Note: While this book is marketed towards adults, and the characters are older than most YA characters (the ages are not stated on page, but I would assume the characters are in their mid 20s or so), this book has little to no mature content and is still suitable and enjoyable for YA readers.
Information:
- Author: Rebecca Thorne
- Genre: Fantasy
- Page Count: 352
- Year Published: 2022 (originally self published as an ebook, published 2024 in print by Bramble)
Read This if You Like:
- Light Adult Reads
- Cozy Fantasy
- Sapphic romances
- Tea
- Books that were originally self-published
- Dual POV, 3rd Person
- Books about books(tores)
- Annoying Queens
- Closed Door Romances
- Dragons
- Bored sorcerers
- Delicious Pastries
Spoiler-Free Summary:
Reyna is a palace guard who is tired of serving for the demanding, self centered queen, while Kianthe is the most powerful mage in the kingdom who is bored of being isolated and having to deal with many requests for her magic just to get nothing in exchange. Reyna and Kianthe have been secretly in love with each other for a while, and both Reyna and Kianthe decide that now is the perfect time to run away and follow their dream to open a small bookstore that also serves as a tea shop. Settling up in the mountains (where dragons are known to be found), Reyna and Kianthe work on opening their shop, even if the queen’s guards are out to hunt Reyna for betraying the crown, and there’s rumors of missing dragon eggs. But luckily, Reyna and Kianthe still have their newfound community and each other.
Review/Opinions:
Before reading this book, I haven’t really dived into the “cozy fantasy” subgenre, with the exception of Kiki’s Delivery Service, the children’s novel that inspired the hit Studio Ghibli film of the same name (the book is very different from the film, by the way). Anyway, the minute any book title mentions tea, I will be interested in that book immediately, as the huge tea drinker that I am, and this book overall sounded amazing with the inclusion of a bookstore, fantasy, and a sapphic romance (and maybe the sprayed edges on the new print edition), along with the title. I bought the book the same week the print edition released, and after reading it, it definitely met my expectations. It’s nothing groundbreaking in terms of the plot, but it was simply just really cute, wholesome, and relaxing to read.
The fantasy world in this novel was really fun to read through, as well as the relaxation of the tea shop/book store. The world is a bit simple compared to other fantasy worlds in books, with no flashy magic systems or lore or anything, but there’s a lot packed into the simple worldbuilding in this book. After all, the kingdom is ruled by one of the most demanding and grumpy rulers that I have ever read, even if she only appears at the start and climax of the book. Also, if you are a person who loves novels with dragons, this is definitely the cozy fantasy novel for you- there’s a huge subplot in the novel of the main characters figuring out some conflicts relating to the dragons known to be found in the area where Reyna and Kianthe’s new shop is, and it looks like the dragons are going to play an even bigger role in the sequels. And if you don’t like dragons, there’s also griffins. But the best part of the world was the shop that the main characters set up- a bookstore that serves tea just sounds so delightful. And with the mouthwatering descriptions of the tea flavors and the pastries they sold there, I’m so annoyed this place doesn’t exist in real life.
The best part of this book, however, was the romance between Kianthe and Reyna. Simply, they were one of the cutest and most wholesome couples that I’ve read in a while, especially as they help each other out through owning their business, the dragons, and the bratty queen of the kingdom. They are also beautifully awkward with each other at some points (Spoiler: midway through the book they start discussing getting engaged to each other but decide to put it off until later because it didn’t seem like the right time, according to them.) Since the couple is together at the start of the book, there’s not any awkward “will they won’t they” dynamics of conflicting feelings before they actually get together. There’s also no third act breakup between Reyna and Kianthe, which is so refreshing considering the amount of romances that include breakups just to increase tension, and while they sometimes fight with each other, Kianthe and Reyna easily forgive each other, talk it out, and continue on with their lives by the end of the chapter. This is also a closed door romance, so there’s no explicit scenes between the couple, another thing that’s rare in the Adult romance scene (but really common in YA, though even that category is starting to age up in recent times.) The romance isn’t for anyone looking for something really dramatic or passionate, but rather for people who just want something really fluffy and adorable to read through.
My only major complaint about this book is the pacing. For a cozy fantasy, it sure seemed to have a bit more injuries and fight scenes then I expected (and remember the main characters committed treason just so they could open a store.) It wasn’t the level of conflict that bothered me, but how it was spread out throughout the story. After a major scene of fantasy violence and conflict, the next chapter would almost always be Reyna and Kianthe relaxing in their store or flirting with each other, with no warning to the change in tone. I would’ve preferred a better flow between the more dramatic fantasy scenes and the cozy ones, maybe with some discussion of the aftermath of the event before the characters went back to their business. On top of that, the climax felt a little, well, anticlimactic. Even though it was supposed to be the big scene with the evil queen, and it started off well, it just wrapped up way too quickly. Oh, and the epilogue was really just a preview for the next book in the series, since it switches to the POV of a character that never even appeared in the story (but is apparently the main character of the second book) and has a cliffhanger. On the bright side, Reyna and Kianthe had a happy ending that fit the cozy vibes of the story, while also leaving enough loose ends for the sequels to tie up.
As mentioned a few times in this review, the book is the start of the series! The second book, A Pirate’s Life for Tea, appears to be a bit more fantasy focused than “cozy-focused”, and also follows a new sapphic couple along with Reyna and Kianthe. It is available now as an ebook (due to the fact it was originally self-published by the author as an ebook exclusive), but will have a major print release in October. In addition, the third book, Tea Me at the Altar, has been announced, and will be released in both ebook and print form in March 2025.
Overall, I highly recommend this book for any fan of light, cozy fantasy reads. While it doesn’t have the best pacing, the romance is adorable, and the fantasy world is fun, with some intrigue mixed in for fans of more dramatic fantasy novels. Personally, I believe this book is best read on a long afternoon at home with a cup of tea nearby.
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