I have to say, it’s been a while since an ARC has surprised me so much. I knew this was going to make it to my favorite reads of the year within the first 5 chapters. It’s safe to say this book delivered!!!!
From the first chapter, I was completely hooked and could barely put it down. It had everything I love in a gothic fantasy, moody landscapes, a strong and curious heroine, and just the right amount of magic and romance.
The setting was so atmospheric, and the blend of history and myth felt effortless. Mina and Harker’s connection had so much depth, and I loved how their relationship unfolded against the backdrop of secrets, whispers, and danger. Even though it’s a shorter book, the story felt full and complete, with a beautifully wrapped-up ending.
It’s the kind of book that makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea on a rainy day. The plot, the characters, the lore, I loved every bit of it. A perfect fall (or gloomy day) read.

Romantasy girlies!! This was exactly the palate cleanser I needed! It was fast paced, small cast, great use of flashback and literary devices. I DEVOURED this book. 10/10 highly recommend!

4 Stars

This was quite a refreshing, unique take on vampires that I wasn’t expecting. It was also very sweet and heartfelt but left me wanting more and with a lot of questions. I’d love to get more into the lore of the area!

A very cozy romance between a lonely, reclusive alchemist and a lonely tea room attendant set against the backdrop of misty, 1850s Cornwall. Plus, a spooky murder mystery when a man is found dead and drained of blood on the edge of Harker’s estate.

I had a great time with this one, it would be a great pick for this upcoming spooky season!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the eARC - this is my honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for the ARC!
3.5 ⭐️

First, the positives...

What I liked:
The cover instantly grabbed my attention—it’s gorgeous and immediately piqued my interest. A 19th-century setting with a mystery? Count me in!

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I was surprised (in a good way) by the fantasy elements—there’s no hint of that in the blurb, which might mislead some readers, but as someone who loves a dash of the fantastical mixed into historical fiction, I was thrilled.
I appreciated the fresh take on vampires. It’s a trope I usually shy away from because it’s so overdone, but this felt unique and well thought-out. I especially liked the reasoning behind the vampire lore in this world.
The plot is straightforward—no big twists or complicated subplots—which actually worked in its favor. Sometimes, it’s nice to read a story that’s simply engaging without trying too hard to shock the reader.

One thing I was particularly grateful for: the distinct POVs. So many romances nowadays are written in first person with indistinguishable voices, which drives me nuts. Here, it was always clear whose perspective I was in, especially Harker’s, and that really helped immerse me in the story.

I liked both main characters. I’ve seen some comments saying she acts foolishly in dangerous situations, but honestly? She’s young, inexperienced, and suddenly caught up in a mystery involving a handsome stranger—who wouldn’t get swept up in that? Her mistakes made her feel more real to me. If she’d been overly mature, I wouldn’t have believed in her character as much. I found her likable, and frankly, I might’ve made the same mistakes myself!

The monster was an interesting addition. I wasn’t especially excited about its POV sections—they could have been handled through Harker’s eyes instead—but it didn’t detract much from my enjoyment.

What could be improved:
The tea leaf reading was a fun detail, but it felt underdeveloped and a little too convenient in the story. I wish it had been expanded on more.
The ending left me a bit disappointed—it felt too rushed, and several subplots weren’t wrapped up in a satisfying way, particularly the brother’s storyline. There were too many loose threads, and the resolution didn’t feel fully earned.
The romantic scene between the main characters fell a bit flat for me—it just didn’t spark the emotional connection I was hoping for.
I also felt like Mrs. Moyle, who was a strong supporting character, suddenly vanished from the story without explanation. Sure it was understandable but I feel she could have been more present.

The romance is low-spice, fade-to-black, which was fine—it fit the tone—but it wasn’t especially memorable.

Final thoughts:
I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy a touch of fantasy in their historical fiction, along with a slow-burn romance. Despite some minor issues, it was an enjoyable read with a unique twist on familiar elements.

Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this book the way I wanted to. I’ll try again when I’m in a different reading mood!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher and author for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed this! Great characters and world building, and I loved all the lore strewn throughout the story! I was expecting a cozy story about tea and alchemy based on the title, what I got was a eerie and haunting love story about vampires and other creatures of the night! There is a touch of romance (very PG) and some gruesome imagery with nice quick action sequences, this story has something for everyone! 4 stars!

