Mai Mochizuki's soothing J-healing feline series began with The Full Moon Coffee Shop and continues with an inviting second volume, Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop. The continuing premise repeats on the first page: the pop-up shop run by cats "has no fixed location" and doesn't take orders because the staff creates "desserts, meals, and drinks--selected just for you" while they "help those lost souls seeking solace."
Christmas hustle bustle is the setting here for three linked stories of women facing crossroads. Satomi treasures her independence as an events manager for a Tokyo ad agency and is unsure how she'll respond to a likely marriage proposal on Christmas Eve from her longtime boyfriend; a date with her young niece, Ayu, offers new clarity. Koyuki, Satomi's co-worker, has avoided celebrating the holiday with her family since her father died in a Christmas Day accident when she was eight, but an unexpected reunion finally sends her home. Junko, Satomi's sister-in-law, reluctantly visits her estranged father in the hospital with daughter Ayu. There, she gets the opportunity to fulfill a café reservation made for her 21 years ago by her beloved childhood pet to whom she was never able to say goodbye. For this trio of seekers, feline encouragement will help hone their true, best wishes.
Jordan Taylor comfortably translates Mochizuki's light, chatty prose. Mochizuki's ongoing fascination with astrology manifests in her out-of-this-world staff--Luna, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Venus (missing are "old man Pluto and oddball Neptune"). But her vulnerable stories of humans longing for understanding and connection are what will capture readers' hearts. --Terry Hong