The Tea House

Tea Roses & Tentacles #1

by Amanda Meuwissen

Jaime is looking for sanctuary and a new start after escaping his stepfather. With little money to his name, he doubts he can afford the gorgeous bed and breakfast he stumbles upon, surrounded by tea roses inside and out. Then Logan, the handsome young concierge, surprises Jaime with a ‘pay what you can’ policy, and Jaime is instantly smitten.

Little does Jaime know the Tea House is plagued by rumors of monsters and disappearances and is known by another name.

Hollow House.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Horror, Monsters, Dark

151 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2021

About the author

Amanda Meuwissen is a queer author with a primary focus on M/M fiction and romance. As the author of LGBTQ+ Fantasy #1 Best Seller, Coming Up for Air, LGBTQ+ Horror #1 Best Seller and #1 New Release, A Delicious Descent, and several other titles through various publishers, Amanda regularly attends local comic conventions for fun and to meet with fans, where she will often be seen in costume as one of her favorite fictional characters. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, John, and their cat, Helga.

Reviews

[Celia {Semi Hiatus}]

•| ⊱✿⊰ |• 3 Stars •| ⊱✿⊰ |

Jaime is broke, but he needs a place to stay.
Suddenly, sees The Tea House.
He thinks it's too expensive and can't afford it, but he goes anyway.
There, he meets Logan, a gorgeous guy, that explains their policy, ‘pay what you can’.
He decides to stay.
The B&B it's not what appears, people disappear while they're staying there.
There's some kind of monster living in The Tea House.
Jaime notice that's only the bad people that disappear…

[Mir]

Odd, I read this when it came out and was sure I had reviewed it.
This a different edition with a different cover; maybe the earlier one was deleted?

Anyway, I recall quite liking this short novella with it's creepy-cute hotel and ambiguous ethical choices and thirsty monsters.

There's a sequel now that I'll get around to eventually.

[Sebby]

Personally it would take a lot more for me to agree to become the boyfriend of an eldritch horror who consumes the flesh of guests who are rude at his bed and breakfast but each to their own I guess

[Shelba]

Not my cup of tea.

The cover model doesn’t match the description of either Logan or Jaime (presumably it’s Logan, but he isn’t platinum blond and his glasses are Harry Potter style rounded, silver glasses), which is always a pet peeve.

The dialogue was weird, and I think Jaime slowly realizing something wasn’t quite right at The Tea House, as opposed to Rick telling him right away made it rather unintriguing.

When Jaime lamented that he didn’t really feel like he knew Logan, it was a big eye roll moment for me… of course you don’t really know the worker of the B&B you’ve been at for less than 24 hours very well.

[Ronie Reads]

Dang Rick!

[Guardian.angel54]

Even monsters need love

Ok, so this was nothing like I expected - it was better. I adore a good monster story and in this one, Amanda Meuwissen captured everything I love about them. We have Jaimie, the young traveler running from an abusive stepfather, who finds himself at the most beautiful B & B. There he meets Logan - the nerdy, mysterious young man that seems to run the entire place on his own. From there we have a little of the classic Beauty and the Beast mixed in with Lovecraft and The Twilight Zone. It's a quick read but it pulls you in and gives you all the feels and chills of a longer story. There were a few unanswered questions, but I didn't feel like they left any holes. The ending is some classic and just ... Gah! Perfect! (Bawahaha) The cover doesn't do the book justice, so ignore it and just dive in. This is easily one of my favorite short stories in this genre.

[Lia E]

I really enjoyed this! It was a quick read that picked up toward the ending. Even though it’s on the short side, the story feels cohesive and thought out. There isn't much room for character development or deep lore building, but I didn't mind.

It starts off with the main character, who is 19 and just left home to get away from his stepfather, stopping into this charming bed and breakfast to see if he can afford it for a few nights (before moving onto another town). He’s instantly enamored by the beautiful host at the front desk, and they have some cute moments. There’s some suspense building up, but nothing seems too odd yet… then it takes a wild twist that turns pretty creepy! Plot and relationship have a good resolution at the end.

There are some details letting the reader know in the beginning something isn’t quite right, but you don’t realize fully until you get to a specific scene— or one after that which makes it even more clear.

One minor critique— I found that the few pop culture references weren’t my style, there’s quick mentions of Harry Potter and Mean Girls used when describing things or people. Not a huge issue, but I tend to dislike references like this in general!

There are two explicit sex scenes in this book, and one steamy makeout session before that. It’s not 100% smut, and I think it fits with the story, but something to note if you don’t want sex scenes! No huge triggers present except the ones that come with the nature of the reveal at the end; there is a bit of creep factor and gore but it’s a small section of the book.

[Raven and Chris]

Do you want to leave Hollow House?

This one is so different it is fascinating. Scarily weird and good all at the same time. The Tea House is a B&B where you pay what you can. But it has rumors of disappearances…What is the truth? What can be believed? Not giving anything away here but think…what is more monstrous? The monster or the man who does monstrous things? Jamie discovers the Tea House and finds a temporary refuge from a real monster in his life. He also discovers that sometimes you have a choice to make..to leave or to stay.

[Mere Rain]

[edit: rereading before picking up the newly released sequel]

This is what a monster romance should be.
Too often it's just "he looks scary but is really nice" or "she drinks blood but no harm is done."
Here the protagonist has to confront something truly monstrous, both in the physical sense (think Lovecraft's Too Alien to Get Your Mind Around creatures) and in the ethical sense that the Jaime has to decide whether he can live with what his monster lover does. It's finely balanced.

[Ula'ndi Hart]

Overall book rating: 3.5
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 4

Short. Dark. Something else

[Tinnean]

A very interesting story, and I was pleased to know certain people would get what they deserved. Also, the sex was hot!

Now I'm off to read the sequel. ;-)

[Kaila]

this cover totally made me think the book would be something else completely haha.. so many things happened i didnt see coming. it was awesome and enjoyable. i liked seeing how it went and what happened.. i loved the beauty and the beast feel to this. it was a good story

[Molly Otto]

Wow

Now that is a book unlike any other! Gives you chills and begging for more! Amanda has a true gift in writing unique stories ( let's be blunt, add tentacles, and she's unstoppable) that grip you from the go. I'm so happy to see that Book 2 Hollow House (the dark side of the Tea House) is coming soon! Don't want to give spoilers, but you have to read this to see how unique it is!

[Jacquie Stewart]

If you don't pay attention to the blurb, then this will pull a massive bait and switch on you.
It starts very sweet and Jaimie and Logan have an instant connection, before it turns into something much darker.
I'd really have liked more. More history and backstory. More of Jaimie coming to grips with the monster.
Overall though, it was a great novella

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian)]

THE TEA HOUSE is a novella with a perfectly timed release - just in time for spooky season. Because that's what this is - spooky. There is some blood and gore but nothing too bad. Instead, you get that feeling of creepiness, that something is about to happen, you know it, you just don't know when.

Logan and Jaime are the perfect counterfoils for The Tea House and it starts off sweet enough. Be prepared for it to change though, and maybe not in the way you're expecting!

This is a short read that I enjoyed, but I will admit to wanting more. More from Jaime and him accepting certain things. More from Logan and his history, present, and future. And more of them together.

I did enjoy the ending, and it left me with a hopeful (evil) gleam in my eye!

A short one but absolutely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 13, 2021

[Tay]

4⭐️

First off THIS WAS SO CUTE

JAIME AND LOGAN AHHHH THEY WERE SO CUTE TOGETHER EVEN WITH THE MONSTER ASPECT!!!

The MONSTER ASPECT AHHHH OKAYYY THAT WAS HOT IM JUST GONNA SAY IM EVEN MORE OBSESSED WITH MONSTER SMUT CAUSE THIS WAS A LONG STICKY RIDE CAUSE AHHHHHHH TENTACLES OH MY GOD!!!


and I listed to the audiobook which was narrated b Amanda Meuwissen aka the author and I thought her narration of her book was so good I was so captivated by the story and I just couldn’t get enough of it ughh this was everything highly recommend listening to the audio cause this was hot and so cute at the Same time

AHHHH OVERALL HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND for a quick read and if you’re listening to the audio a really fast listen!!

And the chemistry and plot and the smut are just overall worth your time and it’s so gooood!!

[embright15]

OOOOH
I looooooove Amanda Meuwissen.
I am new to Eldrich Horror, so I dont really know what all it incompasses. But this book was definitely a little bit spooky.
I thought that the plot was super promising although there was not a lot of focus on the horror itself or the monster bits until close to the end of the novel. I would have liked more monster details but thats because I love monster books and am never satisfied lol

I loved the characters, I thought that they were so so cute together and the sexy times were pretty sexy. I wish we had more development BUT I HAVE THE ARC FOR BOOK TWO SO FUCK WHAT I JUST SAID BECAUSE IM POSITIVE ILL GET ALL MY INFO THERE BECAUSE AMANDA NEVER LETS ME DOWN

[Kelan]

My Kindle has decided I like tentacles, so I've been down a very VERY different rabbit hole. For my friends who follow me, prepare for my Kindle recommendations that made me confused about people's kinks, but hey, as long as no one gets hurt, I'm not judging.

After I went through it, I was able to claw out with some sequels that have come out from other books I'm reading, but yeah. Cthulu books really did a number on my recommendations...

