Reviews - Tea You at the Altar

1.11k reviews for:

Tea You at the Altar

Rebecca Thorne

4.28 AVERAGE

bethwhiteside_'s review against another edition

4.25

funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

clcarverrr's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

myevilgnome's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

gabby2022's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

l1brarygirl's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

txa1265's review against another edition

4.0

I was so excited for the arrival of this book - the third entry in the Tomes and Tea series and the first one to be introduced as a traditionally published volume.

Reyna and Kianthe are planning their wedding - but they are also plotting something much grander. We’re back in Tawney again, which really benefits the storytelling - so much of the foundation of this series is based on everything about Tawney, so the return is very welcome.

All of our favorite characters from the first two books are back - and we get one of the benefits of being deep into a series, which is getting deeper into the lives, stories and motivations of all of the characters. I do wish that some of the characters got a deeper dive - but I don’t see that as a flaw, more of me loving everyone and wanting to know everything about everyone.

The story plays out really organically in a way that flows nicely from start to finish - this is a cozy fantasy book, so while there are twists and turns and potential for peril … you know that everything will be just fine in the end. But within those confines there is plenty of action and intrigue.

Some of the best touches were going back in time to reinvestigate and look deeper into Reyna’s and Kianthe’s histories - not just the facts and timelines, but the relationships and feelings that led them to where they are now.

Third books in four book series seem a special challenge in the continued development of plot and character while also pushing towards the conclusion. Tea You at the Altar does a great job of navigating all of that, but there are issues in the middle of the book where the pacing in particular feels uneven. Fortunately it quickly resolves as we hit the third act and from there it is impossible to put down!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book even while it had some pacing issues in the middle - if you have started and are having those concerns, keep going because pretty soon you won’t be able to put it down. And because it is the penultimate entry, we get a fun cliffhanger that makes me totally excited for the conclusion to the series - and continue my absolute love for everything Rebecca Thorne writes!