cristina19 's review for:

Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C.B. Lee

4.25

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Brenda is a geeky overachiever with a multi-step plan to save the world. Step 16 is to obtain a great scholarship so she can pay for the amazing school she chooses. But moments before her most important application is due, her internet goes out. Desperate for WiFi, she stumbles into a cutesy coffeeshop that is owned by Kat and her dad. Kat who lives in a universe fueled by magic, and which she is the prophesied chosen one of. A destiny that she vehemently fights against. Unaware of the portal that has made this meeting possible, Kat and Brenda have an instant connection. But how will they find each other for their next date?

I was pleasantly surprised by how much attention was placed on the magic system and world building. When I heard this described as a cozy fantasy, I assumed it wouldn’t go much deeper than a glancing overview. However this had a lot more adventure and mystery than I originally assumed. Brenda and her friends’ absolute delight around magic leads to their geeky curiosity around learning magic themselves. There are moments when they brainstorm theoretical magic application. I found it funny how in Kat’s world spell craft is treated like math. Something most people feel ambivalent too despite it being a necessary part of their world. Seeing the ways Kat and Brenda’s worlds diverged but also closely mirrored each other was really interesting. 

The romance between Kat and Brenda was really sweet and wonderful. The way they both felt misunderstood and like nobody cared about the true parts of themselves. And then in one conversation they got each other so easily and appreciated the parts that everyone usually overlooked. They fit together so perfectly and I really liked watching their bond grow deeper. 

I do wish the side characters were a little more developed. Since D&D was a big part of Brenda’s life and friendships I wanted more from her party. I didn’t feel like we got to know Erica, Jenn, Ryan, and Adib outside of Brenda. They were more like stand-ins, just really hollow despite there being so many opportunities for them to shine. 

The ending was definitely a little cheesy but I think it fit in nicely with the vibe of the story. The power of friendship and love being the answer in the end played well with the geeky D&D inspirations. So despite it being a little eye roll worthy, it was still cute. I had a really fun time with this!