I hadn’t read the first book in this series, but I love cozy paranormals so had to try this anyway. I am very glad I did. The book flowed smoothly, and it didn’t take long at all to get invested in the plot and characters, and I wasn’t lost at all. I love how Shay is slowly coming to accept her abilities and how Gran is helping her. I was a little put out about something that happened, but it is not a bad thing, just something I wish had happened. Maybe in the next book. LOL! Speaking of the next book, I can’t wait to read what happens next in all their lives as this is a fun universe. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Thank you to Net Galley, Lauren Elliott and Kensington Books for this ARC to review.

Shay is a "seer" that runs a small shop Crystals and CuriosiTEAS in the town of Bay Harbour. Where she harvests her own blends of tea from her home-grown garden on the second floor of the shop. After meeting the grandmother of her neighbor Liam and learning that she is an Irish psychic Shay gets drawn into the world of learning to read tea leaves. When a group of the local ladies ask for a reading after hours Shay reluctantly agrees but wishes she hadn't, when one of the clients ends up poisoned and dead.

I love Lauren Elliott's other series and really liked being introduced to a whole new cast of characters and mayhem. This is the second book in the Crystals and CuriosiTEAS series. I have to admit I have not read the first book in this series however, I found that I could follow along quite easily as there are references to the storyline from the first book. I instantly fell in love with Shay, Gran and the other characters from the tea shop. The fact that Shay is still learning about her craft and her family makes a great side story to the murder itself. I really enjoyed the Bay Harbour family and look forward to more additions to this series.

Shay feels that she is finally settling into running her tea shop with her sister when her teenage employee's father arrives in town demanding custody and creating havoc. At the same time, Liam returns from Ireland with his grandmother,vupsetting his living arrangements. Of course, murder follows and Shay must learn to trust her instincts to protect those she loves.

Loved this cozy mystery. Shay finds herself back in the spotlight when her group reading goes deadly wrong. When her assistant is cast as a suspect, she must do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of things. As always, the characters are well developed and enjoyable, the plot flows smoothly from scene to scene, and the mystery had lots of suspects and motives. Looking forward to the next book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Setting the Scene: In Shay's second outing, she is enjoying the fruits of her labors with her revamped tea shop, Crystals & CuriousiTeas, in the coastal town of Bray Harbor. Autumn has arrived, and with it, new opportunities. Shay is still struggling with her "seer" abilities, but she has embraced the art of blending herbs and spices for teas and intends to learn to use her greenhouse. First, she wants to clear out all of the medicinal/poisonous plants in the space.. Liam's return with his Gran opens up a new opportunity for Shay to learn more about her mysterious family, as well as herself. When Shay agrees to her first group tea reading ceremony, all goes well until she actually does a reading, and her client drops dead. Now, the evidence is mounting against Shay's assistant, and Shay, with her dog Spirit and Liam, race to find the truth and save not only her employee but her tea shop.

What I Thought: Shay is a wonderful protagonist, and I love watching her relationships with her sister and brother-in-law, as well as other citizens of Bray Harbor and even her own talents, blossom and grow. This outing brings the potential for more changes to Shay's life but possibly none more profound than those that result from the arrival of Liam's Gran. There are those times in a series when a character is added to the cast who is pivotal to the story long-term, and Gran is one of those. She is delightful, mysterious, and maybe more than a bit mischievous, and she is just what Shay needs both personally and professionally. As I have come to expect from Lauren Elliott, this book was well written, well plotted, and provided ample suspects and options to keep the reader guessing, but more than that, it lifted my spirits and left me looking forward to what is yet to come.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley, and Kensington Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Shay finds herself in the spotlight once again despite her dismay. A chatty client reading soon turns to an eerie silence as they drop dead on her. She’ll have to use her witchy powers to figure out the case.

Things get dicey when her assistant is excuse of slipping something in the tea. Shay will have to clear her employee’s name and the reputation of her shop.

A delicious witchy brew.

Shay's tea shop is open and doing a thriving business when she decides to host a tea leaf reading for a group of women who are frequent customers. The reading goes sideways when one of the customers, Jasmine, a newbie in town who's stirred up plenty of trouble despite having just arrived in Bray Harbor, goes toes up just as Shay begins to tell her fortune. Tassi, her troubled teenage employee and Jasmine's soon-to-be-stepdaughter, is immediately accused but Shay knows the girl couldn't possibly have had anything to do with Jasmine's death and she'll stop at nothing to prove Tassi's innocence.

I've enjoyed this series so far but I felt there was a lot missing in this book. The tea shop, which wasn't open in book 1, is now open and thriving. Shay and Tassi have developed a very maternal relationship. Liam moved his girlfriend into his cottage and then took off for Ireland for months, returning with grandmother in tow. As I read, I felt as though this maybe should have been book 3 instead of book 2. I would have liked to see something crazy happen at the opening of the tea shop, or seen more of the development of the relationships between the characters. It was difficult for me to get engaged in this book so it took me a very long time to finish it (or perhaps I struggled to get into the story because I took so long to read it.)

