I absolutely loved Tokyo Ever After!

Izumi (Izzy or Zoom Zoom) Tanaka just wanted to find out her dad, but she never expected everything to change overnight when she found out that he was the Crown Prince of Japan and he wanted to meet her. She decided to visit but she never expected her life to change overnight because she was a member of the royal family and act appropriately.

Izzy feels like a fish out of water because she was raised in America and not in the very regimented structure of the Japanese royal family which she was now part of especially falling love with her security guard Akio Kobayashi.

Tokyo Ever After is a mashup of the Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians but especially Izzy finding herself and her place as her father’s daughter in the royal family.

P.S. I’m hoping there is another book in the series because I loved Izzy falling in love!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you want to read The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians, then this is the book for you. I'm not usually one to use comparable titles to explain a book, but these two novels explains this one super well.

Some of the emotions Izumi went through felt exactly like how I would react. I consider myself the secondary character in my life; better suited as the best friend who doesn't get much action in the plot. So when Izumi described herself the same way and then being thrust into the limelight, it definitely captured the emotions I would be feeling to. I don't even think "a fish out of water" would cover the level of insecurity and self-consciousness I would have. And yet, Izumi approached this new world she needed to assimilate into with grace. She was poised and while she did make mistakes, they didn't feel as bad as the ones Mia Thermapolis dealt with.

In fact, Izumi felt like such a realized person. She had insecurities and doubts about herself. She worried about connecting with her estranged father. She freaked out when she knew she made a mistake. I was anticipating her to be stubborn or hard to read because many YA characters feel difficult to relate with, but I definitely related to her.

The depictions of Japan and the addition of Japanese culture was such a treat. I know a fair amount about Japan, but the content Emiko Jean brings up was such a closer look. I didn't realize that Japan was still a constitutional monarchy! I didn't know some of the phrases that I hear from Japanese folks so often. It was nice to feel a little immersion into the world and I loved how Izumi handled it as well. There was some discussion about identity and I'm not surprised. As a fellow Asian American, I've played the identity dance so often that it was the most relatable part of the story for me. Being split between your two ethnicities when the two worlds are completely opposite each other brings up a lot of self-doubt. It makes you want to side with one part of you and abandon the other. It makes you want to choose the one that's easier for you. But I loved that she embraced both and wanted to be both and it's exactly the conclusion I came to for myself.

Of course, the antics in the book felt like you were reading <em>Crazy Rich Asians. </em>While the designer stuff wasn't as nice as CRA, there was definitely that feeling of being the outsider to a prominent royal family. I imagined this is how Meghan Markle felt when she entered the royal family or even how Rachel from CRA felt when she finally met her fiance's family. I love that this is another part of the dichotomy of the story; the spotlight and living a normal life. The intrigue was funny, but light. It didn't really dive deep into this universe but focused more on Izumi's reactions to it.

The only thing I wasn't a fan of (and this is entirely personal) is Izumi and her love interest. Yes, I know this is YA and usually with YA books there's some form of romance, but it wasn't such a huge focus and honestly it felt more like friendship to me than romance. Then again, many of the folks I dated when I was a teenager felt more like friendship than romance so perhaps I don't know enough lol.


Overall, such a beautiful story with a great character to follow along with. You'll be rooting for Izumi and her family and hoping that royalty is everything it was cracked up to be.

As a yonsei (4th generation) Japanese-American who grew up with The Princess Diaries books, majored in Japanese studies (among other things), and has been to Japan a handful of times, I was excited when I heard about Tokyo Ever After. Although YA romance is not generally my preferred genre these days, I genuinely enjoyed reading this book.

The premise of this book is very familiar and nothing earth shattering happens in the story but sometimes you just need a feel-good rom-com read with a character you can relate to.

What I enjoyed
1) The discussions about Japanese-American identity
The thing I enjoyed most about this book was the way Izumi’s struggle with her identity as a Japanese-American was portrayed. Since I grew up in Hawaii where there is a large Japanese-American population, I never felt the same sense of isolation Izumi feels being the only Japanese girl and one of the only Asians at her school. Still, I have felt the same way about not being “American” enough many times, especially when visiting the mainland United States. Likewise, every time I visit Japan, it’s always a bit a jarring to be in a sea of people who look just like me without really belonging. I can also relate to the feeling that I don’t know enough about my Japanese heritage (although I have been actively trying to learn for many years now).

