Mai Mochizuki has done it again!
Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop was just as scintillating and magical as the first book in this interconnected standalone series.
I loved how 2020 being this tumultuous time (both from a COVID perspective and a political lens, in my opinion), was explained as a shift in the age of astrology. I further loved how the author took this shift in age to enhance periods of transition in our 3 main character’s lives. Through their stories, we watched each woman’s views on their lives and what they really wanted out of them (ie, their true wishes) transition a part of themselves into the next phase of their lives. From a burnt out career woman realizing it's ok to want a family as well, to a young temp worker sacrificing her happiness due to an internal atonement from past guilt who gets a visit from a most unexpected guest, to a woman who grew older and was able to understand that her parents were flawed like any other human but was also granted lifechanging news via an old friend, each woman was able to realize their true wish buried in their core and move forward on a clearer path for their futures. Not only were their stories incredibly relatable, but the experiences and emotions explored definitely gave me chills several times throughout the stories.
I loved how each story was interconnected, with the women being in each other’s lives in some respect. We also saw characters from the first book make a reappearance or at least be mentioned, which was fun to see as well. I love seeing how all things are connected, much like astrology itself 😊
Finally, I liked the insights we got into the different planet’s studies and group dynamics. As the “workers” at the full moon coffee shop doling out the wisdom to patrons, it was interesting to see what their “lives” where like behind the scenes. I liked seeing the individual personalities and seeing where friendships lay. The fact that it all just made sense in line with astrology as well made it incredibly fascinating!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Mai Mochizuki for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.