I picked up Tokyo Ever After for the beautiful cover and stayed for the wonderful story within! Izumi was such a relatable character and I loved getting to see her navigate her new Princess Diaries-esque world, even when it got messy. Her relationship with her mom is really lovely and I liked watching her new relationship with her long lost dad unfold. If I had one criticism, it would be that I want more! I'd follow a whole series of Izumi in Japan!

This book is what I call candy - it's good at satisfying a craving, but aren't very filling or substantial otherwise. We enjoy candy because we have no expectations for it to be anything more that.

I mean... that pretty much sums up my review. This was a fun and lighthearted read - I don't think it was trying to accomplish anything much more substantial than that, so I can't really fault it for not being very deep. It definitely skewed on the young side of YA - I think it'd be a great read for pre-teens.

In a nutshell, Tokyo Ever After is about this girl named Izumi, and one day she finds out that her dad is the Crowned Prince of Japan. It kind of gives me Princess Diary vibes, but it's also pretty different. Izumi travels to Japan to meet her father, and she just wants to find a place she belongs because she grew up in a very white environment. While she's excited, she's also pretty nervous. Izumi doesn't know a lot about Japan or their culture, so she makes a lot of mistakes that the royal paparazzi comments on. She also has to deal with some cold-hearted royal family members. This book also has some romance between Izumi and her bodyguard, Akio.

To start off, I want to say that I did like this book a lot. I was kind of unsure at first because I thought Izumi's humor was kind of brash, but throughout the book, I learned to appreciate her uniqueness and strength. While I liked most of the interactions between the characters and how the relationships between everyone evolved, it was hard for me to really care about the characters themselves. I'm also kind of sad that most of her royal relatives suck. However, I do think the cousin's betrayal was a nice twist. I'm also glad that she found a friend in her lady-in-waiting. I liked Akio in the latter half of the book, but also...I felt like something changed. Towards the end, the person I was reading about didn't even really seem like Akio anymore.

Although I liked the story, the ending definitely took a more open ending turn. The tension between the two main relationships were pretty much resolved at that moment, but there are still so many possibilities. If I'm honest, I don't know if Akio and Izumi will work out or if their relationship is strong enough. These stories are always so tricky because the two main characters come from different parts of the world. Akio will also be in the Air Force, so he may be gone a lot. I also know that Izumi is strong, so she will come back to Japan and probably frequently. Maybe her father and her mother may even try to get back together again, but I don't know. Also, sometimes I wish we could have seen some more glimpses of conversation between her father and her mother. I just want to be able to root for them too. I just feel like, eventually, the weight of being royalty and surrounded by royal relatives that don't accept you may take a toll. I do appreciate what the book set out to do though, and I'm extremely glad for Asian representation and the dilemma of not feeling Asian enough nor American enough. I also took a liking towards her group of friends.

When high school senior Izumi Tanaka stumbles across a hint as to who her long-lost birth father could be and her best friend Noora does some internet sleuthing, they come to the conclusion that Izumi's father is none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Yeah, right. Sure. Like that was actually possible. Until Izumi confronts her mother about it and... yeah. Her dad is the next Emperor of Japan. Which makes Izumi a real life princess.

All Izumi wanted was to get in touch with her father, let him know that, hey, she existed. She expected an email, maybe a phone call. She most definitely didn't expect the paparazzi to show up in her mostly-white California town and to go from a small-town nobody to an international celebrity overnight. And she definitely wasn't expecting the invitation to spend her spring break in Tokyo, plunging her into the royal spotlight. Izumi, who has never felt like she fit in and wanting to explore her Japanese roots as well as, you know, meet her father, agrees. But finally in a place where her face blends in, Izumi finds she sticks out even more as the American Princess. Can she figure out who she is and where she stands in the world, all while under a blazing spotlight with gossip columnists ready to pounce on every misstep she takes?

Pitched as "The Princess Diaries" meets "Crazy Rich Asians", "Tokyo Ever After" is a fun and enjoyable read about one girl's journey to figure out who she truly is while straddling two worlds, with two identities seemingly at odds with each other: Japanese princess and average American teenager. This is a beautiful celebration of identity and self-worth, a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered if they are "enough". I adored that Izumi was down-to-earth, even when she could have easily let being a princess go to her head. Even when she was trying to figure out who she was, she remained true to herself. Not to mention, this is a fantastic insight to Japanese culture, with mouth-watering descriptions of food and awe-inspiring places.

Funny, romantic, and heart warming, "Tokyo Ever After" is a summer must-read!

After loving the author's previous work and hearing the description of this book mirror stories I enjoyed while a teen, I hoped to find this book a light-hearted pick me up on my tbr list. It is light-hearted and so teen-oriented that I know that I am not the target audience for this book. I will look forward to other high fantasy stories from this author instead.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

I will forever be a fan of lost princesses. What struck me about Tokyo Ever After was not only the narration style - which was charming and endearing at once - but also Izumi's feelings growing up in a mostly white community. The ways she shortens her names, looks for it on key chains, and her own self-erasure. Those scenes were like echoes of my own teenage years. Tokyo Ever After is infused with Izzy's quirkiness, her character that screams off the pages. Another element I loved was the relationship between Izzy and her parents.

Her feminist and outspoken mother, her dad who has a good heart, but is struggling to be a new father. As an adoptee, I think another way Tokyo Ever After came for my heart was the way Izzy feels like it was just her and her mother against the world, but not by her own choice. How the lack of information and choices made by others, which put your life into motion, feels almost like that choice is taken away from you. And th ways she pins hopes and dreams on finding our parents, that connection to a country we want to belong to? Ooff....all the feels.

It's official - give me all the royal YA books out there, please and thank you!!

I practically devoured this book! I seriously could not put it down, I loved it so freaking much. Izumi was such an amazing character to read about. I love the journey she went on about finding herself and what that means in the context of being part of the Japanese monarchy. This was such a perfect book honestly. I enjoyed it so much more than I could have ever anticipated.

And the romance? WOW. That's a serious 12/10. It was amazing!!!! I loved the slow blooming relationship between Izumi and Akio. They were so good to each other. Also having the bits of media coverage sprinkled between some of the chapters was a golden idea. Seriously if you're a fan of either the American Royals duology or the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, this is the one for you.

THANK YOU to NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed herein are mine alone and may not reflect the views of the author, publisher, or distributor.

It's rare that I read a book and actually want to curl up inside it to live. Sure, I'm passionate about a few books, but I'll admit that those ones aren't where I'd like to set up residence. Mainly because there's death and danger all around, and I can't be bothered to get up and turn off the lamp at night, let alone to save the world.

Here's the thing. Normally I despise warm-and-fuzzy. But TOKYO EVER AFTER is such a heartfelt, joyous exploration of identity and belonging, and of parent-child relationships, and of first love--UGH, excuse me while I preorder my copy now.

Izumi Tanaka discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan, and when she reaches out to an old colleague of his, her father Makoto finds her and brings her to Japan to claim her as his daughter. The book follows Izumi as she connects with her roots, gets to know her family, and the culture neither herself nor her mother got to grow up with in California.

As far as writing goes, this felt so effortless and breezy. I love Emiko Jean's style, and the fact that the story was taken seriously and not the prose makes a HUGE difference on the emotional impact of TOKYO EVER AFTER. I've been in love with Japanese culture since I was a wee bab, and seeing it represented so perfectly in what is basically a perfect book knocked my socks right off.

The characters felt as real as a flesh-and-blood person. Their actions were believable, their dialogue real, and Izumi and her Asian Girl Gang besties came off as actual teenagers. That's a mighty feat to accomplish. You won't find any "hello fellow youths" vibes here.

