I was invited to read this book by the publisher. This book follows the storylines of a variety of different characters, all essentially stuck or weathering their lives in some way. They have a variety of grief and tough choices to make, each wishing for something different for their lives. Of course, by acknowledging the past and conceptualizing the future, amazing things can happen - especially if there's coffee and cats involved. A lovely second installment to this series, you can never go wrong with a coffee shop like this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So, I absolutely love cats and this book is great for showing the charm of cats mixed with magical realism. This was a sweet, cozy story with a lot of heart. I haven’t read the first book, but this one still holds up on its own. This is a group of interconnected short stories that all tug at your heart.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC of this book. I am writing this review based on my own opinion.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and this review is my own. I enjoyed this lighthearted and charming story about a pop up coffee shop/food truck, run by a truly magical staff. The intertwined family stories were lovely, and I would read more by this author. 3.5 stars.

This was an interesting read! There were so many interesting dynamics within the story that it was interesting. Seeing how each character developed and learned throughout! With passing present struggles, each character is following their own steps to try and find that happiness within their lives. That seems so far away while they’re confronting these Events!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After liking the writing style and plot of the first book, though I didn't find myself absolutely adoring it, I wanted to give the sequel a chance.

Once again, I loved the writing style as it just feels so warm and comforting, that had me wanting to read this book all at once, in bed and under the covers. The vibes were great once again and, of course, there were cats! The backdrop of the Christmas/holiday season made these aspects even better, in my opinion.

This book seemed to have more astrology than the first, which I'm sure some people will love and appreciate, but I found it a bit boring and that the descriptions of certain aspects of it took away from the storytelling. The characters and the short story plotlines were very fun and cozy, and while I definitely enjoyed reading them in the moment, I will say that I didn't find them to be very memorable after the fact.

In general, this was a very cozy story that continued the series very well!

This book was like a warm hug in the best way. It probably would have been better for me to read the first book first. But this did work well as a stand alone. Other than being thrown into it, it did work.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me exactly what I needed.

10/10. The perfect book to cozy up with over the festive period and it was so nice to take a trip back to the full moon coffee shop. I absolutely love Japanese fiction and this was up there with the best of them.

This book was such a sweet, cozy read—perfect for the holiday season. It follows three women who are all dealing with different life challenges, and somehow, they each find their way to a magical little coffee shop in Kyoto… that just happens to be run by cats. Yes, really.
I love these books so much and this is the second one by this author. Highly recommend if you liked Before The Coffee Gets Cold

I'm enjoying this trend of magical realism and cats very much. A coffee shop that knows exactly what you need without you needing to tell them anything? Sign me up! It's got great cozy vibes with charming settings and characters you want to root for. Oh, to see Japan lit up for Christmas...
As someone who's not super into astrology, I found myself skimming over the long chunks of explanations of natal charts, but I still enjoyed the story as a whole. Is it my favorite in this sub-genre of magical realism with mysterious entities that know exactly what you need? No. But it was still a fun novella that I'd recommend if you enjoyed the first book.

Thank you to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. I loved the first one and was thrilled at the opportunity to read this one.

I very much enjoyed the return of all of the planet cats and especially the scene in the beginning where they were all learning more about the Age of Aquarius and seeing their personalities shine throughout.

I loved the stories of the different focal characters and their moments of growth but I can also see why some have felt the interactions were a bit less mystical and natal chart focused than in the first book. I personally enjoyed getting some differently oriented stories and seeing the different ways the Full Moon Coffee Shop can work for different types of people. I absolutely loved all the peeks into the planet cats throughout. I really hope there will be more of these going forward! 4.5☆

#BestWishesfromtheFullMoonCoffeeShop #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
I enjoyed the astrology references and the mysterious full moon cafe that pops up anywhere.
Such a cozy read, that makes you believe in good 😊

The second installment of the Full Moon Coffee Shop books picks up with a Christmas theme. But it otherwise keeps with the same conceit of different customers visiting the titular coffee shop and getting astrological advice from talking cats. This time I thought I was prepared for the amount of astrology. But, either there was even more or I had forgotten how overwhelming it could be to the storytelling. If you liked the first one, you'll like this new set of three interrelated stories!

“Tonight was the night of miracles” ARC Review. Thank you NG & Mai Mochizuki.

