This was such a sweet, cute little story (for the most part)! I really loved the witchy themes, especially Marigold's kitchen magic in her bakery. I wish that we'd gotten more focus on the various paranormal elements of the other characters, and less focus on Ray's job, because the parts about her job were honestly mostly a bit boring and felt like "too much" (not in the sense that it shouldn't have been included, but in the sense that there were too many separate threads within the career subplot and most of them weren't wrapped up in the end).

I loved the characters, and the development we got to see in several of them. Ray was a very lovable main character, though I thought some of her behavior was immature and maybe not addressed as thoroughly as I'd have liked for it to be. While Laurie's transgressions are pretty well handled, it felt like Ray's are swept under the rug, whether it's related to her emotional unavailability or her poor handling of situations at work.

I hate to throw in another "I loved this, BUT —" point, but the romance: I thought it was absolutely adorable and I sensed so much chemistry between Ray and Laurie in the beginning, but this story suffered from the classic case of these characters getting into a relationship too early into the story, which led to a lot of their conversations being repetitive. The conflict between them was fine (and I say this as someone who usually hates the infamous Romance Break-up Act™️), but I was kind of disappointed in the ending! I get why so many YA/NA authors go this route with endings to their romance books, but I'm a hopeless romantic and these two had SO much potential and cared so much for one another that the ending felt unrealistic and forced.

Overall, this graphic novel was mostly enjoyable, but I had a lot of caveats that pulled it down from the 5-star rating I originally had hoped to give it. Writing this out, I actually struggle with even giving it 4 stars, but the massive amount of love and joy it brought me in the first half makes it hard to go lower than that, too. Plus, the art is adorable.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

Thank you HCC Frenzy for providing me with an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Crumbs is a YA graphic novel with a little bit of magic, a little bit of romance, and a whole love of cuteness. It follows Ray, who is a seer, and Laurie, a barista and musician. Both Ray and Laurie are trying to follow their dreams, but they aren’t quite sure what those dreams are. It also features a café that serves treats like romance, focus, and contentment.

This graphic novel was very easy to read and get into. I loved the artwork in it and the colour choices. Overall, I thought it had some very lovely cozy vibes to it.

As far as the story goes, I thought it was very cute. I liked Ray and Laurie, I liked their relationship, and I liked that they were still trying to figure out what their dreams were. I also liked the side characters and how they were able to have difficult conversations when needed.

I liked that this graphic novel had a little bit of magic in it. I liked that there was flying on brooms and a magical counsel.

Overall, I thought this was a very cute graphic novel and I will definitely keep an eye out for more work by Danie Stirling.

Ray frequents a special bakery in her town where magical desserts can make your dreams come true. She always orders the same thing: tea with a side of romance. Even if the romance seems like it's out of reach for her. And doesn't align with her professional dreams.

Little does she know, her own spark of romance is on the horizon with a barista and musician named Laurie. It's her relationship with Laurie that makes her question what she wants to do with her life. Even with her gift to see the future, her future with Laurie is unclear. Will they make it as Ray's dreams start to change? Or is the magic the only thing keeping them together?

Thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for an advanced copy of this to review! I was immediately drawn in by the cover, which looks absolutely adorable. This graphic novel is full of magic, whimsy, and romance. It'll be the perfect addition to your summer TBR!

Right from the beginning, I loved the art style. It added to the magic and the overall world that Stirling created. While there are still details that aren't quite clear in terms of world building, I think they made up for it in character development. I loved Laurie and Ray, and the way their relationship evolved. It felt realistic, and they both were supportive of each other throughout the book.

Outside of Laurie and Ray, they had a great group of friends that also allowed them to evolve and grow. And they weren't afraid to give them a kick in the pants when they needed it. I would love to live in this little magical city with this magical bakery. 100% I wish that it was real.

All in all, if you're looking for a cute, romantic, summery graphic novel this July, definitely pick this one up!

I read Crumbs on Webtoons and absolutely adored it, so imagine my elation when I found out that it is not only getting published but also on NetGalley. When the publisher approved my ARC, I couldn’t wait until the month before pub to read it—I dove into this thing so fast and it was just as good. The gentle romance, the queer rep, the love, the heart, the feeling of growing up and figuring out what you want while avoiding burnout and a work/life balance, of having incredible and rare talent that is not the talent you actually want, and of being not-quite-good enough. Oh, this book

This is absolutely adorable. The art is so cute and the storyline is so fun. I will definitely be recommending this title for purchase for my library. It's great to see another WEBTOON make it to print :)

A sweet (haha) fantasy romance. Lovingly rendered in both story and and art. The fantasy elements were really well thought out and integrated into the personalities and conflicts between characters. I really liked that we saw more than just the intial parts of a romance, that the seeming perfection of each love interest was interrogated, and some of the deeper issues that can come up when dating for more than a short time were a central part of the story.

