What a sweet book. The writing is beautiful and the premise engaging. Who wouldn’t want to find the magical pawnshop to leave their regrets and to get the chance for different life choices. The only thing I did not enjoy as much was the romance, but overall this book still deserves a 5 star rating.

Water Moon follows Hana, who becomes the owner of the her father's pawnshop where clients discard their choices. But after her father goes missing, she embarks on a journey to find him and uncover their family's secrets.

This book was so beautifully written; I felt like I was immersed in a Studio Ghibli movie and could vividly imagine all of the places and people that were described in the book. I especially liked the beginning of this book about the pawnshop and how clients discarded their "choices". I thought the philosophical component was quite intriguing. The different places Hana and Kei travelled to were captivating - the author did a magnificent job at describing the places and evoked strong emotions with the readers. It felt very nostalgic and whimsical.

My only complaint about the book was with the love interest, Kei. He was an interesting character, but I personally wasn't too invested in their relationship. I think they were better off as friends and I would have appreciated an exploration of a platonic friendship more.

Overall, this was such a wonderful book and I highly recommend!

Hana and her father run a pawnshop inside of a door that to most leads to a ramen shop, but to others it is where they can give away a choice. One day Hana wakes up to the shop ransacked and her father missing. As she weeps, a man walks into the pawnshop and agrees to help her find her father. This is where Hana and Kei begin an adventure.

This is truly one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Each chapter is a new world that you can help but fall in love with. Finishing this book made me sad, because I didn’t want to leave it. This is one of those books that stays with you well after you read it.

Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for the gift of reading this ARC.

So, I really don't know how to feel about this book. I don't exactly love it, but I definitely don't hate it. I think in truth it's one I will need to read again to fully understand and appreciate. I felt sort of confused through some parts and thoroughly enthralled in others. I did begin to lose interest around the 25% mark, and I'm not entirely certain why. The book was very well written, and everything flowed in such a great way, I think I was just a little bored at that point. It did thankfully grip me again as I continued. The entire premise is not something I'd ever read before, and it did really add an extra layer of enjoyment. And I honestly did not see the reveals coming and that I really loved. I think on a re-read, I will enjoy it more than I did this time, and I will definitely still recommend it to friends.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey, for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a magical, dreamlike journey following Hana as she searches for her missing father and navigates a surreal world of regrets and second chances. The atmospheric writing and richly imagined setting felt straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. While the romance fell a bit flat for me, the themes of healing and self-discovery made this a memorable and enchanting read.

I loved every twist and turn in this book! The world-building was phenomenal and the adventures we went on with the MCs had me in a chokehold. This had much more romance than I thought it would and it surprised me pleasantly!

This work is a reminder that we may think our paths are laid out before us, but we still have the options to make choices that can completely alter them. It’s so important that we remember we have the ability to change things at any time. Small changes we make to our lives can greatly affect those around us… and the ripple effect could somehow eventually change the world as we know it!

Thank you Samantha Soto Yambao and NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For anyone who enjoys all the heartwarming and whimsical literature coming out of Japan these days about cats, coffee, ramen shops, and telephone booths, this novel operates on similar magic yet follows a more traditional fantasy quest plot.

I would've liked the relationship between Hana and Kei to develop more out of friendship than instalove. With so much profundity scattered throughout the rest of the adventure, the lack of it in their romance made their chemistry a bit of a miss for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣 by 𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙖 𝙎𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙤 𝙔𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙖𝙤

A beautifully written, dreamlike story that captivated me from the first page. Set in Tokyo, it follows Hana, who grew up in a pawnshop that secretly offers people the chance to trade in their regrets. On the surface, it looks like a ramen shop to most, but for those who truly need it, its magic is revealed. Hana is about to inherit the shop from her father, but on the day she’s meant to take over, she discovers the shop ransacked and her father missing.

Determined to find him, Hana embarks on a journey with a mysterious stranger who stumbles into the shop at just the right moment. Their journey takes them into a dreamlike world full of magic and wonder, where regrets can be erased, and life can be changed in ways they never imagined. The world beyond the shop felt surreal, alive with magic at every turn, and the writing itself captured this ethereal quality perfectly.

