4.18 AVERAGE

adventurous 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
funny lighthearted reflective 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: Yes
adventurous funny lighthearted 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: Complicated
adventurous funny lighthearted 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
adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
adventurous lighthearted 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

What a wonderful prequel to Legends and Lattes. A standalone book - you don't have to have read the first one. A clean cosy fantasy with a sprinkle of romance. 

A bit more swashbuckling fantasty/fighting/action would have made it a five start book for me, but there is more action than the first book. 

I've already ordered book number 3 
adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

If you’ve read Legends and Lattes then one thing to know is that this book is set 20 years prior. 

We meet Viv again as she is forced to recoup in a quiet costal town after becoming injured on a job. She becomes friends with a bookshop owner and our story starts from there. It is really lovely to be back with Viv and learn more of her backstory and the friends she meets along the way. 

This book is a cozy fantasy, it is not fast paced or action packed; it is gentle and sweet. However there is an undercurrent of mystery as our characters are introduced to an evil presence with in their sleepy town and this is a nice balance against the coziness of the book. 

This book is a ridiculous easy read and for me it was like meeting an old friend after some time apart. The writing is magically descriptive and I truly felt as if I was in the world. What I love most about both this book and Legends and Lattes is the personal growth of all the characters and how they find community and a place to call home. 

At times I struggled to move through the book but I think this is because I had come from reading fast paced, intense books. Once I had shifted past this I fell into the book head first.

If you love dungeons and dragons, fantasy, found family and easy reading then this is the book for you. 
adventurous 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: No
funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated