The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors

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Pub Date Sep 12 2024 | Archive Date Sep 20 2024

Description

This is an uncorrected proof copy. There may be some spelling or grammar mistakes that will not be in the final version.

Will true love brew in this killer coffee shop?

One new owner. One hot barista. And one seriously weird coffee shop…

Adele is down on her luck. She’s just been kicked out of her latest musical theatre gig, and it now looks like the bright lights of Broadway are behind her for good. So, when the opportunity comes up to take over a Brooklyn coffee shop, it feels like at last things are going her way.

The only issue is the coffee shop comes with strings attached in the form of one very grumpy (but roasting hot) waiter, Ben. He’s worked there for years and he’s not about to move on just because there’s a new owner in town.

But soon it’s not just Ben who’s smouldering, because strange things are happening with the old coffee roasting machine in the back of the shop, with roaring flames and weird noises that seem to come from nowhere. She’d ask Ben for help, but he never seems to be around when there’s a problem to fix. And to add to it all, now some of the regular customers are nowhere to be seen…

Trouble is brewing for Adele and, before she knows it, she’s in a whole latte trouble…

This is an uncorrected proof copy. There may be some spelling or grammar mistakes that will not be in the final version.

Will true love brew in this killer coffee shop?...


Available Editions

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ISBN 9780008718947
PRICE £0.99 (GBP)
PAGES 384

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Average rating from 105 members


Featured Reviews

ARC from Avon Books Uk and netgalley. This is due to be released 12/09/2024.

If you like little shop of horrors then you'll love this!! 😂🤣

Seemed to be a slow burn although a lot was happening along the way. Lots of fun and interesting characters with the odd annoying one thrown in at times. Adele's luck seems to fluctuate but she's resilient and seems to just go with the flow.

I loved the twist at the end. Really light hearted read and I enjoyed reading it. All good fun and a nice feel good ending.

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Adele is down on her luck, but then inherits a coffee shop. Things seem to be looking up, except a worker from the shop, Ben, is quite the grump and there are some odd things happening in the shop. So, can Ben and Adele come together despite their personality differences, and can they come together to run the coffee shop despite all that is going on?

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the differences between Adele and Ben, it added a fun dimension. And I loved reading about all the secondary characters in this book, which gave the book a lot of variety within the plot. The story focused more on the coffeeshop itself, which I found to be a nice departure from other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Struggling Broadway performer, Adele inherits a coffee shop from her eccentric aunt . Barista Ben. and boyfriend Donny help her try to make the café a going concern. A sudden twist in the plot changes everything. A wonderful, enthralling story with laugh out loud moments.

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Absolutely fabulous, a weirdly cosy and quirky romantic comedy with some supernatural horror elements. Most definitely redolent of Little Shop Of Horrors, if not inspired by, right down to the musical theatre element.
I enjoyed this so much, it was the perfect blend and the romance was nicely done, especially the secondary romance between Frank and Reba (my favourite characters, they really did steal the show)
Definite recommend, and just look at that cover!

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This was a complete page turner!
I am thankful to have gotten the eARC for free from Netgalley and Avon Books UL so I can leave my voluntary review.

As a theatre lover this book was right up my alley! Since it’s a spin off on Little Shop of Horrors it’s not like anything is a surprise if you know the story but I loved the sub plots to see how it would unfold and how the author would translate the content.

It was really cute and I ended up setting other tasks aside to read it and finished it in the one day. I loved the references to other shows as well as other tropes that are common in the theatre world.

It’s a great book for spooky season as it has a coziness to it as well.. oh and a hot Australian.

It comes out soon on Sept 12 2024!

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

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A real quirky read with lots of humour which was very amusing. A great cast of characters too and a storyline which kept me turning the pages.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

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Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an E-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book! If you know me you know I love musicals which is what originally drew me to this book. I enjoyed the musical references throughout this book however I did find Adele a little annoying. I did like the horror aspects of this book. It wasn't too gory so I feel like would be a good introduction to horror. I would recommend this to people who want to read a horror comedy!

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A remarkably funny book inspired by Little Shop of Horrors, this is set in a little cafe in Brooklyn. Ada, fresh of another acting disappointment, leaves the hopeful lights of Broadway behind her when she inherits a down on its luck cafe. With its eclectic group of regulars, a hot barista who roasts his own coffee in the basement, and a surprisingly thick pile of missing persons posters, what's not to love?
This book kept me on my toes on every page. While you know there's something in the basement, the tension, and the eventual reveal, was absolutely delightful.

