For all of its popularity right now, cozy fantasy has never really worked for me before. I’ve tried reading a couple books in the genre, including one of the most popular ones out there, but both times I ended up being disappointed. Still, when I saw Rebecca Thorne’s Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea at my local bookshop and read the back matter, I decided to give the genre another chance. The story was too intriguing and the jade sprayed edges of the deluxe edition were too pretty for me to not take a chance on it. Now that I’ve finished the book, I am so happy I did.
Reyna and Kianthe have been talking about running away together and opening a bookshop that serves tea and baked goods for a while. This idea is easier said than done, though, since Reyna is a private guard to the queen and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in all the land. When an assassin takes Reyna hostage at knifepoint while the queen looks on with indifference, Reyna knows it’s time to leave. She and Kianthe escape to the border town of Tawney, nestled far in the north near dragon country. Together, these women seek to make a new life for themselves among new friends. Unfortunately, the vengeful queen will not let Reyna go that easy, and a mystery involving the dragons nearby threaten to make their new life all the more challenging.
I really enjoyed getting to read a story about two emotionally intelligent women taking their already existing relationship to the next level. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good journey from meet cute to happily ever after, but there was just something special about watching Reyna and Kianthe move in together and navigate all the changes that it brings to their relationship. Part of this is down to the chemistry between the two. Both women are sweet with each other and their playful banter is so fun to read. When issues arise (as they often do when people first move in together), both women approach them with maturity and understanding. You can tell that these women love each other dearly and want to stay together, which makes you invested in their story and hungry for more of it. I could read chapter after chapter of these two just going about their day, which isn’t something I can say about every romantic couple I read.
For all the adorable coziness that Rebecca Thorne infuses into her book, she also manages to give it a thrilling sense of danger and intrigue. She does a great job introducing the threat that is the callous and self-centered Queen Tilaine. Even when the story doesn’t mention her for multiple chapters, the threat she imposes was always lingering in the background and made me nervous for Reyna and Kianthe. The same could be said for the dragons later in the book. Their appearance on the scene led to several chapters that kept me on the edge of my seat and revealed a mystery that piqued my interest.
In short, I loved my time with Can’t Spell Treason without Tea. It was a delightful story filled with smart humor, great characters, and so much sweetness. I loved getting to watch two women navigate moving in together while also dealing with external threats hellbent on stopping them from enjoying their happily ever after. It reignited my interest in cozy fantasies and has gotten me so excited to read the rest of the Tomes & Tea series as well as anything else Rebecca Thorne writes.
