Before We Say Goodbye is the fourth in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, but you don't need to have read the others to enjoy it.

We return once again to the Café Funiculi Funicula. People bring their troubles, regrets and hopes and a desire to travel back to the past to meet someone. But they have to decide whether to go back knowing they cannot change the past by doing so. This is often a source of disappointment and confusion for the potential time traveller and yet each time they, and we, realise why it can be worth the journey anyway.

This was another enjoyable and moving read in the series.

I was bawling by the end of this book, like I've done with the previous three. These stories are so heartwarming and sad, you can't help but feel for the people who need the closure that the coffee shop brings. If you haven't read these books, they are a must read.

‘If you could go back, who would you want to meet?’

My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Before We Say Goodbye’ by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It was translated from the Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot.

This is Book 4 in his ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ series, that features stories of café customers who are offered the unique experience of travelling back in time in order to connect with someone important to them.

After Book 3’s visit to the Donna Donna café in Hakodate, the story returns to Tokyo and the original Funiculi Funicula café.

In ‘Before We Say Goodbye’ each story involves someone wishing to say goodbye to a loved one even though it is made very clear in the second of the rules that govern the experience that “there is nothing you can do while there that will change the present.”

The book opened with a handy relationship map of characters, including the café employees. Its Prologue provides a reminder of the ‘annoying rules’. The book follows the format of its predecessors of four chapters, each focusing upon a customer and their journey.

Overall, I found the stories within ‘Before We Say Goodbye’ quite moving and felt that they embodied a sense of ‘mono no aware’, the Japanese idiom for the awareness of impermanence.

I have read all of the books in this series and consider them excellent. I am always recommending them to friends for their unique combination of whimsy and sensitivity to issues linked to grief and loss.

Highly recommended.

Another beautifully written story that really tugs at the heart strings. The themes of grief, acceptance and moving on are well portrayed and you're left feeling satisfied after every story.

Absolutely fantastic.

I like these books, but I don’t love them. However they’re perfect for when you want a quick and easy read. I can see why people love these books, but when I’m reading I don’t look for the deeper meaning behind books, so I feel like some of the impact is a bit lost on me. I do recommend this series as I know there’s some people who will love it, but it’s just not for me. If more books are published for this series, I probably won’t read them as I did find this book to be repetitive at times, and very similar to the previous books.

Love these books. The concept is simple but the impact is great. These books might be short but they are perfectly formed,

I do still enjoy this series of books but feel that the impact the first one had on me isn't replicated in the sequels. I liked the idea of trying to subtly influence the future without changing it, and the final tale about the 2011 earthquake was very moving.
The mix of self contained short tales and narrative strand through the 4 books doesn't quite work for me as I do forget the stories of the café owners between books

Utter perfection. Best book I’ve read all year. It’s rare for me to be brought to tears by a book but this happened several times with this one. A short but deeply moving book.

if you could go back, who would you want to meet?

This is a collection of stories of 4 different characters who visit the Cafe Funiculi Funicula with a common goal of going back to the past to meet a loved one who are no longer with them.

I’m a huge fan of this series, I just love the idea of exploring what makes a person want to go back in the past to see someone again, especially given one of the rules of this cafe is that the present reality won’t change.

This instalment of the series makes up for the lack of profound meaning that i found with the 3rd book - this one brought back the emotions that the first 2 carried, while providing some sort of messaging that each of the characters took away from their visit to the past. A solid instalment in a solid series of books.

What can I say about this book? For a start, it made me openly cry on a crowded train. It was beautiful. Before We Say Goodbye has solidified Toshikazu Kawaguchi as an auto-by author for me. I’ve previously read the first in this series Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and if I’m totally honest I thought it would be hard pressed for any others in the series to live up to the five stars I also previously gave that book, but here we are!
Before We Say Goodbye is a series of 4 stories from funiculi funicula, the time-travelling cafe riddled with rules, and each story hits you right in the feels. I honestly have no idea how Kawaguchi makes you fall so much in love with each of his characters in such a short amount of time, it’s truly an art. I feel very lucky to have received this book as an ARC, but have loved it so much I’ll be buying a physical copy and will be reading the other two from the series as soon as I can get my hands on them.
Reading this book makes you appreciate the little moments and makes every day feel remarkably special. Pure magic.

Having read and loved the entire series of these beautiful short stories, this was no exception.

The four individual stories are thought provoking and emotive and you can really empathise with the characters.

You don’t need to have read the other books in the series to enjoy this, but I would highly recommend reading all 4 books in the Before The Coffee Gets Cold series as they are so beautiful.

kinda confused at how this book set 1 year after the 1st book but also glad because the 3rd book, that set in the new cafe Donna Donna, didn't really appealing for me.

the individual story is nice except the first one (I hate irresponsible man). I cried on 2 out of 4 stories. But unlike the previous book, there's no background story that glued the short stories together. every stories felt detached from one another.

Overall it's good, will be waiting for the 5th book!

I love this series! And this book was no different! I think it’s one of those series that I will never tire of and I just love how many bigger meanings and messages are hidden within things that seem relatively small.

I absolutely loved being back in the cafe with the original characters and I just love how their story doesn’t just exist within the present day of the story but also within the past and even just seeing snippets of them in the journey back in time give us so much insight into their lives and who they are.

I find the messaging of these books to be so delicately profound, I think the author has such a talent and weaving wisdom through his story in such a natural and creative way, it doesn’t feel tiresome or draining but instead feels lightly reflective but in a way that gets you right in the feels! Of course I can’t compliment the writing without also complimenting the fantastic translation, of course I can’t compare to the original but honestly the essence of the story just demonstrates the art of the translation process in its entirety.

I think some might find the story repetitive but I don’t at all, if anything the constant repetition of the rules etc makes them feel almost comforting in their style, it’s like a tv show where you know part of what will happen and can just watch episodes and episodes.

Overall I think this book is a nice addition to the series, these books will never have the most incredible character exploration or imagery of places because it’s not what they’re supposed to be, instead they are just a beautiful snippet of life and make me reflect on my perspective of parts in which I relate too. I also just love the underlying message that regardless of anything changing, going back to the past is good even just to have the conversation and how much we would speak our mind if we knew that to be the case regardless of the outcome

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

the most incredible series - always a delight to read and this one was possible my favourite yet!
thank you for the ACR - the series I recommend the most!

Another cosy, uplifting, tragic visit to Funiculi Funicula.

This time we meet four people hoping to create better endings with those they have loved and lost.

The quality of Kawaguchi's storytelling hasn't dipped. Simply, clean writing that tells beautiful, poignant stories about love, connection and the importance of saying goodbye.

As with the rest of the series, the stories are a little formulaic but in some ways this adds to the safety and comfort the work offers.

You could read it as part of the series or enjoy it as a standalone. It's well under 200 pages and a great cosy, afternoon read.

I hope we get more!

Thankyou to Netgalley for this ARC.

Ah, how I love Toshikazu’s writing. This series is truly like a warm hug in book form. All the stories were brilliant, especially The Proposal. My one negative is how despite the cafe being famous for time travel, not ONE person is aware beforehand that they can’t change the present by doing so. Which means you read the same, long winded explanation in every story, as well as all the rules.

"Before We Say Goodbye" by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a poignant and enchanting continuation of the "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" series. Kawaguchi once again invites readers into the magical world of Cafe Funiculi Funicula, where time travel is possible, but not without its risks and rules. This time, we meet a new set of visitors, each with their own poignant stories and regrets.

Kawaguchi's storytelling is exquisite, with a gentle touch that brings out the depth of human emotions and the complexity of relationships. Each character's journey to revisit a crucial moment in their past is both heartwarming and thought-provoking. The novel beautifully explores themes of love, forgiveness, and the importance of seizing the moment.

As readers follow these characters on their time-traveling adventures, they are reminded of the fragility of life and the significance of the choices we make. Kawaguchi's writing is both evocative and moving, making "Before We Say Goodbye" a captivating and emotionally resonant read.

This novel is a testament to the power of storytelling and the ways in which it can illuminate the human experience. It's a touching and beautifully crafted tale that will leave a lasting impression on readers, encouraging them to cherish the moments that matter most.

I have loved this series since the first book. I love the idea of being able to travel back in time, I'd go see my mother again. Who would you see? In this book, we get four very different stories, all about regret and wanting to go back in time to fix it. However, along the way, some lessons will be learnt about each of their situations. We see a story about a husband, a farewell to a family dog, a proposal love story, and finally, a father and daughter story. All beautiful stories. It is an easy, face paced read that, at times, can be emotional. Highly recommend. A well-deserved four stars from me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Well where do I start, this is as beautiful as the first three books. They are so well written and each short story is full of emotion and meaning.

It makes you sit and think back on your past and realise it’s what made you the person you are today. The first and last short story were probably the weakest of them all for me but I think everyone who reads it will relate to each story in a different way as they purposefully have different stories that people can relate to.

I found this book quite heartbreaking, but at the same time comforting. The four short stories tackle themes of loneliness, regrets, redemption and peace. After reading it, it made me think about my past and present, as well as reassess my connections with family and friends. Before We Say Goodbye is last installment in the series and the first book I've read. I enjoyed it very much and I am now planning to purchase and read the first three books.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.