Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - Legends & Lattes

It's nor nescessarily my usual kind of book (I tend to prefer the more emotional kind) but it is a impecable execution of the kind of book it is. What I loved the most was the cozy vibes, like the pages were made of cinnamon rolls. What I thought could have been better:

This book is not a romance, I know, and I absolutely agree it shouldn't be one. Even then, I think the romantic side o Viv and Tandri's relationship was given too little attention. In my opinion, they either should have stayed ambiguos friends or their romance should have occupied a little more of the story's time.
I didn't like that Tandri became useless during the fire scene while Viv apparently became Superman

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boba_nbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

Spice Rating: 🫑 / 5 🌶️

Legends & Lattes was such a cute and fluffy cozy fantasy novel that helped me escape the world for a little bit.

Viv is a retired warrior looking to settle down and start a coffee shop. The only problem is that no one knows what coffee is and she's relying on a potentially fortuitous stone to help her through. Things seem to fall into place as Viv meets Cal, who helps her build up the shop; Tandri, who helps her advertise and serve the customers; and Thimble, who is constantly creating delicious new baked goods. Together, this band of four just might be able to create something so special it can succeed.

Going into this novel, I expected no plot and just vibes. There were definitely a lot of good vibes, found family, and friendship; but there was a bit of a plot with getting the coffee shop up and running as well as Viv's old gang coming back to town. The sapphic romance was a huge slow burn, but it was so sweet and worth the wait. I loved the vibes and the way the story showed how you can start over without forgetting your past.

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ashylibrarian's review against another edition

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lighthearted 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? No

5.0

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shottel's review against another edition

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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.

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iridiscent's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

4.5

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infjkiki's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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tinkeringcheck's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

So I really liked the characters, especially Viv - our kind and determined fish-out-of-water protag. I also liked the community of odd ducks that gather around her, the little corner of the city we see, the retired DND character settling down and starting over vibes, and the chill fantasy atmosphere where pressing issues include generating word-of-mouth-advertising. I read it all in one sitting and can't remember the last time I had such a relaxed and easy time with a book.

... But (and I hate that there's a but) the flip side of that was... the plot. Or lack thereof. For a story set in a fantasy captial-A adventure world, the plot is pretty non-existent. Literally the only plot beats are inventing the elements of a Hip Modern Coffee Shop. It was cute at first in a wink-wink nudge-nudge way, but when it became the entire plot it just felt... boring. These characters are deeply amazed by modern things like *checks notes*

a range hood

, and when it happens for the nth time with very little fantasy veneer it becomes hard to care all that much. I really think the story could've hinged on one of the mysterious and too easily hand-waved B plots and felt much more cohesive.

Honestly, I think the plotting might have fallen victim to the low stakes promise, which I think that can work if woven into a bigger story. But here it's like the bigger story was relegated to the background to keep the stakes low, but the mountain of consequences from it suddenly fall on the characters anyway. Agency? No ser. Only chalk boards and long discussions about menu options over here.

So I'd argue the story doesn't even stick to its low stakes claim in the first place. It's more like 90% 'boring shopping trip' and 10% 'air-dropped consequences from the more interesting, higher stakes plot happening in the wings.'

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abby_can_read's review against another edition

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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? No

4.0

This was an adorable read. I can understand why it's popular and I can see the appeal of the cozy fantasy genre. I liked how simple the plot was -- there weren't any big plot twists like I'm used to. The characters were fun and I loved reading about their relationship develop. The pacing was good. While I liked the ending, I would love to read more about these characters and their futures together.

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