The author is a very good one, no doubt, and the setting is fantastic. Though I didn't love this book I'm by no means giving up on the series and definitely plan to read other books by this author as well. Readers who are really into paranormal cozies might enjoy this more than I did because it leans quite heavily into the paranormal, much more so than the first book in the series.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The second in a new series and is an enjoyable read. Shay has inherited a tea shop, once used for reading tea leaves, gems, and such. This book tells more of her background, as well as introducing new characters. Liam's grandmother arrives & is a huge help to Shay in using her gifts. Murder, a young girl being wrongly accused & used as a pawn by her father, with twist & turns. I really enjoy this new series & look forward to book #3. Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Elliott, and Kensington Publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Murder in a Cup is the second book in the Crystal & CuriositiTEAS series. It takes place in the town of Bray Harbor, CA. Shayleigh (Shay) Myers is the main character and owns the Crystals and CurositiTEAS tea shop. She inherited the shop and a cottage from her mother, Bridget Early, who she had never known. She was also left an amulet pouch with a blue bottle in it that she was to keep around her neck at all times.. She is a searer. Her sister, Jen helps her in the shop. A young girl named Tassi works for her part-time as her assistant. Her dog, Spirit, a german shepard attached himself to Shay when she arrived back to town after 16 years away. She has a greenhouse at the top of her shop with plants that she uses to make her tea.

There are the characters that make up the town in the first book as well as new characters that add to the story. There are two parts to this story. One has to do with her assistant, Tassi, whose father has come to town to get full custody of her, He has brought his girlfriend, Jasmine who is interested in Shay as Peter has told her that she is a witch. The second part is her father, Doyle, who wants the amulet that Shay has.

The story opens with Shay is in her greenhouse and feels like something is off with the plants. Her dog will not leave the area but she can't put her finger on it. Dr. Mia Harper, a botanist who works at the University is interested in the poison plants that are also in the greenhouse and is coming to get them and take them back to her lab to study them.

Her friend, Liam who owns the pub next door has come back from Ireland with his grandmother who has come to live with him. She is from the same town that her mother and grandmother came from. She is very interested in Shay and tells her that she knew both her grandmother and mother. Gran believes in fairies.

The white glove ladies group comes every day at the same time for tea in the morning. Jasmine comes as part of their group and wants her fortune read. Shay does not want to read her fortune but others in the group decide they would like to have their fortunes told. They all decide to met later after closing. Shay with the help of Tassi does a séance, Jasmine wants to go first and when she stands up she coughs, turns red and falls to the floor dead. Later it is told by Dean, the police chief and Jen's husband that she died from poison.

This is where the story takes off on an adventure for the reader. There is so much that goes on in the story that I will leave it to the reader to enjoy to the surprising end.

I enjoyed both the first and second book in this series. It is filled with many surprises and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for this ARC.

I’ve enjoyed all Lauren Elliott’s books I’ve read, and Murder in a cup is no exception. I like cosy crime, and Elliott’s books are among the best I’ve found.

This book is second in a series, and in it we learn more about Shay’s background and her unique gifts. A woman is murdered in Shay’s tea shop, and Shay’s employee is suspected. Shay needs to use her gifts to find out what really happened.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the chance to review this book.


This book was way out of my comfort zone with all the witchcraft and “seeing” happening. However, I gave it 4 ⭐️ because the plot is well written and most of the characters are likable and real. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am enjoying the opportunity to spend more time with Shay, a thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read the next chapter. Shay has had her hands full after her old life imploded, but she has gamely embraced her inheritance from her birth mother. The tea shop is something she has cleaned up and made her own, her new talents are a little bit harder. I found in this new book we are really dragged down with Shay as she struggles to understand her talents, over come her fear of using them and worry about consequences. Fortunately some help is provided for her in the person on Liam's grandmother, who comes to stay with him, as Shay has her hands full when a customer dies in the tea house, Tassi is the main suspect and Shay is being sued and accused of practicing witchcraft! You will not want to miss this one.

Enjoyed this delightful! What is a most excellent character who has a shop left to her which she turns into Crystals and CuriosiTeas. I love the new age setting. Gran is another character that I love. With a good solid mystery and well developed characters this was a delight to read. Thanks#netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine q

I loved the first book in this series, so I was waiting for an opportunity to read the second installment.

It took me a while to get into the story. I thought it had not much content in the first couple of chapters, but as I read on, threatening events started happening, and then more and more subplots were thrown in for good measure. In my humble opinion, there were too many threatening situations, and I felt sorry for the poor protagonist, who is rather more insecure in this book than in the first one.

I like Ms. Elliott’s smooth writing style and have read all of her books, so even with the overabundance of threats to the wellbeing of our heroine, I still like the cozy elements of this series, and the locale. I really liked the new addition of the Irish Gran, and her Irish accent.

As in the previous mystery series by Ms. Elliott, I am not a fan of the heroine’s extremely wishy-washy feelings in the romance department. I just wish she would make up her mind regarding a partner, and that the romantic aspect of these books would not take so much of the story with a lack of decision on the heroine’s part.

I did not suspect who the murderer was, and was surprised at the end, which I liked.

The last chapter was a whirlwind of explanations trying to close all gaps and tie all loose ends…however, there was another bucket of cold water poured on poor Shay’s head, and an ongoing threat is still not resolved…I will have to wait until book number 3 to find out more…

Thank you, Net Galley and Kensington Cozies, for allowing me to read an Advance Reader’s Copy and leave an honest personal review.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of MURDER IN A CUP (Book 2 of the Crystals & CuriosiTEAS Mysteries) by Lauren Elliott in exchange for an honest review. Since inheriting her tea shop, Shay Myers has been exploring her witchy abilities, continuing to nurture the plants in the greenhouse, and mixing both the magical and mundane tea blends birth mother sold. When Shay finds out that some of her mother’s plants were poisonous, she requested the assistance of the botany program of a nearby college to rehome the dangerous plants. The clean up seems to come too late, however, when one of the recently removed plants is implicated in the poisoning of a client. Shay’s employee becomes the prime suspect. As such, Shay becomes involved in the investigation in an effort to find alternate suspects for the crime.

I liked both this book and the first in the series. I recommend these books to fans of paranormal cozy murder mysteries featuring origin stories, mysterious amulets, tea shops, and fortune telling.

#MurderinaCup #NetGalley

When the local owner of a mystical shop dies, she leaves everything to Shay. After Shay figures out why, she and her sister Jen proceed to turn the shop into Crystals and CuriosiTEAS, a teashop that also offers special blends to people needing help or guidance. Occasionally, Shay will also do tea leaf readings, which has become popular amongst the locals.

One group, known as the white gloved ladies, has made the shop a weekly visit, and because they are so respected, Shay's new tearoom is booming. Between her, Jen, and their teenage helper Tassi, they manage to make things work. For a while, anyway -- until Tassi's dad shows up and declares that he's fighting her mother for custody. Tassi dislikes her dad's fiancée, and refuses to go with him. But one night, during a group reading, one of the women in the white glove group dies, prompting Tassi's father to get a restraining order against Shay and vowing to ruin her.

Shay is distraught, but when pub owner Liam Madigan returns from Ireland with his grandmother, known as 'Gran', the woman seeks out Shay and takes her under her wing. To make matters worse, Liam is having troubles of his own, and his cousin shows up out of nowhere.

Shay has her hands full and her pockets temporarily empty, but will she be able to rectify the situation? Will she be able to find out who really killed the woman? And more so, will she be able to get her life back to where it was?...

This is merely the second book in the series but I am completely hooked on it. I loved the first, and this one even more. Shay is growing as a person, and being accepted for who she is. Her life in this village begins to round out, until Tassi's unfortunate being of a father shows up. She's sure he has an ulterior motive, but when he starts harassing her, she wonders why.

I love the character of Gran. She's completely delightful. A bit of the 'Old Country,' if you will. I am pleased that the author brought her into the series, and hopefully will keep her there. I did like Liam quite a bit, but as most men (don't get upset, we all know), he's a bit oblivious when it comes to certain things. Read the book and you will know what I am talking about.

And let's not forget Spirit, the magical dog who appears just where he's needed most. He's more than just a dog, but an intelligent friend who senses danger and knows just what to do to prevent it. Ah, if only humans could understand what he is trying to say...

The murder itself is very well planned out, and quite a bit intriguing as well. We watch as Shay tries to navigate her desire to help Tassi and figure out who the murderer might be at the same time. While I knew who it was before Shay, it was entertaining to watch her figure it out and put the clues together. In the end, it gives us a glimpse of what to look forward to in the next book, which, I think, will be just as enjoyable as this one. Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

This was a great entry in the Crystals & CuriousiTEAS Mystery series. Lauren Elliott does a great job in continuing the storyline and I was hooked from the first chapter. The characters were what I was hoping for and glad they felt like the same characters. It left me wanting to read more in this series.

This was a delightful cozy mystery. Shay is coming into her psychic abilities after inheriting a Tea Shop. While she’s holding a tea leaf divining group, a member drops dead. One of her employees becomes the prime suspect and Shay is hell bent on proving otherwise. There’s a side of romance, deadly plants, and lots of Irish accents. This was a super cute read, great for when you want to escape the real world. It’s a second book in the series, but the first book isn’t required reading necessarily.

Shay Myers is an intriguing sleuth - she's descended from an Irish witch and is the recent owner of a unique shop, Crystals & CuriosiTeas. Recently, she has learned she has "seer powers". When a client drops dead after a reading, Shay has to find out why before she or her assistant becomes a suspect or victim!

The mystery kept me reading and try as I !might, I couldn't guess "whodunit" . One of my favorite characters is Shay's dog Spirit who adds even more mystery to the series. A little romance and an entertaining mystery awaits. Grab a cup of tea and cozy up for a fun read!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Love this series , as well as the characters themselves, it the type of series you can get lost into before you know it .