This is a cute and cosy listen, perfect for relaxing on an autumn / winters night. I preferred Legends and Lattes but this is still a good read/listen.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I absolutely adored Legends & Lattes so needless to say, I was really excited for this one.
And while it didn't quite feel as magical to me as L&L did, it still had that special feeling that I haven't found in other cozy fantasy books. Travis Baldree just writes such beautiful found families, and I love how the characters grew and grew together throughout the story.
This one had a bit higher stakes than L&L which I really enjoyed. Overall, I liked the storyline in this one a lot.

The characters were amazing, I loved all of them and their relationship dynamics just felt so real.
The audiobook was also fantastic, it was such a delight to listen.

I adore the world the author is creating and I definitely recommend this one to all cozy fantasy fans.

This was wonderful. It's hard to top Legends and Lattes, but I don't think it needs to be topped. This was a lovely prequel, showing Viv and a few new characters on a whole new cosy fantasy adventure! I loved the new setting of a bookshop, because in case you hadn't noticed, I love books. The new characters were just as good as the original characters (I would die for Potroast) and it was a story that was just as good as the first.

I feel like this book had more action in it than the last. Though there was some action in Legends and Lattes, this one had a bigger overall story with mystery and adventure and murder. For people looking for something cosy and low stakes like Legends, this book still has those cosy moments, but it does have high stakes. Conversely, for people who liked Legends but thought it could use a bit more action, this one could be perfect for you! I feel like Bookshops added action adventure without losing that lovely cosy vibe that the first book had going for it. It got a good balance between the two.

For anyone asking if the books connect up, they do! Though I don't think you necessarily have to read Legends and Lattes to understand Bookshops and Bonedust, those who've read Legends are rewarded for their efforts! I really think this was the perfect prequel.

Read for bookshops and well bonedust as well as great characters, sapphic love, found family and a sprinkling of action!

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and author for a copy of this eARC in exchange for a review.

I really liked this book I do however prefer legends and lattes but it was still a fun read 😁

I liked the story which was just as heartwarming as Legends and Lattes. However, I accidentally requested the audiobook and I’m afraid to say that I absolutely hated the narrator (who I think was the author himself 🙈).

Not as ‘cosy’ as legends and lattes but still really enjoyed getting to know new characters and have some more background on Viv. It wasn’t as focused as legends and lattes however the prequel was still very enjoyable.

A lovely and equally cute and cosy story. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book but it was decent. Highly recommend if you are looking for quality writing, fun characters and a low stakes feel-good fantasy.

3.7 stars

I adored Legends & Lattes it was a book that I was intrigued by but I never expected to fall head over heels in love, collect what feels like a million different editions and to unlock a new obsession with all things cozy so when I saw that Travis Baldree had a new book coming out it was an absolute must.

Bookshops & Bonedust is a prequel to Legends & Lattes and we meet young Viv who winds up in a sleepy seaside town to recover from a battle injury- and soon the magic of small town, cozy, found family, sapphic vibes kicks in throw in Viv helping to boost sales in the local bookshop and you have one of my absolute favourite reads of 2023.

The magic for me with Travis Baldree's stories is all the other side characters who have their own stories within stories within stories and even the smallest details can make or break your heart.

Travis Baldree as a narrator on the audio is something incredibly special, not only are they a great narrator they also know these characters inside and out and I like to think as they are writing the characters they are also creating voices- that's something special!

I listen on most audiobooks on x2-2.5 and I lost no clarity and could very easily follow the plot at increased speed.

I loved this book, it was exactly the hug in a book that I have grown to need- also where can I get my own Potroast?

I was expecting this to be another delightful story following Viv and her exploits, but I didn't anticipate just how much I would love every minute of it! The found family aspect that I enjoyed so much in Legends and Lattes was here once again and the friendship between Viv, Fern and Maylee was beautiful. I loved the expansion of the world we saw here and although the main thrust of the story is the found family, there is more plot involved in this prequel, which I really appreciated. The bookshop was adorable and Potroast was a delight, as was Satchel. Overall, this was one of those books that just wraps you up in a big warm hug and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It was very nice to follow once again Viv on her adventure and it was sweet to see her a bit younger, still unsure of what she wants. This time, instead of a coffee shop, we follow her in a bookshop, which is maybe even better! I must admit I still preferred Legends and Latte, but I appreciated this prequel very much and I found Travis Baldree's voice just a treat to the ears! I hope we'll be able to meet Viv again in the future. Thanks to Netgalley and the editor for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Legends and Lattes and i loved Bookshops & Bonedust.

Tracis Baldree is a great writer but also a fantastic narrator. So easy to get lost in the story. Love the character building, the dynamic but also the various turmoil/trouble mixed in.

One of my favourite quotes is "Never trust a writer who doesn't have to many books to read. Or a reader, for that matter".

Set in a bookshop, but also get to see Viv reading various books while helping out in the bookshop. theres a gap between where bookshops & bonedust ends to where legends and lattes start, so maybe we will get more to fill the gap, but i also loved the epiloge at the end, so maybe we will get more of legends and lattes. fingers cross for both as i need more of the world.

After really enjoying Legands and Lattes I was excited to start this one quite soon after, but I didn't quite love it as much, despite having the same cosy feel and it being set in a book shop.
This book is set 20 years before Legends and follows Viv as she is recovering from a leg wound in a small town. She finds herself in a run down bookshop and ends up finding her love of reading and helping to make the shop better.
I enjoyed spending more time with Viv, but I feel I should have read them the other way round.

How long did I wait for this one? And how fast did I inhale it when it arrived? 👀

In this prequel to the much-loved cozy fantasy novel, Legends & Lattes, we follow orc Viv on her travels with her ragtag crew to bust some butts—until we don't, because she gets her leg broken. On her road to recovery, she meets the friendly townspeople of Murk, a very quiet village at the edge of the sea. Viv discovers a long-forgotten pastime to delve into books—be it adventure or 'wet' stories, when she finds Murk's bookshop and befriends the rattkin working there. And from here it's a cozy and wholesome tale of friendship, the pleasure of wiggling into your favorite chair with a nice cup of tea and a good book, and of course a little bit of mystery! For all fans of L&L, this is really a no-brainer, and for those who haven't read it, please go ahead and then dive into B&B!

And please, can we talk about the scene that comes after the main story? 💖 This made me feel so warm and fuzzy.

"See you in a story past the story."

Before picking it up, I was worried that this book would feel a little redundant with the first one. And even though I found it had the same cozy and comfortable feel, I was hooked in really fast.
I usually alternate between the audiobook and the ebook depending on my activities, but this was the first book that I’ve read exclusively as audiobook and it was so perfect. I loved the way the narrator showed the personalities of the different characters so well and my favorite thing was how the book would lull me into a sense of comfort just to have me burst into laughter unexpectedly.
All the nods to book collectors and readers were such a delight.
Those new characters were everything to me and I dreaded the moment of goodbyes terribly. I was obviously right to, because I haven’t ugly cried that way for a book in a long time.
Thank you for this book, I hope we’ll get to see more of all of them in the future.

🕯️ Legends and Lattes is synonymous with cozy fantasy, to me it’s certainly not low stakes. Bookshops and Bonedust is very much the same. I loved this little journey back into Viv’s past, it’s certainly a different vibe and taste than L&L. There’s more a sense of adventure and longing, which is different for each character. Baldree did such an amazing job making Viv so young. Her younger character is just as well rounded as her older one in L&L.

Stuck in a desolate sea side town, Viv is forced to slow down and recognise the limitations of her body. As she explores the village, and dare I say it makes friends, she starts to discover a different side to herself, and to others around her. And despite the sleepiness of the town, adventure may find her anyways.

As with L&L, my favourite character is a Ratkin. Fern is a lovely look into the struggles and adventures that are so different to Viv. This book was such a fun read, and a great little look into the time before L&L.

The Narrator has done an amazing job bringing to life all the characters as well. I definitely will be looking out for more work by them

This was really good, very cosy and heart-warming, but Legends and Lattes is still my favourite

Bookshops & Bonedust is a prequel to the widely beloved Legends and Lattes, but it can also be read as a standalone. In this book, we meet Viv as a young orc who is left to recover from an injury to her leg in the town of Murk. This book is almost like a love letter to books, as Viv makes friends with Fern, the owner of the town's only bookstore, and falls in love with all of the books her new friend recommends to her. However, there is something afoot in the town as a suspicious guy dressed in grey lurks around the town and the bookshop, as well as a wanted necromancer.

I loved the community the author built with all of the characters from this beach town and I would love to read a future book where the characters from both books interact, and I believe the author might have left us a tip that this might be coming in the future. This book still had a very cosy vibe, that was so prevalent in Legends and Lattes and I can't wait to see what Travis Baldree does with this world he's created.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for my ALC! It was a delight to listen to Travis Baldree narrate this story.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

A cozy and feel-good story. Nothing can beat a story about a bookshop. The author himself was the audiobook narrator which made the book even better. He wrote the book and therefore he was the right person to present the book out. He narrated his book in the right pace, tone and intonation. His voice drew the audience in.

The story was about Viv, who had an injury and needed to recover, therefore Viv worked in a bookshop and her journey started there! Bookshops & Bonedust was a prequel to Legends and Lattes. I highly recommend these two books to you all.

Let's just start by saying yet again the audio for this was FANTASTIC ! Would highly recommend.

I don't think I will ever get enough of this world and these characters. This book has the perfect feel-good cosy vibes while still having some action and adventure, and the humour has me laughing out loud . Satchel was just my favourite, and I NEED MORE ! This book is straight to the top of my best books for 2023 !

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan UK Audio, and Travis Baldree for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You know that feeling when you just feel so warm and cosy after reading a book? This was that book! In a great prequel to Legends & Lattes we follow Val before she opens her coffee shop and I blooming adored it!

There were higher stakes, giggles, as always - fantastic characters to entwine yourself in, it’s just such a lovely fun series to read and I really hope we’ll see more!

As always, I audioed alongside the physical and the narration was so on point! I felt the characters energy and it was a real joy to listen to, really added to the whole feel of my reading experience!

Where do I even begin with this adorable book? Baldree took my breath away with Legends & lattes., giving me something I never knew I wanted. Bookshops & Bonedus has done it again. In the prequel, we get to see Viv in a bit more action than before, a young and feisty Viv who loves her job and finds her crew too slow and old a lot of the time. Viv is struck down and sent away to heal.... this is not her idea of fun or living and she struggles with a quiet life, until she stumbles into a bookshop and meets someone in need, even if they don't realise it. Viv gets a whole new cosy adventure and it has no impact on her future one. I loved how you can feel the difference in Viv, she is more unsure of herself and her life, which makes her future make all the sense. Honestly if you loved L&L then you will devour this as well, I think I could read all about Viv and never be bored.