What truly resonated with me was the book’s exploration of regret—how it shapes us and how letting go of it could change everything. Hana’s quest to confront her past and find her father is both emotional and transformative. While the pacing slowed in some parts, the depth of the story and its enchanting world made up for it.

Water Moon will transport you into a world full of magic, second chances, and the possibility of redemption. It’s a story that stays with you, lingering long after you turn the last page.

Water Moon is a mystery romance with Studio Ghibli vibes.
Hana takes over her father’s pawnshop that takes the burden of others’ regret of their choices and gives them relief instead.
The morning of, she realizes her father is missing and gets a client who, for the first time, wants to help her instead of asking for help.
He’s also a physicist from the real world and becomes fascinated with Hana’s world, the fantastical world that hides in plain sight in the real world.

The love interest being a physicist was my favorite *choice* 😉.
I think that they made a really good pair. The world building was so creative and immersive I just wanted to stay in it forever ☺️. The plot was really well constructed and I was addicted to it the whole way through. I would absolutely reread this again 🥰

Thank you NetGalley for letting me borrow and read this early!! ☺️

I went into this book prepared to give it 5 stars. It fell flat for me in a couple of areas, and others it went way beyond my expectations.
This is a story about Hana and her inherited pawnshop after her father retired. The pawnshop deals exclusively in regrets of your past which take form of birds with songs. The main character wakes up the first day on the job and a regret ( bird ) is missing, and so is her dad.

The worldbuilding and creativity, the authors brain, is just - wow. I don't have words. The premise was extremely captivating. The vibes were immaculate, i felt like i was in a studio Ghibli film.
I loved how in every chapter there was some sort of a lesson to learn, and i lowkey felt like i was in a philosophy book at times.

What i didn't like and had such a hard time with was the insta- love between the characters? They felt so underdeveloped and there wasn't a lot of growth i felt like (I'm looking at you Hana) on it's own, let alone the chemistry between the love interests.

I would give this book a solid 3.5- 4 stars.

Thank you to net galley, and Samantha sotto Yambao, and random house/del ray for the opportunity to arc read this.

Water Moon was such a whimsical and imaginative fantasy novel. It blends elements of magical realism with themes of regret and healing. The atmospheric prose and vibrant setting reminds me of a Studio Ghibli film. In this novel, we follow Hana, who inherits this magical pawn shop when she discovers that her father is missing and the shop in disarray. Then enters the charming physicist, Kei, and together they embark on a quest filled with dreamlike landscapes and elements. I want to highlight the themes of love and self-discovery as I feel that this is a major strength of the story. Overall, I enjoy reading these delightfully character-driven fantasy books.

How do I even begin to describe this book? Top 3 of this year for me for sure, first of all. I could not stop thinking about it when I wasn't actively reading it. I put off finishing it because I didn't want it to end. The creativity of the world(s), the emotional depth of the characters... the twist at the end?! The only thing I'm "docking points" for was my disappointment in the 'tidy bow' ending. I felt like it could have been a lot stronger left open-ended. Honestly, though, because of the genius of the rest of the book, I'm letting it slide. This is the first book by Samantha Sotto Yambao that I have read, and I will definitely be seeking out her previous novels.

I DEVOURED this book. It was incredible it reminded me so much of Hayao Miyazaki and his movies. The plot is unique and it felt fresh and new. I loved how the plot flowed so easily. I loved the characters and how intricate they were. I will definitely be reading more book by this author!

This is now one of my favorite reads of the year, it was so whimsical and twisty! I enjoyed following Kei and Hana's adventures and appreciated the small details included in the world-building as they traveled through Hana's world. Yambao's writing was incredibly beautiful and I felt completely immersed in their world throughout the story. While I'm not the hugest fan of HEA's, it felt authentic to the story and the characters to end the book that way. I have so many highlights in this book it's ridiculous and I will be recommending it to everyone once it's out!
Sincere thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review!

One thing about me is that I love magical realism when I'm in the mood and this perfectly held its end of the bargain.

I really enjoyed Water moon. It's whimsical, magical, a little disjointed like a lucid dream but in a really good way, and I can see the Ghibli comparison.
Unfortunately, I didn't love it for a few reason:

1. I could have done without the romance. I think the book would have been perfect without it... just like a Ghibli movie.
The romance is insta love and doesn't really bring anything to the story. The adventure was plenty sufficient and I think everything would have been more impactful with friendship instead.

