Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - The Secret Service of Tea and Treason

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The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton

11 reviews

laarr's review against another edition

adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Really enjoyed this espionage-infused jump into the world of tea, flying and pirates. Has a lot of daggers being thrown, very real-feeling main characters, and some flirty fake marriage to top it off. Reading this as the third in this series, it was so fun to recognise the world and to catch bits of the previous characters’ lives. Still debating which one is my favourite so I’ll have to re-read!

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onthesamepage's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Tropes:

fake relationship, rivals to lovers, only one bed, first time

Steam level: 🌶

Alex clicked his tongue. “No doubt they’re searching for the weapon in efficient fashion—unlike you, who showed more interest in hanky-panky.”
Upon hearing this phrase, Alice’s inner dictionary opened its pages excitedly. “What does hanky-panky mean?” she whispered to Daniel.
“Witchcraft,” he whispered back.

I couldn't help but feel that there was something missing while I was reading this. I've enjoyed the previous two installments in this series. The writing is either going to work for you, or you're going to absolutely hate it. It's quirky and frequently breaks the fourth wall, not necessarily by directing commentary at the reader, but by reminding the reader that there is an author behind the words. I felt that a lot here, especially, and it distracted me from the book itself.

Seeing this, her heart clutched the book to its, er, heart with happiness.

And then they ~~continued on with their search for the weapon like exemplary professionals~~ kissed.

Sometimes this is funny, sometimes it isn't, but if you just read these quotes and winced, this series is probably not for you.

The book didn't fully grab me anyway, writing aside. The two main characters aren't pointed out to be neurodivergent, but they do read like it. Both have been trained to not show any emotion. They're professionals whose idea of fun is reading a good book (which I can absolutely get behind). When they're thrust into the hectic life of pirates while working undercover, it makes sense for them to struggle with what that entails. But I think there was too much time spent on pirate shenanigans, and too little time spent on helping me form a connection with the characters, or on developing the romance. We do learn fairly quickly that Alice and Daniel have had a crush on each other for over a year, but I didn't feel like they spent a lot of time communicating. I was told that they have an emotional connection, but rarely allowed to actually see it. The moments I did get to glimpse them were my favourite parts of the story. It happened more towards the end, but it made the middle part a bit of a slog.

There were POV scenes from both characters, but not evenly split. I think it was about 80-20 in Alice's favour, which was a shame because I liked what I did get to see of Daniel. I also really appreciated the cameos by the main characters from the previous two books.

All in all, I would recommend this series, and I had a good time with it.

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overflowingshelf's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

CW: Violence; gun violence; abandoment; child abuse; physial abuse; emotional abuse; pregnancy

Starting a new India Holton book means you’re in for a whimsical, over-the-top, fantastically fun time. And The Secret Service of Tea and Treason was just that. In the third and final book in Holton’s Dangerous Damsels series, you get a rollicking good time with an adventure involving spies, pirates, misquoted literary references, assassination attempts, and the overwhelming urge to clean everything. With all the hijinks and hilarity that ensues, Holton still manages to weave in an incredibly sweet romance.

I absolutely adore India Holton’s writing style – she has such a unique voice that I’ve yet to find anywhere else. Her stories are bonkers in the best possible way, and I love how she plays with conventional tropes and plots but flips them on their head to deliver the unexpected. Of all the books in the Dangerous Damsels series, this one had me laughing out loud the most. It was so funny! I swear I had a grin on my face the entire time I read this, as I was having such a blast. I love how tongue-in-cheek her style is. The book never takes itself too seriously, which works perfectly for the story. I love how Holton plays with classic literary references, as I love trying to see how many I recognize.

While this series does not need to be read in order, I feel you get the most out of it if you do! I think I would be a bit confused if I entered this world in this book, as the world-building happens in the earlier books. But every book in this series has been a delight, so I recommend picking up The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels first and reading in order.

As I expected, the plot for this is bonkers. We have a secret spy agency composed of servants who thrive on order, sending their two best agents undercover as married pirates, pirates who thrive on chaos, to stop an attempted assassination of Queen Victoria. What can go wrong? A lot! But it is such a fun time! You literally never know what is going to happen next. For example, I did not expect a conga line and a tiger to show up in the same scene. It was also super fun to see some familiar faces from previous books, as it felt like everyone and their mother showed up to the pirate’s house party (even if they weren’t invited!).

