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

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The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton

10 reviews

jpreads_13's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

Magical romp with witches, pirates, and spies through an alternative Victorian England. I found it lovely.

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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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kendal_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-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

4.0

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lacyparrish's review against another edition

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5.0

This book is perfection ... and I don't say that lightly. Ideally, it would be best if you read the previous offerings in the trilogy to maximize your enjoyment of this instalment. Meeting the pirates and witches, being familiar with all of the side characters and established relationships, and comfort level with the writing style is important to its perfection. That said, I feel like Alice and Daniel are the strongest of the main couples and

are working towards the same goal from the beginning, being A.U.N.T. operatives.

The references and callbacks to classic British literature are the cherry on top of a perfectly balanced sundae. To my delight, there is a preview of a new series that India Holton has coming out in 2024 ... perfectly placed to assuage my dismay at this book being finished, as more shenanigans are to come!

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samchase112's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted 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

3.0

A delightful end to the series, complete with all the wackiness and heart I’ve come to except. While this sadly wasn’t my favorite — that title goes to The League of Gentlewoman Witches — I flew through it and still enjoy the world it takes place in. I was excited to read about Alice and Daniel, but sadly their characters fell a bit flat for me, especially since we barely got any Daniel POV (only when he was lusting or meeting friends??). Mainly, I was just looking for more; more character, more cohesive plot. But all in all, I’m sad to leave this series behind!

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jencolumb0's review against another edition

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

Utterly bonkers, but with tremendous heart and wry wit. Like the first book in this series, I find Holton’s writing style to be so visual and precise in their description and action-packed that I, honestly, would prefer them as movies. (Total bonus if Baz Luhrmann could direct and I’ve already worked out a lot of the cast.) While it took a bit of effort to focus on the story and not the cinematography I’d want to see, the emotional territory explored by Holton in the resolution (and Epilogue) was worth the effort to become engrossed in the story. I was also really delighted with the neurodiversity represented in the characters.

A word about the content warnings: while there is, technically, a lot of physical violence included in this book, 95% of it is of such a campy variety that the characters survive (and most are downright cheery about it - IYKYK). The other little bit is also survived by all parties, ultimately challenged, and resolved.The most difficult parts are fleeting and involve rather limited mentions of draconian school policies involving corporal punishment.

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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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beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious fast-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

3.0

The first and second book in this series were gifted to me by Michael Joseph Penguin Publishing and when I saw that the third book was released, I had to find out how it ended. I didn’t overly enjoy the first two books, so I didn’t have high hopes for this, and it was okay just not mind blowing.

This book has two points of view. The first is Alice also known as Agent A and she is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice’s capabilities. She has a steely composure and a plan always up her sleeve. So when rumours of an assassination plot begins to circulate, she’s immediately assigned to the case. But she’s not working alone. Daniel Bixby, otherwise knowns as Agent B and Alice’s greatest rival, is given the most challenging undercover assignment of his life – pretending to be Alice’s husband. Together they will assume the identity of a married couple, infiltrate a pirate house party and foil their plans. Determined to remain consummate professionals, Alice and Daniel must ignore the growing attraction between them, especially since acting on it might prove more dangerous than their target.

If you are wanting enemies-to-lovers – this isn’t it. This book is two people denying their feelings for 200 pages and one of them pretending to hate the other and the other of them having a crush on them but having conflicted feelings about. The only saving grace of this book was the dual POV and hearing Daniel’s thoughts and him being protective of Alice.

I think this book would have actual enemies-to-lovers instead of fake dating and pretending to hate each other. I wanted to know the conflict and why they hated each other and none of them had a valid reason. Another issue I had with this book was I was waiting for something to happen, anything to happen that when the big “villain” got revealed I was almost rooting for him because this book was just a bunch of filler pages until the reveal. I would have liked the separation after the mission to have been longer, but it was like they are forced apart in one chapter and back together in the next.

Throughout this series, all I've wanted was more from it and never got it. It was an alright read but I don’t think I'll re-read them again.

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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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abookwormspov's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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? No

5.0

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