“Legends & Lattes” showed up a lot on my TikTok feed. I heard it described as a “cute, wholesome, sapphic romance” with “everything a fantasy-enjoyer wants”. I was definitely intrigued. I have been trying to read more sapphic books, and I have always enjoyed fantasy stories. But one thing was holding me back from reading “Legends & Lattes”; the fact that it was written by a man.
I think anyone with a little bit of knowledge on queer spaces, particularly sapphic spaces, would know that when men, particularly straight white men, create art or stories involving sapphic women, the women end up being fetishized. I was afraid this was going to happen in this book, despite the numerous good reviews and all the praise I had seen about the story. I was book-shopping and came across the book. I asked a couple employees at the store what they thought of the story and explained my concerns. They said the story is very well done and doesn’t have any issues with fetishizing the characters. So, that was enough for me to purchase the book and begin reading it a few days later.
Let me tell you, I was hooked. I read the book cover to cover in a matter of hours. My annotations were pretty simple, with just a black pen and pastel brown hi-liter (not at all as complex as my usual annotating system), and I really enjoyed a break from a deeper reads. I’m currently halfway through “A Day of Fallen Night” by Samantha Shannon, so this book was a nice palette cleanser (and I mean that in a respectful way. My complete thoughts on ADOFN will come when I finish reading it).
“Legends & Lattes” had a very strong first half. It was all about gathering materials, hiring workers, figuring out how to advertise for the cafe and adding new selections to the menu. (Also Thimble owns my heart and soul and I would die for him). That being said, my only qualm with the book was the plot line with Fennus. I understand that the story is fantasy and DND-oriented, so dealing with a magical artifact and someone threatening to burn down the cafe seems pretty stereotypical, but I didn’t really enjoy the second half as much as the first half.
I wish the mafia group made more of an appearance. I would have been much happier with the book as a whole if the climax of the story was the mafia attempting to intimidate Viv only to find the smell of Thimble’s cinnamon rolls to be too good, and they decide to let the cafe be as is. That seems much more wholesome than Fennus stealing this magic artifact and burning the place down with Viv, Tandri and Amity inside. Let me tell you, that part made me cry.
Yes, an argument could be made that something bad had to happen to make the story worth while. Obviously this book has done well and remains pretty popular. Most people even credit this story to the creation of the “cozy fantasy” subgenre. However, I just wish the story remained wholesome. The climax and midpoint of the story was too dark and intense for my taste, and I wish it stayed light-hearted throughout.
I give the book 5/5 stars. It is well-written, well-paced and is told within an enjoyable setting. The characters are lovable and adorable. The romance between Viv and Tandri is sweet and innocent, and I will die to protect Thimble, the little rattkin baker.
This book has no need for deep analysis and I read the physical copy rather than a digital version, but my Goodreads notes can be found here.
Edit: I forgot to publish this when I read the book back in April. There was some personal stuff that happened, and I haven't had as much time or desire to read then craft a blog post about my thoughts. I hope to start a consistent schedule soon <3
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