I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Tea & Alchemy by Sharon Lynn Fisher Published by 47North on January 1 2026
Genres: Adult, Cozy fantasy
Pages: 299
Format: ARC
Source: Author
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The nitty-gritty: Dark and romantic, Tea & Alchemy excels with its Gothic setting and intriguing mystery.
I call Sharon Lynn Fisher the Queen of Vibes, and in her latest book, the vibes are off the charts! Tea & Alchemy is full of both cozy and Gothic elements, a combination that works perfectly for Sharon’s style. You can’t tell from the cover, but this is a vampire story, although the vampire lore is unlike any I’ve read before. If you’re a fan of historical fiction with supernatural elements, you will love this book.
The story takes place in 1854 Cornwall, where we follow Mina Penrose and her twin brother Jack. Mina and Jack take care of each other after the recent loss of both their parents. Jack works in the local mines and Mina has found a job at a tea house to help make ends meet. One day on her way home from work, Mina stumbles upon a dead body, lying just outside the property of an elusive man named Harker Tregarrick, who lives high on the hill in an old chapel on Roche Rock. Mina is shocked the next day when Harker himself—who hasn’t stepped foot outside his house for years—shows up at the tea house.
Mina is intrigued by the handsome recluse, and Harker is just as taken with Mina. And when Mina finds out the truth about him—he’s a vampire with a terrible blood lust—she knows that he’s a suspect in the dead man’s murder. As Mina and Harker grow closer, and more dead bodies turn up, they begin to suspect that there is another creature out there responsible for the carnage. Who or what is the Wolf of Roche Rock? Does the creature exist? Or are the stories Mina digs up simply fairy tales? Mina and Harker will soon find out that someone—or something—is demanding a price from them to stop the murders.
So yes, I was surprised one of the main characters was a vampire, since there is no indication on the cover or story blurb (other than the names “Mina” and “Harker,” which are nice nods to Dracula). Instead of going down the well-trodden path of vampire tropes, though, Fisher gives readers a fresh take on vampire lore. Harker is a tortured man who despises his thirst for blood, and he’s used his skills as an alchemist to invent an elixir that acts as a substitute. In this way, he’s reined in his monstrous side, although he still remains aloof from other people. When he meets Mina, she shows him that there is much more to life than living alone in a stone fortress, and the two begin a tentative friendship at first, which eventually leads to more. Although one of the main characters is a vampire, the focus isn’t really on Harker’s desire to drink blood.
Which brings me to my favorite part of the story, which is the mythology and research that the author has brought to her tale. According to her author notes, Roche Rock is a real place in Cornwall, and it really is the perfect setting for this lush, Gothic story. I also loved the details about tea leaf reading. Mina has discovered she has a talent for interpreting tea leaves after some of her readings come to pass, and this thread runs throughout the story and ties together all the other elements. And of course, the tea shop setting lends a cozy vibe to Tea & Alchemy. Mina’s boss Mrs. Moyle is the perfect “cozy” character, and she acts as a mother figure for Mina, handing out sage advice and comfort.
The other prominent character in the story is Mina’s brother Jack, who is overbearing and downright mean in the beginning of the story and spends his nights getting drunk at the local pub. Jack forbids Mina to continue working at the tea shop after the first body is found—probably because he loves her and wants to protect her—but luckily, Mina isn’t having it and makes her own choices about where she goes and who she interacts with. I was happy to see Jack’s character show positive growth by the end of the book, and I quite liked where things ended up with him.
There is a lot of dramatic Gothic flavor in the story, especially in the relationship between Mina and Harker, and while I don’t always like over-the-top drama, it worked here because of the time period and the overall sense of danger the characters are facing. A few of the plot lines felt a bit contrived, however, and one big event at the end seemed way too conveniently resolved, but these are just minor complaints.
Overall, I enjoyed Tea & Alchemy immensely, and while it’s not my favorite of Sharon’s books, it should be a hit for lovers of Gothic romantic fiction and readers who enjoy untangling mysteries involving dark mythology.
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
Oh, this does sound good! And I never would have guessed that it’s a vampire story!
I guess she wanted to focus on the other aspects of the story:-)
This sounds really good. I think I’d love it.
Lynn 😀
It was good, and I loved the gentler version of a vampire.
I think I would love this book, Tammy! And I was just wondering if Mina and Harker were nods to Dracula and they were. I love that!
The time period is perfect for you!
I was wondering while reading the blurb if the character names had any relation to Dracula. I guess so! I wouldn’t have otherwise guessed that this had anything to do with vampires, either.
Hopefully it wasn’t meant to be a spoiler!
Great review. The cozy fantasy genre has been appealing to me this year. And I’m SO moody.
Me too, my mood has been all over the place lately. This would be a good mood read:-)
Hmm, I almost find the referential names a bit distracting, they carry a lot of baggage! But it sounds like that worked out okay?
I was surprised by the names at first, but it worked!
This is such a beautiful review!! Your enthusiasm shines through!! I am glad you had so much fun with this one!
Thanks Susy!
Interesting. This is one I’d likely have completely overlooked, but you have me curious. I like the nods to Dracula and the way vampirism is weaved in but not necessarily the main point.
I like that the Dracula nods were subtle, sometimes authors overdo it and it just doesn’t work:-)
Well that sounds like a great book! I also love when an author takes his research seriously!
The research was fascinating!
Huh, Amazon’s been landing a bunch of popular authors lately. While I’m not really sure this one is for me, I’m glad you liked it!
Beautiful cover, and I definitely would NOT have guessed vampire story from it. I do love when authors do research on real mythology too like you say is in this book. Great review!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2025/12/05/read-along-review-warping-minds-and-other-misdemeanors-the-guild-codex-warped-1-by-annette-marie-and-rob-jacobsen/
I’ve just nicked across to Netgalley and put in a request for this one. At present they are not accepting requests, so I’ve put in a wish – fingers crossed!! I love Cornwall and am a sucker for historic detail behind fantasy tales. A lovely review, Tammy:)).
I got the ebook for this one earlier this month (after discovering it in one of your Future Fiction posts I believe) and I definitely cant wait to read it now. A hiatorical tale with supernatural elements and a vampire sounds divine, especially with a combination of cosy and gothic vibes. Admittedly its a shame to hear that part of the ending feels a bit convenient but im definitely still eager to get to this one.
Gothic and cozy are not two adjectives I would associate with each other but it sounds like it works!