Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is another heartwarming addition to the series, which gives me serious Chicken Soup for the Soul vibes. I recognized the title layout from a book a friend recommended, so I decided to give it a try—even though I hadn’t read the earlier books. I imagine the whole series has this same cozy, slightly sentimental feel, making it ideal for a winter afternoon with a cup of hot chocolate. Though emotional reads aren’t usually my go-to, I was glad I picked this one up—it was just the comfort read I didn’t know I needed.

Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - Fifth book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold

This series present challenging situations to he reader, and the results are how we feel after we put the book down. Not everyone will connect with every story, but I do believe that enough will...connect to at least one per book.

These stories are emotional. That is their charm.

I also believe that the conceit of the universe of this coffee shop, with all its rules...is to provide a hopeful view of the world, especially when there seems to be no hope.

These short stories (tie within a thread...through the title of the book, give us a peak at an informative viewpoint that is both inspiring and comforting.

Each story is mysterious, since we don't know how EXACTLY the characters are going to attain their desires, especially with ALL the rules.

As a reader, it allow me to be reflective about my own life, and how...if I was able to go to this cafe, what would I do, in their situation.

At times it is sad and tense, but for the most part...the stories are hopeful and encouraging. 

I see this book as fast-paced, since each story propels you to read more, and quickly, since you NEED to know what is going to happen, next.

All these stories are character, mostly because that is what short stories normally are, but there is a plot, but that is referenced in the title...for all the short stories tell a similar theme of story.

You cannot say that there is strong character development, since each story focuses on people that most likely you'll never hear from, again. There are characters that you almost always see, but, they are usually background characters...who DO have a narrative arc...over all the novellas.

When asked, are the characters loveable? I'd have to say yes. Not to say that you'll love them all, but for the most part...I believe you will.

Just the fact that SO many different people come to this "famous" cafe...to go back/forward in time...brings diversity (from every walk of life).

Each story is honest and forthright, for the flaws of characters are a main focus. This is what has brought them to THIS cafe...to do, what most people think cannot happen.

4.0 Stars

If you add up each story, you get 16.25/4 = 4.06, which averages to 4 Stars

I am very thankful to Net Galley for giving me this eArc for a fair and honest review.

I never thought that the conceit from the first book, would be able to carry over to a sequel, let alone the fith book in the series.

One of the things that I've enjoyed the most, is the interactions with these characters from a different culture (and they are firmly rooted within the Japanese culture)...but still the human spirit and struggles seep through. Also, it is a translated story, and I'm glad to happy read these stories...and I wonder how I'll feel, when I reread them, in the future.

These five books show many different situations that us humans find ourselves in. Not every story is going to resonate with you, but I'm sure that someone loves the stories that you didn't love, and conversely.

I am so glad that I gave this series a try.

Chapter One - The Son

This is a sweet story (about a sweet little boy). I thought it would've had a more powerful punch for me. I might reread it...to see if I was just too distracted by the Election, today. I've been distracted. Ugh.

I will reread this story. I'm just going to give it a little time...after the struggles of our recent American elections.

Rated 3.5 Stars

Chapter Two - The Nameless Child

When I was reading this story, I kept thinking...why is she doing this? I feared for the child. Yikes. Why would you take this chance? The sort of dealt with it in the story, but I still would NEVER have taken that chance...with my child. Never. Just take a picture on your phone, or a video. Sheesh.

At first, I really did not like Riugi (until the end), he really does sound like a man/baby (not serious enough as a husband with his wife. Sorry). Quirky, but sincere. Sweet story. A great finish...that's for sure.

4.25 Stars

Chapter Three - The Father

For some reason, I was hesitant to read this story. It didn't bring me to tears like some others), but it was a truly edifying story.

As Father who has made numerous mistakes in life. I've stepped into it SO many times. Said things I didn't (evenutally) believe/shouldn't have said. 

One of our children struck off on his own path, which hurt me and my wife. If I was in the same situation has the woman, I would want to go back...and at least make amends. At least.

4.25 Stars

Chapter Four - The Valentine

The regrets of life. The things that we wish we had said, or taken the time with the person we met, but for some reason or another, didn't. 

This was the perfect story to finish this latest book with. 

4.25 Stars

I was wrong, this series continues to chart a course that reaches each of us at different times in our lives. I look forward to the next book in this series (if there will be one).

I wonder how they are received within Japan. Does anyone know?

“Very well. Your journey into the future will begin once I pour coffee into this cup…”

“And it will only last until the coffee becomes completely cold.”

This is such a special series! Every book just pulls on your heartstrings more and more with each read. This latest edition is no different. Told in four parts with each section a story, this one was super emotional. I cried many times throughout. So many times! The second story called “The Nameless Child” really got me. Have those tissues handy!! It sure packs a punch for such a quick read❤️

The entire book is beautifully poignant and resonates with the notion that every day is important. Even the small things. That seeing beyond the surface to the heart is more important than what we notice at first glance or even what is skipped over due to complacency. It has an emphasis on kindness and living without regret. Characters from previous books are revisited and new ones introduced. It is just magical! 4.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This is the fifth book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. I have loved each of these books, set at a special cafe in Tokyo with its quirky characters and magical powers

The cafe allows you to go back or forward in time, after a cup of hot coffee is poured, and you have until the coffee gets cold to say what you want to say. In this installment there is a boy who regrets making his parents sad, a father who wants to make amends with his daughter, a wife who wants input from her husband who has passed on, and a girl who meets a friend she’s lost touch with.

