This story of a magical cat cafe was not what I expected from the description. While it was very cute and magical, reminiscent of a Miyazaki movie, it didn’t move quite as I imagined it would. The story follows several characters in three sections, blending them together for the finale so you can see how they are connected. Quite a large section of the book covered astrological chart reading, which was both interesting and a little “teachy.” I’m not well versed in astrology beyond my zodiac sign, so it was a lot of information at a time. It most definitely pertained to the story and how it flowed, so it wasn’t for nothing.
Overall I really enjoyed the book, and I already have a few people in mind to purchase this for as a gift!

Thanks to Mia Mochizuki, Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for the advance readers copy!

5 stars / This review will be posted on BookwormishMe.com and goodreads.com today.

I cannot even describe how much I loved this little book. So inspirational and uplifting! Such an amazing premise. Worth every minute of reading!!

In The Full Moon Coffee Shop, there are several stories of people struggling in their lives. It might be a big struggle, it might be a small challenge, but regardless, there is some reason they are called to the Coffee Shop.

This is no ordinary coffee shop, though. It is run by cats. Talking cats. Intelligent cats. Cats that represent the planets and the zodiac. And their explanations about how the planets and stars affect us is a revelation to those invited to visit.

The story comes full circle at the end, with an ending that made me cry. I am not often completely touched by a story, but this one got me to my soul. Every action has a reaction, which is no more evident in this novel. It reminded me a lot of Aesop’s Fables, but in a more modern tone.

Really can’t recommend this enough!!!

A poetic story of love, changing your life, and what we all have the capability to do, The Full Moon Coffee Shop is perfect for lovers of heartwarming stories. I love how you couldn't tell how all the stories truly connected until the end, when everything ties together. While I enjoyed The Full Moon Coffee Shop, I felt it was very short and yet still had moments where it felt as though it dragged. I honestly don't feel strongly about this book one way or the other but I know there is definitely a large audience for this story out there, as I picked it up and did moderately enjoy it. So while for me, this was a three star read, I would still recommend it for those who enjoy more flowery prose, as well as heartwarming stories. In all honesty, I think this is a book for poetry lovers more than any other audience due to the structure and function, so poetry readers may need to pick up this piece of beautiful prose. Would 100% recommend though!

This was such a cozy book. It features 5 people who interact with The Full Moon Coffee Shop. It’s not the usual cafe. First it is run by cats, and second you cannot order, they give you what you need.

The 5 individuals who visit the shop all are in need of some advice and guidance. The cats explain what they need using astrology.

It was interesting to see how everything is explained. How the different planets in different houses have an impact on each character.

I really enjoyed seeing how these characters connected. And how why they came to coffee shop.

I really enjoyed it and would recommend for fans of translated fiction.

Thanks Ballantine Books for the eARC.

I was expecting whimsical and fun, and I ended up mostly just bored. I liked how things tied together at the end, but for most of the book I just felt adrift and not particularly interested. 2.5

2.5

The writing style in this is very similar to most Japanese translations, which definitely does not work for everybody.

There was no real reason for the workers at the coffee shop to be cats. They could have been literally anything.

It was very frustrating, though maybe realistic, that Satsuki was blamed for seducing a married man instead of that man being blamed for cheating on his wife.

Astrology plays a very heavy hand in this. I do not like astrology. I do not believe in astrology. I do not have super high opinions of people who do. I am not the target audience for this series.

I didn't hate this, but I didn't particularly like it either. It was just fine. I'll probably forget it very quickly.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

A charming story about people interacting with a mysterious coffee shop & cats. It wasn’t what I expected, but enjoyable too. I like how the characters connected to each other and the food and drink descriptions were spot on. Interesting concept, the epilogue felt like it should have been part of the actual story and not separate (or just the very last part with the older gentleman should be the epilogue). A short cozy read.

This lovely little novel was a Japanese bestseller before being translated for English publication, and now I understand why. The book follows a handful of modern-day protagonists whose lives intersect in more than one unexpected way. As each encounters a magical, pop-up coffee shop in the alleys of Kyoto run by talking cats who are more than they seem, they also find the wisdom and guidance they need to set their lives back on course. Dipping a paw out of fantasy and solidly into the realm of magical realism, The Full Moon Coffee Shop is a series of interconnected vignettes full of kindness, empathy, lots of astrology–and, naturally, cats.

This is a delightful book from Japan. I have never been there but I have heard a lot about the Cat Cafes that are everywhere. I love cats and I loved this story of the Japanese culture and the premise of a Coffee Shop suddenly appearing with talking cats giving astrological advice to the customers. I thought the idea and the writing was simply charming and I sighed a big sigh to suddenly find myself at the end of the story. The characters were charming and the fantasy well woven into the story. It makes me want to go to Japan and search for such places.

I wish to thank Net Galley and the publishers Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An absolutely charming novella! I thought this was so whimsical and fun and, c'mon, CATS IN A COFFEE SHOP?!? My cup of...coffee ;) Definitely a fun little cozy read. Highly recommend reading in a coffee shop with some ambiance to make it even more fun!

such a cute and whimsical read. if only the full moon coffee shop existed, that would be my go to every full moon. i loved how all the stories and characters are intertwined together. the astrology aspect of it, i wasn’t expecting, but thoroughly enjoyed! everything about this made me reflect on my own life and had me really thinking. absolutely loved this!

