Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.

Unfortunately this was an early DNF for me. The writing style just really wasn’t for me. It was a bit too simplistic and felt stilted in a way that prevented me from connecting with characters. In the amount I read there was also so many uses of the word “draggo” that just made me cringe every time. I’m sure this will work for some people and be a favourite cozy romantasy, just disappointed that it wasn’t for me.

Cosy fantasy and romantasy has been a genre that I have been interested in reading for a while so when I heard about this book I knew it was a great book to try it with.

The Baby Dragon Cafe was a cosy and cute romantasy book that I found myself lost in and enjoyed reading.
We follow Saphira who owns a cafe open to baby dragons but what she wasn’t expecting when she initially opened was for her to have to replace so much furniture after it being burnt which leads to her being unable to cover her costs. And Aiden who is a gardener whose mischievous baby dragon is causing him disruption at work so he decides to ask Saphira to help him train his dragon and pay her enough to cover the cafe’s costs. They both hold the answers to the others problems but also know they are the others complete opposites.

It took me a bit of time to be hooked by the story but once I was heavily invested in the story I just wanted to keep reading and just spend time with these characters.

I found these characters to be ones who I wanted to learn more about and enjoyed spending time with. Saphira was a character who felt both understandable and relatable, she created such a cosy environment and I felt like that bled into her character. I also really liked seeing her relationships with the other characters because I felt like that gave me a wider picture of who else lived in this area. Aiden was a really interesting love interest and character as a whole. I could relate to him quite a lot and I liked seeing how he had been shaped as a person from the family he came from and his life experiences. By having two characters from very different backgrounds that are viewed differently by those in the world it was really interesting to see how that impacted their views and how they then tackled things in their lives and it was a contrast that I liked seeing and felt added to the world building.

I absolutely loved the dragon aspect of the story. I found them to be really interesting, enjoyed learning more about them and oftentimes they made me laugh or just added some fun which I always love.

Saphira’s cafe was such a cosy environment that I loved spending time in. It gave the entire story a super cosy feel which I was looking for as I dip my toe into cosy fantasy. That being said I would have liked it if there was more world building because I do feel like I have been left with some questions surrounding the world that I hope are answered in future books. However it didn’t ruin my reading experience and I almost expected it going into the story.

Overall this was a super cosy romantasy book that I had a great time with. I would definitely recommend it and look forward to reading the sequels when they are released over the next year. I think I am most excited about the bookshop one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A cosy romance that had me desperate to hang out with the baby dragons, despite all the chaos they cause! Sparky was certainly the star of the show here and Saphira's relationship is incredibly sweet. I also enjoyed Saphira's relationship with her friend and colleague Lavinia, which brought all those great female friendship vibes to the story. Aidan is shy and a total hermit, and I can at least relate to the latter. It was nice to have his POV for the story to better understand him and his anxieties, as well as his total adoration of Saphira. This pair certainly grew together, each bringing something different to their budding friendship. It's a slow burn which I liked but I did say I was let down by how corny the book turned when their relationship developed beyond friendship. The way Aiden in particular spoke to Saphira was too syrupy sweet for my taste, and the book did take a bit of an odd (to me) turn at the end but I still enjoyed diving into a world full of adorable baby dragons.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Saphira has always dreamed of owning her own café. Not just any café though, no a café where baby dragons are welcome to enjoy some delicious snacks whilst their owners enjoy a drink of the vast café menu. Since Saphira was little, she knew that this is exactly what she wanted to do.

Aiden on the other hand, has a broken heart after his brother passed away 2 years ago. He left him a baby dragon and Aiden is not so sure what he is going to do now this little dragon is in his life. Especially since he’s still grieving. The only thing he does know for sure is that he wants to keep this baby dragon - the only thing still connecting him to his brother.

When one day Aiden runs into Saphira at her baby dragon café, the two of them agree that Saphira will assist to train the little baby dragon called Sparky. Will this arrangement between Aiden and Saphira be causing sparks? Or will they both end up burned?

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book! It’s such a cute, cosy, and heartwarming romance story, perfect to read when you’re curled up under a blanket on the sofa! I enjoyed both Saphira and Aiden as main characters. They each had their own, sometimes tragic, background story and I liked how their different worlds merged together. The side characters were a lovely addition to this story, especially Lavinia, Theo, Ginny, and Emmy. I do feel that certain topics could have been addressed a little more in this book, but overall I think it was written well.

Is it the best book I’ve ever read? No, but it’s a cute romance story with dragons so what more would you want?

Thank you to Avon Books UK for providing me with the ARC of this book!

