iced coffee in a fantasy world!

Ok so wow, cozy fantasy may be for me in a way I never thought it would. It wasn't that I doubted a compelling plot could be crafted from the less action-packed parts of a fantasy, Dungeons & Dragons-inspired world, but more so that I wouldn't be kept interested in a slower-paced plot. I think it was the geniusly-crafted characters and fantastic dialogue from the first few pages that really made me stop and sit up . I was intrigued by the stone Viv hides under the floor of her livery turned coffee shop from the start, aware it was important in a magical way as well as symbolic for Viv---will things go right for this retired ranger intent on making a dream come true and settling down in a town that could be hers? I had to know! 
I liked learning how the mechanics of this fantasy world worked in terms of the technology Viv, Cal, and Tandri used to build and create not only the shop itself, but the machinery necessary to make and maintain coffee. I was very happy to see the appearance of an iced latte (that may have been my main gripe in this review if such an appearance had not been made). The descriptions of community among the shop's patrons, the town at large, and the sense of camaraderie that emerges from the presence of the establishment and good beverages really warmed my heart.
From a writing perspective, this novel also just hits all the right beats at the right times, rolling right along with a plot that spreads forward like a fancy red carpet. I felt such satisfaction at seeing a physical end product of Viv's patience and perseverance in the coffee shop (and such despair when the inevitable happens). I was also so so delighted to find that what I thought may have been hints at a romance were, in fact, hints at a romance. Three cheers for a nearly-concealed slow burn I didn't realize I was rooting for until it was right in front of me!



One of my favorite quotes from Legends & Lattes:

"I was just thinking that you don’t have to forget who you were… because that’s what brought you here."

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