Man, this book tried so hard to be Princess Diaries 😫

I have many thoughts about this book. But I'll start by saying that I listened to the audiobook, and I've noticed that some books just don't work for me if I do them via audio for the first read. Books I read in hardcover/paperback and love, I will usually go and listen to the audio and enjoy that story in a new format. Sometimes I read a book in audio first and love it. But what happens occasionally is that I will introduce myself to the story through audio first and end up not liking it -- with the understanding that I might have felt different if I had simply read it physically first.

I think that's the case with TOKYO EVERY AFTER. I think the narrator did a good job handling the material, I just think Izumi's voice and personality ended up grating on me through the audio and it was hard to shake that during the story. I wanted to like this story so much and ultimately felt like it was a less enjoyable Japanese version of the Princess Diaries story. Also, the audiobook understandably left out the family tree, which I think would have helped my following of the story.

Finally, let me take a second to absolutely SWOON over that cover because WOW. MORE BOOKS WITH PAPERCRAFT COVERS, PLEASE! It is *stunning* and it pains me that I didn't like the content of the book more because I give the cover five stars.

Sadly, not my favorite read.

I really enjoyed this regular American girl turned Japanese royalty book by Emiko Jean. It has a similar type storyline to the Princess Diaries but is set apart enough from that series by its setting in Japan and concentration on Japanese culture. Izumi aka "Izzy" has always wondered who her father is. When she comes across information on him and connects with him she finds herself on a plane heading to the palace in Japan.

The writing in this book is excellent and I also listed to the audiobook which was fantastic. Check this book out if you like the royal tropes in books. You won't be disappointed.

Given that I had to re-listen before reading the second in the series, this one didn’t make much of an impression on me. It definitely is similar to Princess Diaries, but didn't really update leading to some plot holes.

Narration: Enjoyable, would listen to this narrator again.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the chance to review.

I requested this book on the premise of it taking place in Japan, nothing more. I found the story cute and for the right audience it would be a great book but unfortunately it fell flat for me.

I listened to Tokyo Ever After while traveling with my mother cross-country, and I've got to say that this is the perfect road-trip book to share! We both loved the sense of humor in Emiko Jean's writing, and found the narrator's voice to be easy to listen to! Listening to the sequel will be on our upcoming road-trip to-do list for sure, because we cannot wait to see where Izumi Tanaka's story will go next.

The world of Japanese royalty that Emiko Jean created in Tokyo Ever After was immersive and delightful! Her descriptive word choices pulled me right into the world. I could so clearly picture the characters and their surroundings, which is a lovely experience when reading a book!

This book would be a great pick for a family road-trip audiobook, especially if you have got any fans of The Princess Diaries in your car!

Izumi Tanaka has always felt like she stood out as a Japanese American in her mostly white town where she lives with her mom. She has never known her father, but one day she finds a clue to who he is: the Crown Prince of Japan. Izzy travels to Japan to meet her father and learn about her Japanese heritage. She enters an entirely new life, with sparkly tiaras, sneaky cousins, judgmental press, and a handsome bodyguard. However, though Izzy didn’t feel like she fit in at home because she wasn’t American enough, she’s also judged for not being Japanese enough in Japan. Izzy must find a way to balance her two heritages before the weight of the new crown becomes overwhelming.

This story reminded me of The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. That was one of my favourite series when I was a kid, so this book felt nostalgic. It’s fun to imagine that you can wake up one day and find out you’re a princess, but this story shows that it isn’t all glitz and glamour.

I listened to the audiobook for this book and I really enjoyed it! I always find it helpful to listen to a book when it has words that aren’t in English. There were Japanese phrases and names in this book, which I wouldn’t have known how to pronounce if I had read a physical copy of the book.

Tokyo Ever After is a fun story! I’m looking forward to reading the sequel!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing a copy of this audiobook.

This was such a feel good story that I wanted there to be a happy ending. Izzy felt easy to cheer for once she found her voice (and her dad...). Who doesn't love a Princess Diaries type of book? This one definitely fits the bill for a more modern rom com

What would you do if you found out you were a princess. Izumi Tanaka just did and her life will never be the same. She is thrust into a world of rules and customs she is not used to and blunders her way through it, from not speaking Japanese to not wearing the appropriate attire… will she be able to find herself in this new country or will she return home to America?

This is princess diaries meets crazy rich Asians meets what a girl wants to meet the bodyguard. It took me less than 24 hrs. I only read it because Macmillan audio just sent me Tokyo Dreaming. I wish I’d read it sooner. I really like Izumi and how though she tried her hardest she never really lost track of who she was. There’s romance, friendship, betrayal, rivalry, and all-around movie drama. I would love to see this one as a film.

