A Cinnamon Roll of a Read
Week 1 of My Cozy Fantasy & Food Series
Early last year, I learned about “Cozy Fantasy” from Meg’s Tea Room on BookTok and it quickly became my new favorite sub-genre. (I think Meg personifies cozy fantasy so well in her little corner of the internet. I wish her tea room was a real place!)
Definitions of what counts as “cozy” can vary a bit, but I think all cozy fantasies feel like a long sip of your favorite warm beverage. They feel like the first taste of a warm, sweet, gooey cinnamon roll. And as Meg says here:
“The overall reading experience will always feel like a hug. That’s the vibe.
The plots are more grounded, the world is smaller in scale, and they center more around the character development and relationships than they do the actual adventure itself.” -@MegsTeaRoom
I still love reading intense, plot-heavy books that have me on the edge of my seat (just finished the amazing & far-from-cozy fantasy The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab!!), but cozy fantasies are now my go-to before-bed reads, for a soothing way to wind down for the night.
Legends & Lattes
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree is the perfect cozy book to try first! An orc named Viv gives up the adventuring life for her dream of opening a coffee shop in this sweet, slow-burn lesbian love story1.
It was released as an indie book in 2022 and it became so popular that it was picked up by a traditional publisher and can now be found in bookstores everywhere. It also has a delightful prequel now too, Bookshops & Bonedust, that I just finished reading today, while enjoying two of these wonderfully gooey cinnamon rolls.
Many cozy fantasies also have an element of delicious food woven into them, so that has inspired this series for the month since I love reading and baking! That said, do not read Legends & Lattes if you don’t want to crave a cinnamon roll! It’s a big part of the sweet story and will definitely make you hungry. So this was an obvious choice to start off this series.2
I used this small batch recipe from SimplyLakita.com that makes only 4 rolls in much less time than a full recipe would take (takes about an hour and a half total with the proofing time). I love small batch recipes so there are no leftovers and it just feels extra sweet and special, just for that moment. The recipe was easy to follow, but I wonder if I should have cut mine into 8 small rolls, or squished them down a bit to be less tall, so 2 of them didn’t fall over while baking. But they still tasted perfect!
Have you read any Cozy Fantasies before? If you read Legends & Lattes, let me know what you think! It was a 4-star read for me. The prequel is also 4-stars for me, but I loved it even more since bookshops, bakeries, and magic are the focus in that one and I love those even more than cute coffee shops. 🤓
Next Sunday, I will share another favorite cozy fantasy & recipe pairing. Thanks for following along!
Question for your Inner Artist:
• What book (or movie) do I enjoy that feels like a hug to me?
No links above are sponsored. I just love sharing about the things that give me joy.
There is some attraction & romance, but no spice (sexual content) in either of the Legends & Lattes books. Some cozy fantasy does have spice, so look that up ahead of time if that’s not something you like in your books (or if that’s something you prefer).
I mean, look at this gorgeous special edition with cinnamon roll edges! I had to bake them!
Little Women (the book or the Greta Gerwig film) always hit me in the cozies. I tend to read/watch every fall and every time I revisit the story I identify with a different character. I have these on my TBR and am looking forward to them.