Love is brewing as a barista falls for a reclusive artist struggling with the tragic aftermath of an accident in this charming, epic romance.
Audrey Adams knows the exact routine for all her regular customers. That’s what happens when you work at the same Brooklyn coffee shop for years. So it’s completely normal that she notices Theo Sullivan, a shy new patron who comes in at exactly 8:17 a.m., right? And that this incredibly tall (and cute) man never drinks his coffee, always leaves a generous tip, only stays long enough to scribble in a notebook, and wears the same KN95 mask. Call it barista instincts or a reasonable reaction to Theo’s undeniable sweetness, but Audrey is crushing hard.
Eagerly anticipating Theo's visits, Audrey relishes the precious few minutes they chat every time he orders his large, extra-hot Americano. When an incident reveals the horrific facial scar he's hiding beneath his mask, Theo flees the café in shame, dropping his sketchbook and leaving a part of his broken heart behind.
Audrey decides to find Theo, return his book, and confess her feelings. Before long, they’re inseparable, talking nonstop and meeting up for dates at the coffee shop.
But Theo is reluctant to fully let Audrey into his heart. He continues to hide his scar and refuses to talk about his past. Their feelings are bubbling under the surface, but will Theo—and the truth behind his accident—keep him from finding the love they've both been longing for?
Audrey Adams knows the exact routine for all her regular customers. That’s what happens when you work at the same Brooklyn coffee shop for years. So it’s completely normal that she notices Theo Sullivan, a shy new patron who comes in at exactly 8:17 a.m., right? And that this incredibly tall (and cute) man never drinks his coffee, always leaves a generous tip, only stays long enough to scribble in a notebook, and wears the same KN95 mask. Call it barista instincts or a reasonable reaction to Theo’s undeniable sweetness, but Audrey is crushing hard.
Eagerly anticipating Theo's visits, Audrey relishes the precious few minutes they chat every time he orders his large, extra-hot Americano. When an incident reveals the horrific facial scar he's hiding beneath his mask, Theo flees the café in shame, dropping his sketchbook and leaving a part of his broken heart behind.
Audrey decides to find Theo, return his book, and confess her feelings. Before long, they’re inseparable, talking nonstop and meeting up for dates at the coffee shop.
But Theo is reluctant to fully let Audrey into his heart. He continues to hide his scar and refuses to talk about his past. Their feelings are bubbling under the surface, but will Theo—and the truth behind his accident—keep him from finding the love they've both been longing for?
Title: A Latte Like Love
Author: Michelle C. Harris
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Publication Date: March 17, 2026
Review:
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I love a good romance. I was excited for this one. I'll admit, when I started it it gave Phantom of the Opera vibes for me. I thought for sure the book would take this kind of turn. Alas, it did not. And I struggled. I wanted to love the story, I wanted to love the characters, but I just couldn't get into any of it, I always give debut authors the benefit of the doubt. Figuring they are reliant on their editors who should give them good direction when helping them make changes to their story. But I don't feel like that happened here.
Genuinely, I feel like this author has a lot of potential. While I wasn't a huge fan of the story, the bones of a writer are absolutely there. It just feels like there needs to be more growth in how the author's story is presented.
There are some tropes in this one that had promise: sunshine FMC, Audrey, grumpy MMC, Theo, horrific accident and trauma healing. But these themes didn't seem to be going anywhere. On top of this, there is insta love. I know this concept can be done well but that was not the case here. I felt like the FMC was obsessed with the MMC without knowing anything about him at all. She's attracted to his inability to chat with her? And him hiding himself because of his scars? I just didn't feel like this was honest. And their relationship just screamed codependent to me rather than two people gettin got know one another, holding the other person's individuality in regard, and having a mutually beneficial relationship. As a matter of fact, the whole relationship felt a bit toxic from the beginning and Theo gave off dark broody red flag vibes with his intensity that actually had me scared for Audrey. I also could not connect to the characters given the lack of background. I needed to know and understand them. Instead the entire story seems focused on their romance and not much else.
I would have loved to see more development of the side characters, as well. Often times in romance stories, the supporting characters really help to build the story and give insight into the characters. That didn't happen with this story as I never got to know the side characters at all.
I also had zero connection with the characters. I needed more from both, It is written essentially in one POV, though I did read you get Theo's POV in parts of the book. I feel like that would have helped move the story better had it been introduced from the beginning. I really would have liked to see what Theo was experiencing during the relationship building part of this story. I did see he has a epilogue at the end, but I just wasn't invested enough to get to it and see what he even had to say.
The pacing was very slow for me. And the chapters were much longer than I would have liked for a romance. I pushed myself to get through them until I just could not anymore.
Add to all this the fact that the book is 500+ pages, quite long for a romance, and I lost interest and just couldn't bring myself to continue.
I do think this has an audience. I read in many places this is Reylo fan fic, so that kind of makes sense to me (as that's definitely a Phanton of the Opera theme). It's a light hearted story for the most part, or at least the part I read. I can see where people would be drawn to Audrey, who is obviously a care taker, and Theo, who is healing from trauma.
Author:
Michelle C. Harris grew up deep in the heart of the Central Texas Hill Country, devouring as many books as she did tacos. By day, she wrangles academics at a university, and by night, she pens stories about love, magic, and men who yearn under the intense supervision of her Shiba Inu, Pippa.
In her spare time, you can find her playing volleyball, buying more tea than she could ever possibly drink, and writing fan fiction about star-crossed space wizards on AO3.
In her spare time, you can find her playing volleyball, buying more tea than she could ever possibly drink, and writing fan fiction about star-crossed space wizards on AO3.
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