Can't Spell Treason Without Tea: A heart-warming cosy fantasy - and an instant Sunday Times bestseller (Tomes & Tea Cozy Fantasies, #1)

by Rebecca Thorne

A heart-warming, sapphic journey brimming with jeopardy, magic and a love of tea – for fans of Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes and TJ Klune.

Two women wanted to open a cosy bookshop. They discovered a world of adventure.

Reyna and Kianthe dream of opening a friendly book shop together, serving the very best tea and cakes. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters – all complemented by love and good company. But Reyna is an elite bodyguard to a vengeful queen, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. Leaving their lives behind seems . . . impossible. Yet they flee to Tawney, a town nestled in the icy peaks of dragon country. There, they open the bookstore they'd always wanted.

What follows is a tale of mishaps, mysteries, dragons, and a murderous queen throwing the realm’s biggest temper tantrum. Through it, these two women will discover what they mean to each other – and their world.

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne is a gorgeous treat of a book, filled with cosy adventure, sapphic romance and good feelings.

* * *

The Tomes & Tea Quartet is everyone's cup of tea! Readers agree:

‘The perfect blend of coziness and action’

‘An utter delight’

‘I could not put this book down’

‘I would die a million times over for these lesbians’

‘The perfect book for cosying up with a hot drink’

The Tomes & Tea Quartet:
- Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea
- A Pirate’s Life for Tea
- Tea You at the Altar
- Alchemy and a Cup of Tea

^{Can't Spell Treason without Tea was a Sunday Times HB fiction bestseller in May 2024.}

• ISBN10: 1035031027
• ISBN13: 9781035031023
• Publish Date: 10 July 2023 (first published 11 September 2022)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Tor
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea is the first book in a cozy fantasy series by Rebecca Thorne. Released 7th May 2024 by Macmillan on their Tor imprint it's 352 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a lovely, immersive, well written cozy fantasy with F/F romance. A royal mercenary and a high ranking magic user just want to be together, to have a cozy bookstore with a big fireplace, tea and baked goods and nothing is going to stand in their way if they have anything to say about it. 

It's full of magic and world building and if the characters are maybe a tiny bit tropey, well, that's why readers *love* cozy fantasy. Inevitable comparisons will be drawn between this series and Travis Baldree's wonderful Legends & Lattes, and while it's true they share a niche genre, this series is not at all derivative and readers who enjoyed L&L will likely love this one as well. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 11 hours 36 minutes and is capably read by series narrator Jessica Threet. She has a well modulated voice and does a surprisingly good job of the disparate fantasy acents. Her voice is a tiny bit sharp to actually fade into neutrality during the read, but it's not at all intrusive and there aren't any accents that come across as patently fake or forced. Sound and production quality are very high throughout the read. 

Four and a half stars for both the book and audiobook. Highly recommended for fans of cozy fantasy. There -are- violent scenes with battle descriptions. There is some light sexual content, but nothing NSFW. With two books out and a third due out in late first quarter 2025, it would be an excellent choice for a series binge or buddy read. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.