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

Thank you so much to Hanover Square Press for the eARC! This series is one of my most beloved. These books are so emotional yet uplifting and hopeful. I loved the stories in this one, and I feel like they get a little bit sadder with each installment. Is the author okay? No, but seriously, the raw human emotion captured is addicting, I would read this author’s grocery list or scribbled notes. These books are like a warm hug and the perfect cozy read for every season.

Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is another beautiful, introspective addition to the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series—a collection of interconnected time-travel stories that are more about healing and forgiveness than rewriting fate. By now, the rules of the mysterious café are familiar: you can visit the past, but nothing you do will change the future. The only thing that changes is you. And once again, Kawaguchi masterfully uses this premise to tell stories that are cozy, poignant, and quietly devastating.

The four new visitors to the café each bring a unique emotional weight to their journeys. The father who refuses to accept his daughter’s choice to marry, the woman who carries unspoken feelings in the form of uneaten Valentine’s Day chocolates, the boy caught in the chasm between divorced parents, and the mother with a nameless child in her arms—each story gently peels back the layers of their sorrow and regret, showing us what happens when we’re brave enough to confront the past instead of burying it.

Kawaguchi has a gift for making ordinary moments feel profound. A simple conversation over coffee becomes a life-altering revelation. A word left unsaid can echo for years, haunting someone’s future. His writing is restrained, almost deceptively simple, but it carries immense emotional power. The dialogue feels authentic, especially in the quiet pauses where his characters hesitate, caught between grief and hope. You can feel the weight of everything they’ve left unsaid pressing down on them—and the quiet relief when they finally speak.

What makes this fifth installment particularly memorable is its exploration of kindness—not the grand, performative kind, but the small acts of grace that ripple outward. Kawaguchi seems to be reminding us that kindness, whether to ourselves or to others, is something fragile and easily forgotten. His characters’ journeys aren’t about fixing the past but about finding the courage to offer themselves forgiveness and understanding. It’s bittersweet but never bleak—there’s always a flicker of light, even in the saddest stories.

The only critique I’d offer is that, as the fifth entry in the series, the formula is starting to feel a little familiar. The rules of the café, the ritual of pouring the coffee, and the recurring theme of closure can feel a bit repetitive if you’ve read the previous books back-to-back. However, that same familiarity can also be comforting, like revisiting an old friend who you know will always have a warm cup waiting for you.

At 4 stars, Before We Forget Kindness continues the series' legacy of gentle, cathartic storytelling. It’s a quiet reminder of how precious our connections to others are and how important it is to be kind to ourselves and those we love. If you’re already a fan of Kawaguchi’s time-travel café, this book will feel like coming home. And if you’re new to the series, you’ll find yourself enchanted by its blend of magical realism and emotional truth. Either way, it’s a story that will linger with you long after the coffee cools.

I will never miss a Toshikazu Kawaguchi book, and I refuse to read any other series that is pretending to be like his. He is wholly unique and I absolutely adore his characters and themes. A million thumbs up!

This book made me cry so hard, omg it was beautiful. I love how we learn more about the main characters in this story and how Japan views life/death/romance in each chapter. I loved the sweetness that was in this one, and the idea that miscommunication is often our biggest regret. 10/10 just as amazing as the other four.

As a fan of this series to begin with, it is easy to step back into this world and this cast of characters and just let my heart feel and get swept up in the emotions of the stories. Japanese translated literature like this has a certain quality of whimsy and magical realism that I really love and enjoy.. As always the intimacy of the stories we get in every chapter and the genuine look at human connection is what really draws me to this series. It can be slow and there can be times when scenes are drawn out beyond the page but that's the point. To fall in love with life and remember that life is worth living. Love love love and will always be in line to read the next one in this series!

I absolutely adore this series and this author! Healing fiction is what we all need right now. I loved the new stories that we got to see in this latest book.

This is the latest book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. Though I enjoyed it, the last story in the book had some content I don’t prefer reading about (see below for details). The other stories were pretty standard for what I’ve come to expect from this series - cozy magical realism with some interesting tidbits about Japanese culture mixed in. Regret was a major theme in this book, and the author had some interesting thoughts on it.

I don’t think I’ll continue reading this series (I believe there are several other books coming), but I did enjoy the first four!