From the bestselling author of the Japanese sensation The Full Moon Coffee Shop, this charming and heartfelt novel showcases the magic of Christmas as lost souls find themselves—with a little help of from an enchanted café run by cats.

In Japan, cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favor. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a Christmas-time Kyoto moon.

Satomi is devoted to her job in Tokyo, but when her boyfriend hints that he is going to propose to her on Christmas Day, she becomes torn between the career in the city that she loves and a quieter life with her boyfriend in the country. What will the magical cats see for her future?

Koyuki, meanwhile, works at Satomi’s company. Ever since her father passed away in an accident on Christmas Day, she has been playing the role of the good, cheerful girl—and now that her mother has remarried, she is forced to pretend she is part of a happy new family. But this Christmas, what will the cats reveal as her true wish?

Junko, Satomi’s sister-in-law, lives in a small town with her husband and their daughter Ayu, a first grader. When her estranged father becomes ill, Junko returns home with Ayu in tow—and with the help of the magical cats, she learns something surprising that will change her life forever.

This holiday season, each stands at a crossroads, confronting their past and present struggles. With the help of some feline divinations, each will finally have the courage to seek happiness and contentment in their lives.

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After loving The Full Moon Coffee Shop, I knew I would be picking up pretty much anything Mai Mochizuki was writing – so I was excited to see a series featuring the Full Moon Coffee Shop. While this installment in the series is centered around Christmas time, that is not the theme of the stories or the people featured, it’s simply the time of year. I wasn’t sure how things were going to be connected, but was pleasantly surprised to see some tie ins to the first book in that one of the people the coffee shop cats help is talked about. That being said, they can be read independently of each other, but so far I would recommend going in order – it helps to understand the cats better and what they do and it’s nice to see all of the character connections.

The cats once again are helping people through treats and drinks, revealing the secrets of their astrological charts and helping them with their sometimes inner turmoil or dilemmas. We delve a little more into the astrological side of things with the cats explaining. This book mostly concerns different members of one family/social circle, so when we reach the end it’s really like things have come full circle and the loose ends have been wrapped up.

This series so far is the perfect cozy translated fiction, with a touch of fantasy and magic. It’s heartwarming seeing the different outcomes as the characters resolve the matters that might be troubling their hearts.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Blamed for her brother’s death, Lia is sent by her father to a remote mental facility in Greece. There, she discovers that her ability to see and communicate with lost souls connects her to a world of divine secrets, ancient prophecies, and binds her fate to the gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon.

Haunted by her past and battling the facility’s oppressive practices, Lia discovers unexpected connections, new found love, and friendships in a place she thought would offer none. Now, haunted by the Elders, she holds the key they have searched hundreds of years for. Lia must summon strength from within to ensure the survival of both the divine and mortal realms alike, and keep the Titans from being awoken.

The first installment in a gripping saga of Greek mythology and self-discovery, Lia’s odyssey will resonate with readers, delving into themes of identity, sacrifice, and the enduring power of hope amidst darkness.

Any book featuring mythology or folklore will immediately pique my interest and this one was no different. The progression of this story did start off pretty slow, but I felt the building of momentum as it went on was good. The writing is well done, especially considering this is a debut.

Lia really goes through it, especially when she has at a mental healthy facility after being accused of murdering her brother. There are a lot of topics that would benefit from a trigger warning (SA references especially).

This felt like a really solid start to a series with solid foundation. It’s clear who Lia is and the other characters are also pretty well formed and unique. All in all an interesting take on Greek mythology and I’m interested in seeing where it goes.

Happy reading!

It is the late summer of 2021, and a girl named Nora is on the Paris Metro.

Nora, whose mother loved her, even though Nora was broken.

Nora, who couldn’t help her mother when her mother needed her most.

Nora, from whom the pandemic has taken nearly everything, save the object she clings to: a cylinder containing her mother’s ashes.

With no family left, no friends to speak of, and no way to turn back time, Nora has come to France to keep a promise she never got to make: to spread the ashes in a place her mother never got to see. But instead, Nora finds herself on the run through a forest in the night, taking refuge in a dark holloway. And when she wakes, and tries to make her way back to something she recognizes, she realizes that is impossible.

Because it is no longer 2021.

Questioning everything—including her own sanity—Nora sets out on a journey through a time and place completely foreign to her, and yet one that, much like the time and place she came from, is defined by death, loss, fear, and uncertainty. A journey in which she must find a way to honor her mother—and heal herself—in a world that feels irrevocably broken.

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Holloway is definitely a slower read, but it is so worth it – so if a slower pace puts you off, but you really enjoy family dynamics between mothers and daughters (not always good ones) and exploring of found families and friendships, then you still may want to give this one a try. It’s definitely a story you should take your time with and absorb fully.

The relationship between Nora and her dead mother, and the revelations of what they were before her mother’s death, were quite an exploration in the dynamic where a parent thinks they know what is best for their child, but in fact they do not. The child coming to that realization is even more of a revelation in the story.

Nora’s story is a wonderful journey, not just in her realizations and healing but also in the time travel aspect. After dealing with the pandemic and losing her mother, she is heading to France to decide where to scatter her mother’s ashes, and that leads to her waking up in 1946. The lens through the world after the worst events of the pandemic juxtaposed with the view of post World War II Europe.

This is a heartfelt story with far more depth than you would originally think. The writing is beautiful and poignant and worth taking your time with.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

The pirate queen of the Shattered Islands, Arynn Cosgrove, has battled for control her entire life. After years of bloodshed and sacrifice, she is finally within reach of the peaceful future she has promised the pirates, and ready to face the one person who threatens her hard-earned stability.

When a colossal beast turns her near-victory into chaos, Arynn makes a split-second decision to teleport to safety, only to discover she hadn’t escaped alone. Hadeon Idell, a low-ranking yet ambitious pirate, was swept into the magic with her.

Stranded on a remote island with no crew, no supplies, and no clear way home, they are forced into an uneasy partnership. She has survived by relying on no one but herself, and experience has taught her that closeness comes at a cost. Arynn must decide whether protecting her independence or trust in love.

Hexed by the Tide is a standalone romantasy about a fiercely self-reliant pirate queen, an ambitious underdog determined to earn his place, and the transformative power of choosing to let someone in.

Amazon | Goodreads

I was all about this title as soon as I read the synopsis and thought it would be so fun – I was not disappointed. It was a quick read, but was still a full story. I really enjoyed the characters and how fully fleshed out they were. Their chemistry and growth together was wonderful. If you’re looking for a pirate adventure with some forced proximity and he falls first, pick this one up!

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.