I'm glad this was a prequel, I missed out on Legends & Lattes and I look forward to picking it up next!
This is such a warm, cozy read, I'm adoring the cozy fantasy genre and need more right now!! I wish I could have a recuperation in a bookshop.

While I enjoyed the atmosphere of the story, I felt that the plot was lacking (perhaps this is an element of the cozy fantasy genre?) and the stakes were extremely low. As a lifelong book lover I cannot hate that this is a book about finding the joy of reading, but I just wanted there to be more... something.
Fern, the rattkin bookseller, was my favorite and I deeply felt the readers advisory love in this book. Travis Baldree certainly knows his audience.

I would revisit this when I need some mental peace, I think this story could provide a lot of comfort for many.

I finished Bookshops and Bonedust, a prequel to the much-beloved cozy fantasy, Legends and Lattes. I hadn't read Legends and Lattes when I picked this one up, but it definitely didn't feel necessary to have done so, as I got my bearings in the universe super quickly. As I'd expected, this book was just pure cozy fun. I loved the characters and the setting most of all; picture a dreary, seaside town, populated with suspicious, small-town fantasy townsfolk. This universe truly had my heart. From what little I knew about Legends and Lattes, I'd expected this book to be bookshop-restoration from start to finish (which, to be clear, I would not have complained about). But, I was pleasantly surprised by how active and rich the plot ended up being. There's some real adventure and mystery here. On reflection, it's impressive that the more tense parts didn't feel at all jarring alongside the sleepy, cozy vibes. The book is narrated by the author. Sometimes, I feel disappointed when a book is narrated by its author but, as it happens, Travis Baldree is actually a veteran audiobook narrator with hundreds of audiobooks under his belt, so it's no wonder that he smashed this narration out of the park. Overall, I loved this one. Whether or not you've read Legends and Lattes already, I'd totally recommend Bookshops and Bonedust, especially for these dreary fall/winter days.

Bookshops and Bone Dust follows Viv’s final battle before she opens her coffee shop. It also delve into the relationships she made and her inspiration for the shop. I love this world and the character’s the author created. The narrator has a huge range of voices for a complex set of characters. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

One of the first books I fell in love with this year was Legend & Lattes. When I heard there was a prequel coming out, I was worried that it would not measure up to the first one. However, I was not to be disappointed, and absolutely loved this book as well! Picking my favorite of the two is kind of like choosing which one of my pets is my favorite though!

Bookshops & Bonedust opens up to Viv, the loveable orc from book one, being injured by a necromancer. She then finds herself in a small town to heal from her injuries and wait for her team to return. While she is there, she stumbles into a run-down bookshop that is in need of help to stay in business. Between assisting the bookshop and protecting the town from a mysterious stranger, Viv has plenty on her plate! She also meets all new characters, who are unique and wonderful in their own way.

If you have ever fallen in love with reading before, this book is written for you! There are characters finding their favorite books, author signings, book clubs, and more. This story is the perfect cozy fantasy book to curl up by the fire and read!

In addition, the audiobook is read by the author Travis Baldree and is absolutely fantastic!

Thank you to Macmillian Audio and Netgalley for the ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Everything I wanted I expected and wanted out of this book. I am so excited to buy it for myself. Thank you Netgalley.

Grateful for the opportunity to dive into the ARC of this book, though it didn't quite captivate me enough to reach the final page.

This book was amazing.
Pot roast and Satchel are my favorite characters in the book.

The mystery, adventure, romance, all of the things that made Legends and Lattes amazing seem to have increased for this book.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Can you capture lightning in a bottle twice? This book suggests that the answer is yes!

I first heard about Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes from Seanan McGuire’s Twitter account. She often will talk about upcoming books that she loves, and she described it in such a way that I was very much looking forward to reading it.

It didn’t disappoint- it was a very nice, sweet, cozy story, and I really enjoyed it. It might have bordered on being too twee, and the inventions of cinnamon rolls and other coffee shop staples felt a tad too convenient at times, but that didn’t detract from the joys of the book.

So I was overjoyed when Tor and NetGalley gave me an eARC of the prequel, Bookshops and Bonedust. Set years before L&L, this book focuses on a Viv who is just starting out in the mercenary business when she gets injured and stuck in a seaside town to recuperate. The cast of characters was even more fun than the last book, and Viv seemed either to be more well rounded or just better written in this volume.

