I loved this book. The intersection of sweet, sapphic love story, fantasy setting, and community building is one that has a lot of potential to be its own micro genre

This book was a wonderful cozy fantasy and exceeded my expectations.

I appreciated a book with a relationship already well established between the main characters, it allowed the plot points to carry the story while also showing the love and caring between Kianthe and Reyna.

The pacing felt consistent and the puns were a lot of fun. I didn't realize at first that there might be a sequel but would like to read more about Reyna and Kianthe's adventures!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor/Forge for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publication.

This was a strong start to this series, it had everything that I enjoyed about a cozy fantasy novel. It uses everything that I was looking for and enjoyed how good the characters were. It had a unique feel to the world and that the fantasy elements were what was needed.

Like someone else mentioned, labeling this as a book like Legends and Lattes does it a real disservice. This book unfortunately gave not even one vibe similar to L&L besides there being a cafe involved. I was also excited for the sapphic romance but it was lackluster. There was zero depth to the characters. We were told they were so in love and communicated perfectly to one another and we're understanding of one another's emotions and quirks. But actual communication between the two characters barely showed this. Side characters were not fleshed out. The town they were in had no appeal. I was literally left with no desire to be in this world and my imagining of it was very basic. The world building was not done well. The story was also high stakes which isn't cozy. But even though it was high stakes, I could care less about the drama.

I really forced myself to finish this. It was a huge disappointment.

Ugh. I did it. I finished the most boring book ever. It took me weeks. I hoped I would eventually enjoy the story. But it's definitely fan fiction of Legends & Lattes. I was hoping for something a tad different but it's basically the same and not in a good way.

Nothing wrong with this book just got 20% through it and decided that I wasn’t enjoying it enough to keep reading. I did not leave a star rating on any book review sites

Thank you Tor and Netgalley for a copy of this book. I really enjoyed it more than I expected to, and read it nearly in one sitting.
I picked this title primarily on the inclusion of tea as a defining feature in the main character's life-goals plan and stayed for the world building and mystery. Even as a low stakes "cozy" title, I found the life Reyna and Kianthe were building for themselves to be more interesting and engaging for me than some other cozy fantasy titles I've read.
I liked the world building and cast of side characters that were introduced. I would be interested in reading a whole book about Feo and Wylan too as it seemed that may have been an option left open for the author to explore. The plot and mystery side components were predictable but still interesting, and Thorne has established several clues as to how the plot might progress in the next book.
Definitely something I recommend to anyone who likes a light book or wants something light after an intense read.

This was a cute book. A queen’s guard and a powerful mage run away together to open a bookshop/tea house. This had adventure, romance, a fantasy world and cozy setting. Overall I liked this one but didn’t love it. I think advertising it as a cozy fantasy similar to Legends & Lattes did it a disservice and set my expectations too high. It had cozy vibes sometimes but never really established a cozy community like I love in cozy fantasies.

Billed as a cozy fantasy in the vein of Legends and Lattes I was hopeful in finding a new story to sink into. Although I enjoyed the book it didn't quite hit all the points I wanted in this new genre.
We are introduced to Reyna, guard to a cutthroat Queen who sees her people as disposable and who is regularly injured in her role as protector. Reyna however is in a relationship with a powerful mage, Kianthe who is Arcandor - magical protector of the region. Kianthe is not happy about how her girlfriend is used by the Queen and has been trying to persuade Reyna to run away with her to set up a bookshop which serves tea. Disillusioned with her life Reyna decides to take the plunge and heads off into the wilds with Kianthe to start a new life.
All the key elements for romance and adventure are there , however although problems presented themselves they seemed to be overcome too easily - there was no striving / togetherness for Reyna and Kianthe to a shared goal. Possibly this is due to the established nature of their relationship, sadly this was just the book for me.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this ARC, all views are my own.

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**TL;DR:** I have to say I’m disappointed. This was a bit overly long, and I feel mislabeled as cozy. It was dull with moments of very high stakes and I was left with a feeling of whiplash.

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is a book that’s been on my radar since it was independently released. It’s been recommended many places as a good title to read if you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, and it was so well recieved that Tor picked it up for a big release. It’s the story of two women who run away together to start a life in a book and tea shop.

The premise sounds amazing, and possibly why I was so excited. I love bookshops, tea, and cozy fantasy in general but this one had some issues I found frustrating. First off, this didn’t feel cozy, instead it felt just a dull. The story, instead of the constant warm feeling that a cozy builds gradually, went through lulls of slow and rather dull moments where problems and issues were hand-waved away and moments of high tension where characters and others lives were at stake. The ‘things’ of cozy fantasy were there. Plants, books, tea, pastries, etc. But they felt like set dressing and very flat.

The relationship between the characters could have also affected this because it just didn’t have it. The two women are in a relationship from the beginning and as such we never see the initial coming together. Instead we’re told a lot how they fell in love or how they feel, but shown mostly the slow less interesting side of a relationship. Their conversations, while never overly long always devolve into one of two things: Sex Jokes or Oh WOW Our Communication is SO good.

The world could be interesting and I might consider picking up the second book on a whim, but I really hope the whiplash feeling of slow and dull to abruptly high stakes is evened out. Cozy, to me, is a slow build to whatever is lingering behind the characters. This was an up and down rollercoaster billed as ‘cozy’ and left me feeling very off balance.

3 Undying Plants out of 5

I loved this book!

Although I've never guarded a Queen, I can understand the frustration of being stuck in a job you want out of - and wanting a peaceful life. So, in that way, I could relate to both of the main characters motivations.
I was charmed by many of the secondary characters too, especially the Griffon.

This was a peaceful foray into the pursuit of a life one wants, not a life one is fated for. I wouldn't say it was low-stakes though!

All in all, I am thrilled with this story. I've found myself thinking of the tale and the characters quite often.

A Must Read!

Sitting at about a 3.5-4 star rating, I definitely enjoyed this sweet cozy fantasy. A soft, slow story was definitely something I needed to read this month. Also a bookstore/tea shop is literally my dream. I really enjoyed the way the author wrote all of the characters-- the main characters Reyna and Kianthe, as well as the people in their community. Something that brought it down from a full 4 star rating for me was really a personal preference issue, in that I'm not the biggest fan of reading stories with an already established romantic relationship as the main relationship. I prefer watching characters get together and begin from the start. That being said, Reyna and Kianthe's relationship was still very sweet, this was just a me thing. The stakes were slightly higher than some other cozy fantasy books, which I actually enjoyed here. A true low stakes fantasy is great from time to time but I need a little something more to keep me interested, and this book delivered on that.

While this book was advertised as cozy fiction, the only thing really cozy about it was the setting of the bookshop, otherwise this felt like a typical fantasy. A fun and easy read, the story features concepts of adventure and of choosing a different life for yourself to avoid boredom and self-righteous rulers. I love that it featured a queer romance that was healthy and mutually beneficial. This story did feel similar to Legends & Lattes, though I cannot say I prefer this one more. Overall, it was a fun read.

3.5 : to be completely fair, cozy fantasy may not be my thing. I may need the high stakes. BUT, anyone looking for a cozy, heart-warming fantasy, this is for you. This story follows the Queen’s ex-private guard, and her partner, the most powerful mage there is, as they settle down in a town and open a tea/bookshop. They get to know the townsfolk and assist with their troubles. It was all around a cute story. I did enjoy the already established sapphic relationship between the two MCs, and will likely continue the story with the next installment.

I really was hoping I would like this but I did not sadly. It was really herd not to compare it to Legends and Lattes, but it was inevitable. In general it's missing some of the charm L&L has. Some of the plot points don't seem to be resolved, they will come up and won't be mentioned again. There is also a good bit of telling and not showing.

Honestly I don't think I can read another cozy fantasy about bookshops, coffee shops or tea shops. Maybe a cozy fantasy about a taco truck.

