A Pirate’s Life for Tea is an exciting read filled with action and adventure. It’s the second book in the Tomes & Tea series, but where Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea could still be called a cosy fantasy novel, the second instalment seems to move away from the genre altogether.

In this novel, the stakes are higher, the pace is faster, and there are no bookshop scenes. Nevertheless, the book remains a quick, light and funny read. There is also more romance, as we now follow two couples, but it remains rather sweet.

To sum up, this was an entertaining read, and I will definitely reach for the third book in the series once it’s out.

I knew I was going to enjoy this one just from how much I enjoyed You Can't Spell Treason Without Tea, and it did not disappoint me.
I love Reyna and Kianthe together. Ponder is adorable - I want a baby griffin now! Reyna and Kianthe's matchmaking is highly entertaining, and i look forward to seeing their next efforts.
I think Bobbie was quite cute from the get go, and I love that she crochets when she gets stressed 💜
Serena had to grow on me, but I ended up liking her.

Also, I love that the author is the kind of petty to double the lesbians because some people complained about there being lesbians in the first book 🤣

DNF at 30%

I was excited to be back in this world with Reyna and Kianthe because I loved the first book, but this was a frustrating read. It didn't feel like a cozy fantasy, but rather a normal fantasy where the main characters kept on making jokes. The joking was so over the top that I didn't find it funny anymore, but rather cringe and annoying. I just wanted them to have a serious conversation once in a while! I also did not understand the motives behind Reyna's actions, which further irritated me. As I was becoming more and more frustrated, I decided to DNF.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you very much for this eARC.
What a nice continuation of this cozy fantasy series. If you enjoyed the first book, this is one of the series worth reading the sequel.

A worthy, pun-filled second installment in the Tea & Tomes series, now with even more lesbians! Reyna and Kianthe are hot on the (decades old) trail of the dragon eggs when they come across a young couple in dire need of some matchmaking. A pirate who steals food and the anxious officer of the law desperate to protect her? Soudns like a job for the Mage and her consort!

A Pirate's Life for Tea is the second book in Rebecca Thorne's Tomes and Tea series, and it keeps a very similar tone to the first. Ostensibly Reyna and Kianthe are continuing their quest to find some missing dragon's eggs, but the majority of the book is centred on a diversion in the form of assorted pirates to track down.

The small-town charm of their bookshop is missing in this book, but many of the ingredients of the first novel are still present. Centrally, Reyna and Kianthe's relationship and interactions still have the same tone. The story tries to set them up as the established couple showing an example of a mature relationship to the younger characters, but unfortunately they still feel so teenage in their dynamic that this doesn't always come off successfully. They do, however, make a credibly happy couple and it's nice that there is no artificial threat to their relationship introduced.

The new young potential couple are quite fun. There is no will-they-won't-they tension, but they both have their own goals and opinions. Other supporting characters are also used well, with not too many being introduced at a time. Once again, there are plenty of queer and non-binary characters who clearly live in a world where this is accepted and unremarkable.

The baby griffin, Ponder, steals her scenes admirably.

This is written to be a gentle, cosy fantasy so I'm trying not to judge it too harshly for realism, but there were a few points that genuinely broke my immersion. The idea that two people can paint the entire trim of ship in less than a day is genuinely absurd. There is also a squeamishness around violence - the book constantly tells us that Reyna is a killer, but every fight involves politely knocking people out or pushing them overboard only for them to swim to safety. The politics and piracy are incredibly naive, but this seems to be a deliberate choice to support the cosiness of the book.

A Pirate's Life for Tea is a cosy book that promises and delivers a happy ending. If you are interested in the series you'd definitely be wise to read Can't Spell Treason Without Tea first, but this story does just about stand alone. The version I read also had a bonus 'spicy' short at the end that can be skipped without missing any plot.

Overall the book delivered what it promised, and with a similar level of quality to the first. If you enjoyed that then hopefully you'll be charmed by Reyna and Kianthe's adventure away from the bookshop.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I wasn't completely sold on the first novel in this series, but enjoyed it enough to come back for round two and was definitely rewarded. This book was a fun, swashbuckling adventure but with moments of quiet romance and empathy that brought the novel together. I enjoyed the continued focus on the realities of relationships and working through problems together that is often neglected in the more sensationalist romantasy fiction. A very fun and satisfying read.

I loved this continuation of the series and the introduction of pirate characters! I thought it was beautifully written and normally I’d be desperately waiting on the next book coming out but I was recently approved for the next book and I’m delighted to start reading it! Kianthe continues to be my favourite character but Reyna and other characters were really well-written and explored perfectly, and this book is just the right amount of action and adventure in a cosy fantasy, with a bit of romance throughout. A beautiful read and one I definitely recommend.

