Prior to Legends and Lattes, Viv is enthusiastically defeating reanimated skeletons as part of her job as a bounty hunter when she receives a debilitating leg wound. As her fellow bounty hunters continue on mission, Viv is left to languish in a little port town with barely more than an inn, a bakery, and a bookshop to its name. With nothing better to do, Viv investigates all three and finds herself persuaded to start reading. But trouble seems to follow the orc wherever she goes, despite her excellent decorating sense. Does she dare invest in a summer romance only to break the local lady's heart when she inevitably leaves with her fellows as soon as her injury heals?

Dare I say I liked this book better than Legends and Lattes? It definitely has cozy elements to it, but the thrill of mystery and romance is more pronounced, and while L&L definitely beats it in its descriptions of mouthwatering pastries, B&B has that smidge of adventure that L&L was missing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was an absolute delight! First - can I please visit Travis Baldree's kitchen? Every time he describes food in his books, I have an overwhelming need to eat a hearty meal!

If you enjoyed "Legends and Lattes" this prequel is an absolute must add to your TBR. Baldree is a master of cozy settings, charming and easy to love characters, and a Dungeons and Dragons feeling plot. This book tells the story of a time when Viv took a break from adventuring with the ravens to recover from an injury and befriends a bookshop owner.

Watching Viv, one of my all time favorite characters, fall in love with reading was an absolute treat. Not to mention, books with characters who read romance novels may be my all time favorite trope. And, there's a little critter named Potroast who you're guaranteed to love! It felt so special and cozy to be on an adventure with Viv once again.

Like his other book, Baldtdee narrates the audiobook and knocks it out of the park. The characters voices are exactly how I imagined and are easy to differentiate from one another. No complaints from me whatsoever.

I pre-ordered this audiobook about 8 months ago, and while I'm so grateful to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for letting me listen to it before it's release, I'll be keeping my audiobook purchase because I know I'll listen to this one again and again!

3.5/5 ⭐
0.5/5 🌶️
4.0/5 🎧

I really enjoyed this prequel to Legends and Lattes, but I definitely liked the first one more. I was disappointed that we saw more romance between Viv and Mira than we ever did with Viv and Tandy... And that it wasn't about her discovering coffee. All and all I liked it, but it left me with a bit of what was the point of that? Had it been different characters, I think I may have felt much differently.

The audio was well done again. Travis did a great job narrating his own story, although I do wish it was a female narrator given it's from a FMC's POV. But given it's 3rd person this doesn't matter as much.

I really loved the adventure aspect of this story and the bit of action we got while still being a cozy read.

I hoping we get more from this world and from Travis.

I am currently 50% completed with this novel. Honestly, I am whole heartedly enjoying this adventure. I think that this prequel might be my favorite of the Legends & Lattes series. The audiobook is a delight. Will provide more insight once completed.

Bookshops + Bonedust is a prequel to Legends + Lattes and we follow Viv as she realizes her career with the mercenary company-Rackam's Ravens is not going according to plan. It may have something to do with her being injured during a hunt for a powerful necromancer. She ends up being sent off to the sleepy beach town of Murk so she can recuperate. She may have never predicted seeing herself in a bookshop with the company of the bookshops foul-mouthed proprietor. As she worries her life would have less action in it she quickly find that a new adventure awaits her when a mysterious and suspicious traveler in gray appears.

First off, I want to start this review off by saying: yes, I read legends + Lattes back in December of 2022 (rated 4/5 stars) but I am going to reframe from comparing Bookshops + Bonedust to Legends + Lattes.

Bookshops + Bonedust definitely has that cozy fantasy vibe to it and makes you want to read it on a rainy day curled up on your couch with a fluffy blanket.

When being transported into this books world, you really get that feeling of Murk being a sleepy town with not much going on. I love the feeling Travis emanates with his writing when it comes to the characters emotions or the setting. But with the world building, I think Travis does well on painting the picture of the world but when it comes down to it there is not much meat to it and is just really the bone structure of the world. I would have liked there to be more in depth world building as well as more in depth character development. I did enjoy most of the characters but they could have been more well rounded.

For the most part I enjoyed the romance and I did find it to take away from the plot at times, but it was mostly enjoyable.

Bookshops + Bonedust does suffer from an uneven paring but in the end the plot is nicely tied up.

This was an okay read for me but a lot of people will enjoy Bookshops + Bonedust. This book makes a great fall/winter read and is great for a cozy day in. Also, if cozy fantasy, romance, and a relaxing read are things you are seeking, then look no further and pick up this book.

This pre-qual was PERFECTION. I wanted to curl up inside the book and stay there. It was the perfect amount of cozy, romance, bookish and adventure. I loved the first book, Legends and Lattes, so Bookshops & Bonedust had big shoes to fill. I think it had exceptionally large shoes (Ogre size) when you already had a character that was loved and cherished. Travis Baldree does a great job with characters and I love each of them so much. They have distinct personalities, are complex and have great character arcs. I was a bit worried on how the book would work out when it was 85% in and the climax hadn't happened yet, but it actually wrapped up the "action" in a way that worked out well enough and I was satisfied.
Had this been a stand-alone I definitely would have been SO sad, but knowing the next part of the story, it was perfect. I also am hoping that maybe a third book would be in our near future.
I listened to both books on audio and loved them both, especially with the author narrating. Just so good!

