I didn't read the first book, but was hoping I could just jump into the series. I think the book does a good job of laying out the magic system and back story without having the knowledge of Book one. This is a romantasy set in what feels like a medieval world with magical creatures, mages and alchemy, and lots of puns. If you're looking for a cozy sapphic romance, this should do it for me.

Unfortunately, it wasn't my cup of tea. While I loved seeing the LGBTQIA+ rep, and the action scenes were entertaining enough, personally, I found it a bit jarring to have what felt like modern idioms sprinkled throughout the historical setting. The cutesy, quirkiness of some of the characters was a grating to me and I just found myself signing and rolling my eyes throughout. There was very little spice to make up for it, but the short story at the end of the audiobook was fun.

***Thank you to Macmillan audio for providing me with the Audiobook for free via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

If you are looking for a cute cozy fantasy with sapphic romance (non-spicy - there is a cute spicy one shot at the end of the audiobook), then look no further.

Griffins, dragons, mages, spells, and pirates fill this book -- but the narrator speaks very slowly. I had to sped the audio speed to 2x to be able to pay attention.

It wasn't my cup of tea but I know someone will love this cozy little fantasy.

A Pirate's Life for Tea was the perfect cozy fantasy read for me to start my Fall reads with and I can not wait to snag a physical copy next time I drop by books a million. Having already loved Can't spell Treason without Tea last year I was delighted to be granted a audio copy of this installment and found every moment of it to be wonderful. While this title is technically book two of a series and thus wonderful for returning fans I do think its episodic nature also makes this an excellent read for those new to this author's works.

While I remain invested in this story, I should have picked up a physical book since this would have been more enjoyable if I had been able to read it myself. Regardless I love this series and can’t wait to see what happens next!

An excellent second installment in the “Tomes & Tea” series! In this adventure, we follow Kianthe and Reyna as they journey to find some lost dragon eggs and save their home. Along the way, they make a deal with a local lord who promises to give them information about the eggs—just as long as they take care of a small pirate problem in the region first. Joined by Bobbie, one of the lord’s constables who nervously crochets, they venture to confront the chaotic pirate Serina. As they get closer to her capture, it becomes clear that Bobbie and Serina have a complicated past of friendship…or maybe more. Do Kianthe and Reyna turn Serina in and tear the two apart forever? Or do they play matchmaker and push Bobbie and Serina together, putting at risk their home and those they love?

❤️ What I loved: I love the work that Rebecca Thorne has created in this series—it’s full of interesting characters, magic, and a unique setting. It’s all a little ridiculous, but I also appreciate that the story doesn’t take itself too seriously. I thought the broader cast of characters and set of perspectives in this story was fun, and I hope that continues in the next book in the series. Something I really love about this series is how healthy of a relationship Kianthe and Reyna have. It’s always refreshing when we get to see a romance without the drama centering on whether or not they should be together. I read this as an audiobook–I appreciate the range of voices the narrator uses and thought they did a great job setting a humorous tone for the story.
💔 What I didn’t love: This is a personal preference, but the way the narrator would add some sound effects to the dialogue started to pull me out of the story at times. For others, they might find that really engaging, but it just wasn’t great for me.

This series is great for fans of lighthearted, cozy fantasy stories and queer romance. I am eagerly awaiting book #3!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4.5-5)

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Thorne, and Macmillan Audio, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book. ✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. ✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

3.5 rounded up

I did not find this book as charming as the first and the mouth sounds added by the audio narrator made some scenes very hard to listen too. BUT, there is still a very solid, interesting story at the heart of this book. The secondary romance in the book didn't speak to me at all and I found the smug matchmaking of our main characters to be annoying. When the story focused on the adventure and mystery it was delightful and I wish there had been more of that.

There is a spicy one shot bonus at the end of the book which I did not listen to because from the way the author writes and the way the narrator voices the characters, I could not imagine it not making me cringe to listen to.

This was a fun lgbtqiap+ cozy fantasy story that is book two in the series. Having not read book one and not having time to go back to it just now I was leery going into this. I figured I’d be lost regarding plot and characters, but the author did a good job of properly introducing characters and backstories. There were two sets of MCs and while I quite enjoyed Kianthe and Reyna (the MCs from book one and the MCs of the series) I did not care for the other couple. Bobbie and Serina were quite annoying to me. I ultimately liked the story, but I’m not sure I’ll read more of the series.

SO, I got approved for this arc and then forgot to download it. I purchased it anyway (physical copy) and this is my feedback:

3.5/5 Stars | Much More Action then Anticipated

What I liked: I love Rain and Key's dynamic and how goofy they are. I like the world and the magic and how this book doesn't take itself too seriously.

What I didn't like: This is not cozy. I know the first one teetered on the edge, but this is decidedly not cozy. It's irreverent and funny, but it's not cozy, and it didn't meet my expectations for a cozy book. It's still a very good book, but it didn't live up to exactly what it was marketed as.

