Brenda is a type A overachiever, determined to follow her 19-point plan that will lead to the right college, the right career, and eventually, saving the world through science. Kat is a troublemaker, rebelling against the expectations placed on her as “The Chosen One” who will end the series of mana (magical energy) surges that have been endangering the city. Both girls live in Los Angeles… but not the same Los Angeles. When a portal between their universes brings Brenda to Kat’s father’s coffee shop, the girls find that opposites most definitely attract. Will they be able to navigate unreliable portals, wyvern attacks, earthquakes, and a dark conspiracy to be able to save both worlds… and actually be able to date? Funny and heartfelt, this is a great read for teens looking for cozy fantasy and sapphic romance.

Coffeeshop in an alternative universe follows Brenda and Kat, two teenage girls from parallel universes with the quest of saving their respective worlds. By chance, their paths collide and an inter-dimensional romance is blossoming, but things are never easy when magical creatures, a secret society and navigating two worlds stand in their way.

Since the book features two parallel worlds, our world and a similar one where magic rules instead of electricity, it was very interesting to learn about the similarities and differences between them. There was so much to explore, especially in the magical world that there wasn’t enough space to properly explore or explain. There were a lot of creative ideas that at times were rushed through by inconsistent pacing. Especially in the second half of the book.

The book is told through two first person POVs. As someone who cares alot about the characters in order to enjoy a book, the dual pov didn’t quite work for me. While I enjoyed Kat’s narration, Brenda’s was a bit of hit and miss, as it often came off as pretty childish. Something that felt in contrast to her overall personality. Aside from Kat, I also enjoyed Brenda’s friend group and I wish we could have seen more of them.

The book didn’t quite hit the mark for me, even if there were parts I really enjoyed. One of the major factors for this was the fact that it was marketed as a cozy sapphic romance fantasy, and while it started out like that it soon became something else. The majority of the story didn’t even take place in a coffeeshop. It’s more a story about two girls trying to save their worlds, while also trying to make their inter-wordly relationship work.

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Blog post goes live July 4th
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Youtube Review in Friday Reads on July 4th


**TL;DR**: A very cute sapphic romance with alternate universes.
**Source**: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!!

**Plot**: Two girl discover portals between their worlds and have to work to stop disaster but also fall in love.
**Characters**: They were very cute and by the end I loved the girls, but we might have also spent too much time with them.
**Setting:** For such a big part of the story this was pretty well drawn early out but left alone for the later half.
**Fantasy:** The ideas here were very cool. I liked them a lot.

**Thoughts:**

I really wanted this to be a five star, I really did! But I think maybe I’m just a little too old for this pacing and style to work for me. The driving plot of this story is the idea of these portals opening between Kat and Brenda’s worlds. They seem to be connected to the surges of mana on one side and earthquakes on the other.

At the same time the story really focuses hard in on the romance between these two girls. And honestly, that felt a little bit like a distraction at times. We would have a pretty intense chapter, big information drops or big twists! Then we’d jump to the next and it would be prom, or the coffeeshop, or something slower and I ended up feeling quite frustrated by the end.

The ideas are so cool, and perhaps for a younger or more patient reader this could be a real hit. Give it a shot if you don’t mind that abrupt back and forth. The girls are adorable, I loved their friends and the emphasis on their culture. But the pacing frustrated me to no end.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

Any book that includes Doctor Who references automatically gets extra points from me. I haven't played Dungeons and Dragons before, but I definitely think it's something I would enjoy. Some of those references went over my head, but at the same time, I know enough about the game that I understood most of it. Don't worry about those references, though, if you don't know anything about it. You don't need to understand them to follow the book. Just some references included.

This was an amazing book. Loved it so much. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in this type of novel.

𝙴𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
🌟🌟🌟.5
If you are willing to experience a cozy, witchy, fantasy, and sidereal universe vibes, this book, *Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe*, is the book. The physical book comes with purple spray edges, and, omg, it's beautiful. One of my new favorite physical books.
When Brenda’s internet goes out right before an important scholarship deadline, she stumbles right into Kat’s family’s coffeeshop. The only problem? Kat and Brenda are from different universes. Like need-to-find-a-portal-to-go-on-a-second-date different universes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This was so cute and cozy. I absolutely loved the premise of accidentally discovering an alternate world while meeting the girl of your dreams at a Coffeeshop! Not only was the romance cute, the growth between friends and of each characters was so wonderful. I am also such a sucker for kids saving the world.

