sorry to say but i realized that i don't care about these characters anymore. and i think this book strayed even further from cozy fantasy category.

the main characters are still Reyna & Kianthe, with an addition of a new POV. R&K basically still going on the mission from the first book, tracking the stolen dragon egg, but they got a side quest to capture a pirate that has been plaguing a certain area. but once they got the pirate, they realized that she's not the villain to the story and helped her instead.

more action, more characters, more sapphic. but as i said, i didn't care anymore. so it was quite boring for me.

*Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review and to LibroFM for the gifted ALC*

We're back and ready for coziness, baby! And who knew that a high seas pirate adventure would be the coziest thing I've read in awhile? A Pirate's Life for Tea is all about standing up for what's right, terrible puns, and hot pirates. And crochet, also crochet. We're still following the dragon eggs plot from Can't Spell Treason Without Tea and I was overjoyed to get some resolution to that thread. But I also really liked the new plotlines interspersed here. Some were relevant to the overall plot of the story, but others were just awesome side storylines that made me cheer when they reached fruition. (Let's just say there's a pirate SHIP, eyyo!)

Also the "one shot" short story at the end? Grab some milk y'all because it is SPIIIIIIICY. I was not expecting that at all, but I am not complaining at all.

Genre: cozy fantasy

Stop me if you've heard me say this before (you definitely have): I need to stop requesting cozy fantasy ARCs. They are *not* for me. Even with pirates, this one wasn't a book I connected with.

That said, if you have an ARC, it's perfect for Sapphic September, and if you like your romantasy cozy, you'll love this.

Reyna (former queen's guard) and Kianthe (most powerful mage in the country) own a bookshop in a remote part of the kingdom far enough away to not be tracked....but a little too close to the dragons. The dragons' eggs were stolen long ago, and they want them back, and Kianthe and Reyna are on a mission to retrieve them. This brings them to the conflict with Serina, former farmer now pirate who steals food to redistribute, and Bobbie, constable and former besties with Serina.

Look, this had hope and promise...and about three too many conflicts for me. It's 444 pages/13 hours. Again, recognizing that this is a me & cozy fantasy issue, the pacing was off - there was a lot of action, and yet the plot crawled. I give it 3.5 stars and 4 swashes buckled.

This sequel is such a delightful addition to the cozy fantasy romance series! The characters have really developed, and it's so much fun following their journeys. The new characters are fantastic and even inspired me to try my hand at crocheting! If you enjoyed the first book, you definitely won't want to miss this one!

A pretty good sequel in the Tomes & Tea series! I normally enjoy romance series that skip from couple to couple in each book, so when I was reading the book I kept hoping that we would move on from the same couple from the previous book and start focusing on the new couple, but the story was more of a continuation of the first book’s couple. As a cozy fantasy romance it works really good, has really cute elements like a character who stress crochets, and many more. Definitely a good read!

This is the first time that I think the reasons I DNF (did not finish) a book could be the reason someone else really enjoys it. I was more interested in the secondary plot than the developing love story the book ended up following. I enjoyed the writing and the silliness of Kianthe’s puns. I also liked that one of the new characters, Bobbie, crocheted. I almost kept reading just for that. Overall, this was just not the right book for me. This could be the right book for you if you like cozy fantasy books with a love story at the forefront.

A Pirate’s Life for Tea, book 2 in the Tomes and Tea series by Rebecca Thorne, follows Kianthe and Reyna, along with their new friends, Serina and Bobbie, on a pirate adventure. This cozy fantasy is so fun and heartwarming. I’ve already pre-ordered a beautiful sprayed-edge paperback copy. Full 5⭐️ for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

A Pirate’s Life for Tea is the second book in the Tomes and Tea series. While it still falls in the cozy category, I felt that this one pushed the boundaries of the cozy genre more than the first with the increased action. I did love that this installment gave us a new couple to root for while introducing some truly fabulous pirates. The characters alone are enough for me to recommend this book. I love that Reyna and Kianthe create lasting friendships wherever they go. Much like the first book, A Pirate’s Life for Tea also had excellent banter and puns. The main issue I had with this one was that it felt longer than necessary resulting in the story dragging at certain points. I combo eyeball and audiobook read this one. I will say I found myself gravitating more towards the audiobook because Jessica Threet’s narration is so good. Threet adds to the overall cozy vibe while simultaneously delivering puns for maximum enjoyment. Overall, I would highly recommend this book/series, and I can’t wait for the next one.

This cozy fantasy series is like a warm hug of a book.

I love the main characters, the side characters they befriend and adventure with, and even the villain!

The end of this story is open, so I am hopeful to see a continuation of these characters and this world. I'm attached to the town where these heroines have settled, their friends there, their pet griffins, and even the nearby formerly-rampaging dragons. I cannot wait to read more books in this series!

This book is perfect for fans of Travis Baldree and Kimberlee Fleming.

If you like cozy stories, and comfortable fantasy stories about magic and tea shops, give this a try!

Yet again, Rebecca Thorne knocked it out of the park on this book. The perfect mix of fantasy and romance, loveable characters that hook you from the get-go, and a rich world that I just can't wait to explore again. At this point, I'll read anything she writes!

I adored Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, so I'm not surprised that I enjoyed this book just as much. Another cozy sapphic for the books and I am here for it! I do believe reading Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea before this book will serve you better as there is not much world building and I think it's because Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea did such a good job at it. So, while it says it can be read alone, I would recommend reading after book 1.

*Received as a free ARC*
I was expecting this to be a related but separate case, but was delighted to realize that Reyna and Kianthe were still integral POV characters! So I was immediately 100% more interested once I'd started. Once again they were snappy, mushy, and punny. Plot threads from book one were tied up and there's going to be a third! I'd highly recommend this to anyone who likes cozy fantasy or pirate books. Can't go wrong with both.

