5☆ A Heart Warming, Sweet Second Chance Romance, with a dash of Wit, oodles of culture and plenty of charm!

The Little Teashop in Tokyo is a heart warming Romance set in a gorgeous location. One I am very eager to visit.

This book is part of a series, but can easily be read as a standalone book. I slid straight into the story without any issues whatsoever.

Fiona is on her way to Japan after winning an all expense paid trip, a photograph mentor and the chance to display her photographs at the Japan Centre in London, simply a dream come true for Fiona and the trip of a lifetime.

But what she didn't quite bank on, was that the devilishly handsome and arrogant Gabe Burnett, Times Photographer of the Year, turning up to meet her at the airport. She hadn't seen him in 10years and he still made her nervous.
Then he drops another bombshell....he is now her mentor!

Gabe doesn't want to be Fiona's mentor no more than she wants him to be.
You see she knows more about him then he dares to realise.
If only the two of them could stop butting heads, then maybe they just might be able to create some photograph magic, not only on camera but off camera too!

Fiona is staying above the gorgeous Haruka’s teashop with Haruka and her family, who has welcomed her into her home and teaching her Japanese customs. Which was an absolute joy to read and melted my heart.

What I absolutely loved about this book was how much the Authors passion for Japan shined through. All the intricate little touches, the sights, sounds, the atmosphere it felt very authentic and made we want to visit even more.

The characters are wonderfully developed,
Fiona has many insecurities which definitely holds her back and at times I found a lil frustrating, but it was lovely to see her confidence eventually grow.
Gabe was a tad annoying to start with, especially how he toyed with Fiona's feelings and got bogged down with Yumi and her manipulative ways, however I did soon warm to him and quickly willed Fiona and Gabe together.

The Little Teashop in Tokyo is a Heart Warming, Sweet Second Chance Romance, with a dash of Wit, oodles of culture and charm and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
As I said before the setting is superbly written and Caplin transported me into the heart of Tokyo and gave me a lil bit of escapism.

So if you are looking to be whisked away somewhere truly mesmerising, whilst falling in love with not only the setting but the characters, then I highly recommend reading The Little Teashop in Tokyo.


Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

What a charming read! I really enjoyed the unique Japanese setting.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own

I didn't love this book. It was a cute idea, however it fell a little flat for me. I love Tokyo and I felt as if this book did not do it justice.

**Sigh** (happily) - what can I say except Julie Caplin has managed to do it again. How much research does this woman need to do to be able to write such amazing detail and bring the sounds, smells and sights of the places in her books to life??? Honestly - everything about this book was just perfect and the vivid descriptions of the food, the cherry blossom and the mountains brought it all to life for me.

Fiona (who readers may remember from the first book in this series) arrived in Tokyo after winning an all expenses paid trip and a chance to exhibit her photographs at the Japan Centre in London. During the trip she has to be mentored by one of the best photographers in the world but on arriving at the airport she can’t see the photographer and instead sees a face from her past, a man who was the main cause of her now lack of confidence ten years ago and who clearly doesn’t remember her.

Gabe Burnett is her replacement mentor and he is less than happy about it. Meanwhile Fiona can’t quite believe their paths have crossed again. Whilst in Japan, Fiona is staying within Gabe’s landlord, Haruka who runs a tea shop and is a master of tea.

Fiona is keen to learn from the best not only about photography but also about Japanese customs. Will she get that all important elusive shot?

As I said this is a wonderful book which I am sure you will all enjoy. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

3 stars

The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin writes a story about a young woman traveling to Japan to capture it’s culture through photography. Fiona departs from the comfort of her hometown and ends up with a different mentor than she initially signed up for. Gabe Burnett, who just happened to be the professor Fiona kissed when she was a university student.

Will he recognise her? Could she put her feelings aside and focus on her task? You will have to read it to find out!

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC of this book. It was a perfect reading escape.

The Little Teashop in Tokyo was a cute, sweet read. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Japan, and it made me want to go back to Japan myself.

Overall, a sweet book if you want an easy ready.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC for an honest review.

Only a couple of chapters in and you could already empathise with Fiona and her feelings of loneliness on her journey staying in a new country. And what a beautiful country it is, the description in this book really brings it all to life (especially the food!) it really gave me a sense of the culture of the country and I loved learning all about Tokyo and Japan.

I also really liked that this book was about photography, it's something I haven't seen all that much. And the relationships between Fiona and the family, and her and Gabe kept me gripped. It was an emotional rollercoaster!

It was a little slow to start, but it did really pick up the pace. It was a great feel-good romance that I was glad to pick up.

This is such a sweet and warming story that really makes you wish you were in Japan. The vivid descriptions of the different scenes and tourist attractions make you feel like you are standing there yourself. I always thought of Japan as chaotic, neon lights and robots but this book shows you that there is so much more. The culture and the people shine through in this book in an amazing way.

It’s really made me wish I could spend some time out in Japan to discover these beauties for myself. The relationship between Fiona and Gabe is one that could definitely be true, maybe not the kissing the teacher bit - although I loved that film so could picture those scenes so well.

On reflecting about this book I can see that it would make an amazing film, highlighting all the sights of Japan and really wishing you could go and visit. I would definitely recommend this book

This was so cute! I loved getting to explore Tokyo through the writing, and learning about the culture too! The romance was really interesting too!

I was ready for a lot of things from this story...
...to fall in love with the time and place.
...to experience the culture with eyes wide open.
...to UTTERLY DESPISE our handsome yet shifty leading man, Gabe.
...to cheer on our lovely yet under confident leading lady, Fiona.
...to see the world from a new angle with just the right lighting.


What I wasn't prepared...
...to experience the vast differences between the traditions of old and new, which equally thrive like a neon heartbeat.
...to change my mind about Gabe, however begrudgingly, when he finally gets his **** together...even when it might simply be too late.
...to adore our Miss Fi so much for her fresh take on the every day, her willingness to stick to her guns, and her ability to stand on her own two feet, come what may.


All in all, it was quite the trip! From the moment my eyes alighted on the lovely cover to the final flick of the epage, I was fully immersed in the story and holding my breath that every thing in fact would turn out alright. Getting to know the family she stays with, and fully taken in by the culture thanks to the author's wonderful writing, was a special bonus to an already heart warming, and smile inducing story. Recommended for older teens through adults for a little bit of steam, but it's very mild, so feel free to add it to your book club reading suggestions.

Good storyline. great charcters, the story flowed really well, and it was a fun read. I sat and read this in the garden and it was a great way to while away an afternoon.

This book was so descriptive it really immersed me in the culture of Japan. In that regard it really was quite inspiring. I have to admit I ended up liking Gabe more than our main character but I think she just tried my patience a little too much. But it was still a very good story and I am pleased I read it.

This was so fun to read! I loved getting to travel around Japan with Fiona and really see what a travel blogger does. The Japanese culture that was represented in this book, all the different sites, and the fun writing made a very enjoyable read. Did I also mention it has a second chance romance which I’m a sucker for? I love the chemistry between the two characters and really like seeing them get to know each other again. This was funny, adventurous, and made me swoon! I won hundred percent recommend this one if you’re looking for a good Second Chance Romance while traveling the beautiful country of Japan.

If you love Japan and would love to travel there, at least through the book, I would recommend you this book. You will for sure enjoy it. And if you are a tea lover on top of it, then you can’t go wrong with it. Pick this book up and let it take you to Tokyo.
Full review can be read on my website

I loved every page of this book. I loved seeing Japan through Fiona’s eyes. I loved the romance. I loved seeing Fiona grow in confidence across the book. I really hope there’s more to come as I’ve binge read the whole series in the last month and need more.

Reading has always been my escape and my me-time! I do like to read some serious books on occasion, but the majority of what I like to read is fun, light-hearted books like the ones Julie Caplin writes! After reading The Secret Cove in Croatia last summer, I was thrilled to have the chance to read her newest book, The Little Teashop in Tokyo!

The best part of Julie Caplin’s books for me are the idyllic settings. They transport you to gorgeous places that many of us only dream about. This was such a fun aspect of the book (especially with the world the way it is right now) because I was transported to Tokyo and to many iconic sites in Japan.

On the other hand, I’m sad to say that I just didn’t connect with the characters in this book, particularly the chemistry (or lack thereof) between the main characters, Fiona and Gabe. I wanted to feel it, but it was a struggle until about 60% of the way through the book. The ending did make up for some of it, but overall it just didn’t quite live up to my love for the other book I read by this author.

3/5 stars!

{Thank you so much to One More Chapter and Netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!}

So I just have to say I have never read a bad Julie Caplin book and I am absolutely delighted to say that I still haven’t. This is the sixth book in the Romantic Escapes series and was just as wonderful as the others however even though it’s part of the series can be easily read as a standalone book.
One of the many things I love about Julie’s books is how she transports me to the place she is describing and has done this in every book I have read, so much so that I now have a list of places I want to visit and Tokyo is now firmly on that list.
Places that are mentioned like the Borderless digital art lab which actually exists and mentioning so many traditions of this respectful country.
Little things like ‘highlighting dust motes dancing like tiny fairies’ and ‘delicate tea pots glazed in pale blues, greens and bronzes and the solid china cups would fit perfectly in your hands’.
All of the above combined with fantastic characters makes this a page-turner which really absorbs you into the world of Haruka, Setsuko and Mayu the family who plays host to Fiona who has won a photography competition and going to Tokyo is part of the prize.
What she doesn’t anticipate is meeting Gabe, her former teacher and how she will feel about seeing him again after all the years since she developed a crush on him.
Will her heart be broken again – read for yourself and find out.
Fantastic as always and I really can’t recommend enough reading Julie’s books, (read the other 5 in the series if you haven’t already) you won’t be disappointed.

This book captures the beauty of Japan and of photography very nicely. Lots of things to see and do in and around Tokyo are mentioned here, including the famous tea ceremonies, putting on a kimono, a variety of food and the traditional wooden houses. I also sometimes wished to see the photos that were described in great detail and taken by either Fiona or Gabe.

Unfortunately I couldn't really warm to these two protagonists. I didn't get the feeling that I got to know either one of them, and thus I also didn't get particularly invested in their love story . Although I did like the ending very much!

What a cute story!
I loved the storyline and the characters made everything so much better!
Highly recommend!

What a delightful book! At a time when I was missing travel, this book came along and took me to Japan. A little culture, a little romance, The Little Teashop in Tokyo is a perfect light hearted read. This is the first book I’ve read by Julie Caplan, and I was so excited to discover she has many more!

Thank you to Julie Caplan, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.