2. Is it a translated book? I'm not sure I am a fan of the japanese words here and there. Some makes sense and I'm relatively knowledgeable to have recognized most of them but it makes my reading not as smooth. The cultural impact is present and important but I'm not sure all words should have stayed untranslated.
I personally don't use words from home when I speak in English despite being an integral part of me.

I would absolutely recommend this one. It made me escape and reminded me a little of one of my favorite manga Aria.

Publishes January 14, 2025

This was odd, whimsical, fun and very unique. I really loved this one. It centers around a ramen shop in Tokyo and a pawn shop in a fantasy world, with the door to the ramen shop serving as a mystical vehicle between the two. People who unknowingly 'need' to find the pawn shop will find themselves there when they think they are going to get ramen, and at this pawn shop, people in our world pawn their choices so they can live with no regrets.

This book really has just about everything: fantasy, romance, and even a little bit of horror. You can travel by rumors and song, there is a night market in the clouds, and puddles serve as portals to jump to locations quickly. It took a pretty dark turn I did not see coming, and was a little cheesy at times, but this is one of my favorite reads I have read this year. The cover art is by far one of the most gorgeous to come out as well.

If anything, I wanted more from the fantasy world. A little bit more of world building would have been nice, as some things that Hana found/used to get out of certain situations seemed a little too convenient, but it did not cause me to enjoy this story any less. I enjoyed the characters, which were the strongest part of this novel. I also really liked how everything connected. Definitely recommend picking this one up when it publishes at the start of 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Samantha Sotto Yambao for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was really excited to receive this eARC, especially since everything about it seemed perfect: the premise, the setting, and the cover art! As someone who is Japanese and has spent time living in Japan, I was particularly looking forward to a Ghibli-inspired cozy adventure. Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at the 25% mark for a number of reasons.

Right away, I noticed the use of a lot of Japanese "buzzwords" like ikigai and kintsugi. While these words are well-known in Western culture, they’ve often been overused to the point where they lose their meaning and feel a bit superficial. This immediately raised some concerns for me, and I began to wonder whether the author was of Japanese descent or had spent any significant time in Japan. The cultural references felt more like a shallow portrayal of Japan as a sanitized backdrop rather than a reflection of the country’s real depth and complexity.

Then, several plot points just didn’t make sense to me. For example, if Hana had been training her whole life for this role, why is she so caught off guard about the prospect of regrets flying to the past and changing the timeline? That feels like either a major gap in mentorship or extremely poor planning, but either way, it came across as unrealistic.
"It would've flown back to the moment it was made."
"Flown back?" Hana's eyes grew large. "To the past?"
..."It would reset time itself to change its fate."
Why would Hana not know this until literally the night before she's set to take over the pawn shop??

The love interest, Kei, also didn’t work for me. The romance felt too "insta-love" and lacked depth. It just felt too unrealistic that he would go to such lengths for her when he literally just met her, I wish there was a deeper bond between these two characters first.

Ultimately, I didn’t want to risk falling into a reading slump, so I decided not to continue with the book.

Ramen shops are already magical to me, with so many lovely memories of long ago lunches with my mom - but the restaurant in Water Moon has a special secret: there is a hidden pawn shop that only certain people can find, and where you can pawn your choices and regrets.

New owner Hana finds her pawn shop in shambles, a prized item missing, and her father gone. Then Keishin walks in, and instead of seeking help, he is there to offer his aid, and he and Hana embark on an adventure through endless worlds in order to set everything to rights.

This was such a unique, inventive, and vibrant fantasy, and along with the magical settings, there is depth of character and a journey where joy and grief go together along with the impossible. I look forward to reading more from Samantha Sotto Yambao.

This was the escapism I didn’t know I needed right now!!

I really enjoyed Water Moon, thank you so much Del Rey for sending me a copy. It was magical, and like everyone had already said, it’s as Ghibli-Esque as it can get, creatures in masks, night markets, oragami doors—I adored the world that wasn’t really a world. It felt so vivid and real! I highly recommend this one.

The only thing that brought my review down is due to a very me problem: when going into this I really liked the first few chapters where we see how the shop operates and I would have loved to see Hana in her element a bit more before we got into the adventure portion of it. My weird niche favorite trope is magical shops and I feel like we only really saw a glimpse of that.


