A beautiful addition to the the series! I have loved each of these and this one was no exception! A wonderful story about the possibilities in our paths.

When requesting this book, I asked myself: how many more installments of this series will we see? As much as I thought the last one beautifully summarized the series, it seems that Kawaguchi still has more to say about human nature and how we interact with one another.

There is one story that will stay with me: a mother whose child has no name goes back to the past to ask her husband to choose one. The intricacy with which the psychological profiles of the characters were presented truly highlighted how layered humanity is. That story alone made reading the entire book worthwhile.

As always, Japanese culture spills from the pages, and immersing myself in it was one of the greatest pleasures. However, I found most of the stories rather bland, and honestly, I cannot recall any of them clearly. Instead of relying on shock value for memorable moments, I would have appreciated more meaningful interactions or deeper exploration of the stories.

Anyone who enjoyed the previous installments will likely enjoy this one as well, along with readers who appreciate Japanese literature in this genre.

Thank you so much for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

As a huge fan of the "Before The Coffee Gets Cold" series, I couldn't wait to read the most recent book and it was everything I imagined and MORE! If you haven't read any of the books, I highly recommend, grabbing a copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an eARC of Before We Forget Kindness in exchange for my honest review!

“Human perception is subjective. Unpleasant moments feel long, while enjoyable ones feel short.”

💚I’ve read snippets of the previous books but this is the first one of the series I fully finished. If you’ve read any Japanese translations before, this gives the same warm and homely vibes. I really don’t know how to explain but they sure hit different.

💚The story is about a cafe serving coffee that can take you back to the past or future. Truly unique and refreshing. The slow pace of the characters, the love, the loss, the feelings, the life experiences all in one place makes this story a clear reference to human life and nuances. Would totally recommend if you love reading magical realism with a touch of melancholy. Some moments really hit home and will keep you thinking for a while.

💚I do think that some connection is slightly lost between the translations which is a reoccurring thing I’ve noticed but is also inevitable I guess.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This made my heart hurt in the most pure way possible. Stories of kindness, love and hope were exactly what I needed.

This was my first read from the series and I cannot wait to dive into the prior publishings.

Book Review: Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

In Before We Forget Kindness, Toshikazu Kawaguchi, renowned for his heartwarming Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, once again delivers a poignant exploration of time, memory, and human connection. Known for weaving tender, thought-provoking narratives, Kawaguchi invites readers into a story that asks: What happens when kindness is the thing we take for granted the most?

Set in a quiet, reflective atmosphere reminiscent of his earlier works, Kawaguchi introduces readers to characters grappling with regrets and unspoken words. Each chapter acts as a gentle yet powerful meditation on relationships—whether between friends, family, or strangers—reminding us of the transformative power of simple acts of kindness. The author’s signature touch lies in his ability to take everyday moments and imbue them with profound meaning, leaving readers both comforted and introspective.

The prose is spare but poetic, drawing readers into scenes that feel intimate and universal at once. Kawaguchi creates an emotional resonance that lingers long after the final page, as he carefully unravels themes of forgiveness, compassion, and the fleeting nature of time. While the book retains the quiet, contemplative tone familiar to fans of his work, Before We Forget Kindness feels like a gentle plea to embrace love and kindness before it’s too late.

This is a novel to savor, offering solace to those searching for closure and reminding readers to hold on to the small, meaningful gestures that often mean the most. Kawaguchi once again proves himself a master of subtle, life-affirming storytelling.

Rating: 4.5/5
Perfect for fans of: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

I really enjoyed this! I’ve been periodically reading the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series since they were first published/translated in English, and it was a joy to return to the world of this little cafe and its time travel. This time with sapphics! In lots of ways, I think that this series gets better with age, not because the first stories weren’t wonderful but because I love seeing how everything becomes more interconnected and what stories develop now that we’ve seen roughly 20 people time travel to reconnect with loved ones. Even though the book is separated into roughly 4 stories, it all feels cohesive and was just lovely all around. I really enjoyed all the characters and appreciated how we were able to see them grow, especially with the two POVs in the story about the father and daughter. The other great thing about this series is that you can read them out of order in this sort of gentle interconnected web of stories. I definitely recommend checking this book and series out!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an eARC of Before We Forget Kindness in exchange for my honest review!

My heart has been warmed a-plenty by Toshikazu Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, and it's nice that my heart gets to feel some more comfy warmth via Before We Forget Kindness. Sure, it's basically rolling us down the same old road that we've previously explored with the other books, and some of the stories in those entries had emotionally resonated with me more successfully than the stories in this latest book. However, this doesn't stop me from generally enjoying what we have here, with "The Valentine" possibly being my favorite tale in spite of the deployment of a cliche that makes me roll my eyes. It's a touching and relaxing ride to process these narratives that leave me with a deeper appreciation for mortality, time, and loved ones.

Overall, I'm officially rating Before We Forget Kindness 3.5 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars. I'll continue to read more books from this series as long as they keep getting published.

