Thank you to NetGalley for proving an ARC for me to review.

If you need a good cry then this is absolutely the book for you. I read and cherished the first book in this series last year and I somehow love this one even more. Each story is heart warming in its own way, emphasising the importance of love, family and grief individually and together.

Parts 3 and 4 absolutely broke my heart but in the best way. The way these short stories tug at your heartstrings is so special and I will absolutely recommend this to anyone who will listen. The format of this book makes it easy to ingest either all in one go or splitting it up by parts like I do otherwise I would be a puddle of tears.

Before We Say Goodbye is the fourth book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series and it stands strong with the rest of the series!

For me this book hit the hardest of the four books, I cried at every single story. But this is truly a beautiful book, these stories contains circumstances that nearly everyone can emphasise with, that is backed up by Kawaguchi’s fantastic writing.

It’s hard to explain this book other than it just being deeply human, it shows the ugly emotions and personalities that humans have but it also shows the loving, understanding and courageous sides and for every bit of sadness in this book there is also comfort and closure that is just so up lifting.

I will always read whatever this author publishes because this series has just been so fantastic!

Well the fourth visit to Funiculi Funicula did not disappoint. This time there’s three separates stories, intertwined with the whimsical cafe in Tokyo. I find all of these book so heartwarming and I love hearing the reasons why each character wants to travel back in time.

The fourth instalment in the ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ series, all of which have been translated from Japanese fiction. Release date is 14th of September - and as someone who’s read all 4 I would highl,y recommend them for some lighthearted reading.

I love this series, so I started reading as soon as I received the ARC. And it did not disappoint. The first two episodes hit me very hard emotionally most, but really all episodes are beautiful and teach us important life lessons. To cherish each moment with someone dear to you and make the best choice you won’t regret. I’m a dog lover, so one episode about the pet loss made cry! And I loved the ending too.

The only dull moments are the time travel rules being repeated in each episode. (But what can an author do about it? Nothing because the time traveller does need to know them. )

Other than that, I loved every single page of this book. Highly recommend for people who love wholesome, comfort reads.

This book, the fourth in the series, continues to build on the fundamentals of the previous three. We are back in the coffee shop, with the main set of characters, who occasionally welcome the odd stranger who wants to travel in time due to one regret or another. The stories in this book cover a workaholic professor who, only after his wife is in a coma, realises he regrets not showing her his love; a woman feeling guilty for not being there in the final moments of her pet dog's death; a daughter feeling guilty for ignoring her "bumpkin" father and realising her fault only after his death; and a woman who regrets not accepting a marriage proposal until after her ex boyfriend passes away.

The stories, as in the previous books, continue to carry the theme of regret and loneliness. They all have a happy ending and full closure, and remind us that it's better to communicate things early as it might be too late otherwise.

What I didn't like is the disjointed nature of the stories and the lack of a real effort to make them part of a single narrative arc. I also found the characters and the narrative to be way too shallow. They all seem to have a single motivation, and they all seem to be kind and good. The story is always the same - someone regrets something, takes a while to realise they want to use the time machine, miraculously discover a hidden truth about themselves and their loved ones, and live happily ever after. It's like caricatures of stories vs real life. I found them tedious and uninspiring, with the occassional tear jerker moment. The writing also is bland and shallow. The main thing that helped me finish was the brevity, and each story standing on its own. While perhaps less important, I also disliked the ever flexible internal logic of the time travel aspect of the book.

I can't really recommend it to anyone. It's like a collection of scripts for a second rate sitcom on a second rate network on TV, with every episode being essentially the same as the previous one. There is no wit, no charm, nothing provoking, and nothing memorable.

For full transparency - I only read the first one of the series, as preparation for reading this one, and have not read numbers 2 and 3 in the series.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early version of this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @panmacmillan for this #arc of #beforewesaygoodbye, part of the #beforethecoffeegetscold series. Written by the incredible @kawaguchi.coffee translated by #geoffreytrousselot

I absolutely love all of the books in this collection, but if I am honest, with every new book I have been fearful of it losing it's charm and originality. Each time I have been blown away and have actually been impacted by how the chance to return to the past could have on you as a person.

I do not want to post any spoilers so will be intentionally vague 😊. This book is essentially book 2, as it is set a year after book 1. We meet characters of old which is lovely and the format remains consistent with four people using the chair. Again there is originality which is amazing and some subtle changes which left me thinking big time which I love.

Anyone who is enjoying the series or anyone that loves a story that stays with you, challenges your thinking and brings up every emotion possible, this book is for you!

Out 14th September!!! Get it pre-ordered 😍

#honnomushi100 #reading #japanesefiction #translatedfiction #translatedjapaneseliterature #booksfromjapan #booklover #bookstagram #reading #japaneseauthor #translatedliterature #translatedjapanesefiction #japaneseauthors #japaneseliterature #books2023

Toshikazu Kawaguchi has fast become one of my favourite authors. I easily devoured this is one sitting with tears rolling down my cheeks - after reading 3 of their books, I no longer expect anything less! This book is an emotional dose of humanity, where love, loss, regrets and second chances are all on the menu and the premise is simply genius. I would highly recommend to all!

Before We Say Goodbye is the fourth book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. Similar to the first three books, this book follows four separate people as they travel back in time in the café to make amends with loved ones. This book follows a man who neglects his wife for work, a woman who never got to say goodbye to her dog, a woman who rejects her boyfriend's proposal and a woman who pushes her father away.

Each of the stories included in this book were tender and emotional, particularly The Farewell which centres around a woman saying goodbye to her dog. I thought the conflicts and regrets faced by the characters felt very raw and realistic. The translation was once again done immaculately and the whimsical tone of the series was maintained.

I would say that some of the themes covered in this book have been explored in the other three books so it did feel slightly repetitive.

Overall this was a short, beautiful read and I would highly recommend this series!

The rules remain the same: There is only one seat in the café that allows time travel; the seat is only available when the ghost goes to the toilet break; the only people in the past who can be met are people who have visited the café; whatever happens in the past, the present won't change; and, most importantly, the customer has to return to the present before their cup of coffee goes cold.
When I was explaining this book to my husband, I was met with him rolling his eyes at me and I agree that it doesn’t sound like the most absorbing or engaging read but it creeps up on you 🥰. This is the 4th instalment of the magical Cafe Funiculi Funicula and once again it’s a heart warming easy read and every bit as compelling as those that came before.
A great book allbeit a bit different from the norm.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan, Picador for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this must read.

This is the fourth in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series set in the magically surreal Funiculi Funicula cafe.
As in the previous books customers come to the cafe to have the opportunity to travel back in time to meet a loved one and resolve an emotional conundrum/ dilemma
The mysteriously enigmatic Kazu and stalwart cafe owner Nagare continue to host the visitors providing comfort guidance , questions and wisdom.
This new series of tales is as charming as the previous and provides the reader with further opportunities to reflect upon life, friendships and love : a husband who has neglected his wife because of his work; a lady grieving the loss of her dog in a childless marriage; the lady who denies herself love and the daughter who wants to escape her father’s love only to regret her choices .
Toshikazu Kawaguchi certainly knows how to tap into the raw emotions of suffering and human frailties and it this empathy and ultimately warmth that make these gentle reads so moving.

Despite Before the Coffee Gets Cold having been on my TBR for a while, I hadn't gotten around to reading it yet but that didn't stop me from enjoying this novel. I will definitely be giving the others in the series a read whenever I get a chance.

This was a quick read and I really enjoyed the four different stories of people who all wanted to visit the past for different reasons, but the second (The Farewell) was a definite favourite.

Thanks for the ARC through netgalley.

Another trip to the Japanese coffee shop where you can go back in time to visit someone in the time it takes before the coffee gets cold
This book is set a year after the first and contains 4 tales of those who use the chair.
It's hard to describe but I find the stories quite moving and enjoyable to read. I finished the book in one sitting!

Loved this. I really enjoy the series it's a de feel good book. I love that it's also been translated