3.25 Stars
When I saw that this included a coffee shop that appeared and disappeared, as well as talking cats, I was all in! I didn't even look at any other summaries or reviews, so I didn't realize that this is a translation of a Japanese bestseller inspired by a myth. Because of this, I was not expecting this format or storyline. That's not a bad thing, it just made this an odd experience at first.

The book seems like 3 separate short stories with some crossover characters in them. Each are at a crossroads in their life when this coffee shop appears to them. The talking cats bring them what they feel they need, and spend time talking to them about their star charts. They explain how certain events and people effect their lives in relation to these charts and help them come to a better understanding of themselves. By the end we learn how all of these people are connected and why the cats appear to them..

The book was well written and was and good way to pass a rainy day. I am not usually a fan of short stories and having that feel to me made this a book that was not as engaging as it might be for others. If you are a fan of short stories, definitely give this one a try.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Cozy, cats, sweet treats, and astrology all in beautiful Japan set to the tone of magical realism.

A short and simple read that will make you wish you had a plate of ice cream and hot coffee at the ready while a cat purrs on your lap or reads your birth chart and planets. I was sad to put this down. I'd like to follow just one more person as they stumble upon the full moon cafe and learn about the stars and planets in a way that helps them learn who they truly are to fix the messes they're currently in.

I adored how the characters were interconnected, and then learning the bigger back story which threaded them unknowingly together. There were a few messages I think failed to land. For our first heroine when discussing a past lover she wanted a ring from but he wasn't that into her, the cat implied it was only her fault. There was a lesson to be learned there, not to neglect relationships because they will fall apart, but it didn't seem to apply to the situation and his fault was not mentioned. Left a sour taste in my mouth but a later incident with the actress was the inverse where a man failed to take accountability and recieved backlash. So I wonder how much of it was a small translation loss ...

Despite the few items that I could criticize I was sad there wasn't more to enjoy. I'd pick up more of this.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the eARC of The Full Moon Coffee Shop in exchange for a free and honest review.

This was such a cute, cozy, and quick read. It follows 3 separate people who've all crossed paths in their lives - as they discover a mystical coffee shop under a full moon run by talking cats. Each person has a life lesson they need to learn and the cats are their to not only serve delicious treats, but also offer up great life advice based off each person's astrological chart.

Perfect for a fall pick me up - especially if you're in the mood for something light, happy, and filled with conversation about delicious food. While I do find myself interested in astrology, I found the parts of the novel where the cats explained the aspects of the astrological charts to be more boring than entertaining - those sections tended to read more like a textbook than a fantasy novel for me.

Otherwise it was very cute, very uplifting, and just a feel-good fantasy read.

Soon to be released translation of the best selling Japanese novel. A mysterious coffee shop appears in the oddest places and only during a full moon. Magically run by beautiful cats with celestial names, served are treats tailored to the customers needs along with astrological readings. Soon the connections between the customers becomes apparent and why each one has a special need. Enjoyable read with some hidden depth.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop is an interesting quick read. It’s a story about finding yourself and some of the help we need along the way. If you enjoy astrology, talking cats, and bit of oddness, this might be the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop is a cafe that somehow randomly appears to people in need. It is "run" by several cats who are conversant in astrology and who use that astrological knowledge to guide the people whom they deem need help in their lives. It turns out that the people chosen by this coffee shop are all interconnected in various ways, as are the cats. I thought this was going to be more along the lines of Before the Coffee Gets Cold that helps people reflect on their lives. I was disappointed to find out that it was more attuned to astrological readings. I would have preferred less astrology; I found it to be distracting.

This book was a 2.5 for me, I rounded up. I was interested in the concept. It sounded cute. It was a very quick read, but unfortunately I felt I had to force myself to finish. In the beginning, I was reminded of Studio Ghibli movies and I quite like them, but the astrology bit and the rest of the story around the characters lives felt disjointed. I'm sure things just got lost in the translation, but the writing felt juvenile. It is hard to tell the authors true intentions and voice from the translation and I wonder if translations are just not my cup of tea.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC!

I haven't had many 5 star reads this year, but this novella was really good. It was like a cozy little fantasy, not super high stakes and with happy resolutions. The Full Moon Coffee Shop reminded me a lot of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but more interconnected. And with more cats. There was also a fun intertwining of Japanese culture with Roman mythology. Overall, this was just a cute read.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop is a story of regaining confidence, finding yourself, and reconnecting with old friends.... or maybe new lovers. Each character has their own reason for needing the coffee shop and each character has their star charts done by the enigmatic cats at the cafe. This is not a cat cafe; this is a cafe run by cats.

The cats are mostly named after the planets, though they also seem to have characteristics of Roman Gods/Goddesses. The patrons of the cafe seem to be a mixture of humans and supernatural beings. Each person is connected to each other in a really cute way. Since it's such a quick read, I don't want to give too much away. If you're a fan of cozy fantasy, astrology, and of course cats, you'll definitely like this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki is an amazing series of anecdotes regarding a magical cafe. In a series of stories that interconnect at the end of the novel, a series of down-on-their-luck strangers stumble across a cafe in the middle of Kyoto. There, they are served magical elixirs by talking cats who tell fortunes using a mix of astrology and horoscopes. If the people follow the wisdom that the cats give them, then they have their opportunity to change their lives for the better in all areas - work, family, romance, etc. Will they choose to follow the cats' advice?

