Legends & Lattes
- Downloads：5735
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-02-24 04:19:41
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Travis Baldree
- ISBN：B09R9FSZB5
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Nancy
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Worth readingEnjoyed story， theme of growth and change。Would say good story for reading and discussing as are themes but not forced or held up as examples but percolate in background。Coffee house /cafe and a cat added to my enjoyment。Has lots of hints and mystery for backgrounds of the many characters and am hoping it is start of series 。
Drea
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This was very cute！I just didn't love it as much， but truly just adorably fun。 This was very cute！I just didn't love it as much， but truly just adorably fun。 。。。more
Sara
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Legends & Lattes By Travis Baldree。Before I really begin， here is my PSA - Sapphic readers， please line up to grab this one！ Well and others too！ This was never touted as an epic high fantasy。 High fantasy， yes。 Epic as many are， no。 More， pop your comfiest clothes， or better yet， pyjamas， grab a soft blanket， coffee （okay or tea or hot chocolate） of your choice and settle in to read。 Charming isn't often a word you associate with fantasy books， but if I was asked to sum it up in one word， that' Legends & Lattes By Travis Baldree。Before I really begin， here is my PSA - Sapphic readers， please line up to grab this one！ Well and others too！ This was never touted as an epic high fantasy。 High fantasy， yes。 Epic as many are， no。 More， pop your comfiest clothes， or better yet， pyjamas， grab a soft blanket， coffee （okay or tea or hot chocolate） of your choice and settle in to read。 Charming isn't often a word you associate with fantasy books， but if I was asked to sum it up in one word， that's the one that springs to mind。 And it works！ The characters are all engaging， although due to confines of book length， we don't always get as much depth as you might want。 Having said that， it genuinely didn't distract for me。 I merely hope that this might be a book that others spring off from so that we can engage with them further。 The books begins with Viv， who we discover is a retired orc。 She's had enough of the blood thirsty lifestyle， and craves opening up a coffee shop。 We have other charming characters， not least Tandri。 I loved each and every one of them for different reasons。We get a sapphic romance。 It might be considered low stakes， but it definitely doesn't mean there were no stakes， but like the whole book it was done with a balance fitting of the overall theme。 The book is relaxing， engaging and never once felt boring to me。 I didn't want to put it down。 But put it down I must， but this is going to be a book that I will definitely return to when I need moments of light comforting joy。 Now I'm craving cinnamon buns。 Or biscotti。 And coffee。 And a sequel。 No - sequels！ I truly hope we get far more of this world。 5/5 stars 🌟 I only wish I could give it more。 。。。more
Katy
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4。5 starsgorgeous， cosy and heartfelt - just what the world needs right now <3（also: the best way i can describe this is like asmr in book form）（also also: thimble is THE CUTEST BEAN EVER and i would 100% lay down my life for him）
Tuftears
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Lovely slice of life， retired adventurer styleAn orc adventurer retires to run a coffee shop- it might not sound dramatic， but setting up a new business is its own adventure！ New friends， new enemies， and interesting customers。 Heartwarming， and full of fantastical details。
Dini - dinipandareads
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Special thanks to Travis Baldree for sending an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 5 cosy stars！Have you ever looked at a book cover then read the synopsis and thought "I'm gonna love the fuck out of this book！"？ Well， that's what it was like for me the moment I saw Travis post about Legends & Lattes over on Twitter and I jumped at the chance to read it asap。 Guess what？ I wasn't wrong at all！ There's literally nothing that I didn't love about this book except for the fact that it actually en Special thanks to Travis Baldree for sending an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 5 cosy stars！Have you ever looked at a book cover then read the synopsis and thought "I'm gonna love the fuck out of this book！"？ Well， that's what it was like for me the moment I saw Travis post about Legends & Lattes over on Twitter and I jumped at the chance to read it asap。 Guess what？ I wasn't wrong at all！ There's literally nothing that I didn't love about this book except for the fact that it actually ended and that it wasn't longer？ But I'm greedy like that， anyway。。。 I'm going to do my best to write a review that's not just nonsensical gushing about how much I loved this but I make no promises。 😂TL;DR though: If you're looking for a feel-good fantasy that's full of cosy emotion and a heartwarming message， and immersive writing that will make you feel like you're right there at this cafe with its wonderful found family of characters， then I would immediately recommend getting your hands on a copy of this book！ Trust me when I say you won't regret it。 Also， snacks。 Bring snacks！From the moment I picked up this book and read the first chapter， it felt like I was curled up under a blanket in a cosy chair next to a warm fire with a hot brew in hand。 The writing flowed effortlessly and made this an incredibly easy book to devour in one sitting。 This story about reinventing oneself， fresh beginnings， unexpected allies and found family friendships exudes comfort。 Viv was such a wonderful MC and it was no hardship following her POV。 I admired the courage it took for her to leave her previous life behind and to start a new venture that you can feel she's so passionate about， and you can't help but get swept up with her as she slowly figures out how to make her dream a reality。I loved all the characters we meet along the way， from Cal the builder to Tandri the partner， to Thimble the most adorable baker ever and Pendry the adorkably awkward lutist， to Hem the Ackers student and even Lark and his fellow henchmen and the powerful Madrigal。 All of these characters came together as a community and with Cal， Tandri and Thimble especially， they became the family of friends that Viv didn't know she needed。 I loved how Viv learned to accept that she deserves good things and to be surrounded by good people despite having a past that she's not particularly proud of， and it was extremely heartwarming to see her embrace the community and have them wholeheartedly embrace her back。 The warmth that infused my whole body as I was reading made me feel like I was floating on a cloud of good feelings， and I'm not ashamed to admit that it brought a couple of very overwhelmed happy tears to my eyes！ 🥲Also， prepare to get hungry for pastries and to crave a cup of coffee because I certainly did！ It probably wasn't my best idea to read this in the middle of the night as the moment Thimble baked up a storm and dished out cinnamon rolls， biscotti and pain au chocolat to be devoured with an iced latte， it made me want to start baking and brewing immediately at 2 am （the timing was truly inconvenient lol）！ Overall， this was a gorgeous cosy fantasy and I can't wait to see what Travis Baldree comes out with next because if this is any indication of what can come， to say I'm beyond excited would be an understatement。 。。。more
Sarah Bickerton
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Absolutely loved this， binged it in two evenings。 It’s just so wholesome， and welcoming， like a warm bath or cosy blanket。 Think Ted Lasso， but make it fantasy， queer， and caffeinated。 It’s not Shakespeare， nor is it high epic fantasy， but it is probably my favourite book of the year so far， the best I’ve read in quite some time， and just fun， having me laugh out loud and tear up in places。 My only complaint is that it is of novella length， and I wanted more time with these characters。 Seriously Absolutely loved this， binged it in two evenings。 It’s just so wholesome， and welcoming， like a warm bath or cosy blanket。 Think Ted Lasso， but make it fantasy， queer， and caffeinated。 It’s not Shakespeare， nor is it high epic fantasy， but it is probably my favourite book of the year so far， the best I’ve read in quite some time， and just fun， having me laugh out loud and tear up in places。 My only complaint is that it is of novella length， and I wanted more time with these characters。 Seriously， trust me， take a break from the possible outbreak of WW3， the third year of a global pandemic， and lose yourself in a world of good people， whether they be orcs， dwarves， gnomes， elves， humans， or whatever。 。。。more
Jenna Lee
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This was literally so cute that I cant stand it。 I love lesbians and coffee 🥺
Brendan Coffey
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A cozy heartwarming NovelTravis Baldree's first novel is a cozy little story of an orc barbarian who retires from her murder-hobo ways to pursue her dream: Opening a coffee shop。 lots a fun premise， and Baldree's does a great job with the characterization， communicating Viv's desire to be more than want she was， and her awkwardness at finding her place in a world that doesn't revolve around monster-murder。 Can't wait to see what else Baldree writes！ A cozy heartwarming NovelTravis Baldree's first novel is a cozy little story of an orc barbarian who retires from her murder-hobo ways to pursue her dream: Opening a coffee shop。 lots a fun premise， and Baldree's does a great job with the characterization， communicating Viv's desire to be more than want she was， and her awkwardness at finding her place in a world that doesn't revolve around monster-murder。 Can't wait to see what else Baldree writes！ 。。。more
Nick Carr-Sorensen
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A wonderfully warm， feel-good read。 The characters are all absolutely precious。 I haven’t happy cried at an ending like this in a while and it was so worth it。
Anna K Lobdell
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More please！I may need to pac myself next time I get a good book like this。 I burned through it than less a day， and find myself shuffling up to the author asking "Please sir， I'd like some more"。 Can't wait to see what else this author produces！ More please！I may need to pac myself next time I get a good book like this。 I burned through it than less a day， and find myself shuffling up to the author asking "Please sir， I'd like some more"。 Can't wait to see what else this author produces！ 。。。more
