This was such a fun read!
The storyline flowed effortlessly right from the start and fully engrossed me. I adored the characters, which I must add the author brought to life beautifully.,... and who doesn't want to own a baby dragon?!
I will definitely be reading future books by this fabulous author!

I was so excited for this and it did not disappoint. The baby dragon cafe is such a cute, cosy fantasy/romance book. It was different to anything I've read in a while and I absolutely loved it.

I really loved the main characters and watching their romance and relationship develop. There's a baby dragon which needs training, a coffee shop owner and a grumpy owner of a dragon - can we say it's pumpkin spice cafe meets fourth wing? Maybe! This story is set in spring so I think it will be a perfect start to the year read. Overall I loved this and hope there is more to come in the series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can't say enough good things about this book! Such a magical and perfectly written comfort fantasy. I'm glad I got the opportunity to read this and it is definitely a favorite. I can't wait for the next book form the this author.

Saphira owns a baby dragon cafe because she loves dragons and she’ll never own one herself. She’s doing everything on her own because her grandmother, her only living relative, passed away. She may be lonely, but she always sees the best in life. Aiden is from a wealthy family and has a dragon he does not know how/want to train himself. He meets Saphira and asks her to train his dragon. Love story ensues. This story was sweet and cute, but lacks any real drama, so it’s a true departure from reality. If you’re looking for light and fluffy, this is perfect.
Three stars overall.

Review for The Baby Dragon Café by A.T. Qureshi
(Spoilers)
The Baby Dragon Café is a cozy fantasy that introduces readers to Saphira, a young woman fulfilling her dream of running a café that welcomes baby dragons. As one of the only places in town where these mischievous creatures are allowed, this creates a charming and chaotic atmosphere that’s both heartwarming and challenging for Saphira, especially as she struggles financially to keep the café running.

The story opens six months after Saphira's grandmother's passing, and her struggle to maintain the café feels real and relatable. When a baby dragon breaks her espresso machine, Saphira's financial difficulties deepen. Enter Aiden, a reserved and somewhat brooding gardener who’s unexpectedly tasked with caring for Sparky, his late brother’s dragon egg that recently hatched. Aiden offers to pay Saphira to train Sparky, providing her with much-needed income while giving them both a way to solve their respective problems.

As Saphira and Aiden work together, they strike a delicate balance—she helps train Sparky and help them bond, and he, in turn, helps keep her café afloat. Their dynamic is endearing, with Saphira’s warmth and optimism gradually drawing Aiden out of his shell. Both characters have faced loss, and their journeys toward healing are subtly interwoven with the blossoming romance between them. This contrast is beautifully handled, and it’s easy to root for them as they come to rely on each other.

However, certain plot points felt rushed or underdeveloped. Aiden’s connection to an infamous dragon-racing family, for instance, seemed a potential to create tension, especially given that Saphira’s mother died in a dragon-racing accident. Surprisingly, when Aiden shares this information with Saphira, she accepts it without much reaction. When he tells his family he doesn’t want to race Sparky, they understand and even say they never expected him to, which left me feeling that either of these conflicts could have been explored further.

The story also introduces a somewhat out-of-the-blue subplot involving a family tradition for dragons’ first flights, which forces Saphira and Aiden to pretend to be married to attend and participate together. This scene provides a sweet moment as they’re forced to share a room (and bed!) and realize their growing chemistry, but the setup felt abrupt, as there was no prior mention of this family tradition. Additionally, the climactic moment—where Saphira attempts a rite of passage on the mountain to prove she belongs—felt similarly sudden. This scene could have had more impact if the theme of “belonging” had been more of a center point throughout the story rather than made the main issue so late.

Despite these structural hiccups, the book delivers a cozy, whimsical vibe that’s hard to resist. The unique setting of a dragon café, paired with the charming characters and adorable baby dragons, makes for an enjoyable read. The relationship between Saphira, Aiden, and Sparky is heartwarming, and watching them grow together was endearing.

Overall, The Baby Dragon Café is a cute, cozy read with lovable characters and an enchanting setting, though the plot could benefit from more cohesion and buildup around key conflicts. I’d rate it a 3 out of 5—a charming story with a few rough edges but plenty of warmth and heart.

My first 2025 release read and I know that I have just read the next cosy fantasy smash hit read - everyone is going to be talking about this book.

I mean, how can you not love this story - a ball of joyful sunshine who runs the cosy coffee shop of my dreams, a reclusive grump with a hyperactive dragon who just won't listen and a world where having a baby dragon is ACTUALLY a thing?!

I loved Saphira and Aiden and Joe they both learned to grow and develop together. There were also so many wonderful side characters who added their own charm to the story. And what can I say for Sparky other than I love the bones of him, scales and all 😍

I can't wait for more people to read this book and experience this absolute joy wrapped up in one of my favourite covers of recent years!

Thank you Netgalley, Avon Books and A. T. Quereshi for giving me the chance to read this book early!

