I was really looking forward to this novel after reading book 1 and I was not disappointed. The Baby Dragon Bakery continued with it's coziness and I loved the direction it went in. I loved the cosy romance mixed with a little fantasy. I loved how it was written getting swept away in the storytelling and the characters were all created well carrying the story. This is a cosy read and one I enjoyed

I really enjoyed this book better than the first one I love the storyline..

Blurb

Will it be a recipe for romance? Or a friendship up in flames?


Lavinia has it all. A loving family (complete with adorable pet baby dragon). A place at university training to be a magical animal vet. And a part-time job at the enchanting Baby Dragon Cafe. The only thing she doesn’t have is her one true love: Theo.


Theo is the local baker and her best friend. On paper, they’re perfect: he’s funny, she’s witty. He’s sweet, and she’s a little salty. That’s why they’ve been friends for as long as they can remember. They’ve never been without one another – and it’s clear to everyone that they’re meant to be.


Everyone except Theo. Because when Lavinia finally makes her move, he pulls away.


Lavinia is devastated. Has this friendship gone up in smoke? Or will Theo finally realise that he wants them to be more than friends?

Tropes:



Friends-to-lovers 💝

Bakery romance 💝

Small town 🍂

Low spice ✨

I wasn’t sure about this genre Romantasy intrigued me so this cover looked so cute, so I was tempted I’m so happy I went with my gut feeling as I thoroughly enjoyed enjoyed this light read, a great setting in a cafe owned by Saphira so opened it for people who could come and have a coffee and bring their pet dragon, there was a fun side to this however not for Saphira as baby dragons just like any babies have no control yet and Sparky the dragon just like all dragons like to set things a light, so
Saphira Is running her cafe at a loss because wooden furniture burns, she needs to solve this costly problem

Aidan visits with his dragon and they become slowly more than friends . She learns about his tragic life when he lost his brother. She not only falls for sparky the dragon but for Aidan too….
I can’t wait for book 2 to come out to follow this cute story
Book 2 the baby dragons bakery. It’s eagerly awaited by me.

For enjoyment factor it’s 5* from me

A great follow on from the first Baby Dragon book which is a cosy romance story with a little fantasy thrown in for good measure. This is a real cosy romance story to get totally lost in.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars! I did enjoy this book more than I expected (I am not used to friends to lovers). I did enjoy reading Lavanias and Theos story and am so happy with the ending. My only wish with this book is that the dragon was more involved. I felt like the dragon aspect took too much of a backseat. That said, I did enjoy it, and I am looking forward to the next book. (Have already reviewed on goodreads).

I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed in this one.

Firstly, given that I loved The Baby Dragon Cafe for the cosy vibes and great characters, I didn’t quite get the same love out of The Baby Dragon Bakery, which I felt should develop the things I loved in the first book. Additionally, a lot of the criticisms of the first book were that the fantasy elements were not strong enough, so I felt really disheartened that these were not developed further in The Baby Dragon Bakery, and I personally found the fantasy and dragon references really lacking.

Additionally, I struggled a lot to relate to Lavinia. She felt like a completely different character to the Lavinia we met in book 1: more childish, sheepish, immature. This could absolutely be a personal preference, as I genuinely don’t love a miscommunication trope, and the miscommunication is literally the entire plot line here.

Some of the tropes were executed well- the slow burn was slow (and when it did actually burn, was well written), and the friends to lovers friendship was established successfully before building on the lovers element, meaning that this could potentially be read as a standalone too. I also loved the cameos from Saphira and Aiden, and Sparky, but again felt that the dragon references, for a dragon book, were a little too few and far between for me.

For me, I think this book would be much more suited to younger readers- there are some spicy scenes alluded to, but there’s minimal detail of these and much of the plot I felt would be more relatable for a younger audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for providing me with an ARC copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this just as much as the first book. However do note this can be read a standalone and only features cute nods to characters in the first book!
The story follows Lavinia, who seemingly has it all – a loving family (complete with an adorable pet baby dragon), a spot at university training to be a magical animal vet, and a part-time job at the whimsical Baby Dragon Café. The only thing missing? Her one true love: Theo.

Theo is the local baker and Lavinia’s lifelong best friend. On paper, they’re perfect – he’s sweet, she’s a little salty; he’s charming, she’s clever. They’ve been inseparable for as long as anyone can remember, and to everyone around them, their love story feels inevitable.
Everyone except Theo.
When Lavinia finally takes the leap and confesses her feelings, Theo pulls away – leaving her heartbroken and wondering if their friendship has gone up in flames.
The story follows their journey through heartbreak, hope, and maybe something magical – will it be a recipe for romance, or the end of everything they’ve ever known?