This was a highly anticipated read after reading the first book the month before and it did not disappoint. I loved the further development of the two main characters (and their relationship) from book one, as well as the two new characters introduced. If you love the puns and banter from the first book then you'll love this as it just continues delivering the fun - this also has the friends to enemies to lovers trope which is one of my favourite tropes and I hope we get to see more of those characters in future books. Cosy fantasy is such a fun genre to read when you want fantasy with a hint of danger but overall pretty low stakes, and this series is perfect for that.
(Also, unrelated to the story, but the dedication from the author in this book is fantastic and she definitely delivered with double the lesbians)

The whole Tomes and Tea series is a cosy sapphic hug following the adorable romance between Reyna and Kianthe. In book 1 (Can't Spell Treason Without Tea) they were setting up a cafe/bookshop in a remote village with a dragon problem, but in book 2 they undertake a quest to recover some lost dragons eggs. A new plot line and romance is added this time when Bobbie, a constable, is given the task of capturing Serina, her childhood friend who has now become a pirate. This book was a cosy, warm, and lovely romantic cosy fantasy and I look forward to book 3.

A Pirate’s Life for Tea is the second instalment in Rebecca Thorne’s Tomes and Tea series. I loved Reyna and Kianthe in You Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, so I was happy to see their quest continue in this second book. In addition, we also get the pairing of Bobby, an overworked and stressed-out constable who decompresses by crocheting, and Serina, her childhood friend turned pirate, who steals from Diarn Arlon and re-distributes food to the people in a Robin Hood-esque fashion.
I enjoyed the return of all of Key’s bad puns and liked how the author managed to interweave the two storylines. We get a continuation of the plot from book 1, even though the main focus is on Bobby and Serina’s storyline. I was at times butting heads at how oblivious those two were of their feelings for each other, but overall I really enjoyed the vibes of the book. It felt cozy in many parts, despite there being some elements of higher stakes and life-threatening situations the characters were thrown into. Really looking forward to reading the third book when it comes out!

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒋𝒊𝒔: 🏴‍☠️🧶💧☕️⚔️✨

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕: The second cosy fantasy in the Tomes and Tea series, following Kianthe and Reyna as they seek to fulfill the bargain they made in Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea...Mischief, Mayhem and Meddling ensues when they meet Pirate Serina and Constable Bobbie along the way.

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕:
🏴‍☠️ Childhood Friends to A Robin Hood-esque river pirate and the constable tasked with capturing her to Lovers arc.
☕️Sapphic Romances, Healthy relationships and LGBTQ+ Representation
🏴‍☠️Magic, Mystery and Secrets
☕️Loveable characters (including Bobbie who stress crochets all kinds of apparel and stuffed toys only to become inundated with them- she’s just really stressed guys)
🏴‍☠️The cutest baby Griffon
☕️Books & Tea Loving Heroines

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘: What a lovely sequel that, like Book 1, managed to be a wonderfully warm and cosy adventure filled with humour and hijinks (I found it hard not to smile through pretty much the entire thing) but with occasionally high stakes and numerous threats. It’s very easy to become lost in Reyna and Kianthe’s world and even easier to tell yourself “Just one more chapter” over and over again. This book brought me joy and made me want to squee- as a D&D player it felt so homely and familiar and gave me the same vibes as when I’m embroiled in a RPG session with my friends! I liked the characters, found the pacing to be good and, as with Book 1, I finished the book with a sense of satisfaction and closure while also being intrigued by what will come next- although Reyna and Kianthe’s thread runs through both books, there story is almost secondary to Serina and Bobbie’s in A Pirate’s Life for Tea and I’m really excited for Tea You at the Altar which I think will follow the same pattern of continuing threads but introducing new central characters to help unravel the wider narrative.

This might be a random and niche reference but if there are any other Critters out there Kianthe and Reyna give me big Allura and Kima vibes🥰

𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨(4.5 ⭐)

This time around, there’s no mistaking Thorne’s tale with anything by Travis Baldree. This is a much longer read for starters, coming in at nearly 450 pages, with plenty of twists and reverses along the way. While this still definitely ticks the ‘cosy fantasy’ box, that doesn’t prevent the author from putting her plucky heroines through the mill and in significant danger.

However, the puns and banter prevail throughout, providing a lighter tone even in the most difficult and dangerous circumstances. I grew fond of Kianthe and Reyna during the first book, so was already invested in their story and thoroughly enjoyed their adventures afloat. It was a pleasant change to see just how powerful Kianthe’s magic can be when she has access to a strong ley line provided by the river.

The pages flew by as I followed their fortunes which twisted almost as much as the large river they were travelling along. I wanted to be more invested in Bobbie and Serina – but frankly, their stubborn refusal to acknowledge their affection for each other had me wanting to bang their heads together. I’m aware this is a classic trope in romantic fiction – however, this is primarily a fantasy story where the romance generally takes a back seat and I lost patience long before the two of them saw sense. The other niggle is the Dread Pirate Dreggs, who was so very generic and not remotely dreadful that I was completely unconvinced. It’s a trickly path negotiating between the tension that defines Fantasy and making it suitably cosy so it isn’t too dark or grim – but I felt in this case, Thorne had slightly gone too far the other way.

As well as enjoying the company of our two main protagonists again – I also loved the griffins, especially little Ponder. I also very much appreciated Thorne’s thoughtfulness in putting her much spicier love scene at the back of the book with a clear warning that it wasn’t for underage readers. Given I’m not a fan of such scenes – I was glad this addition was clearly flagged so I could give it a miss. Despite my minor niggles, I thoroughly enjoyed this latest adventure and look forward to reading more in this entertaining series. While I obtained an arc of A Pirate’s Life for Tea from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

A Pirate's Life For Tea was an absolute joy to read. I liked it even better than the first, probably partly because I knew the vibe and waited till I was in the right mood! It was engaging, delightful and made me laugh several times. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed meeting Reyna and Kianthe again and the new characters are great too. Serina the Robin Hood-eske pirate and Bobbie the constable sent to hunt her down. While on the quest for finding stolen dragon eggs Reyna and Kianthe get side tracked by pirate shenanigans and also decide to play matchmaker.

The book really leans into the cheesy and fun - but I found myself very invested in the story too, it's not just a romp. The regional politics and maneuvering give it a depth beyond some of the silliness and this book has a bit more peril and drama than I'd usually expect from a cosy fantasy.

It's not perfect, a few elements felt shoehorned in and didn't quite fit with the rest of the story but nothing that really bothered me much. Overall, I had a great time and highly recommend to anyone who enjoyed the first book. (I would read Can't Spell Treason Without Tea first though!)

A Pirate's Life For Tea came out October 3rd. Thanks to @panmacmillan for the Netgalley eARC!

When I shared the dedication to this second book in the Tomes & Tea series with Litsy, one of my followers wrote that my mission was clear.: I had to give this book a one star review so Rebecca Thorne would double the lesbians in the next book. I cannot give the book one star. Sorry. I hope someone else wrote a condemning review so that Ms Thorne will double the pairings in the next instalment.

Reyna and Kianthe are still looking for the dragon eggs. Their search gets backburnered though, when they arrive at Diarn Arlon's estate just as the pirate who's been stealing food by the boatloads strikes again. They agree to help Arlon's constable to catch the pirate and soon find out that constable Bobbie and pirate Serina used to be childhood friends now turned enemies. Can Reyna and Kianthe turn the story of the pirate and the constable into an enemies-to-lovers romance?

Puns abound in this novel and I loved each and every one of them. I'm here for the next adventure!

PS: I also enjoyed the one-shot story at the end of the book.

A Pirate's Life for Tea is the highly anticipated cosy fantasy sequel to Can't Spell Treason without Tea, with another book planned to complete the trilogy.
There was certainly more action in A Pirate's Life for Tea than the first book, as it is more plot-focused than character-focused. I definitely missed Tawney and Tomes & Tea! So it did take me a while to get into this book, but the characters are what make this series for me. I just adore Kianthe and Reyna, and their relationship, as well as our new characters we met and our new romance between Serina and Bobbie.
It is the perfect escapism and definitely ideal for this autumnal time of year. I listened to this also via audiobook which is so well produced and narrated, I would highly recommend it.
I just think this is very strong for the first two books in the trilogy, and I cannot wait for book 3, Tea You at the Altar, to be released next year.
4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Rebecca Thorne for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Review posted to Goodreads, The StoryGraph, Waterstones and Amazon. Rating to be posted on Instagram in monthly review.

This is a common review for both Can't Spell Treason Without Tea and Pirate Life for Tea as I read one after the other.
COVID was a good way to go back to my TBR and pick up at random. These novels was always in high priority and somehow always postponed reading it.
That said I had fun as it's a cute couple of cosy fantasy novels: there's romance, there's the story of two persons who want to change their way of life and what happens when they try living their life as they like.
There's tea, the dreamy atmosphere of the bookstore. There's intrigue, political intrigue, some action and funny banters.
Kianthe is my fav character: a powerful mage who can use the power and the title to get what they want and is in a happy relationship with Reyna, a former palace guard.
I can't wait to read the next story as I inhaled these two and had fun.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A big fan of the first book, I found A Pirates Life for Tea a little bit of a let down I'm sorry to report.
Though I loved the parts with the main characters in, the pirate part seemed a bit of a distraction from the overall storyline (as good as it was). I found myself wanting to get back to Ranyna and Kianthe.
I'm hoping the third book will get back on track and conclude their story fully

I was overjoyed to read this second novel in this series! Reyna and Kianthes journey to track down the dragons was so well written and engaging.

I really enjoyed the first book but actually I think I enjoyed this one more. We pick back up where the first book ended.
Cozy fantasy really has become one of my favourite genres and this series is a perfect example.