Mini ARC Review – Legends and Lattes

From Goodreads:

Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.

However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.

This is one of my favourite reads of the year, it was the exact relaxed day in the life fantasy I have been craving. I fell in love with the character and the world and all the little winks and nods.

Viv was a fantastic main character. I adored the depth she had as a character. Her physical strength and power is complimented by her fear of failure and the nervousness she has about this new adventure in her life is just such a nice journey to read about. She felt like a really believable person even if she was an Orc. She was very easy to connect with.

The new friends she made in her new home from the grumpy carpenter, a Ratkin chef, a huge fluffy cat and a fussy student wizard made for such a fun and eclectic set of characters. They were so fun to read about and I really did find myself loving them all.

I loved how detailed the process of opening the coffee shop was this is what gave the whole book the gorgeous lazy paced, cosy feel. While there are some stakes, they are not too high. But I found them just as impactful with how invested I was in the characters.

It is advertised as having a Sapphic romance but the romance is incredibly slow burn and has a very light touch over the whole story. Its nice that it is there in the background it adds a really sweet element to the story but I just wish there was a little more especially as the marketing heavily leans into it.

All the descriptions of the food and the coffee itself was just gorgeous and luxurious. Honestly, I highly recommend you snuggle up with a hot drink and delicious treats to read this one. Its perfect for this time of year too, when you want to feel snuggly and warm and cosy.