A barista's guide to love & larceny / Caroline Bonin.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

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. 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

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

Dani, daughter of two con-artists-slash-oracles, spent most of her childhood being dragged around, using her special gift to fleece innocent people out of their money. She left as a teenager and barely managed to get into the prestigious Fox's Leap (a magic university) on a partial scholarship. A visiting professor takes note of Dani's gift and asks for her help investigating a magical pharmaceutical conglomerate, expecting that their newest pill is a fraud. The new medicine is more than fraudulent--it's dangerous, trapping people in nightmares they can't escape. Dani, after seeing the danger of the drug, sets off to infiltrate OneiroLabs and make things right--a task complicated by the fact that the company is owned by her new crush Kass' father. With help from magical friends and arcane security, Dani might be able to steal the drug formula and get out safely. Bonin's debut hovers between teen and new adult, given the age and trials of Dani, but a wide range of teens will likely enjoy this cozy fantasy with dangerous magic.

Kirkus Book Review

A college student grapples with her unusual magical powers as she tries to pull off a heist against a shady corporation. A first year at the magical Fox's Leap University, purple-haired Dani Lionet is a typical student in many ways: She works as a barista to supplement her partial scholarship, and she likes a boy who comes to visit her at the coffee shop. But she's hiding a secret. Throughout her life, other people have shared more information with her than they meant to. Because her parents used her ability to aid their cons and scams, Dani has become petrified by the thought of others finding out about her powers. But when a visiting professor from Italy picks up on Dani's ability, she doesn't report or blackmail her; instead, Professor Silva recruits Dani to investigate OneiroLabs, a company that manufactures magical sleep aids--and whose new product may have dangerous side effects. At first, Dani's happy to help--but as she gets drawn further into the operation, and as Silva increases the stakes by wanting to steal the product's formula, Dani must decide how far she's willing to go. Although some readers may find the worldbuilding shaky and the ending wrapped up a tad too neatly, Dani's abilities provide an interesting moral quandary as well as a solid vehicle for the author to explore agency and free will under capitalism. Main characters are cued white. Cute, cozy, and clever.(Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.