This series is growing on me! I enjoyed the previous books, but this one is something special. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time, and a few chapters later, I was dabbing my tears. Can something be outstandingly hilarious and extremely sentimental at the same time?

My favorite tropes, fake wedding and enemies to lovers, worked so well in this paranormal/historical romance that includes flying houses, scheming shenanigans, word games, and smart literary references.

The witty banter between the characters, their complex relationships, sizzling chemistry, and angsty moments hooked me, making me turn the pages faster.

The plot revolves around Agent A, Alice, who works for a government agency with the weirdest name, and Agent B, Daniel Bixby, her greatest rival. They find themselves working together as an undercover married couple for a very dangerous assignment to prevent an assassination plot by infiltrating a pirate house party to save the queen!

The involvement of the other book's protagonists in the story makes you cheer up as if you are lucky to meet your oldest friends again. Developing the story around neurodiverse characters is an absolutely nice touch to the entire execution.

The last third made my heart ache, and the conclusion was absolutely sweet and satisfying. I am addicted to this smart, laugh-out-loud, paranormal, highly enjoyable series! Alice and Daniel might be my favorite characters the author has ever created! I highly recommend that you go in blind and enjoy each book of the series!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this wonderful book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

✨IF I LOVED IT LESS I MIGHT BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT MORE 😭😭😭 IM SPEECHLESS✨

I mean it I’m utterly speechless and I truly don’t know how to talk about how wonderful and clever and emotionally fulfilling this book was without pulling out a thesaurus and whacking you over the head with it. If my love was a highlighter, this book would be visible from outer space. Given the 178 times I bookmarked my next favorite quote, I think it’s fairly obvious that the entire book is my favorite quote.

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason was the perfect conclusion to the series and such a wonderful beginning for Alice and Bixby. The euphemisms were absolutely out of pocket and the fake marriage was better than I could have ever imagined. The third act was perfect and heart-wrenching, while the epilogue gave me everything I needed to make peace with the series being over.

Shame on me as I should have known it would be a treat, but I didn’t expect it to be as charming, as fun, as HILARIOUS as it was. I think Bixby was pretty unassuming in book two and we had only a mere glimpse of Alice, so while I knew I could anticipate a good time, I didn’t expect to be so in love with those two people.

My only critique was that Alice seemed to have more POV sections than Bixby. I wouldn’t want to cut anything we got, so I maybe just wanted a few more extra chapters from Bixby’s POV because I’m a greedy bridge troll. I did also anticipate the villain, but that was so low on my priority list of things in this book to care about and didn’t impact my enjoyment. Maybe I just want to brag because I finally caught on for once.

As a whole, The Secret Service of Tea and Treason could go ten rounds with the best of them aka books one and two. And I think it could win??? I thought book two would stay my favorite but I know nothing anymore!! I’ve already preordered and I can’t wait to A. give this book a hug B. reread via the audiobook and C. get my hands on any bonus chapters India releases. You’ll be charmed, disarmed, and thoroughly smitten.

To make it clear, I have given all the books in the series five stars. Each one has the same ingredients—bonkers adventure, sweeping romance, entirely lovable characters—but the recipe is different and delicious every time. Stripped of everything chaotic and fantastical, however, the heart of each book is how the little things of loving someone become everything.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️.25*/5

*I think we got twoish scenes??? I don’t come to these books for steam but the way I get so emotionally invested in the secret glances and veiled threats. PEAK EROTICISM.

Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

<b>”You know when you open a new book and realize it’s going to be perfect?” He whispered. “Yes,” Alice said. “That’s how I feel when I look at you.“ <b>

Alice & Daniel. The lady’s maid & butler. Or are they?! India Hilton’s novels = jolly good stuff! Please do read! Top-notch! 👌🏼 highly recommend!

✨ THINGS AND STUFF ✨
-infamous pirates & witches
-master of disguise
-fake marriage
-rivals: loathe to love
-a mission
-en garde! ⚔️ hi-yah! 👊🏼
-a ball. I do not dance. But you did the conga the other night. Under duress!
-pistols & bombs
-idioms & books
-gothic castle featuring resident attic lunatic
-a spot of hot pursuit
-burglary
-#IsThisAKissingBook: open door. “Kissing on the street in daylight is scandalous behavior,” Charlotte said. “They just beat up more than a dozen men, darling,” Alex pointed out. “I think they’re beyond scandal now.”

