What a magical little book. Short and sweet, Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop is the second book of this series and is heartwarming and uplifting. Multiple characters are going through something, and a visit to the Full Moon Coffee Shop, a coffee shop that magically appears only during a full or new moon, helps them figure out what it is they’re struggling with, and how to get through it. The messages given with each story are something to take to heart and apply to your own life.

There are a few chapters devoted to astrology, and unfortunately I struggled through them. It was only the prologue, interlude and epilogue, but it was still hard for me to comprehend and understand. Other than that, this book is charming, and cozy, and I really enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A mysteriously appearing café run by talking cats makes an exception to its rule of appearing only on full moons during the Christmas holiday season for a particular set of customers in Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki and translated by Jordan Taylor.
With the Christmas holiday approaching, the cats of the Full Moon Coffee Shop are spending some time socializing and celebrating amongst themselves, as well as opening up the shop for some customers beyond their traditional appearances on full moons. A workaholic who’s devoted to her job in Tokyo, Satomi is anxious when her long-distance boyfriend seems likely to propose around the holidays. When she spends some time with her young niece, Ayu, they go to the café, where she begins to realize that perhaps she might be able to find a balance between both a family, something she didn’t think she wanted, and work. With complicated feelings toward the holidays due to her father’s death on Christmas Eve when she was a child, Koyuki, a colleague of Satomi, has long put on a façade of cheeriness, suppressing her true emotions, for the sake of those around her. Joined by a familiar-looking man at the café after checking in on a work event, Koyuki is presented with an opportunity to reconcile with her past, and herself, that might just change the way she approaches the holidays, as well as her relationships. Despite their estrangement, after her father collapsed, Junko returns home with her daughter Ayu to visit her father. While reminiscing on the beach late one night, she comes across the café and begins to see her memories and her father in a new light, which may help to set her family forward on a new path. Each woman, with the help of the cats and their concoctions, contemplates what they want in life and how to direct themselves toward attaining it.
Weaving together the complicated emotional burdens weighing down three women’s lives through their connection with one another and to the surreal cats running the mysteriously appearing café, who enable introspection and astrological-related wisdom, the vignettes come together to present an interconnected narrative that’s centered around the Christmas holiday spirit, which provides a ready and easy to envision atmosphere to the stories. The first book, The Full Moon Coffee Shop, is tied in well, directly incorporating some characters while also demonstrating some of the more quantifiable outcomes that the greater understanding of self that those characters gained from their experience with the cats and while at the café. There is an emphasis on connections throughout that brings the storylines together into a cohesive whole that works well, using a bit of whimsy to soften some of the heavier topics addressed. With an introduction, interlude, and epilogue that featured interactions of the cats in their own company and without guiding humans, their personalities had more of an opportunity to shine, and there were some parallels shown that they, too, experience periods of growth and change, even if they are most often encountered dispensing sage advice.
Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A cozy, quick read. I liked the premise of kitty cats leading lost souls at a special midnight cafe. Some of the astrology was fun/ informative, other parts it felt excessive and overly so (beginning / end)

If you like magical realism, astrology and cozy cafes, I definitely recommend this series. I enjoyed this one just as much as the first book. It was beautiful. I don't want to spoil anything but if you love animals you will be moved by this story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A follow-up to The Full Moon Coffee Shop (2024), the cats are back to offer guidance. This time around, the talking cats offer their specially made desserts to a group with interconnected lives. Satomi is a woman dedicated to her career and has a sneaking suspicion that her boyfriend is going to propose on Christmas. She fears that marrying him will derail her career; she's torn between a life in the country and her momentum at work. Satomi's colleague, Koyuki, lost her father on a Christmas Eve night and has never felt the same about the holiday since. Her mother remarried and had another child, making Koyuki feel that her family had no space for her any longer. Satomi's sister-in-law, Junko, lives with her daughter Ayu and heads to her estranged father's home to care for him when he falls ill. Each woman finds herself at a crossroads, and the cats are ready to help them make life-changing decisions with delectable desserts. I loved this magical realism tale that has something for everyone: pathos, a spark of otherworldly magic, and cats. What could possibly be wrong with this?

Best Wishes from The Full Moon Coffee Shop the second book in a series about a coffee shop run by talking cats that's only open during a full moon. I have also read the first book and found them both very charming.
The coffee shop doesn't have a menu, the "Master" cat gives you food and drink especially made for you. This second book takes place just before Christmas, and the coffee shop is open more often. The workers at the coffee shop do a horoscopic analysis for each person to help them to see what it is they really wish for.
Satomi suspects that her boyfriend is going to propose, but he lives in their hometown, and she loves her life in Tokyo.
Her assistant, Koyuki, doesn't really want to go home for Christmas because she misses her deceased father, and feels like she isn't part of her mother's new family with her stepfather and half brother.
Junko, Satomi's sister-in-law, hasn't spoken to her father in years, but he falls ill and she is forced to visit him with her daughter.
The Full Moon Coffee Shop appears for each person, and helps them decide what they truly desire and hopefully resolve any issues they are having. I enjoyed both of these books, my only complaint is that when there is a chapter with just the coffee shop employees, it got a little confusing to keep them all straight for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books for an advance reader ebook to review.