Other than that, it was good and I’m so glad I read it.

Water Moon is like a Japanese Alice in Wonderland tale, where our protagonist, Hana, and her father, run a magical pawnshop that takes people's regrets and choices in exchange for tea. Then one day chaos strikes this cozy existence when her shop is ransacked and her father is missing, and we're set off running from one dreamlike, Studio Ghibli setting to another, chasing clues and running for her life as she tries to find her father and thought-t0-be-executed mother. I think this is enjoyable if you're in the mood for something whimsical and if you're a fan of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern and love Japanese settings of tranquil tsubo-niwa enclosures, machiya townhouses, detailed fusuma panels, tatami mats, stick-and-poke tattoos with nomi chisels, origami cranes, etc.

Positives
• I think this story started out piquing my curiosity, given the premise and the quiescent father-and-daughter pawnshop setting and abstract "give me your regrets, and feel how unburdened & at peace you feel" exchange. Then the tone pivots from serene to the more upbeat and quirky anime-like interactions when our FMC meets our MMC.
• I also enjoyed the motif of drink/food tasting different to you at different parts of your life (like how the green tea would taste different to Hana once she became the pawnshop owner or ramen at a shop tasting different to you the 1st time vs. the last time you've had it)
• I appreciated how the ending actually gave meaning to XYZ random characters and tied them into the overall plot, adding to a sense of closure.

Negatives
• However, 3 main things started to detract from my enjoyment of this book as I proceeded to read.
• 1.) The insta-love. Whoa whoa whoa! Calm down Keishin, you only just met Hana. Why are we suddenly embarking on a life-threatening mission for her, even when she explicitly tells you, "you should leave"?

Take the following declarations after just getting to know each other a few hrs ago, we have MMC making declarations below, after agreeing to some perilous sleuthing and warnings to go home. They're discussing the traditional tattoos that glow on Hana's skin in the rain:

"Do not look at me." Hana pulled her collar closer around her neck. "I'm hideous."
"What? No. No. I was just surprised. That's all. I swear. There's nothing you need to hide You're still..." Heat rose up to Keishin's neck. "Beautiful."
...

"And what do you see, Kei? Another experiment like the pond? An oddity you might find some use for in your world? Or perhaps a monster covered in wretched blue scars?"
"You're not a monster."
...

"The rain reminds us what is fated can never be washed away...Can you tell me that you do not see this grotesque map of skin and ink?"
"What I see is you, Hana. I see your courage. Your determination..."


• There wasn't really time to develop any chemistry before Kei said yes to exigent, dire circumstances to help Hana, and it really just left me with a sense of incredulity.

• 2.) Whimsical environment makes convenient solutions just crop up. Definitely a big allure to those interested in reading Water Moon is the fanciful, whimsical setting: grains of sand that actually hold time, portaling between different locations via water puddles, commuting on a song that makes you feel safe, traveling via rumor, flying on cranes, children who are not children, etc.
• However, because Hana's magical world functions so differently from our own, we're actually constantly learning the rules, and since the rules keep changing, it really makes it feel a bit like there are no stakes besides the immediate "omigosh we're about to die" The magic system is not explained really until it's immediately a problem and then a solution comes about, thus me as a read, I'm pretty passive. There's no thinking ahead of what possible strategies the MCs could do to get out of a pickle.
• Even superhero movies, who have minimal "magic"/superhero powers, semi-establish the ability/some limitations, so that the magic has "rules" and we can ponder upon potential solutions, and that was not done in this story.
• I think I would've loved watching Water Moon in a visual format, just to see how beautiful the wonderfully whimsical settings of the magical world are, though, however in written format, it's not as enticing.

• 3.) Characters saying they won't do something, then decided 3 seconds later they will in fact do the opposite of what they resolved to do and do the thing they said they wouldn't. No time really elapses in between what they say they won't do and then them actually doing it (e.g. the latest one in the book I can recall is Haruto's decisions.) It's whiplash and also leaves me wondering what was the point to adding this, 'cause it certainly didn't add intrigue...

So for me, the journey was the story started out nicely, then enjoyment started to descend after hitting one whimsical situation after the next, then started to climb back up again at its conclusion. 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.