I had high hopes for this after loving Legends & Lattes so much and it didn't disappoint. Bookshops & Bonedust is a prequel but can be read without having read Legends & Lattes. It follows Viv, an orc setting out on her journey to become a mercenary, having to recuperate after an injury in the sleepy town of Murk.

Not content to lie around resting, Viv becomes involved in helping local bookshop owner Fern rediscover her passion for bookselling. Together they give the bookshop a makeover in the hopes of saving the failing business. As a bibliophile, I loved Viv discovering books that spoke to her and seeing Fern's skills at matching the right book to the right person. Potroast was my absolute favourite though.

Alongside this is a sweet romance with a local baker and growing friendships with residents. Despite knowing Viv was going to leave, the story felt important to her journey as it helps her become the orc we know and love. There's also a sub-plot featuring a necromancer, a thief, and a satchel of bones but this somehow takes a backseat to the bookshop. The epilogue was the perfect way to tie the two books together and I would love to read more cosy stories set in this world one day.

Perfect feel good read and love getting to know more of Viv's backstory 😊
Found it a bit slow at times but overall enjoyed it.

Even better than the first book! I absolutely loved the characters in this one. Fern, Maylee and even Satchel have my whole heart. The whole book was just so wholesome and cosy! I adored it

First up, I'd like to thank @panmacmillan, @netgalley and @travis_baldree for the e-ARC of Bookshops & Bonedust in exchange for an honest review.

When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn't always what we seek.

In Bookshops & Bonedust, a prequel to Legends & Lattes, New York Times bestselling author Travis Baldree takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.

I'm always nervous when it comes to sequels (or prequels in this case), especially when it's to a book I loved, bc it can flop HARD. I am relieved, and pleased, to tell you that I LOVED this book. The storyline was just as good as the first; keeping me the right amount of excited so that I'm gripped, but not so much that it ruins the cozy vibes. Also, that ending made me cry, but in the best possible way<3

Once again, Baldree has written characters that I adore. If you read my Legends & Lattes review then you'll already know that I love Viv, with all her complexities, but these new side characters are perfection. Maylee is a sweet and wholesome baker, with an endearing amount of sass about her. Fern, the bookseller, is as intuitive a friend as everyone needs. Potroast is a little rascal who reminds me of my cat who passed, Denise. It's also so nice to see more of Gallina and understand who played a large part in molding Viv into the Viv we know and love. And don't get me started on how freaking cool Satchel is!

Thank you once again, Travis Baldree, for writing this gorgeous book. I loved every second of it and honestly just can't get enough of your work. So excited for my special editions to come in<3 also, um...book three??

There were a lot of topics covered in this book. The obvious being, right, wrong, good and evil, friendship and relationships. But it also covered others, injury and temporary disability, the differences between people being as common as if we were different but yet being all tied together. Unfortunately I did battle with the story and didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did the first book.

What a fun and cosy book this was!

I absolutely love fantasy and bookshops so this was bound to be a hit with me. I have not yet read Legends & Lattes (although I plan to) and seen as it was described as a standalone prequel I thought I'd give it a go. I was not disappointed. You don't need to have read the first book to get along with this. The characters were well developed and I came to love all of them, especially Viv who I look forward to reading more about. I very much enjoyed the mix of the more low-key relationship development and on-going drama with the bookstore and characters in town, alongside the more high-stakes threat and dark fantasy elements.

Off to buy Legends & Lattes!

This was a delightful book to read, centred around some of my favourite things - bookshops!
The characters were beautifully written and at so many points I found myself wanting to be Viv - a bad ass who cares greatly for her friends, is always ready to help but is just as contented losing herself in a good book! Also, I would love to know how to get my own Satchel - I feel like we would have some great conversations!
The story had good pace throughout, with the perfect mix between action, romance, character development and detail to ensure that I was right there with Viv. This story is spot on for those of us want to live vicariously through a story and who dream of finding a little bookshop to own in a quaint town or village, with a beautiful bakery, quirky residents and a found family vibe, whilst still taking on the bad guys and saving the day, despite many underestimating your skills! Travis Baldree has really captured an appreciation for reading and bookshops throughout the story, as well as the impact that a great story can have on our lives.

Thank you to Netgalley and Travis Baldree for letting me have an ARC copy - I will certainly be looking out for more books by Travis in the future!

I really enjoyed legends and Lattes so grabbed the chance to read the prequel. It tells the story of viv when she was a mercenary. This time it features a book shop and a bakery! The characters are all great and full of personalities. It was a fun way of giving us a bit of an insight to what sort of things viv was to to before she took on the quieter life. It's a great introduction to the fantasy genre for people who aren't that keen on it. The characters are so strong it is easy to forget that they are all mythical beings.

I struggled to get into this book in the same way I had with Legends and Lattes. The payoff was eventually worth it, but I wasn’t as enamoured with the story.

I was lucky enough to be approved to review #BookshopsandBonedust pre-publishing before it's release in November (UK).

@travis_baldree has pulled it out the park again!

Bookshops and Bonedust had everything I hoped for after reading Legends & Lattes - from cozy world building, the loveable characters and the gripping low stakes.
If I didn't relate to Viv in the first book in this series, I certainly do now.

Come November in the UK, I forsee every Fantasy loving bibliophile reading this book. With just the elevated excitement we all did for Legends and Lattes.

This cosy fantasy is everything you would expect as a prequel to Legends and Lattes; high fantasy, low stakes, a lot of fun and a romantic subplot.

Viv, our main character, finds herself stuck in a sleepy town after a battle gone wrong found her injured and unable to walk. Befriending the local bookseller and baker, Viv finds herself torn between love and friendship, and readying herself to get back to her mercenary company to fight the necromancer responsible for her injury.

Similarly to Legends and Lattes, one of my favourite things about this author is their ability to describe familiar things without naming them in a way that makes you instantly recognise what is being referenced; think croissants and biscotti descriptions in Legends and Lattes but make it bookish and you’ve got Bookshops and Bonedust.

An easy four star read that should definitely be added to your TBR.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this highly anticipated next instalment to Legends and Lattes.

I was very excited to read B&BD as L&L was such a fantastic read for me last year.

I must admit a prequel was a little perplexing to me but it worked and gave you more insight to what Viv was like pre L&L

B&BD sees our favourite Orc in a bit of bind whereby she’s injured herself and has been told to rest up whilst her crew go out to try and defeat a big bad.

Unhappy with her lot Viv makes the most of her recuperation by burying herself (unexpectedly) in the world of books. Here she meets the very colourful Fern who delights in finding the perfect read for Viv and in exchange Viv helps Fern out around the bookstore.

I won’t go too much into detail but long story short we have a love interest, delicious cakes and a big bad that needs to be defeated. All in all the perfect recipe for a good cosy read.

I loved the friendship between Viv and Fern and how they spent their days in the bookshop and the work they did. It was very cosy and reminiscent of when Viv was creating her Legends and Lattes shop. Instead of Cinnamon Rolls we have an amazing array of baked goods by the fearless and headstrong Maylee. There’s even an appearance from another character from L&L but I won’t spoil that for you.

The action side was pretty good and whilst some was a little predictable the ending did have me feeling a little worried/panicked.

The epilogue though, my gosh it was beautiful and surprising (in a good way) and I now want to go back and reread L&L.

So now all that’s left to say is Travis, we need that sequel to L&L because that epilogue…..😍

Thank you to the publisher (Tor UK) and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy, in return for an honest review.

Bookshops & Bonedust will be published in November 2023, so you may think this review is a little premature, but I will argue that it is never too early to start the hype train. So, all aboard!

I first read Legends & Lattes when it was a self-published release, and was not surprised when it was picked up by a trad publisher. So, when I heard that Travis was releasing a prequel to his debut release, I was both excited and apprehensive – excited because I loved Legends & Lattes, and apprehensive because I wanted that same magic and cosy fantasy, but knew how difficult second books and prequels can be.

Worry not, as Travis has nailed it with Bookshops. This book is everything I loved about Legends, and dare I say… I enjoyed it more!

Bookshops & Bonedust is as heart-warming, fun, and engaging as its predecessor. If you love books and reading, then you will love this story.

Viv, younger and eager for adventure, is holed up in a port-side town, injured and bored. We soon meet new characters, as well as one first introduced in Legends – I loved experiencing Viv’s first meeting with one of her ‘old’ friends. But what stands out is the new characters and their relationships with Viv. Fern and Maylee are wonderful additions, who don’t just add new depth to Viv’s story, they are also well developed in their own right.

The dovetailing of the characters’ stories and the overarching plot is deftly done, maintaining interest throughout. With an intriguing mystery, a side of romance, baked goods and books, this is a charming and fun read. The author has a natural flair for describing the world in vivid detail – scents, sights, and sounds, are clear in the minds eye – I could smell the sea, see the dusty bookshelves, and smell the scones.

I loved the humour and banter between characters, with a bit of little nudge, nudge, wink, wink, it was spot on. Never has the word ‘moist’ had me snort-laughing so much.

