This is a heart warming, feel good book that just shows how important friendship is.  I flew through it & loved every second will definitely read more by this author.

Loved this book. I loved the characters and the writing style. I loved finding out about the customers and getting snippets of information about their lives. I laughed and I nearly cried and I got caught  up in the sadness and the joy and the love between customers. I would definitely recommend this book. I would also recommend The Lido. 

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A 24 hour cafe in London sets the scene for this story that is a safehaven for many people from different walks of life in the dead of the night and is focused around the friendship between Hannah and Mona.
 
I was intrigued as to how this story would unfold as it is set on the whole within 24hrs and exposes vulnerabilities and insights into what goes on behind closed doors. I found I had to really focus to ensure that I wasn't missing anything crucial from anyone who spent time in the cafe.
 
Throughout this book you could see the cracks that had appeared in their friendship and the impact of how events can fracture and damage a relationship if they are not nurtured. You could feel the damage left behind by poisonous relationships with boyfriends and how breaking points in friendships and relationships can come without warning.
 
A book that I thoroughly enjoyed, I loved its setting and the flashbacks to past memories to help see what had happened for everyone to end up at the point where we meet them.

I loved this book covering 24 hours in an "open all hours" cafe.  Obviously there are back stories as well, but the main action is during a single day. Libby Page's writing is great, with really sympathetic characters and believable stories. I enjoyed this as much as "The Lido" and would highly recommend it.

After reading and enjoying The Lido, I was thrilled to be given a digital review copy of The 24-Hour Cafe by Orion and NetGalley in return for an honest review.

It did take me some time to get into the story of Hannah and Mona's friendship, however once I got going, I didn't want to stop reading - thank goodness it was the weekend.

I loved how Libby Page brought the characters to life - I felt as if I was in the cafe myself being busy people watching. The development of the story of the friendship of Hannah and Mona was the main part of the story, but with so many other stories interwoven, the depressed new mum, the homeless student, the newly weds, the other cafe staff. 

This is not Lido 2 (some other reviewers seemed disappointed) but is another beautifully written book by Libby Page which explores friendships.

Recap: Mona & Hannah work at Stella's 24hr cafe, they're best friends but their lives are about to radically change.

Review: I really liked the brief glimpses into the different people who came into the cafe, I also enjoy people watching! I'm not a big fan of having the same story told twice by different POV but I did like how present-day prompted the flashbacks. I didn't feel much sympathy for Hannah which was a shame as I felt I should've. I really connected to Dan for some reason, I wish wishing for him to come back to the cafe and I really liked his follow up. A decent rainy day read in your local cafe, buy cake!

(NB the ARC version had a lot of mistakes in it and layout issues so I really hope that all gets sorted before release as it was very distracting from the story)

Absorbing, moving, and relatable on so many levels, THE 24-HOUR CAFÉ by Libby Page is a fantastic book to read this January.

The setting is a 24-hour café called Stella's in London and the characters are those that work there and those that frequent it at all hours of the day. Hannah and Mona are best friends, one a musician and the other a dancer, who works in the café to pay the bills while they reach for their big break. Only their big break doesn't seem to be happening very quickly and as the years pass and they enter their 30s they cannot help but question if they will ever make it. But they will always have each other, right? 
The café isn't just a place to grab food at any time of the day or night, for some it is a refuge - like the homeless student who is grieving his mother or the new mum who is struggling to cope with how she feels about her life or even one of the cooks who struggled to get work after prison and to which Stella's was his saviour. From young love to new love, from sadness to despair, this café sees it all and as Hannah and Mona struggle with some new issues in their friendship, could it be the place to bring them back into sync?

THE 24-HOUR CAFÉ by Libby Page is a story about life - all different walks of life, all the wonderful and sad moments of life - with the beauty of friendship at its heart. Hannah and Mona are soulmates in that they truly understand and love each other for who they are but sometimes people lose sight of friendships when they need it most and moving onto different paths can be difficult, but this author has a talent for setting the tone and mood just right at every point.

I laughed, I sniffled, and I enjoyed every moment of this novel and I cannot wait to read more from Libby Page. THE 24-HOUR CAFÉ is a must-read this January and beyond, and I highly recommend it to all fiction fans.

This was a very calm, relaxed sort of a book for me.  It felt like it ambled along at a relatively sedate pace, and that it was easy to put down at the end of a chapter but also pick straight up again for the next. 

For each chapter focuses on one hour of the day, in Stella's Cafe, a 24 hour Cafe near Liverpool Street station.  The main focus is on the two main waitresses that work there and also are best friend and live together Mona and Hannah, as they each embark on a 12 hour double shift. 

