Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.

However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.

A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.

Viv, a worn-out orc barbarian, hangs up her weapons and starts a new life building a cafe. With a little luck, she meets friends along the way who help her in ways that she would have never imagined. It isn't long that enemies old and new come out of the woodwork forcing her to make a choice of what she values the most. 

Legends & Lattes has gained a sudden readership that had me intrigued enough to read it for myself. Everyone knows I love fantasy and foodie books. This seemed like the perfect book to dive into. Best of all it is a cozy read where there aren't any high stakes so it would be a more manageable read than any of the books in the high fantasy world. There is a romance that was teased by reviewers and on the cover so after all those positive vibes in my favor, I read Viv's story. 

All of the hype around this book is real. It's a cozy, foodie, fantasy romance. It's a slow-building world where readers get to see the café being built and gain its customers after a team of unlikely characters find their way to the café's doors. Legends & Lattes is highly enjoyable. I loved that this was just a nice unhurried foodie story with a fantasy setting. All the characters were lovable except of course the villainous ones. I felt like I was transported to a new world every time I read. It would have been nice to get a Midnight Crescent while I was there. Viv and Tandri were really sweet together. They are the couple on the cover. They are both guarded characters who had a gentle and encouraging relationship that was at the heart of the ragtag team. Cal and Thimble were so loveable. Cal is a builder and Thimble is a ratkin baker. Cal, like the others, was a bit of an outsider but he was reliable and supportive of the venture even if he didn't understand the concept of "bean water." I really wanted to give Thimble a hug even if he was what he was. He was quiet and just loved coffee and baking. I felt like I understood him the most with the baking because I would just want to eat everything he made. It would be nice to have another book in this world or a sequel. It was such a nice, tranquil read. There is some conflict but it just added a great deal to the arc of Viv's character. I appreciated everything this book had to offer and would recommend it to readers looking for a cozy, slow-building story set in a magical world with delicious food descriptions and loveable characters. 

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