Getting Tea Bookish - 5 Scrumptious Tea Novels!

Happy first weekend of May, the month of glorious spring weather, flowers, and tea!  Even though we're still under social and physical distancing restrictions at this time, many fun and fulfilling tea time adventures can still be had in the comforts of our own homes, whether it be curled up in our bed, on our couch, in our kitchen, or out on our patio. 

I find myself longing to immerse myself in my personal library of books for quiet, peace, and comfort so today I'm chatting about 5 sensational and scrumptious tea novels every tea and book lover should check out! 

Back in March, I blogged about 5 fabulous tea books for those who love cookbooks, recipe books, tea books with gorgeous photography, and those who wanted to grow and expand their tea knowledge in yummy ways.  But I could already hear the exclamations in my mind: "But Deb, what if I want to lose myself and sink my teeth into some great fiction instead?  How about us bookish novel junkies??"  I got you covered my tea loves! 

I want to add though that the novels I've chosen all have a unique teatime element to them but aren't solely about tea, they're simply wonderful novels and stories with tea and/or tea-related goodness woven in.  Check out 5 of my favourite tea novels below:

1.   The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams (Kensington Books, 2017)
   Ohhh goodness, take out the tissues for this one.  For anyone who wants to sink their teeth into an emotional, heart-wrenching read, this is it.  The Secret, Book & Scone Society follows the tale of four women who are brought together in a small town by their painful, traumatic life experiences.  Their budding friendship and trust in one another blossoms in the comforts of the town's bookstore over treats and scones where they share their darkest secrets, and their desire to pursue justice for a man who is suddenly murdered in the quiet, sleepy town.
   
   This book digs deep and really pulls on your heartstrings and I've been itching to get the sequel for ages!
   
   
2. The Vintage Teacup Club by Vanessa Greene (Berkley Books, 2012)
   This novel is also about friendship but is lighter than The Secret, Book & Scone Society (no murder here!).  Three women fall in love with the same tea cup set at a flea and agree to share the set and use it for their own dreams and purposes.  This arrangement results in a beautiful friendship between the three women as they go back and forth with the tea set, sharing their lives, and going to fleas to hunt for more teacups!  For those who LOVE London and the UK, you will adore this as it goes back and forth between city life and country life, and I found my heart sighing so happily as I read this book. 
   
   The novel is also told from three different points of view as each chapter alternates between their three stories but it's woven together seamlessly throughout the book as times passes so it's not jarring or confusing in the least.
   
   
3. The Traveling Tea Shop by Belinda Jones (Berkley Books, 2014)
   If you're looking for funny, this is my pick!  This book is hilarious and I found myself laughing already on page 2!  The story follows Laurie Davis, a travel planning extraordinaire, who is chosen to be London's beloved culinary television star Pamela Lambert-Leigh's traveling companion and tour guide during her stay in New York City, and ultimately her assistant on a traveling teatime and dessert road trip. 
   
   This novel has everything: lots of tea and food references, a traveling tea bus, and a really great story with more than a few surprises, plot twists, and shockers as the story unfolds.  It is one of my favourite reads because it effortlessly weaves together humour, wisdom, emotional trauma, and great story-telling.   
   
   
4. Murder With Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith (Kensington Books, 2018)
   For the foodie murder mystery lovers out there!  This series and the one below are, hands down, as teatimey as you can get so if you love murder mysteries, tea, tearooms, and recipes, you must check out this newer series.  It's only been in publication for 2 years so for those who are looking for new material and a newer book series to get hooked on, definitely check this one out! 
   
   What this series and The Tea Shop Mysteries (below) have in common is their episodic structure.  You can definitely pick up a book from the middle of the series and enjoy the murder mystery portion of the books just fine, but you have to start from the beginning or early in the series to understand the character development and backstories.  The key difference between this one and The Tea Shop Mysteries is the series follows more of Daisy's family life than The Tea Shop Mysteries follows Theo's family life but both are ah-mazing tea lover series in their own right.
   
   
5. Plum Tea Crazy/The Tea Shop Mysteries by Laura Childs (Berkley Prime Crime, 2001 - )
   This is the holy grail my tea loves!  Every tea lover who is also an obsessed bookworm (like me) needs to read these books.  If you haven't already, of course.  Laura Childs' series, The Tea Shop Mysteries, was first published in 2001 and continues to go strong with new ones coming out consistently. 
   
   The series takes place in Charleston, South Carolina and follows Southern belle, Theodosia Browning, as she and her friends and colleagues, Drayton and Haley, solve murders and mysteries that happen around her beloved tearoom, the Indigo Tea Shop.  The mysteries have a touch of darkness to them but have no fear, the tea, food, recipes, and tea shop adventures that are served in Theo's tearoom are to die for (pun intended) and they are seriously my favourite parts of the book because it just brings her tearoom and business to life and as a tea entrepreneur myself, it tugs at my heartstrings in the best way.  I adore this series and I can't get enough of them!