Perfection, perfection, perfection! Can't Spell Treason Without Tea was one of my top reads this year, and this is just as fun and adventurous. I loved getting to revisit one of my favorite fictional queer couples and then got to meet a new one!

This story alone is phenomenal, but the audio narration just brings it to life. I adored all the POVs and this twisty turning pirate Robin hood tale!

Cute and cozy sapphic fantasy. I love the so stupid they’re funny jokes. This second installment had a bit more action and adventure. Loved the low stakes good guy pirating. I also enjoy having a satisfying wrap up of the main conflict in each book with a short buildup at the end leading up to the next book. Perfect for a fall day of reading cuddled up with a blanket and sipping a steaming mug of tea. The bonus spicy scene at the end was great! The narrator does such an amazing job with all the voices and accents it’s like you’re right there in the book with them.

4 🌟

I did not realize this was a second book (entirely my bad), so I went back and read the first installment and came back to the second. Once I did that things made more sense. This is such a cozy fantasy read and I loved the characters. I would have read it from this quote from the author alone "To the people who gave me one-star reviews because the first book "had lesbians." I doubled the lesbians in this one. Just for you." The characters had depth and dimension, the world was well written and cozy, I love this series! 1000% recommend to everyone.

Rebecca Thorne does it again. I love the characters - old and new. It's a perfect extension of book 1 that adapts into a new story with new characters and problems while still trying to solve the original problem from the end of book 1. Kianthe and Reyna are still trying to find the lost dragon eggs to return to save their lovely town. Bobbie, Serena and Dreggs are wonderful new characters and I hope it is not the last we have seen of them all.

This was such a fun one to jump into! I read the first one in the series and was excited to read/ listen to this one! I always love a good pirate story and this one had a little bit of fantasy, romance, and adventure mixed into one book! It had the same great characters from the first one but also introduced some other lovable characters as well. I really loved the narrator and feel like they did such a great job at all the character voices. I think I enjoyed this one more than the first one!

Everything about this book tried hard to make me give up, from the plot to the romance to the audiobook narrator.

I won't say my mood wasn't a factor because it probably was. I wouldn't have requested the ARC if I weren't excited about it, but we're entering the fall/winter season when my reading mood takes a nosedive. This outcome was not the one I was hoping for.

Despite being billed as cozy, this storyline has mid-high level stakes with several near death experiences. All of the conflicts are resolved easily and briefly with minor difficulty, which is probably an effort to communicate coziness and instead feels like frustrating simplicity.

The new romance between Bobbie and Serina is bland bland bland. Both of them insist so forcefully on their lack of romantic relationship that Kianthe and Reyna's matchmaking feels invasive and unwelcome. Then in an abrupt ending switch-up Bobbie and Serina are in love and all over each other with zero development to get there.

And the audiobook narrator's voice is all wrong for the story. I genuinely appreciate her use of accents and she is clearly skilled. But her default narration sounds like the perfect choice for a snarky, emotionally closed off badass heroine - a characterization which fits none of these characters nor the tone of this story.

I truly want to have good things to say about this book, because I did enjoy Can't Spell Treason Without Tea - it just really did not work for me.

3.5 ☆
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If you want a cozy fantasy, this book comes highly recommended! Plain and simple.
The audiobook was good, and the narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life.
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Thank you, Netgellay, MacmillanAudio, and Tor Publishing for the audiobook and Ebook in exchange for my honest review.

The narration and the opening of the book did not grab me. I read about a chapter and wasn’t interested in the characters and plot enough to continue. While the plot itself seemed like it could be good, the writing style was not one that grabbed my attention.

Narrator Jessica Threet does an amazing job , as always and her unique and steady voice added to an already great premises of a “cozy” fantasy, a gene I am new to reading and listening to. I fell in love with the characters immediately and yes, read book one first.

Oh my, do I love Kianthe & Reyna 🥹

This was a super adorable addition to the series, and while it didn’t keep my attention *quite* like the first book, I still had an absolute blast reading about this charming couple and their new swashbyckling adventures. A Pirate’s Life for Tea introduces a whole second lesbian couple to adore, and it was fun to have the comfort of the couple we know alongside the tension of a new one who hasn’t figured out how they’re going to come together yet.

The audiobook narrator for this series is absolutely phenomenal, and while I did notice my attention drifting from time to time, the plot and world feels so comfortable that it’s very easy to come back to things and see what is going on. The narrator handles all the different characters voices incredibly well, and there was even a spicy one shot at the end!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this little gem of a book! I can’t wait for the next installment!!

Just give me all the cozy fantasies. One thing I really love about this series, is that it still has a lot of action without it ever being high stakes or stressful. It’s such a different niche of cozy fantasy but in the absolute best way. This was even better than the first one which was a high bar.

I absolutely loved the first book in the series and A Pirates Life for Tea continues with the cozy fantasy vibes.