Before We Forget Kindness is the fifth installment in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold book series. This series was written in Japanese and translated into English so some things don’t always translate. I came upon this series by accident and immediately fell in love with the wisdom gained by each beautifully told story. Whether you identify with the main character or you glean something else from the tale, each story is unique. This book was no different. Our first story, The Son, we meet a young boy trying to put on a brave face amidst his parents divorce. He wants to go back and let them know he was happy if they were happy. Next, we have a woman who wants to go back in time so her husband can name their baby, because in the present he is no longer alive to do so. Or the father and daughter who just couldn’t seem to connect until it was too late and lastly, a story of hurt feelings and a broken friendship that one friend would live to regret.

Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s stories tug at the heartstrings but also leave you a little bit wiser, thankful and more thoughtful.

“If you could go back, who would you want to meet?”
― Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Before the Coffee Gets Cold #1

Time travel from a seat in a cafe named Funiculi Funicula in Japan being the common point, one might question what is special about this fifth book “before we forget kindness” in the before the coffee gets cold series.

What makes this a special read is the diversity of emotions and situations that are portrayed throughout the book. There are four chapters in this book and each chapter is sort of a small story that revolves around some characters.

These stories of a wife with nameless child, a father and daughter, a woman who couldn’t give chocolate to their loved one and a child with divorced parents are an experience in themselves. Ranging from the themes of care, love to jealousy, grief and regret, each chapter here is a whole human experience in the form of a book.

The chapter that touched my heart the most was the one between a father and his daughter. It was such a precious and heartfelt experience.

The rules to visit the past are explained in each chapter so they might feel repetitive to some readers.

Overall, this book kept the magic of the series intact. The central premise that the way some chances or moments if visited can bring solace to aching hearts is what makes the experience of the book and series a special one.

I would totally recommend this book to the people who want to enjoy a quick yet cozy read.


Many thanks to @netgalley and the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC.

This is the 5th installmnt in the series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, and a wonderful addition to the series! IT was lovely to go back to Cafe Funiculi Funicula, and to see Nagare, Kazu, and Miki again. The stories of all of the cafe's visitors are just as touching as before, and just as emotional. I always love way that Kawaguchi-san is able to create such depth to his characters even though the amount of time they visit the cafe is so short.

This book had some potential, but it missed the mark for me. Chapter 1 kicked off with a long, drawn-out explanation about failed marriages, which just felt unnecessary. The idea behind it was interesting, but it definitely needed to be shortened to keep things moving.

One of my biggest issues with this book—and honestly, with every book in this series—is the constant repetition of the café’s rules. They get explained not just at the start, but also in every single story within the book. By the time I finished, I’d heard the same rules at least four or five times. It was overkill and really dragged the story down.

On the plus side, the book did manage to pull at the heartstrings with its emotional storyline.

Overall, while there were some touching moments, the repetition and pacing issues really took away from my enjoyment. It’s a decent idea, but it didn’t fully come together for me.

Thank you so much for the arc

Overall the book was sad much more than I expected. It creates an illusion of how we portray family and how we can’t change little things from the past that we think will sway the direction of our future life path. There was four different stories and as heartbreaking as this was I couldn’t connect to the story or the characters. We still have the same premise of going to the cafe and coming back before the coffee gets cold but maybe being the fifth book the plot of the cafe could change like a switch up of rules.

I was THRILLED to find out this series wasn’t finished!

The Before the Coffee Gets Cold series is one of my favorites. It is a whimsical story of a coffee shop that is rumored to allow you to travel back in time or to the future. There are several rules you must follow if you want to travel back in time:

1) you have to wait for a mysterious woman to vacate her table
2) you have to stay in your seat. if you stand up you will be stuck in the seat
3) you can’t change the past or future
4) you have to finish your cup of coffee before it gets cold

This book, like the other 4, contains 4 heartwarming stories of people who want to travel to the past or the future for whatever reason. They visit cafe Funiculi Funicula full of grief, anxiety, regret, or hope. I found this story to be much more emotional and in depth than the previous ones, even though they are all 5 stars for me.

