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SerendipiTea #3
Trouble is Brewing
Laoise's life has taken an unexpected turn. With her younger brother's illness back and her family struggling to afford his medicine, she reluctantly accepts a new position at the Steepes' countryside manor. The offer comes with a substantial raise, but there's a catch. She'll be serving Bertram, the man who tried to sabotage her best friend's engagement.
Bertram is bitter about his family exiling him to the countryside for his misdeeds. He's already driven all the other servants off, and his spoiled attitude tests the limits of her patience. What's more, his suspicious behavior around a mysterious locked room convinces her he is back to plotting against her friend. There's trouble a-brewing at Steepe Manor, and she is determined to expose his treachery.
Then a snow storm rolls in, threatening to trap them together for the holidays. Even worse, a letter from home has Laoise fearing the worst for her brother's health. She decides to brave the treacherous weather back to London, but she can't do it without Bertram's help. Along their journey Laoise discovers an inexplicable pull toward him. To infuriating, despicable, handsome Bertram. A man who might understand her fears better than anyone else. But does he truly feel the same way? Or is he just using her for another of his wicked schemes?
Bertram is bitter about his family exiling him to the countryside for his misdeeds. He's already driven all the other servants off, and his spoiled attitude tests the limits of her patience. What's more, his suspicious behavior around a mysterious locked room convinces her he is back to plotting against her friend. There's trouble a-brewing at Steepe Manor, and she is determined to expose his treachery.
Then a snow storm rolls in, threatening to trap them together for the holidays. Even worse, a letter from home has Laoise fearing the worst for her brother's health. She decides to brave the treacherous weather back to London, but she can't do it without Bertram's help. Along their journey Laoise discovers an inexplicable pull toward him. To infuriating, despicable, handsome Bertram. A man who might understand her fears better than anyone else. But does he truly feel the same way? Or is he just using her for another of his wicked schemes?
283 pages, Paperback
Published October 27, 2023
5 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Kate Valent
4 books23 followersKate Valent is three cats in a trench coat masquerading as a writer. She lives in Pennsylvania. She loves tea, history, and magic.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 1, 2023
When I started this series I had no idea what to expect. I just enjoy regency romances with a touch of magic and the first book seemed kind of that. And since I ended up really enjoying the first book and loving the second book even more, I also grabbed a review copy of the third book via BookSirens. I was especially curious to dive into this one. After all, Bertram didn't leave the best impression so far and I was really curious if he'd work as a love interest.
I have to admit that while reading this book I've been giggling out loud a few too many times. I've discovered that I really love it when characters have a good heart and some good ideas, but are terrible at executing those ideas and actually doing what they wanna do. And this book shows us that Bertram is exactly that. He has a big heart, he is trying to do what's best for others, his schemes and plans just not always work out as they should.
And as if getting to see Bertram in action and understanding what he's actually doing wasn't already enough to love this book, there's also Laoise. She's fiery, she's stubborn and she doesn't allow anyone to walk all over her. And she is exactly the girl Bertram needs. Not only because she actually confronts him when his thinking might not lead to the right conclusions, but also because she's, despite all his schemes, willing to give him another chance to prove himself.
The rest of the plot, although the main plot is of course the romance, is a little predictable, but I don't think that's a bad thing. We know that at some point the characters will come to the same conclusion as we do and we know it's gonna be amazing. And since there is so much happening before the book reaches its finale, and a lot of what's happening is insanely entertaining and fun, waiting for all the elements of the story to connect and come together is still a very enjoyable ride.
I have to admit that while reading this book I've been giggling out loud a few too many times. I've discovered that I really love it when characters have a good heart and some good ideas, but are terrible at executing those ideas and actually doing what they wanna do. And this book shows us that Bertram is exactly that. He has a big heart, he is trying to do what's best for others, his schemes and plans just not always work out as they should.
