If you could go back in time, what would you change or do differently? There’s a small coffee shop in Tokyo that offers customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time. We follow four visitors and learn their stories as they tie up loose ends and return back to the present before the coffee gets cold.
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This book presents an interesting concept, such as time travel and the rules and risks that follow. It has a certain charm that makes it great for a cozy and reflective read. I know this book is loved by many, but I had two issues that were hard to overlook.
First, the stories felt dated and followed a noticeable theme, which not everyone will enjoy; and second, the narrative felt choppy and lacked flow, which impacted the overall reading experience. While it’s hard to say whether this was due to the translation, I do want to note that translators do an invaluable job in making stories accessible.
Overall, it was a fun experience exploring a collection of stories built around the premise of time travel. This book is part of a series and books 2 through 5 seem to have higher ratings on Goodreads than the first one, which makes me hopeful. If you enjoy short cozy reads and the topic of time travel, I’d say it’s worth checking out. Order your copy on Amazon today.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 213
Rating: 3/5
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This was a really informative post – I learned something new today, thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reading!
Sometimes a quick read is just what I need, so I really appreciate your frank and honest review of this book. I definitely need to check out books 2 and 5 after reading this one!
Thank you Heidi! I hope you enjoy the series.
Thinking about time travel and it’s possibilities (and problems) is a very interesting one. It’s a shame that it felt a bit dated and choppy—which could be a bit of a block to getting into it. I like the idea of it though, it’s quite intriguing!
It’s such an interesting concept and I hope the rest of the series flows better than the first one. Thanks for reading Molly!
Wonderful review Winnie. I’m sorry this book was a bit of a miss but hope the rest of the books in the series are what you’re looking for.
Thank you Jodie! I’m looking forward to checking out the rest of the series.
It’s a shame that the stories felt outdated within this book, but it sounds like an interesting premise, with it based around time travel! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I agree, the premise is captivating. Thank you for reading Lucy!