I discovered the Romantic Escapes books last year and dove right in and devoured them all quite quickly. I've found them all to be charming, witty and make me want to travel wherever Julie has based the latest book. I was quite excited to read The Little Teashop in Tokyo but sadly I feel this missed the high bar that has been set by the previous books.

This novel follows Fiona as she travels to Japan after winning a photography contest. She's to be mentored by a well known photographer for two weeks and then have a grand exhibition of her photographs once it's all done. As a photographer, I was eager to follow Fiona along in her journey since I'd be able to more closely relate to her than the other previous heroines. Fiona makes it to Japan and finds out that her mentor is now someone she made a fool of herself over when she was a teenager and is mortified when he arrives to pick her up.

The good is that I really loved learning so much about Tokyo and Japan and it did make me want to travel there. I adored the relationship of Fiona and her host family and would have happily read a book completely without romance to read about her time staying with the family and more about the teashop.

The bad is Gabe. He's terrible and their relationship is terrible. I wasn't rooting for them, ever.

Overall it was a fine read but a disappointment to me in comparison with her previous novels (as much as it pains me to say this!).

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book as much as the previous Romantic Escape books (#4 and 5) that I read. It was OK, but didn't have the same feeling for me as the other books. I would give it 2.5stars. I blame it on Fiona and Gabe. I didn't love their romance (which was extremely slow occur) and predicted exactly what would happen. I found both to be highly annoying. I hated when they were together. Fiona constantly went on about how ugly she was and how Gabe ruined her life at eighteen. I don't think what happened to her was so horrible that she had to hide away. Most of her insecure feeling came from her mom, who was a huge manipulator. Her mom wouldn't even allow her to enjoy the free trip to Japan with all the text messages about dying and being left home alone. Fiona needs to separate that huge codependent relationship. Then there was Gabe. He was the worst mentor in history. The only thing he seemed to have going for him was that he was handsome. I honestly don't believe he would have remembered Fiona after ten years.

I loved reading about Japan. The description about the scenery, food and people was amazing. Especially the food, it sounded delicious. The cherry blossoms!!!! Would love to visit there!! Never realized their subways and trains would be so quiet. The Borderless digital museum sounds magical. Haruka and her family were the best part. They were lovely and always there for Fiona. The perfect hosts. I doubt Fiona's mom would change so much in such a short time.

Give the book a try, especially if you read the previous Romantic Escape books. This one just wasn't my cup of tea. Look forward to reading more books by the author. I love the Romantic Escape series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A lovely story. A fab ending. Julie Caplin had done a lot of research about Japan and it showed. Some things I knew but a lot I didn't. I loved the description of the cherry blossom. The tea ceramony was described well. .A nice feel good book.

I always love these Julie Caplin books as they give you a chance to go somewhere you dream of visiting. Except this time I have been to Tokyo - so was it going to live up to the real thing? I admit to waiting a couple of times to see if there were any rooky mistakes, as Japan is unique and it would be easy to spot something that didn't fit in. I can thankfully say yes it did live up to my experience . All the descriptions of the travel and the Japanese customs were so true to my own trip that I felt like I was there all over again.



The book follows Fiona who wins a trip to Japan. Whilst there she will be mentored by a famous Japanese photographier. Except that the mentor can't make it and instead someone she embarrassed herself with long ago called Gabe takes over the role. So begins a little bit of a cat and mouse story - with no spoilers from me as to whether the cat catches the mouse.



Some wonderful characters in this book - especially the Japanese ladies who I would love to meet. Hakura elegant and understated in her own unique way together with her lovely daughter and headstrong grand daughter. Julie has captured perfectly the generations in Japan. Also there is Yumi the petulant and spoilt former muse of her mentor Gabe. I really didn't like this character at all, wanting to tell her she had made her bed and she needed to go lie in it!



The lovely easy style of the book makes it a great read even if you've never been to Japan. The journeys and sights around Tokyo are so descriptive you will feel like you are there, or make you want to go again.