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Who doesn’t love a cute little coffee shop where people go missing? I was unsure at first but I got the vibes of Little shop of horrors which I loves the romance was light but all in all a cute little read and definitely gave me cute cosy vibes

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3.5 stars
I highly recommend this book although it wasn't a full 5 star read for me.
It is full of surprises and blends magical realism and the mundane setting of a coffee shop well.
I was not in for the romance elements, but they were quite well done too.
Adele is a funny protagonist.
The coffee shop is a funny protagonist. Indeed, the setting serves like a character in this story.
There are several witty remarks and jokes, although some of them fell flat for me, and some of the satire towards "the types of people we see in an urban setting" felt a bit forced and did not always hit the mark, but I probably smiled at 70 % of the observations and exchanges.
What stood out for me was the fantasy/hyperbole and unexpected elements. It was wonderful to see that someone else had considered such a setting in a different perspective. My main reason for picking this book up is the coffee shop setting and I have two surreal every day life stories set in such an environment so I wanted to see what other writers come up with. I appreciate the author's imagination.

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As soon as I saw the title of this book, I just knew it was for me.
As a massive fan of little shop of horrors this book held so much appeal, I even had to fight off the urge to burst into 'somewhere that's green' on several occasions but alas, this book is a hoot.

The grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Adele and Ben was brilliantly done, and the supporting characters were well fleshed out and really added to this story.

The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was that I was slightly disappointed in the ending and thought some parts were unnecessary as they felt too rushed to make much of an impact on the story and felt more like word filler.

I'm hopeful for more books in this series as there are certainly other characters I'd love to read about in the future.

Thank you to the publisher for this advance copy through Netgally.

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I enjoyed reading a romance with an unusual story; it was especially amusing how easy it seemed to be to get away with murder.
The supporting characters were a great bunch, with one particular branch of the story leading to an unexpected emotional moment which made me genuinely sad.

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personally found this slow to begin with, but about 30 % in I LOVED it. I could not put it down! What a fun if slightly terrifying four-star read. This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, as I am sure not everyone will apricate the comedy feedings, this just made me chuckle so much.

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The quirky coffee shop setting, complete with a haunted roasting machine, adds an intriguing twist that keeps you hooked. The blend of romance and sci-fi elements is perfectly balanced, creating a story that’s both heartwarming, cozy and thrilling. I was captivated from start to finish and absolutely adored this enchanting, fun-filled adventure.

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What a fun if slightly terrifying five-star read. This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, as I am sure not everyone will apricate the comedy feedings, this just made me chuckle so much. This story sucked me in and had me smiling and chuckling so much, there were just so many amazing moments, and then there were a couple of moments of sadness, but they were pulled into the story so well, and you really care about all of the characters, all of the regulars will worm their way into your heart, they each have a uniqueness and just form a great band of amazing characters that pull you along on their journey. What I would give to have a coffee in the Riffraff, listening to an old record and smelling those amazing beans, I may have to just have a juice, but still, it would be amazing to soak up the atmosphere.

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There is a quote in the book that covers my review so well, to paraphrase, the coffee shop that Adele and Ben run is sometimes running as if it was on Xanax! That is pretty much it! The book is a little bit barmy. There are sceances, there are cats that aren’t spooky enough and boyfriends that aren’t quite right. This plot runs about all over the place with a dead hoarding aunt and a year to keep the coffee shop afloat - yes the coffee shop that is a bit over the top and where odd things just keep happening. The book is never boring and there is a hectic and eclectic feel to the writing, with tangents and late nights and greenhouses just scattered all over the place. The piece de resistance of the mad world is a human eating coffee perculator - well, why wouldn’t there be? Read this book for a rest and a laugh.

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Spooky but cosy. This took me a little bit to get into but the plot is interesting and I loved the idea. I’d definitely recommend for an autumn read

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I loved this book from the start! It's like the book was made for me. I'm really into that old movie, Little Shop of Horrors, so this book was right up my alley. I almost started singing the 'Somewhere That's Green' song a few times while reading it, it's that good!

The two main characters, Adele and Ben, were really funny together. One was always grumpy and the other super happy. It was really cool. And the other people in the story were great too. They made the book even more fun.

The only thing I didn't like was the end. It felt a bit rushed and some parts didn't really matter. I wanted to give it a top score, but the ending stopped me.

I really hope there are more books like this. I'd love to read about the other characters.

Thanks for letting me read this book early!

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A definite winner all around! A true homage to the classic "Little Shop of Horrors" with some nods to the inspiration that fans will love. Not the same, but the same overall feel and vibe of light and dark and just pure enjoyable dark humor fun. Especially if you love coffee, and a bit of romance, and really who doesn't?

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Well this story was something else! The minute i read the blurb i knew i had to read this one and i am so glad i did, the story is fabulous and is definitely one i would recommend to everyone, perfect for the up coming spooky season.

