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A review by bookph1le
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
5.0
So is cozy fantasy a new thing or something that's been around for a while? Because I LOVE it. This book gave me all the same warm and fuzzy feelings that [b:The House in the Cerulean Sea|45047384|The House in the Cerulean Sea|T.J. Klune|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1569514209l/45047384._SY75_.jpg|62945242] gave me, and I read it slowly in order to fully savor it. It's an absolute delight.
The setting is wonderful. For me, a fantasy coffee shop was something new and unique, and I loved reading about how Viv not only built her business, but how her business is a chance for her to turn over a new leaf and do something different with her life. I'm going to make it sound boring by saying I was fascinated by the details of how the building went up, how the menu evolved, the decorative choices Viv made... But it's not like that. At no point did this read like some kind of list or a how-to tutorial. Instead, the book makes obvious how much love and hope goes into everything Viv does as she's establishing her business.
And the characters are just as delightful as the setting. I really enjoyed watching how Viv evolved over the course of the novel. Her struggles felt so authentic and real to me, and I was so touched watching her interact with all the secondary characters in the novel, who are all wonderful in their own right. Like The House in the Cerulean Sea (or a book like [b:Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine|31434883|Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine|Gail Honeyman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493724347l/31434883._SY75_.jpg|47327681] for that matter), we get to see a sort of motley crew gradually come together, and I'm always moved by books that do an exceptional job of allowing me to watch how wounded and/or frightened characters slowly allow themselves to open up to one another and to learn how to depend on each other. If you love found family-type stories, you will love this book.
My only regret is that there isn't another Travis Baldree book for me to read, but I will patiently wait in the hopes that he'll soon have more for us.
The setting is wonderful. For me, a fantasy coffee shop was something new and unique, and I loved reading about how Viv not only built her business, but how her business is a chance for her to turn over a new leaf and do something different with her life. I'm going to make it sound boring by saying I was fascinated by the details of how the building went up, how the menu evolved, the decorative choices Viv made... But it's not like that. At no point did this read like some kind of list or a how-to tutorial. Instead, the book makes obvious how much love and hope goes into everything Viv does as she's establishing her business.
And the characters are just as delightful as the setting. I really enjoyed watching how Viv evolved over the course of the novel. Her struggles felt so authentic and real to me, and I was so touched watching her interact with all the secondary characters in the novel, who are all wonderful in their own right. Like The House in the Cerulean Sea (or a book like [b:Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine|31434883|Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine|Gail Honeyman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493724347l/31434883._SY75_.jpg|47327681] for that matter), we get to see a sort of motley crew gradually come together, and I'm always moved by books that do an exceptional job of allowing me to watch how wounded and/or frightened characters slowly allow themselves to open up to one another and to learn how to depend on each other. If you love found family-type stories, you will love this book.
My only regret is that there isn't another Travis Baldree book for me to read, but I will patiently wait in the hopes that he'll soon have more for us.