Jenn
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perfection！When I first saw the tweet announcing this book I was excited， and immediately preordered as soon as the link was live。 （I don't think I was the only one。。。）The story is light and cozy， perfect for an afternoon's reading。 The main characters are older and knowledgeable without being overbearing。 There is no epic quest， but the found family cozy fantasy genre is one I could read the hell out of。I sincerely hope the author writes more。 perfection！When I first saw the tweet announcing this book I was excited， and immediately preordered as soon as the link was live。 （I don't think I was the only one。。。）The story is light and cozy， perfect for an afternoon's reading。 The main characters are older and knowledgeable without being overbearing。 There is no epic quest， but the found family cozy fantasy genre is one I could read the hell out of。I sincerely hope the author writes more。 。。。more
Alex
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There needs to be more cosy fantasy in the world， this was absolutely delightful
Sophie M
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I received Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree for free in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you so much Travis for my advanced copy and happy Book Birthday！ I LOVED THIS SO MUCH！ As soon as I saw this book on Twitter I had a feeling that it was going to be fantastic and it was even better than I thought！ I’ve literally just ordered the paperback version so I can do a reread as soon as it comes！ In Legends & Lattes we follow our protagonist Viv， a retired orc who is finished with her violent l I received Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree for free in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you so much Travis for my advanced copy and happy Book Birthday！ I LOVED THIS SO MUCH！ As soon as I saw this book on Twitter I had a feeling that it was going to be fantastic and it was even better than I thought！ I’ve literally just ordered the paperback version so I can do a reread as soon as it comes！ In Legends & Lattes we follow our protagonist Viv， a retired orc who is finished with her violent lifestyle and wants to settle down and open a coffee shop。 Viv is an instantly likeable character who is generous， caring and a badass！ I love how she forges a place in the community and makes herself a home。 Plus I really liked getting to know all of the characters and the little found family they created。 I was so invested in these characters - you can’t help but root for them！ Plus the chemistry between Viv and Tandri was so well built， I loved their friendship and playful banter which builds into more！ The writing is immediately very gripping， I loved the descriptions all throughout the book， they were so vivid and imaginative！ I also really enjoyed the lore and worldbuilding that you get along the way - all of the small details were so thoughtful and really tie the story together。 It was so sweet how modern treats like biscotti and iced coffee were translated into this world。 Cosy fantasy is officially my new favourite genre and I need more of it in my life！ I really enjoyed how there was some interesting mysteries but it wasn’t anxiety inducing - it is a gentle but exciting read！ Legends & Lattes is a wholesome， heart warming and absolutely exceptional story with brilliant writing， characters and a plot that you won’t want to put down！ I’m so excited to read more from this author！ 。。。more
soapturtle
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just perfectAs warming as that first cup of coffee in the morning， except for your heart。 Gives you all the feels。
✰ Boys in Books are Just Better ✰
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A delightful high fantasy tale of orcress' journey through people she meets along the way with a dollop of sweet romance added to make this book so much better。 Everything about this book is。。 AMAZING。 The setting。。 The description。。。 And most importantly， the CHARACTERS。 Honestly， I'm so glad to have received an ARC。 Truly。 This book is a gem。 I definitely recommend this book。 Definitely one of my favourites of the year。 A delightful high fantasy tale of orcress' journey through people she meets along the way with a dollop of sweet romance added to make this book so much better。 Everything about this book is。。 AMAZING。 The setting。。 The description。。。 And most importantly， the CHARACTERS。 Honestly， I'm so glad to have received an ARC。 Truly。 This book is a gem。 I definitely recommend this book。 Definitely one of my favourites of the year。 。。。more
Spens （Sphynx Reads）
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I did NOT expect this random book whose eARC I nonchalantly signed up for to be an instant favorite。 This truly took me by surprise。 All I expected was sapphic orcs， but I got SO much more。I got probably the coziest and most wholesome fantasy book I have ever read to date。 Relaxing， but never boring。 Comforting， but never cheesey。 Evenly paced， endearing characters， delightful setting， heartwarming plot， excellent accessible writing。 I truly cannot think of a single thing I dislike about this bo I did NOT expect this random book whose eARC I nonchalantly signed up for to be an instant favorite。 This truly took me by surprise。 All I expected was sapphic orcs， but I got SO much more。I got probably the coziest and most wholesome fantasy book I have ever read to date。 Relaxing， but never boring。 Comforting， but never cheesey。 Evenly paced， endearing characters， delightful setting， heartwarming plot， excellent accessible writing。 I truly cannot think of a single thing I dislike about this book。 Now I need to get a physical copy to both reread and hug repeatedly。 Highly highly recommended。// will be featured in my February Reading Wrap-up on booktube。 Link in profile。 。。。more
SR Westvik
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I drank so much coffee while reading this book and writing this review - which， if anything， speaks to its supreme ability to make me yearn not just to return to the joys of cafes， but specifically to one run by an orc and her motely crew of companions。 It is genuinely one of the most comforting， easygoing books I've read in a long time。 This is a Goldilocks book - I was not stressed over turning the pages， nor laboriously chugging along through chapters to finish it， but just in the right place I drank so much coffee while reading this book and writing this review - which， if anything， speaks to its supreme ability to make me yearn not just to return to the joys of cafes， but specifically to one run by an orc and her motely crew of companions。 It is genuinely one of the most comforting， easygoing books I've read in a long time。 This is a Goldilocks book - I was not stressed over turning the pages， nor laboriously chugging along through chapters to finish it， but just in the right place: enjoying and savouring each minute spent in this world。Legends & Lattes busies itself with eternal questions but doesn't seek to answer them through a sweeping quest or high-flung political drama。 It asks how you make a break with your past and forge a future， and how you learn to find contentment and security within that future， and it does so by putting our protagonist， Viv， in the role of a coffee shop entrepreneur。The big thing that jumped out to me about this book was its sense of place， both in terms of actual setting and in terms of inhabitants - all of which， if we're doing a coffee shop yarn， are pretty essential。 A key chunk of the book's first third is just getting the café off the ground。 As it went on， I came to love the whole cast of characters and how Viv was gathering more and more friends and allies who were both her friends and had their own stakes as individuals in her enterprise。 I was particularly fond of quiet， industrious Thimble， as well as the Madrigal， who - for those who have seen the TV series Black Sails - reminded me， both in appearance and disposition （and frankly also in terms of hobbies！）， of matriarch Marion Guthrie。 I love how coffee captured a dream of peace that Viv had so clearly been seeking， and how she found joy in recreating her own joy for others - it was a feedback loop of her sense of things coming together as she， herself， was surrounded by people who became part of that togetherness。 I also liked that the setting of the café became a perfect measuring chart for the story's progression， too - interactions with customers and problems were diverting， added something to Viv's journey， and were in many occasions ultimately encapsulated in some way on the slate menu's items。 The menu tracked the story。 It's a really clever use of setting that I thoroughly enjoyed。The highlight of the setting isn't limited just to the primary location， either。 Baldree definitely has skill with words and I found this skill was deployed strongest when it came to description。 Thune as we hear about it is a city that feels populated， and that feels lived in， and it feels like a real city。 It was so comforting and not something I've really experienced as a reader before。 Not every alleyway is one that you， as the new kid in town， are going to get knifed in！ There are tidy restaurants with nice barkeeps！ There are market days and a post office and libraries and spice shops and dock workers！ As someone who's moved to places in several different countries in the past few years （most of them also river towns like Thune！） I related powerfully to Viv's experience of displacement but wanting to belong， and worrying about faux pas that might follow you in your new life。 Viv's character was an interesting one， as it's the first time I think that I've really felt a character squarely sits half-and-half on the line between being a character of her own and being a reader stand-in。 The latter point is largely due to the fact that the writing doesn't give Viv a particularly strong or distinct voice， and because I felt the prologue was a little abrupt when it came to setting up Viv's status quo before entering her new world， which made it harder to connect to Viv and her circumstances for the first ~15% of the novel。 However， as the novel grew into itself， I also felt Viv grow in to herself， and so the actual coffeeshop Legends & Lattes ended up feeling as much an enterprise of hers as of the reader's。 