I enjoyed this one almost as much as the others, however I think at this point I’m done with the series. I don’t know if there will be any more, but they have started to become repetitive. The stories have been a huge comfort to me over these past few years; I’ve read one each fall since 2020, and now I’ve had my fill. But never say never because I cannot resist these covers!

If you haven’t read this series yet I wouldn’t start with this one, definitely start with Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another great addition to the series! Such deep topics that bring up a lot of emotion. I enjoyed my experience with this book!

I was very excited to see another "Before the Coffee gets cold" book was coming out. However, this book did not match up to all the emotions and feelings as the one that came before.

If you’ve read any of the other books in the series or even if you haven’t, I think you’ll enjoy this book. Very emotional and relatable. Definitely gives one much to reflect about.

☕️🎊𝙷𝙰𝙿𝙿𝚈 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙴𝙰𝚂𝙴 𝙳𝙰𝚈🎊☕️

~𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆~
𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗟𝗘: Before We Forget Kindness
𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘: General Fiction/Cozy Fantasy
Rating: ☕️☕️☕️☕️

This is the fifth book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold hit series (translated from Japanese) The stories all take place in the Funiculi Funicula cafe in Tokyo, a mysterious coffee shop where customers arrive hoping to travel back in time.

This time we meet around we meet:
☕️𝗔 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.

In order to time travel they must follow the café’s strict rules, however, and come back to the present before their coffee goes cold. Also returning is: the owner himself Nagare Tokita, his daughter Miki, Kazu Tokita (his cousin, waitress and more importantly the only one who can pour the coffee) They are intrinsic to the cafe and provide their own meaningful insights as each journey takes place.

For me, each story was a little more heartbreaking than the last. There is so much tenderness and raw emotion in Kawaguchi’s storytelling that I am always immediately immersed in each tale. I couldn’t help but feel my heart ache for each traveler.

The overwhelming urge to change past decisions/choices is something we all face at one time or another. We feel regret for doing or not doing something, saying or not saying something. While we may not have access to a magical cafe to revisit our past, we can try to reflect internally and then move forward as best we can.

✨Another beautiful addition to this wonderful book series! If you loved the other books, you will love this one too!

🌟Special thanks to @netgalley, @harlequinbooks , @hanoversquarepress and @kawaguchi.coffee for the advanced reader copy!

Toshikazu Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold series is an emotional, touching, and beautiful glimpse into time traveling. When people think about time travel, they think about changing the past. But what if you couldn't change anything? What if going back in time is just a way to say goodbye to the people that matter to you? In Before We Forget Kindness, four new vignettes are presented that remind you of the importance of our relationships. There is a father who never approved of his daughter's relationship and husband, a woman trying to give a gift to a loved one, a boy trying to be brave for his parents, and a woman with her unnamed child. Each story challenges what you think and what will happen. It reminds you that life is short and needs to be cherished, but it does not have to be perfect. Be there for the people you love before it's too late. This is what Before We Forget Kindness tell us, and I will always love this amazingly crafted world.

This is the fifth book in the "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" series, and I have to admit, it was my least favorite of all of the books. The first book has remained my favorite, by far, but each one has been very enjoyable. I can't really say that about this one. It was just sort of middle-of-the-road. It was a pleasant, quick read, that wasn't really emotional like the previous books. Of the four stories I would have to say my favorites were the boy who wanted to go back to the day when his parents told him they were splitting up, and the mother who wanted to show her baby to her deceased husband, let him see her, and find out what name he had wanted to give her since he died before she was born. Those two tugged on the heartstrings a bit, I will admit.... the other two, not so much.

✨ A kid who went to the past to talk to his divorced parents, a woman with her baby who traveled back to speak to her deceased husband, a father who went to the future to apologize to his daughter for his regrets, and a friend who went to the past to seek forgiveness from her best friend, whom she ignored for several years.

✨ After finishing the last book in the series, I found myself wanting more. Now that I’m done with them all, I honestly don’t know how I’ll manage without them! Reading these books became part of my daily routine over the past few days, and I just keep craving more. I’m also planning to watch Funiculi Funicula, the movie based on Book 1, Before the Coffee Gets Cold. I’m so excited to see Kazu, Nagare, and Kei come to life! I think it would be amazing if this series were adapted into an anime as well!

✨ This book is set when Miki is just 2 years old. It was interesting to learn more about Funiculi Funicula’s origins, which were revealed in this story. The time-traveling moments weren't always successful, but that was okay. The author still conveyed the message really well. I also loved and enjoyed how the characters kept finding loopholes in the never-changing, annoying rules that govern time travel. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending being cut short. I’m not sure if it was just my copy, but I wanted to read more of Tsumugi’s story.