[Natalie H]

July 2025
Kindle edition

Another short one. Cover is its own spoiler. Rick could've saved himself. Jaime and Logan were sweet enough together, although Logan had this indentured servant that knows too much vibe going on. My thought throughout this one was okay when is Chuck popping up to get munched on.

[Maureen]

An enjoyable novella centered around an unusual Inn full of mystery and melodrama, and one cute young man that seems to do everything. I was enjoying this story, very much actually, and then neat the ending it got weird, and grim, and kinda awful, but Ioved it!

[Naomi-Lynn Marguerite]

An enjoyable monster story

This is a nice, fairly mild—horrorwise, erotic monster story. It is high on charm and light on gore. A good, quick, and enjoyable read.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/2/2021)! 🎁

[antonia🫧]

fucking weird.

(don't know if that's a good thing or not...)

[Krys (spicy.spine.breaker)]

WOOOW I loved that so much I wish it was a whole damn series not just novella😭 I don’t even fully understand what the monster mc thing here was but oh man was it TERRIFYING. And I loved every second.

FRTC

[Annie]

3.75 stars

The Tea House was decidedly different than I expected. That said, it was an interesting short that grabbed my full attention from beginning to end. With a bit of horror and paranormal fantasy, this is the perfect read during the spooky season or whenever you want something a bit unexpected.

Shorts are always tricky to gauge character development. Still, I think the author did an excellent job at flushing out Jaime and Logan enough to explain their personality. Overall, I enjoyed the fast-paced and unlikely pairing and found their physical chemistry shocking, but well done.

When I started The Tea House, I definitely anticipated something a bit sinister lay within the quaint bed and breakfast walls. However, as with many of this author's works, there was more to the story and a satisfyingly macabre ending. If you like suspense, surprises, and things that go bump in the night, I'd recommend The Tea House.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement. ***

[Shari Sakurai]

*I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

When Jaime arrives at the beautiful bed and breakfast known as The Tea House, he cannot believe his luck with the ‘pay what you can’ policy. Coupled with this is the gorgeous concierge Logan. However, very quickly Jaime realises that not all is what it seems. With screams in the night and disappearing guests, Jaime finds himself drawn into the dark side of The Tea House and its secrets.

I really enjoyed this short read from Amanda Meuwissen. It begins with a sweet budding romance between Jaime and Logan, but very quickly becomes darker. I don’t want to say too much so not to give away the ending, but my theories as to what was going on did not come close to the truth! I loved that the author surprised me like this and how when everything fell into place it made total sense in a strange and horrific way. If you’re looking for a great horror read for Halloween, then I completely recommend reading The Tea House!

[Emily Hernandez]

My spidey senses were tingling from the moment Jaime checked into the Tea House and met Logan, and that initial feeling of creepiness only grew as this story continued. In my opinion, this was the perfect bite-sized Halloween treat, with a lovable main character, ominous disappearances, and an unexpected romance that ended up being way steamier than I was prepared for. Logan's mysterious nature fascinated me, and even when I couldn't quell the knot in my gut that told me something wasn't right, I couldn't pull myself away from this story. As Jaime explored the grounds and interacted with the other hotel guests, I kept waiting for something more sinister to emerge. I told myself I was ready, that nothing this house threw at me could catch me off guard, but when the creep-factor escalated I was just as freaked out as I told myself I wouldn't be. I don't think I would have kept my cool as well as Jaime did, but there was something really sweet about the way he decided to stick around with Logan after the truth came out. Though their relationship ended on more of a teasing promise than a concrete happily ever after, I actually loved the open-ended nature of their story, because it let me imagine all the wonderful and terrifying things that might happen next in the Hollow House.

**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.

[R]

This book is full of surprises. A lot crammed into a very short story.

Jaime and Logan were both sweet. Logan was very unusual to say the least.

There’s not much I can say about this book. I wouldn’t call it horror but it has elements. It’s not really a love story but love is made.

Not much world building but the world inside the Tea House seems complete. Good quick read.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.

[Ida Umphers]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this story. I knew from this author we'd get a romance I'd love, but I wasn't sure how angsty, dark or into the horror we'd get. I don't mind chills but real horror fiction isn't my thing. If that's you, never fear. Jump right into this one. Yes, there are "monsters" both human (the worst kind) and otherwise and yes, there are Gothic elements but Jaime finds a perfect refuge at the Tea House and with Logan. The angst level was low, the steam level was high but built at a nice pace and the ending will make you smile and start to dream about how this relationship will develop in the future. I'd really love to see more of this couple and this world.

[DKSDGM]

Although a very short read the characters are so engaging and their chemistry sufficiently good that you don't want it to end. I immediately bought the sequel, Hollow House. My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough. I wanted more, more, more.