Thank you to NetGalley and Toshikazu Kawaguchi for a copy of the "Before Your Memory Fades". I absolutely loved it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have read the previous two books and found the continuation of the story really related and enjoyed reading about various stories and how they connected to the characters.

Would highly recommend it, definitely did not disappoint.

‘Before Your Memory Fades’ by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, translated from the Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot, is the third in his ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ series.

The first two books were set in Funiculi Funicula, a Tokyo café that offers their customers the unique experience of travelling back in time in order to connect with someone important to them.

In ‘Before Your Memory Fades’ the setting shifts to another café, Donna Donna, in Hakodate. It is also owned by the Tokita family and has a seat that allows its customers to slip back in time. The same strict rules must be followed including that the traveler must return before their coffee gets cold.

I was pleased that the book opened with a relationship map of characters as it proved a handy reference especially given the introduction of new characters working at Donna Donna. As with the other books there are four chapters, each focusing upon a customer and their journey.

I was a little perplexed by the move from the original Tokyo café though I felt that more was revealed about the process behind the time travel and the Tokita family’s involvement. Will more be revealed in the fourth book when it is translated? I shall have to wait to see.

Overall, a whimsical story that sensitively explores grief and loss, yet remains full of hope.

Highly recommended book and series.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

TBH I didn't enjoy this book as much as the predecessors. I loved the other two, that's why I wanted to read this (and the next as well) but instead of getting better, this book went downhill.

To be clear, this book happened approximately 8 years after the 2nd book, and of course I expected some new characters. But beside Kazu and Nagare, all the other characters were new. At first I thought the cafe's name had changed but apparently it has a new branch in Hakodate, and this new branch also allowed its customer to return to the past or go to the future with the exact same rules as the old cafe.

This book finally has a life paradox which was never mentioned in the prev books. The conflicts that motivated each customer to do a time travel were more diverse and complicated. The side story that happened in the cafe also has its own value. But there's simply not enough room for all the development, so everything felt a little bit underwhelming. A lot of things left unexplained and I had an even more lot questions. The stories weren't as touching and emotional as the prev books.

I hope the next book will finally fill the blanks and tell about the cafe ghosts too. There's actually a lot of potentials so I'm gonna count on the next book.

I had read the first book in this series of 3 and was pleased to see another sequel was being published
I loved the concept for the books of a cafe which allows people to go back into the past or forward onto the future with quite specific limitations .the stories told are touching but I felt as a whole they were rather superficial and predictable and I didn’t find myself identifying with the characters as much as I did in the first book .There is quite a bit of flicking back and forward in time with the stories and I found it hard to follow some because of this
I also struggled to keep all the characters straight in my head there is a list at the start of the book which might have helped if I had been reading a book rather than on kindle
I did love the setting in cities in Japan and enjoyed some of the descriptions particularly of the views out of the cafe windows this widened the scope of the novel and made it less claustrophobic than it might have been if it was only written from within the cafe
I’m sure the book will sell based on the success of the first book but personally I didn’t find this book as enjoyable and don’t think I’ll be searching out the 2nd book
I read a copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published in uk by pan MacMillan 1 September 2022

Book 3 in the time travel cafe series, and it's another really enjoyable read that makes you think and reflect, along with the characters as they get to reunite with people they've lost, following special rules so nothing can be changed.

This is a book about connection and the 4 main stories feature characters who are coming to terms with events in their lives and trying to make sense of the past, and hoping that travelling to see loved ones will give them clarity and peace.

There's also a running feature throughout the book of '100 questions to ask if the world was ending tomorrow, and i loved the little dilemmas featured as it makes you wonder what your answer would be too! A lovely series and sticks to a formula that works so well.

Thank you to Picador and Netgalley for this advance copy of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

I love this series. Before The Coffee Gets Cold has my heart, and I'll buy anything Kawaguchi writes. This book was no exception. Magic, mystery, and a lot of emotions. I definitely recommend this book onward for fans of Japanese lit!

Having read the previous books in this series, I was so pleased to discover a third installment on Netgalley.
In this book, we move to another café, in Tokyo, with the same option to travel to the future or the past 'before the coffee gets cold'.
I have really enjoyed this series as it delves into human emotions, regret, love and grief.
I enjoyed this third one slightly less, I think due to the number of characters and trying to keep track of everyone.
Also, the stories seemed a bit brief at times so I didn't feel as heavily involved.
Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will definitely be purchasing a copy.

This is the third book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series and like it’s predecessors it is book comprising of four tales about time travel once drinking a particular coffee in a particular cafe - this book moves events to Hakodate but with some familiar characters . The four stories again make us reflect on life ,live and death and the joys and tragedies that effect all of us .Geoffrey Trousselot’s translation pull the reader into the world if the cafe and Kawaguchi’s revisiting of events and the rules of the coffee shops help avoid confusion in what can be intricate plots . A worthy successor in this enchanting series - but do read book one and two first to get the best enjoyment from this latest series of tales

I read the first two books in this series so I was excited to see another instalment. This book takes place at another time travelling café but is connected to the previous one through it's main characters. The book follows the same structure as we see four people travel through time.

Quite a bit of time is spent at the beginning of the book establishing how things work which I understand if they want to book to work as a stand alone but I didn't need this information. I also felt that there was quite a bit of unnecessary repetition from chapter to chapter. It almost felt like filler which is a shame because that space could have been used to delve deeper into some of the travellers back stories. I love learning about the people who travel in the café but I was left wanting more.

I do enjoy this series and there are some wonderful moments but I was a little disappointed with this one.

I loved this book it was just as good as the first two, full of emotional stories laced with regret and things unsaid, it feels realistic and magical. The new characters and place added a lot to the story, and the continuation of the regulars and cafe owners stories was also lovely to see their lives change for the better too. Each story was unique and yet similar, as we all know the feeling of that one thing we wish we could do. It made me cry a great many times. It's all a matter of perspective.

The third novel in Kawaguchi's series - surrounding the familiar themes of loss, processing grief, and attempting to move on from the past - continues to capture a cosy, bittersweet atmosphere, not unlike the coffee itself. However, three books in and the coffee is beginning to taste sour, as cracks in the foundation begin to show.
Personally, these short snippets into the lives of customers wanting to return to the past (or travel into the future) are becoming too repetitive; with most of the tales in this instalment, I just didn't find myself invested in their struggles and loss, especially considering their journeys are too similar to those from past tales. While I understand Kawaguchi wants to explore these same themes, there's only so many times one can write about a person going to the past to say goodbye to a dead person they treasure with only minor changes before it stops packing a punch. Additionally, every single story so far has repeated the same rules and same coffee pouring over and over, which I just end up skipping over.
Indeed, the new characters did not stick with me; however, the regulars and staff at the café are still enjoyable, as more time is overall spent with them in-between customers, so their personalities and musings are actually fleshed out and thus I cared about them. In fact, it's because of this that the novel is raised to a 3-star rating for me, as the last tale follows café staff and its ending packed the emotional punch the rest of the novel, for the most part, did not.
If this series was to continue, I would consider picking them up in order to glimpse into the lives of the café staff and follow their journeys; at this point, though, the tales themselves would have to tread new ground for me to have any curiosity and interest. Perhaps it's time for me to let this cup of coffee go cold.

These books are just a delight and this instalment didn’t disappoint. I think I saw a review describing this series as a hug in a book and that’s exactly what it is, it’s truly heartwarming.

If you don’t know the concept by now, where have you been!! But in short, there is a cafe whose visitors can revisit the past, but there are several rules which doesn’t make the experience as simple or as easy as it may seem…

Let’s get my not so fave parts out the way (sorry!! but there are only a few). So this wasn’t the best book out of the three (still loved it don’t get me wrong) but it just didn’t hit me in the feels as much as the others. There were also a lottttt of characters so it sometimes got slightly confusing. But overall, it was so lovely to return to the cafe and its joyous comings and goings.

Having said that, Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s writing was as thoughtful and compassionate as ever with his usual gentle and lyrical tone flowing through the stories (and Geoffrey Trousselot did a stellar job at translating). The stories were sad, profound and uplifting and definitely provided the reader with moral dilemmas and discussions.

