Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book in return for my honest opinion.

This book painted very vivid pictures of the worlds they were travelling in . Although it’s not my usual genre I found it easy to read . The main characters love story was cute and the writing was descriptive and captivating.

Would recommend to anyone who likes whimsical fantasy

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for a free eARC of Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao.
What a charming and creative blend of Cosy Fantasy, SF, Mystery and Romance. The only thing I knew before reading “Water Moon” was the gorgeous cover and the first part of the synopsis ”A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets”. That was all I needed to know that I need to experience the story for myself.
If you ever watched and loved any Studio Ghibli movie, or you love the feeling of getting lost in “Alice in Wonderland”, you need to do everything within your power to read “Water Moon”.
Enjoy walking in a living scroll, watching moving tattoos that are only visible when it rains or you take a bath, pearls that hold memories, bottles of sand that is lost time, paper cranes that fly, a tea shop inside a tree, puddles and rumors that can teleport you and so many other wonderful feats of imagination.
“Water Moon” is a perfect book for when a reader wants to leave behind our world with its rules and wants to get immersed in a Japanese – inspired dream world filled with magic and wonder.
I am looking forward to get a physical copy so I can annotate it, cherish it and have it there in dark times.
The only reason this is not a five star is because I rarely resonate with romances in books. This was just a touch too sweet for my taste.

On the backstreets of Tokyo, there is a place where troubled souls can pawn the memories of their regrets and bad decisions. And although it looks like an ordinary noodle shop, it is far from ordinary...

Nevertheless, expecting to be on the receiving end of arrivals there, the new owner of the pawnshop finds herself in an unlikely alliance the morning after she wakes to the aftermath of a robbery. Whoever has stolen from her shop has left devastation and a disappeared father in their wake.

So with her new ally, Hana embarks on a most unexpected journey herself. The problem is, the last thing she wants is to reveal her own secrets and bad decisions in the process! But she may find that she has no choice in the matter...

This is a magical story, with a great deal of charm. And it is one that forces the reader to think deeply about their own life and choices, both bad and good. It gets 3.5 stars.

oh this was so beautiful and just the type of book i was wanted to read.

the story was so lovely and i really loved hana as a character. i think the writing pulled everything together here, and the fantasy elements were so well done. the setting was beautiful and enchanting.

i think if you enjoy cozy and whimsical fantasy, and also are a fan of studio ghibli, you’ll love this. i had such a good time with this and cannot wait to read more from this author.

thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc 🫶🏻

This charming otherworldly quest of a book carries distinct overtones of Studio Ghibli without being derivative.
Haha is left to run her father's extremely unusual pawnshop when he retires...and then disappears. She sets out to find him with the help of a seeming stranger, Keishin, and together they fall into one world after another, their bond with one another growing ever stronger as they do so.
Along the way they encounter melancholy, noble sacrifice, gentle care, a lasting love and chilling ghostly pursuers.
Is the quest exactly what they thought it would be be at first? Not at all! Haha and Keishin ghave so much to learn about each other and themselves as they move through the worlds they encounter
Will their love remain unrequited and out of reach, will Hana save her father and will Hana and Keishin both find the mothers who abandoned them?.Will they both learn forgiveness? Of others, and themselves?
Read this mystical tale for yourself to find out.

rounding this up to 3.5

a pawnshop is only seen by folks who really need it. the rest see it as a ramen restaurant on the streets of tokyo.

this magical fantasy touches many realistic feelings such as, humans sometimes must make choices that can be deemed as selfish.

the story felt slightly too left-field for me and i found myself thinking “what is going on”.

however, i did enjoy the love story between the two main characters.

Beautifully written. Will never look at rain the same way again, or puddles.

A story about love, fate and choices. We fallow Hana, who has recently taken over a pawnshop for her father, who goes missing. Hana stumbles into a stranger from another world, together they journey through Hana’s world, in search for answers.

The story felt like a Ghibli movie, in all the right ways. Such a charming story, filled with love and heartache. A fantastic world where every scene is a delight.

5/5 stars, this will be a hit once released. Please add to your TBRs!

This book feels like a future classic and it was beautiful and contemplative from start to finish.
Water Moon is about a pawnshop that people can only enter if they have a regret or a choice they want to be free from. When a regret is stolen and the pawnshop ransacked, it is up to Hana and her new acquaintance Keishin to figure out what happened.
The story flowed so naturally, and the magic was whimsical and enchanting (travelling via puddles; bridge connecting midnight and morning; kites as stars; whisked away by paper cranes and more) later twisting into something darker. The constant imagery of the moon reflecting in the water was poetic: a metaphor for everything you see and desire but can never have. This was reflective of so much throughout the story, including the relationship and longing between Hana and Keishin despite belonging to different worlds; a yearning for a mother each unknown to them; a desire to be free from what is expected; and wanting to belong. The book was a work of art and I absolutely adored it.
I whole-heartedly recommend this for those who enjoy whimsical fantasy - it personally gave me Howl's Moving Castle and Studio Ghibli vibes.

Thank you, Random House UK (via NetGalley), for the eARC.

‘Water Moon’ is a whimsical and immersive ghibli-esque adventure through the choices we make in life, the importance of free will and living for our own happiness.

Hana is about to take over the magical pawnshop hidden within a ramen restaurant in the backstreets of Tokyo once her father retires, but when she wakes up on her first day she realises everything is not what it seems. Along with scientist Minatozaki Keishin from our world, Hana jumps into puddles and travels through rumours to hunt down the choices that will lead to her father. But pawnshop owners are excellent manipulators, and important choices shift as easily as raindrops on skin…

This story was well-written and unpredictable from the very beginning. It’s a great fast paced read to get you out of a reading slump. Sometimes it felt as though the story moved too fast to keep up with, but this seemed like an intentional device used by the author to reflect the universe Hana lives in.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Ray for the opportunity to give an honest review on this story.

This is a fantasy-romance novel set in Tokyo. In many ways, Hana is the MC. However, I started to believe it is the world that allows for the wishes and the pawnshop and the alternatives to exist is the real protagonist here.

The book is divided into four major parts, and each smaller chapter has an interesting title.

As someone who is less interested in the romance genre, I found the fantastical premise and concept, the setting which reminded me of Studio Ghibli films, the metaphors of doors, paper, the pawn shop, river, cranes, moon and water, and the story world the best parts of this novel. The tenderness between the characters were a close second. The writing style was a 3.5 for me.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and engaging read,

This was such a unique and beautiful fantasy novel. I loved the setting and found myself hooked right from the beginning. I was particularly impressed by the seamless work building and also thought that it was paced brilliantly. I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Samantha Sotto Yambao
Rating: 4/5

As the dawn breaks on Hana Ishikawa's inaugural day as the owner of the pawnshop, she awakens to chaos. The establishment has been plundered, its most prized possession pilfered, and her father is nowhere to be found. Amidst the disarray, a captivating stranger stumbles into the shop, a departure from the usual clientele. Instead of seeking aid, he offers it.

Their journey spans mystical realms, navigating rain-slicked cobblestones, hitching rides on ethereal paper cranes, traversing the boundary between dusk and dawn, and exploring a nocturnal market suspended in the heavens.

Yet, as they edge closer to the truth, Hana must confront her own concealed truth—a revelation that could irrevocably alter her destiny.

I was captivated by the richness of Hana's world. Every leg of the journey unfolded with its own distinct charm, keeping me eagerly anticipating the next magical encounter. The narrative's brisk pace seamlessly transitioned from one captivating moment to the next, allowing me to devour the book.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, and the author, Samantha Sotto Yambao, for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.