Book Review: Legends and Lattes

Travis Baldree’s debut novel, Legends and Lattes is absolutely delightful. In fact, it is one of the best light-hearted books I’ve read in a long time. When I first saw the cover of the novel, I was already intrigued. I loved the happy light cover with a cute coffee shop background with the two characters in the middle. Then, I was even more intrigued after reading the title. Everything about my first impression of this novel drew me in, so I knew I just had to read it. I was not disappointed in the least.

To be honest, the best thing about this book is how light-hearted the plot is. This is the kind of book that is simple, fun, and a little slice of Viv’s life. Though, I can’t say there are absolutely no conflicts that happen, they are the kind of conflicts that get solved fairly easily. This is not the kind of story that has high stakes or works on a large scale. Instead, this book is just plain enjoyable to read and experience. I really love how this book is a high fantasy with its own fantasy world and elements, but it isn’t about the world ending or evil taking over. The fantasy world is well built, and it complements the events perfectly.

The characters are also really great too. I like Viv and the different friends that she makes as she gets her shop up and running. They are really the main focus since the plot is so simple. Baldree does an excellent job adding in each character at a good time and developing them naturally over the course of the novel. Even Viv continues to grow and change as she meets new people and sees how great of a community a coffee shop can create. I liked seeing how things changed and developed, and I really liked how easy it was to fall in love with it all.

In fact, I find it hard to say anything negative about this book. There is nothing that stood out to me as something I didn’t like or that didn’t work. I enjoyed reading every single page and was sad when the book was finished. I wasn’t ready for it to be over yet. In fact, I am really hoping that there will be a sequel even though it’s the kind of book that seems intended to be a standalone. Though, if Baldree wanted to revisit Viv and her coffee shop, I would love to see her and her friends again. I know I will likely read this book again in the future just to check in on her.