Dnf 23%
I just could not get into this book. I couldn’t follow along at all so I had no idea what was happening or even anyone’s name. This is a me issue because I didn’t like the previous book. If people loved the first book they’ll probably enjoy this installment

Travis Baldree is a master of cozy vibes! This prequel to Legends and Lattes follows Viv earlier on in her career as a mercenary when she get injured and has to spend some time recovering in a sleepy, seaside town. Instead of the coffee shop plot like in L&L, there is a focus on the renovation and revitalization of a local bookshop. The cast of characters is just as lovely and the bookshop felt even cozier. Viv's mercenary storyline did drag out a bit at times and was slow to start developing, but it did have a satisfying wrap-up by the end. The cherry on top of this book was absolutely the epilogue that jumps forward to post L&L time. It was so touching and wrapped up both the storylines of this book as well as L&L. Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book and while it didn't draw me in quite as much as L&L, it was still a joy to read/listen to. The narration by Baldree is fantastic!

Bookshops & Bonedust was such a cozy fantasy book, which acts as a prequel to Legends & Lattes. Here, we get to see a much younger Vic as a mercenary. She is being forced to rest in a quit little town after a serious injury to her leg. She ends up befriending and helping the Bookshop owner, Fern (who I loved).

I listened to the audiobook, which was read by the author, and Travis did such an incredible job! All the voices really brought each of the characters to life, while managing to make them unique and personalized.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for The ALC in exchange for an honest review.

A charming addition to the series, Bookshops & Bonedust follows a younger Viv when she's forced to rest in a small town after a leg injury sustained in battle. While there she befriends the owner of the local book shop, helps the struggling store improve, has a summer romance with a dwarf who runs a bakery, and gets into a bit of trouble. It's fun and cozy and offers a look at who Viv used to be, before she was an orc who could settle down and run a coffee shop. While perhaps nothing will quite match the magic of Legends & Lattes, I really enjoyed this and hope we get more stories in this world! I love the idea of these quieter tales found in-between the adventures. The author also narrates the audio book and does a fantastic job. If you liked Legends & Lattes you should pick this one up as well! I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

This prequel is an excellent follow-up to Legends and Lattes. Viv is laid up in a small seaside town, and in her boredom she decides to help some local businesses. There's a bookshop, there's a bakery, there's even a mysterious author living outside of town. I especially love how bonedust came into play. I love this world and all of its denizens. Because it's a prequel, you know Viv won't stay in the town, but I love how she helped out while she was there.

Travis, of course, does a superb reading. Since Viv and most of the main characters are female, I would prefer a female narrator, but I can understand why he reads his own book.

5 stars. Recommend!

I was provided an ARC audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is such an amazing book to listen to. The author is the narrator and does an incredible job. I also love knowing the inflections and tones are exactly how the author intended.

This is the prequel to Legends and Lattes, and it is just as comforting. I loved watching Viv get into reading and helping around the bookstore. We really got to see Viv become who we see in Legends and Lattes.

There was a bit more fantasy adventure plot in this one. I absolutely loved it! It was a great balance to not stress out the reader but throw some intrigue into the mix.

I'm always a little weird about prequel romances when we already met a love interest we know our MC will be with. They were cute, but it was hard for me to buy in knowing they weren't going to last.

I loved Legends and Lattes! I love this one even more for having some adventure in it! Must read if you are a fan of the former.

Also that Epilogue... Sequel needed ASAP!

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. This is a near perfect slice of life fantasy. My only real complaints are the book is on the shorter side and the side characters had potential to be something more and stayed side characters. The question is why 4 stars instead of five? The book lacks that something special to make it a must recommend or reread.

I received a review copy of the audiobook from Tor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review: I honestly loved it.

Bookshops & Bonedust is a prequel that takes place 20 years before Legends & Lattes. In this book, we meet a much younger Viv who has just started her career as an adventurer. Her career gets waylaid (and potentially derailed) by a serious injury, and she's left behind in a small seaside village to recover. As Viv regains her strength and starts to move around town, we get to know the town and its inhabitants along with her. I fell in love with the place.

Like Legends & Lattes, this cozy, low-stakes fantasy pulled me in right from the very beginning. I love the great circle of friends Viv gathered around her in this book. That "found family," and a bit of mystery and romance kept me engaged: I literally could not put this book down once I started. It's a fun, feel-good story that not only put a smile on my face, but also brought a tear or two to my eyes. It's another fantastic story by a fantastic author and narrator. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

Travis Baldree's narration is excellent as always. He gives each character a distinct and easily recognized voice and personality. His narration really brought this story and its characters to life.