I can't express enough how much I loved this book. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about reading it. I played scenes over in my head multiple times and felt every piece of heartache and triumph with Izumi. Before I wax poetic, I'm signing off. Five out of five dorayaki.

I would've loved this book in middle school or high school and I even enjoyed it now. I think the entire book felt rushed but I also liked that I wasn't bogged down by things I probably wouldn't have wanted to read anyway. I'm ready for a book 2!

[ 3.5 stars ]

Tokyo Ever After was a fun read! Sometimes I didn't mesh well with Izumi's voice/the writing style, but I did appreciate her personality. Although if I met her in real life, I'm honestly not sure if we'd be friends lol.  

Unfortunately, I wasn't too sold on the "Asian Girl Gang" (AGG), maybe because we didn't see a ton of moments with all of them together, since Izumi is in Japan. The lack of character development made me more hesitant to jump on the "yes! AGG" bandwagon. However, the group did seem immensely chaotic (fun) and pretty supportive of one another. You need people like that in your circle.

Also...the bodyguard romance. I was honestly more into Tokyo Ever After for Izzy's navigation of her new (and unexpected) imperial title. I loved how there were newspaper articles and the like thrown in between certain chapters; that was a neat addition. Anyway, back to the romance. From the moment Izzy meets Akio, there's an "enemies to lovers" sentiment, but Izzy kind of jumped to the conclusion that they were "enemies" from the based on Akio's rigid first impression. I kept thinking, "well...she is the Crown Prince's daughter, and he is her bodyguard so of course he's not going to be chatting candidly with her on the plane..." So, the romance did fall flat for me, but this didn't matter to me too much.

I did, however, mark a few pages throughout on Izzy wanting to feel "enough" as someone who is Japanese. In the beginning, meanwhile, being in Japan—and being a princess at that—made her feel even more like an imposter of sorts. So I completely understood her intense desire to grow closer to her cultural roots and, in some way, get confirmation that she is Japanese enough (in her case).

Conclusion: I would recommend! While fun, I think Tokyo Ever After has a stronger divide between those who like it and those who don't, for a variety of reasons. in the end, it really depends on you as a reader.

Tokyo Ever After has been pitched as The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians. And I can see why, although due to the Crazy Rich Asians comp I was expecting it to be a lot funnier and soapier than it actually is. Instead the tone tends to be a bit more serious and the book focuses a lot on the main character learning Japanese etiquette, history, and culture.

Izumi has grown up in a small California town, raised by a single mom, and feeling out of place as a Japanese-American. When she discovers that she is actually the secret love child of a Japanese prince, her life completely changes and she travels to Tokyo to meet her father and learn how to be a princess. With a cute bodyguard...

Again, I went in expecting the tone of this to be much more over the top and melodramatic. Instead it's more in line with what you would usually expect from a YA coming of age story, though with a fun royal twist and great representation of Japanese culture and the struggle of feeling caught between two cultures. It's a bit slower in pace than I would have preferred and some of the threads at the end got tied up too neatly, plus I think I'm a hard sell these days on romance in YA that positions itself as being a happily ever after type of thing. But in general I enjoyed the story and am happy stories like this are getting out there. If it sounds up your alley, it's definitely worth a read. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book, and I would definitely recommend it to friends and older readers. It's a Japanese version of Princess Diaries and sure delivers. I look forward to buying a print copy of this book when it is published.

This was such a fun, cute read! This book is sweet, entertaining and at times makes you want to jump right into the book - the characters feel like your friends or family!

Izumi is a Japanese American living in a small town in northern California with her single mother. She has a super close group of friends, but never feels as if she fully fits in - since her history (and her father) are unknown. That is until Izumi discovers that her dad is the Crown Prince of Japan! Izumi travels to Japan to meet her father and his family - and is thrown into the complicated world of being part of a royal family.

Izumi finds herself stuck between her American self and Japanese self. Her feelings about her bodyguard only complicate things more. Will Izumi find herself heartbroken, confused and alone - or will she discover who she really is?

Thank you to Netgalley and Flat Iron books for my advanced reader copy!

4.5

What an absolute delight! I knew from the description I was going to enjoy this book, and it exceeded my expectations. For every reader that grew up loving The Princess Diaries this one is for you. I don't know what else to say other than this made my heart so happy. I enjoyed the story from beginning to end. I think we have a bestseller on our hands!

Tokyo Ever After is a joy to read, a contemporary YA that reminded me of The Princess Diaries, but in an updated (for the much better!) way. The storyline, of a teenage girl finding out she's someone special (royalty!) isn't new, but Tokyo Ever After really explores what that change means and is an addictive read to boot! I devoured this in one sitting and all of my YA readers (teens and adults, especially those like me who remember PD) are going to want to read this asap! I expect a lot of requests and plan a discussion group meeting for my YA readers about Tokyo Ever After because everyone is going to need to rave about it!

4.5. If you're looking for a YA novel that's a cross between Princess Diaries and American Royals with a dash of Crazy Rich Asians, I'd recommend this one, in which Izumi--a Japanese American eighteen-year-old who lives in a small white-majority town in California, founds out that she's the daughter of a Crown Prince of Japan.

I was glad to see that this leans into the comedy while also pointing out the difficulty of integrating into a new society and culture, even (or especially) if you are able to blend in on a physical level. I loved seeing Izumi navigate Japan in an authentically imperfect way; she acknowledges her missteps with a sharp and wild sense of humor (made even more evident through her text conversations with her friends back in California), and I was glad to see that Jean didn't turn the story into a farce or a rags-to-royalty story.

Emiko Jean has created a fun, modern story about Royalty that will keep you wanting more. With instances that are reminescent of The Princess Diaries and What a Girl Wants, this book follows Izumi as she searches for her father and finds out that she's a princess of Japan. Emiko's writing style feels fresh and keeps with today's teens.

[Review will be posted on May 13, 2021 on Reader Voracious but is currently live on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.)

I loved this book with my whole heart and can't wait for you all to read Tokyo Ever After!

While this isn't the kind of book I'd normally pick up, it's exactly the kind of book I want to read (I contain multitudes) and am forever thankful that Flatiron reached out to me about it. Tokyo Ever After follows Izumi, an eighteen year old Japanese American who discovers she's actually a Japanese princess and embarks on a whirlwind of adventure, self-discovery, and romance. I had the most delightful time reading this book and devoured it in one sitting... and wouldn't mind reading a sequel if we could be so lucky!

Fast-paced and energetic, the narrative is full of Izumi's spunk and sass. There's a light and conversational tone that makes you feel like one of her friends; it reads almost like a journal entry or having your best friend recall their shenanigans to you.

"It is the sacred duty of best friends to convince you to do the things you should not do."

Speaking of friends: this book has the most delightful cast of characters! I adore ride-or-die and supportive friendships, and Izumi has that in spades with her best friend Noora and the AGG (Asian Girl Gang). Their banter and rapport with one another is one that I aspire to with my friendships. Some characters were more developed than others, but I found myself enjoying each of them and the position they hold in Izumi's life. Well, except for the Shining Twins, who are arguably terrible.

There's no easier way to get me interested in a romantic arc than a bodyguard romance, and I adored the romance in Tokyo Ever After! I'm a sucker for hate-to-love romance arcs and watching preconceived notions and first impressions melt away for romantic feelings. For some reason these kinds of romances ring the most true to me. Add to the mix instant attraction so the character is caught between their dislike of the person and their hormones? Yes. (Any man who fails to schedule a bathroom break after a 14 hour flight doesn't deserve rights.)

"Princess. Most girls dreamed of this. I didn't. My mom bought me building blocks with Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Hillary Clinton on them. I just dreamed of having a father, knowing where I come from, and being able to speak proudly about who I am."