It's also a huge credit to Baldree's skill as a writer that despite this early difficulty in connecting to the protagonist - something pretty important to me as a reader！ - I still was invested and read on。 I'm glad that the story eventually developed greater tug and pull about Viv's relationship to her old life and how it taught her to solve problems versus how she ought to solve them now， and showed genuine conflicts and contradictions that also were embodied in the characters that populated both the before and after portions of Viv's life。 I have to concede that， when it came to eventual conflict resolution， doing so through the provision of cinnamon rolls was an absolute masterstroke。While a lot of Viv's resourcefulness sometimes felt too easy， I do like that this was actually something explicitly addressed by the existence of the Scalvert's Stone， an artefact recovered in the prologue， and then interrogated， culminating in a great climax that - in hindsight - had been cleverly foreshadowed in a misdirection about the true antagonist of the story， and that really brought together the key ideas of this tale in a resonant full circle movement。 The Stone itself is a tantalising bit of soft magic that suits this particular cosy fantasy very well。 I like that its obscurity is mirrored by characters like the old gnome and Amity the direcat， too - it gives an old world fantasy bent to a story playing with aspects of modernity like coffee machines。I recommend this book to anyone who wants a cosy slice-of-life escape into an interesting and easygoing world。 It's also a true pleasure for anyone whose Dungeons & Dragons adventures were ever more in the provinces of city building or messing with the locals。 I personally shared this with my party at the 25% mark because it was giving me such strong vibes about some of our previous adventures on our current campaign！ I also highly recommend this to anyone who may be in a reading slump。 This novel is not my usual pace， and that， for me， was refreshing。 It's slow going and focuses a lot on building up place and community。 It's not much fussed about rushing in to set up an overarching story conflict， however low stakes。 I was genuinely taken aback by how much I enjoyed it and I think it has reignited a spark for reading that has been dimmed in recent months。Legends & Lattes is ultimately a swift， easy， light， and evocative read that lets you live in its world for a while with a promise to be there to welcome you back again soon， lattes and Thimblets at the ready。4。5 stars， rounded up to 5。Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
M。 K。 French
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Viv the orc barbarian is ready to retire from life as an adventurer to open Thune's first coffee shop。 But frenemies and the city's shady denizens might interrupt that plan， so Viv will need a new collection of allies for help。While the prologue has Viv's last job as a sword for hire， the book is really about the Cafe she builds up。 From selecting the location， getting it refurbished， ordering equipment， and gaining employees， everything is new for her。 And for the city of Thune， considering the Viv the orc barbarian is ready to retire from life as an adventurer to open Thune's first coffee shop。 But frenemies and the city's shady denizens might interrupt that plan， so Viv will need a new collection of allies for help。While the prologue has Viv's last job as a sword for hire， the book is really about the Cafe she builds up。 From selecting the location， getting it refurbished， ordering equipment， and gaining employees， everything is new for her。 And for the city of Thune， considering they don't even know what coffee shops are！ Of course， there's a mafia of sorts， but Viv wants to solve things peacefully， in keeping with her new way of life。 Her tentative steps and growing friendships are charming， and a fun twist on a fantasy novel。I devoured this book just as Viv's patrons devoured the cinnamon rolls and lattes。 It's a fun tale， with a great found family。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book， and it's just as good on every reread。 。。。more
Brenna
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Legends & Lattes is an absolute delight！It is one of my favorite books of the year so far！ It is gentle and cozy， and a fantastic spin on the classic DnD-type story。 I want to live in this book and visit Viv's cafe every day！What you can expect:- Lovable characters- A cozy， immersive setting- Heartwarming banter- Mouth-watering descriptions of food- A cute queer love storyI look forward to reading more from Travis Baldree！ Legends & Lattes is an absolute delight！It is one of my favorite books of the year so far！ It is gentle and cozy， and a fantastic spin on the classic DnD-type story。 I want to live in this book and visit Viv's cafe every day！What you can expect:- Lovable characters- A cozy， immersive setting- Heartwarming banter- Mouth-watering descriptions of food- A cute queer love storyI look forward to reading more from Travis Baldree！ 。。。more
Stephanie Nemeth-Parker
