Book Review: The Crescent Moon Tearoom

Book #15 for 2025: The Crescent Moon Tearoom by Stacy Sivinski, 4/5 ★
336 pages / published October 2024 / available here

Goodreads Blurb: Ever since the untimely death of their parents, Anne, Beatrix, and Violet Quigley have made a business of threading together the stories that rest in the swirls of ginger, cloves, and cardamom at the bottom of their customers’ cups. Their days at the teashop are filled with talk of butterflies and good fortune intertwined with the sound of cinnamon shortbread being snapped by laced fingers. That is, until the Council of Witches comes calling with news that the city Diviner has lost her powers, and the sisters suddenly find themselves being pulled in different directions. As Anne’s magic begins to develop beyond that of her sisters’, Beatrix’s writing attracts the attention of a publisher, and Violet is enchanted by the song of the circus—and perhaps a mischievous trapeze artist threatening to sweep her off her feet. It seems a family curse that threatens to separate the sisters is taking effect.

My Review: If you’re in the mood for a low-stakes, heartwarming, cozy but steadily-paced sisterhood story then this is the book for you. While I would’ve enjoyed more development of the setting outside of the tea shop and more characterization of the customers, I really enjoyed how lush and atmospheric the writing of the tea and food was. It’s not a terribly complicated story and the ending was entirely unsurprising, but I still enjoyed the personal journey of each of the sisters and especially related to Anne. The sentient house is delightful as a character and while the triplets occasionally feel a bit caricatured, I appreciated how they each reflected different approaches to grief in regards to their mother. Their dad, however, seemed a bit of a throwaway character; I was also pretty underwhelmed by Emil, but it didn’t matter as the romance is so secondary. Overall, it’s a delightfully charming and mild read.

CW: parent loss (off page), the mildest hint of spiciness