Tea and Alchemy by Sharon Lynn Fisher is a masterpiece of a book! Such a good story. 5 star read for me. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

A tea leaf reader in nineteenth century England falls in love and in danger with a reclusive alchemist in this epic historical romance. Steeped in magic, heartbreak and the hunt for the truth surrounding a mysterious murder. Beautiful, compelling and gothic.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝟒𝟕𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐚 & 𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫

This book took me a long time to get into. I wasn’t super interested in it until about 50% of the way through. More often than not I was more or less getting annoyed by how our FMC was very adamant on telling us the same three things, what is up with Roche and Traggerick (valid but we could evolve the thoughts a bit more), her parents dying, and Jack being a drunk and sucky brother. I get these are parts of her life but sometimes it seems that is all we hear for the first half of the book. I would say the second half turned out great once some movement happened with solving the murders. If you enjoy Twilight you might enjoy this too. Our main characters portray Bella and Edward in terms of “this is the skin of a killer” but 1800s sort of feel. There is a lot of wanting to protect Mina because he feels he cannot stop himself. I will say it was an extremely unique was of telling a vampire story which bumped up my rating a whole star due to it being so unique.

Reviews are linked below on StoryGraph (7/3) and Tome (7/5).

I'm really into the classic fairytale vibes that this book was able to accomplish. It felt familiar and easy to dive into, and while at times I wished there had been more nuance and creativity with the story I did enjoy how quickly I could settle into the world with the characters. I did really enjoy the magical world building and the tea reading element of the story. It was super interesting and captured my attention as soon as it was introduced.

I think the pacing is the biggest issue I stumbled upon. I expected the romance to be a main focus, but it took a significant amount of time for the characters to start properly interacting and kicking off the romance. The slow pace made it difficult for me to truly commit to the story, and I think I just needed *more* to happen overall.

Tea & Alchemy is a delightful, cosy read that blends historical romance with paranormal mystery. Mina and Harker were both great characters whose stories interested me and whose romance felt natural and not forced or too sudden. The story was nicely paced throughout, emotional moments interspersed with action scenes, and the world building was well done. Regarding the latter, this story offered an intriguing, fresh take on the idea of vampires and their origins, and I thought it worked well. It certainly held my interest as the truth was slowly unraveled. I am giving this book 4.5 stars and I recommend it for fans of historical paranormal romance and fans of vampire tales looking for something a little different from the usual fare.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ideal for readers who enjoy:
• Gothic or historical fantasy with atmospheric immersion.
• Paranormal cozy mysteries featuring supernatural divination.
• Romantasy with a slow-burn central relationship and emotional resonance.
If you’re drawn to moody Victorian settings, tea‑leaf magic, and emotionally rich mysteries, Tea & Alchemy offers a rewarding experience despite a slower mid‑section. Expect gothic vibes, botanical detail, and a central romance that brews beautifully. A solid pick for colder nights or anyone craving a spellbinding blend of tea and tragedy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon Lynn Fisher, and 47North for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I ate this up! This was exactly what I needed at the moment. It has a perfect blend of Historical, Fantasy, Romance, and Mystery. The atmosphere was gloomy and spooky. It will be the perfect read to pick up when it comes out in October. I adored the cast of characters. I found the magic system very interesting. The fact that Mina, FMC, was a tasseographer, which is the art of reading tea leaves. Harker, the MMC, is a reclusive alchemist. I loved them together. I could read a whole series following these characters. I highly recommend it! Please, if this book and others by Sharon Lynn Fisher a read if you love atmospheric, historical, fantasy with romance!

I hadn’t read anything by Sharon Lynn Fisher before, though I’d heard of Salt & Broom, when I saw this book was about tea leaf reading and vampires I couldn’t resist.

Set in Cornwall in the 1800s it tells the tale of Mina, a young woman trying to work within the bonds of the conventions of the time. And Harker, a man with a dark family past, but an urge to do right.

I loved this book from the moment I began reading it, I love gothic literature and have been waiting for a really good novel to scratch that itch, this was definitely it.

I don’t think I can say anything bad about it, except I was a little surprised by the character development of Jack, Mina’s twin brother. I feel in the end though it did work for the over all story.

