The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop

I love the idea that this book comes with a playlist of songs! Added it to my library and enjoying it too. The book itself I think I need to read again.

At first I thought this was trying really hard to be the next “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” – a strict set of rules or conditions that have to be met before some tangentially related characters get a chance to redeem themselves or try to correct past wrongs. It does start like this but there is (at least at first) no explanation or rationale for the existence of the shop, it just appears when the plot needs it so can seem a bit facile.

The redemption stories are interesting enough but without the cast of regular characters that holds the “Coffee” series together the story lacked a firm foundation.

Fortunately it more than redeems itself in the very final part and becomes very meta and self referential, but in a sweet and acceptable way that does make sense and provides that missing framework for the existence and appearance of the shop.

The writing (and translation) were both good, and the translator’s note at the end was really helpful and would have been better as a foreword (one of the reasons I would like to re-read it, having read what the note has told me).

Definitely a different take on the genre, with an engaging story, beautiful cover art, a neat link between the first story and final chapter and a cool playlist – should be provided in more books!