✨ Overall, I highly recommend this beautiful, heart-shattering yet heartwarming series. I just love everything about it!

✨ Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me the chance to read this beautiful book in exchange for my honest review.

✨ WHAT I LIKED:
📌 The revelation of where Funiculi Funicula's name originated.
📌 Yuki wanting to show his parents that he was happy for them.
📌 Finding loopholes in those annoying rules.
📌 How the other characters stepped in to help reunite a father and daughter.
📌 Tsumugi realizing how her jealousy ruined her friendship.

✨TROPES:
📌 TIME - TRAVEL
📌 FAMILY RECONCILIATION
📌 GRIEF AND LOSS
📌 FRIENDSHIP REDEMPTION
📌 UNCHANGING RULES/LOOPHOLES
📌 JEALOUSY AND GROWTH
📌 NO SPICE

💻 BLOG REVIEW: https://kimthebookdragon.wordpress.com/2024/11/05/book-review-before-we-forget-kindness-by-toshikazu-kawaguchi/

🖥️ GOODREADS REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6882368750

This book captured everything I’ve come to love in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series: it’s reflective, emotional, and unafraid to dive into the tender side of human connection. Once again, Kawaguchi expertly weaves stories about visitors to a mystical café, who are given the rare chance to time-travel and connect with someone they’ve lost or negatively affected. While each visit brought its own emotional weight, this installment resonated with me more deeply than any since Book #2—each guest’s story touched my heart, and yes, brought some tears, even on the subway!

The novel does a beautiful job of capturing themes like empathy and compassion, which couldn’t feel more timely, especially given the state of the world today. While I only wish the author developed his female characters with the same care as the themes, the heartfelt journeys here make this book an unforgettable part of the series. Fans of this series will appreciate its profound message and familiar weepy moments—just be prepared to get a little emotional.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am literally addicted to this series and I'm not fully sure why. The books are a bit repetitive with stating the rules and guidelines for the cafe, however in this book we learn that there are some additional rules that are usually unspoken or never come up. I cried by the second story in this book. If there is one thing I can say with complete confidence about this series is that every single book has at least one story in it that makes me bawl my eyes out. I will always turn to this series when I need a good cry. I also appreciated that this book has a sapphic-ish story (I don’t know how else to describe it without giving a spoiler which may be a spoiler anyway). Overall, it’s a decent book and a fitting addition to this series. 3.25 stars.

Yet another wonderful installment of this companion series. Every story in this anthology had me yearning for more and rushing to the next page.

I love how Kawaguchi reaches into the wide array of human emotions and manages to translate them into every single story he tells. Once again, he succeeds in making me cry. I highly recommend this title, and any of the other ones in the series if you want something both comforting and to make you feel something.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was originally really excited to read this as I loved the other books in this series, but something felt off to me about this one - I just couldn't seem to connect to any of the stories, and they were much sadder than usual. I wanted to love this so badly, but overall it was an average read.

I appreciate the premise of this series and this book, but it feels so repetitive. Each story in the book goes over the rules and I understand that as a reader I’m watching each person get the rules for the first time. But after a few times it feels redundant. The parts that are good are so good, like the lessons Yuki learns. The parts in between just feel kinda lackluster.

Three solid stars! I think the tricky thing with a longstanding series with the same format for each book is that it becomes formulaic after a while. This book was sweet and thought provoking, but lacked some of the earlier mystery and drive as the first book. Each part is about a character who wants to go to the cafe to travel back in time. The chapters are more like vignettes.

DO note that I am definitely reading them out of order as some only a few cast of our characters continue into the next book. I loved seeing some of my favorites and it is in the same setting as the first book.

Nothing quite stood out to me in this one. But overall a cozy pleasant read. My favorite was the son story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Review featured on Goodreads (linked) and will be on instagram on the publication date.

Before We Forget Kindness
Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Unlike most of the reviewers here, I have heard of, but have not read, the books in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. So when this ARC became available, I took the opportunity to jump in.

Despite being my initial foray, the story was not difficult to follow. It followed the premise of the mysterious Funiculi Funicula café, in which sitting on a special seat allowed one to travel back in time, from the time the coffee is poured to when it turns lukewarm. There are four discrete short stories, allo converging on a common thread. This particular installment deals with family and grief. It explores regrets over things done and those left undone.

It is a cozy, heartwarming read. It is a short book, read in one sitting or, in my case, perfect over a lazy, crisp fall weekend sitting by the fire.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Whatever the book in this series is, it never fails to bring love, heartbreak, and a new version of yourself into it. I will always recommend this series.

What can I say this series will always get me. It never fails to make me cry. The different stories and the overall lesson learned resonates with me each time. My favorite story was The Nameless Child. I was crying in my bed at 3am. I really enjoyed his work though the translation was a bit off at times it wasn’t much of a distraction. The reminder of the rules was fine but sometimes it was a bit excessive and new work around for the rules popped up that seemed a little unbelievable. Couple of repetitive moments but like I said it could have just been the translation. I had a blast reading and can’t wait to read it again.


Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Hanover Square Press for the arc I was so excited to read this I screamed!