Cozy sapphic pirates!!!!! Such a good follow-up to the first one!!!!!!! I love these characters and this world so much.

This book was so much fun! I absolutely adored the first book in the series, Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, and this next installment did not disappoint. We have the same set of fantastic old ones, as well as some amazing new characters.

I adore the cozy fantasy vibes, but also very much appreciate that this is higher stakes than the typical cozy fantasy. The relationships are well developed and advance throughout the book. None of the characters are one-dimensional and that lends itself well to how enjoyable the relationships are.

I will be anxiously waiting for the third book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

This was a fun adventure book with a bit of magic tossed in for interest. I will be reading more of Rebecca Thorne's book very soon.

The story continues in this nautical sequel to Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea. Twice the adventure, and twice the seafaring sapphic fun!

While the first book by Rebecca Thorne shared a certain amount of DNA with Travis Baldree’s cozy fantasy Legends & Lattes, this one takes Reyna and Kianthe’s story deeper into uncharted waters.

As we discovered last time, Reyna is a former guard to a murderous queen, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage around, but they have both made a quiet life together in the village of Tawney, running a tea shop. There is the small matter of some missing dragon eggs they need to locate before said dragons decide to turn the whole place to ash, plus the continuing threat of Queen Tilaine, but other than that life is good, if perhaps a little too quiet.

A year on, and the search for the eggs has taken our couple far west to Shepara, the home of the Nacean river. They have come to see the lord of the area, Diarn Arlon, who says he will happily help them in their quest, with one small condition—first they have to deal with an annoying pirate problem for him. That problem mainly takes the form of Serina, a Robin Hood-esque pirate who is stealing grain from Diarn Arlon to feed the poor along the length of the river. She is being pursued by Bobbie, who (in a clear case of nominative determinism) is the constable charged with bringing her to justice. Did I mention the two of them used to be friends, and perhaps, something more? And who is the Dastardly Pirate Dreggs?

The generally light-hearted tone of the first story continues here. Bobbie crochets small animals when stressed, and is clearly under a lot of pressure by the number of these that litter the place. Reyna is helping to raise a chaotic baby griffin, and Kianthe’s puns remain truly under-appreciated. All in all, it’s an enjoyable romp and I was glad to spend more time with the existing characters, and meet the new ones. I look forward to reading the next book soon.

Also, a tip of the hat to any fantasy book that makes such a blatant Mass Effect reference that I laughed out loud.

Both books are highly recommended, thanks to Tor for the review copy.

Content Warnings: Social Injustice, Descriptions of Blood/Wounds (Minor), Descriptions of Suffocation/Choking

For the sex averse, there are no explicit sex scenes in the novel. There is an included one-shot described as “spicy,” but it is unconnected to the book itself and can be skipped if desired.

First, it's important to note that this book is the second in a series. While in the opening it states the book can be read alone, I disagree. There is little to no world building in this book, which I assume was covered in the first. Places, titles, social order, and so forth are not introduced that well. There is a major subplot that came from the first novel, and some details are references from the first book. It’s not FULLY unreadable, but it feels like a lot of context and detail that would immerse new readers is missing.

Additionally, this book took a while to warm up. At first it was too relationship focused; as the plot and characters developed, it got more interesting. I think the plot idea behind the book was better than the execution, but there are some fun pluses to the world. There is a lot of good, fun adventuring with undercurrents of social justice issues like police, hoarding wealth, and piracy as activism. It’s also a queer inclusive world.

Overall, this book was just okay, but some will likely find it fun. If you do decide to read this book, I recommend reading the prequel first.

Rebecca Thorne delivers once again! A beautiful continuation of the Tomes & Tea series and a must read for anyone interested in a sapphic cozy fantasy. The plot did lose me a few times in the middle but it was all made up for in the end. The romance between Reyna and Kianthe will warm any readers heart.

If Reyna has one fan, it's me. Seriously, this book is so good. I had a blast from start to finish. We don't spend much time in Tawney this time around, but that's alright because instead there are pirates. A rogue river pirate, an infamously famous pirate, and nearly every other kind of pirate. And of course, the mission to find the dragon eggs. There is a misguided crochet-hook weilding constable chasing after a rebelous farmer-turned-pirate stealing grain, and in the background of it all, the conspiracy our main characters are after. It all comes together in a satisfying conclusion. There is also a bonus chapter are really going to enjoy.

While searching for stolen dragon eggs, newly engaged couple Kianthe and Reyna find themselves smack-dab in the middle of a swashbuckling love story.
On one side is Serina, a failed farmer turned river pirate. Her booty? Wheat, grains, and the occasional jar of imported tea leaves. It's quite the embarrassment to Diarn Arlon, the powerful lord of the Nacean River, and he'll conscript anyone to bring her to justice. Especially Kianthe, the elemental mage who just crashed his party, and her somewhat-scary fiancée.
Begrudgingly, the couple joins forces with Bobbie, one of Arlon's constables--who happens to be Serina's childhood friend. Bobbie is determined to capture the pirate before anyone else, but it would be a lot easier if Serina didn't absolutely loathe her now.
As Kianthe and Reyna watch this relation-shipwreck from afar, it quickly becomes apparent that these disaster lesbians need all the help they can get. Luckily, matchmaking is Reyna's favorite past time. The dragon eggs may have to wait.

The second book in the Tomes & Tea Cozy Fantasies is a fairly good sequel, but it reads more as a side quest. Seeing a love story through the eyes of the people around them automatically takes away some of the immediacy that was felt in the first book. Having Kianthe and Reyna separated for most of the book also left us without there interplay. I hope that this doesn't happen again in the next novel in the series.
That said, this is recommended for fans of the first book.