Thank you Berkley Romance for an advanced copy!

🎶Song: Come Away With Me by VSQ 🎶

Whimsy! Dry humor! Literary references! I loved the previous two books in this series and this was no exception. You probably don't need to read those previous two books to enjoy this one but you will enjoy it so much more if you do. Alice and Daniel are a competent and deadly delight and their journey to find happiness was heart warming and very entertaining.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing!
A wonderful continuation of the series. If you love historical romance and fake marriage, this series is for you. Two rival spies must work together and save the queen. This book was full of humor and quick jokes, which made it extremely fun to read. The romance was extremely well done and a bit chaotic, which I loved.

Leave it to India Holton to seamlessly bring secret agents into a world of nefarious lady pirates and (definitely not) witches. There’s kissing! And spycraft! And just the right amount of double entendres! The Secret Service of Tea and Treason was a perfect culmination of the series, and everything I love in an India Holton story.

This book was such a delight to read about. I had a blast reading it. It was very entertaining and engraving. And the characters were funny, witty and adorable. I simply loved it

This series has quickly become one of my favorites!! Witty, fun, with so much swoony moments and hilarious banter. I will read anything India writes. ANYTHING. Even her grocery lists.

The thing that is persistently lovely about India Holton's books is that each couple, though determinedly odd, is made up of two people who find each other's oddities charming and endearing, even as the other people around them become exasperated. In the case of THE SECRET SERVICE OF TEA AND TREASON, Holton gives Daniel and Alice common quirks--a love of tidiness that is somehow violent, a bitter rivalry as secret agents that falls apart almost immediately, a love of reading. Rife as ever with literary misquotes, word play, and the chaotic revelry of pirates and witches, Holton's third novel in this series is very fun.

All kinds of delightful and sparkling as one has quickly come to expect from an India Holton novel. That said, this might be her best yet (and certainly my most favourite of the trilogy - which, given how much I loved the first two, says a lot!)

I'll update with a more detailed review closer to pub date (on here as well as my socials) but till then I'll say that this is a must-read!

I absolutely LOVED this book. I LOVED IT! Even though I loved the first two books, this was my favorite of the series! Fun from cover-to-cover and at times outlandish, I haven't ever laughed and smiled so much while reading a book. Alice and Daniel are fantastic main characters and their chemistry is top notch! Seriously the tension made my heart race and I felt them pining for one another as they stole glances across the room. This book has so much of what I've come to love from India Holton's books: flying houses, dangerous shenanigans, word play and bookish characters. I also loved the cameos from other books! All the stars!! I know this is the final book in the Dangerous Damsels series, but I can't wait to read what India Holton writes next. She's an auto-buy author for me!

DNF at 5%. This author isn’t for me. Their humor is heavy on farce and slapstick while also trying very hard to be intelligent. I’m already irritated and haven’t even made my way very far into the book.

Not worth it.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

This, the third book in this series, is yet another delightful and fanciful read. This time around we have two "secret agents" who, under their objections, are assigned to work together to ferret out and steal a weapon that is supposedly in the hands of pirates. Of course, the witches are also involved, and nary a page can be turned without some new conflict between some of the large cast of characters, including the return of the protagonists from the previous books. Read this book for the terrific sendups of Victorian society and the many laugh-out-loud moments in the midst of battles and high teas. (OMG, a group of pirates that are the Terror of the High Teas! How I would love to read that one.)

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason is the third book in the Dangerous Damsels series by India Holton and it is just as delightful as the previous entries. The main characters of this book are two of the servants from the other stories. We learn they are, in fact, operatives for a government agency and must find a way to work together in this enemies-to-lovers romance. The characters are neuro-diverse, which is a nice change and very relatable, even if they can do magic. Highly recommended.

There is just so much life and wackiness to love here. Literally everything is characterized, even the air. It's the most tickling, dazzling thing! And the innuendo has just completely runneth over with this one.

But I love that beneath the screwball comedy and satire, there are real moments of heartbreaking vulnerability. One page I'm laughing hysterically and the next, it's like my heart plunked into my gut. It's this wonderfully swooping experience (bit like being in a flying house, I suppose) and is truly the quality I love the most about this series.

