I wanted to really like this book. I love Japan, studied abroad in Tokyo. Loved the Princess Diaries. So Japan + Lost Princess, I should've been sold. Rather, I felt that the book was just OK.

I'll start with Izumi as a main character. I liked her gusto and down to earth she was compared to the rest of the imperial family. She's plain jane, kinda lazy and a slob. Loves to eat. Your average American teenage, basically. Not really princess material. I liked that about her. She's easy to see yourself in. Though many of her actions were immature, and questionable. Not reading the dossier about her newly founded imperial family on her flight to Tokyo? Probably should've done that considering the uncharted territory she was about to land in. Yelling at Akio when she found out he put a tracker on her phone? Girl, your a princess now; he's your personal guard. You literally snuck out at night to gallivant around Tokyo, and locked yourself out of the karaoke bar in some sketchy back-ally area with some random drunk man. I think the tracker was justified. Falling for her body guard. Sweetie, you've been in Tokyo two weeks and were not his biggest fan to start with...

While Izumi has enough personality to power this book, the rest of the cast sadly does not. Her friends from home are quickly introduced and could have been fleshed out to be great secondary characters, but we only get a few text conversations to keep Izumi tethered to her US life while she navigates her newfound life in Japan. Her new family, her imperial family, without the family tree at the beginning of the book I would have been lost. Her aunts and uncles and cousins are unmemorable, save Yoshi, and barely leave a scrape as characters. They are merely there for dialogue and filling scenes like dinners or weddings. Even her own father is lackluster. There are quality moments with him, but most of Izumi's time is spent leaning the tools of the trade, despite her entire reason for going to Japan was to meet and spend time with him. Oh, and the twins. Their entire existence is to throw shade. Basic high school mean girls. Would there have been a better breakthrough or redemptive moments where they are not so different people perhaps their presence in the novel would have had more meaning than just instilling unnecessary drama and bullying Izumi.

Identity is a big theme in this book, and big themes should be fleshed out. Izumi struggles with the idea of not being American enough or Japanese enough through the first half of the book as she is thrust into Japan. She feels to be in this limbo, and throwing being a princess into it just makes everything even more muddled. While this was such a powerful topic and central theme to Izumi's character, much of that is lost once she starts to act on her feelings towards Akio. It feels as if she clings to Akio as her torch to navigating Japan and the Japanese way of life. There is a passage in the book where Izumi declares that "Akio is Japan. Japan is Akio." This one person is able to solve all of those issues that have plagued her? And when he doesn't come meet her after their romance is publicized in the tabloids, she leaves the country. I wasn't expecting the novel to ultimately solve Izumi's search for her identity. I just felt that with such a strong theme there would have been stronger conflicts that Izumi may have encountered and overcame, and more focus on such, rather than just fall in love in two weeks and then ghost all of Japan.

I wish I could have enjoyed Tokyo Ever After more. There were just too many issues I felt with the book that ultimately made it just an okay read. It does read fast, and that might be because of the simplicity of the writing. For those who enjoyed The Princess Diaries, you may enjoy this one, but just beware some of these pitfalls.

Loved it! It was funny and heart warming and very realistic for rose caught between two worlds. Izumi’s internal dilemma of fitting in and not being enough is relatable.

Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for an ARC of Tokyo Ever After in exchange for my honest opinion.
I loved this sweet book! I was transported back to 2019 when I was able to spend two amazing weeks in Japan, staying with a host family outside of Kyoto, while chaperoning a school trip. I would love to return and see more of Japan, including Tokyo!
A fun, fast read, recommended for fans of The Princess Diaries. Izumi, AKA “The Lost Butterfly,” discovers her absent father is none other than the Crown Prince of Japan, her mother’s fling from college who did not know she existed. A senior in high school in Northern California, Izumi spends her spring break (and then some) getting to know him, Japan, and the new expectations for her, now that she is recognized as a Princess, which are not just fun and games. I’m excited that a sequel has already been announced!

Tokyo Ever After is a sweet, fast-paced YA romance perfect for fans of The Princess Diaries or Crazy Rich Asians. The book is filled with plenty of Japanese culture as this is the story of an average Japanese-American girl who finds out her father is actually the crown prince of Japan. There is a nice amount of humor throughout making this a fun, light-hearted story. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a YA romance that will have you flipping the pages for more!

A fast-paced, full good book about discovering who you are under unusual circumstances. One day, Izumi is just a high school senior wondering who her dad is. Through snooping and internet-sleuthing, Izumi comes to find out her dad is the Crown Prince of Japan?! Izumi, Mount Shasta typical teenager, changes her life forever with an email. She jetsets to finally meet her day and learn whether she wants the responsibility of being a princess. Will Izumi find her place among the royals and Japan? Will she build the relationship she's always wanted with her father?

This book was like a modern, feminist, Asian-American version of Meg Cabot's classic "The Princess Diaries." In short, it was wonderful. Izumi "Izzy" Tanaka finds out at the end of her senior year that she is the long-lost daughter of the Crown Prince of Japan. She flies to Japan to meet her father and grandparents, become familiar with Japanese language and culture, and learn about her heritage. Mix this compelling plot with an illicit romance with one of her guards, and you have a recipe for a deeply compelling YA romance.

