Time travel gets given the Japanese treatment - there are uncompromising rules that govern time travel but they are never explained. As the title suggests, one of the rules is that the traveller has to return to the present before the coffee gets cold; another equally baffling one is that time travel is only possible from a certain chair that is only available when the ghost occupying it goes to the toilet. It’s a relief in some ways for the book to forgo technical explanations on the mechanics of time travel in favour of exploring its emotional effects on the travellers. Four characters travel in time, often out of regret and guilt for something undone or unsaid. Whilst yet another rule mandates that the present cannot be altered, it is the characters who are changed through these brief excursions into the past. I wasn’t always a fan of the writing style, but this is a sweet and heartwarming novel (which has been made into what looks like a sweet and heartwarming movie).

This is an interesting concept - a specific chair in a coffee shop that allows time travel, but with very stringent rules - in particular that your coffee must not get cold before your return, and whatever you do in the past cannot change the present.
For me it was mixed, parts are charming, but the writing style didn't engage me (this may be due to it being in translation) and parts were irritating.

This is a quirky and unusual story. Translated from the Japanese, it has a slightly staccato feel to it. The way the people speak and act feels culturally different. The speech is more abrupt and the characters are more excitable. In fact, some of it read like the script from an anime film. I did get a bit confused with the characters, partly because three of them start with the letter K and the names did not denote male or female to the British ear.
As the story settled, the feelings and situations of the characters linked together more clearly and it was quite tender and emotional. The time travel aspect was a lovely alternative way of presenting the different stories, and the final message which was that you can't change the past but you can change your own attitude, was universal. The one thing I found odd was that there was no conclusion to Fumiko's story; why she was there at the end or what happened with Goro. A Japanese film has been made of this which I hope is eventually released on DVD here. (This does have a cat, to satisfy one reviewer.)

I flew through this book. It had me hooked from the start and I finished it the same day I started. But it left me wanting more, I didn’t feel like all the loose ends were tied up. I also wanted more back story on the Ghost. Who was she?

It was hard to know how to rate this book. I liked the concept a lot but, at least in my translated version, the writing is not impressive, by a long shot. And it's hard to know how much of that is because the translator is endeavouring to remain faithful to the original narrative which happens to be poorly written, or that the work does not stand up to translation, or that the translator has not done good work. As such I decided on 5* for concept, 3* for execution because at the end of the day, regardless of if the Japanese is flawless, my experience reading this version was not 100% enjoyable, giving a 4* because I am still happy to recommend this book. The overall story is lovely, at times the writing excellent, I laughed and cried in appropriate places. I think you, whoever you are, might well enjoy it.

The book is made up of four stories about different people using the cafe to visit a different time than their own. The first story is quite hard to read because the writing was very stilted and somewhat simplistic. There were also some continuity errors (how long people had known each other etc.) but please don't let that discourage you. The writing improves from here, it honestly feels like someone forgot to edit the first chapter, of the original or translation, I'll never know. When the plot picks up it's easier to get into it and not consider the writing and the book starts to shine.

I love the fact that each of our characters goes to visit someone with a plan in mind and returns having gained, not the knowledge they expected, but one that them makes happier and more content. In each the characters usually end up having the conversation they wish they'd had but couldn't, for a number of reasons. This leaves them with a greater understanding of their situation and they are enlightened by it, things cannot change but how they choose to meet those things can.

I think that's a really hopeful, beautiful, message - that we can be overwhelmed by our grief and fear, or we can face it. Often the reality is a mix of the two, but it would be nice to think we can face our troubles head on.

A really lovely little novel - short but sweet, the vignettes and characters were very appealing, and I really enjoyed it

This is a hard book to review without giving anything away. One of the best things about it is finding out about the characters and their stories and I don't want to spoil that for anyone else.

So, what can I tell you? well, there's this café, there is some time travel, a group of interesting characters. On my part there was some surprise, some aha! moments and some tears.


The story moves along pretty quickly, I read the book within a couple of days. I just wanted to get back and find out what happened. The time travel is dealt with well, there are lots of rules but that makes it a lot easier to fit into the story. Don't be put off by the fantastical element, it's much more about the characters and the time travel is just a way of getting to their stories.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a beautiful and heart-breaking story about coming to terms with loss.
The story is set in a little cafe designed for people who are minding their own business. In this cafe, it is possible to travel in time back to a point you want to revisit. You cannot change the past but you can change how you see it, and therefore change yourself.
Each time someone travels in time, the reader is drawn in deeper into the lives of the characters. The story starts innocently enough. Fumiko wants to revisit an argument with a boyfriend. It is cutely resolved, and then the stakes get higher. You would have to be a cynic to be unaffected by the end. Four stars.

I have to admit to being a little disappointed in this (and not only because of the lack of a cat despite one being shown on the cover). Having recently developed a love of Japanese fiction I was very excited to come across this on Netgalley, particularly when I read the blurb and discovered it was a story involving time travel (I love stories with time travel). Perhaps my expectations were too high as while I loved the concept behind it I didn't really connect to it. It became an OK read rather than something special.

The story is set in a small cafe where if you sit in a specific seat and follow a set ritual you can travel in time. There are a number of rules but the most important is that you must return before your coffee gets cold. You can't change your present by going to the past but you can go back and re do moments you regret or see someone you've lost in some way to get closure. It's a wonderful idea and there are some truly touching moments but these were few and far between..

It's so difficult to tell with translated fiction how much of the problems come from the translation and how much from the original but I did feel like the writing let it down. I am starting to think this is just typical of the Japanese style of writing, short, quick sentences, little in the way of description or emotion, but I felt this was particularly lacking.

I can't say any of the characters were particularly likeable and they often come across as blunt, rude and unfeeling. They make fun of Fumiko for example, for wanting to go back to the time her relationship ended as if she's silly for being upset the man she hoped to marry chose his work over her. There are times when it seems in fact that the author views all women as silly, nasty or manipulative. It could be a cultural thing or it may be something has gotten lost in translation but I found a few comments irritating, the woman who doesn't need a phone because her husband has one, .another who believes tears are a woman's key weapon. They are all little things but they kept cropping up time and again.

Added to this it's a little repetitive in places and some of the rules around time travel seemed a little inconsistent or forced to fit the story. I also thought the ending left a little too much unresolved.

It is however an intriguing read and does make you ponder a few things. At around 200 pages it's also quite a quick read so it's not too difficult to make it to the end.

Overall, an interesting and different read that was just missing the emotion needed to elevate it. If you're a fan of Japanese fiction you'll likely enjoy it.

Despite the appealing subject, the writing ruined the reading for me. It is written more as a theater play than anything else, with the right setup and characters. Everything is explained and the whole story takes place in the coffee shop.

The blurb is very accurate, so I won’t get into details. However, nothing in it to keep my interest. The characters are like puppets, their dialogues disjointed, the actions artificial.

The time travel part is more of a disguise here, I wouldn’t classify it in this sub-genre; it’s more of a magical realism story about regrets and things not said or done until too late and the possibility to change that; well, sort of.

Not my cup of coffee at all.