A quiet, thoughtful novel by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I enjoyed reading this book slowly. Told in vignettes, we see how different people would react at being able to go back in time. A novel that is heavy at times, but also introspective and unique. I would recommend it to those who enjoy blended genres.

I found the beginning of this novel to be a bit confusing; the author had to be meticulous with the exposition so the rest of the novel could progress smoothly, it just took me a bit to wrap my head around the concept and "rules" of the cafe. I also found the names hard to keep track of because I am not familiar with Japanese names (just a cultural thing, not a criticism), and they all began with an "N" or "K." I think I would have faced the same confusion if the names were ones I was more familiar with but still started with the repetitive letters.
I'm glad I kept reading the book; by the end of the first section I had grown to like each character and their particular characteristics, and I realized there is a great message here - revisiting our past may not change the future, but it can change US. This novel broadened my mind-set, which to me is the hallmark of good literature.

I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky tale of time travel in a Japanese cafe. Others have suggested that the premise is spelled out too directly early on and that it was ruined for them. I disagree. I felt the translation was wonderful and found my mouth was actually watering over the delicious coffee being served while enjoying the adventures, trials and tribulations of the cafe's patrons.

I really liked the vignette style in which this was written. It was an interesting premise that really focused in on relationships between people, rather than the sci-fi elements, which I liked.

This small Tokyo cafe has the ability to transport patrons through time. Before the Coffee Gets Cold relates the interconnected narratives of four characters' experiences at Funiculi Funicula where a special seat and the special mocha coffee have extraordinary time traveling powers.
As one would expect, there are rules:
1. The only people you can meet are those who have visited the cafe.
2. There is nothing you can do to change the present.
3. There's only one seat that allows you to go back in time. (This seat is usually occupied by a ghost.)
4. There's a time limit. You must drink the coffee before it gets cold.
5. You are only allowed one visit.
The four stories deal with loss and grief; and while each character cannot change the present, each character is changed as a result of the time travel experience.
Right now, I would go back to March 13, 2020, for a proper goodbye with my students and colleagues. I know that I will see them again, but this school year feels unfinished.
As a cautionary tale, Before the Coffee Gets Cold relates to readers the importance of sharing with others how you feel now. Don't wait to express your feelings; tell the people in your life how you feel because you may not get that chance later.
Right now, I would go back to March 13, 2020, for a proper goodbye with my students and colleagues. I know that I will see them again, but this school year feels unfinished.

I received an electronic copy from Harlequin through NetGalley.
A series of connected shorter stories that weave around several central characters in a small out of the way coffee shop. The premise of going back or forward in time plays out as characters seek to learn more about themselves and those they love. Each wants one more moment with someone to learn as much as they can about situations and events.
The writing style is a little disjointed but I enjoyed the stories. The characters were somewhat flat but readers can see how they got to their current emotional states.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for a review copy.

I love a story that is connected throughout in many ways. Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a story about a tiny Japanese cafe that allows you to travel time within the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee. Beautifully told, we find ourselves following many characters and their travels forward or back. I loved the connections the characters had, what they learned during their time travels and how they grew from their experiences. Quick, compelling read.

I enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold. It is 4 short stories connected by a main set of characters. Each story is a life lesson, but doesn't beat you over the head with a moral. I enjoyed the last story the most.

A little bit of a clunky start bt then it picked up and really became one of my favorite time travel stories. A bit different than what I expected but i did love it.

Wonderful group of stories time travel at its best.quirky moving each a gem.I was drawn in by these well written interconnected group of stories.Highly recommend.#netgalley#harlequin

Before the Coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, a good story. The writing style felt off to me and I had a hard time connecting with the whole story but it was a good story.

This book had a slow start for me, but by the time I got to the end of the first of the four closely interconnected stories, I was completely drawn into the lives of the women who frequent and work in the small, supernatural coffee shop at the center of these stories. The first story is a little clunky and wooden, perhaps because it serves mostly to introduce the supernatural elements-- the rules and method of time travel that exists in the old Japanese cafe as well as the ghost serves as both a guard and a warning. The emotional intensity of the time travellers' stories, as well as their relationship with the cafe and with one another, grows with each short story, until we reach the heartachingly beautiful final pages. I recommend this book for all readers of speculative and time travel fiction, as well as readers who enjoy fiction featuring a multigenerational cast of characters tied together by a single setting or experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is an original little book. Even though it's translated, it still reads well. While it wasn't quite what I thought it would be, I did really enjoy the story and the elements that came together to weave an interesting tale.
The book dives right into a story that happened exactly a week ago, being told by a character from that particular chapter. The time traveling element doesn't feel out of place, and there are rules, but it's almost supernatural.
I like how every chapter revolves a different patrons story wanting to go back in time. I like the little details, like how the woman in whites book title was the chapter title, and it was corresponding to the character(s) from that chapters story.
Overall all this was a good, quick book, and unlike anything I've read before.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

Time traveling is the newest trend in novels because this is the fourth or fifth book I've read with this concept, though this book puts a twist on the time traveling aspect.

I really enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold; my only caveat was that it was too short.

I loved the small cast of characters, the rules that must be followed if you plan to time travel, and the heartfelt reasons each traveler had for going back.

When I finished reading, I realized that time traveling is the device that brings the characters together, and the story isn't about time traveling, its about the relationships we have with each other, our families, the people we love.

It's about having an open mind, putting yourself in the other person's shoes and being more mindful and self aware of our limitations and accepting what you have, in your life, right now.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the time travel elements and the rules that apply to it because it definitely gives you a lot to think about. While it took a while to get to know the characters, they definitely come together towards the end of the book. I could read another couple hundred pages of the people who come to the coffee shop and travel back in time. I only wish that we had gotten more information about one particular character, that was important to the time travel aspect. They are mentioned quite a bit but in the end, we aren't shown why they are there and what their story is, which was a little frustrating but I understand that to have some sort of mystery is all the more intriguing. I would absolutely read another one of Kawaguchi's books in the future.

This book is exquisite. Each story is a wonder and I loved how everyone interconnected in each other's story. Please do yourself a favor and read this book. Such beautiful stories.