A very sweet and heartwarming continuation of the series. That said, it was not my favorite in the series. The first two are by far my favorite, and the other books don't come close. Before We Forget Kindness falls somewhere in the middle of my ranking of these books. It captures the charm of the cafe and the stories of its patrons, but none of it hit me too hard. I wasn't invested in the characters as much as I have been in the past. While I'll continue to read the books that Kawaguchi puts it, I do hope I enjoy his future books more than this one.

“Before We Forget Kindness” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a continuation of his series, Before the Coffee Gets Cold. This is actually the first book in this series that I have read. I love the concept of being able to time travel, but only in a coffee shop, with certain rules that you must follow. I loved the plot lines developed in this book, particularly the last that revolves around a missed chance for love between two girl best friends. I think I will probably pick up the first book, but I don’t know if I will feel inclined to pick up every book in the series. The writing was lovely, thanks to both the original author and the translator.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

thank you for netgallery for this ARC

i really enjoyed this!!
i’ve read the previous one but i doing think it’s necessary to read them all to understand the premise of this book. it is so wholesome and teaches such important deep life lessons.
to know there is a place where you can go back in time, just to exist in that time, and not change anything - & to see how people use it to visit loved ones, is so sad

i love the premise of these
i love the characters, new and old

In the fifth installment of the time jumping coffee shop, Toshikazu Kawaguchi has done it again. We are immersed in the lives of a diverse group of individuals who wish to go back in time- even though they know this will not change a thing. This thought-provoking book centers on four new characters that you will be thinking about long after your coffee is cold. If you have not dug into these slim novels, they are the perfect way to lift your spirit.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I have read and enjoyed every book in this cafe series thus far. The deep emotional lives of the characters and their amount of growth within their short story frankly always leaves me in tears. In this addition to the series, I feel like it may have lost a tiny bit of its shine. The premises were still great and interesting, but I feel that the actual stories were written very differently. They felt less emotion based and very procedural almost. Still a great read, just not my favorite out of the 5!

I love these books and they just keep getting better. The stories are are heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The 5th of the series felt like it had a different vibe than the other ones.

Overall, the book turned out to be much sadder than I anticipated. It explores the illusions we create about family and the unchangeable moments from the past that we believe could alter the course of our future. While there were four different stories, and as heartbreaking as they were, I struggled to connect with the narrative or the characters. The premise remains the same: visiting the café and returning before the coffee gets cold. However, considering this is the fifth book, a shift in the café’s rules or a fresh twist in the plot could add some variety.

4.25 stars

Before We Forget Kindness is the 5th book of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. This is the second book I've read in the "special food establishment in Japan" genre this year, and I must say, I am quite impressed with this series.

The premise is that customers can travel back in time at this cafe if they follow a very specific set of rules, the most important being, you guessed it, to drink the coffee before it gets cold. Like other similar series, this book is comprised of short stories of different patrons visiting the cafe, so there are a few recurring characters, but the main character of each story changes.

Without giving away too much (which is especially hard to do with a collection of short stories), I did not anticipate getting emotional when reading this. (Now I wasn't all out bawling, but there were definitely times where I was surprised to think, "Is this going to make me cry?") The stories for each character are so universal, and it's hard not to be impressed by the depth of Kawaguchi's emotional intelligence to tell such different stories in such a realistic and relatable way.

I know some people's hang up on books like these are the parts where the author can get potentially didactic about issues that go beyond the characters' narrative (i.e. tangent about divorce in the first story), but I'd say it's not bad in this book. Yes, those parts exist, but it actually gives a fascinating insight into the author's belief system when it comes to these issues, and see how it informs their stories.

The only aspects I don't care very much for are the specifics on exactly how the characters go back in time. There are just so many rules, and while some understandably contribute to the plot, some others just seem unnecessarily complicated.

Regardless, if you have ever ruminated over the things you've left unsaid, then this book is the form of catharsis you need.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is available everywhere now.

Before We Forget Kindness was a gentle, heartwarming book that made me think about the people I love and how our choices of how we treat each other today has ripple effects for our futures. This book is part of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, but the first one I have read- so far. It tells four short stories of people who come to a mysterious cafe for the opportunity to travel back in time to a point in time of deep regret with someone they love. There are many rules, most notable their visit to the past can’t undo what happened and their visit only lasts until their cup of coffee gets cold.
This story is so different from the types of books I typically read. I was really touched by the impact these visits to the past had on the characters, despite the strict rules. Highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book.

This is book five in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series and it was just as amazing as the other ones. These collections of stories never fail to have me crying, laughing and smiling. The audiobook narrator was really good and I highly suggest giving these a listen.

good mystery about a couple and staying in a house and the other couple there. kept me on my toes . good mystery and figuring stuff out.

This book is a compelling story that draws readers into a vivid and captivating world. The protagonist faces challenges that test their strength, resilience, and humanity, creating a narrative filled with emotional depth and complexity. As the plot unfolds, surprising twists and profound revelations keep the audience engaged from start to finish. The themes explored in the book resonate universally, making it both thought-provoking and relatable. Ultimately, the story leaves a lasting impression, inviting readers to reflect on its deeper meanings long after turning the final page.