This was such a sweet book! It reminds me of spring time in the best way possible. I loved the sweet characters in this book!

A sweet, cozy collection of stories surrounding a mysterious bookshop and its visitors. Sakura is not just any old shop, visitor’s don’t always know what they are looking for but leave content with their visit. The store is occupied by a girl and her cat who welcome guests always at the exact, right moment. To enter the shop is never a coincidence but a combination of good timing. This book is the perfect cozy read for all seasons. With stories of grief, acceptance, resilience and self-discovery I know it will find a warm spot in reader’s hearts!

This is a gorgeous, beautiful, heart wrenching read. I loved before the coffee gets cold so being able to read this, it gives similar vibes with the way it reaches your heart and just feel engrossed into the story. It will pull at your heart strings but so good!

Picture curling up with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea, but then suddenly someone hits you with a wave of feels you weren’t ready for. Yep, that's exactly this book. It’s soft and magical on the surface, but at the heart of it are these really raw explorations of grief, regret, and finding peace. The idea of a secret bookshop that only appears during cherry blossom season? Totally dreamy. And the fact that stories themselves are the tool for healing made my little bookworm heart so happy.

It’s not a fast-paced kind of read, more like one you want to savor slowly while you let the quiet lessons sink in. I especially loved how each character’s journey felt distinct but still connected, and the cat companion added just the right touch of charm (seriously, more cats in fiction, please).

I didn’t always vibe with the simplicity of the writing (it leans very gentle and straightforward) but honestly, that’s also what makes it feel like a balm. It’s one of those books that whispers instead of shouts, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

🌸 The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop By Takuya Asakura 🌸

This book is a magical cosy read based in Japan. It follows a mystical bookstore, run by a young woman named Sakura (and her calico cat Kobako), that only appears during the cherry blossom season. The catch is that it appears only under very specific conditions: those who are in need of healing from loss or regret, and who match Sakura’s reading of a particular passage from a particular book at a particular time.

What i loved about this book was its emotional Reach & Themes such how It handles grief, memory loss (including dementia), loss of loved ones, guilt or regret, separation, and the desire to reconcile with the past. These are heavy topics but handled with gentleness. The way each character has a distinct kind of sorrow gives the reader different perspectives on what it means to heal.

Along with this, i also found that the Magic Bookshop isn’t used as an overpowered fantasy trope but rather as a metaphorical bridge between past and present, between what is lost and what remains the rules of its magic (reading the same passage at a given time, etc.) give structure to the magical realism so it doesn’t feel unfettered.

I did find difficulty with the books repetition and pacing issues. Because each story must revisit certain mechanics (how one enters the bookstore, Sakura’s role, etc.), there are points of repetition. Some i  found myself drifting in the narrative during these recurring details. Also, the transitions between the visitor stories and Sakura’s interludes sometimes slow the momentum of the book.

Overall, I really did love this book and would recommend it to everyone to read it !

Imagine you're sitting quietly reading a book, and suddenly you see a bookshop appear from nowhere. This book is the perfect blend of mystery, fantasy and realism. The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop was a cozy read, perfect for fans of Before the Coffee gets Cold.

This was a very sweet story with a lovely dose of magical realism that really enforced a love of books and the magic they can bring to a person's life. The cat's ability to communicate without words was particularly charming.

I wasn't expecting the short story format of the book, but it did a great job of making everything feel much more accessible, and showing how wide-spanning the magic of reading is. I also found the connections that tied the stories together to be a lovely, heartwarming aspect of the book.

I was also surprised by how easy the book was to read. I have read a couple of Japanese translation books now and they have felt stilted at times where things haven't quite translated as easily as hoped. This book did not have that issue.

This book was a cozy read that came at just the right time. Each chapter follows a different person in need of some kind of healing. Each chapter leaves you feeling warm and cozy on the inside once you finish it. Much like the vanishing bookshop in the book itself, this book came at the right time!

If someone sits under a specific cherry tree in bloom and reads the same passage from the same book (picked out by the wise cat Kobako) at the same time as Sakura, a portal opens between our world and the world of a special bookshop allowing the reader to enter it. These people are dealing with something in our world - a woman coming to terms with the death of her mother; an older man recovering from a stroke, knowing that that he’s forgetting important parts of his life - and the bookstore helps overcome their issues.

This book is a translation from Japanese, and like the other translated books I’ve read, has a delicate quality to it, much like a cherry blossom. It’s part fantasy, part dealing with one’s daily life - the good, the bad, the bittersweet.

Highly recommended. I received a copy of this from NetGalley.com that I voluntarily chose to review.

Just such an enjoyable read! That cover is STUNNING! Told from four POVs, this beautiful story explores the different kind of relationships people have and their connections to a once every season Vanishing bookstore! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!!

