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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
How can you not love a good, cozy historical paranormal fantasy?
Previously, I've read Fisher's Salt & Broom and loved it, so I was excited to get my hands on a copy of Tea & Alchemy. It follows a young woman named Mina Penrose in 19th century Cornwall. She finds out that she can read tea leaves while working at the village's teahouse "The Magpie". On her way home from work one night, she stumbles upon body on the heath. Harker Tregarrick, the mysterious alchemist with a taste for blood, is blamed for the murder, and soon Mina finds herself entrenched in the mystery of this reclusive man and intends to get to the bottom of the murder.
It's a slow-burning romance tangled up in a murder mystery. It gave cozy autumn vibes with a its combo of vampires and Irish folklore.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon Lynn Fisher, and 47North for the e-arc.
Previously, I've read Fisher's Salt & Broom and loved it, so I was excited to get my hands on a copy of Tea & Alchemy. It follows a young woman named Mina Penrose in 19th century Cornwall. She finds out that she can read tea leaves while working at the village's teahouse "The Magpie". On her way home from work one night, she stumbles upon body on the heath. Harker Tregarrick, the mysterious alchemist with a taste for blood, is blamed for the murder, and soon Mina finds herself entrenched in the mystery of this reclusive man and intends to get to the bottom of the murder.
It's a slow-burning romance tangled up in a murder mystery. It gave cozy autumn vibes with a its combo of vampires and Irish folklore.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon Lynn Fisher, and 47North for the e-arc.
"Being a woman is no excuse for being uninformed"
Tea & Alchemy was a delight of a read!
Our heroine, Mina Penrose, leads a simple life. She runs the household for her and her twin brother after their parents passed, while also working at the tea shop in town. But soon, her simple life begins to unwind and broaden after she stumbles upon a dead body and meets the mysterious Harker Tregarrick.
Tea & Alchemy is a cozy gothic fantasy with mystery sprinkled. While alchemy plays a small part in the beginning of the book, it gets left behind as the plot of the story gets revealed.
I do wish Harker's chapters only took place in the second half of the book. While it was cool to see his POV earlier on, I think it would have been more impactful to start it later.
I really enjoyed this book. While parts of it felt rushed and other parts a little bit too unexplored, overall, the story was easy to read and I felt satisfied at its end.
4/5 Stars
Pick this book up if you like:
gothic fantasy
cozy reads
well thought out and researched material
vampires
Fun fact: the book is based off of a real place, Roche Rock, in Cornwall, UK.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest opinion!
Tea & Alchemy was a delight of a read!
Our heroine, Mina Penrose, leads a simple life. She runs the household for her and her twin brother after their parents passed, while also working at the tea shop in town. But soon, her simple life begins to unwind and broaden after she stumbles upon a dead body and meets the mysterious Harker Tregarrick.
Tea & Alchemy is a cozy gothic fantasy with mystery sprinkled. While alchemy plays a small part in the beginning of the book, it gets left behind as the plot of the story gets revealed.
I do wish Harker's chapters only took place in the second half of the book. While it was cool to see his POV earlier on, I think it would have been more impactful to start it later.
I really enjoyed this book. While parts of it felt rushed and other parts a little bit too unexplored, overall, the story was easy to read and I felt satisfied at its end.
4/5 Stars
Pick this book up if you like:
gothic fantasy
cozy reads
well thought out and researched material
vampires
Fun fact: the book is based off of a real place, Roche Rock, in Cornwall, UK.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest opinion!
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
I find Sharon Lynn Fisher's writing so luscious and relaxing, even when she's writing about creepy paranormal creatures in the fog. Cozy vampire stories are rare, but this book proves that such a thing can exist, and I'm glad that it does. The paranormal menace kept me guessing and was a creative take on the usual vampire tale, and the Cornwall setting was deliciously atmospheric. A treat for lovers of all kinds of British Isles folklore, from Dracula to the fae to tea-leaf-reading, and with a fun cameo of a nod to Fisher's previous book Salt and Broom too. Happy to follow this author on her next paranormal-romantic adventure!
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you 47North for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Tea & Alchemy follows Mina, a young woman that works at a tea shop. Her talent for reading tea leaves scares her when she finds an ominous sign in a customer's tea - and he ends up dead. Then the "Wolf of Roche Rock" Harker, a mysterious man living in an old chapel with a questionable history, stops in, leading to a story neither would have expected.
I loved the inclusion of tea reading as it's something I'd love to learn more about. I also really liked Mina as a character. She wanted a job and a life outside what was expected of her as a woman. She was sweet and kind.
I didn't enjoy the writing personally. I felt like there were too many exclamation points, awkward wording, and I would have liked more from Harker's point of view. I also felt that I wanted a little more depth and details to the story.
I'd recommend this for anyone that likes "lighter" vampire romance stories!
Tea & Alchemy follows Mina, a young woman that works at a tea shop. Her talent for reading tea leaves scares her when she finds an ominous sign in a customer's tea - and he ends up dead. Then the "Wolf of Roche Rock" Harker, a mysterious man living in an old chapel with a questionable history, stops in, leading to a story neither would have expected.
I loved the inclusion of tea reading as it's something I'd love to learn more about. I also really liked Mina as a character. She wanted a job and a life outside what was expected of her as a woman. She was sweet and kind.
I didn't enjoy the writing personally. I felt like there were too many exclamation points, awkward wording, and I would have liked more from Harker's point of view. I also felt that I wanted a little more depth and details to the story.