I selected this book for two reasons: one, the main character is a blogger and secondly, this is set in Japan, a country that merges traditions beautifully with technology and modernism. What is more? Fiona is also a passionate photographer, something I too love. Quite understandably, I was more invested in her photography experiments and the beauty and serenity of Japan that unfolded through her eyes than on the romance part.
Usually, I don't prefer reading travel romances. The story part and the travelling rarely gel together but surprisingly, Julies Caplin has managed that feat incredibly well. There is ample tension to keep you focused and Japan with its tantalising dishes and scenic beauty fits beautifully within the storyline. The cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji, Digital museum and the silent trains . . . yup, Japan is added to my ever-growing bucket list.
Fiona and Gabe have their own flaws and it took me some time to warm up to Gabe. I don't know which is worse, a man who sleeps around or the one who is under the leash of a manipulative woman. Both are despicable and Gabe belongs to the latter category. Sorry, if I didn't jump in joy on meeting him. But as a wise man once said, people are capable of change and grudgingly though it may be, I am happy that Fiona gave him a chance.
I cannot conclude this review without mentioning Haruka, the kind but firm Japanese lady who owned the teashop. She is really a fairy godmother in a kimono and her tea ceremony was one of the most interesting part in the novel. Well, we could never really know about a country through a single book, but if you are interested in getting a taste of Japan along with a cute love story, then this is the perfect pick. What more can you wish for during this lockdown period?

The Little Teashop in Tokyo
By: Julie Caplin
Pub Date: 11 Jun 2020
Review by: Sky H, reviewer

Thankful to netgalley and the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows travel blogger Fiona, who wins a life changing all-expenses paid trip to Japan, where she is to be mentored in all things photography and have her work displayed in an exhibition.

Upon arrival in Japan Fiona is faced with a blast from her past, Gabe who ten years ago she had a crush on. One kiss between the pair led to heartache and changed her life forever. The story focuses on the love hate relationship between the two main characters and their travels around Japan. Along the way Fiona forms some wonderful friendships with the family she is lodging with learns about their traditions,

Unfortunately, i struggled to read this book. I found the story was rather slow to begin with and i felt like that it was lacking in the romance department.

Overall The Little Teapshop in Tokyo was light-hearted and perfect for anyone looking for an easy read.

I've never been to Japan before, but reading this book definitely made me feel like I have! The author does a fantastic job of incorporating so many different elements of the culture, both modern day and traditional, that it really feels like a visit. The characters are sweet, and flawed, and they all work out in the end, naturally, but the real draw of this book is the set development!

Just what we need right now: the opportunity to travel and explore new cultures in a totally safe way when we can't actually go anywhere. The descriptions of Japan and the culture and tea ceremonies were lovely and transported me there. The romance between Julia and Gabe was engaging and was partly about letting go of the past and living in the here and now (surely a message we can all relate to right now). This is a great book to read if you want to escaper the pressures of life and just kick back and relax. I will now go and read others in this series.

The Little Teashop in Tokyo is a romantic comedy about Fiona, a photographer that wins an exposition and a mentoring trip to Japan.

Everything was perfect and exciting until she found out that her former teacher Gabe, a very famous photographer, was substituting her mentor.

Ten years ago, she misunderstood a few signs and ended up making a fool of herself, so now she was determined to keep her distance.

It is a sweet and romantic story of letting go of the past and embracing what life has to offer in the present.

There is an OW (Other Woman), but Gabe does not cheat. He is just taking his time getting over her. His heart is healing from the heartbreak, but very slowly (lol).

This book is like taking a little trip to Japan. The heroine stays with a lovely Japanese family that introduces her and the reader to several local costumes old and new.

The family owns a teashop, and there are descriptions of tea ceremonies, beautiful gardens, and other touristic spots, including Mount Fuji.

In times of COVID, a little trip, even if only imaginary, was a considerable respite.

I recommend this book to everyone in need of escapism and light romance.

*This review will be posted on https://lureviewsbooks.weebly.com closer to the publication date*

I stayed up till 2:00 am finishing the book. A classic romantic novel, it was cute, well-paced and predictable. enjoyed reading it. just what I need in the middle of heavy reading. I'm so glad I spotted it.
If you're looking for a fun light read, try this book!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how she uses Japanese’s culture throughout the story. It was an easy read I loved it!

