I loved this book. I read it for a reading challenge although it is a genre which I don’t usually read. I found I couldn’t put it down. The characters were quirky and likeable. The two towns and lifestyles were completely different - and it teaches you that the other man’s grass isn’t always greener. .

Phaedra Patrick’s new book is charming and entertaining. It follows the story of discontented Greta who once had fame and love but seems to be losing both. After a mystical encounter that allows her to visit her ‘perfect’ life will she choose to stay there or make her current life work for her? Greta has to find out what she really values to live her best life. Thanks to Netgalley and Aria and Aries for the chance to read and review this beguiling novel

I love a good coffee shop book and thos one was perfect! It was magical and you wont want to put it down.

Oh this is just lovely, its a perfect way to spend pass an afternoon. Greta used to be a well-known actress in a long-running TV ad for Mapleville coffee. Together with her husband ,Jim and daughter Lottie they were the perfect TV family. Now though the work has dried up, Greta's marriage is in trouble and Lottie has become a slightly difficult teenager. If only things were different.
One day Greta stumbles across a strange coffee shop whose owner enables her to time travel to Mapleville where everything is just as Greta would wish it to be. Or would she?

Reminiscent of the Japanese series of books which uses coffee drinking as a way to time travel ,this new story has an engaging plot with a wistful tone. The idea of" the grass being greener on the other side" is at the core of the story and speaks to the reader as well as to Greta.
It's a charming story that will brighten your day.
My thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC

Charming, whimsical, and gently thought-provoking—The Time Hop Coffee Shop is the kind of novel that wraps you in nostalgia like a soft cardigan and leaves a bittersweet smile lingering long after the final chapter.

Greta Perks, once the darling of a beloved coffee commercial, finds herself adrift: her marriage is strained, her daughter distant, and her sparkle fading. But when she stumbles into a mysterious coffee shop with a brew that offers something more than caffeine, Greta’s world tips into fantasy. Waking up in the picture-perfect town from her old commercials, she’s given a second shot at the life she once dreamed of. The question is—can fantasy ever measure up to reality?

Phaedra Patrick writes with a light, lyrical touch, blending magic realism with very real emotions. Greta’s journey is both fun and tender, exploring themes of identity, regret, and the seductive pull of a “perfect” life. Mapleville is deliciously idyllic, but Patrick doesn’t shy away from asking the harder question: what do we give up chasing perfection?

This is a story about rediscovery, about embracing the messiness of real life with grace, grit, and the occasional coffee refill. If you love novels that celebrate second chances with heart and charm, The Time Hop Coffee Shop will feel like a warm hug with an extra shot of espresso.

Thanks to Phaedra Patrick NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the ARC and for this magical escape.

I’m a big fan of Phaedra Patrick, the author who got me reading feel good. I’ve read all of her books.

Greta used to be famous, the star of the popular Maple Gold TV commercials, now she’s struggling to find acting work, the marriage is in trouble and her teenage daughter is difficult. Great stumbles upon a mysterious coffee shop, promising the perfect blend, magical coffee that can let you experience your dream life.

The Time Hop Coffee Shop is a brave book, stepping away from the feel good comfort zone and towards contemporary fantasy.

I really enjoyed it, the characters are well-crafted, the plot moves along nicely without the heaviness of say The Midnight Library and it brings out all the feels. Greta must look inside to work out what really matters.

Highly recommended if you looking for something a little different.

Thanks to Netgalley and Aria & Aries

Greta Perks life seems to be falling apart, a trial separation from her husband, no career and her teenage daughter isn’t interested in her. When she stumbles upon a coffee shop her world tips upside down.

Can she find the life she dreams of or is that life not what it seems.

I found Gretas characters really likeable and also relatable. I think as we get older we do tend to look back and see things maybe with rose tinted spectacles and this book has some important lessons.

A fantastic heartwarming enjoyable read that is definitely thought provoking and shows that the grass is not always greener.

Thanks to NetGalley, Phaedra Patrick and Aria and Aries for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A lighthearted and cosy story that made me smile, wish I could be there, and escape reality. Heartwarming and cute, likeable characters, lovely setting
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A Whimsical, Heartfelt Tale of Second Chances and Finding What Truly Matters 📺🎭☕️🧚

🧚 Magical Realism | 💕 Heart-warming & thought-provoking story | 📚 Second Chances on love and life | 🇬🇧 Longham / Mapleville (fictional)

It’s been a while since I read The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, a debut I really enjoyed — and I’m so glad The Time Hop Coffee Shop brought me back to Phaedra Patrick’s writing. I feel incredibly grateful to have received an ARC, because this book arrived just when I needed something warm, thoughtful, and a little bit magical.

After a string of books I struggled to connect with, this story swept me up effortlessly. It’s different from what I usually read, but in the best way — whimsical yet grounded, imaginative but full of emotional truth. The concept alone is so unique: a woman lost in the mess of her real life finds herself transported to the idyllic world of her vintage coffee commercial that made her famous. But what really stood out to me was how much heart Patrick brings to Greta’s journey.