I really, really like Alice and Daniel. I admit that I completely overlooked them when they first appeared in the previous novel. They might be my new Dangerous Damsels favorite! They're certainly the series' most sensual couple and while I can't speak to the portrayal of autism, I think it's definitely a unique quality to see BOTH MCs of a romance falling on varying points of the spectrum.

The one thing is... I think the plot gets a little lost amongst the wacky this time. Or maybe I just got lost. Either way, I still laughed and loved, and I can't wait for India's next series!

This was definitely my favorite book out of this series so far! It was 💯 hilarious and I loved the characters so much! I think it would make an amazing movie.

The third installment in the Dangerous Damsels series will leave readers laughing once again as our favorite characters are now the foes of our new heroes. The pirates and witches are at it again and the government needs some help. Agent A and Agent B don’t get along too well, but now they must go undercover as a married couple for A.U.N.T. (a secret government intelligence agency that works for the Queen). All the characters come together for a new adventure. The pirates, witches, and secret agents (along with their spouses) are as quirky as ever, the fun is absurd and that is why the book is so enjoyable.

If you need more flying houses, proper pirates, witches, and regency romance this one will leave you in stitches. Perfect for fans of humor, pirates, witches, secret agents, and regency romance. Don’t forget to put on a fresh pot of tea!

Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

India Holton's Dangerous Damsels series is truly phenomenal. Very few books have made me literally cackle with glee while reading their prose and dialogue but all three of her books in this series have. Alice and Daniel are the main characters working for A.U.N.T. and their neurodivergent banter and escapades truly delight on every page. Furthermore, the return of beloved characters that we first met in the Wisteria Society make this book feel like a wonderful escape and a warm hug all in one.

The long wait is over, and Bixby has met his match. India Holton’s Dangerous Damsels series rolls on with The Secret Service of Tea and Treason, which features an unusual sort of secret agent duel which may just result in love. It’s funny, it continues the series' strong world building, and it has cracking chemistry between its leads.

Agent A – AKA Alice – works for the Agency of Undercover Note Takers. It’s her job to protect the innocent and keep order – and since her world is laden in magic this proves to be quite the difficult task most of the time. You try dealing with dangerous witches all the time – it is not a pleasant task.

Alice is assigned to protect the life of Queen Victoria, who has received a series of death threats. To her shock, she’s been assigned a partner on the case – David Bixby, Agent B, and Alice’s rival in all things Note Taker-related. To blend in with the pirate society planning Victoria’s downfall, they pose as a married couple and try to infiltrate a weekend gathering. That’ll be tough going, since they can’t stand each other. Well, at least at first.

I loved this book so much. Alice is probably my favorite Holton heroine so far – strong, smart, but vulnerable and romantically naive. Bixby has grown into an awesomely handsome hero. They are rule-bound by their jobs and yet perfect for one another. It’s competence kink agogo in the best way.

And competent they are. I mean, Bixby falls for Alice when he realizes just how deadly she is, which is always a fun trope. Beds are shared and tension crackles and bubbles. It’s fun to visit Holton’s pirate-versus-witches society, and now that royalty is even more deeply entrenched, its super spies and secret agents. The world building here continues to be charming – it’s funny and intrigues, but here I’ll issue a warning to newcomers to the series and suggest reading the previous book first so as to get a handle on the magical world building that has already taken place.

But that matters little if you’re familiar with the universe. This is a swiftly-moving, snappily written little novel. The Secret Service of Tea and Treason is a glorious and big-souled bit of magical romance, and it’s a ton of fun to dive right into.

Alice, AKA "Agent A," is part of a very secret English government intelligence agency called A.U.N.T., or the Agency of Undercover Note Takers. Alice's rival is Agent B, a man named Daniel Bixby who formerly posed as a pirate's butler in The League of Gentlewomen Witches. When Agents A and B discover that their next assignment is to pose as a married pirate couple, they are less than thrilled.

The chemistry between Alice and Daniel begins before the novel, and they spend much of the book trying to deny the frisson between them in every scene. Having feelings for each other goes against several of A.U.N.T.'s regulations, so the agents must decide between the agency to which they've devoted their lives or their burgeoning relationship.

Highly recommended for fans of the previous books in the series. Also recommended for fans of historical fiction or fantasy with humor, like The Princess Bride.