In the entirety of the book, we follow four individual stories that have a common aspect: the protagonists finding refuge in the mysterious bookstore under the weirdest cherry tree. All of them are in moments of darkness in their lives, facing difficult circumstances that have them questioning their strength and their choices. And it’s in those moments that they open a book that has a special place in their heart, read it, and discover the Sakura shop. Both a bookstore and a coffee shop, in this place miracles are happening more often than one might think.

I found this book particularly interesting due to the nature of the bookstore/coffee shop. The idea of it was unique to me, especially since there are multiple requirements that need to be met for the shop to appear. I was touched by each story because they delved into themes of different kinds of grief and loss, while also ending on a hopeful note. Each character was distinct and I felt a connection with all of them.

What made quite an impression on me though, was the book’s ending. Its relation with the first one was also a nice touch that didn’t go unnoticed by me. I always love such crossovers.

The only thing that set me a little bit off was the writing. While not bad, at times I found it a bit confusing or even too drawn out, while other times, I was immersed by it. It wasn’t too hard to overlook though. The translator’s note at the end was also a great addition to the book. It was really interesting reading the explanation of words in a language as complicated as Japanese, especially when the translator shows transparency over the difficulty and thought behind choosing the right form of each word every time.

As always, big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this ARC, and of course to the author and translator themselves, who put so much time and effort to bring this book to life!
(3.5/5)

This book felt like a warm hug on a chilly autumn day. I'm currently exploring Asian literature, and I enjoy finding cozy and hopeful stories. "The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop" completely delivered on that front. I loved the bookshop and the references to Sakura, as well as the interconnected stories. The book made me think and brought me to tears a little, but it was also heartwarming. It was particularly special because I read the second story, which is about the train driver, while I was on a train, making it feel magical. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes similar books.

What a touching read this book was.

This beautiful book brought us five main characters all who are trying to manoeuvre their way through the loss of someone dear to them and their visit to this little bookshop helps them do exactly that. It guides them, it gives them closure and it’s just so beautiful to see how at peace they ended up after their visit. The power of a bookshop and its book is incredible.

This is a new to me author and I’m so happy I decided to give it a read. The writing called to me, its descriptions were so perfectly written that I could imagine the beauty of this place in my head. What a lovely place this would be to visit.

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop is a book that showcases the love of reading and just how much a book can help and heal a person no matter the age. It’s sad, it’s heartwarming and such a lovely read.

Cute and cozy book that makes you ponder life and your connections with people. It really makes you think about how you interpret your interactions with people based on your viewpoints vs what they may be thinking or going through. Overall a simple but cute read. It did take me an entire story to get into it, but once I did I found myself excited to see who the next Sakura visitor would be.

This was a delightful read that made me sit and think about what I could be romanticizing from my past that might be weighing down the perspective I have of my current situation.

I found the characters engaging, endearing, and the plot interesting and introspective.

Such a good story!
Loved every second of this book. Gutted it's over.
Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this book for an honest review

This was a solid Japanese translated book about loss, findings and revelations. It’s cosy, warm but also bright and full of life. I love cherry blossoms so much and the idea of seeing them bloom in Japan is one of my all time favourite wishes. The writing of this book was so easy to follow and splitting it into 4 sections made me fly through it even quicker. When a book is split into separate stories that all come together I’m always a fan! Every story; every line; every word has a meaning and that’s what I loved about this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter publishing for a chance to read this book. This is my first read by this author. What drew me was the blurb and the cover. It did not disappoint me. It felt like such a perfect book for spring time lovers it felt like it was springtime again. It was magical and beautiful one i will recommend.

Sometimes in life a book really hits you in unexpected ways. I was hoping for a cosy book and somehow I ended up crying and feeling a warm feeling on my chest. It is a book about grief, loss, regrets but also healing and acceptance. I will always have a soft spot for books that deal with grief, especially as tenderly as this one does. It is beautifully written and translated and the way it weaves different stories with music and books is so endearing.

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop only appears during cherry blossom season, and their visitors find it precisely when they need it (even though they won’t know it) and by finding a magical cherry blossom tree. There are four stories, with interludes between them, where different visitors find the bookshop and their unique hosts: a magical cat named Kobako 🐱 and a girl named Kozue.
Other books that I know and love are also mentioned in this book and it made me really happy in the way they were included.

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop is a book that will stay with me for a while.
🌸

Thank you @onemorechapterhc and @thecherryblossombookshop for my eARC :)

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop was such a cozy, bookish escape. The setting was gorgeous—I could totally picture the blossoms falling outside the shop—and the whole atmosphere felt a little magical. I loved the way books tied the characters and timelines together, and it gave me that dreamy, lost-in-a-story feeling.

It did move a little slowly in parts, but honestly I didn’t mind too much because it matched the vibe. Overall, a really sweet and charming read that left me smiling by the end.