This book is so cute! Translated from its original Japanese, the story is about a coffee shop run by talking cats. If you help just the right cat, you just might find yourself there, getting life advice from a feline friend. A quick and sweet read, full of whimsy. Sometimes the star chart stuff could get a little dull, but otherwise, I adored this.

Thanks to #netgalley for providing this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I DNF's halfway through. Some positives were the creativity of the shapeshifting cats and magical pop up coffee shop.

I generally really enjoy similar stories. A novella made up of various somewhat intersecting vignettes that focus on the character's internal struggles, life changes, etc. However, this book's pacing felt clunky and slow. I couldn't find any connection and struggled to be interested throughout.

*3-3.5 stars
A cute and charming story about five people who encounter magical beings working in a pop-up cafe called the Full Moon Coffee Shop, who try to guide these people in how to live better lives by the use of their astrological charts--the message being: You must first know yourself. In the end, the reason for helping these particular people is made plain. A quick read, but might be best suited for those who are into astrology.

I heard this song in my head throughout my reading, lol:
'When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius
Aquarius
Aquarius!'
(from The Age of Aquarius by The Fifth Dimension)

Many thanks to the author and publisher for making an arc available to me via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I am a sucker for books that contain cats. Recently, I have also become very interested in reading Japanese literature. So, when I read the blurb for The Full Moon Coffee Shop and saw that it contained cats and Japanese literature, I knew I wanted to read it. And I am glad I did because this book was a cute read and a little strange.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop’s synopsis centers around four individuals (Mizuki, Akari, Satsuki, and Takashi), their current lives, and how they ended up at the coffee shop. The book was very well written, and I had zero issues following the storyline.

I warn that you might wonder how everything is connected (I certainly did wonder). The author does a beautiful job of gradually explaining the connections between the people. The connection between the cafe and the main characters isn’t fully explained until the end of the book.

The main characters were flawed, but not in a way that would ruin the book. The author did have each character have an awakening of sorts, which carried over into the other storylines.

The cats and the astrology made the book. I liked that the cats were named after the planets. I also liked that the author included drawings of each person’s astrology chart. It was nice to see a layout of what each cat (and there were four that gave the main characters TED talks) was talking about. I was able to visualize it. Also, I liked that the author didn’t fundamentally change the cats. Instead, they were furry creatures who stood on their hind legs, did astrology, and served up custom-made coffee/tea/desserts to the shop patrons.

The end of The Full Moon Coffee Shop was interesting. The author shows how the main characters changed because of their interactions at the coffee shop. In addition, the way the main characters met and the good deeds that they did together were explained. I was in tears reading that. They weren’t sad tears but happy tears. I wish I could tell you all more!!

The idea of a dreamy cafe where cats serve you food and drink tailored to your tastes and give you advice to get your life together? Honestly I need this in my life. It should totally be a thing.

The cage was so cute and cozy. I love it. I love the cats. It was hopeful and kinda sweet. The cats did lose me a bit when they'd get too into astrology or pile on Mizuki for not being married and having kids. But overall this was just such a cute cozy story and fun to read.

This will definitely appeal to fans of 'Before the Coffee Gets Cold' and other recent similar books, but it sadly just wasn't for me. I thought the inclusion of cats would make me like it more, but they weren't featured as heavily as I'd hoped (I think I'd've preferred this story in a visual medium, like as manga or a show). I know tons of people will love this, though.

This book was a cozy, cute, fun read! I love a book with talking animals and a struggling human! The writing seemed to drag a little but I kept coming back!

This was just the thing to bring a bit of magic to a cozy afternoon of reading. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a book that will hit like a warm cup of coffee on a brisk day. Being set up like short stories, yet still interwoven into a whole piece, reading the book feels like taking bites of a little treat.

Personally, I've always believed that cats are good luck.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop centers a coffee shop like no other, one that appears under the Kyoto moon when you happen to need it most. Oh, and it's run by talking <i>cats.</i> Weaving together the stories of four individuals stuck at pivotal junctions in their individual lives, Mochizuki crafts a story about change and finding one's way.

I'm a big fan of Japanese speculative fiction especially when magical realism comes to play, and this book delivers with a unique premise and heartening messages. I love the theme of everything being interconnected and the foundational idea of good deeds being rewarded. I also found the inclusion of astrology interesting, especially in gaining insight into each character and their individual life tribulations. Those interested in astrology as well as mythology will certainly enjoy this book!

My main complaint can be summed up as "not enough show, quite a bit tell." I feel like the nature of the story and how it's set up lends itself to being more tell than show and while that doesn't necessarily compromise the main intention of such a story, I do feel as though the reader's attachment and investment in the characters suffers a bit as a result. The stakes just don't feel quite as high when we are simply just "told" about each character's background and the context for their coffee shop visit rather than being provided that exposition narratively.

Nonetheless, the story concludes in quite a satisfying way and with a clear message. I recommend to those looking for a quick story that fulfills a certain human desire for the reassurance that all will be well even when life isn't quite going the way you want it.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced reader's copy of this book!