This is such a cute cozy little novella. Christmas themed with lots of moon, planets and celestial vibes. Talk of natal charts, too. 🪄🌙 if you’re a beginner diving into your natal chart, this could be a cute little beginner read for you.

The comfort of being able to sit down and make a wish.

And the moon in Pisces is spot on.

What I would give to sit at a full moon coffee shop 🕯️

Goodreads-https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7613284252

I have really been enjoying books like these lately that have a subtle cat theme mixed with meaningful and emotional short stories. I thought the astrology part of the book was super interesting, and it made me want to look up my own sun and moon signs out of curiosity. I loved that the cats all represented different planets/astrology signs.


When Ayu talked about Shooting Star Angels, it sounded a lot like Sailor Moon, which was one of my favorite childhood shows. I felt bad for Junko and her brother having to deal with such a horrible father. I liked that Junko got a Shiba Inu and named it Rin, which was her childhood Shiba Inu's name. I thought the story behind the name was very touching. The bits about reincarnation were interesting also. I enjoyed how everything was connected in some way, including Jiro's wife. The food and drinks served by the Full Moon Cafe all sounded refreshing, and I would have loved to try them. I would have loved some recipes at the end of the book! Thank you to Netgalley, Ballantine, and Mai Mochizuki for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC. 

This book was very similar to the first book in the series. Unfortunately it had less of the things I liked (cute cats) and more of the things I didn't (lengthy boring explanations of astrology). 

I think that people who enjoyed the first book will love this one too, but for me it was just a bit meh.

Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki is a Japanese bestseller and the second in the Full Moon Coffee Shop series.

Within these pages, three lost souls are fortunate enough to be invited to the mysterious Full Moon Coffee Shop during Christmastime.

The Master of the cafe, a reader of the stars, is a large enchanted tortoiseshell cat. He is assisted by the messengers of the stars (also enchanted cats!)

By using divination, they help their guests find their way towards their true path of happiness.

I am very fond of the Full Moon Coffee Shop, its offerings, and the mystical persons (and cats!) one finds there. I am not very familiar with astrology, but that did not affect my enjoyment of this endearing novel.

I hope there are more Full Moon Coffee Shop stories in the future!

Translated by Jordan Taylor
Ballantine Books
Tentative publication date: October 28, 2025

My review is currently posted on Goodreads (link provided), and I will also post it on my BrightBookReviews Instagram (Bookstagram) and Facebook pages on October 28th (it is my normal practice to leave book reviews up indefinitely).
I will come back and share the links to those reviews when they are up.
I will also submit my review to Amazon.

#arc #netgalley
#ballantinebooks #RandomHouse #maimochizuki
#cats #coffeeshop #TheFullMoonCoffeeShop #Magic
#Fiction #Fantasy #astrology #divination #cats
#Brightbookreviews #Goodreads

While I do believe this series does a good job of interconnecting all of the short stories together, I feel like it lacks the emotional weight that its counterparts within the genre carry. The series tends to focus on the impact of astrology instead of more of the emotional beats that come with just being human and messy. A quick read and enjoyable, but potentially too shallow for those looking for depth.

This reads almost like a collection of short stories, but they're so interconnected that it really wouldn't have the full impact if you read them all separately. This also connects back to the first one so seamlessly, which made it feel much more intentional and not just "I'm throwing in random cameos from past characters". That all being said, I really enjoyed the first two chapters, but the last one was not my personal favorite. I didn't love the emotional abuse that Junko and her brother went through being reduced to just her Dad was anxious and didn't know how to properly express that.

The concept for this world and the "magic system" is so interesting. I think the tie in to astrology and natal charts and how they impact the characters was super interesting. I also really liked the talk of reincarnation in this one, especially in terms of pets.

Thank you to Ballantine and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Welcome to the return to The Full Moon Coffee Shop. Where whimsical fates are guided by the magic of cats and their ability to steer the soul. This novella continues the tradition of including astrology, pictures of astrology charts, and meeting the stars within the cat's fabric of being. This time the season is set during the magic of Christmas.
The magic of Christmas is a seasonal backdrop that has people seeking guidance as last-ditch efforts. The cats open a liminal space to see our own souls and answer our questions. A cozy tale about rebirth and rekindling our fires. Do not fret if you did not read the first in the series because these are stories within stories. Thank you Netgalley and Brazen for this advanced copy!