*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I really love this series! i would read more and recommend for sure, looking forward to reading more from this series/author

I think I am a victim of hype in this case. I wasn’t quite thrilled with it and I didn’t care for it that much. It was okay - but to warrant all the hype that’s been surrounding this book? I just don’t get it.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree is the ultimate cozy read that I can’t get enough of! After falling in love with Legends and Lattes, I was beyond excited for this prequel, and it was everything I hoped for and more. It’s like a warm, comforting hug in book form—one I’ll definitely be revisiting over and over.

I absolutely loved seeing Viv in her younger, more battle-hardened days. The setting was just perfect—a quaint bookshop in a seaside town, with quirky characters and a bakery that makes me wish it was nearby. The cozy atmosphere, combined with a touch of adventure and danger, made this an absolute joy to read.

Satchel was such a fantastic addition to the story, and the friendship between Viv and Fern was heartwarming. And that epilogue? I’m so ready for book three!

If you’re a fan of light-hearted cozy fantasy, the audiobook is a perfect escape into this delightful world.

Bookshops and Bonedust was such a quintessential cozy read! It hit all the right spots, and dare I say the author improved their writing from Legends in Lattes. I felt the setting and plot were given more time to breathe & expand. Viv, an orc that I liked well enough in L&Ls (though there she was tired and ready to put down roots), new life as a mercenary is just getting started! She has the glow and inexperience of youth, allowing her to punch harder and take her few beatings in stride (sort of, I mean she walked again).

While on a hunt with her mercenary group, Viv gets seriously injured. She is forced to be left behind to heal while her crew moves on to find the bounty, promising her they will come back to get her (if they are still alive). In order to evade boredom, Viv makes a deal with the local bookstore owner, Fern, and ends up reading an adventure book. This sparks her interest in the written word, and allows us to see Viv in a different life in which she is forced to slow down and flex her brain muscles instead for a change.

I truly enjoyed all the characters introduced in this story. Fern, the bookstore owner, Potroast, her companion griffin, the gnome, the baker, the doctor, satchel, even the sheriff (even though she was missing at the end there and that felt a bit out of character). They are all truly there to represent the theme of found family, and every single one of them is worth having some page time. All together they make their quaint little town feel like it is somewhere you’d want to visit in real life (I’ll re read for future trips).

The narrator for this book also did a fantastic job! Their intonation and voice choices for each character nailed it, and I was particularly attached to Satchel due to his olden purple accent. I don’t remember having read the first one as an audio, but I even put a request through my library to borrow L&Ls audiobook.

The plot itself (while nothing more than an almost standard D&D campaign) felt better structured than the first book’s with slightly higher stakes (but not too many, come on this is a COZY read).

This book made me want to actually go and pre order the third one coming out. All around, very nice read.

I thought this audio book was very well narrated, I love the world that this book takes place in and think that the cozy fantasy genre is one of my new favorites. I read the original story so this just felt like returning home, I hope that Balder has more in store for us!

In "Bookshops & Bonedust", Baldree's latest prequel novel in the "Legends and Lattes" series, we are reintroduced to the beloved character Viv during her adventuring days. In this novel was see a moment in Viv's life after she injures her leg and is forced to ride out her recovery in a sweet, charming seaside town. Her time is well spent though, she helps out a local bookseller, slays some necromancers (of course, she cannot avoid it), and enjoys a little love affair with a baker. Though we know as readers that these relationships will be short-lived, it was still a lovely pitstop to rest a while in.

It was so lovely to dive back into this cozy world. Baldree really had done it again. The novel was a bit more action packed in comparison to "Legends and Lattes" but that is to be expected. I cannot wait for further books in the series.

Baldtree gives us a great formative tale of Viv, is almost embarassingly earnest at times about how fucking great books and bookstores are, and getting Viv to the point of where she is in Legends and Lattes. He's also clearly having fun with the prose, and it's very infectious. Perfect read for a fall weekend where I went and got a bunch of weed and books and tore through this in two sittings. Books are great! Community is great! So are pastries! And little pug owlbear type things who love all food, and may actually have a negative int modifier. Not that much of a fan of Baldree as a narrator, as he reminds me of a pompous herald somehow.

I received an audiobook ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Y'all this book is so freaking good! I did read it before reading Legends & Lattes, and I didn't miss anything. I'm sure if I had read L&L first, I would have seen the series easter eggs, but this can definitely be read as a standalone.

Honestly, there isn't anything I didn't enjoy about this book. I enjoyed the plot, the characters, the writing style. B&B helped me fall in love with cozy fantasy!

Bookshops & Bonedust is another amazing genre bending cozy fantasy by Travis Baldree. Though technically a prequel to the earlier published Legends & Lattes, I feel that they could be read in either order. I look forward to the sequel, Brigands & Breadknives that is expected in November of 2025.

Travis Baldree has become one of my instant buy authors. His ability to write found family and cozy fantasy makes his books a giant warm hug. His characters are loveable and his plot is page turning. I love that his cozy fantasy has higher stakes than other cozy fantasy. It keeps me deeply engaged and wanting more. I cannot wait for more books from Travis Baldree.