I received this audiobook from the publisher (@MacMillainAudio in exchange for an honest review) via Netgalley

#TokyoEverAfter #EmikoJean #audiobook #contemporaryRomance #romance #YoungAdult #YARomance #ReesesBookclub #PrincessDiaries #WhatAGirlWants #JapaneseRoyalty #Japanese #AAPI #AsianAmerican #PacificIslander #Netgalley

5/5⭐ to Tokyo Ever After After by Emiko Jean. Thank you so much to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an audio egalley to review! This was pitched as a slightly more current Princess Diaries but with a Japanese-American main character, and that is exactly what we got! Between the nostalgia that I have for the movies and the way the author made this story her own, this was a top favourite book of the year! Izumi was such a sweet MC, and I loved following her journey of going from your average, run-of-the-mill teen to an actual princess. She has to learn about etiquette, international relations, court politics, and fashion as well as about a whole entire side of the family she never knew she had. What I especially liked about this part of Izumi's story is how it demonstrates her character growth, battling self-doubt as she takes on so much learning in such a short amount of time. Finally, I want to talk about the romance! Though it wasn't the main part of the plot, it added another awesome layer to this story and made me fall in love with this book and these characters even more! With Izumi we get a pretty adorable bodyguard romance that also provides commentary around class differences and I can't wat to see where it goes in book #2. The other romantic storyline we get is the backstory and re-meeting of Izumi's parents. Loved it, loved it!! If you love ya contemporary romances and especially those involving royalty please check out and support this book!! And like I said, there is a second book coming soon so this is the perfect time!!

Full review to come on Instagram and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Izumi is like every American girl. Trying to survive high school with her friends, making plans to go away to college, and worrying about how lonely her single mother is going to be when she's away.

Then Izzy stumbles upon a clue to her father's identity. And a whole new world opens up to her, straight out of a fairytale.

Izumi is whisked away, into the polished and sophisticated life of Japanese royalty. A far cry of what she's used to in the casual comfortability of her California home, Izzy is expected to fit the mold of this dazzling and dizzying place.

The backstabbing relatives, stifling press attention, and personal anxieties that litter this environment leave Izzy adrift and unsure of where she truly belongs. To make things even more confusing, there's a super hot and smoldering body guard to contend with, and Izzy finds herself frustrated and attracted to him in mind boggling ways.

Will Izzy be able to deal with this dazzling new world, or will she decide her safe haven is the land she was brought up in - not thrown toward?

Really cute, entertaining coming of age rom-com. I would definitely recommend this to my students who enjoy a farfetched kind of Princess Diaries love story.

I was soooo invigorated for this book and I'm so happy I wasn't disillusioned! This was all that I needed and that's only the tip of the iceberg. Wealthy in Japanese culture, I was completely moved close by Izumi as she learns she is really a princess. She comes to know her dad and furthermore expect the job in a government and culture that she is as yet finding out about. She needs to manage the examination of the press, and with a blossoming sentiment among her and her gatekeeper. This was fun, light, cushioned, and inspiring, and just so darn great. I adored Izumi and how she accepted everything. I felt like she had an inspirational perspective on things which was great. I preferred the bearing the story took with her dad. I anticipated that that relationship should be rough however it was exquisite to perceive how he took in Izumi as though he had some significant awareness of her entire life. The sentiment is somewhat of a foes to companions to sweethearts arrangement and it was loads of amusing to peruse. It is somewhat insta love-ish, yet I think it worked in the present circumstance. I just sincerely had a great time understanding this. It had a ton of characters you really wanted to adore, seeing Izumi's companions reinforce her in tough spots, seeing her mother really focusing on her, and her dad eventually, it was a book that kept me grinning. There isn't a huge load of contention, however there is most certainly to the point of making all the difference for the plot, yet I enjoyed how it was a more cheerful read. Certainly a book to get when you really want something inspiring!

I got an advanced copy of this book (and an advanced audiobook) in exchange for a review. Thanks, NetGalley!

Average Japanese-American teen, Izumi, lives with her single mother in her Northern California town of Mout Shasta (a real town) and enjoys spending time with her friends. But she longs to learn about the father she's never met. So when she learns that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan, she's invited to spend some time with the royal family. She also starts falling for Akio, her hot, young bodyguard, and finds herself swept up into this forgotten side of her family. Very "Princess Diaries" but with a Japanese twist.

"Princess Diaries" was one of my favorite movies as a child, so when I read that this was slightly similar to the movie, I grabbed it up right away. I like that in this version, the father is still around. This book was surprising at times, and I found myself enjoying it.

The characters I didn't like are the "Shining Twins", but I guess there'll be more learned about them in the sequel. Honestly, this book works as a stand-alone or the start of a series.