Genre: Magical Realism (Sci-Fi/Fantasy), Japanese Literature (translated)
Who would like it: Fans of Japanese literature, fans of the first book The Full Moon Coffee Shop, cozy readers & astrology lovers.
Rating: 4/5 = Would recommend, especially to those who have read the first book.

Synopsis: It’s Christmas time in Tokyo as the setting to the sequel to the Full Moon Coffee Shop. Three new patrons visit the coffee shop to uncover their true Christmas wish. Intermixed with the stories of the patrons also comes insight into the celestial & feline staff of the coffee shop.

Blurb: When I received the ARC of this book I made sure to first read (listen to) the first book - The Full Moon Coffee Shop - just in case there was anything I needed to know going into its sequel. While I don’t believe you have to have read the first book in order to read this one, it does allow the reader a baseline knowledge of the astrology used in the book and formatting. It also gives an added layer of enjoyment as there are easter egg connections between the characters in the first and second book - like its own little universe. I’ve really enjoyed Mai Mochizuki’s stories and though this was my book series of Japanese magical realism - I believe I’m hooked. What more could you ask for in a book: cats, coffee, quick redemption arcs, whimsy. I will forever be a fan of the Full Moon Coffee Shop.

Acknowledgement: Thank you Ballantine Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

This the ths second book for the Full Moon Coffee Shop. I love the magic of this coffee shop. I love the look at astrology this book and the characters of the coffee shop give the reader. I liked how the book made reference to the change in the word since 2020.

I loved Ayu. I loved how she sees the world and the people in it. I think as we age we forget the innocence of children and how openly they see the world. I think as adults we over analyze the actions of others and Ayu takes them at face value and sees the shyness, fear, or awkwardness of the person.

I loved that at the time of Christmas the coffee shop didn't have to wait for a full or new moon and was able to grant some long ago wishes.

I highly recommend this book but think you should read the first in the series first. I feel that the background of the first books makes this one easier to understand and more magical.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the ARC of this ebook. All opinions expressed are my own.

This second installment in the Full Moon Coffee Shop books was very enjoyable for me. These books combine magical realism, astrology and coziness to explore several concerns of modern society. For me, these books have introduced an area of Japanese culture that I know nothing about. I love how whimsical they are and how they incorporate astrology which is something that I really know nothing about.

This second installment is perfect for Christmastime, I will probably re-read both of these books during the holiday season.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader's copy of this book to be released on 28 October, 2025

The Full Moon Coffee Shop returns for the Christmas holidays. Delicious treats and kind advice are given out free by the shop to those who require direction and comfort. It’s a cozy, heartwarming book with stories about unique characters.

I recommend this book for fantasy readers. It’s a quick read that will leave you feeling better about the universe and wanting to visit a magical coffee shop with cats who serve out treats and your horoscope.

Thank you Ballantine Books, Netgalley, and Mai Mochizuki for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

3.5 ⭐️

If you enjoyed the first installment of the full moon coffee shop then you’re likely to like this one as well. I read them backwards and was extremely confused for a good portion of this one.

I always thought I had a decent understanding of astrology but boy was I wrong and there’s a LOT of it in this book.

I like the premise and the stories all teach little lesson but they just didn’t really resonate with me and I think it’s just because the nature of it being so heavily influenced by astrology (which isn’t a bad thing but my mind doesn’t wrap around the more complex aspects of it)

I also read this while it was 110° outside so the winter/Christmas aspect didn’t really hit for me but I’m sure this would be a fun and cozy read on a nice winter evening!

If astrology is your thing then you’ll really enjoy this. The characters were like able and Ayu was so precious.

I really wanted to like this more than I did unfortunately. I really enjoyed the first Full Moon Coffee Shop book, and I love Christmas, so I had high hopes. I felt like it struggled too much to be, different? The horoscopes felt very heavy in this. I know at the end the author had a note that they really listened to reader feedback and tried to change things for them. A fine line to walk, but I think there are times as a writer to just trust your gut and write what you want. If people didn't like things about the first book, thats fine, they dont need to read a sequel. But for those that really did enjoy it, changes to make it into something else don't land as well.

3.5

I really enjoyed how interconnected and emotional each character’s story was. I teared up at specific chapters. However, I do think the writing overexplained certain elements and missed some depth, making explanations repetitive and obvious.

Stoooop why are you making me feel so much?!
There is a 90% you’ll cry reading this BUT IN A GOOD WAY!
The stories are so human. The atmosphere is everything too. The combination of both really take you on a journey that you can’t help to feel wrapped around

Just like its predecessor, Best Wishes From the Full Moon Coffee Shop is a cozy, delightful diversion that does not fail to deliver on emotion.

Told in three interconnected segments, Mochizuki takes us back into the world of the Full Moon Coffee Shop from book one and dives right into the familiar routine of people coming upon the coffee shop when they need it most in their lives. But this time, it's Christmas! That doesn't add much significance to the stories themselves, other than to give the cats we've met before a reason to have their shop open with greater frequency.

