This book was a beautiful addition to the series. We got to see more of the characters we have come to love and it felt like a hug in a time of grief. I highly recommend!

This series has been one of my favorites for a few years now. The way the characters weave together in the cafe always warms my heart. I could read a hundred more books in this series!

I think my favorite thing about this series is that it’s reliable. You know what you’re getting and you know it’s going to be good. I wouldn’t suggest reading all these at once, it’s absolutely the type of series you read and savor as it comes out. Delightful every time!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This series always gets me, and this was a cozy addition to the series. The story of the father and daughter who travel to meet each other to talk really tugged on my heart strings. My father and I have a good relationship and this even had ME reflecting on how tough I was as a teenager and how I felt the need to thank him for all he has done for me and for my family and siblings. The boy who wanted to show his parents his smile also had me thinking about parent-child relationships and how thankless of a task parenting can be,

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

This was an unexpected read! It tugged my emotions and made me reflect on my own journey. The book follows four characters: a father who forbid his daughter ro marry , a woman eho missed out on valentines , a wife with a child and a boy with divorced parents. I cannot put to words what this book did.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

I have loved every story in this series so being approved to read this truly was a dream come true! As with the previous books, I absolutely loved the book and am deeply appreciative of the translators of the series for all they do. Honestly, the tears are all worth it!

I am a big fan of Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. This book is no different than the other 4 that came before it; same setting, same types of stories. If you liked any of the other books, you'll like this. If you didn't you wont.

I love the warmth and emotional depth of this series, and Before We Forget Kindness delivers more of what makes these books special. The time-travel café concept still works, and the stories hit hard—grief, regret, and healing wrapped in quiet, everyday moments. That said, by book five, the formula feels predictable. Still, it’s a comforting, heartfelt read that lingers after the coffee cools.

3.5 stars. I have only read the second book in this series and now this one. I enjoyed this read as a whole. I found the content to be enjoyable but was a little bit bored of the formatting as it was identical to the second book (and I assume the other books in this series). Overall, I like Kawaguchi's writing style and I find the way they write about characters and different circumstances to be heartwarming and fascinating. I get engrossed in every character's individual stories and like how the problems are explored and resolved. The characters' closure is satisfying to read about.

I do love this series so much, but I think it gets a bit challenging with long series where each book kind of holds similar plots, messages, etc. becomes quite formulaic and a little bit tiresome to read about after a while.

The first book hit me HARD. I adore that book. But now that I’m onto the fifth one, I feel like it’s lost some of that magic. However, there’s no doubt that the author is incredibly talented and gifted at weaving with touching stories together.

Which is why I’m gifting a solid 3.5 stars, rounded up. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Before we forget kindness

A Novel

By: Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Book 5 of Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series

Publish Date: November 4, 2024

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press

General Fiction (Adult)/Sci Fi and Fantasy

#BeforeWeForgetKindness#NetGalley

200 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Harlequin for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Review:

I enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars. I am surprised that the author can keep coming up with unique ideas for the series. This one was a little harder hitting than the other four in the series. As usual there are four different stories. In the first story it is about a little boy who wants to go back to the time that his parents tell him they are separating. This is the first time that a child has wanted to go back. The second story is about a woman who has just delivered a child, and she wants to go back so her husband can the baby. The third story is about a father who wants to go back to amends with his daughter it is also about the daughter who goes back. The last story is about a friend who wants to go back to make amends with her best friend.

I am being really short on what happens in each part for a reason. I want you to read the book and feel the feelings that I felt when I read it.

The Before the Coffee Gets Cold is always going to be one of very favorite series. Unfortunately, this fifth novel was not quite as impactful for me as the last four have been. I think I read this more slowly than I did the previous novels and didn't connect to the stories as much as I had connected to certain stories from others in the series.

The Valentine's Day story was a bit confusing to follow, but I did really enjoy the other three. I think the fourth story, about a mother and her unnamed child, was the most moving.

I think that it's difficult to talk about the stories in these books without revealing too much, so I prefer to keep my reviews of them relatively simple.

Overall, this series will always be one I pick up without much thought because I know that I'll love the stories. I plan to revisit all of the books ahead of the release of the sixth one because I want to reflect on the stories that have impacted me the most.

Another lovely book in the same vein as the other four in this series.
I love the gentle wisdom in each story, and the meandering way the plot leads you to a conclusion.
I think my only critique would be that, as the series progesses, the little descriptions of the characters and what each has gone through (in the previous books) are a little distracting to the story. So this makes the first book in the series more of a favorite.

Before We Forget Kindness is the 5th book in the Before The Coffee Gets Cold cozy Japanese series. In this book, readers can expect four more of the heartwarming stories this series is so well known for. Many of the stories have a knack for making you shed a few tears along the way, but endings are usually mostly happy. Although I recommend reading the books in order (or at least the first one) to fully understand and appreciate the magic of this time-travelling café in Tokyo, this book can also be read on its own or in a different order.

This is a series that I wish could go on and on!

Read if you like...
🌟 Magical Realism
❤️ Heartwarming (and at times heartbreaking) stories
☕️ Cozy books to lazily enjoy with your coffee

🙏Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for a gifted advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was highly anticipating Kawaguchi’s 5th installment in this series, but I was disappointed that “Before We Forget Kindness” fell flat for me. I can admit that I am likely basing my opinion off having read the first four books which likely isn’t the most fair, but is also unavoidable when reading an entire series. I found the writing in this book to be far more boring compared to the others, to the point where I periodically questioned whether a ghost writer was involved. Several portions of the book read like a textbook or a Wikipedia article, and I grew tired of the chronic over-explanations of completely unnecessary things. I understand some things may be lost in translation, but I wish the author engaged in more showing and less telling. Overall this book is a cozy and sweet read with tender and introspective stories, but offered nothing new compared to its predecessors.

Every time a new book in this series comes out, it's a must read for me. The first and the last stories really got to me. These stories always leave me feeling a bit sad but hopeful at the same time. Can't wait for the next one.

I received and ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

There is something so comforting the way this book is written. The story premise is original. I honestly haven't read anything like it. It's not something I would usually pick up. But I wasn't disappointed. I would recommend this to a few of my friends who would definitely enjoy this book. I have a cousin who is a fan and has read the previous books and I sure he'd be happy to read it.

Another instant classic from Toshikazu Kawaguchi. This series feels like a literary hug, everyone needs to read it!!

This is comfort in a book. I have a special place in my heart for this series. Toshikazu Kawaguchi really knows how to capture human complexity in paper.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC