The Pumpkin Spiced Café meets Good Omens in the YA cosy romance/supernatural mash-up you didn’t know you needed.
Two worlds collide when the daughter of Death is forced to choose between embracing her heritage or fulfilling her lifelong dream: to run the cosiest café in town.
Lydie loves her cosy life in the picturesque town of Pont-on-Wye, helping her mum run the family café, The Snug, and bringing lattes, croissants and joy to the locals. Never mind that her father is a retired Horse Rider of the Apocalypse (Death, to be precise) and they have a door to the afterlife next to the milk fridge in the basement. That side of her heritage is firmly walled off, and her only ambition is to finish school and take over the family business.
All that changes when a handsome stranger shows up at the Snug, asking about the enormous, telepathic horse wandering the streets (Dad’s former apocalyptic steed, Pal - oops.) Lydie is determined to get rid of Kai and any supernatural trouble he may be bringing with him – despite how nice his arms are, and her best friend Jane’s (rich kid, daughter of Pestilence) curiosity about his designs in Pont-on-Wye.
But many things in life have expiration dates: milk, pastries, lives – and now, ignorant bliss. With quite possibly the world at stake, soon Lydie is going to have to make a choice: protect her peace as Lydie ‘The Snug’ Mortimer, or find a way to embrace Lydie ‘Daughter of Death’ and all the power and danger that comes with it. Can she find a way to have her caramel toffee cake – and eat it too?
☀️ Grumpy/sunshine ☀️ Forced Proximity ☀️ Brooding ML who just needs a hug ☀️ ‘I totally have to kiss you right now or else we’ll blow our cover’ ☀️ Sweeping kisses while surrounded by autumn leaves (not a trope but should be)
Helen Comerford is a Black mixed-race British author and is passionate about Black British and mixed heritage representation. She centres her diverse cast of characters in narratives they have historically been excluded from and celebrates their joys, strengths and everyday teenage experiences. She is fuelled by a love of all things super-powered, feminism, and chocolate raisins. When she’s not writing, you can find Helen hiking around the Welsh countryside with her dog, Cocoa. Her debut novel The Love Interest was longlisted for the Branford Boase and nominated for the Carnegie.
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UK Publisher: Bloomsbury, July 2026
UK Editor: Katie Ager
Primary Agent: Christabel McKinley
Film/ TV agent: DHA (Georgie Smith)
Extent: 80,000 words
Co-agents: Chinese Andrew Nurnberg Associates; Japanese Japan Uni
Rights Sold: German (under offer), Russian (Eksmo**)**
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“The Café at the End of the World is a rare jewel of a book. Never have I been pulled into a book with such effortless warmth and humour!
The family-run cafe at the heart of Helen’s tale provides the snug backdrop for an adventure woven with fantastical threads; and the characters themselves are such fun, and every bit as wonderful as the world Helen has created. There’s something to be said about a main character whose star power is her gentle earnestness!
The Café at the End of the World is swift, funny, and wholesome—a blend of all the right ingredients that make it as moreish a story as they come!” – Tomi Oyemakinde, author of We Are Hunted
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“Like a warm cup of tea on a cold and stormy night, The Café at the End of the World is a comforting, cozy hug set against world-ending stakes and heart-pounding adventure. After reading, you'll never want to leave the Snug.” – Ann Sei Lin, author of Rebel Skies
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“This was the perfect cosy teen romance…one with an impending apocalypse in the background.” – Claire Linney, author of Time Tub Travellers
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“Original and fresh, The Café at the End of the World takes your favourite romcom and end-of-the-world tropes to the next level. With timeless yearning, apocalyptic stakes and a cosy setting, this is a delicious treat of a book! I loved every second of it.” - Niyla Farook, award-winning author of Murder for Two
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“Unputdownable YA fantasy. Who knew that a story about the four horsemen of the apocalypse and their offspring could be so cosy and warm? Masterfully plotted, swooningly romantic and wonderfully imaginative. I read it in a single sitting and I can’t wait for the next book!” – Josie Jaffrey, author of The Gilded King
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Back Cover Artwork (non Final)
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