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.

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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.
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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.

This is an adorable little palette cleanse type of book.

A coffee shop (run by cats) pops up on the full moon and uses astrology to help a loosely associated group of acquaintances to sort out their lives. As the story progresses, you learn how they are associated and what is prompting the intervention by the magical cats.

I definitely recommend this. As already stated, it's adorable. And I don't even actually like cats.

4.5 stars...thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC. I really enjoyed this. It was translated from Japanese to English and the storyline was great. I enjoyed the astrological aspect of this short but sweet story. All the characters in some way know each other from their younger years and this cafe randomly pops up for them, to help guide them into a better way of living pretty much. It has magic, gods/planets, life changing events, cats, coffee. I definitely recommend it if you want something light and fluffy to read after something intense.

Per publisher request: this review is posted now on GoodReads, link below. Go-live date is today, this review will stay up indefinitely.

3.5 stars. I found a lot of this pretty repetitive, but it was very consistent with The Kamogawa Food Detectives: a few people, connected in childhood but no longer in contact, each have a similar encounter with the fantastical cafe. Each guest receives an explanation, which is repetitive for the reader; the explanations rely heavily on the well-informed cafe staff delivering long explanations to the guests. While not my preferred style, the high level of consistency between this book and The Kamogawa Food Detectives does make the style appear very purposeful.

The story is slower-paced with a strong sense of place. Suggest to readers who appreciate setting as a primary doorway.

eARC from NetGalley.

Apparently this is a Japanese sensation that has been translated to English. It's a fast read. Given that it's about a pop up coffee shop staffed by talking cats, there's magical realism. And more astrology than I liked.

Thank you for the opportunity for this ARC. Overall, super cute. If you're not into astrology or horoscope readings then this isn't for you.

Sweet book about a mysterious coffee shop, astrology, how learning about yourself helps you make decisions which are best for you instead of doing what society, parents and others want you to do. The Full Moon Coffee Shop shows up when a person needs it most and the staff just happen to be talking cats. The cats provide not only good advice but also a delicious drink or dessert. Set in Japan, this charming book tells the story of individuals whose life has hit a snag and the wisdom and coffee provided by the cats at the coffee shop help each of them get back to the best path for them. All the individuals know each other and the ending explains why these individuals were chosen to receive this gift. I would categorize this book as a young adult book, part fantasy, part advice book but all lovely and enjoyable.

This was a cute and sweet series of interconnected stories. I loved the magical realism - and definitely wish my cat could bring me the drink I most need at any given moment! I was surprised by the strong astrological elements - not turned off, just not what I expected. I did like the way things came full-circle in the end, and found it to be a delightful and quick read.

If you can imagine going to a café that is managed by cats, then this book is for you. It’s a little far-fetched but it has its charm. The message with some astrological highlights is to help customers “know thyself.”

No, I’m not a believer of astrological signs. But, then a lot of people look to the stars to make decisions in their lives. Each cat represents a planet and it made me think about the possibility that Venus, Mercury Retrograde, Pluto and all sorts of others could cause different reactions in our lives. Or, do we simply just blame the “full moon” when life’s events are not in our favor.

This is a short book that can be easily read in a day. The story focuses on a few individuals with their jobs and love affairs. It’s not complicated and points out in a quirky, inspirational way that we are in control of our lives and it’s up to us to find happiness. It would have been great if the book explained more about astrology for those of us without much of a clue.

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of August 20, 2024.

I struggled with this. Some things were clearly lost in translation and didn't make sense at all. It also got a bit boring half way through.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. Overall it was a nice story and i liked the concept. It was a pretty short read and at times i wasn’t sure how it all connected. I wonder if some was lost in translation. The cats were my favorite characters.

This was an interesting story about a cat cafe that appears for those who need it. There were several short stories where different people each met up with the cafe for different reasons. I liked the way all of the stories were tied together at the end. There was a lot of information about horoscopes in it which was a bit boring for me. This was a quick read and good for an easy beach read.

This was right up my alley! I am forgiving of translated books, but it's the best I can do as I know no Japanese. I Do enjoy manga, magical realism, coffee shops, and talking cats. Kyoto setting? Even better! Delightful read for a sunny afternoon. I will be looking for this book when it is published! I hope it has some illustrations. Those could only make it better!

I really struggled to give this my full attention, I wasn't as engaged as I wanted to be by the content of the book.