And as if getting to see Bertram in action and understanding what he's actually doing wasn't already enough to love this book, there's also Laoise. She's fiery, she's stubborn and she doesn't allow anyone to walk all over her. And she is exactly the girl Bertram needs. Not only because she actually confronts him when his thinking might not lead to the right conclusions, but also because she's, despite all his schemes, willing to give him another chance to prove himself.
The rest of the plot, although the main plot is of course the romance, is a little predictable, but I don't think that's a bad thing. We know that at some point the characters will come to the same conclusion as we do and we know it's gonna be amazing. And since there is so much happening before the book reaches its finale, and a lot of what's happening is insanely entertaining and fun, waiting for all the elements of the story to connect and come together is still a very enjoyable ride.
November 1, 2023
This was a charming adventure full of wit and bickering 😘
"A gentleman keeps his distance from the help so as not to take advantage.”
She laughed, the sound biting and unforgiving. “Take advantage? Of me? You were the one on your back while I did the hard work. Quite the ‘gentleman’ indeed.”
I am beyond glad I was right in my assumption of shipping Bertram and Laoise - their constant banter and rivalry made for an enourmously fun read. This was definitely the best book in the series, its characters felt well rounded and pacing did not lag at all... The only complaint is the sex scene which was always alluded to but very awkwardly described (I understand this is a clean rance but I still think it could've been handled better) 🤷🏻♀️
Oh and we finally got the hummingbird backstory! Honestly, the dedication and love Bertram and Martin have for one another is incredibly heartwarming 🥰
(thank you booksirens for providing eith a free copy in exchange for my honest review)
"A gentleman keeps his distance from the help so as not to take advantage.”
She laughed, the sound biting and unforgiving. “Take advantage? Of me? You were the one on your back while I did the hard work. Quite the ‘gentleman’ indeed.”
I am beyond glad I was right in my assumption of shipping Bertram and Laoise - their constant banter and rivalry made for an enourmously fun read. This was definitely the best book in the series, its characters felt well rounded and pacing did not lag at all... The only complaint is the sex scene which was always alluded to but very awkwardly described (I understand this is a clean rance but I still think it could've been handled better) 🤷🏻♀️
Oh and we finally got the hummingbird backstory! Honestly, the dedication and love Bertram and Martin have for one another is incredibly heartwarming 🥰
(thank you booksirens for providing eith a free copy in exchange for my honest review)
January 11, 2024
Unfortunately this wasn't my cup of tea. I thought the whole thing between Laoise and Bertram was a bit too much. And the story felt too long.
I know these books are meant to be light, a bit silly, even, but this didn't work for me. Especially considering I'm not a boxing fan.
I know these books are meant to be light, a bit silly, even, but this didn't work for me. Especially considering I'm not a boxing fan.
November 1, 2023
I received this ARC with glee and some trepidation. I do enjoy a good redemption arc, but Bertram Steepe was so dastardly in the first book I wondered if having him as the love interest would work?
But it does work! Laoise (a connoisseur of forearms) is feisty enough to stand up to her new temporary employer Bertram and cut through his crap. Through backstory we see why Bertram could plausibly be misunderstood, and a few of his (gasp) positive qualities. Valent does a good job creating lots of fun romcom scenes, though it helps not to take unfolding plot events too seriously.
Lastly, unlike previous instalments we get a somewhat spicy scene (or perhaps it’s… peppery?) at a scandalously early juncture. I felt we could have had more sexual tension if it was going to be one of 🌶️THOSE🌶️ books.
I received an advance copy of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
But it does work! Laoise (a connoisseur of forearms) is feisty enough to stand up to her new temporary employer Bertram and cut through his crap. Through backstory we see why Bertram could plausibly be misunderstood, and a few of his (gasp) positive qualities. Valent does a good job creating lots of fun romcom scenes, though it helps not to take unfolding plot events too seriously.
Lastly, unlike previous instalments we get a somewhat spicy scene (or perhaps it’s… peppery?) at a scandalously early juncture. I felt we could have had more sexual tension if it was going to be one of 🌶️THOSE🌶️ books.
I received an advance copy of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 6, 2023
Overall I liked this a lot! It was a cute, fun, cozy gas lamp fantasy romance, which was exactly what I was looking for. Another reviewer said that ‘it helps not to take plot events too seriously’, which I totally agree with - if you think about it too hard, the things that are happening don’t seem plausible, but the book is really just a series of fun, lighthearted romps, which was perfect for me.
The author recommended that you read the first book in the series before coming to this, but I was so excited by the tropes here that I wanted to come to this one, and I managed just fine without reading the first book! Enough of the important points are covered that i don’t think reading it is necessary.
There were a few bits I had issues with, though, which is why I’ve rated it three stars for “good” rather than anything higher. There were a few grammar and spelling mistakes, although the book was still very much readable, and they were also some Americanisms - e.g. ‘blocks’ on a street and ‘mom’ - which was odd in a book set in Victorian London, albeit a fantasy version of it. I was also a little bit confused by the last chapter, as the pacing seemed really odd, and the characters both seemed to have realised they loved each other completely off page? (There was also the classic ‘sitting down, standing up, sitting down again with no indication from the author’ thing going on in this scene, which was confusing, but this was the only time this happened.)
My main issue was that I thought this would be a little spicier than it was - although perhaps I misinterpreted the blurb. The characters have sex scandalously early in the book, which was fun, but it was entirely off page, and that’s just not what the girlies are here for. The one bed trope is also mentioned on the blurb and that’s a HUGE pull for me, but once again we skipped right over it, which is SO disappointing. This wouldn’t matter too much, but having sex with Bertram seems to change Laoise’s whole opinion of him, which the reader then feels out of the loop from cause we weren’t there. She’s all like ‘Bertram is actually do kind’ and I’m like ‘is he?’ Similarly, Laoise keeps referring back to her ‘wandering hands’ in the one bed scene, which suggests their sexual tension, but we weren’t there for that either. I feel like a lot of their budding romance and sexual tension actually takes place entirely off page and almost without the reader’s knowledge, which is a big shame - although the book was still enjoyable!
To end on a totally minor note, there’s also the trope in this book of a character successfully self-publishing books, which is very sweet, but this seems to constantly crop up in self-published books, which I find quite tiresome (but perhaps that’s just me being mean).
So all in all, this was a cute, cozy read and I’d recommend it for fans of the fantasy gaslight cozy romance type genres!
I received a free ARC of this book from Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
The author recommended that you read the first book in the series before coming to this, but I was so excited by the tropes here that I wanted to come to this one, and I managed just fine without reading the first book! Enough of the important points are covered that i don’t think reading it is necessary.
There were a few bits I had issues with, though, which is why I’ve rated it three stars for “good” rather than anything higher. There were a few grammar and spelling mistakes, although the book was still very much readable, and they were also some Americanisms - e.g. ‘blocks’ on a street and ‘mom’ - which was odd in a book set in Victorian London, albeit a fantasy version of it. I was also a little bit confused by the last chapter, as the pacing seemed really odd, and the characters both seemed to have realised they loved each other completely off page? (There was also the classic ‘sitting down, standing up, sitting down again with no indication from the author’ thing going on in this scene, which was confusing, but this was the only time this happened.)
My main issue was that I thought this would be a little spicier than it was - although perhaps I misinterpreted the blurb. The characters have sex scandalously early in the book, which was fun, but it was entirely off page, and that’s just not what the girlies are here for. The one bed trope is also mentioned on the blurb and that’s a HUGE pull for me, but once again we skipped right over it, which is SO disappointing. This wouldn’t matter too much, but having sex with Bertram seems to change Laoise’s whole opinion of him, which the reader then feels out of the loop from cause we weren’t there. She’s all like ‘Bertram is actually do kind’ and I’m like ‘is he?’ Similarly, Laoise keeps referring back to her ‘wandering hands’ in the one bed scene, which suggests their sexual tension, but we weren’t there for that either. I feel like a lot of their budding romance and sexual tension actually takes place entirely off page and almost without the reader’s knowledge, which is a big shame - although the book was still enjoyable!
