I have such mixed feelings about this book. I feel like the potential was there, and the storyline was different and quirky, which I liked, but I feel like the writing style slightly let it down.

To me, it seemed a little all over the place. Sometimes, it was difficult to grasp what was happening straight away. It would also jump to major parts in the story without much of a lead up, which would take away the emotional effect that the storyline could have had.

I’m unsure about this book.
On one hand there is something special about it. It does create an atmosphere as I read. It’s quirky.
On the other hand it’s quite silly. With a strange storyline.
Contradictory I know.

It’s a shame, as the author creates a fun, cosy coffee shop with some great characters. A lot could be done with those.

The plot was just is too preposterous for me and it rambles on somewhat in parts.

I picked up this book because of the intriguing description and cover, not quite sure what to expect. It took me a little bit to get into, but once I got to know the eclectic mix of characters, I was hooked. Adele and the rest of the cast are quirky and amusing, and I became invested in their stories as the plot unfolded. Overall an entertaining read!

My review is below, I've already shared it on Goodreads which is linked below. I have a scheduled post on Instagram going live on January 19th, the link is posted below as well.


Thank you to Netgalley for a eARC of this book to read and review, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

I really liked how this book started off, I didn't quite understand what all it was about at first but I was still pretty interested none-the-less from the get-go. The main character was auditioning for Belle in a Beauty and The Beast musical in the beginning and then inherited a coffee shop from a dead relative she'd never met... of course I was invested!

I will say without spoiling too much, there is some murder and death but this is by no-means a thriller or suspense book. Go into it as a comedy with romance on the side and quirky characters.
It's a very fun & comedic read!

I'd say this book hits like Arsenic & Old Lace, the black and white movie with Carry Grant, which is one of my favorite movies lol

Not saying I agreed with every decision characters made, because why the heck did Adele date that idiot for half the freaking book when I just wanted him to be one of the missing-customers-that-turned-out-to=be-murdered?? I digress though.

Definitely a read for when fall starts, I'll probably re-read it this coming fall for the coffee & murder vibes!

So, I love a little cosy fantasy but even for me this just felt… boring? I don’t mind low stakes and I don’t mind an easy mystery but this just left me completely uninterested.

I went into this expecting to love it;
Coffee shops? Love.
Musical Theatre? Love.
Cosy reads? Love.
Set in New York City? Love.

The reality was that it never drew me in and it felt like a bit of a slog to get through. There was minimal, if any, character development. The plot didn’t really make much sense. There was no real horror, nor any real romance.

I wanted to love this so much but it really did not hit home for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had suspense throughout it and was good if you like slightly creepy. I do wish that it had gotten to what was going on earlier and it was a bit predictable. It was cute if a book with murder in it can be cute.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors by Hazel Graves is the kind of quirky, spooky, and oh-so-sweet story that's made for a cheesy Netflix Halloween movie marathon. With a blend of romance, mystery, and supernatural oddities, this novel is both delightful and delightfully strange—just the right mix for Halloween thrills.

Adele’s new coffee shop is full of surprises, from a brooding, grumpy waiter to a coffee machine with a sinister mind of its own. As strange occurrences unfold, you’ll be hooked on uncovering the mystery behind the eerie happenings while rooting for the growing chemistry between Adele and Ben. The blend of supernatural suspense with cozy charm makes this a perfect Halloween treat for fans of romantic comedies with a spooky twist.

If Netflix adapted this into a movie, the enchanting blend of humor, mystery, and heart would make for a fun, whimsical Halloween classic. The quirky characters, eerie atmosphere, and unexpected twists would create the ideal mix of spooky and sweet, making it an instant Halloween favorite.

As someone with a DEEP love for campy movies like Little Shop of Horrors, I was really excited to read this book. The intrigue was definitely there, and I feel like I could have given this book a bit of a higher rating in other situations. The romance was not as enticing to me as other romance books have been. I feel like the set up could have allowed for more pining or small moments between the two main characters.

I did love all the side characters in this book, I think that adds to the whimsical café in a big city vibe. I would recommend this book to those who like Little Shop of Horrors, or people who like a little fantasy in their contemporary romance.

The little shop of horrors meets Stephen kings Christine

Adele keeps failing in her everyday life, she's lost another chance at being in a musical and her dreams of Broadway seem very far away, so when an offer to become a coffee shop owner is handed to her she decides this might just be the change of pace she needs in her life but things aren't quite what they seem, and her new quiet life starts becoming deadly.

was this the best book ever? no, but did I enjoy it? yes. I started reading this to get me ready for spooky season and I think if you don't take the book to0 seriously than it can be a lot of fun. One of the things I really enjoyed about the book was the found family element with the regular customers that gave it a warm and cosy feeling.

