jayecard's reviews
168 reviews

 I thought this book would be 80% con schemes and lying and smart manipulation, and 20% character, or so. The book is more like, 20% con stuff (which is ok), and 80% character, which is to say 80% horribly abused and traumatized teenagers finding ways to deal with it (which is done extremely well). It's a very fast read, style is alright, with the most difficult parts of the content done damn well. But check the trigger warnings for sure, the heavy stuff caught me off guard for real.

tl;dr: Full ass recommend, but check content warnings first

This book should work, but doesn't.

In concept, Alex is a woman with commitment issues due to emotional trauma who struggles to make relationships work. In practice, she's a walking red flag who finds it "challenging" not to "accidentally" flirt with other girls. 

In concept, Molly is an awkward goody two shoes who can't talk to her crush. In practice, she gives up at any minor inconvenience to feel sorry for herself, then thinks that she shouldn't do that, and then does it again.

I like flawed characters. I do not like it when I'm meant to sympathize with characters who know exactly what their problem in life is and then do nothing about it anyway. It's "okay", because those problems go away when they meet each other. And I absolutely hate how this book treated Alex's and Molly's false love interests: One has her character retconned entirely, the other gets strung along all story and then left standing alone with no explanation.

The dialogue is just forced enough to feel off. The way Molly is put in egretiously awkward situations for the sake of making her look like a sad puppy gets annoying way too fast. Bestie, you're not the doormat, you're a floor black hole. The only person sabotaging her is herself, yet it feels like we're meant to sympathize with her for all the hard situations she's in. Girl, if you went to sit in the back, because your crush didn't hear you when you asked: "Is this seat taken?", then you most literally only have yourself to blame. I know it's hard, but at some point, you have to put in the effort. Which is her entire character arc, which becomes all the more insufferable by how she knows EXACTLY that this is her problem from the very beginning, and then spends the entire book doing fuckall about it, until Alex literally forces her.

There are redeeming qualities in this book, but I was looking for a cute queer read, and I got so thoroughly disappointed and had to DNF (I skimmed the rest) the book and go write an angry rant. If you want the aesthetics of a cute romance, this is ok. If you want a romance with well written characters, you can find better.

I'm a ba-*inhuman screeching*-ie girl in a *sobbing crying throwing up* world life in plastic it's *unidentifiable crunching noises* 

Concise, informative, easy to read. Covers all the most essential essentials of coffee in one little book. If you're looking to get started on your coffee knowledge, this is the best point to begin.

It's a very short comic, so there's not a lot of space to develop plot or character. It's enjoyable, and surely interesting for fans of the show who are curious about the source.

you know it isn't actually forbidden to write couples with actual chemistry. how am I supposed to root for a love interest that flirts, then goes "no!!! we can't!! it's not allowed!!!" then continues flirting. this book started with a taylor competition that was solid and fun and then suddenly they're on a journey with fairy tale like trials and somehow these trials manage to be boring and dull. I am so disappointed.

I picked this book up after seeing a lot of reviews calling it super cozy, wholesome and comforting. Those reviews are correct, but in my opinion, sell the book short.

Viv is an orc looking to leave the warrior life expected of her as a big monster, and pursue her new found passion for coffee. While some people are making this complicated, we are mostly following her tale of building up the coffeeshop from scratch.

And that tale is very cozy and wholesome, but I would never think to reduce it to that. Viv searches for a new life, a life that will give her the kind of happiness and fulfillment that her old life never could. She's genuinely passionate about coffee, and despite her rugged appearance and violent background, is so so gentle. And the book doesn't sell her struggles short at all: Starting a new life, forming a new self, that isn't easy, and it takes Viv time and understanding.

It also didn't go past me that the main characters are all creatures with some negative connotations: Viv is an orc, Tandri is a succubus, and two more protagonists not pictured on the cover are a Hob (which I imagine stands for Hobgoblin) and a rattkin. Everyone has their own story and their own struggles, but they all in some way or another don't quite fit into the expectations of others and have to fight prejudice, and they come together to build a place where they can follow their passions and find happiness without being judged for who they are. There are multiple moments where Viv struggles with other's perceptions of her, and the story is also her story of leaving what is expected of an orc - by orcs and non-orcs - for a life that is wholly hers.

All of this adds so much depth to this already amazing story. The cover says "high fantasy and low stakes", but the stakes never felt so low, they felt higher than some battles over entire kingdoms or worlds that I've read, because in every conflict, we understand what is at stake: The coffeeshop, the people around it, and Viv's entire new life and identity - her possibility to change and make her life hers.

The long and short of it is that this book is so much more than a cozy read. It's an amazing story of creating the life you want, in spite of everything. The world is described so vividly, and the cast is instantly endearing. I will marry Viv, by the way. If you like the part in D&D where you all start out meeting in a tavern, this is the book for you.