To end on a totally minor note, there’s also the trope in this book of a character successfully self-publishing books, which is very sweet, but this seems to constantly crop up in self-published books, which I find quite tiresome (but perhaps that’s just me being mean).
So all in all, this was a cute, cozy read and I’d recommend it for fans of the fantasy gaslight cozy romance type genres!
I received a free ARC of this book from Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2023
Trouble is Brewing was a lovely installment to the Serendipitea series! I love how Valent has kept the tea-themed, cozy vibes going throughout all three books to this point. The feel of this book is very similar to the previous books in the series -- the dialogue, characters, and the arc of the action fit nicely with the series as a whole.
I loved getting to know Laoise (which, I learned, is pronounced LISH-a, not lOW-ee-z; makes a lot more sense in hindsight!) more. Her fiery personality and stubborness are fabulous. From the very first moment she arrives at the manor, you know she's only chosen to be there because she needs the money for her brother's medicine, and she intends to make it based on love and stubborness alone (really, the only valid reasons for enduring original Bertram). I enjoyed that Bertram got a redemption arc too, and that we get to learn that he's not quite so much the villain as we all initially thought. I do wish that we'd learned more of why he did the things he did and what on earth his thought process was behind his acts in book one. We get much less of an explanation than I'd have liked.
The romance was both lovley and also felt very choppy. I feel like the switch from Laoise not being able to stand Bertram to Laoise being romantically interested in him relies heavily on her learning that he's good in bed. And then after that she started to learn that maybe Bertram had some good qualities. It felt a little forced to me, given that there wasn't more relationship development. I did, however, feel like the ending reflected very well where Laoise and Bertram's relationship would realistically be and it felt believable.
The big "plot twist" that wasn't the romance ended up being not very surprising. I'd guessed it pretty early on in the book, but still enjoyed it! There were plenty of clues and the dots were easy to connect.
One disclaimer I want to include is that this book is a bit spicier than the previous first two books never went beyond kissing; this one has a just stronger than fade-to-black scene. Not much is stated on page and I wouldn't call it explicit, but it did catch me a bit by surprise. Just putting that out there!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved getting to know Laoise (which, I learned, is pronounced LISH-a, not lOW-ee-z; makes a lot more sense in hindsight!) more. Her fiery personality and stubborness are fabulous. From the very first moment she arrives at the manor, you know she's only chosen to be there because she needs the money for her brother's medicine, and she intends to make it based on love and stubborness alone (really, the only valid reasons for enduring original Bertram). I enjoyed that Bertram got a redemption arc too, and that we get to learn that he's not quite so much the villain as we all initially thought. I do wish that we'd learned more of why he did the things he did and what on earth his thought process was behind his acts in book one. We get much less of an explanation than I'd have liked.
The romance was both lovley and also felt very choppy. I feel like the switch from Laoise not being able to stand Bertram to Laoise being romantically interested in him relies heavily on her learning that he's good in bed. And then after that she started to learn that maybe Bertram had some good qualities. It felt a little forced to me, given that there wasn't more relationship development. I did, however, feel like the ending reflected very well where Laoise and Bertram's relationship would realistically be and it felt believable.
The big "plot twist" that wasn't the romance ended up being not very surprising. I'd guessed it pretty early on in the book, but still enjoyed it! There were plenty of clues and the dots were easy to connect.
One disclaimer I want to include is that this book is a bit spicier than the previous first two books never went beyond kissing; this one has a just stronger than fade-to-black scene. Not much is stated on page and I wouldn't call it explicit, but it did catch me a bit by surprise. Just putting that out there!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 21, 2023
The third book in Valent's cozy romantasy series, Trouble Is Brewing is the romance between Laoise, a maid, and Bertram, villain of the first book. This isn't an antihero book - Bertram's villainy in the first book can best be described as "bumbling." He starts out as quite a jerk, and it takes him a long time to begin redeeming himself. Luckily for Laoise, he's good in bed. Unluckily for the reader, this is a closed door romance, so we can only imagine what a great lover he was. (We knew what we were getting into, but you deserve to know it, too!) There are some great comic set pieces, and the ultimate HEA is honestly pretty perfect.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
October 26, 2023
Genre: Historical Fantasy, Regency Romance, Regency Fantasy
Spice Level: Medium
I love how tea fits through this entire series! If I gave this story a subtitle, it would be: Coffee versus Tea. That can fit on more than one level.
In this one, we get to see a whole lot more of Laoise and Bertram—grumpy and grumpy instead of a sunshine (haha). I loved both of them and all their bickering/flirting.
It's fun to see how these characters both grow.
This one is a closed door romance, so it gets a medium spice rating. The language is a bit spicy too with innuendo and cursing.
If you love Regency England, magic, or tea, this book is for you!
Happy reading!
I received an ARC for free, and I'm voluntarily leaving this review.
Spice Level: Medium
I love how tea fits through this entire series! If I gave this story a subtitle, it would be: Coffee versus Tea. That can fit on more than one level.
In this one, we get to see a whole lot more of Laoise and Bertram—grumpy and grumpy instead of a sunshine (haha). I loved both of them and all their bickering/flirting.
It's fun to see how these characters both grow.
This one is a closed door romance, so it gets a medium spice rating. The language is a bit spicy too with innuendo and cursing.
If you love Regency England, magic, or tea, this book is for you!
Happy reading!
I received an ARC for free, and I'm voluntarily leaving this review.
July 11, 2025
How do you turn an incompetent villain into a love interest? A big helping of forced proximity and just keep adding more forced proximity until you smoosh these enemies into lovers.
When you see "Chapter 13" on the first page, remain calm. Your ebook is not corrupted, your physical book is not misprinted. This is an excerpt from Charlotte's book and also a refresher on the events of book 1.
Lauise and Bertram are very different leads from prior books. She's feisty. He's grumpy and still pretty incompetent. Neither bothers being polite. The relationship that develops is a lot more... direct. The silliness, however, is still going strong and may even surpass the levels of the previous books.
When you see "Chapter 13" on the first page, remain calm. Your ebook is not corrupted, your physical book is not misprinted. This is an excerpt from Charlotte's book and also a refresher on the events of book 1.
Lauise and Bertram are very different leads from prior books. She's feisty. He's grumpy and still pretty incompetent. Neither bothers being polite. The relationship that develops is a lot more... direct. The silliness, however, is still going strong and may even surpass the levels of the previous books.
November 8, 2023
Trouble is Brewing is Book 3 of the SerendipiTea series by Kate Valent. It flows better if you read the series from Book 1 through to Book 3. Some things in the first books are referenced in this book. Bertram and Laoise are in all three books. The characters are brought to life through the authors writing. You start cheering them on throughout the book. I love this series and highly recommend this book to all historical romance readers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 12, 2023
It's like a sassy, steampunk Hallmark story. An above/below stairs romance complete with talking tea pot, mechanical hummingbirds and plenty of tea and coffee. I loved it.
I enjoyed the detour of having a whole story dedicated to the previous main character's best friend, Laoise. We got to see some major character development for Bertram, and plenty of cameos from Martin and Charlotte. The romance was saucy but not explicit in detail, and there's plenty of humor mixed in.
I hope there will be more stories of the Steepes in the future.
I enjoyed the detour of having a whole story dedicated to the previous main character's best friend, Laoise. We got to see some major character development for Bertram, and plenty of cameos from Martin and Charlotte. The romance was saucy but not explicit in detail, and there's plenty of humor mixed in.
I hope there will be more stories of the Steepes in the future.
October 25, 2023
If you're looking for a fun, light-hearted romp in a place very like Victorian England but with magic and don't care how probable the string of events may be this is the perfect book for you. There is less tea drinking than I was expecting, indeed, both main characters seem to prefer coffee and very often the languge and customs used seem a touch too modern (or too American) for the setting.
I'm always a bit heasitatant to jump into a series part way through, but reading this third book in the series without having read books one or two did not impede my enjoyment of it. Yes, there were a lot of references to events from the earlier books, but I feel everything was sufficiently explained for this book to hold up well on it's own without (probably) spending too much time re-caping past events to bore those who are familiar with those events already.
I received an ARC from Book Sirens and am offer this honest review.
I'm always a bit heasitatant to jump into a series part way through, but reading this third book in the series without having read books one or two did not impede my enjoyment of it. Yes, there were a lot of references to events from the earlier books, but I feel everything was sufficiently explained for this book to hold up well on it's own without (probably) spending too much time re-caping past events to bore those who are familiar with those events already.
I received an ARC from Book Sirens and am offer this honest review.
October 31, 2023
This was an enjoyable read. Predictable enemies to lovers trope, with comedy of errors thrown in! I love some good mischief making and with magic too! It’s a sequel but reads well as a stand alone. As a sequel, I took issue with some continuity points, but that could just be me misremembering as it’s been a while since I’ve read the first book!
* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
December 7, 2023
This was definitely my favorite of the series there were so many good moments: Like Charlotte peacing out when the dogs arrived and what I'm calling the Bertram-Mrs. Hammond Holiday Incident.
“It’s too late. The dogs found me. They know where I am,” Charlotte muttered as she wrung her hands in despair. She yanked the curtains apart and opened the window. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to handle Bertram on your own. Godspeed!” With that, Charlotte threw herself out the window.
“It’s too late. The dogs found me. They know where I am,” Charlotte muttered as she wrung her hands in despair. She yanked the curtains apart and opened the window. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to handle Bertram on your own. Godspeed!” With that, Charlotte threw herself out the window.
September 6, 2025
What a romp! This cozy romantasy is not decorous at all, not with forced proximity in a snow storm followed by an impromptu masquerade and a subsequent hansom wreck in the middle of London. It is extremely challenging for a disreputable toff villain to court any woman, let alone a strong-willed pugnacious maid-of-all-work with a mind of her own. This was so much fun to read! I recommend this to fans of Shereem Vedam and Georgette Heyer.
September 7, 2025
Delightful
This cottage core meets Bridgeton meets detective novel series is an absolute delight.Three strong women in fairy tale romances that will help you overcome the darkest of days. I am so glad I read these back to back. They are wonderful! Thank you Kate Valent for a happy week!
This cottage core meets Bridgeton meets detective novel series is an absolute delight.Three strong women in fairy tale romances that will help you overcome the darkest of days. I am so glad I read these back to back. They are wonderful! Thank you Kate Valent for a happy week!
October 29, 2023
She did it again....
Loved the previous books.
I didn't expected that the history of this characters could be so terrific…
Loved it! Thanks Kate
Loved the previous books.
I didn't expected that the history of this characters could be so terrific…
Loved it! Thanks Kate
May 24, 2024
Easy read. This was not as engaging as the first two in the series.
May 28, 2025
Best of the three. Laoise and Bertram made me laugh
October 30, 2023
I liked the plot. It had some of the whimsy I loved from the previous stories. The steampunk and magic mix so very well in these stories. However, Laoise was very antagonistic and awful towards Bertram for a very large part of the story. The negative tone cast a dark shadow on the romance between Laoise and Bertram. They had their happy ending and I almost wish there were a part two to their story. I would love to read about their adventures in South America.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews