4.5 stars — I’m always wary of prequels. Will they live up? Will they fundamentally change the character? This one was spectacular.

We got to see a much different Viv, but the fundamentals are still the same. And not only that, we got to see glimmers of her changing into the Viv we meet in Legends & Lattes. I loved seeing her once again forming friendships with other misfits — sometimes reluctantly, but she just can’t help herself. And all of her friends were so different, but all brought something to Viv’s growth. And Viv herself goes through growth just on her own as well — learning to slow down, learning to think, learning to lean on others. Understanding the importance of connections.

Fern was absolutely delightful and definitely my favourite in this series. I would LOVE to see a Fern story. She was such a contradiction in some ways, and I loved her filthy mouth. She had her own growing to do, and it was delightful to see the way Viv opened her eyes and her heart, shook her out of her slump.

Maley (no idea spelling) was complicated, especially knowing how things would go with Viv eventually, but in the end she really brought her own things to Viv’s life.

Satchel was fantastic, though I was definitely wary of him. Pitt was adorable (and I wouldn’t mind a Pitt story too). And I loved meeting Galena so early! There were lots of other little characters in the town that all brought their own element to the story.

It gave me a lot of what L&L gave me, that feeling of happiness and connection, with a little more action, a little more mystery, a little more brashness. I can’t wait for more from Mr. Baldree.

Thank you to Travis Baldree (author & narrator), Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for this free advanced reader copy of "Bookshops & Bonedust" for an honest opinion.

A fan of "Legends & Latte's" (which I also listened to as an audiobook!), I absolutely had to grab this book the moment I spotted it in the audiobooks. I'm excited to relate the author is narrating this one, which I feel always gives you even more insight into how a book is meant to be taken, since we hear their excitement, sadness, and places were words in dialogue (and narration!) are meant to have more emphasis.

While I didn't love this one as much as the first, it was still a nice little fall cozy read, and it was great to catch up with the main characters. I'm also a fan of the frame narrative (the story-within-a-story) structural choices, where we get to go in and in and in like Russian nesting dolls, especially when its characters are relating genesis/origin stories.

This story is an excellent prequel to Legends and Lattes and Travis Bladree is an exceptionally talented narrator. Like the first book, it falls into the cozy fantasy genre. I really enjoy Baldree’s writing style. It allows for a relaxing read while being taken along on an exciting adventure. The pacing of the book is good, and I find myself not wanting to put the book down. I hope that Baldree continues writing adventures with Viv.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Note: I have also purchased the print copy of this book and thoroughly enjoyed reading the book again. Baldree's books are ones that you can enjoy reading more than once!

This is the perfect cozy fantasy book. I also loved legends and lattes. The narration was excellent.

2.5 stars rounded up

I did not enjoy this one as much as legends and lattes. I feel like it kind of lost the intent or purpose of the book. It tried to be low stakes and cozy, but then had a necromancer?

Amazing world building and fantasy while still being a very simple slice of life read. Loved it. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Legends and Lattes is such a wonderful cozy fantasy so I was really looking forward to the release of this prequel.

I loved the bookish element of the story. As a reader I always love that trope, and this story-within-a-story was really fun to follow. There are so many great bookish details in this book—blind dates with books, comfy reading chairs, and falling asleep with a book in your lap are just some of the details that book lovers are sure to appreciate from this story! I also enjoyed getting to know Viv’s character better, and understanding more about her development was a treat.

This is a perfect read for cozying up in a good reading chair with a warm coffee and a scone (or three)—exactly what I was hoping for!

Thank you to @travis_baldree for another comforting installment, and a big thank you to @netgalley for the ARC!

#bookshopsandbonedust:⁣
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Thank you @macmillan.audio for my gifted copy! Out now!⁣
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Full disclosure: I haven’t read Legends & Lattes. However, I’ve boot, scoot, and boogied it up to the highest tier of my TBR thanks to Bookshops & Bonedust.⁣
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The book literally says this is a warm hug of a book, and I 100% agree. The easiest way to describe this book is a cozy hug next to a warm fire. Viv and Pot Roast stole my heart, and I truly hope they’re doing well when I dive in Legends & Lattes. If not, please don’t tell me so I’m able to live in this ignorant bliss. ⁣
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Baldree is the reader, and I would not expect anything less. Always a wonderful reader, I think it’s great when an author can read their book because they truly know the inflections, the pitch, the souls of these characters. I loved the audio and highly recommend. ⁣
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Loved this book and the cast of characters. Excited to go back into this world in Legends & Lattes. Out now!⁣
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QOTD: Where’s your favorite place to read a book?

I loved the audio of Legends & Lattes, and was so excited to receive an audio ARC from Netgalley and Macmillion Audio. Travis is such an amazing author and narrator.

Bookshops and Bonedust is a prequel to L & L, and maybe I just set my expectations too high, but I wanted more. I love a book about books and couldn’t wait to read about bookshops and books, but that didn’t happen. It focused more on reading, which is fine. I just wanted cozy bookshop vibes.

All the side characters were quirky and charming. I found myself laughing several times and did enjoy the listen. I think again I had just set my expectations too high. That said, if you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, I have no doubt you will be entertained by this book as well (especially the audio). I would like to petition that Travis narrate all cozy fantasy books moving forward.

This prequel to Legends and Lattes has all the charm of the original story and is just as much fun. I listened to the audio version of the book, and that made me enjoy the book more than I did it's sequel. Travis Baldree is a talented narrator and I found myself fully immersed in the little town of Murk as he read his book. If you are an audiobook listener, I highly recommend. I also felt like there was a bit more to the plot this time around, which for me was nice. Overall, this was a perfectly cozy read and if you liked the first book, you will also enjoy this one. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

We are brought back into this wonderful adventure with Viv being dropped in Merk to recover after being injured. We get to meet so many characters along the way. This is defined a fun cozy read.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

I honestly devoured this book. I was lucky enough to get the audiobook from Netgalley, but I also pre-ordered the physical book. While I enjoyed the audiobook, I actually preferred reading the physical copy. The narrator was just not for me and I found it hard to fully embrace myself in the story that way.

That being said, I read the book in three sittings. I did not want to put it down. I fell in love with Viv all over again and the new cast of characters. It was hard not to be rooting for them. Also who doesn't love cozy vibes in a bookshop! I reallllly hope there will be a sequel because.... I do not want to add spoilers but I think it would just be amazinggg!!

Bookshops and Bonedust was a wonderful prequel to Legends and Lattes. I lived the new cast of characters and the insight into Viv's past. This was cozy and comforting and at the same time still fun to follow. My favorite part was how the ending ties back to Legend and Lattes.

Travis, the author, is just as great at audiobook narration as he is at writing. The many voices he uses give each character an entirely unique feel. His voice is also so rich and soothing, that it allows the fantasy world to really envelope you.

My one complaint with this story is the middle lagged just a bit. We see kind of a repetition of Viv's day to day, without much happening in the plot to push forth the necromancer story line.

Overall, a wonderful read that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a rich audiobook telling.

Actual Rating 2.5

Viv is seeking to prove herself on the battlefield when she receives a debilitating injury. Forced to stay in a small village to recover while her team leaves her behind, she tries to find ways to entertain herself, which eventually leads her to a bookshop. As she tries to distract herself, she discovers that there’s a mysterious figure lurking around the town that may threaten her new acquaintances and the peace of this little village.

This book left me wanting more. I wanted much more from the characters, especially Viv. They were all okay, but rather than feeling like fully fleshed out characters, most of them just felt as if they were fulfilling their role. I expected to learn much more about Viv as a character since this is a kind of prequel to the first book. However, while we got to see some events from her background that influenced her actions, I didn’t feel that we learned much about her character’s personal/emotional background, if that makes sense. Again, the characters were decently written, I’d just hoped for more depth.

The plot was also okay but wasn’t anything that innovative or interesting though there was more plot in this read than the first one. There were also certain aspects of this read that felt too copy-and-paste of the original work, but with a bookshop rather than a coffee shop. Pairing these things with the light character development kept everything simply average for me.

This was a fine cozy fantasy read that you’ll likely enjoy if you’re looking for an easy read and loved the first book in the series, but I didn’t find it to be particularly memorable or engaging. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I found this book to be ok. I liked it but I liked Legends and Lattes more. I liked the relationships between all the characters. I thought Pot Roast was a really cute character and Satchel is so proper and elegant, I picture him like a butler in a large mansion. I found Fern to be a bit rough around the edges. She’s definitely not prim and proper, but I guess that’s how she’s supposed to be.

I didn’t like all the swearing in the book but I believe that’s what the author intended. Fern is supposed to be that way. I also would have liked for the chapters to be numbered in the audiobook. When you open the chapter list, it just has the book title which made it hard to know where you were in the book.

Other than those 2 things, I still liked the book and will read the next book in this series.

This was such a great follow up to Legends and Lattes. It was great to see what adventures Viv had that led her to open a coffee shop and leave the the dangerous life of being a mercenary behind.

Viv finds herself injured and recuperating in the seaside town of Murk. As she recuperates she meets a bunch of colorful characters that she eventually calls friends. Viv just wants to take it easy and heal so she can get better and rejoin her company, Rackam’s Ravens. Nothing is ever that easy though. Viv finds herself in the middle of an unexpected adventure with a dangerous stranger and a romantic fling!!

These stories are just so much fun. This story is a perfect escape from reality filled with humor, heart and action. Audiobook was done well!

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #Bookshops&Bonedust #TravisBaldree

Yet another cozy, charming & fun read! I loved legends & lattes, so getting back into Viv’s world was so nice. I loved getting more of her history. The side characters were brilliant as well. I adore how the author can make an adventure out of an unexpected situation. The audiobook was perfect as well! Such a feel good read.

Travis Baldree is one of my favorite new writers. His style of writing is just so comforting. If you need a book that feels like a warm hug this is the one for you.

Like many readers, particularly ones active on booktwitter or booktok, Legends and Lattes was a favorite of mine last year. So, I was obviously pretty excited when I got to know that the author was writing this prequel. I know my review doesn’t matter coz this book is an NYT bestseller currently, so I’ll just keep my thoughts short.

The writing is easy breezy just like the first and I had a good time just soaring through it quickly. I also picked up the audiobook and while I know that the author is a very famous audio narrator, this was my first experience with him and I have to say I can see why he is popular. His storytelling and narrative voice is very cozy and charming, even when trouble is lurking around in the corner - the side effect of which is that the stakes never feel too high.

We know there’s a necromancer who might be dangerous but it feels like a threat in the background. Because all we keep reading and enjoying is the budding friendships and dynamic between Fern, Gallina, Maylee, Satchel and Viv. Every one of them has their own unique kind of equation with each other and it’s a delight to see how they all come to trust the others. The setup of trying to save Fern’s bookstore after Viv discovers the joy of reading is also wonderfully written. It’s only the relationship between Viv and Maylee that isn’t exactly satisfactory coz we know how Viv’s actual romantic life goes from Legends and Lattes, so this is only a temporary fling with an end point.

Overall, I liked this book and it brought a smile to my face. But I guess it felt a bit predictable and as fresh and novel as the first book. I would still recommend it, especially the charming audiobook and would love to see what the author writes next.

This book was absolutely adorable.

This cozy fantasy is absolutely amazing. I never knew I needed this genre in my life until I got about 20 pages into this book. Young Viv has been left behind after being greatly injured on the battlefield. While she is healing up she helps a local bookshop get back on its feet and makes new friends and of course, there is a hint of a romance.

Why this book is amazing:
~single pov
~adventure
~cozy fantasy
~bookshops
~helping local businesses

trigger warning: battle, blood, and pain from injury

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to arc listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.