Retirement is the gateway to a whole new world of adventure for Viv, whose adventuring career as a swordswoman was both profitable and left her with a dream she is eager to achieve: running a successful coffee shop. While she determinedly pushes back against the pull of her old life in pursuit of her new one, she meets new friends and potential foes as tries to navigate the world in a different way, which was very entertaining to read as someone who is familiar with the conventions of the D&D-like fantasy world the book takes place in.

A cute and fun book, easily recommended to fantasy/fantasy-romance fans who like laid back stories with low stakes.

This is not your typical fantasy adventure! Viv, an orc fighter, is tired of the daily grind - hack, chop, scars, and blood are not exciting for her anymore. Following an old legend to an artifact rumored to bring good fortune, Viv ventures off to start a brand new adventure in the cosmopolitan area of Thune. She's going to open a shop that brings the gnomish elixir of "coffee" to the unknowing citizens. By working against all the stereotypes people hold of orcs, Viv establishes her business with the help of outsiders like her.

This is every content creators' dream - post something online, get attention from a bestselling novelist, and go so viral that a big name publisher wants to print your books!

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Legends & Lattes was exactly what it said it was going to be. A low stakes fantasy novel about a retired adventurer opening a coffee shop. And it was exactly what I needed to read! It felt like the book form of a warm cup of hot chocolate (I don't actually drink coffee and I don't plan to).

Viv, the main character, decides to take all the wealth she's saved from years of fighting and exploring and start a coffee shop after discovering the gnomish drink while on her travels. She wants to leave her adventuring life behind, but it creeps back into her life in ways that she would rather it not. As promised, the stakes were low and there were no calamitous world-ending threats of violence or war, but the conflict is still perilous and had my emotionless heart feeling things. As well, I found the little romance on the side very cute and sweet, just like the confections baked during the course of this book.

All the characters that help out with the budding business were amazing, and the way that they all support Viv is truly wonderful. The only thing I would have liked more of is depth on who the characters are to make them feel a bit more real, but that's my only gripe, because I am a fan of really strong characters.

I definitely recommend it to any fantasy fan looking for something with familiar elements but still fluffy and easy to read!

I really enjoyed this — in some ways it reminded me of Becky Chambers’ writing, not in tone/setting/style, but in the way the story was so much about choosing a new path and finding your people. I loved seeing Viv throw herself wholeheartedly into the dream of a coffee shop, and the way the D&D-esque world was described felt casual and vivid. I have only a passing familiarity with this type of high fantasy, but because the story is so character-driven I didn’t feel lost in the slightest. Really glad Tor picked this one up, it was a pleasure — easy to read and very satisfying.

I think this was a wrong time/wrong book for me - I wasn't able to get beyond the early pages, so it is not fair to attempt to rate this. I think I need to give this another try when I am in a different mindset

A sweet, low angst/high fantasy about what it means to be an adventurer... after your adventures end.

Viv is an orc. Not only is she an orc, she's a member of a group of adventuring mercenaries - you know, the ones who get commissions from town notice boards to kill giant spiders and dire wolves and stuff. But Viv's done with that life, and what she wants to do next is open a coffee shop. So instead of reading a book about a mismatched group of adventurers who somehow save the day (a staple of high fantasy since at least Tolkien, if not before), we read a book about a mismatched group of entrepreneurs who somehow start a thriving business and community hub.

That's right, instead of a traditional RPG you're playing a restaurant management game. Anyone who has played either of these kinds of video games knows - they're BOTH really fun. So we totally get why Viv decided to open her cafe. This is a gentle story where not much happens, but you just want to keep reading anyway. Definitely the best few hours reading about building a coffee shop from the ground up we've ever spent.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Amusing and comforting, a coffeeshop AU of a D-n-D campaign.
Val, an orc who has been fighting and questing for a very long time, decides to retire and open a coffee shop. Cue montages, tasting sessions, and the craving of a biscotti with coffee.

I am absolutely obsessed with this book. When the self published version came out, I ensured everyone I cared about even a little picked up this title, and it still holds up, if not even more so, now. Cozy fantasy is without a doubt the best genre

I AM IN LOVE!!! This is a cozy, wholesome, pure slice of life fantasy! Viv the orc left battle behind and is living out her dream of opening a coffee shop in a town that doesn't know what coffee. The way the characters all gently come together to form beautiful friendships had me feeling all the feels! It is a complete comfort read that I could reread time and time again! Obsessed!!