A colourful and imaginative graphic novel that introduces its readers to a unique and evolving world where finding one’s self doesn’t get any easier, even with magical phones. For fans of queer graphic novels, tight and supportive friend groups, and main characters who aren’t afraid to do what they feel is right, Crumbs is a delicious journey of self-discovery, proving that dreams can change but love can stick around.

A super sweet love story that the reader gets to watch unfold over time. With details and a lovely storyline, I really had a good time diving headfirst into this one.

I am always down to read a book about witches/magic users.

Crumbs is a popular WebToon turned graphic novel that follows a seer and a musician as they meet, date, and find themselves in the process.

Ray is a seer, but unlike most who can see the future, she can only see glimpses into the past & present. She doesn’t like to touch people flesh to flesh, as well as items can sometimes give her flashes of people’s secrets. This makes it hard for her to make friends and she spends most of her time alone.

Laurie is a musician. He works in his Aunt’s bakery, where she sells coffee and pastries that give you emotions or strong feelings, the most popular is “Romance.” They sell out of their top sellers every day, which is the reason that Ray goes there daily.

This is where their meet-cute happens. While every other customer asks for their Romance to-go and to give to someone else, Ray wants hers for here. She isn’t ashamed to want a bit of Romance in her life. That must be what catches Laurie’s eye.

I did really enjoy the story and am interested to see where it goes from here.

Am I super invested? Not really. I feel like if I don’t read the continuation soon, I may forget all about it. I love the witchy aspects and the fact that the aunt is a Lesbian and Ray is bisexual… so there is queer rep in the book. Other than that, 🤷🏻‍♂️

Ray is a young seer who has struggled with her rare abilities. Rather than being able to see the future, she can see the present, which is a rarity among fellow seers. On the fence with her career trajectory, Ray frequents her local bakery to see her crush, Laurie, and order tea and some tasty baked goods infused with romance. As a seer, nothing is a surprise, but it is for Ray when she finally speaks to her crush. Everything turns out to be a surprise as their romance blossoms, even as Ray’s abilities begin to expand to see the future. Unfortunately for them, the ups and downs are a surprise for both, especially as Laurie struggles with trying to make it as a musician.

This book is absolutely wonderful. We follow Ray, who is a seer in a world full of magic. There’s a touch of magic everywhere down to each character’s phone. It made me wish I had a cool phone just like the characters! Speaking of the characters, I think there was only one character that I disliked, but I believe we were meant to dislike them. The rest are wonderful, and that includes the characters who had very small parts in the story.

One of the things I liked about the book is that Ray and Laurie’s romance was still presented in a realistic way. Ray found a way for Laurie to gain some privacy from her abilities, which allowed us to see what Laurie’s friends and ex meant when talking about the downfalls of their personality. I did find that I didn’t like Laurie as much as I initially did once we got to know them because they seemed very superficial in their relationships, whether romantic or platonic. That said, I did like how Ray and Laurie overcame their hardships.

The artwork is absolutely stunning. It’s so vibrant and really brings the characters and the world they live in to life. After reading this and being in awe at the beautiful artwork, I’m looking forward to seeing what Danie Stirling publishes in the future.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Clarion Books for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of Crumbs by Danie Stirling. This YA graphic novel will be published on July 19, 2022. All opinions are my own.

Ray is a young seer who is struggling with her powers. Each day, she goes to a local bakery that sells enchanted pastries and gets a cup of tea and a slice of romance. One day, she meets Laurie, the nephew of the baker, and the two fall for each other. At first everything seems great, but eventually cracks begin to appear in their relationship and they each have to decide what they want for their futures.

This is a cute novel. It began as a webcomic. I love the artwork, artistic style, and color palette. I like the idea of a magical world with enchanted pastries and electronics. I think the little phone buddies (Stella and Wobble) are the cutest! I do have to admit that I felt a little lost for most of the story. It felt like I got dropped into an intricate magical world without any real background or world-building. At first I thought people were just seers or witches with the ability to see the future, but then I realized there are vampires and werewolves in the world as well. I would have liked more background and explanation of the world. The romance in the story is cute and rather innocent making it middle school appropriate. The plot jumped around though. I wasn't sure if I should be focusing on the relationship or Ray's internship or her struggle with her powers and deciding what she wants for the future. Overall, it's an okay novel but I won't be rushing out to buy a copy.