The discussion about Izumi’s name was important and something that will be very relatable to anyone who grew up in America with an Asian name. Although I don’t have Japanese first name, I know what it’s like to struggle with people constantly mispronouncing, misspelling, and commenting on my “unusual” last name (even though it’s one of the most common Japanese last names to the point that it’s often used in Japanese language textbooks).

2) The Characters
I liked that this book avoided the common stereotype of the Asian-American kid who is perfect student student but secretly wants to break free of the family pressure to be a doctor (or other prestigious profession) to follow their passion. Izumi is so relatable because she isn’t perfect. Her grades are average, she’s not particularly good at anything other than sarcastic banter, and she has no idea what she wants to do with her life. But she loves deeply and has a good heart and it was refreshing to read a story where that was enough.

3) The importance of family
Obviously family was going to play a huge role in this book due to the “lost princess” aspect, but I really enjoyed how it was handled here. Izumi’s close relationship with her mother was wonderful to see. I also loved the way her relationship with her father developed in a way that seemed very realistic and natural (Or, as realistic as it can be in such an unlikely scenario!) with many bumps along the way.

5) Strong friendships
Let’s talk about Izumi’s California friends – the Asian Girl Gang (or AGG for short). Even though I hated the name, I loved the idea of these four girls bonding over their shared experiences as Asian-Americans even though they belong to different ethnicities. Their dynamic, banter, and the way they support each other was lovely and I wish we got to spend more time getting to know them.

5) The romance
I am not a big fan of contemporary romance but I thoroughly enjoyed the way the relationship was developed. Was it predictable? Yes. But did I love their bickering and get way too invested in seeing a happy ending? Also yes. I really appreciated that Akio was not a “flat” love interest and that he got a solid backstory and had dreams and motivations of his own beyond the scope of their relationship.

7) Exploring Japan
I miss Japan so much. I was supposed to go for a visit again last year but…well, 2020 happened. So I enjoyed living vicariously through Izumi as she explored Japan and ate all my favorite Japanese food.

Things that didn’t work for me
1) Cousin conflicts
I didn’t enjoy the conflict Izumi had with her Japanese cousins. The girl-on-girl hate from the twins was unnecessary and I don’t think the thing that was revealed at the end made it any better. On the other hand, I would have liked to see more of a conflict between the traditional values/expectations of the older members of the imperial family and Izumi’s actions and opinions. While I liked that they accepted her, it seemed far too easy, especially given the emphasis on how much of an outsider Izumi was.

2) Overcorrection of stereotypes
Also, although I liked that Izumi contradicted the stereotype of the over-achiever Asian girl, I thought it sometimes went too far in the other direction, to the point that it was difficult to suspend my disbelief. From what we’re given to understand, she always wanted to learn about her family, but when she found out that she’s a princess, she made no effort read ANY of the information. Even for someone who is supposedly laid back and “go with the flow”, this seems highly unlikely.

3) Unrealistic Japanese language learning
The way Izumi was learning Japanese language baffled me. Kanji takes years to learn so I have no idea why we only saw her practicing calligraphy style Kanji, before even learning hiragana and katakana. I studied Japanese for three years in high school and four years in college and I still struggle with kanji. I suppose it doesn’t help that I’ve barely practiced since I finished undergrad several years ago but the point is, there is no logical reason why Izumi’s tutor would have her focus on writing kanji after only a few weeks. There is a very specific stroke order to write each character, some of which contain more than 10 strokes. Also, kanji characters have multiple ways to pronounce them depending on their combination, adding to the difficulty of learning.

4) Dorayaki does not contain nutella
Dorayaki is delicious and it is one of my favorite Japanese sweets. It is also filled with anko (red bean paste), NOT nutella. They are completely different. I’m not sure if that change was intended to make it more relatable to white readers but I thought it was unnecessary and was irrationally annoyed by it.

Final thoughts
Tokyo Ever After was an enjoyable, fluffy story with sarcastic banter, strong family relationships, and a romance to root for. It’s super cheesy, dramatic, and generally predictable but in this case, it really works. And honestly, the world needs more books like this with diverse protagonists that are just fun to read.

This book is made for fans of The Princess Diaries, What a Girl Wants, and Crazy Rich Asians. We have Izumi, our imperfectly charming new princess; Aiko, the handsome royal guard who is more than he seems; Prince Yoshi, Izumi's irreverent royal cousin; and so many more.

The plot is full of romance and opulence and conflict, of course, but the story goes even further than that. Themes of cultural identity and familial bonds run through the story, as well. The book is even dedicated to "the girls who lead with their hearts."

