Legends & Lattes is a cozy fantasy novel with a dash of romance that delivered exactly the vibes it promised—slow, comforting, heartfelt, and warm.

Viv the orc warrior has retired from the adventuring life after tiring of the constant bloodshed, travel, and exhaustion. Her last adventuring score enables her to start her new dream in a new city: opening a brand-new coffee shop. But certain shadowy elements in both the city and her past may make Viv’s dreams stay just dreams after all.

This slice-of-life story is so incredibly sweet. It explores a premise often seen in fanfiction but less seen in traditionally published novels, which is: What happens when the adventure is done? The first half of this book reads like playing a soothing restaurant sim game. (I would totally eat and drink everything mentioned in the novel). While the stakes do increase in the second half, ultimately this is meant to be a leisurely, slow-paced read. The romance was sweet as well and it was a pleasure to see it unfold.

My biggest critique is that personally, it was still a bit too slow for me. There are large stretches where truly nothing much happens, and while it's well written, some of it didn’t quite contribute to the overall experience for me.

Overall if you’re looking for a short, easy, heartwarming read about the power of choosing a new path and the people who help us get there, with a sprinkle of sapphic romance on top, I’d highly recommend Legends & Lattes. 

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.