CBR18 BINGO: Friends
I feel like I would really like Travis Baldree if I met him in person. Based on the number of women in his books and the way he writes about them, he really seems to just love women in a non-creepy way. His books are cozy and it almost feels like he decided one day, “I like coffee and books and pastries, so I’m going to write about those things,” and luckily enough, readers want to read about those things. There’s something about the books that make me feel like he’s genuine. Man, I hope he’s not secretly an a-hole; that would be so disappointing.
Where was I? Oh, right. I had loved Legends and Lattes but been unsure about reading Bookshops and Bonedust for mildly inexplicable reasons. But I finally decided to give it a try, and I loved it about as much as the first book. Viv is still an early career mercenary and is injured during a battle. The crew leaves her in a nearby town to recover for a few weeks while they continue the job. Viv connects with bookseller Fern, baker Maylee, and Gallina (yes, the same Gallina from L&L). She spends a lot of time helping Fern with the bookshop, and we get to meet Fern’s pet gryphet, Potroast (and later a bone homunculus named Satchel). There’s also a bit of action.
All of the characters are great, and I really appreciate that there aren’t villains aside from the actual villains. Even the gatewarden, whom Viv butts heads with, is just a competent woman doing her job. They rub each other the wrong way, but they can be adults about it. The book is a bit bittersweet because we come to care about the characters, knowing that Viv will be leaving once her crew is back. But it’s a great ride while we’re on it. 4.5 stars rounded up.
