Dreamers of the Full Moon Coffee Shop

満月珈琲店の星詠み #3

by Mai Mochizuki, Jordan Taylor (Translator)

This is not a romance, but it is about love - and set in a cute coffee shop!

One crescent moon, an azure cat takes over the running of the Full Moon Coffee Shop. The evening's first customer is an aging mother living alone in a crumbling cottage perched on a sea cliff.

Fujiko hasn't seen her only daughter, a high-flying actress in Tokyo, longer than she remembers. She passes the days reminiscing about times gone by in the company of a fluffy white kitty, until her little life collapses in on itself when blast from the past hits the headlines.

In a little multi-dimensional coffee shop tucked away somewhere between past and future, Fujiko makes a new feline friend. But this cat isn't just any old they are planet of our deepest desires in disguise, and they have the power to bend time.

Under the mystical influence of the blue planet, the third book in the beloved healing fiction series weaves an enchanting, empowering story about owning your truth before it's too late.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Japan, Cozy, Japanese Literature, Cozy Fantasy

214 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 7, 2021

About the author

Mai Mochizuki was born and raised in Hokkaido and now lives in Kyoto, and originally wrote Alice in Kyouraku Forest as a series of novels. She's written numerous other titles, including 4th Kyoto Book Award winner Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes which was turned into a manga and anime series.

Reviews

[Liong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gentle and magical visit to the Full Moon Coffee Shop. 🌕

This time, the story is more about relationships, regrets, dreams, and the choices we make in life.

I especially enjoyed Fujiko and Wataru's story. Their relationship slowly develops from childhood, and they never manage to say many things to each other.

I like how the book makes you think about “what if?” What if we had made a different choice? What if we had been more honest about our feelings?

The magical cats, coffee, desserts and astrology are still here, although I felt this book focused more on the people and their emotions than the previous 2 books.

There are also some surprises at the end of the story that I really didn’t see coming. I like it when a story can surprise me even after I think I already understand where it is going. 😄

It is a calm and comforting read, with a little sadness, a little magic, and a lot about love and second chances.

And of course, I still wouldn't mind having a coffee with those magical cats. 🐱☕🌕

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Full Moon Coffee Shop series is perfect for those who might enjoy a mix of fantasy, magical realism and astrology. Book #3 would work fine as a standalone if this series is new to you. Here again three people's lives are helped by guidance from the magical cats who run the pop-up coffee shop, as well as the personified planets that make up their astrological charts. The message this time seems to be to live your life honestly. I enjoyed these characters and their stories. I've always been fascinated by the thought of alternate realities.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this novel via NetGalley.

[Sandra || Tabibito no hon · Rating 3 out of 5]

najlepszy tom serii, inny niż poprzednie i dobrze

[Resh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful and lyrical! My favorite translated series ever!

🌙 The Full Moon Coffee Shop is managed by cats. Actually they are the planets but they look like cats 😁. Depending on what you are going through in your life, your star chart, and alignment of planets, the shop will choose drinks and desserts for you. These delicacies aren’t just normal either - they are of celestial origin and themed 😍. While serving, they also provide guidance and advice on how to navigate what you are going through. In this story, Neptune takes a center stage to serve the customers.

☕️ I was so in love with this story from start to finish. I always am when it comes to this series. This has a way of showing what I want to hear all the time not to mention the release time aligns exactly with the celestial events described. How cool is that?!

🐈 I also loved that this story had a new touch. If you read book 1, the story is connected in a way that the customers are still the ones who saved a kitten from book 1. But in this one, there’s a new outlook (no spoilers) which I really enjoyed. Having Neptune take center stage is lovely! Another thing I appreciate is, there’s hope and not only hope but also actual life changes in the lives of the characters.

🌙 Plus, these adorable cats have the best life advice ever! Let’s be honest cats are the best at it no questions asked. I’ve shared some quotes I loved though there’s much more! The writing is beautiful too - another reason why I keep going back. I really want more and more books of this series, would love to know more about the planets’ identities too!

☕️ If you love magical realism, whimsy, celestial connections and getting impawtant life advice from cats, this is written just for you 🥰.