Here is an enchanting excerpt from the Prologue:

"As if summoned by the music, a cat appeared on the railing of my balcony. Perhaps it belonged to one of the other residents. After all, pets were allowed in my apartment block. It was a regular tortoiseshell cat, its fur a pretty mix of brown and black. In spite of the obvious danger, it picked its way along the railing with a dainty assurance. I found myself gazing at it in total admiration. Maybe it was the clear blue sky, or the pink cherry blossom trees in the distance, but the whole scene resembled a painting."

Overall, The Full Moon Coffee Shop is an amazing cozy fantasy that will appeal to fans of Before The Coffee Gets Cold and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. One highlight of this book is the beautiful and adorable premise. I couldn't wait to read about the titular magical coffee shop. I loved reading about how the cats communicated with the humans and read their star charts. While this genre, cozy fantasy, isn't new, especially in Japan, I still enjoyed reading this book. I felt that it was like a breath of fresh air and just what I needed to clear my reading palate.

Another highlight of this book is how it is a work of translated, translated from Japanese originally. I really think that there are not enough books being translated from other languages into English. I am so glad to be able to support this book and its author. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that this novella were a bit longer. I will definitely check out the sequel if it comes out in English though. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of cozy fantasy stories in general, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in August!

I really enjoyed this. It's a short and cozy read. If you're into astrology and magical realism I definitely recommend it. Everything is so beautifully connected.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don't know what I expected going into this one but I was enchanted. I am a fan of magical realism and "The Full Moon Coffee Shop" definitely checked all the right boxes. This was a very cozy read that pulled on the right heartstrings.

I enjoyed seeing the coffee shop from the perspective of several different characters. The cats themselves were charming as well. I am not into astrology and found the explanations a bit too much to keep my interest. For someone interested this wouldn't be an issue.

I definitely reccomend this to anyone looking for a quick cozy read.

Rated 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

I really didn't like the way this book was written. I didn't care for the story either. If you have an interest in astrology, then maybe you would like it.

'm struggling to see how this becomes a series... but as a one off, it's a good read.

Essentially, this is a series of short stories about different people but the people all vaguely know each other (one was the kindergarten teacher of another... who was a classmate of another... who has another as a hairdresser... etc.). None are happy in their lives, and over the course of a few months, on the full moon, each encounters the Full Moon Coffee Shop. This isn't your usual coffee shop: you don't order, they give you the food that's right for you at that moment... and the waiters/servers are, well, cats. Large cats. Who talk. A lot. And offer advice and read your astrological chart.

Just read this. The weirdness of the cafe mixed with these intertwined stories is worth your time.

eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

The writing style kept me from enjoying this book. It was very cringey and mediocre. Good concept, just needs more editing.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop was an sweet and intriguing novel. It's more of a cozy fantasy and perfect for someone with an interest in astrology. I wasn't the ideal reader for this - but it is a quiet and peaceful book with a lot of whimsy so I'm sure many will find something to love in it. Thank you to Random House, Ballantine, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

I want to take a moment to think NetGalley, as well as the publishing company for sending me an arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an adorable book and it integrated magic and real life very easily. If you are looking for something to make you smile and to bring you joy, then I would definitely consider picking this book up. I really enjoyed the astrology side of this book and it was very interesting because not only did the book give me information, but I was able to look up some more stuff for myself to really immerse myself in the book.

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

<i>The Full Moon Coffee Shop</i> is in the mode of several other recently translated Japanese books that feature light fantasy elements, tied-together short stories, positive life changes, and quite often, cats. In this cats, the cats can be human-sized as they run their titular coffee shop, or like normal cats.

The stories revolve around a down-and-out forty-something female scriptwriter. Her glory days are past, and she's now writing scripts for side characters in a dating game. But things are about to change for her and those around her, for they will gradually be invited to partake in life-changing drinks and desserts at the cat-run cafe.

The book is gentle and cozy. It's easy to picture this as an anime. It's a fairly short book by US standards, a fast read. I didn't expect the huge emphasis on reading horoscopes, though; in many ways, this is alike a primer of astrology and what it means for planets to be in retrograde. I was left craving something more... original, I suppose. Even so, it's still a fun read and an ideal escape during troubled times.

Mai Mochizuki's The Full Moon Coffee Shop is a charming novel full of magic, hope, and...talking cats. The premise of the novel is just lovely and a good reminder that it's never too late to follow your dreams or to leave regrets in the past. A quick read, perfect for cat lovers and for those who might be feeling a little lost themselves.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book and think you will to.

This book was such a layered surprise! I was expecting a cozy book about cats and coffee and was given an astrology-filled journey with luck, chance, and fate woven in. Also, the fact that talking cats run this cafe for off-track individuals is quite unique.

While this read is a far departure from what I normally read, it was an enjoyable one. The cats giving the characters their star charts was a peculiar idea that must mean more in Japanese culture because it was extremely odd to me. I wish I could give it more than three stars but due to the oddities, it just was not a fit for me. There were good themes throughout and it wrapped up nicely in the end.

“In Japan, cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favor.”