The Tea Witch's Secret

Purple Oak Oasis #1.5

by Laura Greenwood, Ariana Jade

A previous cover edition for this ASIN can be found here

Hana knows she shouldn't fall for Oliver, even if his familiar training constantly leads him back to her for healing.

As a tea witch and healer, Hana knows her role in Purple Oak Oasis, and as the heir of the Steeper family, she knows better than to fall for someone she shouldn't. But the heart wants what it wants, and for Hana Steeper, that means Oliver Fields.

Oliver's trouble with his owl familiar leads him to the infirmary, where he gets to flirt with the very cute Hana as much as he wants. When their friendship turns into something more, it's not long before they're unable to resist.

Are their feelings stronger than the rules they should be listening to?

The Tea Witch's Secret is a cozy fantasy romance with a friends-to-lovers m/f forbidden romance, an enthusiastic owl familiar, and a healer determined to do her job.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Cozy, Cozy Fantasy, Novella, Ebooks, Witches

154 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2025

About the author

Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of fantasy romance and urban fantasy. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set, with her partner. When she's not writing, Laura can be found exploring worldwide cusine with her partner, drinking tea, and reading fantasy books. Laura specialises in quick reads, featuring healthy relationships and consent-positive moments, regardless of whether she's writing light-hearted romance, mythology-inspired modern fantasy, cozy fantasy or anything in between.

Discover one of Laura Greenwood's most popular series:
- The Apprentice of Anubis (mythology inspired modern/urban fantasy)
- Forgotten Gods (mythology inspired fantasy romance)
- Jinx Paranormal Dating Agency (mythology inspired paranormal rom-com)
- House of Blood and Roses (vampire romantasy)
- Amethyst's Wand Shop Mysteries (urban fantasy murder mystery)
- Scales of Justice (mythology inspired modern/urban fantasy)
- Purple Oak Oasis (cozy fantasy romance)
- Falhaven Castle (cozy fantasy romance)

You can find a full book list and more information on her website, or in her Facebook Reader Group.

Happy Reading!

Reviews

[Orsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nem sok minden történik és jó néhány kérdésre nem kapunk választ de egy kedves és aranyos rövid szerelmi történet. Ezért 4/5 ⭐️

Not much happens and we don't get answers to quite a few questions, but it's a nice and cute short love story. That's why 4/5 ⭐️

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy from the authors and voluntarily reviewed it.

The Tea Witch's Secret is the second story in the Purple Oak Oasis series. I struggled a bit with book 1 due this series being reworked and being different from the original version of the series. I wanted to read more books in the series to see if I would enjoy those more. And I am glad to say that worked. It was easier to get into this reworked world now with the second book and I really liked the romance between Hana and Oliver. I was able to leave the original series behind more and settle more comfortable in this new reworked series. The cozy fantasy vibes are awesome and I had a great time reading this one.

I really liked the romance between Hana and Oliver. They struggle with similar issues as the couple of book 1 namely that they are both from two of the four big families that rule the town and are forbidden from dating each other. They eventually decide to give it a try in secret as they really want to be together. I just really liked these two together, they were so sweet and something about their interactions was just so fun to read. I really felt their connection and it made me happy reading about them. There were so many awesome scenes between them and I just really liked reading about them.

In the first book it was clear already that Oliver had trouble training his familiar Howie and I liked seeing that get addressed in this book. I did feel the solution was a bit of an easy one and I couldn't fathom why he hadn't tried that before, but in Oliver's point of view this does make a big more sense. I liked seeing the bond he and Howie have as well as seeing the two of them from Hana's point of view. It also was fun to see more of the tea witch powers in action as Hana is a healer.

I did feel that just like with the first book the ending feels a bit incomplete as a certain thing still isn't addressed. I wonder if this will happen in a future book? I do think the series so far is best read in order as I liked seeing more of Katie and Brew in this one, but it definitely works as standalone romances as each book has it's own romance.

To summarize: This was such a cute romantic cozy fantasy story. I enjoyed this one more than the first book and was able to settle more into this new reworked series and leave the previous version further behind. I really liked reading about Hana and Oliver, they were just so cute together. I really liked them as a couple and there are so many great scenes with the two of them. I liked seeing Oliver's bond with Howie as well as more of the tea witch magic as well. I did feel one plot line didn't really get resolved but maybe that happens in future books. I had a great time reading this one and can't wait for more books in the series.

