An enjoyable read that had me gripped. Not particularly thrilling, but engaging and human. The story interweaves many different stories from people who come and go from the café and the stories of the two main characters. Very enjoyable in the moment, but probably quite forgettable. ( )

I'm so disappointed in this book, because Libby Page wrote THE LIDO, which brought me so much joy and was so delicious.

It was fine. It was good. But it wasn't even playing the same game as THE LIDO. I like Page's writing and the way she creates so many subplots, but the whole thing kind of felt a bit pointless and it wasn't very conflict heavy. ( )

An unusual story, the main characters being two 30 year old women who live together and work shifts in a 24 hour cafe. These two women meet a range of customers in the cafe whilst harbouring dreams of a breakthrough in their individual artistic careers, dancing and singing. Well rounded characters with which you can identify. ( )

I picked up The 24 Hour Café based on all the excitement around Libby Page's debut, The Lido, which I haven't read. It took me a little while to get into the book as I felt that we had only just started to scratch the surface of a story before the clock chimed the next hour and new customers entered the shop, but the long-running thread of Hannah and Mona's friendship kept me interested.

Hannah and Mona are flatmates who work in Stella's Café which is situated opposite Liverpool Street Station in London. It is open 24 hours so attracts a myriad clientele throughout the day and night. The main story is around Hannah and Mona's friendship which is put to the test during the 24 hours we observe the cafe, but there are lots of little stories based on the lives of customers in the café.

Hannah has recently broken up with her boyfriend and I could tell he was a bad 'un from the start; preferring Star Trek to Star Wars is not a good sign! I enjoyed this part of the story though, showing how Hannah's relationship with Jaheim not only changed her but consumed her and left Mona well outside Hannah and Jaheim's bubble. I wondered how much of this was Hannah's own doing, but I suspected Jaheim liked that level of control over her. Mona is a very good best friend to Hannah; she keeps quiet and bides her time knowing that boyfriends come and go but friends remain.

If you've ever people-watched and wondered what their story was, this book is for you! Libby Page has put people watching into print and it did feel like I was there in the corner of the café, sipping my cuppa and observing the goings on myself. Maybe I'm just nosy but I would have liked to delve a bit more into the lives of the customers, however, for Libby Page to have done so she would have ended up with several volumes of The 24 Hour Café.

Libby Page's writes in such vivid colour that The 24 Hour Café brings London to life in front of your very eyes; the hustle and bustle is evident but also a more humane side. Whereas a visitor to London might find it impersonal and inhospitable at first, Libby Page shows that there's more to Londoners than might first meet the eye. I think you could call The 24 Hour Café a love letter to London, as Libby Page paints our capital city in such glorious light.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. ( )

Hannah and Mona are waitresses at a cafe in Liverpool Street. They are also performers but waitressing is their way of paying the bills until they get their big break. The pair share a flat and their lives are completely intertwined but as Hannah mourns her lost relationship, something changes for Mona. Over the course of a 24 hour period the lives of Hannah and Mona are reflected in the lives of the customers of the cafe.
On paper this isn't the sort of book I would normally choose however having loved Libby Page's previous novel (The Lido) I knew that I liked the writer. This book does not disappoint in the slightest. Whilst Hannah and Mona re a little irritating at times the sweep of the narrative is a true reflection of what it is like to have loved and lost, both personally and professionally. The peripheral characters are beautifully imagined and the final section brings a little update to each, both happy and sad. That's what makes this book stand out, it is not completely sweet and happy but it is life-affirming in many ways ( )