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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
Loveable characters:
Yes
I found the original cover of this book very off putting. Just gave the vibe of something I would not want to read. However my most trusted book recommender gave it a 4.75, and that changed my mind. This was exactly the book I needed to read during a very stressful set of weeks. Low stakes, cozy and warm.
adventurous
emotional
funny
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:
No
I grabbed Legends & Lattes from my local bookstore for a book club pick and ended up finishing it in just two days. The cover promises “a novel of high fantasy and low stakes,” and that’s exactly what you get. It’s cozy, light, and easy to slip into.
What stood out to me most was how kind this book felt. Seeing Viv hang up her sword to open a coffee shop was such a refreshing twist on fantasy, and I loved watching her pour her energy into building community instead of battling monsters. She’s supportive, generous, and genuinely cares about the people around her. And when her shop burns down? The way everyone comes together to rebuild it was downright heartwarming. That’s what true friendship and neighborhood should look like. Honestly, it made me want to open a little coffee shop right in my own community.
The only thing that threw me was the kiss between Viv and Tandri at the end. I didn’t really catch much romantic tension between them, so it felt a little sudden. For me, their friendship and teamwork were the real highlight anyway, so I was glad that stayed front and center.
The side characters completely made this story shine. Thimble the baker (I swear I could smell those pastries through the page), Amity the dire-cat, Pendry the musician, Durias the chess player, all made the world feel so alive and welcoming.
Was this my favorite type of story? Not really. I don’t think I’ll keep going with the series since cozy, low-stakes fantasy isn’t what I usually reach for. But I can absolutely see why so many people adore this book. It’s gentle, comforting, and filled with the warmth of found family. Sometimes you just need a story that feels like a blanket and a cup of coffee, and that’s exactly what Legends & Lattes delivers.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
inspiring
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:
No
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
This book was absolutely adorable and wholesome. Anyone who enjoys a really cozy read about making little wishes come true, this makes this the book for you. Vic is absolutely charming and with Tandri to play off her sweetness, it makes it a book full of delight and sweetness ♥️
ok so the book really has that coffee shop au feel and honestly? i'm here for it. i really enjoyed it, especially the first half when they're setting things up and preparing for the customers and overall the coffee part of it (i found it very unrealistic that they drank plain unsweetened coffee and everyone found it delicious and no one complained it was bitter but i could suspend my disbelief).
things for me started to fall apart in the second half. the story suddenly wasn't about coffee anymore and it was instead about protecting the stone and the shop and the whole plot with the madrigal could have been edited out in my opinion since it gets resolved so quickly and had no impact on the rest of the plot. i think it should have either have only the vengeful elf or only the madrigal and went fully family hallmark about it. i mean. we already know the conflict is going to get resolved easily and quickly and everything is going to turn ok because of this fanfiction-y feel so i don't really get the point of it.
the romance between the two was... i don't wanna say out of nowhere because it was expected but no yearning that made me kick my feet about it.
again that's not the point but what is then the point of this book? the found family? maybe, sure that seemed like a great aspect of it but again it gave us nothing aside from "you were nice to them and they were nice to you" we don't really get to know the characters so well so i guess the poit are the vibes.
it sound like i hated this book but i really didn't. the vibes are top notch and it's written really well it was a breeze and a delight to get through.
that said my favorite part was the focusing on the shop that was quickly diamissed once the stone plot was the main focus. i would have liked to see them explore more drinks and combos and marketing strategies as they grew.
CONCLUSIONS: i think you're going to like this book because it's well written and the vibes are amazing. but i don't think you're going to love it because it just has so much in it, a little bit of everything that makes you love a part of it but not the whole book.
things for me started to fall apart in the second half. the story suddenly wasn't about coffee anymore and it was instead about protecting the stone and the shop and the whole plot with the madrigal could have been edited out in my opinion since it gets resolved so quickly and had no impact on the rest of the plot. i think it should have either have only the vengeful elf or only the madrigal and went fully family hallmark about it. i mean. we already know the conflict is going to get resolved easily and quickly and everything is going to turn ok because of this fanfiction-y feel so i don't really get the point of it.
the romance between the two was... i don't wanna say out of nowhere because it was expected but no yearning that made me kick my feet about it.
again that's not the point but what is then the point of this book? the found family? maybe, sure that seemed like a great aspect of it but again it gave us nothing aside from "you were nice to them and they were nice to you" we don't really get to know the characters so well so i guess the poit are the vibes.
it sound like i hated this book but i really didn't. the vibes are top notch and it's written really well it was a breeze and a delight to get through.
that said my favorite part was the focusing on the shop that was quickly diamissed once the stone plot was the main focus. i would have liked to see them explore more drinks and combos and marketing strategies as they grew.
CONCLUSIONS: i think you're going to like this book because it's well written and the vibes are amazing. but i don't think you're going to love it because it just has so much in it, a little bit of everything that makes you love a part of it but not the whole book.
What I will say is that this book kept me interested enough to keep reading, and I liked the personalities of the characters. Everything just happens to these characters, with the exception of the main plot, which I thought was mostly interesting if not a little over emphasized. The first half of the book feels like a long-winded introductory paragraph with no tension, just a series of plot contrivances to keep it barely moving. I don’t regret reading it, but it left something to be desired.