3.5 stars. Alright so, first things first, I loved Legends & Lattes. I read it for the first time immediately preceding my read of Bookshops & Bonedust, which may have been a mistake? Hear me out...

The two books are remarkably similar, especially in the first half of B&B. As such, I found myself a little...bored? The plot just seemed to be repeating itself in a different timeline of Viv's life, with a slightly different type of business venture. However, things did turn around in the second half of the book, which had significantly more action that L&L. Adorable characters, cozy vibes, low-stakes conflict, no complaints with any of that at all. Definitely worth a read if you're a fan of L&L! Overall, I liked it, I just wish it hadn't been so repetitive of the first book.

Thank you to Travis Baldree, Tor Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for my advance audio and digital copies.

Legends and Lattes hit the world by storm and gave us one of the best cozy fantasies! Bookshops and Bonedust has the same vibes and is a fun look into younger Viv.

This is a prequel that shows us Viv after she has an injury and is left behind in a small town to recover. There is a bit of adventure but the main focus is on her recovering, making friends, and of course the bookshop! It has all the cozy vibes your heart could desire.

Honestly I could live in a Travis Baldree world and never be bored, he's such a great writer and narrator!

I keep it short and sweet. I did not like it. The reason for this was the repetitiveness from the previous installment which was a copy and paste formula here. Except for the coffee shop we have a bookstore, instead of low stakes we have stakes that I have no idea what they were about. Viv as a character is a perfection, I like spending time with her. But the characters here didn't sit with me well because they were not very consistent along the journey. I also think that I would have a much better time if the narrator was different. With all my love for Legends and Lattes, Travis Baldree reads books to me in such an unclear way, with intonation in strange spots, going fast and slow, and back and forth. I cannot explain it any better but anyone who had a bad experience with an audiobook knows that sometimes our ear just won't have it and that's it.

For that reason alone, I just want to point out that if you just finished the first book and want more - this is the perfect book for you. Don't go far. If someone doesn't mind having the same formula repeated and just wants to immerse into the world - be my guest, that is my best recommendation, right here. That is not to say, and I will do it at some point - just read a physical version and might be better off with that choice. So for now I just wanted to say that I am glad to meet Viv again to get to be inspired by her reading and I hope next time we meet, we both going to have a splendid time.

I will be posting my IG review in the day of release.

I give this book a SOLID 4.5 stars. This was a rare stand alone prequel that adds so much to the first book, Bookshops and Bonedust has all the cozy vibes and action I had come to expect from Legends and Lattes. There's a loveable animal companion, a frazzled bookshop owner, a baker of fine treats, and a necromancer lurking somewhere in the background. If you were wondering why a mercenary orc would want to open a coffee shop, read this, maybe with a nice cup of coffee of your own. This book is the perfect example of there's a right book for every time, and a right time for every book. Super cozy, super well written (and narrated) Travis has definitely made himself an instant buy author for me after these last two slam dunks.

Wow, this was FUN! If you loved Legends and Lattes but wish it had more adventure, more magical beings, and a sense of foreboding while still being cozy and comforting, this prequel is PERFECT for you. I loved the cast and the concept! The audiobook narration by the author was also IMMACULATE!

rep: lesbians!! no humans so no race

spice level: none

tw: fighting, attempted mugging, healing from major injury, mobility aids

Bookshops & Bonedust was an enjoyable prequel to Travis Baldree's popular low stakes fantasy novel, Legends and Lattes. To be honest, I think I preferred this latest release. While B&B contained all the coziness and charm of its predecessor, the stakes were a little higher, and the pace a little quicker, both of which made the story more enjoyable. Travis Baldree does a nice job narrating his own stories, and I like hearing the way he imagines his characters to sound. My absolute favorite part of B&B was getting to read the origin stories of some of my favorite elements from L&L. The epilogue left room for a possible third book, and should another book be on its way, I will happily read that one as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy!

Let me start off by saying that this was a wonderfully cozy, follow up to legends and lattes by the same author. I highly enjoyed audiobook, just as with the first Travis Baldree lends so much emotion and knowledge of these characters that they literally jump out at you.

Bookshops and Bonedust takes place many years prior to Legends and Lattes. It did not quite make that clear in the beginning, and I had to look up that information partway through the book because I was just curious. I wish that info had been made more readily known at the beginning of the audiobook. But by the end of the audiobook, you absolutely know where this book lies in the timeline of things.

Freshly hurt after a bounty with her group of comrades, Viv is stranded in a seaside town to heal. While healing, she wanders randomly into a book shop and meets a whole slew of characters that become found family. Through a series of events, the necromancer that Viv was previously hunting with her coworkers ends up in the seaside town. Viv is off on a adventure to figure out how to catch the necromancer, and foil her evil plot. All while saving the decrepit bookstore that is on the verge of closing in the sleepy little town.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. I did prefer Legends and Lattes to this book by a marginal amount. But this was an absolutely wonderful cozy. Read perfect for the fall season.