This book was a very fun read. I really loved Brenda and Kat as well as the side characters. I thought they were well developed and I really enjoyed Kat and Brenda’s relationship and watching it grow. I do feel like the magic system in this book was sometimes hard to follow. I also feel like The Order should have been a more active antagonist in the book. We always heard about them but we really didn’t get to see them do anything. I also did not enjoy the 3rd act break up. It really made me not like the book as much as I was before. Overall, it was very cute and a great pride month read!!

4.75⭐️

This concept of magic and alternate worlds was so delightful to experience with Brenda and Kat as sapphic Asian protagonists. I enjoyed this even more when I found out that Brenda was also a D&D nerd. This is everything that I could've wanted from this book, cute relationships, immersive world building with the unique magic system, and the pacing was so well done. I'm so glad I read this!

I’ve enjoyed CB Lee’s books since their Sidekick Squad series, and when I saw they had something new coming I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Some elements of the story were predictable from early on, though that could be a byproduct of being a voracious reader for so many years. This is a case where while the answer was predictable, the execution and reveals were worth it still. I really loved Brenda’s friendships and the development of her romance with Kat. There’s also so many great family moments that filled my heart with so much warmth. I had a lot of fun with this book overall and the audiobook was a great experience.

This was the perfect beach read for me this weekend. Cozy, sweet, and romantic with a unique twist on the chosen one trope, this story absolutely delivered.

Brenda is a geeky overachiever with a 19-step plan to save the world. Kat is the chaotic, reluctant Chosen One. Their paths collide, literally, when Brenda’s internet cuts out and she stumbles into Kat’s coffeeshop… in another universe.

This story was heartfelt and full of charm. I adored both Brenda and Kat, but Kat really stole the show for me. The dual POVs felt distinct, the worldbuilding was seamless, and the plot’s light mystery thread kept me turning the pages.

Whether you're into multiverse hijinks, nerdy meets mystical love stories, or just need something cute and comforting, this one's worth checking out.

3.5 stars

When I say I want to read a cozy fantasy book, THIS IS WHAT I MEAN. Coffeeshop in an Alternative Universe had the cozy feel to it, as it was set in a coffeeshop, but the stakes were also very real.

The idea behind this book was excellent. What do you mean a girl stumbles upon this cafe (meets the cutest girl at the said cafe ) which is actually in an alternative universe and the fate of both the universes is at stake??!!

I absolutely loved the sapphic representation in this book; the author killed it. Brenda and Kat, the main characters, were truly the cutest. I loved the awkward charm their relationship had; it showed how new they were to proper relationships and how sincere their feelings were for each other.

The main characters were surrounded by such fun and loving people that you just keep smiling while reading the book and hoping that everything turns out well and no one ends up dying.

Two things that I wasn’t a fan of in this book were how easily people believed magic is real and I thought it was very obvious who the villain was and the reveal should have been a bit earlier.

If you love cozy fantasy, sapphic ships, fun friend groups and magic, PICK THIS UP.

A cute concept, the description seemed like the perfect book but it just came off too childish for me, Brenda came off at trying too hard to be relatable and Kat was supposed to seen like a rebel but for me it cane off as more obnoxious. I enjoyed the romance aspect and liked the characters together and I enjoyed the families stories but I just couldn’t get into the magic system and the main characters

I loved everything about this book and I love a good Cozy Fantasy. I highly recommend this book to everyone and will be getting myself a physical copy the second its published

Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe was such a breath of fresh air when it came to the cozy fantasy world! This was such a unique and intriguing world, with a love story for the ages. The cozy feelings magically made everything seem to come to life! Will be rereading this book for sure!

This book was such a fun read! This book centered on two teens who are from different worlds. They meet when one of them accidentally walks through a portal and now have to figure out how to get back to each other and save their worlds.

I really enjoyed the story and the relationships in this book. I think the writing is great. I would not call this cozy fantasy though because the stakes are just far too high and the action is too intense for that.

I will absolutely be picking up a copy of this once it releases.

Yes, this book is fun. Yes, I like the alternate universe. Brenda and Kat are cute and honestly watching Brenda discover magic was great. This is for the D&D lovers, the Doctor Who fans who love subtle references. This has a fun fantasy world that is dealing with mana surges that can create dimensional doors that links to the real world. It was cool seeing the differences between the two worlds.
I think this book would entertain the younger side of YA, but I don't know if it would hit the older teens. As always, don't use my review as a decision to not read or read this book. Everyone has different tastes and if you end up liking this book, that's great. It just wasn't for me.

