Reviews with content warning for Terminal illness - Tales from the Café

Tales from the café, the second book in the Before the coffee gets cold series, is a lovely continuation of the first book. The stories are equally as compelling as those from the first book but there is a bit of repetition that made me impatient while reading. For example, with every new customer, the author goes over the rules again. There are certain circumstances

(one where the customer has questions about the rules which have not been addressed before or another when it is Miki's first pour and she goes over the rules for the first time, in her own distinct style)

where it makes sense for the rules to be repeated. But otherwise, it feels redundant to me as a reader to whom the rules have been established many a time in the previous stories. Further, when someone is discussing or thinking about a previous customer who travelled in time, the author similarly spends time explaining their story and sometimes it feels like filler. Though I do understand that this might be serving the purpose of filling in readers who are not reading the books in order or are reading only one book and not the whole series, it makes me impatient while reading nonetheless, since to me it feels like the explanations could be shorter. Having said that, the stories are quite heartwarming and it's also extremely engaging to watch the cast of returning characters age and grow. The lore of the characters' past and present also progresses, carrying their story forward throughout each individual short story in the book.

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passionatereader78's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I love the way the stories unfold. The beautiful writing. I enjoyed this book. This was filled with hope.

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melodyseestrees's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This did not resonate with me as hard as the first book of the series. It did explain more of the system behind the magic and I thought that it was well thought out. There are some wonderful quotes to keep in mind when regarding relationships that still exist in the present.
This book primarily takes place after the events of the first book with glimpses to earlier moments. We get to see who the ghost is by way of someone returning 30 years to the past. In that chapter we learn three rules for those who pour the coffee

they must be female and of a specific line, they must be at least seven years old, and one more. They will lose the ability to take someone to the past once they have become pregnant with a girl, as the power will leave the mother for the baby.

I do wish the reveal had come earlier but we also had last-chapter reveals in the first book so that may be a stylistic choice.

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