This book was like the best of The Princess Diaries, American Royals, and I Love You So Mochi. It addressed problems with patriarchal traditions, the toxicity of tabloid culture, the difficulty of navigating American identity as a non-white individual, and the challenges of developing a relationship with a parent you're meeting for the first time. It did all of that while still retaining all the fun and fluff of a YA romance. Truly well done.

School librarians: I would stock this for high school libraries. Nothing in it is inappropriate for a middle grade audience, I just feel the emotions and situations described would be less compelling for a younger audience. If you have middle school girls jonesing for more romance, it would be a reasonable addition to your collection.

This is what romance is all about. This is why I read Romance. Awash in tenderness, with limitless care, Emiko Jean leads with her heart. Tokyo Ever After is a story that is American and Japanese and neither and both. Like the delicate sakura, the protagonists’ love is essential to them, the very air they breathe; whether like the blossoms it will be impermanent or endure is for the future to know.

This is the story of Izumi Tanaka becoming...

Full Review: https://frolic.media/book-of-the-week-tokyo-ever-after-by-emiko-jean/

This book was everything I was hoping for and so much more. If you are a fan of the Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians you have to read this book.

Tokyo Ever After was such a fun take on The Princess Diaries. The characters were fun and the writing was good. What really drew me to this book was that beautiful cover though. If you’ve seen The Princess Diaries it was basically the same thing except for some minor changes, including location (this one is set in Japan which was so cool!). I loved experiencing the Japanese culture right along with Izzy. This was a cute read if you’re looking for something short and sweet!

I absolutely adored Tokyo Ever After! This story line gave me all The Princess Diaries vibes and I am totally here for it! I loved how much of the Japanese culture was a part of the storyline and enjoyed learning more about it. Definitely would recommend this story to YA readers!

I absolutely LOVED everything about this book. Everything. From start to finish. The characters were fantastic and had me laughing out loud (and swooning). The writing was so vibrant it transported me to Japan. Tokyo Ever After was just a joy to immerse myself in. So much I preordered the final version only 25% into the book.

If you love rom-coms. stories about found royalty, or just want something to bring you joy - read this book!

Full review to come on www.readandwander.com within 30 days of publication.

All the stars for this one!

Update: Full review is live 5/18/21
http://readandwander.com/tokyo-ever-after-by-emiko-jean-my-new-favorite-fairytale/

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Emiko Jean for the opportunity to read and listen to Tokyo Ever After in exchange for an honest review.

This is a review of the audiobook version, which I listened to using the NetGalley Shelf app. The narrator, Ali Ahn, is a fantastic reader and portrayed the main character, Izumi, with absolute flare.

Izumi lives with her mom, but a chance upon a letter reveals her dad's name. Izumi's friend looks into this and finds out that Izumi is actually the daughter of a Japanese prince! Izumi has a million questions for her mom, but when her identity is revealed, she has the choice of visiting Japan to meet her dad and learn what the royal life is like.

Izumi is more than thrilled to visit Japan and meet her family, but it's not as easy as one might think. Even just getting off an airplane can be done improperly, when one wears basic clothes and happens to be a newly revealed princess to a country. Izumi finds that she enjoys learning about her father and Japanese culture, but there is still so much to be mindful of. Her cousins, the other princesses, continually try to set Izumi up to look bad in front of the press. What country would want a negatively received princess?

On top of learning who her father is and struggling with the other part of her identity that she hasn't really known most of her life, she also falls for her body guard. A body guard and a princess is certainly not a proper match. Just another thing for the tabloids to blow up!

This is a fun, flavorful, and cultural book. I enjoyed the little bits of Japanese history strewn about throughout the novel. This book very much has a The Princess diaries feel, but the country in question is Japan (a real country) as opposed to Genovia (a fictional country). The characterization was perky and fun, and there is a nice blend of romance, politics, culture, and self-identity. This is a fantastic listen (or read) for any teenage girl or lover of secret princess romances.

TOKYO EVER AFTER was definitely a fun read! This does have a very similar plotline to The Princess Diaries but I personally think it has its own charm to it with a stronger theme to it. Izumi just like Mia did not know she was a princess and they're both very quirky characters. I love that this book talks about Asian-Americans' experience in their life -- the blatant insults and microaggressions. One of the most important issues that this book brings up is the fact that many Asian-Americans feel like they do not fit into either culture of their identity. Personally, I related to this book a lot. I was shamed for being someone out of the country, someone "fresh off the boat" for having an accent. Soon I assimilated to get rid of this shame and now my own family shames me for not being in touch with my culture. This is something princess Izumi struggles with within the book.

I did enjoy the book a lot but I personally wanted to see more of Izumi interacting with her father. There was romance in the book which I did not mind but I thought it could do without it. Overall I definitely recommend these to teens growing up, especially to all the Asian-Americans out there who can finally see themselves in a book.