Thank you Ballantine Books for the ARC. All thoughts my own.

[Czytam Sercem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Przepiękna! Ta część serii podobała mi się dużo bardziej od poprzedniej, której już nawet nie pamiętam. Niestety nie wygląda na to, by autorka miała zrezygnować z oparcia książek o Kawiarni pod Pełnym Księżycem na astrologii, jednak mam wrażenie, że i tak w tej części było mniej tego typu treści. Zamiast tego, co oceniam na ogromny plus, Mochizuki skupiła się na przedstawieniu losów dwojga, czy raczej trojga bohaterów, które na tyle mnie wciągnęły, że ostatnie rozdziały pochłonęłam po północy, rezygnując z dodatkowej godziny snu. Trudno o lepszą rekomendację (jestem śpiochem, a do tego choruję przewlekle).

[Alyson Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book: Dreamers of the Full Moon Coffee Shop
Author: Mai Mochizuki
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Ballantine Books, for sending me an ARC. This is my least favourite entry in this series. I have found the other books in the series to be very delightful and engaging, but this one was hard for me to get into. I don’t know why.


This is a heartwarming standalone novel set in the magical Full Moon Coffee Shop, where kind cats quietly help people who are searching for hope and direction. During one August full moon, Neptune arrives in the form of a gentle woman named Sala, whose gift is inspiring dreams and encouraging people to open their hearts. Sala joins the café's feline guides as they help several visitors facing emotional struggles. Satsuki returns home after three years away to introduce her boyfriend to her mother, only to uncover a surprising truth about her family's past. Her mother, Fujiko, is questioning her place in life, while successful author Wataru is struggling with writer's block and searching for renewed inspiration. As Sala and the cats guide each of them, they begin to face their deepest emotions and discover the value of honesty, self acceptance, and love in its many forms. This uplifting novel celebrates healing, meaningful connections, and the courage to embrace one's true feelings.

Even though this is a part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone, which is something that I like. We are taken back into the world of the Full Moon Cafe, which is a magical cafe that can appear anywhere at any time. Instead of serving your typical cafe food, each person is given something that is tailored to them and their needs. It usually involves showing them something that they need and helping them with their overall life. It’s life changing for the characters. Oh, did I mention that it is run by cats? Yes, this magical care’s staff is cats.

With all of that being said, I have really enjoyed these books in the past, but this one I could not get into and I don’t know why. It follows the same format as the rest of the books. We have characters who are struggling in life and they come across this cafe. It helps them out and we get to come along on the journey. There was just something about this time around that I could not get into.

I think it has to do with the fact that I could not form any kind of bond with our characters. They were just there for me and I could not get into their story. It was missing something to drive the point home. Now, it is written just a little bit different than the other two books and that could have had something to do with it. I will say that I am the type of reader that if I cannot form a bond with the characters, then I do find myself not enjoying the book as much as I could have.

The writing is magical and beautiful. The author has this way of pulling you in and making you fully engaged in the world. You are there with the characters at the Full Moon Cafe and going with them on this magical life journey. You feel everything that they are feeling. The emotional aspect of the book is there and I am here for it.

Overall, this is my least favourite book in the series. It’s a light, quick read with beautiful writing. I just wish that I loved it as much as the other books in the series.

This book comes out on August 25, 2026.

[Las Bookowy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literatura azjatycka zawsze ratuje mnie w trudnych chwilach. Otacza mnie komfortem i ciepłem, które w ciężkich momentach są tak bardzo potrzebne. Ta seria jest wyjątkowa, ponieważ porusza motywy, których nigdy wcześniej nie spotkałam.

Gdy brama lwa się otwiera, do kawiarni na kółkach prowadzonej przez koty przybywa wysłannik Neptuna o imieniu Sala. Ma on wyjątkową moc, obdarza ludzi snami i otwiera ich serca. Kawiarnia pod pełnią księżyca nie ma stałego miejsca. To kawiarnia na kółkach, która pojawia się tam, gdzie jest najbardziej potrzebna. Jej pracownikami są koty o ludzkich rozmiarach. Ich zadaniem jest konfrontowanie ludzi z ich życiowymi problemami, a przy tym posiadają ogromną wiedzę na temat astrologii, którą chętnie dzielą się z klientami.

