Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

National Bestseller. And once you step inside this story, you’ll understand why.

On a quiet backstreet in Tokyo, there is a pawnshop that not everyone can find. Most passersby see only a cozy ramen restaurant. But those who are truly lost — those carrying the weight of old choices and deep regrets — will find a door that opens just for them.

When Hana Ishikawa inherits this extraordinary shop, she wakes her first morning as owner to find it ransacked, her father missing, and the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen. Then a charming young physicist wanders in — not to sell a regret, but to offer help. Together, they chase the truth through a breathtaking world of kites made of wishes, origami that holds time in its folds, paper crane rides, and a night market nestled in the clouds.

Dreamlike and deeply romantic, this is the kind of book you read slowly on purpose.

“Race through a lush world of pure wonder and romance… lovely, cozy fantasy reminiscent of Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Readers who have been swept up in the cozy charm of Before the Coffee Gets Cold will fall hard for the mix of magical realism, fantasy mystery, and star-crossed romance.” — Library Journal (starred review)

If you’ve ever lingered in a bookshop on a rainy afternoon looking for something that feels like magic — this is it. Curl up with it. Let the pages carry you somewhere wonderful.

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