This is another cute companion entry in the series that started with Legends and Lattes. As expected, this story was cozy.

I wish the story had a little more meat because I prefer stories with a little heavier plot. Yet, as an escapist, easy read this book succeeded in what it was trying to accomplish.

I would recommend this one to readers looking for a nice pallet cleanser between grimdark fantasy and other depressing reads.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I have been meaning to read Legend's and Latte's, so when the opportunity to listen to this audiobook came up it was perfect. Either L&L would come off my TBR, or get deleted. Well I was pleasantly surprised. It's a character study in a fantastical world. Yes there is magic, but it's not the focus Yes there is romance, but it's not steamy. Sure the main characters are all "creatures", but they're very human. It's a fun story about forming friendships for a season but that have a lifetime of impact. I highly recommend this book and the author being the narrator was icing on the cake. I will be reading L&L very soon, and can't wait for more from this author.

This is my first true cozy fantasy read. I really didn't know what to expect. If I'm being honest this is one of those things that kept popping up and I thought to myself "I need to read that".

The story starts off with Viv being injured and especially left to recover in a run down inn of sorts. While waiting for her crew to "retrieve" her she makes true meaningful friendships. She also reevaluates what's important.

I just really enjoyed this book. It's absolutely adorable. I'm so happy that Travis Baldree and Netgallery allowed me access to the Audiobook early. When the physical copy is released I will pick it up.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I requested this book. I wasn't terribly concerned that I haven't read Legends & Lattes, as this is the prequel to that. I repeatedly read reviews of Legends & Lattes, that characterized it as “a warm hug.” And what is a “cozy fantasy?” I wondered. Is that a thing? Well, let's examine. . . .

Given the information with which I started this adventure, the book's opening struck me as surprisingly violent. There are bursts of battle violence on and off throughout the story. Profanity is abundant, and steamy romance book passages are read (from books within the book). Alcohol is consumed to excess. So, (at least this particular) cozy fantasy probably is not recommended for children [as always, you choose what's right for your family] or sensitive readers of any age.

For all the violence and profanity, though, the main theme seems to be caring relationships, both platonic and romantic. These relationships earn a ratings bump [to 3.35⭐].

Other themes include cooperation, social responsibility, consideration, the importance of reading (and finding the books that are right for you/reader advisory services), and inclusivity—characters include quite a variety of fantasy creatures: orcs, dwarves, elves, goblins, ratkin (wererats—today I learned), and the like. The seaside town in which the story takes place has small businesses—pub/inn, bookshop (obviously), and bakery among them—and the owners of each play significant parts in the story. Character development is fairly good and I became invested in the what happened to the characters. In addition to the fantastical beings, there are magical objects, including grimoire and bonedust.

I wasn't as enthralled by the story as I had hoped, but I do genuinely wish to read the next (published first) book. I don't know whether most fantasy lovers will like this book, or if they might feel the same kind of mild disappointment that some traditional mystery lovers feel about cozy mysteries. If you aren't put off by the qualifiers I opened with, and if you're game for a mostly light read, why not give this a try?

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC, which is narrated by the author, of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected November 7.

The first book in this series was a big surprise hit for me last year. I wasn't aware that cozy fantasy was a genre, let alone something I needed in my life until I met Viv the orc. I think if you are a fan of the first book then you are going to enjoy the second one just as much because it takes place in a bookstore. The book starts as Viv gets hurt and is left in a small town to recover. There isn't much to do in this small town so she wanders into a bookstore and the adventure begins. There is a new cast of crazy characters for you to get to know and I love that she turns this bookstore around. After finishing I hope that Travis will write more in this world and from the epilogue it seems like it will be happening!

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillian audio for the advance audio copy.

This book was high on my anticipated reads for the year. I adored the first book Legends & Lattes like many other readers. Light cozy fantasy. Was this one as good as the last one? Probably not. But still a delightful read with a cozy bookshop theme.

I think Travis Baldree does fantasy well as either a palette cleanser for fantasy readers, or for those looking to dabble in fantasy without a ton of world building.

This is set as a prequel to Legends and Lattes. It's was nice to get a bit of backstory on Viv, the orc we grew to love.

I think this series is totally acceptable even for middle grade readers as long as your okay with the occasional curse word in their reading.

There is something so absolutely heartwarming about the world Travis Baldree creates with his character Viv and her cozy adventures. When I first ran across Legends and Lattes, I picked it up but took a little bit of time to read it. Once I actually did, I fell in love with each and every character. The same happened with Bookshops and Bonedust, except I didn’t hesitate when I was approved for the Advanced Reader Copy through Netgalley. This is a prequel to the coffee shop and the Timbits, so this seems to be when Viv was in her prime with Rackam’s Ravens and things are going well, except she’s been stabbed and now needs to rest and recuperate until her team comes back for her. In the meantime, she has to figure out what to do with her days and not get into too much trouble, which is kind of hard since she’s a mercenary and seems to have trouble constantly following her. Nevertheless, the town of Murk seems to have exactly the people she needs in her life, whether she knows it or not.
I cannot recommend this book enough and do not want to give too many details away, but I promise, if you give this book a chance, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.