Our two main characters in The Secret Society of Tea and Treason are two familiar faces from The League of Gentlewomen Witches, as we have Daniel Bixby, butler extraordinaire, and Alice Dearlove, a lady’s maid of unusual talents. I was intrigued by these two since their chance meeting in an alley in Clacton-on-Sea in the last book.

I truly appreciate the neurodivergent representation in this book. While never stated directly in the book, India Holton has shared that she wrote Daniel and Alice to be autistic (Holton is autistic herself). They present quite differently from each other, which I liked as neurodivergent people are not a monolith; they’re individuals. I hope people who are neurodivergent can feel seen by Holton’s characters, as I think she does a good job capturing different experiences and presenting neurodivergence in a way that does not stigmatize it.

I felt like we spent a little more time with Alice than with Daniel, so I felt I got to understand her a little bit, though Daniel holds a lot close to his chest, which could contribute to my feeling that way. I loved that they both are bibliophiles (I can relate), and books are the most important thing to both of them. They both had some traumatic experiences growing up raised by AUNT that left its mark on them in different ways. But I loved how they both felt they could confide in each other – there is a level of trust between them that feels unusual for them as secret agents. They also notice things about each other that everyone else seems to overlook – such as Alice with her finger tapping – and know how to give each other the space they need to be comfortable. I also loved how much the chaos of the pirates went against everything they stand for – Alice and Daniel thrive on order, cleanliness, and rules. As AUNT’s best undercover agents, they’re genuinely TERRIBLE at being undercover as pirates.

The romance in this book was super sweet! I loved watching Daniel and Alice explore their connection, as it was so pure and perfect. AUNT has taught them that feelings are a weakness, but once they give in to their feelings, they realize how much of a strength it is to feel love. I absolutely love a fake-dating scenario, and we get a bit of that with Alice and Daniel’s relationship, as they’re supposed to be undercover as a married couple. That leads to so many delicious moments of them having to show off how married people act at the urging (and swooning) of the other pirate ladies. The chemistry between them was apparent to everyone, and it was so fun to watch the sexual tension and emotions build until they spilled over (in some very sexy ways!). Daniel’s also so enamored with Alice and that’s one of my favorite tropes. By the end, it truly felt like they found their person, and I was so happy for them and that they were willing to fight for their love in the end.

I’m so sad that the Dangerous Damsels series is over, but I loved how it wrapped everything up! It was so great to see Ned and Cecilia, and Alex and Charlotte again. Alex and Daniel’s friendship was one of my favorite secondary relationships in this book, and I loved the role it played in this story (even if both of them won’t come out and say they’re friends). The epilogue did a great job tying everything together, and I got a bit misty-eyed at having to say goodbye to this wild world of lady pirates, witches, spies, and flying houses.

I cannot wait to see what India Holton writes next! Holton’s writing style is unlike anything I’ve ever read – her plots are wild and over the top, but her characters have such heart, and the romances sizzle. Her next book, The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, kicks off a new series, and I’m already excited to read it in 2024!

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erebus53's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This third book in the Dangerous Damsels collection has a lot more going for it than the previous titles, though your mileage may vary. Personally I am in love with it because I finally feel represented in a romance story.

As in previous books the action focuses around the pirates, who dress big, and use magic to fly around in houses, (avoiding sun and freckles), and with gallant rumbistification (a word coined by a different Kiwi author so I'm sticking to it), witches who don't exist and while not doing so use magic to move objects around and artfully assault any who would come into conflict with them. Add to this Her Majesty's spies, a.. downstairs network of handmaids, butlers and sundry help in deep cover attempting to keep the other two factions away from each other while protecting the interests of The Crown.

While the other 2 books were, nerdy, bookish, sex-positive, and loaded with Jane Austen-like verbal jousting, a new element is introduced in the narrative - that of hyper-literal Autism. When a couple of your main characters are being baffled by deft social-maneuvering and would rather slip off into a quiet room and read some poetry, all of a sudden this storytelling becomes entirely relatable.

OOof, this book made me catch feels. When your two main characters are Autistic, and kept under thumb by a manipulative organisation that praises them for being gifted and efficient, while gaslighting them and encouraging them lean into their tendency to ignore their emotions, this all gets a little DARK. Traumatised orphans, trained to excellence, trained to follow rules and orders, punished into compliance, and thus developing idiosyncratic coping strategies... is all a bit close to home.