However the book does seem somewhat rushed, big plot points are brushed over super quickly and there are plenty of plot holes finishing with a potential 'zombie' at the end of the book, that is mentioned really briefly and then just left.

I don't think this book is going to be for everyone but it is an easy read and funny.

This is not a serious book. It makes very little sense. The plot is full of holes. It is entirely unrealistic.

In other words, it has a lot in common with musical theatre. And like musical theatre, it’s *tons* of fun.

Our protagonist is Adele, who is nearly resigned to giving up her dreams of ~~Broadway~~ ~~Off-Broadway~~ Off-Off-Broadway stardom when, out of nowhere, a distant relative she’s never heard of dies and leaves Adele her Brooklyn coffee shop, Riffraff. This inheritance comes with both a blazing hot Aussie barista named Ben and a terrible secret. Adele is warned by Ben never to go down to the basement, which (he tells Adele) contains the coffee roaster that is the source of the massive amounts of smoke that periodically come bellowing up. Oh, that rumbling and shaking? That’s totally the subway, don’t worry about it. Yes the 7 deadbolt locks on the basement door are necessary, it’s an OSHA thing.

So Adele is trying to learn the ropes of the coffee business from Ben and the agéd hippies who are the shop’s most loyal customers/friends of her late great-aunt. Meanwhile her finance bro boyfriend is trying to get her to turn Riffraff into the most Starbucksy Starbucks that ever Starbucksed - gotta get that ROI.

This book is filled to bursting with musical theatre references (my favorite being the plant growing in Riffraff named Audrey III), terrible coffee puns, and crackling sexual tension. As I said at the beginning, it’s absolutely full of plot holes, but I do not care any more than I care about where and how, exactly, all these late-19th-century New York newsboys received their classical dance training.

Settle into a comfy chair with a long black (far superior to an americano, according to Ben), turn your brain off, and enjoy this book. It’s a delight.

I really enjoyed this book , it was my first time reading from this author and have to say it won’t be the last time , I really enjoyed the authors writing style.

This book was absolutely bonkers, but you kind of have to expect that going in! Great for fans of coffee, puns, and Broadway. Adele loses out on another musical theatre gig when she’s recruited to take over a late relative’s Brooklyn coffee shop. There’s only one stipulation in the will: it comes with the grumpy (and hot) Australian barista, Ben. Adele is adjusting to her new life but strange things keep happening, like regular customers disappearing and an old roasting machine in the basement that spews out some odd noises and smells and seems to take all of Ben’s time. Yep…a coffee roaster version of Audrey II.
No part of this story felt serious so knowing that going in, I found this to be a funny read!
Thank you to Avon Books UK for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Hazel Graves brews up a delightful blend of cosy charm and supernatural suspense in *The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors*. This quirky tale transforms a small-town coffee shop into the epicentre of eerie happenings, and I couldn’t put it down. With a captivating mix of humour, mystery, and a touch of horror, this book is an easy 4 out of 5 stars for me.

One of the standout elements of this story is the unforgettable character of Frank. Graves has created a unique and compelling character who adds depth, humour, and a certain level of unpredictability to the story. Franks is the kind of character you can't help but root for, with his sharp wit and quirky demeanour making him a scene-stealer every time he appears. His interactions with the other characters brought so much life to the story.

The setting is another strong point. The little coffee shop itself feels like a character, with its cosy yet mysterious atmosphere. Graves’s descriptive writing made it easy to imagine the creaky floors, the aroma of fresh coffee, and the subtle chill of something otherworldly lurking just out of sight. The balance of lighthearted humour with dark, suspenseful moments kept me engaged from start to finish.

If you’re a fan of spooky, cosy mysteries with memorable characters, *The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors* is a must-read. Franks alone makes it worth the price of admission, and the rest of the story is the perfect accompaniment. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for Hazel Graves’s next book!

This was a bit of a strange one for me, and I can’t make up my mind as to how I really feel about it! I read this back in September - on holiday of all places, definitely not your usual sun-bed read! - so it was in the lead up to Halloween which was quite apt. For me, there were quite a few plot holes in the story which didn’t quite fit, and the big plot twist, was just that - I definitely didn’t expect it, but I found it a little unbelievable. I did enjoy the cosy feeling of the coffee shop, the relationships that this place evokes and the puns for each chapter title! It was a mixed read for me, it’s a bit more quirky than my usual pick, but it’s always good to mix it up right!?

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.