Hey all, Sam here.
This is a long overdue review. I can say that because I read the indie pubbed edition of this book back in October 2024, and then I read the trad pubbed edition in September 2025…..and here we are in December 2025 and I’m finally getting around to writing the review.
I truly am going to try to be more consistent with my blogging in 2026. I did a lot better this year than I did last year, but it still wasn’t what I had hoped or planned for myself. It doesn’t feel like the chaos and stress of life in the US is going to ease up anytime soon, so I might as well see if bunkering down and trying to focus on my personal goals and pursuits a bit yields any results. I need to be better with setting boundaries to protect my mental health or else I’m headed for disaster.
Anyway, before I get way too dour, let’s take a couple minutes to discuss the second book in a cozy fantasy series, especially since the title of this one had me really excited (what can I say, I’m always a sucker for a book with a library and/or librarian in it).
Spilling the tea has never been so cozy…
In the quaint town of Adenashire, Doli Butterbuckle, a people-pleasing sunshine dwarf, is content with her simple tea magic and circle of friends. It’s true she’s never quite lived up to family expectations, but life is just fine…until her parents arrive with an inherited dragon egg and then a charming gargoyle harboring a secret strolls into her life.
As Doli grapples with her newfound responsibility and discovers a long hidden side of herself, she must face an overbearing family, a sinister plot, and a mischievous dragon that refuses to stay out of trouble.
But with the help of her loyal friends and newfound love, Doli embarks on a heartwarming adventure, revealing that embracing her true self is the most enchanting path of all.
Escape to Adenashire for a whimsical, cozy fantasy where every steaming cup of tea holds the promise of inner strength.
My Thoughts
Rating: 5 stars
I’m so excited that this installment in the series focused on Doli. I loved getting introduced to her in the first book and I thought her personality and her tea magic were fascinating.
Of course, before we get to that point, we need to add a whole lot of chaos and a dash of mystery and adventure to the story.
But, as with most books, the character who is seen as the sunshine character often has some storm clouds that they’ve kept hidden or buried, and there comes a point where it’s time to let it all out.
The addition of a dragon egg that quickly becomes a baby dragon attached to Doli adds a bit more adventure and excitement to her life, but it comes at the same time as an unexpected visit from her parents…who let’s just say they don’t really understand Doli and think she needs to be more like them and other dwarves, and keep dropping comments that poke at Doli. I’ve had those little offhand comments aimed at me before, the ones where the person says that they mean well by it and are just thinking of you and you’re best interest, but they actually sting and don’t help, and just make you feel bad and cause a terrible thought spiral.
What I will express a tiny amount of disappointment by is that while I enjoyed our librarian character, and he and Doli definitely hit it off with their shared interest in books, I feel like the hype to a gargoyle librarian with a secret was kind of a let down. It wasn’t really that big of a plot point, and most of the issue of the sudden gargoyle appearance in Doli’s life comes from Jez’s discrimination and pushing that obviously he’s dangerous and up to no good. So most of that friction is more between Doli and Jez than it is anything else.
Also, something that I find to be a common thread between the first two books in this Adenashire series is that there isn’t really a whole lot to the romance, and actually book one had a better build-up for the romance element than this one did. Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed this story, but I feel like it only took a few days, and we didn’t get a whole lot of time for our couple to just spend time together and really get to know each other.
But they are still mostly cute and cozy stories. Oh, and I should point out that this one also features lovely descriptions of baked goods and a variety of teas, so I still recommend having a nice drink and a snack while you read.
Okay, well that is all from me for today. I will try and have the review for the third book in the series up soon, because I did a binge-read of the first three books (I still need to read book four though). Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.
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