This was the best possible choice to kick off #yamay2021! I've heard there's going to be a sequel, and I can't wait.

This book was so cute and fun. It would be a great summer beach read!

Izzy has never felt like she belong in Mt Shasta. As a Japanese American she doesn’t look like everyone else. As she’s trying to figure out who she is and graduate high school she finds out that her father is Japanese royalty...making her a princess. Izzy must now figure out how to stay true to herself while also figuring out who she is as a princess while all of Japan watches.

I enjoyed this story a lot and it would be a great recommendation for anyone who loved princess diaries or crazy rich Asians. The romance is sweet and not graphic and Izzys personality is so different from a lot of leading female romance types. Recommended for high school!

Normally, I would avoid books that centre around royalty but something about this book intrigued me from the minute I heard about it. I cannot lie to you and say the cover did not have any influence on me but the synopsis is what actually dragged me into wanting to read Tokyo Ever After. It read exactly like a rom-com and was so easy to visualise. It would make an absolutely amazing film adaptation.

Right from the start of the book I was drawn right into Izumi’s life and how fun this story was. Izumi is an incredibly relatable main character and things she said made me laugh out loud. She is down-to-earth, fun and figuring out who she is and what she wants from life. Also, the fact she wears sweatpants/joggers on the plane makes me so happy for no reason! Her friends and their friendship is so beautiful to read too.

I loved the parental relationships that Tokyo Ever After shows. It isn’t often in YA books that we get to see a close mother and daughter relationship, so it is really refreshing to see that with Izumi and her mother. We see Izumi and her mum keep secrets from each other for different reasons which puts tension into their relationship but the unconditional love that they have for each other is so evident and beautiful! When it comes to Izumi’s father, we get see two people build a relationship from scratch and all the complexities surrounding that. I loved seeing how their relationship varied when it was in the public eye verse when the pair were alone.

When it comes to the romance of this book, I think this is the first time I’ve ever read the bodyguard trope. This book has me wanted to read more of the trope in the future though. It certainly isn’t the first time I’ve read the enemies to lovers trope, which I absolutely adore in Tokyo Ever After. The romance is sweet and and I want to see more of the pair.

I enjoyed the fact that this book focuses a lot on identity and finding out where you belong. We see Izumi feel like she doesn’t belong in her predominantly white town, in California, then hope that she will fit in in Japan. Then we see her excited to be in a place where the general population look like her. Then suddenly have to come to terms with the fact that language and cultural barriers cause her to be an outsider in Japan too. This is all written incredible well and you can tell so much thought has been put into it.

If you are looking for a sweet romance, the enemies to lovers trope with a royalty storyline throughout then this is the book for you! I cannot recommend this book enough to bring a smile to your face. Bring on book two!

I don’t usually read these types of books but when I read the summary of the book that I thought I would like it and to go outside of my normal book genres. I thought the writing and plot was really good.

The story follows Izumi who finds out that her dad is an actual Crown Prince in Japan which makes her a Princess. She is taken from her home in America back to Japan to find out what it really means to be royalty.

For me, reading this book help me with getting out of a moody place with it being sweet, silly, self discovery, and finding your first love. It was nice to read something that made me smile and laugh at the same time.

I have to admit that I was not sure about how I would like the book because it isn’t what I usually go for but I am happy that I love it and it will be book I will go back to when I need something help with getting out of a reading slump or bad mood. If you want to read a book that will pick you up and remind you of The Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians then I would recommend you getting Tokyo Ever After.

The five-year-old inside of me, who wanted to be a princess when she grew up, was so incredibly excited to read this, and I wasn't disappointed.

This book was incredibly funny, I found myself laughing at the things that Izumi in particular was thinking or saying, and that made the book all the more enjoyable. I also appreciated the nuance brought in between being the child of immigrants and the struggle that comes with trying to fit in with one culture or another, especially when you end up growing up somewhere where you are relatively different.

I loved the royal x bodyguard trope, and it was fun to see it play out here, especially as a pseudo-enemies-to-lovers trope built-in as well. Akio slowly won my heart as he won Izumi's, and I loved the way their relationship panned out.

I loved this book so, so much.

Fans of Princess Diaries rejoice there is a new Princess in town and she will steal your heart. Princess Izumi is a lively, heartfelt character that is easily relatable. I really enjoyed this character's journey and her working to find the balance between the various aspects of her identity. All of Izzy's quirks and personality were fully on display and made this character stand out. I wish there was more of her story!

