How many times we say, “If we could go back in time we would do things differently.” Imagine a café lets you go back in time, what will you do, whom will you meet? And tell them those things we regret not telling them.
Before the coffee gets cold is about 4 different people from different instances in life go back in time to say those words, they missed saying.

Fumiko lets her love of life, Goro go to the USA. But could she do things differently?

Kohtake is a nurse by profession. But what will she do when Fusagi loses his memory and her, his wife?

Hirai stopped talking to Kumi over the familial inn. Is the inn more important than Kumi?

Kei is pregnant despite her heart condition. Will she be able to raise her child as she wished?

The book has four chapters for the 4 people. As a reader, you won’t realize this until you finish the book. The best part of the book apart from its theme is its setting. The author set the entire book in the café. The description of the setting is beautiful and imaginative. It transported me to the café while reading the book. Each important element has added more charm to it. The bell that rings (clang dong) every time a visitor enters café, or the visualizing the steam arising from the hot coffee. And the name of the café “Funiculi Funicula”. You will be the bystander while all the scenes café will play right in front of you.

The central theme is about to seize the day (carpe diem). We often miss our window of saying those words to a person and have that regret deep down in our hearts. And keep repeating in our mind sentences like this “Wish I could say this” or “Wish I could go back in time”. But the time is now, all we have is now. Whatever we have to say we should say it now, what happens tomorrow we never know.

The author chose 4 characters separated by age groups and life situations but have one thing in common, their desire of one chance to say the unsaid. The story takes time to build. The rules of the time travel make you wonder.

Before the coffee gets cold is a book nudge to look around and asks a vital question, are we living in the moment?

I love time travel books and books set in Japan, so for me this is a match made in heaven. I must say first though, that if you are a time travel fan, this is translated from Japanese. Meaning it is written in a very different way to most books of this genre and is not a western way of looking at the subject.

For me this approach made the book all the better and I just loved it's whimsical approach to time travel. The whole book is set in a cafe with a the same characters at different times of their lives and how if they sit in a particular seat they can travel back in time. There are rules to the time travel such as they can only stay in the seat in the cafe once they have travelled back in time and they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold. Unlike most time travel theories in this explanation you cannot alter the future.

A thought provoking read covering delicate subjects such as dementia and bereavement. I loved the gentleness and calmness of the book. A perfect read for any time of year but a good one to unwind with.

I loved this book. A strange story that draws you in to the characters and their lives.
Set in a basement café called ‘Funiculi Funicula’ the story deals with customers that wish to time travel. we follow 4 women who for differnt reason wish to travel to a different time and all it takes is a cup of coffee!! Interesting story that draws you in and holds you there. i enjoyed this sory although I can imagine it will not be evryones cup of tea (or in the case of this book - coffee)

A story about a Japanese cafe where you can go back in time but there is a list of restrictions. It’s basically about accepting where you are at

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley.

This was sort of a difficult book from start to finish. It took me a while to get going; I struggled with identifying who was who in the story and the actual writing could have been improved on, though I imagine this is a translation issue more than anything.

I've seen other reviews that liken <i>Before the Coffee Gets Cold</i> to a theatre play, and I must say I agree. The setting never really changes from the cafe, apart from a few flashbacks, and this can feel limiting.

The thing that really stood out - and elevated it from a DNF to a three-star - is the emotion within the book. The longing and the regret that the characters feel - because why else would you want to travel back in time? - really hooks its claws into you.

This is a beautiful, whimsical little story about a cafe in Tokyo where people go to enjoy a cup of coffee and maybe a little time travel. But beware, if you don't abide by the rules you must be prepared to face the consequences. A lovely bit of magical realism.

Definitely write in the Japanese style, it is a story about an obscure coffee shop where you can travel in time, with a lot of restrictions. The list is long, but they will keep telling you them again and again and again. The characters who do this have interesting reasons for doing this and they achieve something from this brief trip back into the past, but the story could have gone a lot further with this. A bit like having a decaf coffee for me, nice taste, but not the hot of the real thing

From Goodreads:
A café where, if you sit in a particular seat you can travel in time, as long as you are back.. Before the coffee gets cold.
Mainly told as separate (but connected) stories of different characters. Didn't really feel, or get to know the characters as well as I would have liked. As a reviewer mentioned, feels like a stage play.

Was worth reading and did enjoy

Quirky, heart warming and fun

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book - a cafe that lets you travel in time? - but I was blown away by it. It's a thoughtful, touching series of stories that has a lot to say about community, friendship, love, and life. It's sad in places, but ultimately offers a hopeful message that you have to tell the people you love how you feel, and enjoy your life to the best of your ability. There's humour in it too, and a sense of magic amongst the mundane. It's a gentle read, with long descriptions, and it makes you want to savour it. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to those looking for something unusual that will warm your heart and make you think.

