High Fantasy with a double-shot of self-reinvention
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.
A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.
I believe this is Travis’s debut novel. If I am wrong let me know. I do know he has narrated a lot of audio books. Anywho, this was fucking BRILLIANT! I finished this book in less than two days. I could not put it down. I absolutely loved everything. I want more, I need more. Anyone I saw talk about this book had nothing to say but amazing things. So what is a bookworm to do? Buy it of course! I really did not know much going into this. I like to go in blind. I did know that it was supposed to be a Dungeons & Dragons atmosphere. Which as a D&D player that made me very excited. The cover definitely gave me D&D vibes. So let’s get into this…
Viv…I love Viv. I love that she wants to change and be better. I do love that we get a glimpse into her past both in the story and the prequel that came with the re-release. Her idea of the coffee shop is what made me fall in love with her. I have always dreamed of opening a cozy little place. Serve coffees, teas, pastries, other goodies as well. Have tables and chairs for people to sit and talk, drink, eat, study, whatever. Also have a corner with a fireplace and a couch and chairs around it to hang out at. Have a wall that is floor to ceiling in bookshelves! I can just picture people snuggling up in front of the fire with a good book, a drink, with the snow falling ever so lightly outside. Ok I better stop or I will keep going. Viv is living my dream.
Cal…the hob! He is so adorable and a talented carpenter. I think he is my favorite character. Not that the others are not amazing as well. He just tops it a little more. He helps Viv build her business. I love that she gave him a chance when hobs kind of get shunned by certain crowds. I love how he calls the coffee bean water and lattes are bean water with milk.
Tandri the succubus. I love that she always knows what Viv needs. I love watching their relationship blossom. She takes such good care of Viv
Thimble is a rattkin and an adorable one. He is considered a genius when it comes to baking and by the descriptions in this book I would agree. I wish I had a Thimble to bake for me in my dream cafe.
There are so many more characters in this book that are just absolutely amazing. I didn’t hate any of them. Even the villains. They were all well written.
It was amazing for a debut novel. While I wish we had a bit more world building cause this did remind me of a fantasy book, I understand where he went with this. It was more about the friendships that were built. It’s definitely a contemporary book but also could be considered fantasy because of the world and characters. So I guess contemporary fantasy. Is that a new genre? If it isn’t I am going to need you guys to recommend more books for me. I have never read a book like this before. I usually have issues with contemporary. It’s a hit or miss for me. Mostly miss, but I think I can hang with more contemporary if it is written like this. I did see on Travis Baldree’s Goodreads page he has, or is currently writing, another book set in this world. Which I will preorder the minute I can. He did state he is making them so they can be stand-alones. Makes me wonder if we will see any characters from Legends & Lattes in the upcoming book. I hope they make a brief appearance but have the main story be about new characters
Rating:
Adventures Between Pages 
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