The Baby Dragon Cafe is the kind of book you read with a big goofy grin on your face the whole time.

We meet Saphira who's dream is to open a baby dragon cafe. Unfortunately, baby dragons are adorable but destructive so running the cafe and having to repair it becomes very expensive. Luckily, Aiden has a baby dragon in need of training and asks for Saphira to train Sparky (with payment of course).

I really loved the premise of this book. It was so cosy and just so SWEET. There's an almost innocence to the romance. There wasn't a lot of tension and it was like fantasy themed slice of life. No spice but mild heat🌶️.

Sadly, I found the writing really let down what could have been a strong plot and story. The first 50% felt unedited and very basic, bordering on cringe. The second half though was smoother and less repetitive. Based on the writing quality, I was surprised to find out the author has already written multiple books as this felt very much like a debut work.

Also, the topic of classism was touched on throughout the story which I felt was rushed and if better developed could have resulted in a deeper and more impactful story.

That being said, I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone just wanting that 'curl up with a cosy blanket and favourite hot beverage' feeling. People who've enjoyed Laurie Gilmore's works would also enjoy The Baby Dragon Cafe.

Tropes:
Grumpy X sunshine
Insta love calming to extreme slow burn
He falls first

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher

Unfortunately I had to dnf this book as I didn’t like the writing style but I did think that the story line was really good from how far I got.

The writing was very wordy and added words that clearly were just used instead of a basic word that would’ve made more sense.

I so, so wanted to love this one. On paper, it sounds absolutely fantastic - but for me it just fell short on delivering what it promised.

This takes low stakes a little too far. Worse than no stakes, it builds up a few issues that you think will provide the little bit of tension the book needs to push it forward.... and then just does nothing with it. They just talk it out or decide they don't care or just don't talk about it anymore. But not in a way that feels like closure.

For me, too little happened. There was no tension, the writing was very two-dimensional. I didn't care about any of the characters or what happened to them, you never seem to get close enough to them to care.

I really enjoyed the vibes and the premise of this one and am intruiged to see where the rest of the series goes. I'd like a little more depth and maybe just a smidgen of actual tension/drama/stakes.

3.75 to 4 stars!! 🌟
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon books UK and A.T. Qureshi for the opportunity to read this book early!! This book releases Jan 16th 2025.

Oh my goodness this book was so cute!! If you liked “The Pumpkin Spice Cafe” and you like Dragons I think you will adore this book. As who does not love, a cozy cafe, and some baby dragons, isn’t that what readers truly love.

As I began this book I felt magically transported into a world that felt oh so special. Throughout reading this book, you can completely tell that A.T. Qureshi really found this niche in the cozy fantasy genre. As when I read the blurb, it felt exactly what the cozy genre needed. I hope that as this book gets closer to the release date that this gets more exposure, and reaches more people. As everyone deserves to be brought to a cozy cafe where baby dragons fly about… while you have your own pet dragon. I was thinking up names while reading this book for my own dragon, and what they would look like… that is how dialed in you get with this book.

Our FMC Sapina runs a cafe, but not just any cafe… one where the humans can bring their pet dragons. What could be more wholesome?! She runs this cafe while also raising her own pet dragon and it’s such a heartwarming story. During her time at her cafe she meets Aidan aka the MMC in this book and the local gardener and he is the sweetest guy. Her business is struggling due to baby dragons wrecking havoc so he decides to help her. In the process, they begin to come closer, as not only is Aidan helping out the cafe with providing Sapina money to help elevate expenses… they are becoming very friendly. Enter in a fake marriage plot as well and it is a recipe for awesomeness.

While this book says “no spice”… there is a little bit of heat about 0.5 to 1 🌶️

Legends and Latte meets How to Train y
A Dragon.

This is a super cute book with an exceptionally strong concept, and that's what keeps it being good. The cozyness was splendid, and the baby dragons - adorable. However, the language is at best subpar, at times cringe, and at worst - typos and poorly edited. It is clear that the author's writing becomes better throughout the book, which in my opinion, speaks to the quality of the editor.

Something that was positively surprising was the underlying themes of class, which were not well explored, but not poorly written.

I recommend this to those who love a SUPER cozy fantasy, or those who love fuzzy romances.

Loved this! It was really good and a fab read for autumn! I read this in a few days and could not put it down.

This book is an absolute gem that wraps you in warmth and whimsy from the very first page! Sephora and Aiden’s dynamic is pure gold. The banter is sweet, the misunderstandings delightful, and you can’t help but root for them as they navigate their feelings amid the dragon-infused antics. It’s cozy, heartwarming, and all the small-town charm you could ask for, with the promise of a happy ever after that feels just right.

This book was just as cute AND cosy as the name suggests. It was the most perfect ‘curl up with a blanket and your favourite hot mug of beverage’ and relax into its comforting pages.

I mean, baby dragons, cosy cafe, endearing characters and heartwarming romance. It has all the cute tropes, from grump x sunshine, fake marriage and dragon training x cafe is my new favourite thing.

Training baby dragons sounds like one hell of a job and it’s one Aiden doesn’t quite feel equipped to deal with. He’s hesitant to bond with sparky, his Basalta dragon but when he meets the captivating owner of the Baby Dragon Cafe, he knows there’s an opportunity there. One to get to spend more time with Saphira, and two, to train sparky who Saphira seems perfectly adept to deal with.

It’s a really cute set up and it makes for one incredibly easy book to read. I’m glad this is the first in a series as the premise of it is just great. There’s more characters I can’t wait to get to know and I’m excited to spend more time in Starshine Valley as it’s somewhere that’s easy to retreat to. And the next one - The Baby Dragon Bakery?!!! Yes please. It’s going to be one epic series.

This book missed the mark for me which is a shame as i was so excited to get an ARC!

The writing was very simple, with short and basic sentences that left the characters feeling bland and immature. The way the characters spoke felt more like young teens than a group of adults in their early to mid 20s. It felt like a debut author opposed to someone who has written books before.

This book is cosy and I absolutely adored the dragons and setting, but it was let down by it's writing.

I DNFed this book at 30%

4.75⭐️

Thank you NetGalley & Avon Books for this ARC.

Ok so if you want a cosy, cute, grumpy x sunshine, dragon baby, set in a coffee shop, full of joy book then you need to read this when it comes out in Jan 2025.

Joy is exactly what I felt when reading this and you can’t help but all in love with all the characters Sparky is just this adorable baby dragon who forms this beautiful bond with Saphira who runs the only dragon baby friendly cafe as she needs money to help with the little mishaps these baby dragons have in her cafe.

Aiden the grumpy but very sweet local gardener who needs help with training and bonding with his dragon Sparky after his brother left him Sparky’s egg when he passed away.

The perfect solution is for Aiden to pay Saphira to help train Sparky, he’s gets the help he needs and she gets money to put back into the cafe.

What they don’t expect is how strong they feel towards each other and when Sparky’s final challenges mean they need to pretend to be married it brings them closer as a little family.

This book is tots adorable. The baby dragons are just the cutest. I really enjoyed this book. It was really original.

This was really cosy and cute. The characters are lovable, and Sparky has my heart. The relationship between Aiden and Saphira was instant attraction but very slow burn throughout, and Aiden's character development was excellent. The undercurrents of class division hit hard and were well conveyed. Tropes include: grumpy x sunshine; one bed; fake marriage; and forced proximity.
It's a cosy fantasy romance, but it's quite a light amount of fantasy in comparison to the romance. I struggled to immerse myself due to the short sentence structures and simple, repetitive vocabulary, but that's just a personal reading preference. It's a wholesome read and easy to fly through (pun absolutely intended). 
Side note: I wish there were recipes in the back for all the food items that crop up because they sound incredible!

The Baby Dragon Café is a beautifully crafted cozy fantasy that wraps you up in warmth and magic. At the heart of the story is Saphira, a determined and kind-hearted woman who finally fulfills her lifelong dream of opening a café thanks to an inheritance left by her beloved nani. The café is everything she imagined, filled with cozy corners and baby dragon customers, but it’s not long before her peaceful life is turned upside down by the arrival of Aiden—and his mischievous baby dragon, Sparky.

Aiden is an enigmatic, dark-haired introvert from a prestigious dragon family, and his quiet, reserved nature makes him stand out immediately. His mysterious background only adds to his charm as he and Saphira are slowly drawn together. Their relationship builds steadily and naturally, with moments of tender connection in between running the café and caring for Sparky, whose playful energy adds a delightful layer to the story.

Saphira’s passion for her café and the legacy of her nani are at the core of her character, giving the story a wonderful sense of purpose. As she pours her heart into the café and training Sparky, she also begins to open her heart to Aiden, discovering that love can bloom even in the most unexpected places. The slow-burn romance between them is both heartwarming and swoon-worthy, as Aiden’s stoic exterior gradually melts to reveal a man capable of deep care and devotion.

Sparky, Aiden’s baby dragon, steals the show with his antics, acting as the bridge that brings Saphira and Aiden closer together. Whether he’s getting into trouble in the café or curling up beside them during quiet moments, Sparky’s presence is central to many of the book’s most charming scenes.

Overall, The Baby Dragon Café is a delightful blend of romance, magic, and cozy charm. It’s a must-read for fans of cozy fantasy with a romantic twist and a soft spot for magical creatures.

This was such a cosy, lighthearted fantasy and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It’s similar to THE PUMPKIN SPICE CAFE but honestly, it’s so much better! The romance is a slow burn, but it felt more natural than it being rushed.

All the food and drinks that the cafe had made me wish that it was real so I could try it all!

I am looking forward to the next instalment in this series!