[Nathalie Bookwurm · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a cozy, feel-good romance with a touch of magic, The Tea Witch’s Secret by Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade is a delightful read. The story follows Hana, a healer from the Steeper family, who has been quietly nursing feelings for Oliver. Their relationship is a slow burn, filled with little moments of tension and longing, especially as they sneak off together after the village bonfire.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is how natural Hana and Oliver’s connection feels. They aren’t just thrown together for the sake of romance; there’s a genuine friendship and history between them. Oliver’s owl familiar is such a fun addition to the story, always giving Hana an excuse to see him. And then there’s the added tension of Brew and Katie discovering their secret—making you wonder if the rest of the village (and their parents) will find out next.

The whole world of Purple Oak Oasis is beautifully crafted, with its tea-based magic system adding a unique touch. It’s the kind of setting that makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea while you read. If you love light fantasy, small-town charm, and sweet romance, this book is definitely worth picking up!

[Lorna Hadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun, cozy, quick fantasy romance read
Hana and Oliver are our FMC and MMC.
Friends to lovers
Forbidden relationship
The tea witches are healers and require tea to replenish their source of power!
Beautiful and sweet! Great pick me up

[Amanda Snodgrass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m still so enthralled with the idea of tea witches being healers, it’s such a fun amalgam of my favorite things. And this was such an adorable return to Purple Oak Oasis. Short and sweet, such a lovely relationship, and another even cuter familiar. I look forward to the next trip to this world and eventually, all the families getting on board with the wonderful relationships we are watching bloom.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cute and fluffy read. With some real understandable and feelable (is this even a word?!) attraction between the MC-s.

[Odette Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

I found the story intriguing, with a unique premise and well-developed characters, which I certainly appreciated. However, I felt that it could benefit from pacing adjustments to enhance engagement. At times, I struggled to maintain my attention, and I noticed it took me longer to finish than anticipated. With a bit more momentum, this story has the potential to truly captivate readers and encourage them to dive in at every opportunity. Overall, it's a strong foundation that could be further refined for a more immersive experience.

I received this book as a gift for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my w

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a short story in the Purple Oak Oasis series and the main characters are tea witch and healer Hana Steeper and ward Oliver Fields, who has an owl familiar. He is a repeat customer to the infirmary, as his owl doesn’t seem to want to do as he asks it, as they get familiar with each other, seemingly with lots of accidents along the way. As the heir to one of the founding families of the Purple Oak Oasis, expectations about who she might marry are high and they were all brought up with the rules of no bad mouthing each other and no dating between the families! The oasis is struggling with a lack of fresh tea supplies, so what they have is mainly rationed, especially for the use of the healers. Hana tries to revive herself and get a bit of energy to help finish the day, but her tea is diluted and only has a little bit of restorative magic left in it. Her next patient is Oliver, whose owl Howie, has scraped his arms again on landing, as they practise. He refuses to wear a glove, which would have avoided all these injuries, as he wants Howie to learn to be gentle when he lands on his arm. He flirts with her as she works, but it never really goes anywhere. They have grown up, all of them as friends and know what was expected form them to keep the balance between everyone and the four families. There hadn’t always been peace amongst them all.

His best friend Brew (Rooibos Brewster) knows that he has feelings for the wrong person, having been hiding in his girlfriend Katie Field’s room as Oliver talked to his sister Katie and asking for advice. He comments that Oliver should go for it, guessing it’s Hana, and Olivert thinks it is just so he isn’t the only one dating someone they shouldn’t! Oliver finally ends up with a glove for training Howie, much to Hana’s delight, after he was told that it wasn’t only beginners that needed to use a glove to start with when training their familiars. His former familiar had been much older and may have previously had another ward before him, so hadn’t need as much training. He wasn’t used to a bird of prey such as his owl, nor how to train them. They end up in an old hiding place they shared as kids, in the secluded garden that houses the purple oak tree the oasis is named after. It is off limits to all, unless they have special duties to perform there. It is the perfect place to talk about their desire to kiss and do so without anyone seeing them break the family’s rules. Both know about Brew and Katie, but haven’t been able to tell the other until now. They hide their own love for each other, but it seems others are noticing, just not saying anything as they pretend there is nothing between them. It looks like these old rules are about to be smashed wide open, as two pairs of the younger generation are breaking the very rules they were raised to adhere to, to keep the balance in the oasis, between the four families and the rest of the village.

[Ann Schwarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella had a very interesting magical system right from the start and I liked how the authors describe it at work in the story. Hana is a healer and derives her magic in part from magical tea. I suppose her inherent abilities are enhanced by the tea. She calls herself a tea witch for this reason. While her love interest in the story, Oliver, is a ward. At first, it isn't clear what the duties of a ward are, but later in the novella Hana and Oliver, in comparing their gifts, touch on all of the various ways wards can protect their community. Wards like Oliver have their powers enhanced by having a bond with a familiar. In Oliver's case his familiar is an adorable owl named Howie.

One thing that kept this from being a 5 stars for me was the fact that at time I forgot which character was narrating the story when the point of view switched. The voices for the characters were a bit too similar at times for me to remember if we were in Thea or Oliver's point of view. However, I did love both characters and enjoy the setup for their conflict. It seems this community is jointly run by four founding families that are descended from different magical beings, tea witches, dryads, and wards. According to local lore those three groups did not always get along and so decided to keep the peace by running things jointly, but also keeping their families separate to avoid future conflicts. As such, though the children of these families were encouraged to be friends, it was with the understanding that they could never be more. This is a problem for Hana and Oliver since the two are very much attracted to one another and that tension makes for a steamy romance as the story progresses. As this is a cozy fantasy though, they do get their happy ever after of sorts. However, the ending is left somewhat open for them. I am guessing this means that eventually in the series this will all be resolved for the good. But the authors do leave this story somewhat open-ended.

Overall, I loved the premise of The Tea Witch's Secret, as well as the characters, the romance that develops between them, and the world-building for this community. I would recommend it to any one who enjoys a nice cozy fantasy with some steamy romance.

[Jessica Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Purple Oak Oasis, there are many different types of people, but over all, there are the Four Families--a sort of governing system, the four families with special types of magic that help keep the village thriving and growing. While friendships between the Four Families are considered top priority, in order to keep day to day life running smoothly, anything more than cordial interactions is deemed unsuitable, as the magic of each house needs to be kept pure.
Unfortunately, when you have a bunch of childhood friends who have been encouraged to play together and spend time together and be "cordial", and they grow up to be kind, good-looking, successful adults who know everything about each other already...sometimes those feelings of friendship turn to something more.
Oliver, a member of the Fields family with ward magic (he is able to bond to familiars and train them to help with tasks like farm work or pest control), and Hana, a tea witch from the Steeper family who is a healer that gets restorative energy from tea, have always been friends, and always had a sort of flirty banter between them, but lately, they both feel like perhaps there is more to it than that. The rules say that they are not supposed to act on those feelings, but in matters of the heart, sometimes rules are meant to be broken.
This is a cozy "forbidden romance" friends-to-lovers tale with an ADORABLE owl familiar and a moderate amount of spice (lots of flirty banter, some steamy kisses and one open door intimate scene). I have followed Ms Greenwood for ages, but this is the first book of hers I have actually read and it was quite lovely. I am a little disappointed by the end, but I hope it will be resolved in another part of the series that features the other two side characters from this one as the MCs in that book. The entire series is an interconnected set of standalone stories that features a different main couple, from what I understand. They are all short and should be nice quick reads, so I look forward to getting to them all at some point before too long. 🙂

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and getting to know Oliver (Oliver Fields - Owl Ward) better after reading about him in the previous book The Tea Witch's Promise. I also enjoyed getting to know Hana (Hana Steeper - Tea Witch) in this book and thought her and Oliver made a good couple. Oliver's owl familiar Howie was also so cute and I loved the interaction between Oliver and Howie. I look forward to continuing this series and getting to know some of the other characters in Purple Oak Oasis.

Purple Oak Oasis
The Tea Witch's Promise: Rooibos "Brew" Brewster & Katie Fields
The Tea Witch's Secret: Oliver Fields & Hana Steeper
The Tea Witch's Treaty: Jasmine Brewster & Ryburn
The Bat Ward's Watch: Cami Brewster & Sonia

[DianaRaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE TEA WITCH’S SECRET by Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade (aka Arizona Tape) is the second installment in their new 'Purple Oak Oasis' series.  This is another entertaining, light read from these two authors that work well together, creating great characters and wonderful worlds. The idea of witches having healing powers from drinking tea is a unique premise. This cute story concentrates more on the romance than magic.

