Baby Dragons? Check. A Cosy Cafe? Check. A Likeable Couple you root for? Check. Fun Side Characters who will get their books in the future? Check.

Look, there really isn't much to dislike about this. It really does what it sets out to do, write a cosy romantic fantasy, with cute baby dragons. It is very much Dream Harbor with dragons, and it ticks all the boxes for me. A. T. Qureshi's characters have their individual charm while dealing with their childhood traumas/insecurities, however, the miscommunication/'will they/won't they' doesn't outstay its welcome. Saphira and Aiden bring out the best in each other, inspiring one another to be brave, and advocating for themselves and what they forsee in their future. I particularly liked A. T. Qureshi's decision not to fall on the easy trope of having Aiden's wealthy family look down on Saphira. Instead, the insecurity was hers to battle, with his family being fully supportive of their relationship.

I will certainly be picking up more in this series.

I was immediately drawn in to this book by such a cute cover and the synopsis (baby dragons, cafe, romance) and thought this was such a cute, wholesome read. It was nice and refreshing to read a different romantic stance in a book where you could read the chemistry between Saphira and Aiden build but also see that they were very shy in opening up about their feelings but couldn't help being drawn to each other, which made it all the more tender and real, rather than just ravaging each other, which was nice and made their emotions seem more pure and genuine rather than based on lust.
The premise of the story was cute, and I could really paint a vivid picture in my mind of the cafe and the cute (but naughty) baby dragons that would frequent on the regular. Sparky was such a character and it was so cute seeing him bond with Saphira and also thaw out Aiden's reservations. There were also inclusions of difficult topics such as bereavement on both sides, and anxiety, which was tenderly addressed. Although I found at times any time there was an issue that came up, Saphira would brush it off quite quickly, but I also found that quite endearing for a change as like she says, life is too short to hold grudges, which is true, and if an issue is addressed then why hold it close and cause more unnecessary pain. I thought it was such a quaint read and I can't wait to read the next book.

A cozy fantasy romance by a PoC author, invloving a pet cafe? This book has so much potential, but I think it fell flat in a few different ways.

1. This was not a fantasy novel. This was a contemporary book with dragons instead of dogs. This wouldn't have been a problem if it had not been pushed as a fantasy.

2. She is the most beautiful girl in town. Also an orphan. She'll never have a dragon of her own. He's the sexiest bachlor, but also a recluse. He has a baby dragon that he's a dick to. But also it's the most important thing he owns. Obviously, it's insta-love and after knowing each other for ten minutes he pays her a ridiculous amount of money to train his dragon. Which she doesn't know how to do, but it somehow great at,

3. The writing style is VERY juvenile. There are so many exclimation points and phrases like "He's sooooooo cute!". It felt like I was reading junior high fanfiction.

I know a lot of people are really excited about this book, but I think a lot of them are going to be disapointed. There's already a sequel planned, so hopefully the author and editors work together to make what is essentially a good idea, into a good point. Fingers crossed.

I like the concept of the book. Unfortunately, it was my cup of tea. I thought this seemed like a young adult book not an adult fiction.

I received Baby Dragon Cafe from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book had me excited—an adorable cafe with dragons, a bit of romance, and a cozy fantasy vibe. I was expecting something along the lines of Legends and Lattes, where the focus would be on running a cafe with magical creatures and maybe a sprinkle of romance. Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite meet those expectations. These are the things I didn’t jive with:

- Insta-love: From the moment he sees her, he’s head over heels, and she’s instantly gushing about how attractive he is.

- Does he even like her? Their first interaction goes something like this: she’s baby-talking to the dragon, and he’s thinking, “I don’t like baby-talk... but I do when she does it.” Make it make sense.

- "Draggos": Seriously, just call them dragons. The attempt at a quirky name just feels unnecessary.

- Plot conveniences galore: Oh no, her espresso machine breaks and it costs $3000 to replace! He shows up and offers $2000 plus $500 a week to train his dragon. How convenient! It’s a good thing he’s desperate to be away from his dragon.

- Not the book’s fault, but...this isn’t a cozy fantasy/romance. It’s a contemporary romance. They’re driving cars and walking dogs... oops, I mean dragons. This didn’t feel like a magical world at all. I was expecting more Legends and Lattes with a focus on running a cafe with dragons, but instead, I got a romance where he brings his dragon with him on a date.

This book was one I couldn’t wait to read, just the title alone grabbed my attention. And the cover is just so cute! The story was cute all the way through with no real tense moments so was really enjoyable and easy to read. I’d say this book was low fantasy, meaning that there wasn’t loads of mythical creatures or different languages or realms to understand. So I’d say even readers who aren’t into fantasy would enjoy this book. I’d also say I’d love to have my own baby dragon, especially cause of how the author described them with all their various emotions. This was a slow burn romance which fit perfectly for the story. The only thing I’d say is maybe it needed a bit more excitement but otherwise it was a really good book. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