I really liked the premise of this book, but the pacing was very slow and I ended up putting it on hold. I liked the unusually, funny interactions between some of the characters, and I really liked the main character's drive and determination when she found out about the cafe's time travel possibilities. The narrative was gentle and had a lot of the hallmarks of Japanese translated fiction (long paragraphs of description, followed by lots of dialogue, and sudden scene changes).

But the plot felt very languid and slow, and didn't seem to be going anywhere for the first third of the novel, which dampened my enjoyment. Hopefully I'll pick this up again soon, because I would like to find out how it ends, but I'm just not feeling motivated to read it at the moment.

4.5 stars

Imagine a cafe set in the back streets of Tokyo, the cafe hasn't changed since the 1800's. There's a rumour about this cafe, if you sit on a certain seat you can travel back in time. There are certain rules, you must travel back to the cafe and sit in the seat and not leave the seat and you must get back before your coffee gets cold.

A little bit of magical realism. I really enjoyed this short story and I think you'd like it if you've read The Night Circus. I liked the characters and the slow development of the plot. The book is divided into four chapters and each chapter someone time travels. All the chapters are entwined with each other.

Can anyone tell me who the ghost was supposed to represent or was the ghost just there?

Beautiful translation of this gentle but powerful story about travelling in time.The style takes a while to get into, but then it gently lulls you, and you accept that the slowness and the repetition of the travelling rules are part of the experience - lots of time for something which flies past within the story's time. It's a fascinating concept that unwinds slowly, each extra character's perspective drawing in another strand to make the conclusion poignant, understandable, if slightly predictable (for anyone who reads a lot of time travel!) In some ways, not much happens. But in others, everything does.

What a beautiful book. Almost four separate stories but cleverly woven to make a slightly haunting tale. I love the idea that time travel comes with absolute rules and that there are actual consequences if they aren't followed.

As with much Japanese fiction it really is unique but wonderful

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is the last thing people are told before they sit in the special chair in the little cafe we focus on. It’s a reminder of how long they have to carry out whatever they do.
The story itself was intriguing. A chair you can sit on and it allows you to travel back in time. Great concept, but it felt rather meaningless when you can’t actually do anything and run the risk of becoming a ghost if you don’t follow the rules closely.
We focus on a small cast of characters, each keen to go to the past to sort out something they feel they wish they could do differently. They were each interesting in their own way, but the scenario itself seemed irrelevant given that they can’t alter anything.
The rather claustrophobic setting of the cafe seemed intentional but it meant the novel read a little more like a play script on occasion, and that elements of the set-up were repeated which felt unnecessary.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.

I was drawn to this book by the beautiful illustration and colours of the cover. I liked the premise of the story - a coffee shop where you can travel through time; something a little different but, whilst whimsy, also enjoyable and not too heavy.

The story focuses around the staff and a few customers who frequent the coffee shop, Each one has a different reason for wishing to travel in time and little mini stories form but all wrapped within each other.

It is fairly easy to pick up where some of these stories are heading but they are nicely written and provide a lot of though for the reader. This is a charming story and worth a read.

A great book told in a number of parts. The lives of those visiting the coffee shop entwined throughout the story unfolding. A modern story of time travel. As the titlevsuggesrs you time travel for a short period...until your coffee goes cold. A great set of characters that you really care about.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a warm, tender story of time-travel and second chances. I wanted to love this book more than I did, and ultimately found the concept was stronger than the execution. The interwoven individual stories bring a variety of depths to the story as a whole, but I couldn't help feeling like the themes and characters they introduced weren't explored deep enough.

Thanks to a Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of Japanese literature and always hesitate to describe something as very 'Japanese' because Japanese culture is not a monolith but...this book is very Japanese.

I can of course only talk about Japanese literature in translation. It could be a chicken and egg type situation where only certain types of Japanese novels are translated but I digress. If you've read much Japanese fiction the 'feel' of this novel will be familiar to you.

This is a story about a magical coffee shop. Customers to this coffee shop can travel back in time but there are rules. Some of these rules include: anything you say in the past can't change the present, travellers can't leave their seat and they have to finish their coffee before it gets cold or else risk being stuck between time.

The book follows a number of different customers as they seek to return to the past and revisit pivotal moments from their lives. Once you set aside the fantastical premise, this is really a book about the relationships between people, the things left unsaid and the enduring impacts of love and loss.

The action all takes place in the confines of the coffee shop which can give the narrative a slightly claustrophobic feeling. The characters are enigmatic and unknowable, particularly the employees of the coffee shop Kazu and Nagare. The novel kind of reminded me of the show Midnight Diner which is a real gem if you haven't seen it.

This is an interesting and thought provoking novel which may feel a little 'quiet' for some. Treasure people while you have them and tell them the things you need to say. There are no magical coffee shops in real life.

This was a good little read and I enjoyed it a lot. Very quirky and I loved the interlacing stories.

This is a brilliantly quirky read, exploring timetravel in a small cafe, with themes of love and loss, this friendly little book has deeper roots.

Great read.