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Down on her luck Adele feels like the broadway career she always dreamed of isn’t working out. One phone call however changes everything and gives her a new beginning in a strange little coffee shop with some quirky customers and a terrible secret.

This book reminded me at times of the sort of story Grady Hendrix writes. Quite bizarre at times with some darkness as well as some humour. The story was great and moved along well keeping me drawn in and the characters were brilliant. I loved Frank and Reba, two customers who certainly brightened up the Riffraff coffee shop. Definitely a coffee shop I’d love to visit, even with is dark secret.

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The cover definitely reminded me of Little Shop Of Horrors and I ended up loving this book too. I really loved the characters, it has been my perfect read for my favourite autumn season.

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ARC Book Review!

The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors by Hazel Graves


3.5 / 5⭐️

1 / 5 🔥


Thank you @netgalley for this advanced reader copy of The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors by Hazel Graves. Release date : September 12,2024.


Before I even got to the first page I was giggling to myself at each chapters title. There are two things I love and they are coffee and puns. The author caught my love immediately when she combined those two!

I loved Reba and Franks side character dynamics and as someone with an Australian husband the Aussie jokes for Ben were a comfort to my heart (specifically the drop bears 😂).

The book started to lose my interest slightly around the 60-70% mark but reeled me back in quickly with some heartbreak and a lovely ending.

This book is for you if you like :

Coffee
Lovable side characters
Cute shop cat
Love triangles










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Big Thanks to Netgalley & Avlon Books UK for the ARC of The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors by Hazel Graves!
Release date: 09/12/2024

The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors by Hazel Graves is a delightful tale that follows Adele, an aspiring Broadway star who unexpectedly inherits a charming coffee shop and an apartment from a mysterious great-aunt she never met. Sounds amazing, right? But you know what they say—if it sounds too good to be true…

I had such a fun time reading this book! It was lighthearted, oddly cozy, and just the perfect easy read that didn’t take itself too seriously—definitely made me smile! The grumpy vs. sunshine dynamic between Adele and the Australian barista, Ben—who, thanks to her aunt's will, is sticking around—really hits all the sweet spots. It’s especially entertaining as he teaches her the ins and outs of running a coffee shop, considering her background in musical theater. Just a heads up though, it’s definitely a slow burn with minimal romance; the quirky, loyal coffee shop characters and their everyday adventures really take the spotlight.

I loved witnessing the friendship grow between Adele and Gracie. At first, when the Niovla sisters showed up, I thought, “Here come the antagonists!” But as the story developed, Gracie became an essential part of Adele’s support system at the shop. I particularly appreciated their conversations about Gracie's photography and that moment when, completely unaware, she helped Adele out of a tricky situation involving her so-called “boyfriend” Donny.

Speaking of Donny, hats off to Hazel Graves for crafting a character you just want to shake up. Not that I usually condone violence, but wow, this guy…

If I’m being a bit picky, there were moments in the book I felt could be trimmed down, as they didn’t significantly impact the story. While I appreciated the supernatural twist that popped up in a romantic comedy, it didn't quite resonate with me, personally.

I look forward to hopefully seeing more books in this series, possibly focusing on other characters or diving deeper into Adele and Ben's blossoming relationship!

would rate this a ⭐⭐⭐.75/5 (rounded up to 4⭐ on Goodreads)

Spice - 0.5🌶️/5.

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ARC Review

The little coffee shop of terrors
By Hazel Graves
Publish date: Sept 12, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books for allowing me read and review this book.

Adele a struggling broadway singer inherits her great aunts coffee shop. With 3 conditions: 1. Can’t sell it in first year 2. Must run it 3. Ben stays With Adele being down on her luck she feels like this is the perfect opportunity. What happens when this cute cozy coffee shop isn’t what she thought it was.

I was drawn in from the start with the creepy vibes and people (customers) disappearing.

I wish there was more character development between Ben and Adele and I found it a little weird how quick she was to accept what was happening at the end.

I absolutely loved the coffee shop cat and how it played a role in the selection.

This was quick, cozy, slightly creepy read. Perfect for the fall and spooky season.

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This was an absolutely delightful start to spooky season and the prefect kind of banter meets hijinks that I die for. I wish I could read this again for the first time, it was so FUN.

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So many theater and musical references are stuffed into this book, it is perfect for any fan of theater or even pop culture. I devoured this book in two days. The ending was a little brutal for my taste, but overall found it to be humorous, touching, and overall an entertaining read.