We also though get glimpses of some of the customer's and their stories too, and just what the cafe means to them too.   The overall writing style was quite gentle, I really liked it, and found the way everything was presented just works. 

During the day we really get to know Mona and Hannah well, as they think back to key moments in their friendship, and you can see just how much their friendship deep down does mean to them.  They also both are trying to make their career as performers with varying amounts of motivation and determination. 

It was certainly a different way to present a story, and a rather clever one at that.  I was tending to read this in 1 or 2 hour segments (hours as in how the story is split now how long I was necessarily spending at a time reading)  enjoying seeing who was in the cafe, how lingered for a while, and on occasions the thoughts and more of the story of some of the customers. 

I also enjoyed the small glimpses at the other members of staff that work in the cafe. and the thoughts that small acts of kindness could have life changing affects for the recipient of them. 

Given I was attracted to the book because of the word cafe in the title, and having previously enjoyed The Lido, I hadn't really looked at the blurb, and as a result had no idea what to expect - other than  realising within the first few pages that this wasn't your typical cafe book, and that I was intrigued to see just how the pages would unfold. 

All the characters were really believable, and this was a great change of pace to my normal books.  I'm really glad I had the opportunity to read this really good book. 

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A beautiful book which provided me shelter in its pages for a few hours just like the Café allowed weary travelers of life to rest in its warm interiors. 

This was about Stella's Café which was run day to day by the waitresses Hannah and Mona, who not only provided warm food but also an ear to listen to the problems of their customers. 

My first book by author Libby Page, she has beautifully depicted the emotions which were true to all of us. Loneliness and past dreams, forgotten lives and second chances were weaved into the story one thread at a time. The Café felt to be a beautiful oasis in life's problems. 

I wished I had one such place where I could perhaps rewrite a new life for myself. The waitresses, Hannah and Mona, had their own ambitions; I loved how they anchored the book. The story was a day in the life of this Café, a snapshot of weary customers and their lives. 

Libby's writing made these characters and their interactions relatable, especially Dan whom I had a soft touch for. A book of kindness where everyone was welcome. Indeed. 

Overall, a quirky concept and a refreshing storyline with varied characters made this a fun weekend read.

Although the story line is a bit slow I found the friendship of Mona and Hannah, housemates and work colleagues, interesting and soothing. The story focuses on the customers they meet over a 24 hour period in the cafe that never closes.An easy going read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It was beautifully written and whilst I loved reading about the two main characters, Mona and Hannah who both work at the 24 hour cafe I also enjoyed the snippets from other customers like the crossword man.  It certainly made for a heartwarming read.  It was a very good and easy read.

Enjoyed the novel and story! Was lovely to read about friendship and loyal friends! Never read a book by this author but will look out for more

I was invited to read an ARC from the Publishers of this book and Netgalley. Although I heard great reviews about the Author's previous book, I had not read it, so I was excited to read this new book. 
The synopsis of this book sounded interesting, and I was intrigued to see how a book set in a 24 hour period would work. After reading this book, I can say that it works very well.
The plot evolves around Hannah and her friend Mona, as they work alternate 12 hour shifts in Stella's Cafe which is open 24 hours. It focuses on the different types of customers who visit the cafe within that 24 hour period, as Hannah and Mona 'people watch'.
It gives a fascinating insight into society, and also shows how sometimes a day can make a huge difference in someone's life.
The narrative features the backstory of Hannah and Mona, and how they met. It also tells the background of the customers, and how they came to visit the cafe on that day.
The book is cleverly written, and combines the different narratives in a way that is easy to understand and follow. It is a very interesting and compelling read, and I highly recommend reading it.

I haven't thought before about a 24-Hour café, I'm not a Londoner or even a city girl really so their existence is a bit of a mystery to me, other than the late- night kebab shops I recall from my youth. Yet Stella's café sounded like the perfect place for so many people in so many ways: a meeting place, a memory, a safe quiet place, an escape, a shelter, a job, a family.

Recurring themes of longing, loneliness, forgotten dreams, acts of kindness and second chances are written in to these pages; ultimately this book explores so many facets of humanity within such a small space on a London street. It captures the spirit of the city, and the man travellers and regulars that walk its streets.

Stella makes surprisingly very few appearances, this book is more about her staff and her customers, but you get the impression from what is written that she is a kind and generous person with a quirky sense of style and personality that is all reflected in the cafes décor and ethos.