Yet again, the stories are sweet and lovely, but the ones we have here absolutely made me cry more. This book focuses more on cut off or misunderstood connections, lending a (very) slightly more supernatural element to the novel. In short, it WILL make you feel things. If that's what you're looking for (and don't mind the astrological elements), I would wholeheartedly welcome you to dig in.

I will say, it is best if you go into this book having read the previous one. Even though it's not immediately obvious, there are connections between the stories here and those from book one. Best Wishes does go a bit further into aspects of astrology that we did not cover previously, so I'd say it almost is best if read back-to-back with the prior volume. (That is, at least, what I did, which I think really added to my appreciation of both books).

The primary difference between this book and its predecessor (in terms of writing style) is that there are interstitial sections from Venus' perspective, implying that she is perhaps not quite as adept at astrology as it was implied in the first book. This didn't feel quite necessary for me, perhaps because it "humanized" the Coffee Shop workers in a way that takes away a bit of the magic. There is also a hint at a possible love connection between two of our non-human characters, which felt unnecessary, even if it was a brief moment.

As with book one, I would caution anyone who is not interested in astrology (even tangentially) away from reading this. It is astrology-heavy. This worked well for me, as I find astrology, astronomy, and mythology absolutely fascinating as a lens for history and culture. My interest peaked during the pandemic, so this was a shockingly digestible explanation of how astrological houses and constellations can be interpreted in natal charts.

So many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 4 stars

Review posted to StoryGraph: August 11, 2025 (https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/298cffb4-2914-4403-a921-4b6aa6877628?redirect=true)
Review posted to Instagram: PENDING

Full Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader's Copy of Best Wishes from The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki from Ballantine Books via NetGalley. This book is set to be published at the end of October 2025.

Best Wishes from The Full Moon Coffee Shop is the second book in the Full Moon Coffee Shop series by Mai Mochizuki. While there are a few references to the first book, you could read this as a standalone. If you do though, there might be a few first book spoilers. If you don't care about that, enjoy them at will! I will also say that this book might be best enjoyed around the winter holidays. I couldn't wait that long. Like the first book, the chapters of this book follow the story of a character and how they end up at the Full Moon Coffee Shop. There is also a certain amount of overlap in the stories. Every character learns something and often it is not to assume you know what someone else is thinking or their motivations. Sometimes, you have to give people the benefit of the doubt.

I can't decide if the best part of the coffee shop is that it is a cat cafe (IYKYK) or that they don't take orders and custom-make the food and beverages to each specific customer. I am dying to know what I would get. Astrology also plays an important part in these stories. If you have ever wanted to learn more about birth charts and how the planets influence your life, this is a fun way to get a beginner course. If astrology is not your thing, I would still encourage you to read this if you like animals or an adorable cafe. I will warn you that I cried at the end.

Bonus points for Rin. What a wonderful friend!

I just want my Women in Translation reading month to go well. It's not. I love Japan. My name is Mai. I semi enjoy astrology. I love cats. And yet, this did not hit. I enjoy whimsy every now and again, but not as it was written here.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review!

4/5

I know astrology is not for everyone, but I just love the way these books intertwine real life, natal charts & some fantasy. I was extra drawn to this book with some of it being set in Ebisu! My husband had the pleasure of staying in Ebisu during a trip to Japan and it very quickly became a favorite place for us. So that added surprise just sweetened the reading experience for me.

And oh man. The last story about reincarnation had me crying.

This book was easy to read, covered some tougher topics, and made me yearn for a coffee shop like it near me. If you’re someone wanting to understand natal charts and looking for a quick read that involves cats, I highly recommend this series!

The Full Moon Coffee Shop got a Christmas special sequel! While I described the first book as “heartfelt and cozy,” #2, Best Wishes from The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki brings a different tone and packs an emotional punch.

We still got to meet the wise, astrology cats in Best Wishes, and we’re still taken on a journey with this magical traveling coffee shop; but this time, we dive deeper. Mochizuki explores our true wishes and innate selves with the characters who visit the coffee shop, this time focusing on moon signs and Ascendants. This is all very new to me, but I appreciated the cats explaining that astrology doesn’t have all the answers. It can teach you about yourself, but there are almost as many interpretations as there are people.

The author herself says that you can start with Best Wishes, but it might make more sense if you read the first book first, and I agree. Best Wishes takes place around Christmastime, which, while it can be the most wonderful time of year, can also bring a lot of pain and intense feelings. Mochizuki shares this through her new characters and their stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC. I absolutely cried, but I loved this book and look forward to reading it again.

I wanted to love this one because the premise seemed super cute. However, I just didn't connect enough with the characters. The character emphasis differs in the chapters and there wasn't enough there for me to be fully invested. Which is surprising given cats were involved lol. If you're in the mood for cozy and seasonal vibes though, you may enjoy this. Or if you're into astrology, it's cute seeing the astrology connections for the cafe staff. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this though. I will forever try stories with cats.