Książka porusza trzy historie, które nieoczekiwanie się ze sobą łączą. Satsuki próbuje zmierzyć się ze swoją przeszłością i jednocześnie przedstawić matce swojego narzeczonego. Futakigus walczy z kryzysem twórczym, a Fujiko zmaga się z chorobą i trudną myślą o przemijaniu.

Autorka kolejny raz zabiera nas w historię pełną refleksji. Zmusza, by się zatrzymać i przemyśleć własne życie. Ważnym elementem książki jest także miłość do samego siebie. Pokazuje, że należy żyć w zgodzie z sobą, a nasze uczucia powinny być zawsze nazwane i zrozumiane.

Właśnie to uwielbiam w literaturze azjatyckiej. Przekazuje nam wartości, które powinny być oczywiste dla każdego, choć często o nich zapominamy. To zwykłe historie, proza życia, a jednak pozwalają się zatrzymać i spojrzeć na świat z zupełnie innej perspektywy. Jednocześnie pozostawiają nas zrelaksowanych, otoczonych czułością i pozytywnym nastawieniem, pełnym motywacji do działania.

Wątek astrologiczny wciąż jest obecny, jednak tym razem w zupełnie innym stylu. Teraz odpowiada za niego Sala, wysłannik Neptuna, którego mocą jest otwieranie ludzkich serc i obdarowywanie snami.

To wyjątkowa książka, która z pozoru wygląda jak zbiór opowiadań, ale w rzeczywistości tworzy przepiękną, spójną historię. Ten tom zdecydowanie podobał mi się bardziej niż poprzednie, był przecudowny. Jeśli szukacie czegoś komfortowego na tę jesień, gorąco polecam Wam tę książkę.

[colagatji]

szczerze powiedziawszy to czytam tego rodzaju książki, tylko dlatego, że posiadam je w mojej kolekcji
a znajdują sie w niej, gdyż ja debil lata temu zaczełam zbierać Wszystkie tłumaczenia literatury japońskiej wydawane w Polsce
i nigdy,
nawet w najśmielszych snach, nie spodziewałam się, jak wiele bardzo przeciętnych opowiastek uzyska zgodę na publikację

oto jedna z nich

[za_pomniane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Lisa Leone-campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreamers of the Full Moon Coffee Shop is a magical, feel good, lessons to be learned from life story about love, loss and regret. Charming and heartwarming yet heartbreaking in some ways, this is the third in the Full Moon Coffee Shop series. I did not read the first two and had absolutely no trouble diving into the story, and its cast of characters. I actually yearn for more and will go back and read the first two.

As the cats ready the coffee shop, Neptune who becomes the human named Sala prepares to give their next visitors enlightenment, life lessons and guidance. Patient and kind Sala will walk them through their past in the hopes of encouraging them to see what their life truly was and could be.

The story begins when a young woman, an actress named Satuski comes home to see her mother after an absence of three years. With her is a man who loves her and wants to marry her. He wants to ask Santuski's mother for her hand.

Santuski's mother, Fujko has secrets she has kept from her daughter and perhaps in some ways from herself. A single mother she raised her daughter to be independent and to rely only on herself. Unfortunately, Fujiko's life has been hard, lonely and filled with many regrets. She is the first to visit the Full Moon Coffee Shop.

Wataru was best friends with Fujiko since childhood. But their relationship ended years ago. Now a famous writer, the memory of his friend continues to haunt him. Their last meeting horribly regretful. Now, he is at a crossroads and must come to terms with the life he chose. He too will visit the coffee shop.

Fortunately for them they may be able to have a second chance, as the mysterious cat who turns human tries to point them in the life direction they possibly could have taken. where they could have still been in each other's life with no regrets as to how they left their friendship.

