3.5 stars

This. was a little hard to get into at first but it was a beautifully written cozy little book. This one was a little sad though. I can't say that if you are dealing with grief if this would be hard to read of uplifting. I guess it depends on your outlook and where you are in your stage of grief. If you enjoyed the others in the series you will enjoy this one as well.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Before We Forget Kindness is such a needed book right now. Full of short stoes about how kindness changes people and can change the world, this book is heartwarming, sweet, will make you cry and laugh.

Thank you @thehive for my gifted copy!

This is my fifth book in the "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" series, and it's always a tearjerker!

I have to say, I loved the second story the best, about the husband and wife.

Notable lines:

"Regret comes in two flavors: actions taken and opportunities missed."

I'm always reflecting on who I'd visit after I read each book btw. I have to say, I'd choose seeing my kids as adults!

PS-Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book!

Another heartwarming tale from Kawaguchi's literary pocket. We have new characters in this fifth book of the series,

It's simple narrative makes the book an easy read, and it's needless to mention, the cover design is beautiful. The book follows it's predecessors' formula throughout its narrative. It has undertones of regret, willingness to let go, and let go of regrets. The book also handles the idea of Closure beautifully, which I liked the most. It can be read over the weekend, and is totally worth your attention.

I was not expecting such an emotional book, but even despite the tears this book had me shedding, I loved it. I liked how the book handled grief, regret, kindness and compassion. Each of the four stories in this book was impactful in its own way, and it was refreshing to see the characters get what they needed to move forward in life after traveling through time thanks to the magical cafe.

Only issues were how repetitive it became and how expository the writing was. I expected more of a storytelling, fictional tone and got a lot of extensive explanations about topics that did not think added to the story.

By far a great read and highly recommend!

Thank you netgalley for giving me an electronic ARC copy in exchange for my review!

cosy and formulaic, we know (and love) exactly what to expect! Yes the themes are repetitive but I feel we can use frequent reminders of the core messages that life is short and to be a little kinder when able.

Kawaguchi does it again! I have been a huge fan of this cozy series since reading the first book in this installment. What I love about this book and series is how each short story while independent, weaves characters past and present. Kawaguchi has a way of revealing human truths and the internal, emotional struggle one feels when dealing with those situations. It’s relatable, even if the characters and storylines don’t mirror the experiences we may independently have.

When I finished this book, I took a deep breath, and found myself feeling gratitude towards the people in my life - friends, family, and loved ones. Because the stakes aren’t terribly high, it gives you permission to read the book in small increments and reflect on the parallels in your own life - how telling someone you love them while they’re around is so important, how appreciating your parents love can look different, but ultimately how it’s okay to be human.

I can’t give this series anything but 4 stars at a minimum. With the winter around the corner, I can’t help but recommend this series to those who are looking for a book that can tug at the heart and leave you feeling more hopeful and reminded to appreciate who you have in your life now.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this E-ARC.


This book is devastating. I understand that it’s beautiful and comforting and lovely that for a small amount of time you could get to see someone you’ve lost. But it’s so sad. And I would like to think that that is the whole point of these books. To not wait until you don’t have time anymore but to make better and kinder choices now. Things that you might not regret in the future. Taking a little more time to consider your thoughts and actions. I love that. It’s still so heartbreaking.

A special magical cafe where you can get one chance to go back (or forwards) in time. One more chance to right a wrong. One more chance to fix something you regret. What a glorious opportunity. It comes with some rules. But still, who wouldn’t want to go back for whatever reason?
A beautifully written book.

Thank you for this arc!!

Although I find the same themes repetitive i absolutely love the stories. Definitely recommend!

4.5 stars
How lucky was I to get an arc of this latest installment of Before the Coffee Gets Cold! It's been over two years since I discovered book one and I still enjoy these stories so much. The stories are always touching and insightful into the kinds of things that regular people experience. There are so many things we wish we could change in some way and in a very small way a few people can at least go backward or forward and have a short conversation that makes a difference to them without effecting or changing the history itself. Beautiful story telling.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperCollins for my ARC of this book

Fans of the time travel fiction, this is THE ultimate series for your enjoyment and a must-read! The series is set in an unremarkable back-alley cafe in Tokyo (and its sister-branch in Hakodate) where customers get a chance to travel back in time or into the future for just few minutes, before their coffee gets cold, to see that someone special and perhaps say things they so desperately wished they said, but didn't.

I finished the series earlier last week, but I am still under such huge impression from the books. Two main things that stood out: the novels are beautifully written and translated! Also, I normally don't re-read books, there are just too many books and so little time, but I already want to go back to book one and savor these stunning novels once again. They are like the softest blanket on your comfiest chair that you want to crawl under at the end of a long day.

The stories of time-traveling customers are touching, heartbreaking, heartwarming and so real. The book will get you assessing your own existence and will make you think of the virtues of kindness, gratitude, and love. This is an instant classic for me!

AMAZING series, do not wait to read it. It's perfect for the lovers of any genre.