As far as romance and sexytimes is concerned these two are so marvellous. They are very broken by their previous experiences, but start their navigation of each other by co-regulating, making each other feel safe, discussing their needs and expectations beforehand, identifying their triggers and sensory differences, and trying to get the hang of how their own feelings work. It's a work of art, and I loved the journey. Very saucy.. and neuro-spicy.
Again, your mileage may vary, but I am the target audience.

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shaipanda's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I’ve been in such a reading slump most of this year so this took me a while to finish but I loved ittt - it was completely ridiculous but super fun and had a really great time reading it :) it really gripped me esp in the second half

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natyourusual_'s review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

If you liked the other two books in the series, you’ll like this one. I appreciated the autism representation with our two protagonists and think it was done fairly well given my limited perspective as a neurodivergent person that is not on the autism spectrum. The author herself is autistic so I hope that can give you a bit more peace of mind than my limited opinion.

I did not find it believable that both agents who are supposedly the best in their organization would not engage in certain obvious piratical behavior while undercover (ex. Light art theft in the gallery). Just engaging in pirate culture a little more would have helped them maintain their cover and made the “secret agent that regularly goes undercover” thing a little bit more believable. That detail really took me out of the immersion and continued to irk me while reading, which is why I had to dock half a star from my rating. Otherwise, it was a solid funny romance book and the cameos from the other two books make it even better for me.

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bessadams's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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sydapel's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny 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? It's complicated

2.75

The core relationship between Daniel and Alice really drives this book, and while their dynamic is wonderful, to me it suffered from not delving into particularly Alice's previous abuse. There's this weird disconnect between the quirky situations the characters find themselves in and a really tragic past I wanted more from. I also did not understand what the larger plot of this was at all, which was frustrating. I maintain that these are fun and silly and I probably shouldn't be thinking about this in too much depth, but oh well, that's my ouvre

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purplepenning's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

"You are a professional."
"Yes, ma'am," Alice said.
"You would never behave in a manner contrary to the agency's Code of Conduct."
"No, ma'am."
"Because this is a thriller, not a romance, isn't that so, Agent A?"
"Yes, ma'am."

The final thrillingly fantastical romantic farce in India Holton's Dangerous Damsels series is even more packed with literary (mis)quotes, (mis)adventures, and innuendo. And this time with two book-nerd protagonists — Alice (Agent A) and Bixby (Agent B) — who steal our hearts and have us instantly under the spells as if they were born to piracy or witchcraft instead of the secret service.

“Reading is not a hobby,” she said. “It is a way of life.” He was silent a moment as he considered this, then he nodded in agreement."

Alice and Bixby, two orphans who were (mis)educated and molded into top agents, are clearly the heart of this story, but readers of the series will be happy to find that Cecilia and Ned, Charlotte and Alex, and the elderly piratical matriarchs all have significant roles here at the end — and at the end of the end in a surprisingly touching epilogue that champions female friendship and found family.

It's the middle of the story that lags a bit for me. Alice and Bixby's undercover attempts to find a weapon at a house party of pirates drags on a bit long for my tastes, though there are plenty of pirate shenanigans and (un)veiled sexual tension to keep most readers happy.

Besides Alice and Bixby's relationship (superb), the good-natured lampooning of the literary (always amusing), and the incorporation of past characters, the rambunctiously intelligent writing voice is what makes me a fan of these books. The Secret Service of Tea and Treason reaches Terry-Pratchett-levels of a sort of anthropocentric metaphoring that I never cease to find blazingly brilliant and absurdly amusing.

His brain ran around shouting urgent orders and waving red flags, trying to forestall an eruption of emotion he absolutely could not afford... And his heart, sighing in defeat, packed up all its wild and hungry longings and went to hide under a blanket.

Daniel and Alice exchanged a glance that didn't know whether to be amused or anxious, but that mostly wished it could go sit in a corner somewhere and read a book.

A laugh sounded... It was dry, brief; the kind of laugh that has eyes in the back of its head and just knows when you're about to do something stupid.

As the silence lengthened, growing heavy with overtones, undertones, and implications, the air between them blushed, made up an excuse, and departed the room in awkward haste.

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fromjuliereads's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

4.5

This was such a fantastic read! I think League is still my favourite, but I really enjoyed the rivalry between Alice and Daniel and how that changed through their mission. There were some truly funny scenes - a pirate conga line, I loved it!
I did find this a little slower in some spots, and while I adored the epilogue for the amazing friendships and HEAs, I just wish there was something a little different than the traditional romance epilogue for all of the couples. Anyways, I will happily pick up India Holton's next books!

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