Whimsical, endearing and heartwarming. If you enjoyed graphic novels by Kay O'Neill and Suzanne Walker, you're going to love this!

A sweet and magical romance between two queer characters that absolutely warmed my heart! I had never read the web comic but now I am so intrigued to give it a proper go!

This was such a sweet read!

First of all, I loved the art! It was so cute, well drawn and bright! I also loved the imagination that went into this with the bakery and all the pastries like romance etc! The world super intrigued me as magic is clearly a thing and you can fly on a broom etc and they have the Council doing various different things.

I’d have liked to have the world fleshed out a bit more and seen more of what goes on at the council etc. I did like the romance, I thought it was really sweet and cute but would also have liked a bit more substance to it!

I just feel like, as much as I enjoyed this, it did go a bit long considering how little plot it had. I did appreciate the way everything was wrapped up though and the character development for Ray and Laurie! Ray’s struggle is one I feel like a lot of people relate to, including myself, so I liked seeing it on the page see her figuring it out!

Plus there’s soooo much awesome LGBTQ+ rep in here and Ray has a gorgeous figure!

So freaking cute!! I loved getting to know Ray and Laurie and watching their relationship unfold. I also just love anything witchy - so going into the book, I knew I would enjoy it. There are some interesting conflicts throughout the novel and I really enjoyed how the story ended. It wasn't how I was expecting it to end. Highly recommend!

Ray is a seer, focused on becoming a member of the Council of Sorcerers. She regularly goes to the local bakery for a treat and a break from studying. There she sees the bakery owner’s nephew, Laurie and as she gets to know him and his friends she begins to wonder where her future truly lies.
This is a lovely YA coming of age story showing us all the aspects of friendship, young love and learning to be true to yourself. The artwork is delightful and the characters are a diverse group. Recommended

A very cute graphic novel about a seer as she finds love at a magical bakery and tries to navigate what she wants to do with her life (and love life) and her gift.

I loved the way their phones were enchanted avatars with their own personalities, I thought it was very sweet, like a companion to keep in your pocket with you. The characters were solidly diverse, not just the main characters, but everyone.

Some of the magical world building felt a little vague and even though I liked both Laurie and Ray, both of their characters had a lot of hesitance/unsureness to them that made it seem like it was hard for the story and their relationship to progress. Laurie's friends and Ray do eventually call Laurie out on it, but it really seemed to drag for most of the story in a way that made me think it was something that wouldn't be resolved.

Thank you to Net Galley for making this book available in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed getting lost in the world of Crumbs…

A YA graphic novel reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli adventure, with enticing movement filled illustrations was a pleasure to read.
I absolutely adored the Wobble phone spirits and their whimsical fairy like nature. The characters are fun loving and well developed. Once you get started you feel as if you are sitting at Marigold’s Bakery watching the story of Ray, a coming-of-age seer, and Laurie, a budding musician, get to know themselves by getting to know each other.

One of the best lines in the stories explains how a seer – sees the past/present/future and it states: “what they really see are possibilities”. In this tale, the reader follows the ins and outs of a young couple searching for the possibilities in their life.

What a great escape!!

Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Clarion Books

Thank you to NetGallery, and HCC for the eArc! I absolutely loved this one - and it is on my wish list to be purchased when I can!
Crumbs is not what I expected, and that is a great thing. It is such a cute story that went in ways I didn't think would, it did have more melancholy than I expected, and I assumed it would be a bit more queer, but honestly, Danie Stirling is a fantastic author, and I want more from this story. It is absolutely amazing. I really loved the talk of how it's okay to not be okay, and that you don't need to be happy in front of your loved ones constantly and ensure that they are happy, and if they are not, "fix" them. I really enjoyed Ray and Laurie, and how they went for their dreams, and neither of them stopped each other.
I really enjoyed how Ray was such a brilliant person, and even in this magical world where your "driving license" is actually your "flying license" and how your friends can be witches or werewolves, there was still normalcy that related to our world and their universe.
Overall, a great read, and I just have to decide whether I should get the hardcover or the paperback haha.

Crumbs by Danie Stirling is a light fantasy novel about a young woman named Ray who is coming into her own and determining the best use of her magical powers. A seer with unique abilities, Ray has dreamed of joining the elite Council, especially when she begins interning there. But she wonders what the future can truly hold when she falls for a musician who works at the cafe Ray frequents. I thought that Crumbs was an adorable, cozy, and charming graphic novel, perfect for romance fans. The fantasy elements were light, but I thought Stirling did a great job building the world with magic and whimsy. It was a rather long book, but I was excited to keep reading and never felt like it was too much. I'm excited to read more from this author!