Sweet stories that tug at your heartstrings and make you think about how you view your own relationships.

I did find the number of characters a little confusing but still enjoyed reading it.

Toshikazu Kawaguchi is back again for another installment in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. I didn’t know I needed this book until I got it - and boy, am I glad we did!

In this latest book, we return to Finiculi Finicula to time travel with a few new faces and stories. In these short stories, we encounter an estranged father and daughter; a woman unable to give a Valentine’s Day gift to a loved one; a child who wants to make his divorced parents happy; and a wife deciding what to name her child.

I have loved all the books in this series, and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint. Like with each of the others in the series, I finished reading this one feeling all the emotions. I love how Kawaguchi is able to convey so much raw human emotion of loss, sadness, regret, and guilt into such few words. I feel like I connected with each of these stories more than in some of the previous editions, all in different ways. All were beautiful in their simple yet carefully crafted storylines. Overall, I cannot recommend this book - and series - enough to anyone and everyone!

Thank you Harlequin Trade/Hanover Imprint and NetGalley for the ARC!

I've read every installment in this series so far because it is such a comforting joy to return to Funuculi Funicular, the cafe that serves coffee and closure. In the last book, I was beginning to find the story elements repetitive and bemoaning the focus on the cafe owner family's stories. However, this installment came back with some really refreshing POVs for the time traveling clientele. A small child of divorce, a new mother with a baby, and a father/daughter missed connection turned double time travel -- the first three stories capture some really tende and nuanced stories about modern parenting and young parenthood. The fourth one, however, finally broke some new ground and brought a story of sweet but tragic young queer love. Halfheartedly tempted to knock off a star for taking this long only to predictably bury the gay, but I almost can't be that mad because how well fleshed out the character dynamics of two nerdy teenage girls, navigating love and identity. I couldn't be more delighted that a comfort series like this still has something new to offer.

Toshikazu Kawaguchi's stories are some of the most beautiful and heartwrenching I have ever read and Before We Forget Kindness does not disappoint. Filled with tales of loss, regret, and love, each story is unique and takes the reader on an interesting journey. I have enjoyed the other books in this series and was thrilled to get to return to Funiculi Funicula. The supporting cast of characters that remain constant throughout the books are interesting and I like how each installment reveals a bit more about them. I also appreciated that we got to hear a bit more from both sides in this book (i.e., the person going back in time and the person they were going to see) which I thought allowed for a more complete view. Overall a great read and I so hope to return to Funiculi Funicula in a future work.

“Regret comes in two flavors: actions taken and opportunities missed.” The fifth installment of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, we are transported back into the mysterious magical cafe with four new guests: the father, the Valentine, the son, and the nameless child. As always, the same rules apply: the time you spend in the past begins the moment Kazu (the waitress) has poured your coffee, and it ends just before the coffee gets cold. Having read Before the Coffee Gets Cold, I loved going back to this heartwarming place. It does get sad and emotional at times, but what can expect from Kawaguchi? Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I have read all the previous 4 books by Kawaguchi of the Coffee gets cold series and hence had to pick this one up. The story has the same premise of visiting your past in cafe Funicula Funiculi and in this book like the others the theme revolves around grief. Of moving on, acceptance and love. It starts with the story of a young boy who is struggling with the divorce of his parents, the child who has to be named, of an incomplete love. It touches the chords of heart and shows that sound reasoning and logic would not necessarily lead to a right path and one has to listen to the heart at times in relationships.
I liked this book a lot. But I now strongly hope that the author writes a new book with a different story and not the same premise. His beautiful imagination and understanding the complexity of relationships can be put forth with a newer premise and his readers would look forward to a new story.