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I never knew cozy fantasy was a thing but this is it and so much more！ I loved that it delivered exactly what it promises - high fantasy and low stakes。 The world is beautifully established and the characters have you feeling for them from the moment they are introduced。 And don't get me started on the descriptions of the various pastries throughout。 I was hoping there would be a cookbook in the appendix as my mouth started watering at each new creation。 （And I'm not a baker - everything just so I never knew cozy fantasy was a thing but this is it and so much more！ I loved that it delivered exactly what it promises - high fantasy and low stakes。 The world is beautifully established and the characters have you feeling for them from the moment they are introduced。 And don't get me started on the descriptions of the various pastries throughout。 I was hoping there would be a cookbook in the appendix as my mouth started watering at each new creation。 （And I'm not a baker - everything just sounded so good！）。I want more of these books， in this world， with these characters。 I hope this is only the first of many！I read the book and listened to the audiobook being recorded and I can highly recommend both！！ 。。。more
Bender
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https://fanfiaddict。com/review-legend。。。A steaming cup of optimism and hope flavored with a hint of romance， the book felt like reading a Disney movie！ If Disney made this movie， it’d be similar to Ratatouille！It’s charming， it’s cozy， it’s a comfort read in all meanings for the word。 One which you could relax over a drink （preferably Gnomish coffee if you can get that） and let it drain you of life’s problems。 A oasis in the dark world of grimdark books！ Guaranteed to put a smile of your face an https://fanfiaddict。com/review-legend。。。A steaming cup of optimism and hope flavored with a hint of romance， the book felt like reading a Disney movie！ If Disney made this movie， it’d be similar to Ratatouille！It’s charming， it’s cozy， it’s a comfort read in all meanings for the word。 One which you could relax over a drink （preferably Gnomish coffee if you can get that） and let it drain you of life’s problems。 A oasis in the dark world of grimdark books！ Guaranteed to put a smile of your face and leave you with a feeling of content and satisfaction！Viv is an Orc Barbarian who is tired of her warmaking lifestyle and wants nothing other than to hang up her sword and retire into a world of Gnomish Coffee that she had before during her adventures and can’t get out of head！ A life of retirement， of relaxation， of good drinks and sweet eats！Guided by a stone of legend supposedly bringing luck， she sets about getting a place and turning it into a shop， building relations and making friends along the way and somehow becoming a pet parent of a mysterious and magical dire-cat that decided to make her shop it’s home！ The path to a cozy retirement isn’t that smooth as her past catches up to her。 What happens then？ Dies Viv realizes her dream？ Does the city get coffee and snacks？ Lots of tasty questions that books answers well leaving you with a full heart！Like a cup of good coffee， author keeps the mix simple。 The prose flows well， plot moves along at a healthy pace and just like that we are part of the scene。 The characterization is done perfectly well and I was fully invested in the joys of the progress and getting quite stabby angry when the past catches up。 The trials， tribulations， joys and sorrows， blend in smoothly making this a wholesome read indeed！If you are looking for a break from heavy reads， or just looking for a book to unload your burdens， give this a read。Recommended！ 。。。more
WS_BOOKCLUB
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Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。Legends and Lattes is a delight！ Creative and sweet， with just the right amount of danger， I enjoyed every word。 The book follows Viv， an orc who leaves behind a life of killing and looting to open a coffee shop。 That’s right， an orc running a coffee shop。 Not only is it unlikely， but no one in the city of Thune even knows what coffee is。 Viv definitely has her work cut out for her！ Luckily for he Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。Legends and Lattes is a delight！ Creative and sweet， with just the right amount of danger， I enjoyed every word。 The book follows Viv， an orc who leaves behind a life of killing and looting to open a coffee shop。 That’s right， an orc running a coffee shop。 Not only is it unlikely， but no one in the city of Thune even knows what coffee is。 Viv definitely has her work cut out for her！ Luckily for her， she has a Scalvert’s Stone， which is supposed to bring success。 Unluckily for her， someone knows she has it， and wants it。The premise is so much fun， but what made it even better for me were the supporting characters。 There was a wonderful group of unique misfits who slowly turned Viv’s dream into a reality that was so much more than she expected。 From the succubus who really wanted to leave the reputation that comes with her race behind， to the rattkin cook， each character added a unique charm to Legends and Lattes。 They showcased Viv’s character growth and added a little something extra。 I can’t decide who my favorite character was: Cal the hob or Thimble， the rattkin cook。 There was something intensely charming about the cook being a rattkin。 I also loved Durias the mysterious gnome。 I’m a sucker for sage-like characters and I would love to read another book set in this world， just about him。The coffee shop itself became another character and I fell in love with it。 There was something cozy and calming about the way it was described。 I loved the descriptions of the coffee and goodies that could be found there， and I would love to nibble on a thimblet！The pacing was excellent， the story itself was sweet， and the ending was perfect。 Legends and Lattes would be the perfect book to read on a rainy day with a cup of your favorite hot beverage。https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub。hom。。。 。。。more
