Coffee, Tea, or Me: A Sweet, Sapphic Coffeeshop Romance with a Dash of Spice

by Sarah McKnight

When it came to relationships, Sasha Tillman used to be confident.

That is, until a whirlwind romance turned into something she never saw coming. Now, almost a year later and still reeling from the aftereffects, college junior Sasha is content to stay in the shadows and just focus on getting through school. But then a new girl, Jade, becomes a regular at the café where Sasha works, and the insta-crush is undeniable. To make matters worse, Jade lands herself a job at the same café! Can Sasha learn to overcome her past and focus on the future, or will she let the promise of something better slip through her fingers?

Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Lesbian, Romance, Queer, Fiction

282 pages, ebook

Published January 18, 2025

About the author

Sarah McKnight is an award-winning multi-genre author with an interest in contemporary young adult, coming-of-age, and horror fiction. After spending two years teaching English to middle schoolers in Shimane Prefecture, Japan, she came back to the US to pursue her next dream – to finish writing all of the books taking up valuable space on her hard drive.

Her most popular book by far, The Reaper’s Quota, has placed in several awards, including the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the Book Blogger’s Novel of the Year Award. While some of her books lean more toward the fantastical, she always incorporates elements of realism and mental health, hoping that everyone can find something they relate to.

Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature with a minor in creative writing. She currently lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and five cats.

You can find her on:
Twitter/X @mcknight_writes
Instagram @sarahmcknightwrites
TikTok @sarahmcknightwrites

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely, cosy coffee shop sapphic romance. Told in Sasha’s pov, we get to go along through her emotional and healing journey. Following a traumatic relationship experience, Sasha is a shell of her former self. She also wears her heart on her sleeve ;). Cue Jade. The customer, that Sasha can barely form words around, to a growing crush on a coworker as Jade is hired at the coffee shop. We are included in Sasha’s journey to regain her confidence in herself and trust and feel love that is true, healing, uplifting. As the song goes… what started out as friendship can grow stronger..it’s a slow burn journey, well paced from friends to so much more. Recommend!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book!

I really liked the main character, Sasha, and the developing friendship and relationship with Jade felt natural. I also liked how some of the chapters showed us Sasha's past relationship with her abusive ex Jessica which has turned her into this woman scared of getting into something new due to the abuse she faced from someone who was supposed to only care for her. These glimpses into the past were done really well and I thought they felt authentic.

There were also quite a few parallels in the novel that showed how a loving relationship was supposed to be rather than what she originally faced with her ex which was very clever.

This is a cute and emotional sapphic story that I would definitely recommend!

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know what to say here! This novel was fairly simple, but in a way that just worked well and was satisfying. Judging on substance I feel like the rating should be lower, but 5-stars is the only thing that feels correct having just finished reading. This is definitely a novel where the quality sneaks up on you in the latter half (after absolutely hooking you in the start), and anyone who DNF’s will be missing a lot of the good stuff. I’m going with my gut on this one.

This novel had two speeds; lighthearted rom-com fun times, and “oh no trauma!”. This is one of my favorite mixes, so maybe my rating shouldn’t be a surprise after all. It delivered on both narrative elements and also wove them together successfully into one coherent narrative. There was angsty young love, and also an exploration of mental health with regards to past and present trauma.

I particularly liked the writing in this novel. There was somewhat of a dual timeline and the author did a perfect job of jumping between the two in a way that revealed the story just right. This was a perfect example of “showing not telling”.

As a side note, I have zero memory of downloading this novel. Did I pay for it? Freebie from a website or something? No idea. Glad it was there though!

[Vanna Book-Mage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t hate this, lol. It had the chill cozy coffee shop vibes I do enjoy and Sasha going full gay panic was brilliant. I don’t normally read YA/NA romance but this felt mature and quite realistic without all the shenanigans. There is mention of emotional abuse in a variety of forms by a romantic partner, so just a trigger warning to be aware of; I didn’t think it was graphic in anyway and it didn’t detract from current plot of the story. It is a slow burn though so buckle up.

**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.**

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved this!! i received a free earc and this is a voluntary review with my honest thoughts
i feel like the only reason it’s four stars instead of five is because the pacing felt a little slow to me, but i loved the premise, tropes, and characters!! looking for the jade to my sasha 🙂‍↕️ i also loved how this was a light read, but there were some heavier things so pls read with care!!!

