Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Legends & Lattes

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Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

12 reviews

shottel's review

funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A delightfully down-to-earth story set in a world most of us recognize as the backdrop for epic adventures of high magic and dangerous beasts, Legends & Lattes has us follow the main character as she opens a coffee shop in an unfamiliar city which has no knowledge of what coffee even is. She deals with some very mundane issues of corruption, business, and old friends, while a romance blooms in the background. My sole problem with this book is that it seems that romance stays a bit in the background; maybe the author is trying to riff on the whole "oblivious lesbians" stereotype, but I don't feel like there was a satisfying conclusion to that line, even as every other thread gets tied up in a neat knot by the end. Nevertheless, the book is generally quite lighthearted, very well-written, and a wonderful break from the "big" stories most fantasy novels trade in. I strongly recommend it, with the sole caveat to not expect much from the romance part of the story.

Content Warnings

kelly_e's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted relaxing

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Title: Legends & Lattes
Author: Travis Baldree
Series: Legends & Lattes #1
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: February 22, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Comforting • Delightful • Simple

📖 S Y N O P S I S

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

💭 T H O U G H T S

When it came time to choose my 12 recs from 12 friends selection for the month of February, I was looking for something shorter and fluffier given so many other books I planned to read this month were on the longer side and/or tackled heavy topics. Enter Legends & Lattes, which ticked the right boxes.

Legends & Lattes is a high fantasy, low stakes, slice-of-life story. For me, it was really the cast of wholesome characters and their relationships that made this story shine. I came to care about each one of them and really didn't want anything bad to happen to them. In particular, Viv was such a strong and capable lead, with the ability to stand on her own two feet. I admired her bravery in forging her own path. While the dynamic between Viv and Tandri was genuine, I was anticipating a little more romance than what I got.

The concept of opening a coffee shop in a world where no one knows what coffee is was intriguing and comical at the same time. Seeing the struggles and triumphs of opening a new business mirrored reality. I particularly loved seeing how the menu changed from start to finish. And I must say this book definitely left me with so many cravings.

I read a physical copy while listening to the audio, which enhanced my enjoyment. I didn't realize the author, Travis Baldree, is full-time audio narrator and his narration is perfection. His characterization is one of the best I've heard and I'd definitely be interested in checking out more of his narrations. Additionally, the edition I read had a bonus story 'Pages to Fill', a nice little addition.

Legends & Lattes certainly made me step outside of my reading comfort zone, and that is exactly why I love doing the 12 recs challenge each year. Would I have picked this up outside of the challenge? Probably not. Did I enjoy my time with these characters? Absolutely! It is the ideal blend of fantasy and cozy mysteries, with a touch of romance dusted in. When readers talk about hugs in book form, this is what they mean. I am not sure when, but I will be definitely picking up the prequel Bookshops & Bonedust at some point in the future.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• lovers of high fantasy and cozy mysteries
• readers looking for a coffee shop read

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as."

"She thought about what Tandri had said just a day ago about reciprocity. Pain that was ignored, magnified on its return."

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laurathebookseller's review

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

riverofhorton's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This book was far more enjoyable than I was expecting it to be, and is one that I can see myself revisiting in the future.

It's a slow burn queer romance between a demon and a book-lover, with coffee playing an important role in the story. There are other things I could add that made me think of Good Omens, but I think they would spoil it.

All the main characters are loveable, which is something I don't normally experience. I especially enjoyed reading about the anthropomorphic rat, and the cat, and can see myself naming future pets after after them.

This would be a 5 star read, if not for the repetitiveness of the way some of the chapters end.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book, and works well for a brief break from other books that tackle more challenging subjects.

Content Warnings

keegan_leech's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

To use a coffee metaphor, Legends & Lattes is like a cortado. It's light, simple, warm, goes down quickly, and doesn't have the bite or bitterness that you might find in another drink. I really blazed through it, and enjoyed myself the whole time. My edition even had a delightful short story in the back which, in this analogy, could be thought of as the complimentary biscuit that came with the drink (and that's as far as I'll be stretching that metaphor).

The book really delivers on the cosy coffee shop fantasy that it advertises. The stakes are low, the characters are charming, and everything works out just as you'd hope by the end. It has the feel of a fluffy, lighthearted one-shot your dungeon master threw together to give the party a break between more weighty, involved campaign arcs.

Which is all fantastic. But there's not much more to the book than it appears at first glance. The plot beats are all very conventional and while it's very thematically cohesive, there isn't much depth to that thematic content. From very early in the novel, its clear that this is a book about being able to change, or be something other than what is expected of you. Some very light (and very early) spoilers to give some examples:

The main character is a muscular orc brawler, but she's intelligent and caring and dreams of settling down to open a coffee shop. When she does, she builds the cosy, picturesque café in a building converted from a filthy, run down livery. The first employee is an academic, driven succubus who actively fights against an in-universe perception that all succubi are deceitful nymphomaniacs.

This pattern crops up so often that the book begins to feel a little one-note, but at least it's a pleasant note to listen to.

In fact, I rather appreciated the winking in-fiction explanation for why this was the case (this one's a real big spoiler for the end of the book):

They were magically drawn together because of a kind of empathetic connection with the feeling of being more than what's expected of them. I thought this was cute, especially the way that it frames empathy and community as a kind of magic or good-fortune. Although it's only one step removed from "The real treasure was the friends we made along the way."

All-in-all, this is a good book, and I'm looking forward to the sequel, but don't go in expecting it to surprise you. Ironically, considering its themes, this book is pretty much exactly what it seems to be.

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sonatica's review

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

This is my favorite book, and I'd recommend it to basically anyone!

Content Warnings

khargaotte's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was as good a read as everyone had promised! The feelings of cozyness are definitely there, though, to play on the catchphrase on the cover, it did make me realize that I like my stories with a little bit more stakes. This didn't prevent me from loving every moment spent with this story and characters, with a special mention to the description of Thimble's pastries, which really made me crave some baked goods!

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stargazer_ley's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

One of my qpps recommended this book to me and it hit the mark for me. It's not a high fantasy world saving book but it's fun and cozy like the coffee shop it centers around. The characters are loveable save maybe like 2

they are meant to be. Seriously screw Fennus

. And yes, there is a romance but it's not the main focus and I feel like it is sweet. One of them isn't stated to be ace but honestly I headcanon them (I don't want to spoil who) as ace. Ok I will

Tandri reads as ace. The way she reacts to Thimble's food just reads ace to me.

. Also spoiler for the end

who the hells is Darius really? Like it's hinted that he's a time traveler or a god or who is this mystery gnome!?

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augustar14's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Come right in to Legends and Lattes! Learn what coffee is, have a tasty treat baked by the best baker in town, and settle in for a while. Who knows what friends you might make or interesting things you might see?

Delightfully peaceful without ever being boring. Wonderfully full characters that will have you wishing for more time with them by the time the book is through.

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saintyeehaw's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this adventure. I really needed a message of perseverance in the face of life changes like this right now. I didn't feel much chemistry in the romance but that might be because of current personal issues in my life right now so I won't pass a judgement on it.

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