Alastair Patton
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Received ARC in exchange for honest reviewTravis Baldree truly delivers a cozy， slice of life style fantasy with his debut novel， Legend & Lattes。I have been a long time listener of Baldree’s and often times choose to reread （relisten） to books when I know he is the narrator。This book is the perfect vacation from the oft fast paced world of fantasy。 I fell in love with the setting， characters， and the coffee shop。Legends & Lattes follows Viv as she decides to retire from the life of an adventure Received ARC in exchange for honest reviewTravis Baldree truly delivers a cozy， slice of life style fantasy with his debut novel， Legend & Lattes。I have been a long time listener of Baldree’s and often times choose to reread （relisten） to books when I know he is the narrator。This book is the perfect vacation from the oft fast paced world of fantasy。 I fell in love with the setting， characters， and the coffee shop。Legends & Lattes follows Viv as she decides to retire from the life of an adventurer， hang up her sword， and start the city’s first coffee shop。 Along the way we meet side characters who help Viv learn who she is now and how she can reconcile with her past。 And we follow Viv on her journey as she learns to run a coffee shop， deal with problems both past and present， find friendship， and maybe love along the way。The prose are deliciously comely and I often found myself running by a bakery and grabbing a coffee and a pastry to pair with the book。This is a book that inspires a certain reading environment。 If you are looking for a fast-paced， clashing of sword type of fantasy， I would recommend checking out another book。 But if you are in need of a nice， coffee break， pick this book up and you will not be disappointed。 。。。more
Kerstin Rosero
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I am a fan of high-stakes fantasy。 To be perfectly transparent， I write high-stakes fantasy， so I never expected Legends & Lattes to fill my cold， black soul with so much warmth。 My heart swelled with each page， and I had to put the book down between chapters because I got palpitations， lol。 I imagine this is what a bubble bath in book form feels like。 The story is about a former orc warrior who abandons her life of battle and just wants to open a café in a village。 The book is advertised as low I am a fan of high-stakes fantasy。 To be perfectly transparent， I write high-stakes fantasy， so I never expected Legends & Lattes to fill my cold， black soul with so much warmth。 My heart swelled with each page， and I had to put the book down between chapters because I got palpitations， lol。 I imagine this is what a bubble bath in book form feels like。 The story is about a former orc warrior who abandons her life of battle and just wants to open a café in a village。 The book is advertised as low stakes， but the emotional investment is high lol， like I spent much of the time screaming "DRINK THE COFFEE" at all the NPCs。I don't know， just read it。 Make yourself a cup of coffee。 Snuggle up in a blanket and embrace the warmth that is this book。 。。。more
Shahnaz Radjy
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I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy （ARC） of this book in exchange for an honest review。Legends & Lattes is a story about redefining yourself， daring to build your dream， unlikely friendships （the best kind）， and defying expectations。 I loved it， and read it in almost a single setting （the only reason I stopped is because I am the mother of a one year old， and， well， #momlife）。Baldree is a talented writer who found a perfect balance between description， character development， and p I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy （ARC） of this book in exchange for an honest review。Legends & Lattes is a story about redefining yourself， daring to build your dream， unlikely friendships （the best kind）， and defying expectations。 I loved it， and read it in almost a single setting （the only reason I stopped is because I am the mother of a one year old， and， well， #momlife）。Baldree is a talented writer who found a perfect balance between description， character development， and pace。 In his debut novel， no less！ I look forward to reading whatever other books he writes。 （Read the full review at https://sradjyauthor。wordpress。com/） 。。。more
Amy
