There was such effortless inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters, and a possible enemies to lovers romance between two side characters.

The village of Tawney felt so homey and quaint. The description of the bookshop/teashop was super cozy and and comforting to read about. I just wanted to snuggle up with a good book and drink copious amlunts of tea!⠀

The characters definitely came alive for me in this book and I found myself fully invested in all of them. Seeing the relationship between Reyna and Kianthe blossom, amd the townspeople slowly start to trust them was beyond endearing.

I wasn’t expecting the side plot with the dragon eggs, but it definitely added some mystery and a little bit of high stakes. The conclusion of the story was super cute, but the epilogue had me completely yearning for more. I look forward to what Rebecca Thorne has in store for us next!