I absolutely loved this book! I even enjoyed it more than Legends and Lattes.

The found family and self discovery was fantastic. Even the splash of romance was more fulfilling.

I great prequel to Legends and Lattes. I've heard that some people don't think it's as good as the first, but I think that just because there's less romance. I didn't mind that. I loved the character exploration.

Bookshops & Bonedust - Travis Baldree

Series: Legends & Lattes
Series Number: 0 (Prequel)
TON (Type of Narration): Solo by Travis Baldree
Audiobook Length: 8h 1m
Audiobook Rating: 5/5
Release Date: November 7, 2023
POV: Third Person, Single POV
Genre and Sub Genre: Fantasy, Cozy Fantasy
Main Location(s): Murk (small beach town)
Tropes: cozy fantasy, small town, sapphic, found family, summer romance
On KU?: No
HEA?: not really
Rating: 4/5
Spice: 0.5/5

Summary:
When a battle injury sidelines young orc mercenary Viv, she’s forced to recover in the quiet coastal town of Murk, far from the action she craves. In Bookshops & Bonedust, the prequel to Legends & Lattes, Viv finds herself spending time at a struggling bookshop run by a sharp-tongued proprietor, discovering unexpected solace in the world of second-hand books. But Murk is far from boring, with a mysterious traveler, a gnome with an attitude, a summer romance, and plenty of skeletons stirring up trouble. As Viv navigates her time in Murk, she begins to learn that what we need isn’t always what we’re looking for, setting the stage for her eventual journey of self-discovery.

Review:
Bookshops & Bonedust is a charming and heartwarming prequel to Legends & Lattes, offering a deeper look at Viv’s journey before her coffee shop days. Injured during an adventure, Viv finds herself building a temporary life in the sleepy town of Murk, where she forges new friendships, navigates budding romance, and uncovers her softer side. While the relationships she forms are touching, it’s bittersweet knowing she ultimately moves on, which made it hard for me to fully invest in the emotional connections. However, the platonic bond between Viv and Fern stood out as the most meaningful, showcasing a beautiful found-family dynamic.
Travis Baldree’s narration of his own work elevates the audiobook, bringing distinct voices and personality to each character. While the romance didn’t hit the mark, the exploration of how connections shape our paths was a lovely takeaway. Whether you’re a fan of the first book or diving in with this one, it’s a delightful listen that leaves you grateful for every moment shared with Viv.

A perfect book to curl up with all cozy in the cold winter months (or any other month).

B&B is a prequel to Legends & Lattes which practically started the current cozy fantasy trend. I absolutely loved Legends & Lattes. I didn’t love this quiiite as much as Legends & Lattes but that doesn’t mean it still wasn’t a lovely read. I really enjoyed the commitment to focus on the coffeeshop in L&L and there’s a bit more going on in this one than just the bookstore.

It’s still a perfectly cozy read so if you’re looking for a cozy fantasy read, and enjoyed Legends & Lattes, don’t miss this book. You get to find out more about Viv’s past as a younger orc.

B&B takes place at a bookstore, as the name would imply, and we get to see Viv discover the joy of reading and spend time and help out at a bookstore while recovering from an injury,. You can’t go wrong with a bookstore setting, love of books and indie bookstores. A charming town, the power of community, found family, unique and diverse characters are major characteristics of this book like L&L.

If you haven’t read either book, I think I still would recommend reading them in the publishing order rather than chronological order. I feel like this book is more fun knowing where Viv is going to end up. Though the events of this book bolsters the events of L&L and how Viv ends up as a coffeeshop owner in that book.

Baldree does a great job narrating his own book, so you can enjoy this either with your eyes, or your ears and know that you’ll be having a good time.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

I didn’t enjoy this story as much as I did Legends and Lattes. I also felt the narration was just okay and it really didn’t grab me until the end of the story.

Legends & Lattes was a really fun, cozy fantasy, and it's sequel is just the same. Travis Baldree has made a fan of a new genre, and has brought me back from the edge of dismissing fantasy for it's incredibly intimidating worlds.

I feel really bad, but I just found this story to be really boring. I also thought legends and lattes was pretty boring, so I think maybe this author just isn’t for me.

I also had a hard time with some of the narration, the voices he did for certain characters we were very grating and annoying, and It made focusing on the story really hard.

The narrator of course is excellent!! The story was perfect, I loved everything about it! I think I liked this book even more than book 1.

I really liked this story. I enjoyed it more than Legends & Lattes, but I think that is because you learn more about Viv and see more of her growth in this story. I loved the characters, and the friendships she makes in this book, and how they shape her as a person. I will be going back and doing a reread of Legends & Lattes now, and feel like I will enjoy it more this time. I am hoping for a third book now.

I’ll always love a story about a bookstore, and one in a fantasy world is no exception. Bookshops and Bonedust is a great companion to Legends and Lattes and I’ll be recommending both of them to anyone looking for a cozy fantasy.