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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

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