Before the Coffee Gets Cold

OK, I went to my local chocolaterie called Milla Chocolates for the purpose of buying a coffee to create the perfect visual for this book, but when I saw that they have almond milk hot chocolate (I'm allergic to milk) I couldn't resist. It was completely amazing, complete with homemade marshmallows! But I digress - onto my review of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

This book is part science fiction, part romance, part mystery and part literary fiction. Like the wonderful book The Midnight Library, Before The Coffee Gets Cold takes a good look at regret, and how looking at the whole picture in a situation might reveal that things actually played out just the way they needed to in life. A little cafe in Tokyo enables patrons to travel through time, under a distinct set of rules, most importantly of which is that one cannot change the present no matter what is revealed or altered while visiting the past or future.

This book has been translated from Japanese but it retains a strong flavor of Japanese culture and wisdom, opening the reader's mind and heart to new ways of viewing friendships, family ties, and life itself. Immensely satisfying, the ending is beautifully drawn with all stories interconnected and resolved.

“Kazu still goes on believing that, no matter what difficulties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them. It just takes heart. And if the chair can change someone's heart, it clearly has its purpose.

But with her cool expression, she will just say, "Drink the coffee before it gets cold.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 on our Goodreads Ripe Reads group for books featuring mature adults. Hardcover 272 pages, Audiobook 6 hours, 52 minutes.