This was such a fun read and I thank you NetGalley and MacMillan/Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read an eARC. The friendship between the Izumi and her friends had me burst out laughing numerous times. It's definitely a coming of age story where a young woman is trying to find her place in a world where she is looked at differently because of her ethnicities in both her hometown and Japan. Consider this book if you are looking for a fun, quick read that hits all of the feels of for fun banters, a main character learning to think for herself and create a path through obstacles she faced both in the US and Japan.

NetGalley ARC | Tokyo Ever After might be one of my new favorite YA books of 2021 along with Forna's The Gilded Ones.

Find heart-swelling romance and a beautiful story about exploring heritage, identity, and families. Izumi's character is courageous and empowering -- shining far brighter than any glitzy tiara or perfectly selected outfit.

For royalty novel lovers, Tokyo Ever After is feel-good and devour-worthy with extremely essential and strong messaging.

You can find the full review on The Uncorked Librarian website here: https://www.theuncorkedlibrarian.com/may-2021-book-releases/

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is an extremely cute story that launches off the idea of the Princess Diaries, but makes it diverse. TOKYO EVER AFTER is a heartwarming look at a girl who suddenly finds out she is a princess. I highly recommend this fluffy read for a quick serotonin boost.

This book was everything I wanted and more! Tokyo Ever After has been described as The Princess Diaries set in Japan and I am here for it. When Izumi Tanaka finds out her father is the Crown Prince of Japan, her life is royally (sorry) flipped upside down. With so many lovable characters and beautiful descriptions of Japan, this book just made me smile. I laughed and tbh I may or may not have shed a tear or two...

If you love the family drama in American Royals and the sweet teenage charm in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, you will absolutely adore this one. I highly recommend this book.

Tokyo Ever After is a super cute read about a girl named Izumi who discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan, making her a princess. Izumi embarks on a journey to Japan to learn about her father’s family, and how to be a princess.

This book reminded me of The Princess Diaries. The cast of characters were fun and Izumi was sassy and relatable. The overall story is somewhat predictable, but I still enjoyed the themes of self discovery and being true to oneself. Izumi was quick-witted and reacted the way I would expect a person who grew up in normal society to react to finding out that she was a princess. I The pacing of the overall story was perfect. The only issue I had with pacing was that the romance aspect of the story seemed a little rushed. It felt like a case of insta-love, and I wish that there was more build-up to the relationship. Still, the love interest was likable and the overall story was well done.

Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title to review. All opinions are my own.

If you are a fan of the 2001 Disney Classic The Princess Diaries, starring Anne Hathaway, or the iconic 2003 rom-com What a Girl Wants, starring Amanda Bynes…this is THE book for you! I had so much fun following our protagonist, Izumi Tanaka, as she discovers her lost heritage as the Crown Princess of Japan.

In many ways, this book reads like a lovable romantic comedy, and I just *know* it would do fantastic as a film adaptation. From Izumi’s hilarious group of friends to our brooding (and dreamy) bodyguard love interest, to supportive parents, this book was simply nonstop fun.

Tokyo Ever After follows the perspective of Izumi Tanaka, an average Japanese American teenager who lives with her single mother and is just trying to survive high school. Her life is turned upside down when she discovers that her father is actually the Crown Prince of Japan. Suddenly, Izumi is whisked away from her mundane life and thrown into the world of high society.

Right from the first chapter, I found this book to be so endearing, and FUN. Izumi was such a relatable main character, and I found many moments while reading her inner monologue where I went “Mood.” She’s your down-to-earth girl-next-door who wears sweat pants on airplanes but is also trying to figure out her identity, family, and love-life.

The parent-child dynamic of this book reminded me so much of Amanda Bynes’s character in What A Girl Wants. I loved getting to see a close mother-daughter pairing, and although Izumi’s mother had her own reasons for keeping secrets, you could still see their unconditional love for each other.

With Izumi’s father, we got to navigate the complexities of building a relationship from scratch. While their relationship was held mostly in the public’s eye, we also got the intimacies of them getting to simply exist as father-daughter, not royalty. I personally would’ve loved more scenes with Izumi’s parents reconciling…but maybe we’ll see more in Book 2.

In terms of romance, I’m always a fan of the bodyguard trope so I was squealing from the start. There’s something so special about the yearning and how they grow from standoffish enemies-to-friends-to-lovers (or maybe it’s because I like to think that I’m a princess LOL). Several scenes are a little too sweet that you might get a toothache, but as a whole, I loved Akio and Izumi’s dynamic.