Fans of teen royalty books, such as "American Royals" series, Japan, and teen romances, and ESPECIALLY the "Princess Bride", you've GOT to pick this one up

While I haven't been much for YA in recent years, Tokyo Ever After's premise immediately caught my attention: everyday American girl learns she is the daughter of Japan's Crown Prince and is flown to Tokyo to learn the ropes of princess life. Basically, The Princess Diaries but make it Japanese. The story packs in lots of fun cultural details, as well as a sweet romantic storyline in the vein of The Bodyguard. Cute, super tropey, no surprises here.

🎵🎵🎵🎵 (four stars as rated in a song played on loop from a cell phone while two people dance in an otherwise empty room)

Izumi Tanaka has big plans for her senior summer and most of them consist of being generally ridiculous with her friends in their home town of Mount Shasta, California. But when Izzy stumbles on a love note to her mom from the dad she's never known, Izzy's whole life changes. Izzy uncovers that her father is none other than the crown prince of Japan, making Izzy a princess herself. Catapulted almost overnight from American anonymity to Japanese royalty would make anybody's head spin. Throw in some conniving cousins, an unrelenting paparazzi, a scrupulous lady in waiting and a unshakable body guard (who is really nailing that sexy brooding thing, by the way) and suddenly Izzy's summer is nothing like what she'd envisioned. Does Izzy have it in her to commit to this princess thing forever?

“I used to think the world belonged to me. But I was wrong. I belong to the world. And sometimes … I guess sometimes, our choices have to reflect that.”

This book really is aaaaall of the fluffy, teen romance feels. Izumi is such a fun character and one with whom it is very easy to empathize. Her romance with Akio made me very giggly at times and her blunders were just magnificently cringey. While the romance is obviously a primary plot point of the story, let us not overlook just how fantastically loyal and dependable Izumi's friends are. Protagonists are so often left dangling without the structure that a good cast of well developed friends provides. To give us that without a bunch of needless drama surrounding their respective relationships says a lot about the sophistication of Emiko Jean. Would 10/10 recommend this book, especially if you're looking for a quick weekend book/audiobook that will have you squealing while you listen in the car. I could not tear myself away!!

✨ Rep in this book: Japanese-American MC, diverse cast of friends, Japanese and Japanese-American supporting characters

✨ Content warnings for this book: vomit, medical stuff, bullying, alcohol use

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This was a super fun YA read, I don’t normally like these books as they tend to be too YA for me and I can never relate to the characters nor story, but this one was a fun read. I would’ve like a bit more out of it but still a good read!

This book filled my heart with so much joy! I smiled so much. The narration was lovely! I will post a longer review soon.

Rating 4

This book was better than I could have imagined! I absolutely loved it. The cover is beautiful and the story matched it, The plot and characters were all very charming. One thing I didn't care for was the insta-love but that is more of a me thing and not necessarily an everybody thing! This book kept my attention the whole way through and really reminded me of the movie "Princess Diaries" which I loved as a kid! I would definitely recommend this book and am lucky to have read it.

*Received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. In no way does this affect my opinion. *

This book was absolutely adorable! I loved how while there was times of conflict, it was very lighthearted and was a break from the dark world around me!
The narrator for the audiobook was so cheerful and perfectly embodied all of the characters throughout, and gave them their own personalities. This made it very easy to know who was talking at a given point in time.
It is now a staff pick of mine and I definitely recommend it at my store!

3.5*
Izumi Tanaka, or Izzy, has lived with her mother in California for all of her life. She lives in a predominantly white area and it is her group of best friends who sustain her. These girls are outsiders, just like Izumi and they make up an ethnically diverse support system for one another. When Izzy uncovers the secret identity of her father, her world is turned upside down.

Finding out that her father is really the Crown Prince of Japan is not only shocking but mind-blowing. Still, she wants to meet him and so she leaves for Japan. To say that the California girl is not prepared for Japanese royal life, is an understatement. It’s a totally new culture with strict rules of behavior and many obstacles that complicate the already difficult situation of meeting her father and grandparents for the first time. Plus, the media is obsessed with this new-found Princess.

The story has a cute premise but the acceptance of this stranger into the royal family is a little too tidy. Still, one can’t help but like Izzy as she tries to navigate royal life, the press and a budding romance. The romantic entanglement might be seen as contrived, but it adds a further element to the visit to Japan. Teens will like Izzy’s spunk and her ability to adjust to the new surroundings. Her relationship with her mother, like that with her friends, is one of solid support. It’s nice that the book showcases a healthy mother/daughter connection.

The audio book was nicely narrated and added to Izzy’s spirited take on things. Despite some issues, there’s so much appeal about the idea of someone suddenly becoming a princess. It’s like a childhood dream come true.