This book is great! I love how it is a take on "The Princess Diaries," but it is also an intriguing spin. I love that it is set in Japan, which has so much rich history and culture. I loved the humor and characters in this story. My library has already requested this book, and I am so excited to promote it to our patrons. It is especially exciting to be debuting during AAPI hertiage month! If you like romance and comedy, this is a wonderful young adult book!

I adored this modern-day take on The Princess Diaries. The romance was cute, but I also loved the diversity, I learned so much while reading this, it was so good!

If The Princess Diaries took place in Japan and was more teen and less tween, then it would be Tokyo Ever After. Highly recommend as a teen “beach read”!

Diverse reads:
- Izzy is Japanese. Her mind is second-generation and her dad is the Crown Prince of Japan.

I absolutely adore books that have the "modern royalty" premise, so when I found out that Tokyo Ever After had major Princess Diaries vibes, I knew I had to read it! Following Japanese America protagonist Izumi Tanaka, the story chronicles her adventures in finding out her estranged father is actually the crown prince of Japan. What follows is a whirlwind of Izumi going to visit her father and learning about her Japanese heritage and responsibilities of being the descendant of a future monarch, which is a far cry from her life in small town, rural California.

Tokyo Ever After was an undeniably fun, quick read. It temporarily satisfied my wanderlust with Izumi's trip to Japan, and I loved getting to learn snippets about the Japanese culture alongside Izumi. I really enjoyed when she had the chance to visit and experience Kyoto in addition to Tokyo, and I appreciated the Japanese history that was woven into Izumi's lessons. I can't speak to how accurate a portrayal the story was to what the actual Japanese monarchy is actually like, but I enjoyed that the narrative showed Izumi's actual journey into the world of the monarchy rather than just finding out her dad is a prince and dealing with her hometown repercussions of the news.

Speaking of Izumi's hometown, I loved her friend group and the hilarious (if a bit over the top) antics and dialogue of her friends. They also all had distinct personalities and even though they actually weren't present for a huge amount of time (since Izumi is in Japan), they still added vibrancy and life to the story. Plus, it was wonderful to see Izumi have such a strong, female support system back home with her friends and her mom.

However, there were some elements of the story that weren't my favorite. There is so much going on in Tokyo Ever After with Izumi's personal journey of discovering her family history and how her life is massively changing that I personally feel there was more than enough content for that to be the basis of a well rounded story. The romance, which actually ended up being a significant part of the plot, didn't feel necessary to me and the feelings personally developed way too rapidly for my taste. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't dive into too much detail, however I think the story would have been complete even with just a platonic relationship between Izumi and the love interest, or even if it was something that was just hinted at/beginning to blossom at the end of the book and perhaps explored in future sequels (I'm not 100% sure there are going to be more books, however on Goodreads it says this is "#1" which leads me to believe in the possibility that this may be the start of a series).

Izumi herself also fell a little short for me personality wise (which is totally fine and just a personal preference! But it is something I wanted to bring up). She felt like a younger YA protagonist rather than one who was about to graduate high school, and often times her actions and thought processes felt a bit immature. I was also a bit disappointed by the stereotypical "mean girl" trope that was used in regards to some of the characters.

Overall: Tokyo Ever After was a fun, quick read that will fill any reader with a love of fiction about royalty with satisfaction. Though some elements felt a little rushed or cliché, it was an immersive read that featured a fun, royal trope in a fresh setting. I'm excited to see what happens to Izumi in the next installment!

The book was ADORABLE and I’m so glad I got the chance to pick this one up. Izumi is such a sweet (if maybe a little air-headed) character, and I loved that the trials she went through would be similar for people of any age who just found out they were long lost royalty, not JUST teenage drama. The narrator for the audiobook did an amazing job, although she did a teenage girl voice almost TOO well for Noora, causing me to not like her as much as the other best friends. While obviously cliche, cliches become popular for a reason. The body guard to lover trope is always excellent, and this one was very cute (wish there had been a bit more physical drama there where he would have had to protect her, but loved that she could take care of herself). All in all, an excellent spring read!

Tokyo Ever After was a fun and fast story that I wish had been a little longer and a little more developed. Izumi was a great main character; she was smart and snarky and read like a real-life teen. I enjoyed following her on her journey to get to know her new family. Jean did a great job of highlight aspects of Japanese culture that are not normally found in YA books. My only issue with the book is the plot felt rushed. Izumi never really develops relationships with her father and Aiko, her guard turned love interest, quickly without many interactions or a real foundation. The book was entertaining and I enjoyed the world Jean created but it would have been better with a few more pages.

This lovely contemporary was the perfect blend of Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians. Yes, I know that’s the comparison everyone is using but that’s because it fits like a glove.

Sweet and heartfelt, it touches on what it feels like to be an Asian living in America. To feel like an outsider at times, despite having been born and raised here. A discusses the sort of otherness many of us have felt. Of not fitting perfectly anywhere. It's something I am sure any child of immigrants can relate to.

It also delves into the importance of honoring tradition while also trying to not lose sight of yourself. It reminds us that we’re all learning and growing every day. That no one is perfect. And that true acceptance starts with accepting yourself.