Thank you Toshikazu Kawaguchi and the publisher for an e-ARC via NetGalley🫶🏼

This is my first time reading on of the books from this series and I was pleasantly surprised.
Each of the stories, as the title alludes, is about kindness.
I found myself teary-eyed at the end of each story and read through the entire thing on a flight home from a work trip.

Excellent writing. The rules got a bit confusing, but I loved learning more about the rules as the book went on.
Has me thinking a lot about how small moments to me may be bigger moments to others, and to lead with kindness when possible.

*Before We Forget Kindness* is the fifth book in the *Before the Coffee Gets Cold* series, set in the time-traveling Funiculi Funicula café in Tokyo. The café allows visitors to revisit the past under strict rules: they must stay seated, interact only with people who have visited before, and their actions won’t change the present. The novel explores themes of regret and reflection, with moving character arcs, especially Yuki and Riuju. Though the repetitive explanation of the café's rules can be tedious, the emotional depth of the story makes it a poignant read.

Four heartwarming stories of people who travel to a past time to see people they have unresolved issues with.
While it will not change what happenned, it gives them closure and the ability to move on with their lives.
#Before We Forget Kindness #HarlequinTradePublishing #HanoverSquarePress #NetGalley

Before We Forget Kindness is the fifth book in the Before The Coffee Gets Cold series and just like the previous four books, it follows four different stories of customers at the Funiculi Funicula cafe who want to go back in time.

I did like this book however, I do think that it was my least favourite in the series. At this point, I feel like the series is getting a bit too repetitive.

Overall, I still love these books and will continue to recommend them to others!

I really love this series and I liked this book too. All the books in this are basically the same thing, having 4 different stories mixed into 1 but with different scenarios and people. This one made me cry with the second one and there’s always been that 1 chapter that made me cry in each book.

It was very enjoyable and heartwarming. I also just love the whole time travelling system and how you still have some of the same characters from the previous books because of the café itself.

My First Read from Toshikazu Kawaguchi

"Before We Forget Kindness" is the fifth book in the bestselling "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" series. This novel, like its predecessors, is set in the mystical Funiculi Funicula café located in the Kanda area of Chiyoda City, just outside Tokyo. The café offers a unique experience: customers can travel back in time. Many visit the café hoping to find closure with loved ones and to move forward with their lives.

The Rules of Time Travel in Funiculi Funicula

The time travel experience at the café comes with specific rules:
1. Stay Seated: Customers must remain seated in a particular chair at all times.
2. Limited Scope: They can only visit the past to meet people who have previously been to the café.
3. Time Frame: The journey begins when the coffee is poured and ends when it gets cold, giving them roughly eight to ten minutes.
4. Unchangeable Present: Actions taken in the past will not alter the present. Lives cannot be saved, and events such as divorces cannot be prevented.

Despite these limitations, customers are drawn to the café by their regrets. They seek a chance to relive moments and respond differently, armed with the knowledge they have in the present. Unspoken words, moments of anger, and tears shed are often the driving forces behind their desire to revisit the past.


My Impressions:

Kawaguchi excels at capturing the depth of human regrets and the profound impact of hindsight. While reading the previous books in the series can provide additional context, this novel stands well on its own. At just under 250 pages, it is a relatively short read. I particularly enjoyed the characters Yuki and Riuju. However, I found the repetition of the café’s rules for each character a bit tedious. Despite these minor critiques, the story moved me to tears.

Acknowledgments

I extend my gratitude to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

Another hit from Toshikazu Kawaguchi! I've enjoyed this series so much and am so happy the publishers and Netgalley let me read this arc! I love the way the people and their stories get me thinking in different ways. I will be buying a copy and recommending to other readers!

Before We Forget Kindness is the fifth book in the Before The Coffee Gets Cold series. This book follows four different stories, with each character having a regret and wanting to go back in time to fix it. While this installment is my least favorite of the series, it still managed to make me cry. Also, this book can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the other books in the series as well. Overall, I enjoy these short stories and will probably pick up the next book as well. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc.