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Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

173 reviews

shottel's review against another edition

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

3.25

So I absolutely adored the characters, especially kind and determined and orcish fish out of water Viv. I also loved 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 low stakes 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 plot. What took me out of the story was how most of the plot beats are just recreating the elements of a Hip Modern Coffee Shop. Which 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

, but when it happens for the nth time with no fantasy veneer it starts to feel a little hard to care. I really think the story could've hinged on one of the mysterious, easily hand-waved B plots and felt much more cohesive.

Honestly, I think the plotting might have fallen victim to the low stakes promise - or at least one interpretation of it. Here, that meant the characters were facing molehill instead of mountain challenges with the same weight and payoff. And I think that can work, if woven into a bigger story. But here it's like the bigger story wasn't allowed any airtime because that would be too many stakes. And yet a mountain of consequences fall on the characters from that bigger story anyway, but now it feels like the characters had no agency to deal with it beforehand.

So I'd argue the story doesn't even stick to its low stakes claim in the first place. It's more like 90% 'low stakes' and 10% 'consequences from the interesting, higher stakes plot happening invisibly in the background that we decided not to use but still have its consequences air-dropped out of nowhere.'

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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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virtuadoll's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

the fucking comfort book ever

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ainadei's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

This book is so loveable and soft. It's my new comfort read.

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archerwithoutabow's review against another edition

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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? No

5.0

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted relaxing

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

Title: Legends & Lattes
Author: Travis Baldree
Series: Legends & Lattes #1
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: February 22, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Comforting • Delightful • Simple

📖 S Y N O P S I S

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

💭 T H O U G H T S

When it came time to choose my 12 recs from 12 friends selection for the month of February, I was looking for something shorter and fluffier given so many other books I planned to read this month were on the longer side and/or tackled heavy topics. Enter Legends & Lattes, which ticked the right boxes.

Legends & Lattes is a high fantasy, low stakes, slice-of-life story. For me, it was really the cast of wholesome characters and their relationships that made this story shine. I came to care about each one of them and really didn't want anything bad to happen to them. In particular, Viv was such a strong and capable lead, with the ability to stand on her own two feet. I admired her bravery in forging her own path. While the dynamic between Viv and Tandri was genuine, I was anticipating a little more romance than what I got.

The concept of opening a coffee shop in a world where no one knows what coffee is was intriguing and comical at the same time. Seeing the struggles and triumphs of opening a new business mirrored reality. I particularly loved seeing how the menu changed from start to finish. And I must say this book definitely left me with so many cravings.

I read a physical copy while listening to the audio, which enhanced my enjoyment. I didn't realize the author, Travis Baldree, is full-time audio narrator and his narration is perfection. His characterization is one of the best I've heard and I'd definitely be interested in checking out more of his narrations. Additionally, the edition I read had a bonus story 'Pages to Fill', a nice little addition.

Legends & Lattes certainly made me step outside of my reading comfort zone, and that is exactly why I love doing the 12 recs challenge each year. Would I have picked this up outside of the challenge? Probably not. Did I enjoy my time with these characters? Absolutely! It is the ideal blend of fantasy and cozy mysteries, with a touch of romance dusted in. When readers talk about hugs in book form, this is what they mean. I am not sure when, but I will be definitely picking up the prequel Bookshops & Bonedust at some point in the future.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• lovers of high fantasy and cozy mysteries
• readers looking for a coffee shop read

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as."

"She thought about what Tandri had said just a day ago about reciprocity. Pain that was ignored, magnified on its return."

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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Well, this exploded onto the literary scene last year and there was no chance I wasn’t going to read it. A cozy fantasy about a coffee shop with a sapphic (ish – I mean they both sue she/her but also aren’t technically human so, idk exactly what that means), and a blurb that talked about how it was the “what happens after the D&D campaign ends” plot. Plus, I don’t think I saw any negatives vibes about this book at all. So. Yes, please.

Viv is an orc who’s decided to hang up her sword and, essentially, retire. And what will she do with her retirement? Open a coffee shop, of course. In a city that has never heard of coffee before. It’s the kind of journey that takes a community and support. And even though Viv starts off solo, she stumbles into a heartwarming AF found family situation, gathering a builder/carpenter (Cal), an artist and server (Tandri), a baker (Thimble), a musician/mason (Pendry), and a few others. Drawn together by Viv’s dream, and buying into the concept completely, this group builds and rebuilds the coffee shop, while facing down some specters from Viv’s past, and some threats from other sources as well, to create a space that is safe and homey for them all.

I mean, my goodness. The people were right. This is hella cozy. All the aspects of fantasy that I love – magic, multi-species, legends/folklore – with just enough antagonism to create interest and plot (never so much that I felt tense or overly concerned about the final outcome). Mostly just, comfort. All the highlights of building a business from the ground up, of working towards a dream, to make friends and a home in a new place, and just a dash of the stress and sleepless nights that come with that type of undertaking IRL. And as a person who drinks way more coffee than is likely healthy, or even useful, the fact that this entire novel (novella?) is essentially an ode to coffee, “like drinking the feeling of being peaceful,” spoke to my damn soul.

This review is basically a list of things that made me cheese, and feel cheesy, while reading. The awkward and sweet discomfort Tandri and Viv have as they push and pull from friends to more(?) is so endearing. A solid found family situation is one of my favorite tropes of all time. The baking piece was mmmmmmmm. Introducing the most common coffee house treats to people with no frame of reference for them allowed me to rediscover the magic of the bitter coffee and sweet pastry combo and I’m grateful for that. The cover art gives top notch fanfic/fan-art (I cannot get over the detail of Tandri’s tail – it gives me feels). And the little chapter icons are a cute touch too. I love a good comeuppance epilogue! The bonus story, that was like an origin story to this “remaking” story, was enjoyable; I liked the little extra look into who Viv is as a “person.”

Look, the message of “it’s the community/people around you who make home/belonging” is not new. But there’s a reason for that: it’s such a comforting and beautiful message. And Baldree gives it a creative face here that I simply loved. There is a wholesomeness in the promise that you can be worthy of kindness/support/love regardless of previous lifestyle/choices if your heart is right and that’s a lovely message, full of promise and hope. *deep sigh of contentment*

“Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as.”

“I’ve heard a lot of stories and a lot of legends in my time, and they’re always worse than the real thing.”

“The darkness bristled with dangers, some perhaps even worth risking.”

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