Set to publish next week, Theodora’s Tea Shop by Christy Anne Jones is her debut novel about friendship and found family. A book set in an atmospheric 1920s-inspired fantasy world where magic is controlled, and people keep a lot of secrets. Thank you to the publisher, Headline/Wildfire and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.
Title: Theodora’s Tea Shop Author: Christy Anne Jones Publication: 28 July 2026 Length: 14 hours 40 minutes Genre: Fantasy, Mystery Pace: Medium Story focus: Plot & Characters
Dorothy Louise Walcott should have died when she was fourteen. Instead, she grew into a timid young woman, ill, over-educated, and dreaming of running away to learn magic. When she hears of a woman who might apprentice her, she sets off on a journey to Alliaster. Dot is determined to spend all her savings to find the witch Theodora and her tea shop. And Theodora is everything Dot wants to be: beautiful, witty, confident. However, Dot’s arrival begins to unearth Theodora’s secrets, putting both in danger.
One disclaimer I never get tired of doing is to emphasise how I’m not a fantasy reader. I usually avoid fantasy novels because I know they start with a disadvantage compared to other genres. Magic, spells and magical creatures don’t inspire me or work my imagination in a way that science fiction or a mystery story can. However, I’ve been watching Chrity’s videos for a while, and was very curious to read her debut novel. So I gave it a shot.
There was too much magic, spirits, warts, and spells for my liking, but I did end up enjoying the story. I knew very little of what the story was about. There was a tea shop, witches, and a character called Theodora. And just like Dot arrived in a big city completely unprepared for what she was going to find, so did I to this story. I had no idea the path it would take and how much I would grow affectionate to these characters.
If anyone tells you this is a cosy fantasy, don’t believe them. There are far too many stressful and gut-wrenching moments throughout the book to be classified as a cosy. Although when things are calm, it does have that vibe. But it’s only a trap to make you feel safe when the danger is actually lurking around the corner.
I enjoyed Christy’s writing a lot. I knew I would from the first sentence I read. Sometimes we just click with some writing styles. And this was one of those cases. With the added charm of an older way of speaking since the story is set in the past, there is a sort of lyrical touch to it that made it very pleasurable to read. I might not have cared much for the magic that was happening in the story, but I cared for what was written on the page.
Although the story isn’t only about magic. That is one of the motivators for Dot to get out and go on an adventure. The story is really about family, discovering oneself, and the secrets kept in the past. There are at least two plot decisions that I enjoyed a lot. One of them, that I’ll spoil, is that there isn’t a romance. And that takes the pressure off the characters. They can be how they need to be without having to cater for certain attributes and be likeable enough to make a cute couple. The other plot point is far more important, so I’ll keep it vague, but it was refreshing to see. Often in books and movies, they search for the ultimate happy ever after. Everything is perfect. All the wrongs have been righted. Everything is just. Everything is fair. Everything is fine. But that’s really unrealistic. Not everyone we meet stays in our life. Not everyone we know is our friend. And that’s alright. I like that about this book. It focuses on the people that care and truly stay. And those are the happy endings.
‘I think that people who are hurt in similar ways,’ said Dot, ‘have a tendency to find each other. Perhaps, we can only understand our own tragedies by seeing them through the lens of another.’ […] ’Maybe that’s the only way we can experience the compassion that we are otherwise unable to give to ourselves.’
Christy Anne jones, Theodoras’s Tea Shop (2026)
This is a sort of coming of age story or a coming to terms with ourselves kind of story. These characters are learning about who they are despite their pains, hurts and past. To learn about who they want to become and not who they had to be. In a sense, it is also a story about freedom. The freedom for the characters to be who they want to be and to find the people that want them for who they are.
What I enjoyed the most was the relationships with the characters and getting to know them better. Their thoughts and feelings felt right and appropriate. They felt realistic. I don’t think everyone will understand and connect with either Dot or Theodora. I know I did, and that it was time well spent while drinking a cup of tea, preferably a cup of chamomile and fennel tea.
