This book didn't really work for me. At first I was irritated by the 'let me work in lots of foreign words and explain these different cultural viewpoints to you' tone. Then I couldn't get into the characters, since they didn't seem to bond with each other, and then were shown working together as very close friends quite suddenly. Actually, several plotlines seemed to drag on and then suddenly resolve themselves, often outside the story. Issues with the young woman's sister, and adult son's internal dialogue about what is right, and the safety of a fatherless infant. The thread about frustration with corruption lost its power when she herself used bribes and connections and broke laws herself- working the corrupt system. I did not feel satisfied at the ending, as things had been challenging in Kabul at the open of the story, and seemed to improve as the story went off, and then she decided to leave. The thirty-eight-year-old American’s pride and joy is the Kabul Coffee House, where she brings hospitality to the expatriates, misfits, missionaries, and mercenaries who stroll through its doors. She’s especially grateful that the busy days allow her to forget Tommy, the love of her life, who left her in pursuit of money and adventure.

I would highly recommend this book to any and all readers, it is absolutely amazing, and I couldn’t be happier to have read this novel (big shout out to the amazing friends who chose it for me). With a setting that will make you long to travel and characters worth admiring, The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul is a fantastic read! Deborah Rodriguez is brilliant at transporting her readers to far flung destinations' SUNDAY EXPRESS SUNNY, the proud proprietor, who needs an ingenious plan - and fast - to keep her cafe and customers safe.

ZARA, promised in marriage to a violent man she's never met, arrives at the coffee shop seeking sanctuary. Candace, a wealthy American who has finally left her husband for her Afghan lover, the enigmatic Wakil ... It is not necessary to have read the previous book, as there is enough character description and history mentioned within the narrative for new readers to be able to follow along. It is also suitable for book groups as it contains a series of reading group questions at the end of the novel.

If you’re looking for a an easy and warm-hearted read that gives an insight into the struggles of women living in a country with a culture that is far different to ours, then The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul is worth a read. This is a warm romantic novel set in a harsh county. Like the main character, the author had a successful enterprise in Kabul and knew what a job it was to get a generator and keep it running.

This book is an eye opener, and even though it is fiction, it is well researched and based on facts. Yes, and what about a woman whose husband has four wives? He is allowed four, and she is allowed just one husband? In that marriage, is she worth just one quarter of a man?" Which brings us to cupcakes: Not common in Kabul, cupcakes have been drawing customers, which has allowed the Cupcake Coffee Shop to open a second branch this year.