I would not say this is a cozy fantasy. I didn't really get cozy from this story seeing as mana surges and other things were actually raising the stakes. But also things in the magic world didn't make sense. One being Kat's world doesn't have Wi-Fi, but Brenda entered the coffeeshop specifically for the wifi. Something I notice with C.B. Lee is how fast pace her romances are. Kat and Brenda instalove after only one interaction was hard to believe and took me out of the story a few times especially half way. Not only the romance, but I felt like Brenda's personality changed from sounding like a mature and responsible teen, but really seemed immature. She also went from organized and have to do things in such a way to "just vibing". It really kind of bugged me. ALSO, maybe it's just me but they accepted the fact that they live in an alternate universe so easily. There was no freak out and even Brenda telling her friends was way too easy to just accept. It made it a little hard to stay into the story.

I loved this so much! Cozy fantasy romance is my jam and this book was a delight from the first moment. I loved how different Brenda (determined, going a mile a minute) and Kay (apathetic, prankster) SEEMED. But once you get to know them their passion and love for their friends and family shone so brightly. I loved their meet-cute, their dynamic and how trusting they were of each other. I also loved their friends and family and how seamlessly they all supported the two MCs in both their romance and their epic quest. The worldbuilding was fabulous; a sweet spot of unique and intriguing without being confusing.  I love the idea that there is an alternate universe out there that is so similar, but ya know with magic! This was a cozy fun adventure and even though the stakes were high, you knew that it would all be okay and you could just enjoy the ride!

“Apparently the big secret to life is that the universe hears everything you want: everything you put into it, all your hopes and dreams, every energy into every thought. So the more positively you think—the more energy you put into believing that your dreams are possible, the more motivation you have to go after them—the more the universe will respond in kind and make you more in tune to see those opportunities.”

Brenda is an overachieving high school senior with plans to save the world with science, but when her internet gives out right before a crucial scholarship deadline, her entire future is on the line. In search of WiFi, she finds herself in Kat’s family’s coffee shop. They instantly connect, and Brenda is in awe of Kat’s confidence while Kat is mesmerized by Brenda’s passion and mind. However, Brenda accidentally went through a portal to another universe when she stepped into the coffee shop, one filled with magic, mythical creatures, and Kat, the Chosen One. As it turns out, that portal was just one of many beginning to appear. When their universes start to collide, Brenda is determined to save the world, but Kat has spent her whole life trying to outrun her destiny. Can the two girls truly change the world for the better?

Coffee Shop in an Alternate Universe was a heartfelt coming-of-age novel about two girls finding love and learning the meaning of life in a world filled with both magic and strife. Brenda and Kat perfectly balanced each other’s personalities. Kat’s confidence and go-with-the-flow attitude helped Brenda learn to relax and enjoy her time outside of school and college prep. In return, Brenda taught Kat to face her fears and embrace her destiny. The best relationships, both in books and in life, are when the two grow and evolve as a result of their connection. I also loved the role that their cultures played in the novel. Brenda is Vietnamese, and Kat is Chinese, and the author showed us this through their food, language, and families rather than just mentioning their ethnicities in passing. Their cultures also played a role in the main conflict and the key to the resolution, which I thought was a great touch. The magic system was intriguing and mimicked technology in many ways, though there were times when elements of it felt a bit unclear. I also felt that the conflict escalated very quickly. One second, there were just a few portals that Kat and Brenda were wandering through, and the next thing I knew, the worlds were colliding. Despite this, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and the ending in particular. Lee crafted an unexpectedly simple, emotional solution to a larger-than-life problem that focused on love and good intentions. I would recommend this book to anyone searching for a YA coming-of-age romance with a touch of magic and a lot of heart.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Aaaah, words can hardly describe how delightful this was! As a 2nd-gen Chinese-Viet from SoCal, reading this book felt like coming home. I adore the thought put into Kat and Brenda's respective backgrounds of being Chinese and Vietnamese and all the little references I could spot about the Asian American community in Los Angeles. The recommended reading list at the end was pretty cool too and made it clear how much research the author did despite it not even being the main focus of the story. In regards to the main story though, Kat and Brenda's love story was so incredibly cute and well-developed. I really liked how natural their attraction to each other felt and how it was based on their personalities rather than physical attraction, which made a lot of sense with the mention that Brenda might be demisexual (solidarity!). The main conflict was very nicely woven between their dates together, and although the antagonist was pretty predictable, I don't think that's a bad thing for a story as cozy as this. I also really appreciate the numerous side characters who helped support the main characters because it really emphasized the main theme at the climax of love for the community and love for the world. All in all, a lovely, wholesomely sweet sapphic read, and I will definitely be grabbing myself a copy once it releases!

I had fun with this! The first half was really fun and I liked the characters, Kat and Brenda. The second half slowed down a lot for me and I think I could have enjoyed it more if I was a D&D fan. Rating is a 3.5 but I'm rounding up to a 4 star.