Miscommunication is the main trope at play here, but I really enjoyed it as we got both POVs so we could see what each character was thinking and where the miscommunication was arising from. The setting is a sort of 'fantasy-lite' area where mostly this is a romance with some fantasy elements. Therefore i think its perfect for people who normally read contemporery romance but want to dip their toes into a little more magic alongside. I loved theo and Lavinia (I'm a sucker for a friends-to-lovers romance) and their friendship and journey together seemed so wholesome and cozy and allowed them to grow as a couple but also grow as individuals and learn things about themselves along the way.
The ending was a tiny bit rushed for me but I stil absolutely loved it. Lavinias family was also a high point for me as they were just everything a wonderful loving family should be and the nicest people all around.

I really loved this! This is a perfect follow up to The Baby Dragon Café, another cosy, romantic read made better by baby dragons. I really enjoyed exploring more of Lavinia and Theo's characters and their personal struggles. Their relationship with each other, both friendly and romantic, felt realistic and I loved seeing it develop through memories, especially how they became friends. There are some character cameos from the first book, which I loved, but you don't need to have read that to enjoy this book (though I recommend you do). This is definitely a light and fluffy read, but I loved it for what it was. It's a perfect read for a low-stakes, cosy romance with lovely heartfelt moments throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

While The Baby Dragon Café didn’t quite win me over, I was lucky enough to get an early copy of the sequel, The Baby Dragon Bakery (thank you Netgalley!) and I was curious to see where it would go.

This time, we follow Lavinia and Theo, childhood best friends whose feelings for each other have started to shift into something more... but neither of them wants to risk ruining the friendship. Instead of talking about it (of course), they keep ignoring the growing tension which soon morphs into jealousy once Lavinia starts dating a co-worker from the café.

There’s even less fantasy in this one than the first book. Aside from Lavinia’s job as a vet for mythical baby animals and her family currently babysitting a dragon, it’s pretty much a straight-up contemporary romance. That said, the romantic tension is dialed up, and it works better this time around.

I really enjoyed the found family vibe. Lavinia’s family was so warm and genuine, and you could really feel how much Theo loved being around them (and how rough things were with his own parents). The flashbacks to his childhood were a nice touch and helped flesh out his character a bit more.

Plot-wise, there was more going on than in the first book, which I appreciated. Lots of miscommunication (definitely too much at times), but it worked to keep things moving. That said, the writing still felt a bit too basic for me to really get into it.

Overall, The Baby Dragon Bakery was a step up from the first book. It’s a good pick for anyone who enjoys cosy, low-stakes romances with friends-to-lovers vibes, lots of yearning, and characters who don’t believe they’re worthy of love (even though everyone around them knows better).

I really enjoyed the first book of this series and was eager to return to the baby dragons and the cutesy vibes of the valley, so when I was offered an advanced readers copy, I jumped at the chance and here are my thoughts.

The start of this story made me excited for Lavinia and Theo’s story. Childhood friends to best friends to big love, of course I was sold on it!

However, the yearning and the slow burn was incredibly slow. I felt that Lavinia’s naivety towards love and a future with someone special was a bit annoying. I also found her a little whiney and unbearable in parts which was sad because I loved her in the first book.

When things became clearer for our main characters, the magic came back for me, it felt exciting and I was eager to see where their story was heading. Overall I found this story exciting, super cute but a little frustrating. I’m eager to see where this series goes with the next book in the series and won’t give up on this world yet!

The story continues from where the baby dragon cafe left off. A lighthearted cosy romance with some fantasy but not strong fantasy. A perfect book for wrapping yourself up on the sofa with a hot drink and letting go for a bit.

I don't think this series is for me. Additionally, the formatting of this ARC makes it hard to read. I use the Netgalley Shelf app for ARCs as well as its text-to-speech feature and as this is a PDF, it doesn't let you use it. This was similar for book 1, where the formatting was the same and I downloaded this thinking it would be different but unfortunately it wasn't.

I absoltely loved this book more than I did the first, and it shows as I read it in less than 2 days! 🤣🤣 Theo and Lavinia are absoltely everything!

They are the cutest together and perfectly match eachother! I am so happy they finally end up together and what a journey to get there. I hope they have an amazing life together! I love Lavinia's parents and wish they were my parents.

The only disappointment I had was Theo not opening his own cafe called The Baby Dragon Bakery! I really wanted him to open his own pace and be happy baking all the things he wanted to bake, full of all his fusion deserts and goods! Although being recognised for his goods in the cafe is amazing!

I honestly can't wait for The Baby Dragon Bookshop! Xx

"Will it be a recipe for romance? Or a friendship up in flames?