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What can I say about this book…。。I stumbled across it on Twitter and thought that it looked interesting and had a very original idea behind it。 A female orc fighter retires from the adventuring business and decides to put down roots by opening a coffee shop in a world where coffee is practically unheard of…except by gnomes of course。 What I wasn’t expecting was how just overwhelmingly great it would feel to read this book！ None of the main characters in this book are human。 There are humans in i What can I say about this book…。。I stumbled across it on Twitter and thought that it looked interesting and had a very original idea behind it。 A female orc fighter retires from the adventuring business and decides to put down roots by opening a coffee shop in a world where coffee is practically unheard of…except by gnomes of course。 What I wasn’t expecting was how just overwhelmingly great it would feel to read this book！ None of the main characters in this book are human。 There are humans in it of course， but our main group of people are all nonhuman: an orc， a succubus， a rattkin， a hob， a giant dire-cat。 It was so refreshing and good！！ I will be telling everybody about this one。 It’s going to be an audiobook too with the author narrating himself。 （Turns out he is an audiobook narrator。）。 I just can’t say enough about how much I loved this book！ It’s all about trust and friendships and not giving up。 Whether Viv believes it or not， she makes her own good luck and fortune through her sheer determination and force of personality。 You can’t keep a good orc down！ （I may be guilty in the near future of creating some orc characters and others that are less human in their appearance。） And somehow I knew that the magic bean water known as coffee was too good to have been created by anyone human…gnomes are really the most ingenious of creatures！！！ 😂WHAT FLAMES COULD NOT CONSUME， NEVER SHALL BE EXTINGUISHED！ 。。。more
Ena （ek）
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Many thanks to the author Travis Baldree for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review！ A compilation of my spoiler-free notes and highlights can be found on my blog。⭐️5CONTENT WARNINGS: fire and fire injuryIn the city of Thune， not many people have heard of coffee， much less tasted it — which is exactly the gap in the economy that the orc Viv has decided to exploit。 She goes about setting up a coffee shop using funds she has saved up as a warrior over the years。 As the sto Many thanks to the author Travis Baldree for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review！ A compilation of my spoiler-free notes and highlights can be found on my blog。⭐️5CONTENT WARNINGS: fire and fire injuryIn the city of Thune， not many people have heard of coffee， much less tasted it — which is exactly the gap in the economy that the orc Viv has decided to exploit。 She goes about setting up a coffee shop using funds she has saved up as a warrior over the years。 As the story unfolds， one can’t help but root for Viv as her staff， her customer base， and even her understanding of a certain legend — about an important artifact called a Scalvert's Stone — grow。 The gradual changes to the shop’s menu are especially heart-warming when you learn how they ended up there。Friends who have seen how I rate books will know that I give out 3-star ratings like candy。 It’s a special book indeed that makes me shell out a 5-star rating with nary a second thought。 But this very sweet slice-of-life story was such a welcome change from typical epic fantasies where the fate of the world rested in the hands of an unhinged lead character。 Best enjoyed with your favorite cup of coffee and mid-afternoon snack！ 。。。more
Brittney
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I’m going to be straight up， I loved this book！ Legends & Lattes is just pure fun， and after a sling of very serious reads with some dark topics， this was the perfect palette cleanser。 The story is whimsical， the characters are imaginative， the descriptions of food are mouth watering， and more than once I found myself with the urge to run out to the closest bakery and pick up a cinnamon roll。If you play D&D or fantasy games like WoW， the world Baldree has made will automatically feel familiar—an I’m going to be straight up， I loved this book！ Legends & Lattes is just pure fun， and after a sling of very serious reads with some dark topics， this was the perfect palette cleanser。 The story is whimsical， the characters are imaginative， the descriptions of food are mouth watering， and more than once I found myself with the urge to run out to the closest bakery and pick up a cinnamon roll。If you play D&D or fantasy games like WoW， the world Baldree has made will automatically feel familiar—and just like a game， the story is very easy to fall into and be engaged by。 However， don’t think for one second that if you’re not a gamer this book isn’t for you。 Legends & Lattes isn’t overly wrought with epic moral dilemmas or significant trauma。 Its plot is far more relatable than that。 It is about starting something new， fulfilling a dream， and finding community。 Just wholesome fun， but with everyday struggles that most readers will be familiar with in a far more fantastical setting。While there are some slight consistency issues， I was willing to overlook them in favor of how good the book as a whole was。Full credit， Legends & Lattes is amazing and I have already started recommending it to friends！ 。。。more
Brianna
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