My absolute favourite character was Dan, his story was so pure. I felt a deep connection to his journey and what struggles he was experiencing, it was truly gratifying to follow his appearances at the café and see his story conclude.

I was thoroughly charmed by this book and engrossed in the stories it holds, captivating!

I loved this book! It is better than the blurb makes out. It seems a very simple premise but the way it is written draws you in. I felt that I really got to know the girls who were depicted so realistically. You end up feeling that if you could find the 24-hour cafe and would know the girls instantly! I also so enjoyed the mini story lines about the customers, especially the way that within 24 hours you meet some of them again (not wanting to give anything away). Great women's fiction choice especially.

My Thoughts: I finished this book in one day, it was a delightful journey that felt like I was being indulged in my second favourite hobby of people watching. 

The main story is set over a 24 hour period in 24 hour cafe in London and the bulk of the story is told from the perspectives of our main characters Hannah and Mona, Hannah is a struggling singer and Mona is a professional dancer who is waiting for her big break, they're the best of friends and both work opposing 12 hour shifts in the 24 hour cafe! 

Despite its length of over 400 pages this story was very easy to get lost in, we meet some of the regular customers, each one of them important for their own reasons and there to teach you something different. I really felt like I knew them all by the end of the book but I had a soft spot for Dan! 

My favourite parts of the book though were the buts of back story that explains how Hannah and Mona came to be such good friends but also why their friendship is the way it is right now. I also appreciated that we got both sides of the story, it made me feel like I was part of the story and not just a reader. 

All in all I would recommend this to fans of the Chick Lit genre and will definitely be picking up more from Libby in the future.

Great story, new friendships from different places some older than others but all are important as all concerned find out. Loved this, it was so different. Seems impossible that  this all  happens in just 24 hours, or does it.?  Five stars . Enjoy reading this and I highly recommend it to everyone.

I so enjoyed 'The Lido' and although this is a very different book it was equally readable.
Telling the story of Stella's Cafe, open all hours, we see things through the eyes of the two lovely waitresses, Mona and  Hannah. They are best friends, both trying to make careers for themselves.
The tales of the folk who frequent the Cafe are gentle and interesting.
A very nice book.
Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy.

Well written, a totally new story-line. Stella's cafe is open 24 hours a day, Mona and Hannah work there. We learn all about their lives and those of the customers they meet., loved it

I would give this a million stars if I could. 

This book was one of my most highly anticipated reads for 2020, and I had a major dance party when I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC. The 24-Hour Café is centred around a café/diner in London, where people can find comfort at all hours of the day. Hannah and Mona are two of the cafe's waitresses, creatives trying to find their place in the world at the same time as affording their rent. The book is multiple POV, but the first half of the novel is largely shepherded by Hannah, and the second by Mona, with snippets from the café patrons and alternate staff dotted throughout for extra character. 

For a book set up in this way, I consider it to be an act of brilliance to create a story where both halves of the book are just as great. I thought I'd be sad to transfer from Hannah to Mona, but within minutes I loved Mona just as much as I loved her friend/roommate/colleague. This 24-hour slice of life follows a pivotal moment in their friendship - at thirty, the girls are forced to question their decision to follow creative passions, and to continue working in the café environment when so many of their friends have moved on and followed more traditional paths. Mona is finally catching her big break after so many years, whereas Hannah's own life feels stagnant, and she is reeling from the aftermath of an unhealthy romantic relationship. Both girls know the struggle of a creative passion, and how it can shape your life, so well. As a writer myself, currently working in a café, this resonated with me so highly. This book captured a lot of my feelings so accurately, as well as the fond memories that you collect when interacting with so many customers on a daily basis. Not only was this a look into the many stories of customers in a café, but also a closer look at hospitality staff, and the thoughts behind the people pouring your coffee on your morning commute. 

Speaking of customers, the snippets of alternate POV from passing customers is what made the novel such a great one. I think it leaves a lasting impression long after turning the final page; that you interact on a surface level with so many people daily, but you can never truly know their story. From POVs such as John, the big issue seller outside the café, Monique,  a woman struggling with post-natal depression, and Joe & Haziq, a young couple struggling with immigration laws, the book gives such a wide and thought provoking variation of life experiences. The way that the novel ended wrapped it all up so well, and I shed a tear for some of the characters that I had grown to love. At the end of the day this is a novel about growing up, the complexities of friendship,. and the many stories that people have. I have not loved a book like this for a long time, and I cannot wait to purchase the physical copy when it comes out, so that I can read it all over again.