I would recommend this novel to all vampire loving, gothic literature loving readers. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley & 47North for the ARC!
Tea & Alchemy is magical, gothic tale full of romance and folklore. Sharon Lynn Fisher is very talented—her writing is atmospheric, really engaging you and pulling you into her world. It went by fast, but the pacing of the story was perfect!

SPOILERS AHEAD!

I really loved the fact that the book wasn't explicitly marketed as a vampire novel. The publishing industry is so oversaturated with tropes, supernatural creatures, and anything that can increase its marketing. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but as a reader it gets so tiring to see books overly marketed with every trope to the point where I'm not surprised by the plot anymore. I honestly might not have picked this book up had I known, and I was pleasantly surprised to go into this blind!

I really love all of the characters, they're all so likeable and interesting to watch interact. Harker and Mina are the perfect match, opposites full of respect for one another. Mina doesn't come from an educated background, but Harker never makes her feel stupid, knowing she's incredibly intelligent and perceptive. Harker is cold and tries to scare Mina off, but she sees right through him, knowing him to be a very compassionate man despite his trauma. And even our side characters, Jack became by favorite by the end. Not once did I expect him to be the one to save the whole village.

I loved all the little details: their relationship, the folklore, the tea leaf reading, the alchemy, the tensions in the village, the creature's weakness. It all felt so realistic in a magical way, and that's the best kind of story.

Tea & Alchemy

This was such a fun read!

1854 Cornwall England (I had to google where exactly this was, and the images of such a cute seaside village!)

The story is about Mina, a tearoom server who has a knack for tea leaf reading, and a recluse Harcker who never EVER has left his family's century old estate. Until a murder takes place and of course people are going to suspect the one person they don't know and have never seen.

A mix of superstition and scientific intrigue, with a touch of romance and yearning.
It's such a good get out of a bad reading slump fix.

Really easy getting into focusing on a small handful of characters, and their  interactions kept you focused!

Thank you to 47North and Netgalley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gothic fantasy that had a very interesting storyline. I was fascinated by the tea reading and the dreary atmosphere/setting. However the pacing is all over the place and kept pulling me out of the story.

Thanks to Netgalley, 47North and Sharon Lynn Fisher for the eARC in exchange for a review of this book.

"A tea leaf reader in nineteenth-century England falls in love—and in danger—with a reclusive alchemist."

I really enjoyed this one. I initially was drawn to the cover, and was excited to discover that it's a vampire novel. I'm always here for vampires in historical settings, and this one was one really well. Both the romance and the mystery were compelling and I found myself rooting for the characters to get together even as I was worried that things would end in disaster. I loved the folklore that was woven through and how specific and lived in the setting felt. I also loved the dual POV.

I saw this on net galley and I thought it looked all things witchy and spooky and picked it up. It did not disappoint! It has so many interesting folklore attributes such as reading tea leaves, magpies and forest spirits.

Mina is a local girl who works at the local tea room to earn a little money and to keep her days busy. Whilst she is there she slowly realises she can read omens in tea leaves and soon realises the omens can mean devastating consequences for the customers.

In the small town, she witnesses a murdered man on the outskirts of the foreboding estate that has always seemed to be abandoned and on her hunt for clues she soon meets the mysterious Harker. The heir to the estate who has a strange affinity towards alchemical concoctions and is cold to the touch.

So many elements of this story drew me in and it, although short was one of my favourite reads of the year. This is a book that I wish starling house was more similar to. The historical setting, folklore, vampires and a curious female lead really made this a five star book.i will definitely be reading more of this author.

Tea & Alchemy is a an historical fantasy set in 19th century England with a gothic atmosphere and a blend of mistery and supernatural.
I really loved the historical setting, which is actually inspired by a real place!
The gothic atmosphere was perfect, and i do think that this book would be the perfect autumn read. I really liked the characters, especially Mina, and i found the tea leaf reading very interesting. The supernatural part was really good, i’m a big fan of vampires and it was actually an unexpected twist.
I do think the ending was a bit rushed and i feel like the romance could’ve been developed a little more.

All in all i really liked the book and the story and I would definitely recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of vampires and gothic settings.

Thank you 47North and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!