Izumi's father was never in the picture and her mother wouldn't tell her more than it was a one-night stand in college. Imagine her surprise when she found out that not only wasn't true, but her father is the Crown Prince of Japan. Izumi is swept away to Japan to meet and get to know her father's side of the family, providing her with an opportunity to learn about her heritage for the first time.

"It hits me: I'm not a novelty here. I am not a sore thumb. What a privilege it is to blend in."

This book provides much needed representation to all the Asian kids who grew up wishing they were royalty. As a white reader, I won't be able to give this beautiful ownvoices story the review it deserves, but encourage you to read reviews for Asian readers who can speak to the representation from their perspective.

"Don't you ever feel like you don't belong anywhere? Like you're two discordant halves living in one body? I'm not American enough. I'm not Japanese enough."

Tokyo Ever After is a fun book full of laughter and friendship. I cherish the time that I spend with these characters and wouldn't hate a sequel. I don't read a lot of contemporary but the book is so soft and full of sunshine that I want to read more.

Rep: Japanese American main character, Asian American & Japanese supporting cast, single parent household
Content warnings: alcohol use, bullying, elitism, racism,

ARC provided by Flatiron Press for review. This does not impact my opinion or content of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and subject to change upon final publication.

If you have been eagerly awaiting a third Princess Diaries movie, then Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean is definitely for you! Izumi (or Izzy) is an ordinary Japanese American teenager being raised by a single mother in a small town. That is, until Izumi discovers that her biological father, whom her mother has always been super secretive about, is the Crown Prince of Japan. Upon discovering that he has a daughter, he invites Izumi to spend a few weeks in Japan to meet himself and the rest of the royal family; Izumi is super excited at the prospect of finally fitting in. But being a Princess isn’t all glitz and glamour…Princesses must follow strict schedules, rules, and dress codes as well as be knowledgeable about the Japanese customs, traditions, and language. On top of that, Izzy must deal with the invasive paparazzi, manipulative cousins, and a serious yet handsome bodyguard named Akio who might just be Izumi’s soulmate. Princesses are totally allowed to date their bodyguards…right?

Tokyo Ever After is a teenage coming-of-age story full of romance, royalty, and dramedy. It deals with themes such as love and heartbreak, identity and family, race and culture, tradition, fame and royalty, female roles, growing up, and social hierarchy. The moral of the story is that, in Akio’s words, sometimes, “you’re not meant to fit in. Maybe you’re meant to stand out”. This book would be absolutely perfect for fans of movies like Chasing Liberty, What a Girl Wants, The Prince & Me, and Crazy Rich Asians. I would also recommend Tokyo Ever After to teens and adults who still love all things Disney Princess.

First off, the cover is gorgeous and definitely captured my interest right from the get-go. The unique and modern twist that Emiko Jean took on the classic rags to royalty trope was enjoyable and it was great seeing a focus on Izumi’s relationships and identity as opposed to her Princess lessons and royal events. I particularly enjoyed reading about Izumi and Akio the bodyguard’s budding romance and I loved that Izumi’s story had a happily ever after! Reading about the awesome adventures Izumi has while exploring Japan with her cousin Yoshi, such as extravagant restaurants and karaoke, was immensely fun to read as well.

Whilst great to see in mainstream YA literature, one thing that I personally found challenging about this book was the inclusion of Japanese dialogue, which wasn’t always translated into English; I found that this interrupted my reading experience and left me guessing as to what the characters said based on the context. Some aspects of the plot were unrealistic; for example, in the age of social media, how did the royal family never find out that the Crown Prince fathered a child? How come Izumi’s mother let her travel to Japan from America all by herself? Why did the royal family wait to do the paternity test until after Izumi had already travelled to Japan and met her father? And why wasn’t anyone concerned that a high schooler was romantically involved with a 20-year-old?

My nitpicking questions about the book aside, overall Tokyo Ever After was quite enjoyable and definitely worth reading; it totally fulfilled all my childhood Princess fantasies!