Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Heartfelt Novel Exploring Regret, Redemption and Closure From a Magical Café

4 🌟 I was a bit confused starting this book as I didn't realize it was 4 different interconnected short stories. I think it may have lost a little something in translation. It was repetitive in stating the rules.. Even within a story to the point of being a bit annoying. I did get teary eyed in the 2nd and 4th story. The overall theme of the stories were easy to get, even if the telling of them fell a little flat. I also think the culture difference between the author and myself led to some of the phrasing and tone of passages to just be odd for me.

Most of our members found the book "OK" with some touching stories and points, and ultimately were glad they read it.

This was a book club book, not one I would have chosen on my own. Didn't think I was going to like it because of the premise. Fantasy and magic isn't my genre. It took a bit for me to get into it, but I really liked it once I did. Characters are people you would want to know. Bittersweet.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is one of those stories that quietly breaks your heart while gently reminding you what matters most. It's emotional, reflective, and deeply human. The concept seems simple — a café where you can travel back in time — but the execution is layered with grief, longing, regret, and the bittersweet reality that even with a second chance, the past cannot be changed.

This book made me cry. It also made me think, remember, and accept. It’s the kind of story that hits harder if you’ve loved and lost, if you’ve carried grief, or if you’ve ever wished for just one more conversation.
Frustrating at times? Yes. But intentionally so — because life is frustrating, and grief even more.
A beautifully written reminder to be present with the people we love.

Kinda meh actually. Why you gotta repeat stuff so much? Keep it moving, we get it. So yeah, couldn’t wait to finish it hoping the end would somehow make it all worth it and then it just didn’t.