Whimsical. Cozy. Utterly adorable. There's a heist and chaotic adventure abundant! You will become so attached to these characters, The relationships in this one is so amazing. Everyone is relatable and supportive of another. There is an element of academia and passion as well. Romantic. Spellbinding. The author's prose is magnificent.

a sweet story following Dani, a college barista tying to find her future and help the tired souls she serves at the cafe

Current rating: 3.25 stars

I initially thought this would be 4 stars, but my rating kept going down as I continued reading 😭 I love the cover, though!

I did like the contemporary fantasy world that was set up, and would be willing to read more stories set in this world! The magic university setting immediately caught my attention, and it was interesting to learn about.
The book started off fine with the first half having more of a slice-of-life feel. However, I found that it began to drag a little, though it might just be me and maybe I wasn't in the mood for so much of that? But I decided to push through. I find that usually with cozy fantasies, spacing out my reading improves my enjoyment, and this was no exception. Once I got into the second half of the book which had more 'action'/heist elements, I was able to read the rest of it in one sitting. The reveals were pretty obvious, but this is a cozy fantasy romance, so I didn't mind much.

The romance between Dani and Kass was cute, and 'simple + sweet' is probably how I would describe it! I did dislike the misunderstanding/breakup scene because it felt really forced + rushed, but thankfully, it didn't feel like it lasted too long. The other characters made a nice supporting cast, and I appreciated the details added to try and flesh them out a bit more, as well as their motivations.

Overall, this was still a fun read, but I rlly wanted to love this more than I did.

This was a lovely, cozy, warm read. One of those books I wish I had the ability to forget just to read them again. I had so much fun, loved the writing but especially I loved the characters with all my heart. Totally recommend this!!!

A Barista's Guide to Love and Larceny was my first book by Caroline Bonin. I thoroughly enjoyed Dani and Kass' story. It was an interesting and unique premise. I will be recommending A Barista's Guide to Love and Larceny to my book club.

4.5/5 (Rounded up to 5!)
Caroline Bonin wrote a charmingly adorable and delightfully whimsical entry to the Teen/YA space. A Barista's Guide to Love and Larceny is just cozy enough with a dash of magical realism and a smidgen of corporate espionage and heisting. This book pairs perfectly with your favorite cup of coffee on a rainy day. The magical elements and world building were top teir! I had such a great time getting to know Dani, Kass, and the rest of Dani's heist crew. All the characters felt fleshed out and had a distinct purpose to serve. All in all, this is the type of book that I would be immediately searching to find out if it was a series in the making (McKenna's book or Wyatt's?)! I would love to spend more time in this universe! There is definitely longevity to the material if the author chose to expand the word. Even if she doesn't, this is such a delightful standalone first novel!

For fans of:
Magical College Setting
Quirky Familiars (Gingerbread the Crow is such a vibe)
Soft First Loves
Cozy Coffee Shop Feels on a Rainy Day
Heists and Hijinks

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC!!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ebook in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5
This book was a great mix of cozy and suspense. The scenes in the coffee shop, relationship scenes between Dani and Kass, and the friendship moments between the core group were all satisfyingly cozy and comfortable. On the flip side, the heist and prep scenes were tense and nerve-wracking. For me, it managed to hit a good balance between the two.
In terms of the relationship, Dani and Kass are very cute together. I liked their interactions at the coffee shop, and the way they really felt like unsure teenagers when it comes to flirting. My only complaint is that I dislike miscommunication plot points where the couple breaks up because of a simple misunderstanding, but even then, it didn’t bother me as much in this one because it didn’t feel contrived. I could understand why Kass took it the way he did.
My fantasy nerd brain would’ve loved to have even more information about how magic works. Despite seeing Dani use her passive ability in action, we don’t really see her cast spells or do much beyond that. She writes essays about divining the future from scones, but that doesn’t go anywhere. I love when fantasy gets really detailed and the world feels so real. I loved what we got, but I would’ve liked a bit more.
Either way, this was an extremely enjoyable read that I’d recommend to any fans of Legends & Lattes and similar books.

4.5 rounded up

This book was so fun! You have cozy romance, a heist, and misadventures galore! The university campus that this story takes place on sounds so interesting, besides the standard classes that you have, there are all of the mystical options. And the magic system that exists here is so unique and interesting - like talking to plants and the magic of wood (are they accepting universe transfers?)

I loved the relationships in this too, Dani and McKenna have such a good and realistic friendship and their friendship isn't a closed off one either, with Oliver slowly being added. Kass and Dani also have an awesome romance that is so sweet to read about.

I fell in love with these characters and with Caroline Bonin's writing style. This is a debut that you don't want to miss out on!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this ARC!

A Barista’s Guide to Love & Larceny is a beautiful blend of collegiate romance and magical crime. Equal parts cozy and thrilling, Bonin’s debut will enchant you with a quirky cast of characters and a devious plot.