Hana and Oliver are both members of one of the four families dedicated to keeping their people and land healthy and safe. One of the rules of the settlement is that the four power families are not to intermingle. The trouble is, Hana and Oliver have always been attracted to each other but afraid to acknowledge the fact. As they battle to ignore their feelings 

When they discover that Oliver's sister and his best friend are breaking the  rule, they can too. We get to follow Hana's and Oliver's secret atteaction grow into love.

I recommend this unique and entertaining cozy fantasy to those enjoying cozy paranormal romances. I did receive a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this free on Kindle and grabbed it up because it sounded amazing. It is really good, but starting with this book is like dropping into season 3 of a show. I don't have any idea why the four families can't date each other. Its pretty crazy, usually powerful families want to stay connected.

So in this story Hana is a tea witch, which makes her a healer. For some reason they are really low on tea. It is practically all gone and they are waiting for the merchant ships.

Oli is a ward, and he has an owl familiar. He thinks using protective gear is cheating, so he is constantly clawed up as he trains his owl Howie.

Hana sees two members of the four families sneaking a passionate kiss, and she thinks if they can, then she is going to go for it. Thankfully for her, Oilver feels exactly the same.

I was very surprised at the sex scene. I wasn't put off, I just wasn't expecting it in s novella length story.

I really liked the relationship between Hana and Oilver and I really wish that this story had been fleshed out to be much longer.

[Chad Barrus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book concerns a long time friendship between two people who start to develop feelings more than friendship between them but because of the rules of the society they live in they aren’t suppose to have for one another because of being two of the four powerful families in the town. However, the heart doesn’t care what the rules of society dictate and when Hana sees her boss expressing his feelings with someone forbidden like she wants to do with Oliver, she decides she’s going to break the rule as well!

This was a book where open affection in public couldn’t be expressed presently so it has to be done in secret but it doesn’t stop them from dreaming of the day when they don’t have to hide their feelings for each other in public.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it as well as the series it’s a part of that you can read about other couples in the town and how they handle their attraction to each other.

[Goddess of Chaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There was so much joy around that it was impossible not to soak up..."

"There was so much joy around that it was impossible not to soak up at least some of the atmosphere."

Oliver is trying to train the animal he is bonded to, an owl, to land on his arm, but he's discovering the owl has ideas of his own.

Hana is a healer who can't help speaking her mind when it comes to Oliver... and surely getting hurt isn't supposed to be part of the special relationship he and his owl have.

This done in one quick read focuses on responsibilities, the pressure that can come with our roles in our family and community, and balancing how we are there for others with taking care of ourselves. Hana and Oliver both want to be contributing parts of their community, but that doesn't mean they want to carry the weight of the world... and there's nothing wrong with that.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Hana and Oliver two scions of the four families. As such they should not be having romantic feelings for each other but they catch feelings anyways. Definitely a star crossed/ Romeo and Juliet vibe without the tragedy at the end. I’m still struggling with the backstory. I want to know why the Purple Oak Oasis was founded and what was the reasoning behind that. What’s the deal with the four families why does it matter if their children who have grown up together fall in love? That seems like a rather ridiculous rule that will almost certainly result in the opposite happening as we see here and in book one. If you can set aside the questions of the world building then this is a cute story. It’s light and there’s plenty of quirky fun with Oli and his owl Howie. So mixed feelings like the love story, really really want more info on the backstory of this oasis.

[h. duxbury · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought maybe this was a YA, but it is not. This book reads like it was written by a 15 year old. I could find very little information on the authors with a quick search, so if they ARE 15 years old, good on you, you are doing fine.
The characters are flat, the world building lacks the detail that could have made it good, the plot is virtually non-existent. It feels like a small portion of a book, not an actual book (even a novella), kind of like I accidentally ripped a couple early chapters out of a larger book. With more development, it could be a really cute cosy type story, but there just is not enough detail and depth as is.

Interesting aside: The one smutty scene has the distinction of being the only sex scene I have ever read where they manage to avoid talking about body parts.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

back to the earlier days in the Purple Oasis, before connections with the Dryads gave the tea and ward families more options.

