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.

Oh I’m so gutted I didn’t like this. I thought the premise was great but the delivery just wasn’t there. It was a bit all over and tbh it just fell flat for me. I didn’t care about the characters, the romance was nothing to write home about and the fmc was irritating

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

Do you like Little Shop of Horrors? Do you wish it took place in a coffee shop? Do you also wish no characters had any consequences for their actions? This is for you.

I have read a lot of idiotic, dense main characters in my day. Adele may take the cake. If you found an urn with dog footprints on it and grey powder inside... would you assume it was a pepper grinder? Would you leave your apartment in Brooklyn unlocked while you went out and hope for the best? If a greasy banker that you didn't like asked you out and gave you terrible business ideas, would you date him for more than half this book? No I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't. What about if your employee revealed <spoiler> he's been killing people whose coffee orders he doesn't like and feeding them to a roaster, then using that roast to serve coffee to hundreds of unsuspecting people including you? Would you forgive him, hide it, and date him? <spoiler>

You can't have your main characters be murderers and cannibals and also expect me to think they're good people. If you want to go the dark Sweeney route, go for it! It's fun to root for villains. But you can't have it both ways. Especially when even Sweeney Todd killed pedos and child abusers mostly, not soccer moms.

Every one in this book except the very amusing health inspector is a terrible person in a really unfun way. There are no consequences, nothing spooky, and nothing interesting. Adele inherits coffee shop. Ben is hot. Roaster eats people. Ben and Adele get away with everything. That's the entire book. It's 300 pages long, and for what??

There's a cat in it. That's nice. And that's it. It's not autumnal, it's not atmospheric, I would say it's not even dark or paranormal really.

Two stars only for the cat.

The blurb for this sounded really good, so I was disappointed when I started reading and it was all over the place. Also the FMC came off as annoying which I don’t think they meant for her to be. It was a little hard to follow and chaotic. I ended up stopping at 30% when I realized I didn’t really care about the characters or what was going to happen.

First of all, I love The Little Coffee Shop of Terror's cover, it immediately drew me in. I've been looking for more books that fall in the cozy mystery/light horror genre. That may be a genre I just made up, but it's what I've been in the mood for lately. The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors by Hazel Graves definitely fit that bill.

As the blurb will tell you, Adele inherits Riffraff coffee shop, a cozy, eccentric local place previously run by her aunt. Slowly, she starts to notice weird occurrences taking place and starts snooping in the one spot the existing employee, Ben, has told her she can't go in. I will admit, there was a point in the novel where I was getting angry at the main character for her naivety. De facto dating a property developer bro, every time she second guessed his advice and almost saw the light, only to defer to him again... I almost wanted to throw my kindle at the wall. I enjoyed who Adele became later in the book without his influence.

Overall, there's a nice mix of horror and mystery, while not being overly gory or excessive. Sometimes I'm in the mood for that, but lately the world's been a little dark and I have been reading more of this kind of book. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy read.

Please be advised I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Little Coffee Shop of Terrors follows Adele, struggling to make it on Broadway and living in a kitchen of her flat share. Thanks to a recently deceased distant relative, she’s inherited a coffee shop in Brooklyn and things are finally looking up, until they aren’t!

I found the pacing of the story quite slow to begin with and it mostly begins to pick up more than half way through. It is almost a spoof of Little Shop of Horrors and is full of puns, quirky characters and is obviously musical theatre HEAVY.

Unfortunately it left me feeling underwhelmed but it’s fun and a bit absurd but if you love musical theatre and the TINIEST hint of romance you’ll enjoy it. It’s a silly little read and worth it for a Halloween fun story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!