Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel!

I would classify The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors as a dark comedy heavily inspired by Little Shop of Horrors and Sweeney Todd. The story follows Adele, a failing Broadway actress in New York City. One day, she inherits a quirky coffee shop and an apartment in Brooklyn from an aunt she's never met, so she drops everything to learn how to run the business. The shop comes with some oddities, though - namely, the mysterious barista, Ben, who manages the shop and refuses to let anyone in the constantly rumbling basement. There are all sorts of characters that pop in and out of the story, including eccentric customers, an out-0f-place businessman who wants to upgrade the shop, a lovable cat, and more. As someone who enjoys theatre, campy horror, and cozy books about coffee shops, this sounded like the perfect read. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me, but I do believe there is an audience who may like it.

As soon as I started reading, I had a feeling this story wouldn't be my favorite, because I was not a fan of the writing. It's quippy and funny, but I found it pretty exhausting to get through. The author inserts witty metaphors, similes, theatre references, and other pop culture observations nearly every paragraph (and I'm not even being hyperbolic). I wouldn't say it's poorly written, because a lot of the commentary is amusing, but it's so frequent that it got old quickly for me. The exuberant amount of references distracted from the story and significantly slowed down the pace. This type of writing would have been more effective in a short story format or even just dialed back. I think the story itself would have been much better if the character development and worldbuilding had taken up more page time than the constant jokes and pop culture commentary. However, if you like that type of comedic writing, you might love this.

The two main characters also detracted from my enjoyment of the book. Adele is annoyingly clueless about everything. She notices all sorts of strange happenings around the coffee shop, but she has zero interest in investigating any of them. None of her motivations make any sense, either. For example, she dates a boring character who she doesn't even like much for half the story, because he keeps asking her out and she doesn't dislike him enough to say no. It would be fine if she experienced character growth or if her choices impacted the overall story, but her character remains shallow throughout the entire novel, and a lot of the things she does never ultimately matter to the overarching plot. The other main character, Ben, is never developed beyond being super attractive and Australian. He might be one of the least developed love interests I have ever read - his personality and backstory are barely ever explored.

The last major issue I want to touch on is that the plot is all over the place. The first half of the novel is slow and aimless. The second half moves quicker, but also changes direction and tone frequently. There's a mystery that's very obvious to the reader, but isn't solved by Adele until about 80% of the way in. Once she finally uncovers what's happening, she is only briefly upset by it and then moves on, despite some pretty big ramifications that the reveal should have had for her. And then there are a bunch of other things that randomly happen in the last 20% that might have been interesting had they been developed more throughout the story, but instead felt quite out of the left field. And then the book is over, with little to no explanation of anything. I noticed a lot of plot holes, but I would argue that this is the campy, silly type of story that you're not really supposed to think too seriously about (which is similar to how I felt about Little Shop of Horrors). so I'm not going to dwell on those too much.

There are two aspects of this novel that keep me from rating it one star. First, the side characters are interesting and (mostly) wholesome. It was sweet to read about them supporting one another and welcoming Adele. And second, the book is pretty cozy at times, and I'm a fan of cozy fantasy. I'm hesitant to fully label this as a cozy book, because there are some stressful themes and a really sad plot twist occurs near the end, but it still scratched that cozy genre itch for me for about two thirds of the story. There were moments that were fun to read, despite the issues I had with the rest of the novel.

Even though this didn't work for me, I can envision a particular type of reader who might love this. If you're looking for a dark, yet funny book and you adore musical theatre, you might want to give this a try. I've only seen Little Shop of Horrors once, but from what I remember, this book has not only a similar plot, but also a similar tone and overall atmosphere. So, if that's your favorite musical, you might also like this. However, if you're not a musical theatre lover, I'm not sure I'd recommend The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors, because the other major elements (horror, romance, and even the coziness) don't fully succeed.

2 stars out of 5 stars.

spooky yet cozy! this was a perfect read around spooky season that was very memorable. i loved the ideas, plot and characters. i will definitely check out more from this author

3.5 stars
I thought I would really enjoy this book but I found the thriller aspect to be quite lacking. My favourite part was the cozy atmosphere of the coffee shop and the space it provided for the other members of the community. The main thing which I didn't like was Adele. I found her quite annoying at times and it seemed like she's a professional at ignoring red flags. While the big plot twist was completely far-fetched and crazy illogical, I thought it was quite unique and just wish that the execution and pacing of the book was a bit better. I also don't think it was really anywhere near scary enough to be classed as a thriller.

Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Avon for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

This was cozy and silly. It ended up being wayyy too slow for me. The characters don't develop enough. There are parts that just do not make sense. It had potential but needed more.

I’m sorry to say this book just didn’t work for me. It was marketed as something it wasn’t. It wasn’t really a rom com or otherworldly. The writing was disengaging and the characters had no real depth. There was a lot of repetition too. Thank you for the opportunity to review, sadly this one didn’t work for me after several stop starts.

I had really high expectations for this book because the title and cover just really appealed to me. However, it just fell a little flat. I liked the characters (for the most part), but the plot was just a little far-fetched for my liking and I just wish there was more to it. That being said - if you're looking for a quick, silly read then I would still recommend it.

I briefly glanced at the description before grabbing this book and thought it was going to be a fun, paranormal romance based in a coffee shop. That is not this book - it is a slow building mystery with lots of side-trips down sometimes dark and sad side streets. It had a lot more to the story than I expected. Oh, and prepare yourself for more broadway references than you’d expect, too!