Greta is a beautifully drawn character — vulnerable, relatable, and quietly brave. Watching her confront her past, her regrets, and the pull of a “perfect” version of life was both moving and surprisingly tender. There’s a scene near the end involving her mother that completely undid me — it tapped into deep, personal feelings of love, loss, and longing of my own mother that brought tears to my eyes. That moment will stay with me.

Patrick’s writing is heart-warm and full of charm. She weaves magical realism into the narrative in a way that never overshadows the emotional depth. Beneath the whimsy of Mapleville lies a very real exploration of identity, motherhood, nostalgia, and the quiet strength it takes to accept a life that’s imperfect — but real.

The Time Hop Coffee Shop is ultimately a story about rediscovery — of self, of love, and of what truly matters when the sparkle fades. It reminds us that perfection is never the goal — it’s the messy, meaningful, and even painful moments that shape who we are.

If you’re looking for a book that will make you smile, reflect, and maybe even cry a little, this one’s for you. It’s like stepping into a cozy café on a rainy day: comforting, soul-soothing, and exactly what you didn’t know you needed. Highly recommended.

At first I wasn't sure about this book but, suddenly I was hooked. What a clever idea a coffee shop that takes your wishes and transports you to a different world. Very addictive and I was immersed in this fabulous story. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher's for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for this ARC.

Greta Perks, alongside husband Jim and daughter Lottie used to be in a Maple Gold coffee commercial for ten years and apparently became quite famous in that time. But now they have been replaced by a new family, her marriage to Jim is on the rocks and Lottie is being a typical "don't talk to me" teenager.

One day, Greta comes across a strange little coffee shop where she gets the perfect blend of coffee from white-haired Iris and a wish to go with it - so Greta wakes up in fictional Mapleville where the coffee commercials took place. Mapleville is cloying and sugary, a fake world where everything is always perfect but Greta loves how wonderful everything looks and how nice her family are to her there. She also meets a woman called Millie who seems to have been here for quite some time. Greta returns twice more to Mapleville and then Iris offers her the choice to stay there forever. What will Greta do?

It feels like the author got inspiration from those Before the Coffee Gets Cold books where a bit of magical realism gives people the opportunity to go on a journey of self-discovery. I had a few questions like why coffee and not tea, seeing as it takes place in England? How is Greta so famous from a long-running advert? I don't know anyone from a TV advert unless they were famous already. Why does Greta think fake Mapleville is so great? It feels a lot like a suburb in the 50s, when women wore petticoats and their lives were boring as heck. Plus, how is her family there too? They didn't ask to be there!

It is however a charming book with a smart core and interesting characters. Greta has so much love for her family and it really shines through. She just needs to figure out how to deal with her messy life. Still, it didn't quite grab me as some of her other books. The cover is utterly gorgeous though.

3.75 stars

I’ve enjoyed Phaedra Patrick’s previous books, and feel they can be turned to for a nice warm read, so was looking forward to this one.

I was a little worried that this book might be very similar to some of the other Japanese time travel coffee shop stories that seem fashionable right now, and it does probably sit well alongside them, but it is has it’s own sweet story which is cosy and heartwarming.

Greta is an actress famous for the Maple Gold coffee commercial, and married (although currently on a trial separation) from her co-star. Is the ideal commercialised life better than her real life? It’s a fun and pleasurable read.

This was a beautiful novel, full of real life reflection and struggle, making me think about my own life and reflect back on what is truly important. Some parts left me with many questions, but once I stopped thinking about the inner workings of the "magic" I really enjoyed it.

This is a thought provoking read about a woman whose life feels like it’s falling apart at the seams and looks back fondly on her past rather than facing the future. She gets the opportunity to consider if an alternative life, a perfect life even would be better than messy reality and finds herself struggling even more with reality as a result.

I think a lot of people reach a stage where their life just doesn’t feel like how they want it to be anymore or maybe they feel a loss of control, it’s so easy to think what if but it can be detrimental to your reality and this was well reflected in this easy to read book. I do sometimes struggle with magic as a theme but it was a good way of demonstrating an alternative life, I did struggle with the state of play in the protagonists marriage as it was difficult to see how they’d ended up in this state of limbo and why they’d suddenly decide on a set date to determine their future. That aside I found it a pleasant read and a good representation on how the pursuit of perfection might not be quite so perfect after all. 7/10

I would class this book as a modern day parable.
Add to this several homilies and you have The Time Hop Coffee Shop.
'If you get hooked on an alternative life, you might forget to live your real one. Not all that glitters is gold'
Consequences matter and can be huge, as Greta learns when she becomes unhappy with her life, and views the past through rose tinted glasses.
Mapleville may seem an idyllic place where all is well, but boredom is the consequence, as she eventually learns.
Phaedra tailors her writing style to whichever place Greta is currently in. There is a naivety to the writing in Mapleville which matches the almost surreal atmosphere in the town.
Life in Longham is grittier, as is the language. Relationships, accommodation, money and status are constantly on Greta's mind, but should she swap this for Mapleville, where it never rains and everything is free.
Fantasy v Reality?
I enjoyed this book as I saw it as a cautionary tale - be careful what you wish for. .
The coffee in the story equates to technology and screens which so many people seem to be hooked on.
Thanks to the author,, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review