I have LOVED this series and they will all be re-reads for me (I was so thrilled to receive an arc of this) but what I will say, is sometimes you can have too much of a good thing and I think this book rounds off the series nicely.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t have a regret - maybe wishing that they’d said nothing or indeed said something different to someone in the past. Or, maybe they just want to go back to relive happy memories. Given the opportunity, I would certainly want to travel back to have conversations with friends and family who have since died.

I had read Before the Coffee Gets Cold and it’s sequel by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, so was was excited to get an e-ARC of Before Your Memory Fades.

This time the story is set in Cafe Donna Donna in Hakodate on Japan’s most northerly island of Hokkaido. Some of the characters from Before the Coffee Gets Cold overlap and are working in Cafe Donna Donna. Having the read the other books, it felt like catching up with friends.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I was blown away when I read Before the Coffee Gets Cold two years ago. Again the stories are simple, understated and quite beautiful and will bring a tear to your eyes. The book is the same format, four people frequent a cafe and can travel back in time to have a conversation with someone from their past providing that they had visited the cafe and they abide by the strict rules of time travel.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Pan Macmillan, Picador for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

As I had thoroughly enjoyed the first book I was excited to be able to read this continuation of such an interesting and thought provoking story. I have been delighted to find that the standard of storytelling has been kept up and if anything I have found the ending to be very profound and uplifting.The characters are kind and well rounded and the writing style gentle and thoughtful. May Toshikazu keep up a steady flow of more and more of these beautiful stories. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for kindly sending me this eARC.

This is the third in the 'Before the Coffee Gets Cold' series which I just completely adore. There's something very homely about being back in one of the cafes, with the author's writing style quickly immersing you in the character's lives. The time traveling concept is quirky, different, and imaginative, yet still - in a strange way - so in touch with reality.
This book tells the story of 4 more individuals who time travel with the help of the cafe's unique abilities. Each story, yet still intertwined together, explores themes of love, loss, happiness and grief; let me tell you, it's an emotional ride - there were a fair few tears whilst reading this!

Kawaguchi sure knows how to hammer home the important message about making the most of every minute we have on this earth with those we care about, and although time traveling doesn't exist in our reality, it's a reminder of never letting things go unsaid or wasting opportunities.
Overall, a heartfelt, inspiring read that shouldn't be missed!

The book has all the elements of the others, which I have read and I was excited when this became available on NetGalley I really wanted to try it, but for some reason this didn’t hit like the first one, I think if you haven’t read any translated fiction or any of this collection before you’ll love it

I really enjoyed both Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Tales from the Cafe (even if the translated writing style took me a while to get used to).

This is the third book in the series and there are a few familiar faces as we revisit the second cafe, Funiculi Funicula, in Hokkaido. This series is essentially a collection of short stories centered around a cafe where you can travel in time to see a friend or family member. You can travel backwards or forwards and this allows for some powerful stories where wrongs are made right, and people can speak to loved ones that they have lost.

This was my favourite book in the series so far. I think partly because I'm so familiar with the concept, the rules and the people, it feel like returning home.

It's a fairly quick but powerful read and I can't wait to keep reading more.

This is one of those books that you will read in one sitting and then be sad because you’ve finished it. I have now read all three of these books and every time I finish one I want to get the next one. The premise is that you can go to this cafe and can travel in time to meet someone. There are rules and you have to finish your coffee before it goes cold or you will be trapped. An odd idea but intriguing. What makes it so moreish is that in the short space of a chapter you get involved with the stories of each character. You worry about them and have to keep reading to find out if they are alright. It is very gentle but keeps you well and truly hooked.

This book is well written and compellign with a story that focuses on hard hitting issues such as Loss and Grief in a sensitive way. I enjoyed it.

Think enough is enough with this book series now.
This one just lost me.

I have read both the previous book in this series, and for me, it should have just been the one book. With each new book, I have liked them less and less.

This book in particular, added too many new 'rules' and became too complex. The beauty of the initial story is that the rules were simple, and therefore you could just follow the plot and fall in love with the characters. Now there's so many contradictions and timelines, it didn't have the same cosiness or the same heart as what made me fall in love with the first book.

Done with the series now, should there be anymore.