I really loved the concept of this book, but it fell flat in the execution for me.
Things I loved:
- the idea of a magical coffee shop that tells you truth about your life is entrancing! I wanted to know more about it, and the planetary aspect was fun as well
- the characters were interesting, I liked the crossover narratives element
- love the engagement with culture and place.

Things I didn’t love
- there were possibly too many characters. I wanted to know more about them! It felt like I learned a bit about one, their problem got solved, and we moved to the next. Change doesn’t happen overnight.
- the repetitive nature of each character going to the coffee shop dragged for me, I never fully felt like I was engaged with them.

Overall, I liked the concept just wish it had been better executed.

Thank you to Random House Publishing- Ballentine, Netgalley, and Mai Mochizuki for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Full Moon Coffee shop see 3 interconnected stories about people facing (semi) difficult times of their lives, in which they randomly are guided to a magical coffee shop run by giant talking cats who serve them drinks and deserts, give them advice and insight based on astrology, and said protagonists nod along, decide the advice has changed their lives and the coffee shop disappears.

The concept is cute enough, but there's little to no real depth to any of the proceedings, virtually no character development beyond "oh ok, my life will be better now", and the character's themselves are about as flat as can be. The worst part though, is the fact that all 3 stories are basically a rinse and repeat of the previous story in terms of the actually events and outcome. Sure the "backgrounds" of the characters, threadbare as they are, are different, but it always comes down the to same formula on repeat.

By the time I got into the 3rd story and realized I was repeating the cycle, I had enough. The saving grace hear is that the entire book is light and breezy, and easy read, if that's what you're looking for, but there's little to no substance to walk away with. Unless, perhaps, if you're someone who puts a lot of stock in astrology running every element of your life? *shrug*

*ARC provided by NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books*

I was very intrigued to read a fiction book that is translated from Japanese. The story itself is a kind of morality lesson in the way to live your life. I really enjoyed how the characters weren't mean or malicious, they just did or said something that had a ripple effect on those around them.
The astronomy aspect of it was very confusing to me - I don't know anything about it, and although it was a large part of the story, it would work just as well without it.
I thought the cats personalities were great and really enjoyed how the story developed and circled back. For the first time reading a book from Japan, I was very impressed and would definitely read more from this author.
Enjoy!

I had high hopes for this based on the synopsis. I was expecting something charming, cozy, and a little magical. Maybe even something that qualified as "no plot, just vibes." Instead this had no plot and no vibes. It was more like an astrologically based self-help book masquerading as a novel (or multiple short stories).
I don't usually rate things so low. I'm easy to please. But not only did I dislike the work itself, but I also didn't like the translation. With the work itself I didn't like any of the characters. Everyone felt very flat and one dimensional. All that happened was they were told what their problem was, got a lengthy, dry astrological explanation of themself, and then they said "ok" and were on their merry way suddenly feeling like they'd had an epiphany. It was just boring. And the translation felt like it wasn't translated for an English speaking audience to enjoy, it was just simply translated. There was no feeling in it.
Also, someone put chouonpu (long vowel marks) horizontal when they should have been vertical in the dessert titles at the top of the chapters. That's nitpicky, but it was kind of the icing on the cake for me. Hopefully it gets fixed before publication.
Overall, this was a case of a misleading synopsis. This isn't for cat lovers or magical realism lovers, it's for astrology lovers.

This special coffee shop appears only to those who need the guidance of a tortoise shell tabby cat to get their lives back on track. The cat gives astrological advice depending on the individual's circumstances. I liked how astrology is explained and used for specific persons. the information varying depending on the time, date, and place of their birth.

Many Japanese authors love their cats and their coffee shops and use these themes and settings to reveal a deeper truth about life. How the individuals benefited from the cat's advice is the interesting part of the book. I also liked the explanations about an astrology term I've always heard but never fully understood = Mercury in retrograde. It seems things can go wacky for about three weeks when Mercury is in this mode.

An interesting and entertaining book, whether or not you believe in astrology, the pull of the full moon, fortune telling cats, or magical coffee shops.

When I read the description of this book, it sounded very intriguing. I have lived in Japan and love many of the translated books. this one ended up being a bit too farfetched for me. I wasn't expecting the cats to be human like and walking around on their hind legs. It took away the appeal and distracted me from the story. Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book and give my honest feedback.

Interesting take on a midlife crisis and understanding what you want in life. The story covers 3 interconnected people who come upon a cafe with talking cats. It's gives a pretty good personal account for people so you can understand what overall has happened with them in their life. It's an interesting read and follows a lot on astrology. I gives me Midnight Library vibes but not as depressing as that story. Overall good read.
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this e-arc. This is my honest opinion.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!

I enjoyed this one a lot, and it is more like a 3.5 star read. I always find it interesting to read about different worldviews, and I found the explanation and use of astrology fascinating. I figured the characters were going to be connected, but I never would have guessed the full backstory. It was very sweet overall. Selfishly, I wish it was a bit longer. Maybe I'm biased since I finished it with my three cats and an ever-cooling cup of coffee by my side.

The premise of this book reminded me of the movie Midnight in Paris with Owen Wilson. Instead of prominent figures from 1920s Paris .. in this book, you get talking cats.

