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!

Toshikazu Kawaguchi delivers another wholesome warm hug in book form. I will always cherish these books and can't recommend them enough!

Thank you Netgalley for an arc of Before We Forget Kindness. I read Before the Coffee Gets Cold and that made me want to read this one. I would recommend reading the whole series of these books. This author is excellent at delivering a really good story. I rated it 5 strs.

This series continues to be so fantastic. The story in each book is gripping and thought-provoking while being short and digestible. This one was no different!

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!