[Naito Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was searching for a contemporary FF romance, and when I saw Coffee, Tea, or Me featured a college romance trope, I knew it could be something I’d enjoy. This book delivered a lighthearted, easy read that gave me nostalgic shivers from my own college days. The slow-burn romance between Sasha and Jade is built on patience and healing—Sasha is recovering from a toxic relationship, and Jade is more than willing to wait.

However, I found myself missing Jade’s POV. Since I’m used to dual perspectives in romance, I wanted to see more of Jade’s feelings about their growing relationship. The interludes with Sasha’s past relationship with Jessica didn’t have the emotional weight I expected, as they didn’t seem to affect Sasha as much in the present. That said, the book is still a sweet, entertaining read—perfect for a cozy spring evening or two.

Would recommend for fans of slow-burn, feel-good college romances!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow burn story about a hurt woman who needs to move past a previous abusive relationship to be able to get the girl.

I appreciated how supportive and patient Jade was with Sasha as she grew to trust her enough to open up. I’m also glad it wasn’t written as though Jade magically fixed Sasha with her love, and that visits to mental health professionals were included in the healing process.

A cute and sweet workplace romance interspersed with a story of a previous relationship that started sweet but quickly went sour, until the two stories converge at the end. I found that format skillfully handled by the author.

Oh - and bonus points for the Oxford comma in the title!

Worth a read but be sure to check the content warnings!

I received a free ARC of this e-book. This is my honest review.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coffee, Tea, or Me is a cute, NA book about college student Sasha, who works at a coffee shop and has been crushing on Jade, a fellow student and regular at the shop. When Jade applies for and lands a job at the coffee shop, it throws Sasha for a loop. She’s closed herself off after a bad relationship left her feeling insecure and emotionally raw, but she just can’t help herself.

I found Sasha to be a really interesting character, and Jade was so sweet and supportive. I’m a big fan of respecting boundaries, and Jade does a great job of this. I do think that as the book got closer to the end and Sasha opened up the story got a bit more telling instead of showing than I would have liked, but overall it was a really enjoyable book and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re into sapphic NA.

I received a free ARC from BookSirens, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.

[SullenSapphic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from BookSirens and the author Sarah McKnight in return for my truthful review.

Spice Level: 2/5 Open Door / Explicit Open Door

CW: Mental Abuse, Psychological manipulation, Off page drinking, Body shaming

Sasha is an English major at SIUE. When not in class, she works at a local coffee shop, E’Ville. One day, while on her shift, Jade walks in orders a coffee, and picks up a job application to fill out. Jade gets the job and Sasha is tasked with training her. Their friendship grows during this time and so do their feelings for each other. One issue stands in their way, Sasha’s ex. She caused emotional and mental trauma to Sasha that she finds it difficult to allow herself to be loved. Can Sasha put her ex in the past or will she be forever scarred and be alone?

The content warnings are listed above. This story deals with some heavy topics like emotional and mental abuse and body shaming. So please tread lightly if you want to read this. This is a great read. The one thing that I really liked about this book is how the author wove the MC’s past relationship in so it flowed with certain aspects of her current relationship. The author really showed the slow build of how emotional and mental abuse can happen in a relationship. As sad as this book can be at times, there are equal times of happiness. I definitely recommend this read.

[Smutty Professor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coffee, Tea, or Me is a beautifully written sapphic romance. Sasha and Jade’s story mixes the sweetness of new love with the complexity of healing from past trauma. Sarah McKnight does a fantastic job of blending these elements together and making the emotional journey feel super rewarding.

Sasha’s growth throughout the book is near perfection. Watching her gradually overcome the scars of a mentally abusive relationship in her past and learning to trust again was so real. Jade’s patience, kindness, and support made their relationship amazing and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way. The slow burn of their romance is filled with just the right amount of tension and sweetness which made every moment feel well-deserved.

The dual timeline between Sasha's past and present was especially well done and added so many layers to provide a clear picture of how far she had come. While some moments were emotionally difficult for me to read, they added a weight that made the resolution even more satisfying.

This book perfectly balances a cozy romance with moments of joy, heartache, and hope. It’s a quick read that left me smiling with tears in my eyes- and I wholeheartedly will recommend it to anyone!

