The High Court of the Coffee Bean returns with a battle of wills and wit as two sworn enemies find themselves facing their worst nightmare—each other.
In this “enemies-to-brothers” humorous fantasy, two dangerous fae who hate each other sign a contract to share an apartment without realizing who their new roommate will be. One is Dranian Evelry, former assassin of the Brotherhood of Assassins. The other is Luc Zelsor, a deadly nine tailed fox more powerful than nearly any fae from the Dark Corner of Ever.
With several binding rules in their roommate contract such as, “No loud noises” (which means they’ll have difficulty trying to kill each other) and “No large messes” (which means once one finds a way to kill the other, they’ll need to discreetly dispose of the body) the two enemies find themselves trapped in a close quarters situation with only one to try and live together until the three-month agreement runs out, unless one of them can force the other to break the contract and be kicked out of the apartment for good by management.
Thus a battle of wills begins as two fae on opposite sides of the fairy wars try to make the living accommodations unbearable for the other.
But Dranian has another problem, one he must hide from his new roommate. Whenever he falls asleep, his nights become haunted by a voice of his past, belonging to a girl who was never given a name. As she enters his nightmares and gets closer and closer to taking control of his dreams for good, Dranian is forced to remember key things about the North Corner forest village he grew up in - a place he swore never to think about again - and the girl he once gave everything for who has now returned to haunt him forever.
Dranian knows there's only one solution to keeping the girl with no name out of his Never fall asleep again.
A Roommate Who Isn't Evil is book 3 of the High Court of the Coffee Bean series, a four-book tale that follows a band of fairy assassins who enter the human world and try to live among them, hardly blending in at all. This BookTok-inspired series is for readers who will enjoy a mashup of books like The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and the comical TV show New Girl. It's 'cozy with a dallop of darkness', loaded with cookies and ice cream, and sprinkled with a few epic deathmatches.
Jennifer Kropf spent her college years bored to death (nearly) in marketing and advertising classes, and graduated only to discover once and for all that her true passion is telling stories. She lives amidst lush Ontario farmland with her husband and three kids, reads obsessively, and writes even more obsessively. She thinks tea is gross and coffee is great and secretly wishes Peter Pan will show up on some cool summer evening and ask if she wants to visit Neverland.
omgosh this was soooooo good!! unlike the first few books, this is jus a comedy and not a rom com. And that actually worked pretty well. I was laughing at this soooooo much!! The name "dog shane" for a husky is jus hilarious in my opinion!! and the warm beast milk and beast meat js cracked me up 🤣🤣🤣🤣 the "enemies to brothers" was pretty good too!! i rarely read this trope, so it was nice to see something kinda fresh. great humor, friendship, and hilarious fae assasians!! id def reccomend!!
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK - the author is evil. I'm pretty sure she must be fae. You will get sucked into the story, and then she will just leave you with unanswered questions and a promise. How long it will take her to deliver on said promise is unknown. The fact that she knows Shayne is my favorite character and she does this to me is just wrong. You have been warned!
Seriously, I LOVE this series, and waiting is so hard! I need answers. "Closure is important."
Oh dear….i’m afraid this book ate! I’m actually so invested in the high court of the coffee bean series! This third book was so cute with its enemies to friends trope and it intertwined more lore—meaning even more silly adventures to come! I’m so hyped to delve more into the Fae world in the next book!
I just adored Luc in the last book and I’m so glad he had his redemption…sort of…he’s still arrogant haha! I highlighted every time he said “oh dear”and it was always in the best scenarios…I counted 21 times but I could’ve missed a couple! Dog-Shayne was so so cute and the name 😂😂 I’ve always thought Dranian was so adorable and humorous. I’m glad he got the spotlight this time <3
This entire series is pure gold. Each of these books has made me laugh, yet they sneakily bring a powerful emotional depth in some way too.
Humor shines through Dranian and Luc’s enemies-to-brothers story in Wanted: A Roommate Who Isn’t Evil. Both come across as tough guys on the exterior, but that’s not who they are. Not really. Watching their hearts start to shine through is such a sweet, endearing, entertaining, and wonderful adventure. Plus, we have the addition of a precious pupper, as well as glimpses into the far realm the assassins left behind.