Lavinia has it all. A loving family (complete with adorable pet baby dragon). A place at university training to be a magical animal vet. And a part-time job at the enchanting Baby Dragon Cafe. The only thing she doesn't have is her one true love: Theo.

Theo is the local baker and her best friend. On paper, they're perfect: he's funny, she's witty. He's sweet, and she's a little salty. That's why they've been friends for as long as they can remember. They've never been without one another - and it's clear to everyone that they're meant to be.

Everyone except Theo. Because when Lavinia finally makes her move, he pulls away.

Lavinia is devastated. Has this friendship gone up in smoke? Or will Theo finally realise that he wants them to be more than friends?

The perfect dual POV, friends-to-lovers cozy fantasy, with HEA guaranteed!"

I think I could only read this knowing that I was guaranteed an HEA. The blurb is too traumatizing otherwise!

3 stars…✨

Thanks to A.T Qureshi, Avon UK, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance of its release.
If you like cozy fantasy, this book and this series is one to check out. A.T Qureshi’s writing feels like a warm cup of coffee or tea on an early fall day. This book is really a vibes read, and perfect for the fall time.

“The Baby Dragon Bakery” is the second in a series and is a 3rd person POV story. We meet our main characters, Lavinia and Theo who are adorable and have an interesting character Development. Their dynamic throughout the book was very sweet with Theo and Lavinia will they won’t they vibes. I loved reading about their friendship, and how they navigated this in the story for something more. This book was super cute but also explored family dynamics, acceptance and feeling worthy. I especially loved all the South Asian elements in this book to the names of the pastries and characters.

If you like tropes such as:
Friends-to-lovers
Bakery romance
Small town
Cosy Fantasy
“Will they won’t they”
Miscommunication
Very Low spice ✨

I would recommend this book for a cozy fall weekend, accompanied with a Chai tea latte and a cozy blanket.

This book is like a warm drink on a cold day.
Set in a whimsical Hallmark-style town where dragons bake cinnamon rolls and cupcakes, this cozy fantasy wraps you in warmth and charm. The slow-burn romance is sweet and tender, adding to the comforting atmosphere. While the pacing occasionally drifts and slows the flow, the story shines in its themes of found family, kindness, and gentle magic. A delightful, slow-moving tale perfect for fans of cozy vibes and heartwarming connections.

The Baby Dragon Bakery is an utterly enchanting tale that wraps you in a warm, cinnamon-scented hug from the very first page. This story is a sweet, cosy delight—a perfect blend of heartwarming charm and gentle romance that leaves you glowing long after you finish it.

Set in a magical little village where dragons bake cookies and cupcakes with love, the story follows a shy young baker and a mysterious traveler who stumble upon each other in the coziest of circumstances. Their slow-blooming romance, filled with shy smiles, stolen glances, and shared pastries, is the beating heart of this beautiful tale. It’s the kind of love story that feels like curling up by the fireplace on a snowy evening.

What truly sets The Baby Dragon Bakery apart is how deeply comforting it is. The author’s prose is lush and whimsical, painting a world you’ll want to live in forever. The bakery itself—filled with flickering lanterns, flour-dusted counters, and the soft crackle of the oven—is a character in its own right.

Whether you're a hopeless romantic or just in need of a cozy escape, this story is pure magic. It’s sweet, it’s tender, and it’s absolutely unforgettable.

The pacing is gentle, and while not a lot happens plot-wise, that’s kind of the point. It’s more about comfort, found family, and quiet growth. The writing has a soft, lyrical feel without being overdone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC.

This book is perfect for anyone looking for a cosy, cute and easy read!

This friends-to-lovers romance is truly a character driven story, full of adorable moments and strong character development.
The only elements that personally were not for me was the consistent miscommunication and the use of the third act breakup that ultimately felt forced rather than natural, and subsequently took me out of the storyline as a result. The fantasy element was also heavily lacking in this book, with the dragons (and other mythical creatures mentioned) being barely referenced and when they are, adding nothing to the plot of the story.

Overall it was an enjoyable and easy read but I did come away craving more fantasy and wishing it to be a little less trope heavy.

This romance really captured me, especially since I’m a big fan of stories where best friends become lovers—and this one did it exceptionally well. The relationships felt authentic, and the setting brought a warm, inviting atmosphere that made the whole read very comforting.

However, I was hoping for a stronger focus on the fantasy elements. The magical aspects took a backseat to the romance, even more so than in the first book. While the baby creatures were undeniably cute, they didn’t have as much impact on the story as I expected. Still, it was a treat to reconnect with Saphira’s character throughout the book!