Before We Forget Kindness written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi tells stories about people who have come to a mysterious cafe to travel back in time. I have not read any books by this author but will definitely look for the other four in this series. This book can be read as a standalone. Each of the characters are introduced and developed within the corresponding stories. There are four stories within this book, four people who want to time travel. Each for their own reasons. Each story is heartwarming and heartbreaking in many ways. This review does not do justice to this book. It is one of my favorite reads of 2024. One of the very few five-star reads this year.

- The father who could not allow his daughter to get married
- A woman who couldn't give Valentine's Day chocolates to her loved one
- A boy who wants to show his smile to his divorced parents
- A wife holding a child with no name

Truly amazing in every way. Just like when reading the previous books in the series, my heart felt every emotion imaginable.

so happy to see that this series is still going strong, with even more touching stories and thoughtful lessons! as much as I miss the older characters and so wish we would return to them, everyone has their own unique story and regrets with the people they love - this was a wonderful addition to this world that fills you with warmth with every character's past regret

I love this series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. They are charming short stories, all set in the same location - a cafe in Japan where you can time travel, for a short period of time. These are the perfect cozy stories about humanity, love and loss.

This is the 5th book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. I was so happy to discover there was another book to read. Cafe Funiculi Funicula is back providing the backdrop for people to travel back or forward in time to face unresolved issues from their past. There are four different stories in this installment, and they will make you smile, cry, rejoice, celebrate, mourn and understand, at least partially, life’s challenges. There are lessons learned, but not the lessons people expect to learn. Time is precious, and the cafe and its magical abilities allow the characters to gain a better understanding of their life situations. Things aren’t always as they perceive them to be. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press for the digital ARC.

This book is cruelly beautiful. As one who does not frequently cry from books, I can honestly say I was sobbing at this tragically heartfelt story. The amount of emotions Kawaguchi's books make you feel through the artistically compelling short stories is breathtaking. If you're a fan of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, pick this one up immediately because it's my favorite in the series I've read to date!

If you have not read the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, no worries. Before We Forget Kindness can absolutely be read as a stand-alone story. As with the other books in the series, this one follows the mysterious Japanese cafe where individuals are able to travel in time--assuming they follow the cafe's strict rules. This read follows four heartwarming short stories of those who dare to brave traveling in time through the magic cafe (as long as they return before their cup of coffee gets cold).

Thank you to Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Harlequin Trade Publishing, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

I've read all of Toshikazu Kawaguchi's books in this series. You don't have to have read the previous books as these are short stories that are only connected by being set in a Japanese cafe where there is a chair that allows a person to either go to the past or the future. There are a few simple rules, but they are often dealbreakers for the seekers: 1. You can only go to the time when the person you want to meet was in the cafe, 2. You must stay seated in the chair or you will be immediately transported back to your time, 3. You only have as long as it takes for a cup of coffee to go cold, 4. You must drink the whole cup of coffee before it goes cold or you become the ghost in the chair, 5. The ghost who occupies the chair only gets up 1 time a day to go to the bathroom, if you try to remove her from the chair you will be cursed, and finally 6. Nothing you do in the time period you visit will change the events.

While in the first book the four visitors kind of interconnect, this doesn't hold through the entire series. The only recurring characters are the characters who work at the cafe and a couple of regulars. As I said, these books don't have to be read together or even in order. I'm pretty sure Nagare's (the cafe's owner) daughter was older in the last book. In Before We Forget Kindness, she at least seemed younger. But it is kind of hard to tell because the regular characters are barely mentioned - usually, there is more story about them.

I wonder if these are published as individual short stories in magazines and then collected together in these books. There is a lot of repetition in regards to the rules, though the rules aren't explicitly explained as much as they were in the earlier books as well as a few other things.

These stories are more focused on the characters that want to travel. And that is more or less the case in the previous books, but there was definitely something different about this book. I've always enjoyed the subtle subtext and have thought that the language was almost lyrical at times. But in Before We Forget Kindness it felt heavy-handed. Particularly in the story about the boy who wants to smile for his parents. There is a long diatribe about irreconcilable differences and divorce. It almost felt like a rant. Then there was the trip to Disneyland and a lot of description about how the park works and how long lines keep people from going on some of the rides.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the previous ones. The story about the Father was really touching and did live up to the expectations I have for this series.

We do learn a few more things about how the time travel works and what can and cannot be done.

If you are looking for stories that will warm your heart and maybe make you think about life a little differently, then you should get this book.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Saturday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/11/before-we-forget-kindness-by-toshikazu.html

I loved this book as much as the others! Theses are just cozy and really get you thinking about things. I hope there are more to come!

As the 5th book in the series about a small unique coffee shop, you’d think this would get boring. But it doesn’t! The author has recognized that the readers know the basic rules and so only briefly references them now. Instead, the reader gets immersed in the stories of the people who come to the cafe to travel back (or forward) in time. I am constantly impressed with the unique stories each character brings to the cafe.