Fun, chaos, and all kinds of fairy mischief and misunderstandings continue, and I can’t wait to see how they wrap up in Fake Dating a Human 101.
On a personal note, one character’s brush with panic attacks also eased my heart and made my soul feel a little bit lighter. I’m so grateful for stories that make me fell cozy, make me laugh, and remind me that I’m not alone—all at the same time. This book did that for me.
This was a quick, easy, fun, and soothing read, and an easy five stars too.
Wanted: A Roommate Who Isn’t Evil releases on October 16.
Oh dear! Allow me to tell you how positively brilliant this bewitching book is! With banter, hilarity, brotherhood, formidable enemies, danger and daring peppered with memorable and heartbreaking moments, this is certain to be your next favorite book. I absolutely adored it and might have even squealed when the hardcover arrived. I might have even bounced a bit while I held it to my chest. Kate and Cress would understand... If you devour fae books like some do coffee, you're in for quite the delicious treat.
My poor heart! All of these poor guys have such tragic pasts and are complete cinnamon roll heroes. You can't help but cheer them on whether they're tossing food through the air or slashing weapons at their foes. They're just that lovable.
I couldn't bear to put this down. It pained my heart to do so! I wanted to snatch these faeborn warriors from the pages and take them with me everywhere. Can you imagine the unending entertainment!? And that ending!!! I'm beaming as I eagerly await the next book because it's going to ah-mazing!!!!
Hii me again. Thanks to Jennifer Kropf for the amazing opportunity to experience firsthand the next book in the series, A High Court of the Coffee Bean. I've been waiting very excitedly for Dranian's part in the series and to know what's next in the story of fae living in a (not so ordinary) human world.
So to start the review, I'd like to highlight how each of the books narratives brings a different perspective, for example I love how Dranian's way of thinking creates an impact on the way we (the readers) experience the flow and sequence in the story, I also admire Jennifer Kropf's writing and the way it showcases the complexity of growth in each personality and character through the series (not only on 1 book).
I loved the way both protagonists (no names, so no spoilers) of the book connected in the simple fact that they felt the same pain, and how they learned to empathize even though they didn't know much of each other. I also I loved the way Dranian's character is much more than a stoic face and mysterious backstory.
Not only that, but I'm delighted by the new characters, how they interact with Dranian's story, and how they connect with the narrative of Mor in the last book (the way of thinking of Mor and how Violet's presence changed him), Cass (being a much more relaxed and practical Cass), and the next book in the series.
Another amazing book to add to my favorite reads list, and like I said last time, this series and the books to follow are so worth the wait. Congrats, Jennifer Kropf!!
My favorite Fae crew is back! The Court Of the Coffee Bean series gives "curling up with a cup of coffee and watching your favorite romcom" vibes. After reading heavy books, Jennifer Kropfs' witty, sarcastic and bumbling Fae boys makes me smile. I loved Dranians story in "Wanted, a Roommate who isn't Evil". He has always been the most mysterious of the four. Luc was fun and intriguing in the last book, so I am glad we got a lot more of him. We are set up for the next book and returning to the Ever Corners, I can't wait!
I am obsessed with this series. If you’re looking for a hilarious cozy fantasy series, this one is fantastic. The characters give me such What We Do In The Shadows character vibes - just a bunch of fae, living in the human realm, trying to fit in, drinking “beast milk” and lattes.
Book 3 gives us a glimpse into Dranian’s back story, which I’ve been super curious about as he is the more reserved member of the High Court of the Coffee Bean. When he ends up with a roommate - Luc, who is also fae and one of his Shadow Court enemies - they enter a battle of willpower to see who will move out first. They deal with normal roommate drama such as eating each other’s groceries, leaving messes, and so on, which is hilarious. And they also encounter bigger issues with Luc’s father that they surprisingly team up to handle.
Instead of being a romance like the other 2 books, this book is an enemies to friends journey and I loved it. We get multi-POV which also helps move the story along and see things from both perspectives.
I am so excited for book 4 as I did miss Shayne in this book and look forward to his story!
Thank you to Jennifer for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
For such a short book, it is 100% jam-packed with adventure!
The different storylines are so well formed and blend together in a way that feels full without it feeling rushed.
I am always sad when there isn't more Shayne in the story, but knowing that the next book is going to be Shayne heavy makes me so excited to read the next book in the series!
It was so nice to get to know Dranian more, and the addition of Dog-Shayne is a whole new favorite of mine! Not to mention the 100% real and undeniably true enchanted nature of ice cream.
We've heard of enemies to lovers, but enemies to frenemies is such an underutilized trope, and this book does it so well!
One of the minor requirements for a roommate is that they can't be evil. Evil roommates ruin everything. But what if your roommate isn't as evil as you think he is? Well, in this enemies-to-brothers fae comedy, we will encounter that very situation. To what lengths will these two roomies go to rid themselves of the other fairy? A toothbrush, a dog, a lot of pettiness later, and oh dear....are they friends now? Wanted: A Roommate Who Isn't Evil will have you squealing with excitement and slapping the person next to you! Grab your tub of ice cream and sit back to be swept away by Dranian and Luc's story...you will NOT be disappointed!
Luc smiled to himself. Had he been born a human, he might have become a therapist. Or a serial killer
Our cosy little band of mischievous fae are back, and more chaotic, hilarious and full of life as ever, but this time we get to follow our big, cuddly, sword-happy Dranian.
When Shayne decided to go on a three month vacation of sorts, Dranian finds himself lumped with the rent of two, whilst only managing part-time at Fae Café, which ultimately leads to his charmingly blunt and hilarious advertisement for a new roommate to share the costs. What he doesn't expect though.. is for the successful applicant to be the nine-tailed devil fox himself, Luc.
Dranian is really going through it, grieving the loss of his best-friend who has abandoned him for sunny travels, as well as the loss of his arm. Dranian has always been the muscles of the group, but now he struggles to lift anything two-handed, and he's slowly withdrawing into himself and becoming a shell of the fae he once was. His pain and loss of identity was so raw and palpable that it made me want to cuddle him and never let him go. Worst of all, he's not lumbered with sharing a flat with the person responsible for this loss, both mentally and physically.
It was so beautiful to dive deeper into Dranian, his character, and backstory, but it broke my heart to see how much rejection he's had to endure by the people who should've loved him unconditionally, and it just emphasises his love for his brotherhood, and how deeply he adores them, and would give up for them. They accepted and loved him completely and that drives his every waking moment.
Luc Zelsor, our Gumiho, strawberry ice cream fanatic, and dog hating fae in the flesh, is happy just to have a roof over his head, and warm water, after spending months living on park benches and underneath trees, determined above all else not to step foot back in the Dark Corners of Ever. Luc wormed his way into my heart in the last instalment of this series and continues to sear himself into it in this one. Still as cheeky, dangerous and hopelessly lost as he was before, except now he's constantly looking over his shoulder for one fae or another. Watching him form an undying bond of loyalty with dog-Shayne was a highlight for me, he tries so desperately to be this intimidating, unflappable, ruthless and cutthroat fae, but around the dog, he is just an utter cinnamon roll who would burn the world down for it in a heartbeat.
This is a breath-taking story of two outcasts who've always been treated as less important to their families, despite the amount of blood, sweat and tears they've put in to prove their worth. They share so much pain and anguish but have found themselves on opposite sides of a war, both determined to outwit the other in a game of cat and mouse, and incredible cunning, to see who will fold and break the roommate agreement first. The way their friendship blossoms was so beautiful, they find small cracks in the each others intimidating and uncaring facades, and slowly chip away at them, enabling them each to be vulnerable and embrace the darkest, most painful parts of themselves they keep hidden from everyone else, bearing their souls to the enemy in such a gorgeous and evocative way.
I adore this series with my entire being, it always feels like a warm cosy hug when you step back into their world, with a dash of grittiness, which I find adds even more charm and magic to the characters and their worlds. It's breath-takingly written, and I loved diving deeper into the rich lore and history of the fae in this one. I'll never get over how unforgettable the characters are, they are so real, deeply complex, and hilariously witty, plus we get the addition of a cute and fluffy doggo companion!! It's hard not to fall utterly in love with each of them, and I always look forward to their next adventure.
"Luc smiled to himself. Had he been born a human, he might have become a therapist. Or a serial killer."
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶
Author: Jennifer Kropf Publisher: Winter Publishing House Series: High Court of the Coffee Bean Release Date: 15th October, 2024
Perfect if you love: - Enemies to Brothers - Humorous Fantasy - Banter - Fae in the human world - Cozy Fantasy - Secrets and Intrigue
I absolutely adore this series, I've been obsessed since book one so as soon as this book was released I knew it was going on my autumn TBR. This is the perfect cozy fantasy read, with a whole heap of humour and a dash of epic action the pages of this book fly by. With book one centering around Cress and book two around Mor, I was thrilled to get round to Dranians story and I can't wait to read Shayne's story next!
As mentioned we follow Dranian in this story as he searches for a new roommate who isn't evil, however after a series of unfortunate circumstances in walks Luc Zelsor, the deadly nine tailed fox. To say these two don't get along is an understatement but we neither able to break their roommate contract, queue a series of humorous events with each of them trying to force the other to leave in a battle of wills. In amongst this chaos we also learn more about Dranians past with hit nights of haunted sleep, and other secrets within the founf family group there is so much to uncover.
Having an already cemented world set up from books one and two, this story leans on those foundations providing us with new locations to explore and new characters to meet. It's so very easy to get immersed in this series and the lore behind it.
Despite Luc's nefarious background and initial intentions I actually found myself warming to him hugely as the book went on. Knowing his reasoning behind a lot of what he does really shifts how you feel about it him as a character and his arc is great. You can't help but feel for Dranian especially after the outcome of book two and how it has impacted him. His backstory is fabulous and I can't wait to read as it continues in book four.
Wanted, a Roommate who isn’t Evil (By: Jennifer Kropf)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•••
Dranian Evelry is morose. His best friend is gone and he feels useless, not really knowing where he fits in anymore. With Cress and Mor preoccupied with their humans and the Fae Cafe he feels left out more than ever before. When he accidentally enters into a binding contract with his sworn enemy, he decides to take matters into his own hands, to prove to them that he is more than capable of taking care of himself. This, of course, has drastic consequences. Enter, Luc Zelsor- the deadly nine tailed fox whom everyone had thought gone for good. As these two rivals/enemies attempt to share an apartment, they do everything within their power to make life miserable for one another, hoping the other one will break the contract and get kicked out. But both fairies can be very stubborn and it takes a lot to get under their skin… Once again, enter into the world of the High Court of the Coffee Bean as we learn more of both Dranian and Luc’s pasts and how they’ve become the dangerous fae they currently are now. Will the two destroy one another in their quests for vengeance? And what happened to Shayne? Will Dranian ever find out? Will Cress and Mor find out about Luc’s reappearance in time to help save Dranian? Or does he really need to be saved at all?
This is the third book in Jennifer Kropf’s High Court of the Coffee Bean series and my only complaint is that the ending left me hanging! I’m already eagerly anticipating book 4.
If you enjoy reading about fae assassins, ice cream, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, enchanted coffee and pastries, dream walkers, high-stakes battles, dogs, and hilarious rivalry, then this just might be the book for you!
I really loved this story! There was never a dull moment and each turn of the page kept me eagerly wondering what would happen next.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
This series gives me way too much enjoyment and this one was another excellent addition to the High Court of the Coffee Bean. It was so great to finally be able to see what's going on in Dranian's grumpy head. My only complaint was that I miss Shayne, but it's not really even a complaint because the story wouldn't have happened how it did if he had been there...and man, I loved how the story went. There is something so hilarious about these assassin boys being completely stumped by real world everyday items. I have laughed my head off all the way through the series.