A friend recommended me this first, thank you so much for the proof, This is my kind of fantasy I love found family and friendships and this really gets that right. The writing and the feelings I got from this book were exactly what I signed up for

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Warning: make sure you have a treat to snack on while reading because this book WILL make you hungry! This story follows orc protagonist, Viv, who trades fighting and adventuring for a wholesome life of running a cafe. She moves to a town called Thune to open the first coffee shop and debut coffee in the town, as the townspeople have never heard of it before. She strings together a sweet posse of friends to help her assemble everything for the cafe. Along the way she meets Tandri and they grow closer as they run the cafe together. Some of my other favorite characters include Thimble the baker mouse, Amity the giant dire-cat (!!!), and Cal who helps them build the shop. This book was genuinely such a breath of fresh air from other darker/more intense fantasies! This is the coziest fantasy you’ll ever stumble upon with a cast of lovable characters you’ll adore! It’s a “slice of life” story that does include some conflict that drives the plot, but nothing too intense. There are some sapphic elements that absolutely warmed my heart. I loved the writing style, the delectable depictions of the baked goods, and the whimsical world-building that the author included. I really loved watching the characters interact and grow. I also highly enjoyed the “found family” element this story portrayed! There’s such a sense of community in this book around the cafe and all of the colorful characters that band together in support of it. This book is an incredibly enjoyable read for if you need a break from confusing fantasy novels with complex plots, and want to unwind reading a low-stakes cozy cafe story instead! I would highly recommend this book to anybody and I will be on the lookout for more books/a sequel from this author in the future! And did I mention there’s a giant cat, I mean what more could you possibly want from a book??

This was everything that it promised to be. A wonderful fantasy book with super low stakes. This was the perfect book for me to curl up with on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I didn't know I could be so invested in a coffee shop with ogres and a rat baker but I was.

I need more!

This is the best plot idea I've ever come across. It's very much "after the adventure", but also the world building is great. I love Viv and how she manages to draw people close to her to help realize her dream of owning a coffee shop in a town where no one has ever heard of coffee. I love that she's a barbarian who wants to settle down into a calmer life, that she has a goal outside of adventuring. I also really liked how well the background characters were written, they had their own identities and reasons to do things, and didn't feel like they were just there to move the plot along. Honestly, I want to make all of my fellow librarians read this because it's so fun and easy to read!

This was such a great, low stakes fantasy story. Viv is an orc and an adventurer, but when her current job starts to get to be too much, she begins to dream of a retirement that doesn't involve bloodshed. Viv completes one last job, taking her savings and opening a coffee shop in Thune, the first of it's kind in the city. The rest of the plot revolves around Viv's shop, the people she befriends, and how they all come together to make the shop a success. While there is other elements, Viv has a run-in with the local gang and an old coworker appears to make trouble for her, the majority of the plot is about how the shop is run and the characters involved. I loved all of the characters (especially Thimble) and this book has show me a different side to the fantasy genre that i'd love to read more from.

LEGENDS & LATTES is an absolutely charming, terrifically delightful entry in the cozy fantasy genre: the stakes are low, and the coziness is high. Our bookstore has sold many copies of the original indie-published version of this book for good reason -- it's perfect for readers looking for a relaxing, deeply kind book that offers an escape from the terror and slog of the real world. The romance is lovely and quite chaste, and the action is briefly tense but ultimately bloodless. Also: it'll make you super hungry! Win/win/win

ABSOLUTELY adorable and comforting! This was the cozy book I have been needing all my life! I'm so glad to have finally read it, and the audiobook is perfection too.

This book was so lovely.
I have heard this described as Cozy Fantasy and that is the most accurate description in my opinion. I would adore more of this exact vibe.
I want more quiet stories in magical worlds.
This book soothed me in a really lovely way.

I adored this book! It took me a little bit to get into it (I set it aside for a week or two) but once I was in, I was in! I never knew I needed cozy fantasy in my life but I cannot wait to read the next in the series. Perfect for someone like me who does like fantasy but doesn't always want big battles and 600 page books!

Pick this book up. End of story.100% worth all of the hype it is getting. You won't be disappointed. It's the cozy fantasy you never knew you needed, and it's perfectly enjoyable for longtime fantasy readers or those who have never picked up a fantasy in their life.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree follows Viv, a former mercenary orc who decides it's time to hang up her hat as a killing machine and start something new. She opens a coffee shop in a town that has never heard of coffee, and this book follows her journey as she meets new people and operates her new business.

This is very much a slice of life story. You are following the day to day operations of Viv's business and the people that come and go. While there is an underlying plotline that adds a bit of drama and action, that is not the central focus of the novel.

Even so, the characters stole my heart. I think I could read several hundred more pages following their day to day lives before I could even think about being bored.

I understand that this slice of life type of novel may not be to everybody's taste, but I highly recommend giving it a try if you're looking for something light and low stakes that will make you smile and cry (maybe simultaneously).

I have no downsides to note other than I wish it had been longer. I can't wait to see what else Baldree comes out with!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a cute cozy slice of life fantasy. I loved the characters, I loved thinking about them building the shop together. This is a must buy and will definitely become one of my comfort reads.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an ARC in return for my honest feedback.