Legends & Lattes is a Critical Hit

For reasons that don't need exploring at this juncture, I dislike Guy Fawkes Night, the UK's answer to the 4th of July. We celebrate our opression with bonfires, fireworks and funfairs. I personally sit indoors crying and working through my own opressive grief.

So what I'm trying to say is that I REALLY needed cheering up.

Legends & Lattes (Travis Baldree) is one of those books that sounds too good to be true. 'Low-stakes' is often code for 'lack of plot' and 'queer romance'... well... we've been hurt before. To my great surprise, all the other excited reviewers were right. Legends & Lattes is fantastic.

We follow Viv, an Orc with a dream. A dream of putting down the sword and putting on a barista apron. She wants to open a coffee shop in a city that hasn't heard of coffee. Of course, she can't do it alone, and so she gathers a ragtag group of misfits along the way.

They progress from coffee to lattes, from lattes to pastries, and even (gasp!) introduce iced drinks. Every menu update is as thrilling as levelling up in a game, and the threats they face are solved with the power of friendship. The romance is subtle at first but sweetens up right along with Mr. Thimble's cooked delicacies.

In my opinion, this is a book that you should keep behind glass, with a 'break in case of emergencies' sign. Break it open whenever your own personal Guy-Fawkes-Night-of-the-Soul rolls around.

Where did I hear about this book? Cosy Fantasy Reddit

Comments

Book Recs for the Small Town Love Interest in a Holiday Movie

Hey there, Small Town Love Interest in a Holiday Movie , mind if I call you Small Town for short? I know life isn't easy for you. Good flannel shirts aren't cheap, stubble takes maintenance, and you are no doubt extremely busy with your successful coffee shop/bakery and the single-fathering/reading to sick children/rescuing kittens you do on the side. Plus all that wood-chopping and cookie-making really eats into your Netflix time. You didn't ask for a feisty blonde/redhead to come from the city and bring back memories of your teenage heartbreak and/or put you out of business. You probably wanted to watch TV this Christmas, not pretend to be engaged to a stranger for reasons that, let's face it, even you aren't clear about. When are you going to get some time to yourself, Small Town ? After the big happy ending? Whilst navigating a new relationship you've committed to far too early? Will you both be the same person once the Christmas Tree comes down and t...

FantasticLand is... Kinda Fantastic

It's not often I start a book that I know absolutely nothing about. I hadn't heard any buzz, it didn't appear on any book lists and I hadn't seen a single copy in a bookshop. The only thing it had going for it was that it appeared in the Audible Plus catalogue under 'horror' at the exact moment I was looking for a free horror audiobook. Mike Bockoven's FantasticLand is the story of a theme park roughly the same size as Disney World . Like Disney, it's a family institution with distinct themed 'lands' ( Pirate Cove, Fairy Prairie, Circus World , etc). The story begins with a record-breaking hurricane that takes out several states. Things begin well, with FantasticLand almost over-prepared . The park is quickly evacuated, leaving only three-hundred volunteers to stay in the bunkers and secure the park in the aftermath - for a significant pay bonus. After poor management and a blackout leads to the first (seemingly) accidental fatalities, the now s...

70% Off EVERYTHING?? What Happened When I Went to a Book Trade Warehouse

I hate book hauls on YouTube, and tend to only watch a very few made by BookTubers I respect. They tend to be transparent about where the books come from and how much they've spent (and are more excited about the book contents than the prettiness of the design.) I've never done one because a) I'm not a Bookfluencer, b) no one is sending me review copies/gifts, and c) I buy books regularly but cheaply, mainly in a digital format. But on Saturday I went to 66Books Ltd , a London book warehouse selling to trade only. Once a month it opens to the public and book lovers arrive from far and wide to get brand new books at a 70% discount. I was assured that if I walked away with less than ten books I'd be the most iron-willed person on earth... (Spoiler: I bought more than ten books.) So what was it like? And, most importantly, what is in my haul? The Experience I am noted for my dislike of early mornings, crowds, and uncertainty, so waking up at seven on a Saturday an...

Emma Types Stuff

Search This Blog