Eeek. I loved this book. So much good bff banter. This is enemies to best friends but not in a relationship kind of way just in the good old friends kind of way. The story developed so much with so many good stories lines coming together into an epic mic drop cliff hanger. I cursed. I flipped back pages and cursed again when i realized it was really over. I need book four ASAP and I want to be soothed and coddled. I love these characters so so much.
So I just finished Wanted: A Roommate who isn't Evil by Jennifer Kropf . This is the third book in the High Court of the Coffee Bean Series. And I thoroughly enjoyed it!! • This story focuses on Dranian and Luc. Dranian is a fairly assassin and the Luc is the nine tailed fox that injured his arm to the point that's constantly in pain. Well guess who ends up in a contract to be roommates?? • This is an enemies-to-brothers story which I found really refreshing! The plot moved a little slowly at the beginning of the book but then it really picked up. And I loved all the back story so we could see why the characters are the way they are! I found this book was best read after reading the previous two books in the series. • This book will be released on October 16. And if you're looking for a cozy enemies-to-brothers book I'd highly recommend this one! Just make sure you have some ice cream handy. 😉 I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!
I loved this and can't wait to read the next. It wasn't quite as funny as the others, but it had more depth. I enjoyed the frenemies and their apartment war.
Update: I actually can't stop thinking about this one, to the point that it's interfering with my moving on to new books. It's months still until book 4 arrives, which I think is meant to be the final book, and I keep imagining all sorts of scenarios for it. Unfortunately I have way to many questions to possibly be wrapped up in that book--couldn't there be a 5th? Please? I need so much more on Luc, Shayne, Lily, Dranian and Dog-Shayne (most of which I'm almost positive the author will include in book 4), but I also want more of the knitting ladies, more Kate and Cress and Mor, a return of Kates-Brother-Grayson, the backstory of the nutty professor.
I could read a whole novel just focused on those knitting ladies--I love them! I've actually gone back to reread the 1st book and boy do I love Gretchen and Freida! So Ms. Kropf, if you read this, I'd pretty please with sugar on top love a knitting fairy book. Maybe a holiday one!
Perfect fall read. Throw in two enemy fae, one apartment, one lovable slobbery dog, some family drama, emotional and physical scars, a grocery store run, cofee, and you have this great read. I couldn't put this down and am now biting at the bit for the fourth one, yet this one hasn't officially been released yet. Thank you, Jennifer, for the chance to read the ARC. This one doesn't have as much romance as the first two, yet I found Drainian and Luc's story to be my favorite story yet! ❤️❤️
This was a very short read (230ish pages) and felt like a nice filler book before book four. I loved seeing the beginnings of Dranian and Shayne’s future romances and all the things that are happening in their lives. It was great having their POV’s including Luc’s!! I love a villain arc and seeing how a character has a whole different dynamic than you expected.
There’s the same quality that have been in the previous two books that have me utterly charmed. I love the urban fantasy and how quirky all of the fae are about all the earth things. It makes me chuckle every time and the writing is just so fun.
Not upset I took a chance on this series and can’t wait to continue it with the next book.
Overall audience notes: - Urban Fantasy - Language: low - Romance: not really any but hints at future - Violence: low – moderate - Content Warnings: anxiety attacks
Profanity: None. There are in-world curse words like "faeborn fool" and "queensbane".
Violence: Low moderate. While there is a lot of stabbing, fighting, and yes, killing, it's not very graphic. It's factually stated, like "He plunged his sword through his heart" and then they move on. There is a lot of threatened violence between the fae along the lines of stuff like "I'll rip out your tongue" then they'll do something cute like get whipped cream on their nose from their drink. There's a lot of that type of thing in this.
Sexual: Mild. There isn't much at all in this since it's a bromance. There isn't even kissing (unless you count Dranian cringing at reality TV) just sweet moments of Mor adoring Violet's sweaters and the characters being protective of each other.
Trigger: This deals with feeling broken/useless due to severe anxiety attacks and physical injury. It also has evil parental figures portrayed. specifically:
My intentions for the day did not include reading this entire book.