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book complimentary from Book Sirens in e-book form in return for my honest review. Everything stated in this review is of my own opinion and I was not compensated monetarily for providing this review.
From the title and description I was expecting a cozy little FF romance and while the book definitely delivers this there is also a dark undercurrent to the book arising from a previous abusive relationship excellently written by the author.
I vacillated between Four and five stars for the book but the accuracy in describing the prior relationship is just too accurate (uncomfortably so)
I have to recommend this book to all whatever your orientation both for being a good read and to learn about abusive relationships

[Lacrima Mundi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great contemporary loves story with well-written characters, an interesting storyline, a psychologically well-developed villain, a cute setting, and some spice sprinkled in for good measure.

I enjoyed the story and the characters, as well as Sarah's writing style, a lot. I admit I only skimmed over the few spicy scenes, as they are not my preferred flavour of spice (and on top of that I am currently having a phase where I am not big on spicy books), but from what I could gather they are a) quite well written and b) skimming them works just fine (I cannot recommend skipping them entirely, as they add a few subtle layers to the respective relationships in which they happen).

This was my first Sarah McKnight book, but it certainly wasn't my last.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming romance between two co-workers at a coffee shop who also attended the same college. Sasha had recently gotten out of a mentally abusive relationship a few months earlier, which made her quite skittish. On the other hand, Jade was incredibly patient, outgoing, and sweet. It was refreshing to see how someone could take the time to build trust and understanding in a relationship, rather than rushing ahead to get what they wanted. Since Sasha had just left an abusive relationship, I want to include a trigger warning. 


One interesting aspect was the dual timeline format. The story presented events happening between Jade and Sasha in the present, while also flashing back to significant moments from Sasha's past with her ex, Jessica. However, one thing I didn't like about the book was how it wrapped up; Sasha's transformation felt too quick and unrealistic. Overall, it was a fun, quick read that I would recommend to anyone.

I received an arc

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the cutest NA sapphic romances I've ever read. I was hooked from the beginning. I appreciated the fact that this was a very realistic story and could sympathize with the main character. There are definitely triggers in this book so be mindful of that, I have listed them below. This book follows a young college student as she overcomes trauma from a past toxic relationship. There was just the right amount of spice, as well as intrigue to keep you wanting to read more. I really enjoyed this book, and I would read something from this author again.

Triggers include: CPTSD flashbacks, body shaming, disordered eating, emotional/mental abuse

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasha's dating life has her in a tizzy. Her current crush, Jade, just started working with her at the Cafe. Not believing her luck, or the negative voice in her head, she tries to navigate her feelings. Trying to deal with her feelings for Jade and self doubt, things unravel.

The development of Sasha's character is one of healing and enticing. I couldn't put this book and loved the growth throughout the book.

Would definitely recommend this story to anyone who wants/likes green flag relationships.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Looby Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasha and Jade meet when Jade gets a job at the coffeeshop where Sasha has drooled over Jade as a customer for months.

But Sasha has a painful past and the book is dedicated to watching her as she tries to ease past the hurt and self confidence issues so she can open her heart up to going out and having fun with someone new. Sasha and Jade were lovely characters. Sasha you just wanted to wrap up in a big hug to ease her pain and Jade you wanted to hug because she was so kind and patient and exactly what Sasha needed.

A lovely heartwarming book even though it covers a difficult topic.

[Rubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book that delves into toxic relationships and the aftermath of it. It is heart warming and intoxicating. I needed to read that text like my life depended on it. The characters of Sasha and Jessica were very fleshed out, but it felt quite lacking for Jade. The spelling/ Grammar starts to get worse around halfway to two thirds of the way through the book which can be a bit irritating. Overall, it's a great book that has a couple flaws that can pretty easily overlooked.
Would recommend if you dont mind the grammatical mistakes at times :)

[Christina Wissman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute, cozy read if you’re looking for a romance. The author does a great job of building the romantic tension and having you wonder what happens next. I was rooting for Sasha and Jade the whole time!

Reader beware, there is content that may be triggering for those who have been through abusive relationships. The book also contains spicy/mature scenes.

[Zarlina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a sweet read. I adore coffee shop stories and this one was the perfect mix of sweetness, humour and a dash of angst. The characters were all fun and believable and even though the ending was a liiiiitle bit over the top for me, I truly enjoyed this one.

Cozy and sweet and perfect little winter read. Highly recommended.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. This was absolutely adorable. The writing was good and the characters were all charming but there was something about it that I didn’t absolutely love. Was just a nice little read but ultimately not anything memorable for me.