With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an early copy.
Another fabulous book by Julie.
Fiona wins an all expenses paid trip to Japan for a chance to exhibit her photographs at the Japan centre in London.
On arrival, whilst waiting for her mentor to receive her, she’s shocked to find that’s it’s Gabe, who she knows from years ago and used to teach her and things didn’t end well for her.
He takes her to where she will be staying - the Kobashi family.
Fiona enjoys living with Haruka and learning about the teashop her daughter owns, and learning about the different teas and tea ceremony.
Gab isn’t too eager to show Fiona around Japan and on occasions leaves her to her own devices. But when she confronts him, and Haruka also points out that he’s supposed to be mentoring Fiona, he decides to take her where she needs to go
Fiona is informed that Gabe is seeing Yumi who is married and what happened between them.
Gabe informs Fiona that he recognises her from years ago and that he should’ve told her earlier. On a trip to see Mount Fuji, Fiona thinks she’s left her phone behind and informs Gabe, whilst on the train Gabe takes photos of her. During the trip things change between.
But when they get back, at Gabe’s studio, Fiona comes across her phone and asks Gabe what he’s doing with her phone, an argument ensues and Fiona leaves.
She tells Haruka who asks if she wants to go back home early, which is arranged, Gabe tries to find her at the airport but is unsuccessful.
Back home, it’s the day of Fiona’s exhibition, her mom has an accident and she’s late, missing Gabe who leaves before she arrives, leaving a note for her. The exhibition is a hit.
Avril asks her to come with her to another exhibition of Gabe’s but Fiona doesn’t want to see more photo’s of Yumi do declines. Avril then calls Fiona and asks her to get to Dover Street. When she arrives, she’s shocked to find the photo’s of her that Gabe took are on show.
Gabe comes to the exhibition, and they clear the air.

Highly recommend it.

I loved this book! I have enjoyed Julie Caplin’s previous books and reading her latest was like meeting up with old friends. The writing style is easy and comfortable and the characters really came to life. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Japan and the way Japanese traditions were woven into the storyline. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to the next one!

I'm such a big fan of Julie Caplin so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book! If you've enjoyed the earlier books in the series, you should love this! I liked the chemistry between Gabe and Fiona. Also, it will make you fall in love with Japan! So is the perfect read to take you away during the lockdown!

I am a sucker for a romance novel and really enjoyed this story. I loved that the story takes place mainly Japan and it was beautifully described. I was left wanting more at the end! Sweet story you will not want to put down!

The Little Teashop in Tokyo pours a decadent serving of Japan's culture. As a travel writer, Fiona Hanning is used to being out of her comfort zone. However, when Gabriel Burnett's piercing blue eyes reflect her misgivings, she's flashes back to their first encounter.

His dashing good looks and notoriety was a powerful elixir during her teenage years. A rash decision haunted and halted her development. Locking herself from the world, blogging unlocked her fragile spirit.

Winning a life-changing photo contest, her awaiting exhibition is prompted by a mentorship in Tokyo. As an acclaimed photographer, Gabe is brought in when her mentor is called away. Will her remember her or is the picturesque trip now a fleeting fantasy?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early read. I love Julie Caplin's writing and her impeccable research into the country's culture and customs. I've traveled to 50% of the world and find the lockdown difficult, especially staying stateside. Caplin's thrilling accounts afforded me to armchair travel to Tokyo.and have a taste of Japanese culture.

I received this ARC copy thanks to Netgalley. I have read the entire series by Julie Caplin and this addition allows Fiona who we met in the first book of the series after she won.a photography contest that sends her to Tokyo for a two week internship. Readers will find Fiona finds a similar mentor relationship that Kate found with Eva in Copenhagen. There was something about this addition that just seemed to fall a bit flat for me. I think because outside of Fiona and Gabe all the other characters were just two dimensional. I would give this book B/B- if you had have read the series it is fun to see where she takes you but I would not jump into this book first.

