A Barista's Guide to Love & Larceny by Caroline Bonin

A Barista's Guide to Love & Larceny

Caroline Bonin

Feiwel & Friends · Hardcover · January 13, 2026

This cozy fantasy romance combines magic, first love, and college life into a sweetly brewed and delicious read about a girl roped into investigating a company's dangerous product—perfect for fans of Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe!

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Genres
YA Fantasy Romance, College & Uni YA, Romantic Comedy for Teens
Published
Feiwel & Friends, January 13, 2026

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About this book

This cozy fantasy romance combines magic, first love, and college life into a sweetly brewed and delicious read about a girl roped into investigating a company's dangerous product—perfect for fans of Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe! "A perfect blend of cozy and heist!. . . I loved it!" —Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times-bestselling author of The Spellshop Dani Lionet is no stranger to working hard.

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But now she’s attending her dream magic university, and must manage classes, shifts at the local cafe, and maintaining her partial scholarship—all while trying to keep her unique ability under wraps. That way, no one else can take advantage of it like her parents used to. So when a visiting professor calls Dani out on her ability, she’s terrified. Yet, it seems Professor Silva just wants to pay Dani to use it to investigate a soon-to-be-released lucid dreaming product with horrible side effects. Dani is hesitant, but she needs the money, and it would help her new friend who was part of the product’s clinical trials. Plus, she has a swoony distraction in Kass, a mage and her endearingly cute new regular at work. . .even if she can't tell him about her ability or extracurricular activities. The fact that he seems just as interested in her is very uncharted territory for Dani since, thanks to her parents, she's never lived in one place long enough to have a real crush. Can Dani help with the professor's “group project,” learn to embrace her ability, and get to know Kass? Or will it all fall apart before the semester is over? This enchantingly cozy read is perfect for: *Readers looking for an accessible entry into fantasy books *Those who enjoyed To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before or The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches *Fans of college and/or New Adult stories *People who enjoy light heist elements in a story *Stans of Taylor Swift’s Speak Now album, especially the song “Enchanted” *Anyone who knows all too well how expensive higher education can be

Warm Pour

Come here for

  • cozy fantasy-and-romance blend
  • barista-world warmth, light larceny touch

Expect

  • clean YA pacing
  • light, playful stakes

Where it sits

YA Fantasy Romance99%
Romantic Comedy for Teens45%
College & Uni YA41%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • YA Fantasy Romance
  • College & Uni YA
  • Class & Inequality for Teens
Authors
Caroline Bonin
Publisher
Feiwel & Friends
Published
January 13, 2026
Format
Hardcover
Reading lane
YA Fantasy Romance