As an insomniac myself, the idea of a company being able to permanently deprive me of a peaceful night’s sleep with no consequences is (pardon my phrasing) my worst nightmare. Ironically, Dani and her crew spend many sleepless nights trying to uncover OneiroLabs’ formula and cure the restless students in a heist entertainingly reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But Dani isn’t just balancing her illicit extracurricular with schoolwork - her romance with a cute boy is brewing, and it's difficult keep steady when she has to keep running out on their dates with no explanation. Despite their obstacles, Dani and Kass make an adorable couple. I love nerdy boys, and Dani letting Kass ramble on topics she has no clue about is simultaneously endearing and hilarious.

With the perfect balance of action, academics, and a sprinkling of first love, A Barista’s Guide is a must-read for anyone who loves a good heist novel. Best enjoyed with your dark roast of choice.

I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this! I really grew to love the characters and appreciated their growth throughout the book. I felt like the book was really well balanced between the romance and the plot and Dani and Kass's relationship progression was so well done. Highly recommend for a quick, cozy read.

4/5 stars!

This was such a lovely surprise. I went in expecting something fun and magical (and it definitely delivered on that), but I didn’t expect to connect with the characters as deeply as I did. Dani is smart, a little awkward, and trying her best. I loved her relationship with McKenna, which felt less like a best-friend dynamic and more like chosen family, and I loved that.

The romance with Kass was really sweet, too. I liked how it grew slowly and naturally, with all the awkwardness that comes with having a crush that turns into something more. I just wish the ending hadn’t felt quite so rushed. I wanted more time with Dani and Kass as a couple.

Gingerbread was such a fun little surprise, and the magical elements added some great texture without taking over the story. It was a nice balance of cozy and emotional, and I’d love to spend more time in this world if there’s ever more to come. I would appreciate definitions for some of the terms—I found myself a bit lost at the beginning when discussing the classes or specialties.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC!

Dani is a first year student at Fox's Leap, a premier magic college. Unfortunately, her scholarship only covers some of her expenses, so she works as many shifts as possible at the local coffee shop to make ends meet. Then she meets Kass, a cute boy with an affinity for wood and Professor Silva who needs her help. Turns out a local company is covering up some rather terrible results for a new drug trial and Dani's classmates are suffering. So she joins a small band put together by Silva to steal the drug to find a cure for the students. But all isn't what it seems and Dani is going to have to chose between helping people and the boy she's quickly falling for. A fun, if a bit predictable read

A Baristas Guide to Love & Larceny was truly a cute and cozy read! Dani is a student at a college for magical studies, who must navigate her schooling, a first love, friendships while she helps uncover a mystery behind a potentially dangerous new product at a big company.

I fell in love with the characters rather quickly. Dani was relatable in many different ways, which made me love her that much more. Her relationship with Kass was perfectly sweet and was balanced well with the story. The magic aspect was intriguing as well, and I enjoyed how each character was passionate about their specific areas of study.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!

Oh my gosh! this was the most cute and perfect read that I could have asked for. It was filled to the rim with cozy vibes, schemes and friendship! If I could enroll myself when I was younger, i would have! This is a read that every young adult should read to get back their childhood!

I wanted to like this so much but it just fell flat, it wasn’t sure if it wanted to be Upper YA or New Adult and because of that Dani comes off as one dimensional. I think more edits focused on character development could really help to focus this work.

I was completely invested in the characters and story, the plot was amazing and I feel like the story really does give off the TS vibes it was said to have!

In A Barista's Guide to Love & Larceny, Caroline Bonin has woven a captivating tale exploring the ways corporations exploit the working class, the ups and downs of romance, and the building of enduring friendships. There are so many wonderful things about the relationships portrayed in this story! I love Dani and McKenna's friendship, the romance with Kass, and the budding friendship with Oliver. McKenna and Oliver support Dani when the going gets tough, and she supports them right back! Even when it seems like the world is about to end (figuratively), the three stick together and stand together. Their friendship is the stuff of dreams, I swear. The relationship of Dani and Kass is also so well written, and so healthy! They help each other, they accept each other, flaws and all. They actually talk to each other, which is a really good foundation for a relationship. While Dani's relationships are the kind of magic a person can hope to find in the real world, the other magic is truly otherworldly.

The concepts of magic introduced are just so interesting, like talking to plants? Different woods having different magics? Dream magic? Can I move to this world? And the characters are so passionate about their areas of study, adding to the wonder of the magic. When someone who absolutely loves something talks about that thing, it inherently makes the thing more interesting (at least in my opinion). The passion leaks over, in such a wonderful way. This applies to Dani being a barista too. She clearly enjoys her craft, which not only develops her character a bit, it adds some fun to certain cafe scenes. The healthy relationships, magical disciplines, and passionate characters are the wonderful highlights of the story though the undertones about the corporate exploitation of the working class are also pretty interesting! Readers of good romance (actually healthy romance), well written characters, and interesting magic will enjoy A Barista's Guide to Love and Larceny.

I enjoyed this! I was invested in the characters and related to Dani. She was essentially who I was as a freshman in college, so it was nice to see! Kass was definitely the type of guy I would have a crush on at that age. There’s plenty here to build upon as there is a strong foundation with them and the side characters.

There is a lot of plot going on in this book. While not confusing at all, it did feel a bit long at times and I saw twists coming! However, it was still fun to read and I recommend it.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!