Oops?
It was surprising to see multi-perspectives from so many characters in this installment in the series, but it worked well. It kept my interest piqued and the way it was layered was fantastic.
One of the things about this series that got me from the outset is the weird mesh of low-stakes and high-stakes that fight for dominance in the story. In this, the way Luc and Dranian try to get each other to break the roommate contract is hilarious and relatable on a passive-aggressive petty level. Crumbs all over the place? Putting the sugar on the highest shelf where the other person can't reach? Getting a pet the other person hates? All had me snickering.
But then we get Dranian's back-story and an introduction to a new character that I'm so excited to see in the next book. I'm so hoping for a lovely ending for those two outcasts. Luc finally getting a clue and becoming the type of fae that can mesh with our High Court of the Coffee Bean was very satisfying too.
There isn't a lot more I can say without spoilers, but I will say I was happy that it stayed within my comfort zone with both the way it handled Dranian's anxiety attacks, and the general...stabby-stabby nature of the fairies in this, even though it can be brutal, the way the author writes it makes it doable for me. It's factual and 'normal' for the fae and therefore there isn't an abundance of drama that makes my emotions overload. The tone is still one of wanting a quiet life, but having to deal with pesky pasts cropping up for the brother fae.
This does end in a slight cliffhanger, but nothing that had me raising my fists in despair toward the sky.
I look forward to Shayne's story in a few weeks to get the end of the story!
AUDIOBOOK
Had fun listening to the audio the last couple days. Sarah Kisko still narrates, and her accent for the fae in this still is weird, but it vibes with them being alien weird assassins. Luc and Dranian's enemies to brothers story is still my favorite of the bunch. And the audio is a fun way to re-read the story.
Adorable fluff. Not exactly Romantasy. I'm not exactly sure who Dranian's romantic partner is meant to be. I assumed Luc when I started this, but neither have shown any signs of physical attraction toward each other. Is it the no-name girl from his youth? No clue. This one left off in a weird place, setting up the next book, so I guess we'll see what happens during Operation Rescue Shayne.
I loved this book and read it in a day! It is clean. It sucks you in and is impossible to put down. The characters are enjoyable and funny. It is a beautiful book that begs to be read with a cup of coffee by a warm fire on a rainy day.
Other than the first book, this one is the best book in the series. 😍😍😍 Luc is just chefs kiss! 🤭🤭🤭 And of course, it was all clean. just a bit of fighting.
𝑀𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠💭🧐 Thank you so much to @authorjenniferkropf & @bookofmatchesmedia for my gifted review copy of 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙: 𝘼 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙄𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙀𝙫𝙞𝙡! This review is comprised entirely of my own thoughts & opinions, & is based on the copy I received.
It’s always a joy to be back at the High Court of the Coffee Bean and this book was no exception!
This was such a fun and cozy read and I loved how different it was from the first two books in this series. This book has zero romance in it, but honestly, I loved the different direction that Jennifer took with this one! It was fun and different and I loved getting a different feel!
I loved the enemies to brothers vibes and it was really heartwarming to see Dranian and Luc navigate their way from absolutely despising each other to becoming BFFs! And while there was no explicit romance, there were definitely hints at romance to come and I’m SO excited for the next book in the series!
The concept of this book was very humorous, because you have these two males who despise each other, but they feel contractually obligated to stay in this arrangement. I absolutely adored how their relationship grew as the story progressed and LOVED their friendship! I’d say they’re friends, they might disagree, but they’re definitely begrudging friends! I loved that they knew each other so well and it was just so heartwarming reading about their bromance.
This book wouldn’t have been complete without the rest of the crew! I love getting glimpses from my favorite characters from the other books! The found family in this series is just amazing and it’s so easy to feel like you’re a part of it.
Overall, this was an amazing book with a heartfelt and cozy story, and it’s perfect for a sweet fall read! Especially if you’re looking for a book that explores complexities in friendships and bromances. I love this series and can’t wait for the next book and what’s to come for these amazing characters!