Review: The Baby Dragon Cafe by A.T. Qureshi

I doubt that I am saying anything groundbreaking here, but The Baby Dragon Cafe had me at the title alone. Immediately it had me thinking of all of my favourite cozy, cafe themed reads ... but with a very cute and fiery twist. Fortunately, the title sets the theme perfectly for this cosy fantasy novel. Saphira has just opened a cafe, one where dragon owners are allowed to bring their baby dragons with them. This is a novelty in her hometown as other cafes do not allow baby dragons inside--and with good reason it turns out, as the baby dragons keep burning or breaking everything in the cafe. Anyway, apart from the massive financial costs of replacing burned equipment, Saphira is happy with her new venture. It is the closest that she will ever get to caring for a baby dragon. That is, until one day, the very eligible bachelor Aiden steps into the cafe with a baby dragon that he has very reluctantly inherited, and he wants Saphira to be the one to train baby Sparky. 

This was an uncomplicated story that remains fun and very light from start to finish. The author never makes the mistake of taking it all too seriously. The romance between Saphira and Aiden was very sweet and surprisingly uncomplicated, until the final third of the novel. After that, things felt very rushed, as the direction of the novel altered slightly as things that I assumed would be important were glossed over and Sister Mireya/Mount Echo appear as though they were added in at the last moment to create a more action filled ending. 

Overall, The Baby Dragon Cafe is a fun escapist read.

Recommended. 

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