Viv is an orc who decides to hang up her sword and step into a more peaceful life—the coffee shop business. The novel follows her journey as she builds the shop from the ground up, finds people to work alongside her, experiments with new recipes, and slowly attracts loyal customers. Of course, there are a few bumps along the way, but nothing that takes away from the heart of the story.

This was my first cozy fantasy, and I really enjoyed it. The book felt like a warm hug—such a refreshing change of pace compared to the high-stakes fantasy I’m used to. I especially loved the unique qualities each character brought to the story and how they all came together to support Viv in her dream. One of my favorites was Thimble, who completely stole the show for me. He’s adorable, always lost in his own baking world, constantly whipping up the most mouthwatering treats (while happily living off free coffee).

The flow of the story worked so well for me. I didn’t have to brace myself for massive battles or life-or-death stakes—instead, I could just sink into the cozy atmosphere and enjoy spending time with the characters. While there were a few moments of conflict, the happy ending always felt certain, which made it comforting to read. At times, I even wished I could step right into the café myself—the descriptions of the pastries and drinks were so vivid I swear I could almost taste them.

I ended up giving this one three and a half stars. The slower pace occasionally lost me, and I found myself a little bored in spots. Still, as an introduction to cozy fantasy, this book completely worked, and I’m excited to explore more stories in this genre.