I'd recommend this for anyone that likes "lighter" vampire romance stories!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Classism
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I gave Tea & Alchemy 3 stars—not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I wanted to love it more than I actually did. The setup had everything I usually fall for: a tea leaf reader in a misty Victorian village, a mysterious alchemist in a gothic tower, and a slow-burning thread of romance tangled up in a murder mystery. It gave cozy autumn vibes with a bit of shadow and magic. But as much as I appreciated the aesthetic and premise, the execution didn’t fully land for me.
Mina was a likable main character—gentle, intuitive, and quietly determined—and I loved the tea shop setting. Those scenes felt warm and atmospheric, and the idea of her seeing visions in tea leaves was such a cool magical touch. But the story’s pacing felt uneven, and the romance, while sweet, didn’t quite have the buildup I was hoping for. Harker, the broody alchemist love interest, intrigued me at first, but I never felt like I really knew him. Their relationship moved quickly, and I found myself wishing for more emotional depth between them.
The mystery had a strong start, but it kind of fizzled in the middle. I was curious to see how it all played out, but I didn’t feel totally gripped by the suspense or tension. And while the writing was lovely in parts, it sometimes leaned more tell than show.
That said, this was a cozy and atmospheric read that I think will appeal to fans of gentle historical fantasy with romantic and mysterious elements. It just didn’t sweep me away like I hoped. Still, I’m grateful to NetGalley and 47North for the ARC—I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more from Sharon Lynn Fisher.
Mina was a likable main character—gentle, intuitive, and quietly determined—and I loved the tea shop setting. Those scenes felt warm and atmospheric, and the idea of her seeing visions in tea leaves was such a cool magical touch. But the story’s pacing felt uneven, and the romance, while sweet, didn’t quite have the buildup I was hoping for. Harker, the broody alchemist love interest, intrigued me at first, but I never felt like I really knew him. Their relationship moved quickly, and I found myself wishing for more emotional depth between them.
The mystery had a strong start, but it kind of fizzled in the middle. I was curious to see how it all played out, but I didn’t feel totally gripped by the suspense or tension. And while the writing was lovely in parts, it sometimes leaned more tell than show.
That said, this was a cozy and atmospheric read that I think will appeal to fans of gentle historical fantasy with romantic and mysterious elements. It just didn’t sweep me away like I hoped. Still, I’m grateful to NetGalley and 47North for the ARC—I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more from Sharon Lynn Fisher.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tea & Alchemy was a cozy, fast read that was so hard to put down. The story starts with Mina Penrose, a young woman in 19th century Cornwall discovering she can read tea leaves. This coziness is quickly set against a dark and mysterious story, expertly woven with Sharon Lynn Fisher’s writing.
There is an interesting combination of vampirism and Irish folklore, a very sweet love story, and nods to classic tales with a unique twist that I loved.
Do yourself a favor, and listen to The Unthanks while you read. Specifically, find the song “Magpie!”
I enjoyed this so much and am grateful for the opportunity to read an eARC from NetGalley and 47North.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Blood
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Tea & Alchemy is a cozy historical paranormal fantasy with a heavy dose of romance and a mysterious twist on a familiar supernatural creature which I really enjoyed. Fisher took the usual story and gave it a unique makeover.
Set in 19th century Cornwall, Mina Penrose works at a little village teahouse called The Magpie. When a new ability awakens in Mina she is able to read tea leaves, and sees an ill omen leading to her discovery of a body on the heath. When Harker, the reclusive alchemist of a crumbling estate is blamed, Mina is drawn into his haunted past and the mystery of the killer.
You can tell how much research went into creating the setting, characters and mystery at the heart of the book. The writing is immersive with strong historical detail and added folklore elements are woven throughout the story giving it a dark and haunting atmosphere. I liked the way the mystery unfolds, how the characters learn about the information and how it all comes together in the end.
Mina is logical, curious, and a bit headstrong which comes in handy as she tries to unravel the mystery surrounding the dead man and Harker. I enjoyed how she took control of her life and got a job, learnt to read and write so she would have something of her own. The dual POV adds depth to the romance which unfolds between Mina and Harker. I loved how slowly and gently they developed together. The book focuses a lot on internal reflections and character dynamics in the first half, where the second half picks up so we get more action, and emotional development.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm still on the fence about cozy fantasy but this was fun! I could've done without the character's names since a lot of the lore was unique and definitely stood on it's own. I loved the druidic monster and how it tied to Harker's family, and Jack's struggles were portrayed realistically in my opinion. The romance felt a bit quick but the characters meshed well and their ending was cute. Overall a good read and the mystery had me hooked with a satisfying ending!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNF at ~31%
I liked how atmospheric this was and the Victorian era vibes were nice. The writing was easy enough to read and I liked Mina as a character. I just didn't feel invested enough in the story. Maybe it was, in part, the dual POV that took away from the suspense?
If atmospheric historical fantasy set in the Victorian era, murder mysteries, family drama, paranormal romance, and vampires are your thing, maybe this book will be for you.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I liked how atmospheric this was and the Victorian era vibes were nice. The writing was easy enough to read and I liked Mina as a character. I just didn't feel invested enough in the story. Maybe it was, in part, the dual POV that took away from the suspense?
If atmospheric historical fantasy set in the Victorian era, murder mysteries, family drama, paranormal romance, and vampires are your thing, maybe this book will be for you.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.