Bookshops & Bonedust is a story that will warm your heart, put a smile on your face, and leave a tear in your eye. Travis Baldree has truly created something very special with these characters and world – the kind of fantasy that is sorely needed in this sometimes grim reality of ours. In Bookshops & Bonedust, he has taken a winning recipe and improved on it; from coffee to books, I can’t wait to follow Viv, et al, in the next instalment of this wonderful series.

I enjoyed Bookshops & Bonedust even more than Legends & Lattes. For me, this book had more high fantasy elements, and *slightly* higher stakes, but was still a cozy fantasy that largely just focused on helping a struggling bookshop. The world-building and additional levels of magic in this book was really well done, and wasn't as full-on as some of the high fantasies with lower page count can be.

This Legends & Lattes prequel has most of what made the original so brilliant: its gentle romance, its heart, cozy stakes, delectable food and emphasis on friendship and found family. But it doesn’t quite have the same magic as the first - we’ve read the first book and already followed Viv’s journey. Having her repeat the process of giving up mercenary life to settle into a retail outlet is less exciting the second time around (and maybe cheapens it’s impact?). But if you’re looking for more cozy & charming fantasy, Baldtree doesn’t disappoint, and he’s great at doing what he does. I enjoyed the meta commentary on books, authors and readers (“moist” books - brilliant!).

I received an advance copy of this book, and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

YESSS! This is the very book we needed after Legends & Lattes. A prequel, not a sequel, and what a prequel it is. Every bit as good as L&L - I’d even go as far as saying it’s better (bookshops duh’) - as big a hug of a book, and characters every bit as loveable as those in L&L. I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you loved L&L don’t be scared to pick this one up when it’s published on 9 November 2023. Take it from me, it more than lives up to its predecessor. @travis_baldree is no one book pony. And - great news - the excellent epilogue hints that he has more in the tank.

I don’t want to give much of #BookshopsandBonedust’s plot away, you should come to it as fresh as possible. But it’s giving nothing away to say that it swaps a coffee shop for a bookshop, there’s the same focus on delicious treats and as for characters, you’ll reconnect with Viv our heroine of course, as well as meeting a lovely but foul-mouthed rattkin, a grumpy but brave gnome, a talented dwarf with a fighting past, oh and did I mention a walking, talking skeleton? What more could you ask for? Well, chuck in a seaside location, an LGBTQI+ summer fling and an existential threat - how does all of that grab you?

I said in my review of L&L that it was the fantasy book for people who don’t do fantasy and Bookshops & Bonedust is no different. It’s just lovely, you melt into a world where - obvious baddies apart - creatures just get on with each other. Differences? What differences? There are friendships and amorous relationships across species and genders. How refreshing is that?

I came to this one straight from an ugly, gritty story of human violence and it was the reading balm I needed. There’s violence here but it’s old-fashioned good versus evil violence, not violence for violence’s sake.

Mark the publication date in your diary, book leave from your work and settle down for several hours of blissful escapism.

With thanks to @netgalley and @panmacmillan for an e-copy of the book in return for an honest review.

#travisbaldree #fantasybooks #bookreview #justread #bookseries #igreads

Another amazing and relaxing book by Travis. If the first left me craving coffee and cinnamon buns this has me wanting to head to Thistleburr and stock up on books to read with a trip to Sea-Song for goodies to nibble. I loved the characters of Murk and the adventure. Can’t wait for another book and Viv’s next adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely prequel to Legends and Lattes set in a seaside town complete with low stakes and rich settings. Fulfils all of your cozy needs.

I have to say, I enjoyed this one more than the first one! To me, it felt like there were higher stakes with more adventure, and showed some character development from this Viv of twenty years ago to the Viv we met in Legends and Lattes. Not to mention, I fell in love with the other characters of the book as well. This setting was rich and I felt the NEED to read this in a sleepy seaside town with a bakery and bookshop (ah, the dream). I enjoyed the higher stakes adventure that revealed itself past the 50% mark, it added what I felt the first book lacked - which was some oomph.

However, similarly with Legends and Lattes, I do think that this book could do with some trimming. Particularly in the middle, it became a bit repetitive and boring, and I had to try very hard not to skim through these bits. There was lots of description about the day-to-day which, at first, is very cozy but quickly gets boring.

All in all, a lovely cozy small town low-stakes fantasy that I enjoyed winding down to!

Exactly what I needed it to be; comforting, atmospheric, with a hefty dash of danger. Found myself unexpectedly tearing up towards the end at the reflections on friendships that are of a particular place and time, and then the epilogue healed my heart.

Was a really enjoyable read. Another great title by this author and I look forward to reading more by Travis Baldree.