The execution of this book, didn't remind me of one of my beloved movies at all. It started out good, I enjoyed the cats in human form ... and the excitement of it all. The rest of the book, I struggled.

I struggled with the large amount of astrology. I guess I didn't care? Or was it too much? Or is this all a personal preference? For me, after one or two paragraphs of astrology talk, I was zoning. Then we went to the next character and the next .. and I found myself cringing when the next Cat Cafe would show up and start boring me.

Luckily this is a short book, so no time was wasted. For me, this was a miss. If you are into weaving into the depths of astrology, you might fall in love.

Dear Author,

I was thoroughly delighted by your tale of talking cats who charmingly reminded us that kindness begets in kind. Thank you for enchanting us with the mysteries and revelations of star charts, and for concocting astronomically delectable deserts and drinks.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop was so delicious I inhaled it in one go and its revelations made me purr with satisfaction.

Yours truly,
J. D. McCoughtry

What a sweet uplifting little book. I enjoyed this story about a connected group of people who need some help to find their life paths. Different and enjoyable. I bet it is even more beautiful in the original Japanese, but it reads well in translation.

A thoughtful reminder that sometimes we get more chances in life and we need only have the courage to take them. A really interesting and very Japanese cat cafe story that reminded me a little of The Midnight Library.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the copy of The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki. This was the book I didn’t know I needed. Short, cute, magical and CATS! I loved how astrology was woven into the different stories. If you want a fast and fun read, this is it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Mai Mochizuki for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

@netgalley
@randomhouse

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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. If you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon. This particular coffee shop is like no other, it has no fixed location, no fixed hours, and appears at random to adrift young people at crucial moments in their lives. It’s also run by talking cats.

While customers at the Full Moon Coffee Shop partake in cakes and coffees and teas, the cats also consult them on their star charts, offer cryptic wisdom, and let them know where their lives went off course.
Every person who visits the shop has been feeling more than a little lost. The coffee shop’s feline guides will set them back on their fated paths. There is a very special reason the shop appeared to each of them.

This was a fun, fast, and magical read. If you love Cats and Astrology this is the book for you! It gave me a nice break in between my usual generes. I really enjoyed this and highly recommended it!!

#randomhousepublishingballantine #randomhousepublishing #netgalleyreview #readingtime #reading #astrology #magic #coffee #cafe #catlover #bookishlove #bookstagram #bookworm #tbr #bookaddict #star #lucky #thefullmooncoffeeshop #netgalleyreviewer #japan #zen

A coffee shop that has no fixed location and only appears when the moon is full, is run by cats who seek to help people who have lost their way. The cats , through the use of star charts, review the lives of their patron and where they veered off their life paths. Armed with the insight provided, the patrons are able to make changes for a brighter, happier future.
A charming short read.
#TheFullMoonCoffeeShop #RandomHouse #Ballantine #NetGalley

This book was a little bit not at all for me.

I don't really know how to rate it because it wasn't poorly written, it wasn't a bad story. It just wasn't what I was expecting.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this story was sweet and I liked how the characters all intertwined. I didn’t love all the focus on horoscopes and the star charts, that was a bit too much for me but otherwise I thought it was cute.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop
By Mai Mochizuki, Translated from the Japanese bestseller by Jesse Kirkwood

“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.”

And when there is a glittering full moon in Kyoto-a mysterious Coffee Shop may randomly appear.

It has no fixed location, and no fixed hours, and it is only open to “certain” young people who need a bit of guidance-those who have been kind to a feline in the past.

It’s also run by talking cats.

I loved the premise, and knowing that this was MAGICAL REALISM, I was open to the idea BUT when the cats appeared standing 2 meters tall and on their hind legs, wearing aprons and holding trays-it lost its appeal-the cats felt more like CARICATURES, than the beautiful enigmatic creatures that they are.

Also, our felines are serving up more than cakes, coffees and teas, providing wisdom about where their patrons lives have veered off course by interpreting their ASTROLOGICAL STAR CHARTS.

I wasn’t expecting that.

The book is divided into three small parts as the cafe is visited by a “down-on-her-luck” screenwriter, a romantically stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist and a technologically challenged website designer, who all have a connection to one another. It can easily be read in one sitting or one vignette at a time.

Wanting to read some Japanese literature this year, and loving cats, I downloaded three books with a similar premise. I preferred the first that I reviewed because the cats in that one, managed to bring about the desired outcome by just BEING the fascinating creatures that cats naturally are.

This might work better for readers intrigued by ASTROLOGY than for readers like myself who are true cat lovers.

2.75 rounded ⬆️

Expected Publication Date: August 20, 2024

Thank You to Ballantine Books for the gifted ARC. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review.

This book was short and sweet. Not bad, just not exactly for me. I see lots of positive reviews from those who connected with it. I just couldn’t get really drawn into the story.

A screenwriter, a director, an actress, a hairstylist, and a tech entrepreneur all facing personal or professional turning points each find themselves at the Full Moon Coffee Shop, a pop-up cafe that is straight-up magical. Not just because it appears without warning and serves beverages and confections that are tailor-made for the recipient, but because it is run by cats. Talking cats. Who might also be planets. Don't ask how they carry the trays. The way the felines hand out desserts and advice might be charming if it weren't bogged down by pages of astrological computations. Thanks, Netgalley.