I think the description of the novel doesn't necessarily prepare the reader for the journey. Knowing it's magical realism helps, and the premise sounds great, but the cats end up being more cartoon-esque than what would fit the expectations. I think cat lovers will enjoy this, but I didn't as much as I expected.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki is an enchanting escape into a world where magic and everyday life blend seamlessly. This delightful novel is like a warm, cozy hug wrapped in a sprinkle of fantasy. Mochizuki’s portrayal of a coffee shop run by talking cats is both whimsical and heartwarming, creating a space where lost souls find their way with a touch of feline wisdom. Each character’s journey through the magical café feels like a personal, transformative experience, making you wish for a seat at this celestial café yourself. The novel’s gentle charm and sparkling prose invite you to savor each page like a perfect cup of coffee, with a sprinkle of stardust and a dash of hope. If you’re a fan of books that combine magical realism with heartwarming storytelling, this one is a must-read.

Weird and Whimsical, The pages The Full Moon Coffee shop were an absolute delight to get lost inside.

Felling a little lost? In the world readers are introduced to, there's a solution and that is a cafe in Kyoto run by talking cats! They will look into your star charts while you nibble and sip on a magical treats. Readers are introduced to a handful of patrons and get small but impactful glimpse into their lives.

While I don't think this will work for everyone, I do think readers who love evocative atmosphere and slow thoughtful tales will fall in love with this cozy offering.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. A book about magical cats that also talk and simply being nice to them grants you luck in life? A DREAM.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC! This book stood out to me due to many different themes - the cats, the magical realism and the astrological aspect. It was so interesting and I cannot wait to read more books like this.

Cute, whimsical cozy fantasy!

I received this ARC through Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley, for which I am very grateful.

This is a very short read and follows several characters through loosely connected storylines as they navigate their personal struggles with the help of magical cats and their cafe. From vivid imagery of food to the mysterious and comfy vibes surrounding the cafe and the cats, the translator has done an amazing job of taking a Japanese novel and communicating its aesthetic to a western audience. I hadn't necessarily expected astrology to factor so heavily into the plot, so I think folks who enjoy witchy readings may want to check this one out as it hits similar notes.

Overall, it's a fairly diverse group of adults (by age range, by profession, by career progress) navigating mature issues with a whimsical spin that maintains fairly low plot stakes. I'm looking forward to future installments!

The Full Moon Coffee Shop was not what I expected. It doesn't really read like a novel. To me, it kind of felt like those opening vignettes that sometimes appear in textbook chapter openers. This book focused heavily on the zodiac, which I happen to be interested in, but it was oddly instructional for a novel. The storyline felt secondary to the details about horoscopes and how to read one's natal chart. I didn't dislike this book, but it's just not what I expected from a novel. If you're interested in interpreting horoscopes with "real" examples, you might like this!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine), for the eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was a very cozy and heartwarming read, perfect for lovers of cats. There was more astrology than I expected so your enjoyment of the book may depend on how interested you are in astrology. I would say this had very similar vibes to the 'Before the Coffee Gets Cold' series, so if you enjoyed that series, check out The Full Moon Coffee Shop.

This is a short [but very full] book about a group of people [all tied together in a very unique way] who are struggling with life and how a magical coffee shop [which itself is more than it appears to be], that only appears during the full moon, and is run by CATS that talk [not going to lie, that would have totally freak me out initially] shows them where they may be going astray or needing adjustment [that pesky Mercury in retrograde amirite?] and how to look at their lives differently and in the end, how it changes everything for them all.

Filled with magical realism [I mean, the talking cats kind of proves that right?], astrology, some amazing sounding drinks and desserts, friendships, love, and caring [and how one simple act can change your trajectory in life] and was really just a lovely feel-good read that I recommend to anyone who needs to be uplifted, encouraged, or someone who just needs a lovely, quiet, book. It was just what I needed to end my crazy month and I am so glad that I saved it until then.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mai Mochizuki, Jesse Kirkwood - Translator, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine/Ballentine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book ended up not being exactly what I thought I was getting. I liked how the characters’ stories ended up tied together, but it felt like nothing really happened and the cozy cat cafe ambience I was expecting wasn’t really what was in the book.

I feel like if the story was longer, it could've been better and more fleshed out but I wasn't wild about astrology, it's not something I'm into or know very much of. It could've been something lost in translation for me as well. I always find Japanese-translated works to be a bit stilted so the story really needs to grabs me. The cats were cute and funny. I liked how the different stories tied into each other. Similar to Before the Coffee Gets Cold but I enjoyed that better than this one. May or may not read a sequel.

This was a fun, light and quick read. I enjoyed the interconnected lives of those who visit the cafe as well as the imagery of the location and the cats. The astrology side of the story was interesting to me. While very heavy on it, I enjoyed the perspective. Overall, it was a good read for me.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A cute series of tales surrounding a group of people with interlocking lives in the heart of Japan and how one visit to a mysterious Full Moon Coffee Shop changes their lives forever. It was a quick read, but with a simple message- don’t give up on what it is you want in life. Reach within and find yourself and your purpose through the stars and fate. Whether it’s love or a flourishing career, these ideals will reach you with a little help from some cute, fluffy baristas!

This was so damn cool, liked the story, the developments and the characters. Definitely one to look out foor. I loved the mystic behind and the whole legends of the cats . Really love it

I adored this book. It was fun and cozy and the story of what that school group was important was lovely under current tying it all together. Five out of Five Stars.

This one didn't quite work for me, but mostly because I don't know too much about astrology, and found the depth that they go into here to be too much without a full explanation. If this book came with a quick and dirty guide to astrology in the back, I would have enjoyed it more.

I will say, I did like the way they brought everyone's stories together in the end.

Though I know I haven't, I really got the strong vibe that I'd read this before.

Tbh, I glazed over a huge chunk of this book. I'm not into horoscopes and any time they talked about natal charts or planets in retrograde I was zoning out. This one wasn't for me.

This book would have been DNF for me under different circumstances and if it wasn’t so short. For the most part, I just didn’t “get” it. Character development is really important to me and of course, a book of this length can’t offer this. The end of the book was somewhat redeeming for me as I enjoyed how the characters and their circumstances all came together with a message about good deeds not going unnoticed. It was a nice wrap up for the cats, the old gentleman and the four characters.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop follows a group of people who stumble upon a magical cafe run by talking cats. The coffee shop shows itself to people who seem to be stuck in life or are down on their luck. The cats of the dream-like cafe offer wisdom and advice by consulting the customers' birth charts. I would recommend this title to someone looking for a low stakes, cozy, hopeful read. I enjoyed the short stories following different characters who each have their own problems and personalities. I liked seeing the links and connections between each of the characters; the stories don't seem so disconnected from each other when you're reading familiar names and seeing some of the first characters progress through their lives. This is not my typical genre, so I wasn't gravitating towards it. I was not a big fan of the astrological aspect of the book, which was a pretty big part of the story. The cats explain astrology and star charts, but it seemed a little much for me. It's not something I'm very interested in, so it kind of lost me when they droned on about their birth charts and horoscopes.
Overall, I did enjoy this read, but it wasn't exactly my favorite kind of read.

Lovely book with a lot of good advice as well as a brief look into astrology practices. I found the pacing to be odd though and didn’t connect to any of the characters.