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terriaminute's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
I have made my way through all the Little Village stories now, darn it. This one is light-hearted and sweet but with that richness the author's so good at. Quiet magic should be its own subgenre, honestly.
ryanpfw's review
4.0
Effectively introducing characters in 60 pages doesn’t leave enough room for plot, but there were some nice moments here, and it does make me crave tea, so there’s that. 4 stars.
endemictoearth's review
4.0
These Little Village stories are like delightful, hand-crafted petit-fours. Lovely and tasty and sometimes just the merest bit too insubstantial. However, I’ll take them, gratefully and happily, and read his back catalog.
scrow1022's review
4.0
Love returning to this town, his characters. Real in a way much romance isn't, even as there's magic in the stories. His stories take questions of care - individual, community - seriously, and they make my heart bigger for that.
unwise_samwise's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
whatjanereads's review
4.0
TW: alcoholic parent
This was really sweet, but not as good as the others in the series.
I loved the idea of siblings owning a tea shop and then having some kind of magical tea abilities.
I also really liked the meeting of the lovers, the story with the dog and the little misunderstanding.
They were very cute together, I would have loved to not end the story right after they were a week apart though.
My main problem with the story:
I think the backstory of the tattoo was a little weird tbh. Making my own experiences with this theme, I can’t believe they still talk to the father. And him asking to cover up the scar? Simply unbelievable. Because the one owning the scar is the one to live with the pain.
I also really hope Mat gets his own story, because I was hoping for a little more clearing up what happened to him.
This was really sweet, but not as good as the others in the series.
I loved the idea of siblings owning a tea shop and then having some kind of magical tea abilities.
I also really liked the meeting of the lovers, the story with the dog and the little misunderstanding.
They were very cute together, I would have loved to not end the story right after they were a week apart though.
My main problem with the story:
I think the backstory of the tattoo was a little weird tbh. Making my own experiences with this theme, I can’t believe they still talk to the father. And him asking to cover up the scar? Simply unbelievable. Because the one owning the scar is the one to live with the pain.
I also really hope Mat gets his own story, because I was hoping for a little more clearing up what happened to him.
wardenred's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
When he brewed teas, his hands grew warm, and he could give the tea something extra with a single touch. Nothing overwhelming, but enough to make the now a little more bearable, better, or pleasant.
In many ways, this story was as charming and cozy as I expected from a Little Village novella. I enjoyed the mood, the hectic reality of a retail job, the sibling relationship, every little scene with the dog, and so many other things. I must say I was really surprised at the level of magical realism/casual tea witchcraft. That wasn’t what I expected from this setting based on what I’ve read from it before, but it was wonderfully executed and overall a pleasant surprise. I want more!
However, I came for the romance, though, and that part didn’t leave me fully satisfied. I really liked Ivan, but Walt… well, he seemed interesting, but I also didn’t feel like I ever got to know him. For most of the story, the reader interacts with Ivan’s wrongful perception of Walt and his life far more than with Walt himself, and we don’t really get to see how Walt’s deal is different from what Ivan expected. All in all, this felt less like a self-contained novella and more like the first act of a novel. And I didn’t like how Ivan kept being all, “Should I give this guy a chance despite what my sister’s tea leaves reading says?” instead of trying to really see Walt and sincerely figure out if/how what he sees matched the tea reading.