I downloaded this ARC on my kindle at 10:00 am and by 3:30 pm I was finished. I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did and I couldn't put it down. I was a little hesitant to read it at first because I've never read a translated work by a Japanese author before and I was a little intimidated. But I'm so glad I did because this book has a little of everything that I love. Coffee shop, talking cats, and, interesting characters. I will say the biggest surprise about this novel was the astrology aspect. It plays a huge part in this novel and does a deep dive into the various elements of it, so if you're not into that I don't think this book will be for you. I'm so happy I read this book because it's opened up a new genre for me and I'm so excited to consume similar books such as this one.

“The Full Moon Coffee Shop” is by Mai Mochizuki. One of the things that I liked about this book was that it really reminded me of a Studio Ghibli movie where animals talk and people just roll with it; in other words magical realism is accepted. The other thing I liked about this book is that it was rather short (basically three short stories tied together) which worked very well. I did not realize just how heavy into astrology this book would be - like half of each story was about astrology, houses, planets, and the person musing about their past actions maybe was affected by “the planets” and how they could move forward in a positive manner based upon astrology. It was an interesting concept, but sometimes it crossed into a bit deeper than I personally liked, though I could see those with a deeper interest in astrology rather enjoying the discussion. Overall, I think this book was an interesting concept and I did like how after visiting the coffee shop the characters did something positive to get “unstuck” with their lives.

This interwoven translated novel has astrology and wisdom-giving cats, what more could you want!

The Full Moon Coffee Shop appears where ever it's needed and some people sorely need a push to go after what they want in life. From a woman hiding from love to someone looking to get her career back on track, readers can find themselves at least one character.

Definitely a good, Saturday afternoon read.

So, I went into this book very blind. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I was like, hey, why not?

I read this while on vacation in Japan and it honestly immersed me into the whole story. I loved being able to see the culture written into the pages while simultaneously experiencing it for myself. It was definitely a wonderful way to read the book.

As far as the story goes, you’re following these strangers who all end up being inexplicably tied together by their past. They’re all down on their luck and The Full Moon Coffee Shop is there to show them exactly where they need to go.

I’m gonna be honest here, I was a little lost in the beginning once you switched to a new person after the first person you read about visits the coffee shop. I wasn’t sure where the book was going or what it was trying to tell me. After the second person, though, I started to guess. It turned out to be a wonderful portrayal of our humanity and how the world often finds a way to give karma back. I believe in karma to an extent, but think of it more as mindset. You set your mind negatively? All you’ll see is the negative. However, when you look at the world in a positive light, you’re more likely to only notice the good. It’s worked for me so far at least!! But this book encapsulates this idea and I absolutely loved it.

I think I could’ve used a little more with Mizuki since a lot tied into her story specifically, but everyone else’s stories were fine being brief.

Overall, this was a short book that reads like a fairytale centered around the idea that if you do good, good comes back to find you, too. I really enjoyed the arc of the story and the characters, but would’ve liked a little more exposition on Mizuki. 3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4/5 for all the social platforms. A huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of the English translation for The Full Moon Coffee Shop.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop is effectively a series of interconnected short stories, though at the beginning they seem more separate. The story begins with Mizuki Serikawa, a down on her luck scriptwriter and former substitute teacher. After having a pitch rejected by the studios, Mizuki is invited to try out a coffee shop nearby. When she arrives, she finds the Full Moon Coffee Shop. Staffed entirely by talking cats, you don’t order for yourself, but instead they bring out whatever they think you need based on your natal chart and current circumstances.

Mai Mochikuzi has created a cozy story about reflection and growing as a person (no matter how old you are). At the beginning, the story can feel overly descriptive of minor elements. But this short novel wraps up nicely and reconnects many of the disparate threads.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a short story about re-finding yourself as an adult and fans of cozy short stories.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice, cozy, quick read. It got a little into the weeds with the astrology stuff, which I wasn’t expecting, but it’s always nice to learn about new topics. I really enjoyed the setting. It was something different for me, as I don’t typically read Japanese literature. Perhaps I should read more.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop unfortunately fell short of my expectations. The premise of a mystical cafe run by talking cats sounded intriguing, but the execution was a bit bland. The story felt predictable, and the characters lacked depth. While the idea of astrology as guidance is interesting, the explanations were clunky and disrupted the flow of the story. This could be partially due to the translation, which seemed a bit off in places. Overall, the book wasn't engaging enough to fully capture the magic it promised.

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!