Adele is a failing broadway hopeful who suddenly inherits a coffee shop and apartment from a relative she never knew. The only stipulation is that she keeps Ben on as an employee. This coffee shop roasts in house beans, a task which is done by the aforementioned Ben, so it doesn’t really bother Adele that he continues doing the heavy lifting there. When folks start disappearing, though, it gets a little suspect.

The crew of the coffee shop patrons was a highlight of this story. The regulars create a community that, even when Adele is following the suggestions of some random dude she ends up dating, can’t be deterred. Adele really does her best to alienate them, but they persist! I really struggled with Adele, the main character. She clings to this really terrible guy when Ben is right there and knows the store better than anyone else. It was frustrating to read and made for some difficulties in getting through this book. This book also includes a lot more melancholy than I was prepared for. Paranormal? Sure! Mystery? Yes, please! Ending in a bit of a bummer? No thanks. I wasn’t prepared, so make sure you enjoy your romance to come with some truly heartbreaking twists. Oh, and I guess we’re all OK with murder by the end. The paranormal elements were pretty light, but the moral questions truly left me confused. All in all, if you’re OK with sadness rolled into your romance, and love broadway shows, this may be a read for you.

This was a really cozy, fun little romance book, the macabre details that really called to me. If you’re looking for a no stames cozy book this one is a really good one.

I went into this book with high hopes - it looked like fun and very much my sort of read.

Therefore I'm sad to say that it's currently a DNF for me. I just cannot get on with the protagonist's voice. She's both over-cocky and neurotically self-deprecating, which is probably appropriate for a young actor, but it grated after a while. I wanted to shout at her through the page several times, possibly because I went through similar experiences as a young woman in a big city, but it's akin to the heroine in a horror movie making bad decisions. I think I just wanted her to be a bit smarter.

This is entirely a Me issue, but it didn't vibe with me. I'm certain it will be read and enjoyed by many others, as a relatively light and fun horror-adjacent romp, and I may well return to it again in future.

Adele is failing at her dream on Broadway. She inherits a little coffee shop from her Great Aunt. It comes with some stipulations, one being that Ben has to stay.

This was a real slow burn and it wasn't what I expected it to be. There were certainly no terrors and it was more cosy.

All the characters were quite quirky and made me laugh in places. The whole story felt like it had just been thrown together without much of a plot, or where it was going to go.

I just couldn't get into this. I don't think there was anything wrong with it at all, it's completely me. Just for some reason it wasn't hitting. I wish i had a better explanation.

Boy falls in love with girl but throw in another boy for excitement or confusion but then confusion is sorted out. Boy and girl in love end of story. NO, NO, NO. I should have paid more attention to the title. What is going on!!! Just when I get used to one astonishing fact and think that is the end I get thrown another. You will want to discuss this book with all your friends because believe me it is a real Halloween page turner.

This book isn’t my usual type of read, but I requested it up as it seemed perfect for spooky season.

While it has plenty of charm, I found the pacing a bit too slow, with the story only really picking up over halfway through.

It’s like a playful spoof of Little Shop of Horrors, packed with puns, quirky character and a heavy dose of musical theatre references (maybe a little too heavy).

Though it left me a little underwhelmed overall, it’s a fun, absurd read that’s perfect if you’re a fan of musical theatre with just a hint of romance. Great for a light-hearted Halloween story!

The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors by Hazel Graves is a delightfully eerie and imaginative novel that blends horror with a dash of dark humor. Set in a quaint coffee shop with a sinister twist, the story is filled with quirky characters, unexpected frights, and a creeping sense of mystery that keeps readers on edge. Graves creates a unique atmosphere where the everyday and the supernatural collide, making for a fun yet unsettling reading experience. The novel explores themes of fear, friendship, and survival, all wrapped in a plot full of twists and supernatural surprises. The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors is a perfect pick for readers who enjoy a mix of horror and whimsy, offering both chills and charm in equal measure.

Thank you for this advanced reader copy. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and devoured it in 3 sittings!

I hoped this would be a cozy horror story, and it was but was also predictable and slow paced. I ended up skimming the majority of the story once I figured out the plot, but for less voracious readers or younger readers, this might be more enjoyable.

3 stars

This book can be best described as a cosy mystery with millennial humour at is core and sprinkled with musical theatre references. This is not anything ground breaking, but it was nice, I enjoyed it as a easy/casual read in between heavier books. Some of the side characters are great and I enjoyed the found family aspect of the story. Did it get a bit silly and totally predictable throughout? yes. But its a nice read if you want something light, but with a touch of paranormal horror and light romance. This book is not graphic or intense, everything very much happens off page. This pacing can b a little slow at times and some of the humour is a bit 'cringy' but I think that comes down to taste!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was so unique and so much fun. Obviously from the cover, I was expecting all the references from different films and shows and it done really well. This book was a little out of my comfort zone because of how quirky it was, but wow it was so worth it. It was great for spooky season!

A great premise, I just wish it was executed better, as it fell really flat to me. The characters were not likeable and there was no development.

A cozy and refreshing read for the autumn! As a musical theatre lover i really enjoyed the references. Overall the book lacked character development a bf fell flat at some points. Good for a quick cozy read but lacked depth.