I will always be attracted to novels about making a new life for oneself in another country, however, Caplin's "The Little Teashop in Tokyo" was totally predictable and quite dissapointing.

The Little Teashop in Tokyo, Julie Caplin

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (adult), Romance.

Well, wow, I adored this story. I didn't realise it was one of those complete stories, but connected books series, so I'm off to find the rest when I've time. It didn't matter that I hadn't read the others, but I can see for those who have, getting snippets of the characters in their updated lives will be fun.

Fiona, what a lovely lady. Lives with her widowed mum, its been just the two of them for so long, her dad dying when she was small. Her mum is clearly a bit of a hypochondriac, and even though Fiona is 28 still treats her as if she's 8 much of the time. Fiona understands, chafes at it sometimes, but has found a way to manage her mum's anxieties. Of course now she's off to Japan for two weeks her mum is terrified for her. Fiona is determined not to be put off though and bravely marches in. this could be the makings of a whole new career for her, and will work well with her travel blog.

What she doesn't expect though is Gabe. The man who'd been booked has had to cancel and Gabe is taking his place. He's a well known man, top photographer, and certainly no second rate substitute but......Fiona has a history with him, from when she was 18 and he was taking a half term class at her school. Its didn't go well, she's been affected by the events ever since, and this throws her. Gabe doesn't recognise her, and she's not sure how she feels. That incident affected her ever since, changed her whole way of life and yet he seems t have forgotten it....how, she thinks, can something that was so big for her be nothing, forgettable to him.
,
Gabe was such an obnoxious man to begin, clearly not happy about mentoring her and it shows. Slowly though he changes and became a man I fell in love with a bit too.
The ladies she's staying with are amazing, and teach her so much, taking her in as part of them, showing her some of the traditional Japanese way of life. I loved those parts, could taste the food, smell the teas, see the beautiful kimonos, and the wonderful relaxing garden. It sounded magical, and Fiona really grew in her confidence with their help. She was like a different person at the end, more confident but still with her amazing fascination and enthusiasm for life.

I hated a Certain Person but was so glad she was in the book, I love that sort of character.
I loved that when things fell apart it wasn't a quick solution, that it lasted for some time. I hate when its all off one page, and all on again the next.
I guess my only minor criticism would be the time span, its just two weeks and for the first couple of days they really don't like each other, but then if I take into account the history and how things were then, it makes up for it. A bit. I just have trouble with insta love. Lust I can believe in, love takes a bit longer IMO

Stars: Five. A wonderful, engaging read, transporting me to a country I've always wanted to visit.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. I have heard good things about Caplin's previous books and was expecting a magical adventure filled with romance. I will say the descriptions of Japan were wonderful. I could see Caplin's travel background throughout the chapters. The descriptions were written with a lot of detail that made me feel like I was in Japan.

Overall, the plot was good too. A naive photographer, Fiona, wins a once-in-a-lifetime competition to spend two weeks in Japan and be mentored by a world famous photographer. When the mentor is called away for an emergency, his replacement is someone Fiona met ten years earlier... Gabe. Gabe doesn't remember her, Fiona can't really figure out if that's a good thing or too embarrassing to admit. Their romance was predictable and needed more development. For much of the book, Gabe is a complete jerk. Their partnership takes a 180 and doesn't go back. I really needed a bit more character development and interactions between Gabe and Fiona to make this more believable.

Lastly, would be a subtle issue to most readers, but as an Asian woman kind of made me cringe. Especially in the beginning of the book (first 10%), I could not count the amount of times Japanese people were described as tiny and/or reserved. There was a moment when Fiona didn't want a "nasty surprise" when eating an unknown Japanese food. These moments spoke to how new Japan was to Fiona, and I knew the author was trying to portray this. Unfortunately, the phrases used help perpetuate stereotypes of Japanese and Asian people. I would have enjoyed Fiona's first glimpses of Japan a lot more if these phrases didn't keep popping up.

The story lacked character depth and could have problematic phrasing, but it did make me feel like I was in Japan. If you're looking for a quick read and want to take a literary trip to another country, this could be the book for you.