Highly recommended for fans of Travis Baldree and Legends & Lattes: 5 stars.

I enjoyed listening to Bookshops & Bonedust so much! In this second book by Travis Baldree, there is just all of the elements of cozy fantasy you could want. Even though this is the second book, you can read/listen to it as a stand-alone if you really want to. There is nothing in this delightful story that you could not understand and enjoy if you didn't read or listen to Legends & Lattes first. You should still definitely read or listen to both. Or read AND listen to them both.

Travis Baldree is not just the author, he is also the narrator for these books. He is a great narrator who brings his stories to life and is just the perfect touch for his books. It doesn't matter what speed you listen to audio books, his narration is really just perfect at any speed. You can hear the nuance that he gives the story as the author, which I think other narrators would have great trouble matching.

I really enjoyed listening to the trials and tribulations of Viv the orc as she recuperates from an injury and figures out where she wants to steer her life. The worldbuilding is on point, the characters have great arcs, and there is a mildly sapphic theme with zero spice.

If you are new to the idea of cozy fantasy, think of it like a gentle hug of a story. You really shouldn't miss out on this series.

I really enjoyed this one! Maybe not quite as much as I loved Legends and Lattes, but it was close.

This story takes place prior to Legends and Lattes and is about Viv's time as a mercenary. At the start of the book she gets stabbed through the leg, so this story follows her as she is recovering. She makes friends with the local bookseller and starts reading all kinds of adventurous and steamy books while she's healing. There may be a necromancer who shows up because someone has stolen something from her? And Viv is obviously the only one who can help with that situation, regardless of her current physical condition. In a similar way to Legends and Lattes, there is action and adventure in this story, but it's fairly low stakes.

Also, I have to say that my absolutely favourite character in this story is the homunculus, Satchel. He is named Satchel, because when he is not animated he resides in, you guessed it, a satchel. It's ridiculous, but also perfect.

A great story to add to this universe, and I really hope that Baldree continues to write stories in this universe, because I think there is a lot of them to still be told.

This was the first book I have picked up of Travis Baldree. I heard about Legends and Lattes from TikTok and when I saw this was available I wanted to listen to it. I have never listened to this type of story before and I found myself so entertained!!! I loved Fern. She was a perfect bookshop owner. I also thought Viv was a great character. I can't wait to listen to Legends and Lattes and learn more about Viv. I also loved that Travis did the narrative on this book. I look forward to reading more of his books.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC in advance or my honest opinion.

The author did a fantastic job narrating but the story felt quite directionless to me—the narrative tension was missing.

I thoroughly enjoyed Legends & Lattes and was super excited to hear that Travis Baldree was going to give us a prequel that focused on Viv's life before the coffee shop. Let's just say he did not disappoint (and he's the narrator for the audiobook)!

Once again, Baldree created a comfy, cozy little fantasy story that provided readers with a found family, a little magic, and an orc that just wants to do her best. I think this backstory gives the reader a nice glimpse into Viv's early life as a mercenary and provides some insight into what might have happened along the way to eventually lead to her opening the coffee shop.

This wasn't a five-star read for me because I did feel as though the story dragged in some parts and maybe it didn't need to be so long. I understand the stakes weren't high, which certainly contributed to this opinion somewhat, but I felt as though the book was clearly building to a point and once it got there it was anticlimactic. This was somewhat of a letdown because I found myself wishing that certain parts of the book weren't included because it felt like something more interesting should have been happening (and I really didn't want to feel that way!).

One of my favorite parts of this book was the new characters that we were introduced to. Fern's potty mouth and Pot Roast's delightful little antics stole my heart and you'll just have to read/listen to find out more for yourself!

I will say that I really enjoyed the epilogue and I truly hope this is some foreshadowing of what's to come *fingers crossed for more books*

If you liked Legends & Lattes, I certainly recommend picking up this book too. If you're new to the L & L world, I would recommend starting with L & L before picking up this book, or, at the very least, don't read/listen to the epilogue if you start with B & B to avoid spoilers!

Summary:
This is a prequel and companion book to ‘Legends & Lattes’.

Characters:
Fern: Oh my gosh this Ratkin is just wonderful. Her personality is great, her language is colourful and fun, and I love the friendships she develops with the people in the story.

Positives:
+ Pot Roast is lovely. I love the reason for the name. I love the interactions with him. I LOVE HIS EXISTENCE.
+ The little tidbits of the stories that Viv reads being included in the story were an inspired addition.
+ Travis Baldree reads his own book and it's absolutely wonderful. I hadn’t known prior to listening to it that he was an audiobook narrator before he had published any books! I think he is now my favorite audiobook reader to date. He has all the wonderful voices, his tone and cadence are fantastic. Really there is SO much to recommend!

Final Thoughts:
Oh my gosh, this is like listening to a favorite family member read you a story while you are drinking your favorite warm beverage, all cozy and warm in bed. I loved this short little story. It was wonderful. SO many great characters. So many heart squishy feelings. I think, because bookshops and books are so near and dear to my heart, that this really appealed to me.

Keep in mind that I have not read the first book ‘Legends & Lattes’ that was published first but chronologically is after the events that happen in this book. I can not speak to if there are any spoilers revealed or repeat characters. I do want to give a warning if you are going the same route I am though (this book first), the epilogue alludes to things that have already happened (i presume) at the end of ‘Legends & Lattes’. So maybe save that for later if you care very much for (potential?) spoilers, or read it and just be delighted for things to look for in the next book you pick up.

I fell in love with Viv in Legends & Lattes and it was so good to experience another book by Travis Baldree and experience another adventure with Viv.

Bookshops & Bonedust is the prequel to L&L so we meet Viv when she is left in a random town by her gang after her leg is injured. Her injury is cared for and her only option is to take time to heal. Except, in true Viv fashion, she has to find something to occupy her time.
In comes Fern, who owns a rundown bookshop, which Viv is determined to help him turn it around into a successful shop.

Just like L&L, this whole book felt like a warm hug - it was cozy and fun, a perfect comfort read. However, B&B seemed to have a little more fantasy adventure to it. I still loved it and I can’t wait to get a physical copy to be able to read again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Travis Baldree for this advanced copy of the audiobook of Bookshops & Bonedust.

It's a rare treat to have an author read their own audiobook - instilling the exact intonation, flourish, and cadence they had in mind when writing. It's rarer still to have an author who is a STELLAR narrator of their own book; and the audiobook for Bookshops & Bonedust is one such miraculous work. Travis Baldree knocks it out of the proverbial park.

Once you get over the excellent narration, you'll be carried away with the wonderful story of Viv's early adventures in not-adventuring, building her character further from Legends & Lattes and helping ground the listener in this incredible world still further.

Let me start by saying that Travis Baldree does an excellent job as the narrator of this audiobook. His delivery is engaging and brings life to the characters. However, I must admit that I had a challenging time staying connected to the story. I'm sure for some the book will have potential and they will love it. However, for me, it didn't quite hit the mark of keeping me wholly engaged throughout.

After crying myself to sleep that I was ineligible for the physical ARC, the skies opened and I was granted access to the buttery voice of Baldree and the ever coveted prequel to the cozy fantasy "Legends and Lattes."

Plot: We find our big armed and bigger attituded Viv at a fresh faced 18, hacking down goons to an all powerful necromancer. When Viv gets sucker stabbed in the leg, she's dumped in a sleepy sea-side town to recover and worry that her glory years have quickly come to an end. However, when she finds a decrepit bookstore owned by a foul-mouthed ratkin, a sweet-faced baker, and a hooting griffit, she is faced with the struggles of indecision of a life yet lived and a life by the sea.

Thumbs up: Baldree has the most buttery voice and offers a wide range of character styles in his narration. I found myself a bit sleepy at times with L&L but Bookshops & Bonedust offers just enough action to keep you listening well into the night. If you are someone who has walked through life wondering "what if?" this one will get you right in the heart cords.

Thumbs down: I do not live near the sea nor have any baking skills, thanks for reminding me of this BALDREE.

Was it a nail biter? A fixer upper montage, loveable characters, a little action, and little romance, this book has it all. Definitely a must-read for anyone looking to joining the best motely crew of characters.

Although I feel like L&L was more magical I still very much enjoyed going back to this setting and being whisked away for a few hours into a land where Griffins are pets and homunculus’s are servants and the owner of the bookstore invented blind date with a book and author tours/signings,
Viv, an Orc, hurts her leg and is forced to take it easy for a while to recover, so she stumbles upon a fledgling bookstore and the owner, a rat, talks her into reading and soon she is helping out and helping to save the bookstore. Soon, her old life seems to be coming back to haunt her as a man in a grey suit appears to be stalking and the real adventures begin.
The narrator did a fab job of articulating the different characters and bringing them to life, especially considering none of them are human!
Thank you to Tor Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.

I knew I would love Bookshops & Bonedust and I was right. Liv is a great character in thos prequel to Legends & Lattes. The story orovides slice-of-life insight into her character al8ngside a fantastic & lovable cast of characters and a bit of fantasy battle.