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itsheyfay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I think I enjoyed this one more than the first 🤭, but it helped to have some recognition of the world were in and who Viv starts out as before opening up her coffee shop. This was adorable and action-packed, and I hope we get to see more of Viv and company in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Medical content
Moderate: Blood, Murder, Abandonment, Cursing, and Death
letopotato's review against another edition
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
"Bookshops & Bonedust", like its predecessor, is like a warm hug from a good friend, and just what I needed right now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Gore
sonatica's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Legends & Lattes has been my favorite audiobook since I've listened to it, and I anxiously awaited the prequel when it was announced. And while it took me a while to read, it was certainly not because I didn't enjoy it!
I love Viv as a protagonist! And I dare say I might even love her more in Bookshops & Bonedust! Seeing the character development in this book was a fun and emotional ride and I thoroughly enjoyed the relationships she formed within the story and quickly grew attached to all main and side characters.
The story was more 'intense' than that of L&L, so if the pacing in that book was a bit too slow for your tastes, then I'd still recommend Bookshops & Bonedust for a cozy read with lovable characters and slightly higher stakes!
The ending felt very emotional and I might have shed a tear or too, in the best way possible! And the Epilogue gave my heart the rest. I 100% would recommend this book :)
(There might be Spoilers from here on, so read with caution)
I gotta admit, I was thrown off by the promise of a 'summer romance' in this book, because I love the relationship of Tandri and Viv in the first one and generally don't like to read about one of the characters having a romantic relationship with other people, even if it was in the past. But I was pleasantly surprised by how well this was handled and I ended up really loving the romantic interest of Viv. If this was something that you might have been discouraged about, I suggest to still give it a try.
Gallina's appearance and role in the story made me giggle on multiple occasions and seeing her and Viv's friendship blossom made me appreciate her character in the first book even more!
But my highlight were absolutely Fern and Satchel (and Potroast!) and the deep platonic relationship between them and Viv. I found myself rooting for their own respective storylines and the epilogue made me tear up even more after the ending and feel all warm and fuzzy at the same time.
I loved this book and I'm sure this was not the last time I've read it!
I love Viv as a protagonist! And I dare say I might even love her more in Bookshops & Bonedust! Seeing the character development in this book was a fun and emotional ride and I thoroughly enjoyed the relationships she formed within the story and quickly grew attached to all main and side characters.
The story was more 'intense' than that of L&L, so if the pacing in that book was a bit too slow for your tastes, then I'd still recommend Bookshops & Bonedust for a cozy read with lovable characters and slightly higher stakes!
The ending felt very emotional and I might have shed a tear or too, in the best way possible! And the Epilogue gave my heart the rest. I 100% would recommend this book :)
(There might be Spoilers from here on, so read with caution)
I gotta admit, I was thrown off by the promise of a 'summer romance' in this book, because I love the relationship of Tandri and Viv in the first one and generally don't like to read about one of the characters having a romantic relationship with other people, even if it was in the past. But I was pleasantly surprised by how well this was handled and I ended up really loving the romantic interest of Viv. If this was something that you might have been discouraged about, I suggest to still give it a try.
Gallina's appearance and role in the story made me giggle on multiple occasions and seeing her and Viv's friendship blossom made me appreciate her character in the first book even more!
But my highlight were absolutely Fern and Satchel (and Potroast!) and the deep platonic relationship between them and Viv. I found myself rooting for their own respective storylines and the epilogue made me tear up even more after the ending and feel all warm and fuzzy at the same time.
I loved this book and I'm sure this was not the last time I've read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Death, and Murder
Minor: Body horror, Abandonment, and Animal cruelty
thebooksanctum's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.0
Absolutely loved this, I loved seeing Viv again and why she decided to open her coffee shop and the adventure that eventually led her there, and the epilogue made me so happy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
queerreaderchaos's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Blood
Moderate: Death and Cursing
Minor: Murder
leweylibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I hope Baldree writes more books, especially about Viv, because I just adore them so much. I somehow loved this book even more than I did Legends & Lattes which is saying a lot because I loved L&L 🥰 They're both just so dang wholesome and lovely. The humor is perfect, there's just enough intrigue to keep you invested, and the characters are just lovely. I think what put this one over the edge for me was the overall theme of timing especially in relationships, the bookshop/books focus, and the tie-in to L&L. That epilogue was so fucking adorable I can't even stand it. What a perfect book to end my 2023 with! 🥰
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Murder and Medical content
karcitis's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, Murder, and Death
Minor: Abandonment and Animal cruelty
beepbeep101's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
3.75
.25 is just for Satchel! Love him so much <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
belleanndthebook's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Personally, I don’t drink coffee, so I resonated a lot more with this book with its celebration of bookshops and reading when compared to Legends and Lattes. The plot and characters were very compelling and, since Viv is still a mercenary in this one, we get more action than Legends and Lattes, which I found quite enjoyable, although the vibes are still very much warm and cozy.
I definitely think you could pick up this book having never read Legends and Lattes. I listened to and enjoyed the audiobook, which was read by the author, Travis Baldree. I think that when the authors narrate their own stories, they tend to enhance the experience and this was no exception. Additionally, Travis Baldree has prior experience working as an audiobook narrator so the quality of his narration is incredible! (And yes, I actually looked that up after finishing this because his voice sounded so phenomenal.)
Personally, I also really loved the themes (mild spoilers on the themes discussed in the remainder of this paragraph.) The book really centered on the value and importance of transient experiences and relationships within shaping our lives, which I found to be incredibly unique and refreshing. Additionally, these themes add a lot of value to this story considering that it is a prequel and we already know where Viv will end up long-term.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the arc!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder and Death
fanboyriot's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
Read For:
Sapphic
Cozy Vibes
Slice of Life
Wholesome
High Fantasy
This has such a lovely vibe to it, the atmosphere of this book was much cozier than I was expecting it to be. I loved the story and the narrator did a wonderful job with bringing each character to life.
I actually haven't read Legends & Lattes yet but after this am definitely going to have to pick it up. I loved the worldbuilding and the character development, the writing style was so pleasant. This is the type of fantasy for me, there wasn’t a bunch of character names I needed to learn on the first page, and the plot was slow-paced in such a good way. I was able to fully follow along and everything unraveled really well, the ending really brought in all the feels and I couldn’t be happier with it. This book was amazing.
Thank you so much to the author, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (5/5)
Release Date: 07, November 2023
POV: Third Person
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rep: Queer (MC)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Cursing
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Violence, Death, and Confinement
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual content, Torture, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Murder