Welcome to the Cherry Blossom Bookshop, a haven for book lovers that only appears during the fleeting cherry blossom season. Nestled amidst the bloom of delicate petals, you’ll find a sanctuary for those burdened by regrets and past sorrows. Here, Sakura, the mysterious young owner, and her wise calico cat, Kobako, patiently await the arrival for souls in need of solace and healing.

Told over four seasons, each visitor to the bookshop holds a book that bridges their past and present, guiding them towards understanding and acceptance. With the antique charm of the shop and the soothing aroma of freshly brewed coffee, Sakura and Kobako help their guests confront lingering sadness through the power of stories, enabling them to move forward with renewed hope.

Amazon (currently available on KU!) | Goodreads

If you happen to read the same passage of a book that the proprietor of Sakura is also reading at the exact same time, and the cherry blossoms are in bloom you may just find yourself in from of Sakura and greeted by a young girl and her calico cat. While there you may get to remember something long forgotten, see something from another perspective or resolve another conflict within yourself.

This book is absolutely stunning and whimsical and I wanted to put it up there with my favorite translated fiction books, but there were some points where it just needed to go a little farther. A couple of the stories really stood out to me, especially the one about the grandfather suffering with memory care issues and desperately trying to remember something his wife said to him when he proposed to her years ago. The writing is full of emotional impact and each of the stories/characters have a different lesson to learn and/or teach. I did really enjoy the premise, as well as the last story that ties everything together, but I did find myself just wanting a little more from it.

That being said, if you’re looking for something that has a similar feeling to Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this one does fit the bill and though it wasn’t at the top of my list I still really enjoyed it.

Happy reading!

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