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hayzilia's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism
lovosii's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
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
4.5
A very enjoyable light read, especially in the fantasy genre! Smooth writing and a wonderful cast of characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Racism, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Alcohol
eyreickson's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
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
A sweet and fast read. Does a great job or cultivating a cozy mood, just as it was marketed. I did mostly through the last 40% and can't help but think it could have been a short story. But I understand why people love it as it is, too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Racism
beau_b_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.0
I picked this up as a cozy read, and it was! As a D&D nerd I can appreciated the setting a lot, and it wasn't too distracting either (as often the case in high fantasy). There were a couple language/spelling mistakes but I could quickly brush them off thanks to the engaging story and lovable characters. Very cute, very wholesome and a pleasure to read :)
Side note: I would probably like this book more of I drank coffee lol
Side note: I would probably like this book more of I drank coffee lol
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Minor: Death, Racism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
kayabaj's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
beckyraines's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A lovely cozy fantasy! The characters were sweet. I loved reading the descriptions of the coffee and sweets. Found family. Note: the lesbian romance is very incidental and really only pops up in the end, so don’t read it for the romance. Read it for the friendship :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Racism
rurouni's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism and Fire/Fire injury
chronic_listener's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
This was such a comfy, cozy read with lots of wholesome moments that had me go "🥹". I really liked the details of Viv and Cal building the shop, that combined with all the baked goods slowly added to the shop felt like unlocking new levels in a cozy video game.
I totally see how this is beloved by so many but for me personally a 5 star read needs to really move me and leave a lasting impression, which as sweet and fun as this book was, in just not the case here for me.
Would totally recommend if you are looking for a short, quick and enjoyable book with a coffee shop DIY project and found family vibes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, Racism, Xenophobia, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
booksoversecondbreakfast's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
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? No
5.0
I just loved this book so much!! It's definitely a cozy fantasy, so don't expect something fast-paced and thrilling, but it's just so sweet and full of so much well thought out lore and intrigue.
It's a story of a retired mercenary & adventure orc, Viv, and her journey building a business and a community. There's a secondary plot that features a romance between Viv and one of the other characters, but it's not as central as the community-building plot of the book. I had hoped that there would be more romance to this book, because I really enjoyed it, but I can't penalize the book for not having as much of as I'd have preferred, especially because it was so tastefully written and the rest of the plot was so interesting otherwise.
All in all, this was totally a 5-star book! Especially for fantasy! The characters were all so interesting and loveable, the setting left me wanting to explore the world and visit Viv's coffee shop, and the magic system seemed well thought out and interesting. It was such a wonderful found-family story, which I'm a total sucker for, and I loved how this author made that work in such an interesting and well-written fantasy world. We totally need more books like these! I borrowed this book via ebook from the library, but I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy of this book for my library, because I expect to comfort-reread this several times throughout my lifetime.
It's a story of a retired mercenary & adventure orc, Viv, and her journey building a business and a community. There's a secondary plot that features a romance between Viv and one of the other characters, but it's not as central as the community-building plot of the book. I had hoped that there would be more romance to this book, because I really enjoyed it, but I can't penalize the book for not having as much of as I'd have preferred, especially because it was so tastefully written and the rest of the plot was so interesting otherwise.
All in all, this was totally a 5-star book! Especially for fantasy! The characters were all so interesting and loveable, the setting left me wanting to explore the world and visit Viv's coffee shop, and the magic system seemed well thought out and interesting. It was such a wonderful found-family story, which I'm a total sucker for, and I loved how this author made that work in such an interesting and well-written fantasy world. We totally need more books like these! I borrowed this book via ebook from the library, but I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy of this book for my library, because I expect to comfort-reread this several times throughout my lifetime.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death, Genocide, Gore, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Gaslighting
lightningmc_logyn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
5.0
This is everything I want in a book. I’ve been curious of Baldree’s work for a while and am glad I finally borrowed this from the library.