I loved revisiting this world and I cannot wait for Mr. Baldree to let us know more of what’s happening with Viv. This is a must buy for anyone who enjoyed the original.

I listened to the audiobook of this novel, which was narrated by the author, and it is always interesting to see how an author interprets his own work.

I was beyond excited to be approved for Bookshops & Bonedust as my first audio ARC from Netgalley. I was absolutely enamored with Legends & Lattes, both the story and Travis Baldree’s narration, and couldn’t wait to read this prequel and return to this cozy fantasy world. I think if you liked L&L, B&B will be for you. I was nervous about this book being a prequel and not a sequel and what that would mean for it in the cozy realm given what we know of Viv’s past. But never fear, it’s got the same cozy feel, and having the bookstore setting was actually even more fun than a coffee shop for me, a reader and non-coffee drinker (the blind date with a book sale was probably my favorite part of the book!). I also felt like this book really gave insight as to how Viv chose her post retirement profession of running a shop. The actual conflict was not something I was as interested in since I was here for the vibes, but I can see how other readers need a bit more action than just hanging around a small town :). I will absolutely read anything else Baldree puts out, especially if he continues to narrate his books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! Bookshops & Bonedust will be published on November 7, 2023.

I absolutely adored Legends and Lattes, so I was equal parts excited and anxious about Bookshops and Bonedust - a second book by a favourite author is always nerve wracking! But there was absolutely no need because B&B was everything I could have wanted!

There was an adorable (foul mouthed) sidekick! There was a tiny griffin! Slow burn romance! A tiny little bookshop! I mean, what more could you ask for?

Getting to listen to the author narrate the book was an extra treat. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and this one really added to the cosiness of the story.

If you’re looking for another low stakes cosy fantasy, definitely pick up Bookshops and Bonedust. It’s a hug in a book; a cosy blanket on a cold day. Simply perfect.

If you liked the first one then hoooooo boy, you're gonna love this too. okay, so this has alla the same cozy-feeling themes of food, friendship, and family that made Legends & Lattes so dang comforting, but then it ALSO has a booknerdy readers' advisory angle? Was it AS good? No, I think not because the nature of it being a prequel made the stakes even lower than the first book. However, being in this world again is absolutely worth reading the prequel.

I’m cleaning up my Feedback bookshelf and trying to give reviews for past books I’ve read. I listened to this as an audiobook and recall that I really enjoyed the narrator. The story itself was good, but I did find myself losing interest in what was happening waiting for what was next, and wondering where the story was going. I listened to this book first because I saw it was a prequel but now I’m wondering if I should have read Legends and Lattes first because this book didn’t pull me into this world like I thought a prequel would. I doubt I will pick up Legenda and Lattes.

This prequel to Legends and Lattes is absolutely delightful, and I cannot wait to read Legends now. If you are like me and haven't read it, you will still enjoy Bookshops and Bonedust. No knowledge of the other book is required.

Viv is a very likeable character, and you do forget she is an orc. Actually, you forget all of the characters aren't people because they are very humanly drawn. Yes, the fantasy elements are still very present, but I found myself absorbed by the storytelling.

The audiobook is read by the author, and he really does a fantastic job! I love when authors read their own work because they know exactly how they want their characters to sound, so the expression is on point. Highly recommend!

This audiobook was delightful! The author reads his own book, and he does a terrific job. It’s a prequel to Legends & Lattes, but you don’t have to read that to read this. It’s a fun cozy fantasy read. Instead of a cafe, it takes place in a bookshop!! Books! Trying to save a failing bookshop? Fantastic. I enjoyed this so much. You’ll have all the warm and fuzzy feelings, especially after the epilogue.

It comes out November 7. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the eARC of the audiobook.

These books are such light, fun reads. They are cozy little hugs with a great cast of characters. Will definitely be rereading them when I need that feeling again.

I loved this book. Even though I've read Legends and Lattes and was worried about not feeling any of the stakes I definitely felt them! This was amazing. I loved getting to see the things that would lead to Viv being Viv.