Can't Spell Treason without Tea is a delightful cozy fantasy about two women starting a new life together, with their past not far behind them. Reyna is a former guard on the run from her psycho queen. Kianthe is the most powerful mage and sick of life behind walls. Together they open a tea and book shop in a small town.
Reyna is a former guard and puts everyone else ahead of herself. She was incredibly relatable as a character. Kianthe is so powerful and deals with anxiety. She deals with panic attacks and learns to manage them.
The plot was a little more than cozy fantasy. Reyna has a high stakes plot as she's abandoned her post as a royal guard to a queen who's incredibly possessive. Kianthe has a couple high stakes plotlines involving her being potentially forced to stay with the other mages, away form Reyna. There's also another one with dragons. All of which was really exciting, but felt like a lot for a cozy fantasy. While I really enjoyed it, I would definitely caveat that when recommending it to other cozy fantasy fans.
Overall, it was really cute. I love the saphic rep and the adorable shop they put together. The little town is delightful and so are the side characters. Definitely recommend to any cozy fantasy fan.

US traditional pub date: 5/7/24
Genre: cozy fantasy
Quick summary: A love story between a queen's guard and a powerful mage has to be dramatic, right? Reyna and Kianthe just want to escape and open their bookstore-cafe, but their past will eventually catch up with them...

From the description of this book, you're probably thinking of LEGENDS AND LATTES, which author Thorne admits was a huge inspiration. But I felt like this was different enough to keep me interested - I enjoyed how Reyna and Kianthe created their new life together. It was clear they were in love but didn't really fully "know" each other yet, so there were plenty of funny little conflicts that popped up. There wasn't much at stake until the last third of the book, so if you want an action-packed read, this probably isn't the book for you. But if you dream of escaping everyday life and opening a bookstore, definitely give this one a try! 3.5 rounded to 4.

Thank you to Tor/Bramble for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to enjoy this, for all that it looked like a Legends & Lattes clone. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the warmth, charisma, and humor of Legends & Lattes. The main couple alternately acts like they've just met and that they're in the incredibly dull part of a long-term relationship. I don't care about the townspeople. I never feel like the fire–or anything else–actually has warmth, and what else is cozy book but a sense of suffused warmth from sinking into a low-stakes world?

DNF 37%

2.5 stars. So far, Legends & Lattes is a fluke on how much I enjoy so-called cozy fantasies because every book after that one has been a disappointment, and unfortunately, this one was one too.

This book had a lot of telling not showing. We are told that Reyna and Kianthe are in love, and we are definitely shown their PDA in inappropriate times, but we are never shown how they fell in love and why they are willing to risk everything for each other besides they think each other is hot. We also do not see why they love this new town; they say it's now their home. I wanted to feel the intricacies of them falling in love with small-town life with the quirky neighbors with town fairs and festivals unique to this region. I wanted to see the town get together, help solve the magic problem, and show that their new neighbors become one of their own. Instead, we get a quick "yep, we built this tea and book shop in like 5 pages, and now somehow, even though we only know 2 couples in this town, we are accepted."

Besides lacking the cozy feeling I wanted, the higher stake plot points were never concluded. This could sometimes work in a series, but what this book did was extremely abrupt and literally made me say, "Wait, that's it????" I thought true treason was gonna happen, and I was so confused when nothing happened, and the dragon thing ended so strangely that it left the whole book unsatisfying and unresolved.

The writing was fine, and I could see this book being good with several more rewrites and editing. This book had the kernel of a great book, but with all the generic world, magic, unresolved ending, un-comfy feeling, and characters that were not memorable, it was just a disappointment.

"Legends and Lattes" was a breath of fresh air in a deep cavern of grimdark fantasy; I loved its unique approach and its charming characters. While the prequel didn't do it for me, I was happy to check out a new series of cozy fantasy, and "Can't Spell Treason Without Tea" seemed like a good bet with a sapphic romance and the main couple's ambition to open a bookshop.

Unfortunately, I was tired of literally every aspect of this book only a few chapters in. First of all - this is not cozy. Which is fine! But there are assassination attempts and violence and being wanted by the law and all of that pretty much immediately. I adjusted my expectations for something that was maybe medium-stakes rather than low - no big. But the characters were so bland that it was difficult to tell their voices apart in their POV chapters, the romance was already established so there was no character building there, and the worldbuilding was just nonexistent. It's like the author heard "low stakes" and drained the tension out of the wrong things. The writing was all "tell don't show", the villain comically evil, and the style reminded me a lot of YA writers trying their hand at adult rather than anything approaching depth.

I'm not sure who this was written for - I know this is a fantastic book for someone, and I can glance at the star rating and see that my opinion is an outlier. But it was a bear to get through. Not for me!