I will give a fair warning that much of this book just simply isn’t realistic. You might roll your eyes at how the snapshots of tabloid gossip give a tone quite similar to Gossip Girl. You might wonder why there are sudden time skips or cliche scenes that seem *too* coincidental, but tropes exist for a reason. I personally loved the overall cheesy, feel-good vibe and happily consumed every scene.

When a modern fairy tale stars a Japanese American girl and it feels like it was written just for you. Tokyo Ever After is an absolute delight. I loved it.

Izumi (Izzy) Tanaka is just about to graduate high school when she finds out her dad is the Crown Prince of Japan...making her a princess. She already feels like she doesn't quite fit into her very white small town in Northern California, but will she fit in any better in Japan? Like so many of us, she's too Japanese for America, and too American for Japan.

I loved that Emiko Jean took us to Japan, instead of yet another faux-European country. I loved Izzy's brashness, her girl gang with the other 3 Asians at her high school, and that despite being a Harvard legacy, she's headed for a state school. (I see you, girl). I loved that there's a little bit of romance (her bodyguard!) wrapped into a story fundamentally tackling identity, belonging, and assimilation.


If you take Tokyo Ever After simply at face value, you'll get a fun, "commoner is actually a princess" story, with Asian representation. But, if like me, you're a Japanese American reader, (particularly yonsei or gosei), I think you'll identify with Izzy and feel seen in ways we still don't get enough of in YA lit. It's in the details and all the many moments that had me just, "Wow, this book is for us."

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If you're gauging this for younger teen readers, Izzy gets drunk in a restaurant/club (the drinking age in Japan is 20, though I'm assuming royal status bends the rules a bit) . She's also conceived as a result of a college one night stand.

When I saw this gorgeous cover, I instantly wanted to pick up this book and read it... and I'm so glad I did! This book was fun, charming, and heartwarming. It had been a while since I read a YA novel, and this one reminded me why I love them!

Izumi Tanaka is your average high school senior, struggling to fit in and find her way in the world. She is Japanese-American, and has never quite felt that she fully fit in - and being raised by a single mother, unaware of her father's identity, has not made that challenge any easier. Until one day, she discovers that her father is actually the Imperial Crown Prince of Japan. She embarks on a whirlwind journey to discover her father, her newly found life as a Royal, and tries to find herself along the way.

This book is equal parts coming of age and first romance (including an enemy to lovers trope!). Izzy is a sweet, endearing character that you just can't help but root for. Her foibles make you cringe for her, and her victories have you cheering. I wish that there had been time for more character development in some elements of the plot, but it didn't take away form my overall enjoyment of the book.

Were there some parts of the book that really rely on suspension of disbelief? Yup. Is that totally ok with me? Also, yup. (Example: the fact that she e-mailed a guy who used to be friends with the guy she suspects is her father, and next thing you know, she's being brought into the Japanese Imperial family fold BEFORE getting a DNA test!? Oh well... we should all be so lucky!) This book was a fun, light read and I can't wait to read the sequel and follow along more of Izumi's adventures.

The minute I saw this cover, I knew this would be a book I'd want to read! Then I saw the comparison to The Princess Diaries and I was sold! This book was funny and emotional and amazing and I love the characters and definitely recommend it to all of my friends!

What a delightful story! I adored Izumi's growth as she learns about her family, her history, and her place in the world. This is a darling, quick, fun read that feels a lot like the movie What a Girl Wants. The Japanese culture woven through this story is beautiful. My only wish is that there were an epilogue. A cute summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The moment I started this book I couldn’t put it down, I haven’t been lucky with the books I have been reading lately but this book was like eating ice cream in a sunny hot day, it filled me warm and happiness, the fact royalty tropes are my favorite tropes was a bonus. Emiko Jean did a wonderful job describing Izumi’s feelings about not belonging in America but also not in Japan, I adored her friendship and interactions with the AGG and her scenes with Akio made my heart melt and her relationship with her mom was one of the best mother-daughter relationships I have read on a book.

I have been used to authors using the British Royal Family as inspiration for their books, so reading about the Imperial Japanese Family and their traditions was new and refreshing. Reading all of this via Izumi’s eyes made me long about my Japan trip that was sadly canceled thanks to the Pandemia, hopefully, I will be able to go in the future, but for now, I have this book to transport me to Japan