Dreamers of the Full Moon Coffee Shop is a beautifully uplifting, delightful read with valuable lessons to be taken away by the reader thanks to such extraordinary mystical cats whose advice to all of us is "the only person who can make you happy is you".

Thank you #NetGalley #BallantineBooks #MaiMochizuki #DreamersoftheFullMoonCoffeeShop for the advanced copy.

[naostatniejstroniee · Rating 4 out of 5]

[ współpraca reklamowa z Wydawnictwem WAB ]
4,5/5⭐️

˖ ࣪𐙚˚⋆ Dla wszystkich fanów kotów i przyjemnych historii. Kolejna odsłona 𝐤𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢, która pojawia się w 𝐫𝐨́𝐳̇𝐧𝐲𝐜𝐡 miejscach i przyciąga do siebie osoby, by pomóc im zrozumieć siebie i swoje 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚.

I część „Kawiarnia pod Pełnym Księżycem”, skupia się głównie na poznaniu problemu danej osoby oraz odczytaniu jej kosmogramu. „Kawiarnia pod Pełnym Księżycem. Prawdziwe życzenie.” kładzie nacisk na to, by pomóc ludziom zrozumieć siebie i poznać swoje największe życzenie. Z kolei „𝐊𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐥𝐧𝐲𝐦 𝐊𝐬𝐢𝐞̨𝐳̇𝐲𝐜𝐞𝐦. 𝐂𝐮𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐋𝐰𝐚” pozwala zrozumieć, że w życiu człowieka ważne jest słuchanie swoich uczuć oraz spełnianiu swoich pragnień.

˖ ࣪𐙚˚⋆ Przyznam szczerze, że nie mogłam doczekać się premiery tej książki. 𝐊𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐚 na kółkach, która pojawia się w niespodziewanych miejscach, w dodatku prowadzona przez 𝐤𝐨𝐭𝐲 ma specjalne miejsce w moim sercu. Każda z dotychczas wydanych części jest niezwykle komfortowa, lekka, zapadająca w pamięć. Dodatkowym plusem jest to, że wszystkie części są bardzo krótkie, a także przyjemny styl pisania 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢 sprawia, że historię jest się w stanie bardzo szybko przeczytać.

W tej części poznajemy historię 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐤𝐢, która wraca do domu rodzinnego, by spotkać się z mamą i przedstawić jej swojego narzeczonego. Zwykła, nieszkodliwa wizyta sprawiła, że na jaw wyszły zatajone przez 𝐅𝐮𝐣𝐢𝐤𝐨 – matkę Satsuki – sekrety. Gdzieś pomiędzy tymi wydarzeniami poznajemy wysłannika Neptuna, którego nazwano oficjalnie 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐚. Wątek tego bohatera bardzo mi się spodobał, w także delikatnie zmieniona koncepcja historii.

˖ ࣪𐙚˚⋆ Polecam zapoznać się z tą serią, jest 𝐜𝐮𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐚 🤍

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, I am so, so, sad about this one.
I really loved the first two books and I was so excited for this one [I waited for forever for this audiobook too], so when I finally was able to read it, I was expecting the same good feelings.

Sigh.

Where was the magic? Where was the adorable cafe and beautiful descriptions of food that you wished your could reach through the book and try yourself? WHERE. WERE. THE. CATS?
ALL the things that made the first two books lovely and magical and enjoyable to read about [I won't EVEN go into how disappointing the new narrator was as well - it took everything I had to keep listening] was completely missing from this book and I found I both didn't love the stories, nor was I really interested in them without all the elements that made the first two so magical.

I am so, so, very disappointed.

