Two For Tea - by C M Nascosta (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Azathé Tea Room is a strange place, indeed.

There are no servers, no menus - do mind our hostess, though, she can get a bit underfoot! Help yourself to a book while you wait, and be sure to shuffle your tarot deck well before placing your order.

Harper Hollingsworth wasn't looking for a friend. She wanted peace and quiet. Someplace to lose herself in a book and not think about her grief, not think about her coven or her disconnect from the craft, not think about being the odd goth out everywhere she went. She didn't want to think about her lack of magical ambition, as she was regularly told by her mother's poison-tongued familiar, and how her life had fallen apart since the death of her father. More than that - she didn't want to feel. Anything.

To the strange, seldom seen owner of one of Cambric Creek's oddest businesses, tea is more than just a beverage. They take pride in both their blends and their unorthodox method of teasing out the order each guest needs to sate more than their thirst. Azathé brews more than a fine cup of tea - they steep the smell of memories, the anticipation of the future, pain and loss, hope and longing, an elixir of health and comfort and feeling in every cup.

Residing unseen in the shadows gets a bit lonely at times, an undignified emotion for one as old as themselves, and so they have made it their business to get to know their unwitting neighbors one cup of tea at a time. Guests may not know what to expect when they step over the shop's threshold, but the owner guarantees they will feel something before they leave.

Companionship wasn't Harper's aim the day she stepped into the odd little tea room, just off Cambric Creek's bustling Main Street. She wanted to settle into the shadows and get lost there, and if she had to talk to anyone, it would be to herself.

She didn't expect the shadows to talk back.

The shadowy proprietor of the Azathé Tea Room isn't content to watch Harper sink into depression day after day within the walls of their establishment. Once they intervene, Harper is drawn into their world of oddity and emotions, where the darkest shadows can reside in the light, and even the most mildly macabre witch can find her place.

Two For Tea is a human/monster romance featuring a bi demisexual F witch and a non-binary (and very non-human) shadow creature. It is set in the world of Cambric Creek, but can be enjoyed as a standalone, but will best be appreciated read as part of the series. Themes included: ALL the creepy/cozy aesthetic, acceptance of grief, working through depression, why choose appendages, finding one's place. This is a high heat romance intended only for mature audiences.