The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick is a story of family, and the ups and downs of life, and how to deal with them.
The story is told in third person from the point of view of Greta Perks, who is deeply unhappy about her life after the end of her glory days as a star of the Maple Gold commercials. She and her co-star husband are separated, her relationship with her teenaged daughter feels rocky, and she is still in mourning after losing her mother. When she comes across a mysterious coffee shop that offers the perfect blend, she is intrigued. Soon she is whisked away to an alternate world set in the fictional world of Mapleville, the world of the Maple Gold commercials she once starred in, and where everything seems perfect.
For the most part, this story is a lighthearted, charming one. But I’ll be honest, the time Greta spent in Mapleville felt creepy, and threatening, and I think if the author had wanted to, this book could have taken a turn into horror quite easily. As it was though, the threat of actual consequences were quite minor (despite the warnings of the mysterious coffee shop’s owner), and the town was just eerily, unsettlingly perfect.
I enjoyed the magical realism aspect of the book, although I found it interesting that Greta was not more suspicious of a coffee shop that seemed to appear and disappear, or change it’s appearance at will. But that’s what makes it a magical realism story I guess, that no one really questions that such things exist.
While I did enjoy the book, I found it a bit long at times, and Greta’s complaining was starting to get on my nerves by the time her attitude finally started to change for the better. I did like her character arc, and the way she finally came to be happy with her circumstances, and came to terms with the changes in her life.
I think this book will appeal to people who enjoy magical realism, and who like a relatively light read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Time Hop Coffee Shop will be available on December 9 2025.
Life, Tea, and Everything 