I was invited to read/review this by the publisher [Ballantine/Ballantine Books] and I thank them, Mia Mochizuki, Jordan Taylor - Translator, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Emilka ;) · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,75
Fabuła dupy nie urywała, było mnóstwo powtórzeń (raz zostało powiedziane, że bohaterka jest prostolinijna, to nie musisz mi o tym przypominać za dwie strony), a niektóre dialogi to już naprawdę zasługiwały na więzienie (jak masz problem z ekspozycją to wychodzi taki chat gpt)

[Patricia Lyons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realise this was part of a series when I picked it up, but I really enjoyed it! I loved the personification of the planets and astrological signs — it was such a clever and different way of weaving astrology into the story. I also loved the cat running the coffee shop, which added to the cosy, magical feel. A charming and unique read that was a little different from what I expected, but in a good way. Definitely a high 4 stars for me! The feeling of live your life and live it honestly is that I get from this book throughout

[Alyce Caswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mochizuki seems apologetic in the afterword about the changes in this instalment, but personally I think those changes make it the best one so far. It feels like a much more confident and cohesive book. The story focuses on a particular inciting event and, while the horoscope aspect is still present, it isn't as overwhelming. Love and its many inclusive forms is the main theme here.

Content warning: suicide

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This latest in the Full moon coffee shop feel-good cozy fantasy series by a best-sell-selling Japanese author Mochizuki, just didn't hit as much for me. I did like the message of only you can make you happy but the characters in this one just didn't grab me as much as ones in the other books. Okay but nothing wowing for me. I might be done with this series.

[Mook Woramon · Rating 5 out of 5]

ในบรรดาสามเล่ม ชอบเล่มนี้ที่สุดเลยยยย ซึ้งงงง

ชอบสิ่งที่ผู้เขียนบอกไว้เรื่อง ‘อย่าเพิกเฉยความรู้สึกของตัวเอง’

ชีวิตเรามีพันธนาการมากมายที่ทำให้ไม่สามารถทำตามใจตัวเองได้ทุกอย่าง
บางครั้งก็มีสถานการณ์ต้องทำในสิ่งที่ไม่อยากทำอยู่บ่อยครั้ง
เมื่อตกอยู่ในสถานการณ์แบบนั้น มีสามอย่างที่สำคัญ
- อย่างแรกคือยอมรับความรู้สึกที่แท้จริง
- อย่างที่สองคืออธิบายสถานการณ์ให้ตัวเองที่คิดแบบนั้นเข้าใจและขอโทษ
- อย่างที่สามคือประกาศเจตนารมณ์ของตัวเอง
-
ยกตัวอย่างตัวเอกที่ไม่อยากกลับไปอยู่บ้านเกิดแต่ก็ต้องกลับ ให้ยอมรับก่อนว่าไม่อยากกลับจริง ๆ แต่มีเหตุผลแบบนี้ให้ต้องกลับ ขอโทษตัวเอง และประกาศเจตนารมณ์ว่า แม้ไม่อยากกลับ แต่มีความจำเป็นต้องกลับ นี่เป็นการตัดสินใจของฉันเอง และจะไม่โทษใครทั้งนั้น

ถ้าเราไม่เพิกเฉยต่อตัวเอง ไม่ทำให้ตัวเองเป็นผู้เสียหาย ไม่มีความรู้สึกผิดกัดกินที่ไม่ได้ทำตามใจตนเอง เราจะได้เริ่มต้นอนาคตใหม่ได้โดยไม่ต้องติดใจกับการกระทำในอดีตอีก

[Sajgonkawarzywna · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐4,25/5

[MisiakPrzytulak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Czytana jednym tchem. Piękna. O słuchaniu własnego serca.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

ten twist na końcu i ogólnie scena na plaży jakoś zepsuła coś, co nie byloby az tak zle 🤷🏻‍♀️

[marlenka · Rating 5 out of 5]

ta część podobała mi się najbardziej ze wszystkich trzech, ale ogólnie mam sentyment do tej serii, także jest pozytywnie

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

z bólem serca daję dwie gwiazdki. o wiele bardziej podobały mi się poprzednie części a tu nie mam pojęcia o co chodziło

[Bill McHugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it

[reg⭑ · Rating 4 out of 5]

possibly 4.5. ..

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love these as much as the others in the series, but still much appreciate the stories and lesson in life learned from them.

[Julianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had a different style than the first 2 and I lost interest early

[Raspberry · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 najsłabsza część

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it was such a good book in the series. I thought it was a really cool idea, and I will never say no to a cafe run by cats. The ending was super cute, and I love this cover.

[Emma Buskirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would rate this 6/5 if I could