Viv’s journey satisfies the promise of a slow, cozy development-and it delivers extra, with compelling mysteries woven throughout and pulled together into a beautiful climax of plot.
The culmination of this story is the characters, and they are easy to adore. Each character is rich with history and dreams that are revealed sometimes subtly and other times clearly as you get to know them. I have come to love each of them, they feel like people I know. Baldree has a talent for sharp yet tender renderings of his characters. Thimble was my favorite, as I found his passion and countenance charming. Viv has great complexity, and goes about life with a fumbling earnestness that makes her a wonderful main character.
Baldree’s prose is impeccable. His vocabulary is vast, and the way he describes even the simplest things often took my breath away. His writing style is something I can’t say I’ve ever seen before, it is fascinating. The way Legends & Lattes is written combined with the plot encourages a reader to sink into the story. I don’t drink coffee, but the love and tenderness for a cozy cafe seeps through the pages into one’s soul; this has me yearning to be in a lively cafe in winter.
I can’t sing my praises high enough for this. It was a delightful, enlivening, and thoroughly refreshing read that I know I will return to again. (I knew this would become a favorite only a couple chapters in.) In the mean time, I look forward to reading the next book and seeing more of the lovely main character, Viv.
A few spoiler-filled thoughts:
I loved that the romance between Tandri and Viv was subtle and slow. I often find secondary romance plots take center stage and the main character abandons their original direction. In this book Viv instead learns to hold her love alongside her dreams, settling them beside each other, complementary.
One of the main themes is about believing in yourself and those around you, widening your grasp to take care of eachother. It’s a testament to found family and leaning on others, a very heartwarming and fulfilling story.
I adore amity. I love cats and I wish she was real. I love the soft ending of the story, and how in the epilogue Amity gets revenge on Fennus.
The short story at the end, Pages To Fill, was satisfying and it was endearing to experinve the journey Viv often references in the book.
Viv’s journey satisfies the promise of a slow, cozy development-and it delivers extra, with compelling mysteries woven throughout and pulled together into a beautiful climax of plot.
The culmination of this story is the characters, and they are easy to adore. Each character is rich with history and dreams that are revealed sometimes subtly and other times clearly as you get to know them. I have come to love each of them, they feel like people I know. Baldree has a talent for sharp yet tender renderings of his characters. Thimble was my favorite, as I found his passion and countenance charming. Viv has great complexity, and goes about life with a fumbling earnestness that makes her a wonderful main character.
Baldree’s prose is impeccable. His vocabulary is vast, and the way he describes even the simplest things often took my breath away. His writing style is something I can’t say I’ve ever seen before, it is fascinating. The way Legends & Lattes is written combined with the plot encourages a reader to sink into the story. I don’t drink coffee, but the love and tenderness for a cozy cafe seeps through the pages into one’s soul; this has me yearning to be in a lively cafe in winter.
I can’t sing my praises high enough for this. It was a delightful, enlivening, and thoroughly refreshing read that I know I will return to again. (I knew this would become a favorite only a couple chapters in.) In the mean time, I look forward to reading the next book and seeing more of the lovely main character, Viv.
A few spoiler-filled thoughts:
One of the main themes is about believing in yourself and those around you, widening your grasp to take care of eachother. It’s a testament to found family and leaning on others, a very heartwarming and fulfilling story.
I adore amity. I love cats and I wish she was real. I love the soft ending of the story, and how in the epilogue Amity gets revenge on Fennus.
The short story at the end, Pages To Fill, was satisfying and it was endearing to experinve the journey Viv often references in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Violence, and Alcohol
The book starts with Viv leaving hee old life. The remainder of book is quite mild and calm overall. The racism is in the context of fictional D&D inspired races facing prejudice. It is mild, yet present throughout. Viv often modifies her behavior to be “less threatening.” Context on Fire/injury (big spoiler!):