"The Baby Dragon Cafe" is a cozy rom-com with a twist of fantasy. Saphira runs a Baby Dragon Cafe, using funds left her by her beloved late grandmother. It's been her dream for so long, and since she's not from a Drakkon family is the only way she's able to interact with dragons. But while her heart is in the right place, her business sense needs some work, and the cafe is barely keeping it's adorable head above water. When Aiden Stirling arrives, he's like a miracle. He hires her to train his baby draggo, Sparky, who is feisty but affectionate, and desperately in need of some guidance. Aiden hadn't trained Sparky himself because he wanted to protect the baby from the dangers of dragon racing - the very sport that claimed the life of Aiden's younger brother. In denial and frightened, Aiden decides to let Saphira in, desperate but hopeful that she can help them. What neither expect is the love that grows between them, and as Sparky grows Saphira and Aiden must decide what they truly mean to each other - and what they'd be willing to do to keep Sparky safe.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped. The worldbuilding felt lazy, the characters were shallow and immature, and the romance was more insta-lust, which is not my personal preference. Sparky himself was my favorite part of the story - he was so sweet and cuddly, and following his training and growing up was the most engaging plot point. If you're a fan of lighthearted urban fantasy, or want a low-stakes cute animal story, this might be for you!

Sadly, this highly anticipated read went nowhere for me. I’m devastated but I have to be honest and I really did not enjoy anything about this book aside from the pitch. It was a brilliant concept but very poorly executed. The writing needs a lot of work, it’s bland and the author tells you everything instead of showing it. The characters are 2D, it’s insta-lovey and there’s not really a plot. The most interesting thread of plot fizzled out into nothing.

I did love the idea of a cosy fantasy, a relaxing read set in a cafe full of dragons but I don’t think this is a book for fantasy readers. Its lackluster delivery will leave much to be desired.

Interesting story concept. Writing was easy to follow. YA but some steam at the end. Nothing graphic. Would read more by this author and would recommend it.

A sweet, cozy and lighthearted read! I loved the idea of a baby dragon cafe and the relationship between Saphira and the dragons was just adorable!

The Baby Dragon Cafe was such a cute and cozy warm hug of a book. Saphira is an absolute sweetheart and I was rooting for her the whole way. Seeing her bonding with Sparky as she trained him was adorable, and her love story with Aiden was so sweet and wholesome. I definitely recommend the Baby Dragon Cafe to anyone looking for a cozy, low-stakes romance!

If you loved The Phoenix Keeper or other cozy slice of life stories with fantasy elements, you're gonna love this! The Baby Dragon Cafe is a place for baby dragon owners to come and gather, and we meet a reluctant dragon owner who has Sparky, a mischievous baby dragon. When he asks the shop owner to train Sparky, there may be more than one spark in the room....

Seriously, I loved this and thought it was a great time! I highly recommend it!

A really adorable read! It was not only cute but also funny. Baby dragons, coffee and a little romance! Loved it!

I've not really read anything in this cosy romantasy genre and this was a delightful entry to this world. Its just the sort of book I'd have wanted to read as a teenager - cute animals, happy endings and romance without the raunch.
It is a pure fantasy in that everything goes well for our main characters - there's barely even a blip in their lives as the story progresses but somehow despite this you care for them and want them to be happy.
There are little hints at ways the story could take a darker edge but Qureshi never follows these and we are left with a warm hug of a book full of cute dragons, nice sounding food and happiness.
A perfect remedy for January in the northern hemisphre.

The Baby Dragon Cafe' is a cozy romance about a cafe owner who allows baby dragons in her cafe, which is the only one of it's kind in their town. My rating reflects what feels like what could have been a fantastic middle-grade book if there had not been some 'spicy' scenes in. Don't get me wrong, the spicy scenes aren't really spicy for adults, so if you don't read romance with spice in them, you may be ok; this would maybe get a half pepper rating. Take those scenes out and it is a 5 star middle-grade read.

Overall this debut novel was a good cozy romance with two more in the series coming Summer 2025 and early 2025.

If you like cozy mysteries, heartwarming, light-hearted reads, this will be the book for you!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an Advance Readers Copy of The Baby Dragon Cafe by A.T. Qureshi.

Cute and cozy romance with fantasy elements! Grumpy rich boy x sunshine coffee shop owner. Such a lovely novel and easy to breeze through. Perfect book for romantasy readers who would like a novel with lower stakes and cozy elements or for any romance reader who wants to dip their toes into the romantasy genre.

On the whole a cute fantasy novel.
I enjoyed the characters, setting, and concept of Baby Dragon Cafe.
The characters were sweet and lovable, especially Sparky. The setting had kind of a small modern town with fantasy creatures, which seemed like a fun place to live.
I did struggle a bit with the romance, which I felt the slow burn went on a bit too long, then was a little oversweet. The overall vibe of the book was cozy, from the cover, the low-stakes and the romance for 3/4 of the book. So it was a touch jarring when the romantic climax arrived. It wasn't graphic, but usually cozy is more closed door.
I did enjoy this book, and think some adjustments would take it from good to great. It's got the makings to be great.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC.

i wasn't a big fan of the overly simplistic character writing and sentence structure. If that was better, i would have liked this cute premise a LOT more

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. This was an easy quick read in a modern setting with dragons, it was a contemporary romance with dragons instead of dogs rather than a romantasy. The story is quite low stakes and relatively simplistic, it was cute but not super engaging

3.75 stars.

This was a cute, light romance read with baby dragons, a very likeable main character, Saphira, and a sweet romance between Saphira and Aiden. The baby dragon, Sparky, was adorable, I liked that we saw the story from both Saphira’s and Aiden’s points of view. The writing was descriptive and I enjoyed the references to Indian pastries. A heartwarming read about friendship, family, and belonging.

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.