Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Started: 2.3.26

DNF: 7.3.26

Kindle Unlimited

TBR Prompt: First in a series

Aww, I really wanted to like this, but I just wasn't feeling it. Viv, an Orc, wants to give up the fighting life and open a coffee shop, in a town where nobody knows what coffee is. The first dozen or so chapters are about her converting an old livery into said cafe, and then selling the coffee once her gnomish-made coffee machine arrives. She acquires an assistant, and then a baker to make some baked goods and... it was all very twee and cute and cosy and just... not for me. It felt like a DIY / makeover show in book form to begin with, and then a guide to how to run a business. I didn't dislike it, but I just didn't love it either.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Started: 28.2.26

Finished: 6.3.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Yellow book

I feel like this has taken me a long time to get through. I wasn't really feeling a strong urge to pick it up, and yet when I did, I really enjoyed it. The plot was fairly obvious early on, but this was always more of a character-driven story. Who couldn't love Marcellus?! I definitely shed a few tears at the end. Apparently the film version is being released on Netflix on May 8th 2026.