Bookshops and Bonedust is part of the Legends and Lattes series. While it is released second, it comes before the other novel. I heard amazing things about Legends and Lattes and still really want to read it. After experiencing this novel, I cannot wait to try it even more! As this is a prequel, it seems you can read it whether you have read the other, which works out well for me. It takes place two decades before the other novel, so readers are introduced (or reintroduced) to the main character Liv. After getting injured during a battle with a necromancer’s skeleton army alongside her mercenary company, Rackam’s Ravens, Viv finds herself in the beach town of Murk.

The novel is narrated by the author, which worked out well as he did a fantastic job. As Viv recovers in Murk, the reader is introduced to a variety of characters with their own backstories and goals. Since there is a lot to explore, this novel is a great foundation for Viv, the secondary characters, and the mystery elements. It does fulfil the cozy vibe and does make me want to read the rest of the series. The epilogue does set up the sequel to the next novel, so readers like me will have the other novel spoiled. It is great for those that read the novels in release order, but it did not work as well for those that read chronologically, like me. I enjoyed the writing overall, though, and I think I will read more from the author in the future. As a prequel, this novel works well to set the foundation and I look forward to reading the next one.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for this audiobook ARC of Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree in return for an honest review!

In Bookshops & Bonedust we meet young Viv, an orc merc with a love of bashing skulls, in what at first seems like the lowest moment of her career. Injured and feeling abandoned, Viv is healing from a stab wound in the sleepy seaside town of Murk while her associates in Rackam's Ravens are off trying to hunt down a dangerous necromancer. As luck would have it, Viv's uncanny ability to make friends puts her firmly in the middle of a cozy business restoration (readers of Legends and Lattes will find this familiar, but no less charming) as well as in the crosshairs of trouble.

The book brings all the cozy fantasy energy that Legends and Lattes was praised for, with a more adventurous and involved plot. The bookshop elements up the cozy and familiar factor for readers in the best possible way, and with the lovable characters that fill the shops walls, it's easy to cheer for the inevitable happily ever after.

Travis Baldree's ability to create a fantasy world that feels believable without getting lost in the weeds of unnecessary/ excessive world-building is commendable and makes it easy for any reader to enjoy the novel without feeling out of depth. Readers need not enter into the book with a vast knowledge of fantasy creatures and tropes, as while the inclusions are fun for those familiar, it is primarily set dressing for the warm story of interpersonal dynamics.

This is the perfect prequel to Legends and Lattes and can be read before or after the cozy coffeeshop fantasy. I highly recommend this read to anyone looking for a read that will make them feel warm and well cared for. This book, much like Legends and Lattes, is the literary equivalent of a blanket and cozy fireplace on a cold winters' night.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listener copy of Bookshops and Bonedust!

This is a prequel to Legend and Lattes, which has been one of my favorite reads so far this year. B&B tells the story of Viv at the beginning of her career as a mercenary. In one of her first fights she takes a bad wound to the leg and her company leaves her in the nearest town to heal and says they will be back for her. Once Viv is up and walking around she discovers there is little the town has to offer, other than an amazing bakery and a dumpy bookshop. Boredom drives Viv into the bookshop where she and the owner immediately go head to head. Despite Viv's crutch putting a hole in the porch on her way in, Fern - the bookshop owner, lets Viv take a book back to the inn and a Viv quickly develops a love of books. While Viv waits for her company to come back to claim her, she and Fern fix up the bookshop. But is the necromancer that her company is fighting making her way to Murk instead?

I really enjoyed this one! As with L&L, the supporting characters really shine and Baldree's description of food makes me gain weight just listening to it. I know Baldree is an audiobook narrator but this is the first book I've listend to being read by him and the narration was fantastic! The setup for the next book in the epilogue is so intriguing! I can't wait for the next book!

Bookshops & Bonedust is the prequel to Legends & Lattes and honestly, I loved it even more! Viv has been wounded while on the hunt for a powerful necromancer and is forced to heal up in a small town while her crew moves on without her. But Viv isn't used to sitting idly by and doing nothing while waiting for the grass to grow (or in this case, for her leg to heal). While at first grumpy, she soon meets the members of the town including a bookshop and a bakery owner. Without specifically intending to, Viv helps revive local business and free a mysterious trapped creature. This had just the right mix of fantasy and cozy for me--it kept me both excited and turning pages!