Friends, family and romance are more complex than before the many deaths.

The grower families face challenges in different ways, as several have lost family members, and resources and balances are not as they once were.

Friendships and romances are tested and forged as new paths and alliances are made and broken.

Friendships facing challenges in romance is mostly sweet, absent parents who passed .

Sweet and intense early beginnings, as the Oasis develops.

Touching, and mostly hopeful.

[Tracey Tonkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oli and Hana's sweet story of love and a hidden relationship follows on from The Tea Witch's Promise featuring Brew and Katie, and is better read in that order. These are generally sweet, simple romance stories set in a fantasy setting of magic, in a town based around four main magical families, the pillars of society, with a continuous plot around the need to acquire tea for their magic, and other magical races who can help them grow their own and improve their town. Short and entertaining, a light magical read for a little escape.

[Claire Trickett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden love with your childhood best friend. As part of the important families within Purple Oak Oasis, they've only got one rule, keep the peace. Which means no relationships in case something goes wrong!

However, Hana and Oli can't keep away from each other. This book covers the early part of their relationship. We don't find out if the families discover the relationship or what the repercussions of this are. It's a happy for now story.

I would have liked to find out more, but it was sweet to read. I am leaving a voluntary and honest review.

[Victoria Golby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute witch romance

A lovely sweet romance between friends as they start to realise there might be more between them than just family friendship.

Oliver has had a crush on Hana for years but hasn't had the courage to act on it as it's against the rules set by their families. After he takes his owl familiar for healing though, he takes the chance to flirt with her and Hana takes the chance to tell him how she feels about him. But can they keep their growing relationship a secret from their families?

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light & gentle but short

To be honest, it was a little bit too light, too gentle, and too short for me.

It left me wanting more (i.e., in this book itself, not as in "When's the sequel out?") which is rare for me with these authors.

Maybe this series isn't going to be for me but, as I'll try again if it appears in a collection (where you can effectively skip from the end of one book straight into the next), I'd still suggest you give it a try.

[LizJ. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tea Witch's Secret related to the Purple Oak Oasis series by Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade this is Hana and Oliver's story and is a sweet and delightful romance. It has mystery and I really liked that we learned more about Tea Witchcraft (very unique aspect to this series). I look forward to reading more from this series!

I received an ARC from the author and am leaving my review freely.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heart knows.

Hana Steeper is a tea witch and works in the infirmary. Training his new owl familiar means frequent trips to the infirmary for healing for Oliver Fields. They have always been friends. Because they were born into the four families that is all they can ever be, but their hearts want more.

This is a sweet star-crossed-lovers paranormal romance. I received a free copy of this book but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cute short story. Oli and Hana have been secretly pining for each other for a long time but theirs is a forbidden love. The author did a great job with this book. It was well written and enjoyable. I liked the characters and the events in their daily lives kept the story interesting. I especially liked Howie the owl. I loved hearing more about Brew and Katie. I’m looking forward to the next book.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy friends to lovers and secret romance this is a great book. Oliver and Hana are a sweet couple. I hope that in future books the reader gets to see them have an open relationship without fear of breaking the rules. I like seeing characters from different books in this series appear in this one.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will never understand why humans put so many dang rules on themselves. No one should have a say on who we fall in love with. Love doesn't differentiate, why should we? The characters are interesting, the plot is easily followed and the premise is negotiating the minefield of families staying within their vocations and not "cross-pollinating, so to speak. I do recommend this short story.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet, fun, secret romance with open door spice. The young adults of Purple Oak Oasis are falling for each other despite being forbidden fruit. They've grown up together so it's only natural to develop feelings. Oliver and Hana have had their eyes on each other for years. They just have to take the leap and hope the other feels the same way. And hope they don't get caught!

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a sweet story. They are acting like teenagers. I thought it was cute when they began to understand that they had more than just a like between them. So cute holding hands when they sat close together. Thinking that no one else would find out. I loved the story. I received a complimentary review copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Monique Westwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the second book in this series and I really enjoyed it.
It could be read as a stand-alone. Oliver and Hana are so sweet together. I love the fantasy aspect of it. It's not too “out there”. It is a happy for now ending that should be tied up in one of the subsequent books (hopefully).