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The daily grind can be a real killer!
This was a fun and cosy (yes, the story is both 'murdery' and cosy) spin on Little Shop Of Horrors, but in a coffee shop setting. While I did feel that the story took a while to get going, it still kept me interested enough to keep reading, because I became quickly invested in the characters' lives and story lines. As you're reading you know where the plot is going, but that doesnt make the experience any less enjoyable. The cast of characters is quirky and fun, and while the romance is but a small part of the plot, it is still an element of the story that I enjoyed and I was waiting for the moment that the tension between Adele and Ben resolved itself! Overall, this is a great one to read while the weather is changing and things are starting to feel more autumnal. Definitely one to add to the fall reading lists, and to be enjoyed with a lovely cup of.coffee.....just look out for how the beans were roasted!

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This is a hoot. Adele was surprised to inherit a coffee shop and even more surprised that it has a haunted roaster. No more spoilers from me! This is a slow roast romance between two opposites in Adele and Ben as well as a nice it takes a village look at the shop's regulars, including a romance between two of them. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

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À totally quirky light read which I ended up enjoying more than I thought I would especially after a rather slow start. Set in Brooklyn, New York around a coffee shop with, in some cases, a somewhat unconventional eccentric clientele. Good characters and I even warmed to Adele, the main character whom I didn't take to at the start and wanted to shake her naivety. A fun and humorous book with some unexpected twists in the final quarter which, although sinister, were bizarre and quite funny overall especially as it involved the more pretentious characters. Worth a go and perseverance in the first few chapters.

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Adele's journey begins after being unceremoniously booted from her last theatrical gig, leaving her feeling like her Broadway dreams are fading into the distance. Desperate for a fresh start, she seizes the opportunity to take over a quirky little coffee shop that promises both a refuge and a chance to rediscover her passion. However, the road to salvation is anything but smooth, primarily due to her prickly but undeniably attractive waiter, Ben. The chemistry between Adele and Ben is palpable, adding a charming layer of romantic tension to the narrative. Ben's gruff exterior hides a loyalty to the coffee shop that is both endearing and frustrating, making their dynamic one of the highlights of the novel. Graves expertly weaves humor and magic into the story, and the supernatural elements surrounding the old coffee roasting machine injects an extra layer of intrigue. The strange occurrences—flames roaring and inexplicable noises—serve as perfect metaphors for Adele’s own chaotic life, representing her inner struggles and her journey to find her place in the world.
Graves’ writing is particularly engaging, with its witty dialogue and vivid descriptions that bring the Brooklyn coffee shop to life. Whether it’s the sound of the espresso machine whirring or the warmth of freshly baked goods, you can practically smell the coffee and feel the camaraderie of the café’s patrons. The pacing is well-executed, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing while also allowing for tender moments of growth and self-discovery.
Hazel Graves has crafted a delightful story about resilience, the magic of community, and the thrill of unexpected surprises. It’s a heartwarming reminder that sometimes the biggest changes and challenges can come with a side of laughter—and perhaps, a sprinkle of enchantment. Whether you’re a fan of whimsical romances or looking for a cozy mystery with a side of steam, this book is sure to satisfy.

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Musical theatre? Check. Coffee shop setting? Check. Cosy vibes with horror/crime themes? Check. Did I mention the coffee? Double check. With all of the above, this sounded right up my alley! I was not disappointed. 

When Adele vows to give up her Broadway dreams after yet another failed audition, she receives a mysterious phone call from a lawyer about an inheritance from a long lost great aunt. The inheritance? A failing coffee shop in a very strange part of New York, with stipulations that she must run the coffee shop for a year and she must keep on Ben, the barista no matter what. When she meets financier and Harvard business graduate Donny, who wants to wine and dine her whilst giving free business advice, she's clearly got it made right? Customers keep disappearing from the coffee shop, she has one business disaster after another and Ben won't even let her anywhere near her own roaster in the basement...

This was a definite easy read for me and very enjoyable. It takes heavy inspiration (it's essentially a re-imagining) from Little Shop of Horrors but in a coffee shop setting and instead of a killer plant, there's a murderous coffee roaster. Not going to lie, I loved every second of it. There's subtle nods such as musical references and the roaster, with more in your face/sledge hammer like references such as the giant pothos plant named Audrey 3.

It's not greatly horrific or horrifying if you are a typical lover of horror, but it is great fun, especially if you love Little Shop of Horrors and musical theatre. It has a brilliant mish-mash of characters or 'Riff Raff' to quote the name of the coffee shop, the kind you take into your heart as friends whilst reading a book (oh you don't? Just me then...), great autumn, cosy vibes especially if you want something with spooky horror undertones for spooky season. 

If this sounds like your bag of chips, definitely pick it up! I give it a solid 4/5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the eARC.

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