This is an excellent novel. I really enjoyed reading it, and it was a nice take. Could see our students really liking it too.

I am new to the cosy fantasy genre and to be honest I don't think any of them could top the baby dragon cafe!

I mean a cafe.....for baby dragons? I adored every second of the book and Saphira and Aiden were such amazing characters,

Can't wait to own a physical copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with an ARC of the eBook.

This book was as cosy and adorable as the title suggests. I loved Saphira as a character and how much love she has for these little baby dragons. Sparky had such a fun personality too. Cheeky and just how you would imagine a baby dragon.

I had already pre-ordered this paperback before being approved for the ARC so I can’t wait to add this to my collection.

Now off to work out how to turn my pet Leopard Gecko into a baby dragon!

A cute romantic novel that has the added bonus of being set in a world where dragons exist, and the protagonist runs a cafe for baby dragon owners. The dragons are not welcome in many establishments as they create chaos and carnage as they learn to use their power of fire. Saphira has had a lifelong dream to run a cafe and is able to due to an inheritance from her beloved grandmother. With no other family Saphira dedicates her life to her business with no time for fun. There is a system of hierarchy among dragon owners, with only rich and long established families are allowed to own dragons, Aiden inherited a dragon egg from his late brother and fears the family expectations involved with having a dragon. The two meet and start to become friends despite their very different backgrounds and place in society.

I found this a cute, easy read, with a slow burn sweet romance among the two main characters. A great book for young adults and those that enjoy character development with predictable buy enjoyable tropes.

oh, this book is the very definition of a cozy romance; it’s cozy, very low-stake, and a soothing balm to the heart. i wouldn’t say the romance between aiden and saphira was slow burn—at least, their love story wouldn’t be my definition of a slow burn romance. there was an instant connection between them from the moment they met, and their relationship progressed in a way that was so seamless and easy. i loved them a lot.

i also absolutely adored all the scenes involving their baby dragon, sparky! even though the book didn’t exactly go into super, in-depth detail of the lore of the dragons in their universe, but the basics are there, and you do get some idea of how they all operate. especially the baby ones. you don’t know the amount of times i squealed seeing sparky’s antics. i sympathized with aiden’s inability to control sparky but i couldn’t help but gush at how cute sparky was during his tantrum.

i think, over everything, this book is really about finding a place for yourself in the world, getting that sense of belonging, and a little bit about navigating grief of those who have passed, alongside a cute romance with our cutest duo and their baby dragon. just perfect. i can’t wait for the next book.

thank you so much avon uk and netgalley for the e-arc. i’m so grateful.

Unfortunately this was one of those books where I had to drag myself to the end for Netgalley purposes; while everything in concept seemed like a wonderful idea unfortunately it was just very plot-less and slow paced.

I don't have much to say about the book overall because I really just didn't enjoy it, it's taken me weeks and weeks to read it. I think if your thing is the slow paced thematic cafe based books I've seen floating around maybe it'll be your jam but this just wasn't doing it for me.

The romance aspect I wasn't rooting for, the cafe I wasn't rooting for, I wasn't rooting for anything because I was entirely uninvested and I am devastated about it because baby dragons sounded so cute. Not enough sparks, fantasy or plot for me

The Baby Dragon Café is a cosy and comforting novel - with cute baby dragons. I adored our main dragon, Sparky, who was such a delightful creature! If you are looking for a sweet and soft fantasy novel with the most tender and adorable main couple then this is the book for you! The slow burn is slow but the feelings are very real, and the cast of supporting characters is a riot.

Thank you so much to the author and Avon Books for the ARC of this book - which also has the cutest cover!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me early access to this title.

I picked up The Baby Dragon Cafe because it sounded like just the thing I'd enjoy - a cosy fantasy with baby dragons. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. For starters, the logistics of the two main characters each running their own business, but then seemingly dropping everything on a whim to do up the cafe's garden didn't make sense. Their attraction was a bit too much insta-love for me, and the reasons for trying to ignore that attraction felt a bit contrived. The pacing felt off in places, and especially towards the end rituals were introduced seemingly at random.
Also, considering that such a big deal was made of the illegal dragon races, the way Sparky not getting involved in racing was resolved felt a bit anticlimactic.

Perhaps some additional edits could have helped it along? However, looking back at my highlighted passages, I noticed that I mainly highlighted passaged where I felt the language could have done with some polishing, and not really any inspirational favourite quotes. This wasn't for me.

This is such a cute book! I love the concept of dragons as pet, that makes me want to have one as well! The female main character is relatable in some ways and the way this book is written is so immersive!

Saphira's dream has always been to create a cafe where baby dragons would be welcome. She's known for years that this is what her heart wants to do. Aiden's heart is still broken from losing his brother, so he's not sure what he's going to do now that there's a baby dragon in his life. He doesn't have much heart to give the little guy right now. But fate intervenes; Aiden meets Saphira, and the two of them agree to Saphira helping train Sparky. Will Sparky ignite a flame between these two? Or will Saphira add another burn to her collection - on her heart?

This is my first Qureshi book, and I feel like it fits the Cozy Romance genre perfectly! It's definitely Romance Fantasy, not Fantasy Romance. The whole novel felt like reading a hug (for me it felt similar to reading The Spellshop). I really enjoyed the FMC's backstory (though tragic), and the sprinkling of her heritage in the story. I enjoyed the side characters, and can read between the lines to know that their stories will be coming at some point. This is absolutely a grumpy + sunshine trope book, along with a slow burn. Yes, the fake married trope does make an appearance, and it does stretch willing suspension of disbelief -but this is a story with baby dragons, chimeras and gryphons - I went with it and loved it! (Good ol' trusty one bed trope shows up too!)

While I do agree that there are a few places that exposition about characters or events was repeated (as seen in other reviews), it absolutely did not pull me out of the story, or interfere in my enjoyment of this book. I smiled so often at the antics of the baby dragons, or at the descriptions of the beautiful gardens. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one in the series!

Spice level (scale of 1-5): 1.5-2 (kissing, fade to black, and discussion of said activities)

Stars: 4 - I really enjoyed this and read it in less than 24 hours!

My thanks to Avon Books UK along with NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

A really cute, cosy fantasy / romantasy set in a baby dragon cafe.
Saphira owns a cafe but is struggling to make it work as the baby dragons keep breaking things, but she loves them anyway. Aiden is now the owner of a baby dragon and has no idea what to do, so he employs Saphira to help train Sparky.
Sparks fly, ha sorry, anyway this was closed door romance, it was a lovely read and would be perfect to read whilst under a blanket on a cold day.
I thought the anxiety representation was good, and I liked how you got both POV in alternating chapters.

Saphira has made her dream come true - she's opened her café, one specifically welcoming baby dragons and their owners. Due to the very temperamental nature of baby dragons they tend to set things alight, so Saphira gets a small stipend from the town to repair damages. But she's running herself and Lavinia ragged. They really need a break and then catastrophe happens. A baby dragon takes out their fancy coffee machine!

Aiden may be from a prominent dragon-owning family but he's much happier pottering around in gardens. After the death of his brother he inherited his dragon egg, which has now hatched. Sparky is cute as a button but Aiden finds himself struggling to bond with the baby. Saphira however, seems to be able to get the little menace to behave and Aiden persuades her to help him train Sparky - with a cash injection to her business.

Whilst Aiden, Saphira and Sparky are the main characters in the book, the secondary characters of Lavinia, Theo, Emmy and Ginny are all worthy characters. They help to move the story along and flesh out our MC's world and family. The story is most definitely low angst and no spice (only a bit of lip locking and everything else is essentially fade-to-black). This could be a contemporary romance as without the dragons everything else felt very real world and contemporaneous. However, I think that this would be a great introductory book into fantasy for older children/teenagers or anyone who is unsure if they would like a heavier fantasy storyline.

That said there are some big themes couched in cosy terms such as being seen as the outcast/other, not fitting in, grief and stress.

Saphira is like human sunshine and optimism. Aiden is cranky, principled and out of his depth. He's also deep in grief and can't quite work out his feelings over the death of his brother and trying to keep Sparky out of the family "business".

I was happy to see that there are going to be more books in the series featuring some of the secondary characters. My only real criticism is I would like to have seen more done with the possibility of Saphira's father and her mother's death. It would have added a bit more body to the story I think.

What a cute and cozy book! I absolutely adored the characters and their cute love story. The baby dragons are cute and rambunctious. If you’re looking for a cozy read with love and dragons, this is your book.

The cover for this is arable and what drew me in! Such a cute and cozy read! I loved the baby dragons but otherwise this was light on the fantasy. It did feel a bit repetitive but I did enjoy both main characters and their relationship. Sparky was an adorable little menace. I would’ve loved to see a bit more of other baby dragons and their riders. This was a cute, quick read!

DNF at 65%

I really wanted to love this one and I honestly really tried but the writing style just wasn't for me, it seemed the characters were portrayed a lot younger than adults with their own businesses, things were very over explained and it was very light on the fantasy considering this is a world full of dragons.

This was such a cute and cozy read. I wish I had a dragon cafe to go to! Thank you NetGalley for the arc! :)