A beautifully written story. I felt like I had been transported to Japan. I loved the descriptions of the country itself and the Japanese culture. Fiona and Gabe’s relationship was of secondary interest to me as I had picked the book based on the fact it was set in Japan.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a gorgeous, slow-build romance about photography, family, and wonder

Fiona has just won the trip of a lifetime - two weeks in Japan that could launch her photography career to the next level. Her hypochondriac mother is worried but Fiona's sure she'll be fine - until she discovers her mentor for the next fortnight is an old crush who unwittingly sparked teenage Fiona's social isolation. Gabe is a big name in photography, but since his muse married another man, he no longer finds joy behind a camera. This unexpected mentorship is an unwelcome burden, but Fiona challenges him and refuses to let him phone it in - and why does she seem so familiar?

While this story was slow to start, the more sedate pace fits the very Japanese juxtaposition of antiquity against modernity. It's clear the author loves Japan, for the prose is full of Japanese culture, history, and traditions as explained to Fiona, the audience surrogate. As the beauty of nature and tradition settles and enchants Fiona, we also fall in love.

Gabe, on the other hand, does not make a sterling first impression. He's not in a good place and hasn't been for a while, but Fiona's joy in discovery and her earnest appreciation of Japan captivates him and for the first time in too long, has him itching to take a photo. He does, with the best of intentions, pull a startlingly terrible stunt on Fiona at 80% through the book, and I'd have liked to see a bit more grovel instead of the narrative supporting his actions.

There's a small cast of supporting characters - mainly three generations of women in the family who host Fiona in Tokyo - and each are wonderfully different but well written. With Fiona's friends, I sort of feel like there's a book or two previous that I've missed, but this novel is wonderfully self-contained on its own.

Also, it makes Tupperware romantic. Tupperware. I think that deserves a mention all on its own!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley; all opinions are my own

I have very much enjoyed travelling virtually with books during this lock down period and this is another welcome addition to my visits. Fiona - a travel blogger has won an all expenses paid for trip to Japan to study/learn alongside a renowned photographer and she cannot wait.

However when she arrives, she is faced with the man who broke her heart and ruined her life many years earlier. The original teacher was unavailable so he is replaced with equally as famous Gabe. What Gabe doesn't know is that Fiona knows him, she is the girl he kissed many years ago.

On arriving in Japan we are met with a huge array of sites and sounds so vividly descried by Julie that it is a real impact on the senses. We are then taken to Fiona's hosts house were we meet such a delightful family of grandmother, mother and daughter. They are such a welcoming and warming family with big hearts and are big on respect. Fiona makes the perfect guest as respectful, wants to learn and is kind.
"It's a country of contrasts: flash, modern, innovative, ridiculously neon and technological, all of which resides alongside a deep appreciation and respect for art, culture, and tradition. I've never lived anywhere quite like it before."
As Fiona starts to spend time with the family and Gabe we learn about the customs, traditions and food of Japan. We travel with Fiona and Gabe as they explore looking for the perfect shots for Fionas exhibition, visiting iconic landmarks and more local settings for experiences and food. As the pair travel - something between them changes from the fraught tension to a softening to something resembling something more.

I simply adored this, it was so in depth with its relationships, descriptions and accuracy i beilve (not that i have visited Japan but i have watched a lot of vlogs) Julie makes you feel that you really are experiencing everything the characters are. It had me craving ramen, a beer and tempura prawns. I wanted to sit and sip green tea to soothe myself and calm myself in nature.

Not only all this, it was a love story - and it was a great one, because as the reader you really were not sure wether it would develop, where it would go or last. It was such an enjoyable reading experience with characters that gave you feelings. Fiona, was strong, but shy, she was passionate and fiery but also wary too and i liked at times she was such a contradiction. Gabe was brooding, miserable and sad but underneath it all he was passionate and swoon worthy when he wasn't brooding.
Then we have Mayu, Haruka and Setsuko - a blend of western and tradition and we learnt so much from them about their history, the importance of traditions.

The Little Teashop in Tokyo is a virtually holiday that is a real experience, you can smell the food, hear the hustle and bustle mixed with the tranquil peace and your eyes are treated to all the sights. I honestly felt like i was there and this is what made it such an enjoyable reading experience.

Tea and second chances. Julie Caplin swept me away to Tokyo with her descriptive writing. I loved all the Japanese culture packed into this sweet Second Chance Romance. Fiona is a travel blogger and is so excited when she wins a trip to Japan to take photos that will later be displayed at an exhibit in London. When she reaches Japan she finds out she will not be working with the professional photographer she thought she was. She instead will be working with her ex-boyfriend Gabe. I’m sure you know where this is going, but this book was really more about the journey than the Destiination. The story completely emerged me into the Japanese culture, the sites, the sounds, the Smells. At Times Fiona frustrated me she was incredibly insecure and I never felt like she really had caused to be. Gave was likable, even though he screwed up a decade ago. Who doesn’t make mistakes when they are young? The romance was very sweet, but I think the strength of this book was the setting of Tokyo. This story was an absolute delight, looking forward to reading another book from this author.

This book in emojis 📸 🗼 🗻 🍵 🥢 👘

*** Big thank you to Harper Collins UK for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

A beautiful and fun romance novel. Perfect for this summer! I love reading books set in different countries/cultures of my own so this was a great read for me.

This book is part of the Romantic Escape series of books. They can be read independently, as each one is a standalone novel.
This book seems to be well researched, when it came to describing Tokyo. I could visualise the places that were visited in the book vividly. At a time when I can't go anywhere, it was good to visit another place, even if it was part of my imagination.
Unfortunately I did not like the main protagonists Fiona and Gabe. I could tolerate Fiona, but I did not like Gabe, and I thought that their romance was unrealistic. Haruka and her family were lovely characters though.
This book is good, but it is not my favourite book in the Romantic Escape books. I have heard that there are going to be more books in this series and I am looking forward to reading them.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK. for a DRC in exchange for an honest review

When I saw this gorgeous cover and that the story took place in Japan, I had to request this book. For the most part, this is a standard girl meets boy, girl gets embarrassed and her life is impacted, girl meets boy 10 years later ... stuff happens ... and they live happily ever after kind of love story. What is so unique, and what I loved about it book however, was how it really explored the various aspects of Japanese culture - from a tourist’s perspective. I was actually reliving parts of my trip to Japan - also during cherry blossom season as I was reading this lovely book.

I came across this book on NetGalley, and I requested it without even reading the description (stupid decision, I know). At the time, I didn’t know The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin was part of a series, as I never heard of it before, so when I saw it was the sixth book, I got a little scared. What if the books were linked? How am I supposed to read the sixth novel, if I haven’t read the previous books? Well, to my happiness, they weren’t related, and I was able to read the book without any problem!
Now, the action of the book floats around Fiona. To the persuasions of April(one of her best friends), Fiona signs herself into a photography competition, whom she wins. As a prize, she gains an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan. There she was supposed to be mentored by a well-knows japanise photographer, Yutaka Araki, but instead of him, she got stuck with Gabe, the person who broke her heart and changed the course of her life. What is she going to do?
The storyline was lovely. It was clear and well-written. I especially liked the depth of the description. You can see from afar that Julie Caplin put a lot of research into this piece of writing. The ways she described Tokyo and every tourist sight were, without a doubt, perfect. The Digital Museum, the Mount Fiji and the cherry blossoms were lovely! Japan can combine every sacred tradition beautifully with technology and modernism. I have always had a soft spot for the Japanese culture, and this novel made me realise once again how beautiful Japan is. It made me travel a bit while in quarantine, and it was exactly what I needed.
One thing that I wasn’t fond of were Fiona’s insecurities. I know she has been through a lot, and I know sometimes, it is hard to be positive about yourself, especially your body, but I felt like the author emphasizes that way too much. We all know Gabe is gorgeous, and you have him. Chill a bit!
I am more of a short-chapter kind of gal, and the ones in this book were quite long. Even if I am not over the moon for those, the fact that the book is told from two perspectives, helped a lot. It keeps you there, and you can’t get bored while reading.
This is not the kind of book that keeps you at the edge of your seat. You are hooked but not because of a mystery, but because of the story itself. You can predict what is about to happen, but that makes the story even better. You want to see how the author got to the ending, not the ending itself. I loved reading this novel and I will definitely come back for the other ones!

Thank. you for the advanced e-ARC win exchange for my honest review. I will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon.

I read a book recently, as followers of my blog would know, set in Japan, and I am pleased to return to this culture to see a different side to it, in this sumptuous and rich book. Thanks to One More Chapter (part of Harper Collins publishing). I thank One More Chapter for sending me a copy of the book to review. The book is published on the 11th June and it is definitely a summer read to look out for.

It is Fiona, a photographer from the UK has been given the opportunity of a lifetime of exhibiting her photos in Tokyo is the main protagonist and is also a blogger, where Gabe meets up with her. The feelings of being in a different country, trying to work out where you are in relation to the destination is conveyed very well and realistically.
When they reach Haruka’s teashop, where Haruka and Professor Kobashi live above, there’s the sense of the traditional side of Japan, with the area’s 200 year old building and idyllic nature of beautifully scented flowers.

Green tea, photography and a romance in an olde-wordly setting, that is blossoming as the flowers bloom makes this book so sumtuous and beautifully painted. It is a delicately written romance that is perfectly framed like a photograph, with an air of tranquility, for relaxed reading on a gorgeous summer’s day or cosied up with a nice cup of tea and some sushi, or a Kit-Kat, which, in Japan there appears to be many different flavours from the UK.

The romance with Gabe is one in which Fiona is so aware of happening, but it’s a bit complicated and she isn’t sure she wants to totally allow for her feelings to flow or not and there’s photography to concentrate on, under Haruka’s tutelage and a tea ceremony to attend. This is until the alluring Gabe pulls her back into his grasp.

This is a romance to sweep romantic readers off their feet to Japan as it engages in the characterisation, the culture and the photograpghy and also the idiosicrasys there are within people when they are posing for a photoshoot, in what creates a heartwarming, entertaining, tantelisingly sensual story that just might leave readers smiling as it did me.

First of all, thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fiona has won a two week trip to Japan thanks to winning photography contest entry. She arrives at Haneda International Airport and she's left waiting to be picked up. The mentor photographer for this trip had a family emergency and instead, she is met by Gabe, who happens to be a teacher she once had and with which she has a fair bit of emotional baggage. Gabe has no interest in being a mentor but is doing this as a favor to the competition sponsor. His lack of enthusiasm from the beginning is obvious and he doesn't recognise Fiona. She meets his poor behavior with a fair bit of spikiness and the sparks fly from there. Obviously they do come to some understanding as the story unfolds but it's definitely not a smooth progression for their relationship.

While there's a romance at the heart of the story, it also focuses on family relationships and on dealing with life in general. There's also a bit the Japanese culture included here and I'm not too sure how accurate all of it is. But I do understand that when addressing someone they use the surname for address rather than first name unless one is closely connected. So the use of the first name and san is bit jarring to read when this isn't typical. I did wonder if this alteration of this usage might have been due to several characters having spent a lot of time in the US but it doesn't feel like that makes a lot of sense while in Japan. The other possibility is that it's an editorial decision to be more understandable to the reader. I can only hope that the truth is that it's an oversight.

Aside from that I found this to be a lovely read and really enjoyed it I give it a rating of four stars.

Second chance romance and travel, this is what I love in a story and this is just perfect. I love Julie Chaplin’s writing, as I’ve never been to japan but I felt like I was there, I could smell the cherry blossoms ! I loved Fiona so much, Gabe took a little while to arm up to, but they were a great set of characters and you will them to sort it out ! It’s just a wonderful read and full of smiles.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

A real girlie book
So romantic with a beautiful story of a young woman who had little worth for herself blossoming into a beautiful woman all set against the backdrop of Japan
Just right for a summer stay cation

I was supremely underwhelmed by this book. Right off the bat, the tone that Fiona set was rife with insecurity of someone who has fixated on things of the past for far too long. Case in point, her relationship with Gabe happened ten years ago. Gabe was also incredibly dull. His pompous inner monologue grated on my nerves and even as he grew to like Fiona I found that I didn’t particularly care for him. Additionally, I wasn’t particularly thrilled that this was a romance between two white people in Japan. Fetishising Japanese culture is a rampant issue today and has been for centuries. This just felt like another destination romance with no culture aside from the odd tourist tidbit that Haruka threw in.

Julie Caplin's The Little Teashop in Tokyo made me want to visit Tokyo, which I always take as a sign of a good book. This is part of a series of books by Caplin, but it functions as a stand-alone novel. I'll be interested in reading more from Caplin. I think it took a bit too long for Gabe to get over his ex, but that's just my read on it. It's a cute read and a good escape.

First of thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for providing me an ARC of this book.

While I was very excited to read this book when I started, the book fell short for me. There was not really anything in the book that really kept me from putting it down. While the writing was great, but there was nothing amazing for me. The book did make me want to go to Tokyo one day after all this is over.

From the beginning of the novel, I was trying to find a connection with Fiona. Fiona is a clumsy, awkward person because of the fact that she was bullied when she was 18. Fiona spends a majority of the story comparing herself to other Japanese women and not feeling beautiful because she isn't small like they are. I also particularly was annoyed with Gabe, who from the beginning of the story came off very a holey to Fiona because he stuck mentoring her. Gabe was still very much in love with his ex and it took a while for him to release who Fiona was and that he had feelings for her.

Overall the book was average for me. Nothing amazing. While it might be the read for others personally for me it was not my favorite. This is the 6th book in the series and you do not need to read the others to understand this one.

This was a wonderful read! I needed a book for a reading challenge that is set in the place where the Olympics were going to be held and this was perfect!!

I enjoyed every aspect of this book. I also enjoyed every second I spent reading this book!! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance and to anyone who loves to travel to different places while reading!

Julie Caplin's <i>The Little Teashop in Tokyo</i> is the latest addition to her Romantic Escapes series, which all center around a group of friends (and sometimes friends of friends) and their love lives. The books are all really light, breezy reads, which make them perfect for a summer read...or if your own travel plans have been canceled for the time being. <i>The Little Teashop in Tokyo</i>'s main character is Fiona, who last appeared in the <i>The Little Cafe in Copenhagen</i> where she was one of the quieter secondary characters. Now as the center of this book, Fiona finds herself in Japan after winning a photography contest. When her mentor for the contest bails at the last minute for a family emergency, Fiona finds that her new mentor is Gabe, a man from her past linked to one of her most embarrassing memories.

Like all of the books in this series, Caplin creates really sweet stories combined with really colorful descriptions of the places her characters visit. I definitely look up tickets for flights to Japan after reading the book (and also the kotatsu table because it sounds amazing).

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

A sweet second chance romance set in Tokyo! Fiona is a blogger and photographer who has won an all expense paid trip to Tokyo where she'll have the opportunity to work with an expert who turns out to be .....Gabe, who she kissed 10 years ago when he was her teacher. This has lovely scenes in Tokyo- with nice bits of culture (Fiona stays with a family, not in a hotel). Gabe has that man with a chip thing going on but you know he's going to be a good guy. If I have a quibble it's with Fiona, who, given her profession, is remarkably insecure about silly things like her height. No matter, it's an entertaining read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Perfect for a sunny afternoon (or rainy for that matter!).

I visited Tokyo as a child, and have many fond memories of the city and it’s people, so was really looking forward to this book. I also love Julie Caplin’s ‘voice’ and exploring the world with her, so was very happy to have my request to read an ARC accepted.

I was not disappointed - Japan was brought to life in a vivid and thoughtful way, and I loved exploring Tokyo with the main characters (blogger Fiona and world-renowned photographer Gabe) and it’s firmly on my bucket list to go back when travel restrictions are lifted. I was actually sad when the book ended, because there were so many other places I wanted to go!

I really enjoyed the development of both characters. Fiona is shy and self-conscious at the beginning of the book, for reasons I won’t go into (no spoilers here!) but the things she learns from her lovely host family, the Japanese culture and from Gabe slowly sink in and we get to see a much more confident and feisty woman appear. I also loved the way that Fiona opens Gabe’s eyes to the wonders of Japan - and life - transforming him from a cynical, weary guy into a man who learns to see the beauty in things again.

The secondary characters were also very well drawn, and I particularly enjoyed learning about photography - not something I know much about.

All in all, this was a well-written and gorgeous escapist love story. It was easy to give it five stars.