Youthful and sweet. For fans of The Princess Diaries and American Royals.

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean is a fun YA coming-of-age story about a young Japanese American girl who is trying to discover who she is and where she belongs. As a California senior in high school, Izumi Tanaka finally finds out the identity of her father after years of wondering, and it turns out, he’s the Crown Prince of Japan—making her a princess. Upon arriving in Japan, she is thrust into the limelight of palace life, overwhelmed with learning a new culture, a new language and a whole lot of etiquette rules. For the briefest of moments, Izumi feels at home being surrounded by people that look just like her, but a part of her still feels like an imposter. She has her cousins “the Shining twins” to contend with, the media to stay ahead of, and only the company of a cute bodyguard to help her find her footing as a new palace royal. The real question is: Can she find a happy medium between her two different worlds and ultimately find a happy ending?

I really liked how this book featured multicultural characters that were discovering for themselves their own identity, voice, and sense of family, while still remaining a very light and fun story. I loved the travel scenes throughout Japan, the snippets of Japanese culture, the day-to-day palace scenes, and Izumi’s supportive American girlfriends. As an audiobook, the narration by Ali Ahn was youthful and fun, and the story was very easy to follow in audio format.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the gifted audiobook!

***My reviews are up on Goodreads and Instagram and tomorrow (May 18) I'll post on Amazon and B&N. Thanks again for this opportunity and Happy (Almost) Pub Day.

This was a fun little romp! I'm not usually a big fan of this genre but I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Izumi was frustrating at times, but realistic and likeable. I appreciated that the romance aspect was secondary to her journey of self discovery.

Having lived in Japan for a number of years, I was interested in this primarily because of the setting, I was curious as to how the Japanese aspect would be portrayed. I was worried that it would come across as very anime fan-esque. There are certainly moments of it within here, there was also enough in here to feel a little more in depth with Japanese culture and day to day. There were some moments that had me smiling (I'm a big hide fan and would kill to go to Karaoke again).

The narrator is excellent and very emotive. She added flavour and brought the characters to life.

I would recommend this one for a nice, light read!

This book is the delightful story of Izumi, a Japanese American daughter of a single mom who discovers that her father is actually the Crown Prince of Japan. It is a delightfully frothy tale that benefits from the inclusion of Izumi's experience as feeling different both in the mostly white community where she lives in the US and as the American who doesn't fully know the customs in Japan.

Brief Synopsis: Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izumi and her mom against the world. But then Izumi discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity…and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan which means Izumi is literally a princess. In a whirlwind, Izumi travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. Izumi soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairy tale, happily ever after?

Review: Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this gem of a book in exchange for my review. I adored Izumi and her journey! It was the best combination of American Royals and Crazy Rich Asians with a little dash of The Princess Diaries. Izumi was a very genuine and relatable character. Emiko Jean is a gorgeous writer and perfectly portrayed a girl caught in the middle of two worlds. I think her story resonates with a lot of people.. not so much becoming a princess, but being caught in between different societal standards for themselves and having to navigate that to find yourself.

Really enjoyed it! Fun, likable main character trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Students will really enjoy this one!

This book was absolutely entertaining! I definitely agree that this is a twist between Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians! That's the best part about this story. This is a story about a seventeen-year-old American-Japanese girl who discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan. I am obsessed with Japan after visiting so the title alone of this novel caught my attention. Emiko Jean does an AMAZING job taking her reader to Japan and allowing them to step into Izumi's shoes as she learns about her family and herself. I'd like to thank #NetGalley for the #Arc. I was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook, which made this story more enjoyable.

The main character, Izumi (Izzy) Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in in her small town in Northern California. We learn that it isn’t easy for her to be an American-Japanese girl growing up in her mostly white town. On top of living in a mostly white town, Izumi was raised by a single mother. She isn't aware of who her father is but that's just the start. The adventure begins when Izumi discovers a clue about her unknown father's identity and it leads her to travel to Japan. What's that clue you may ask? Oh, he's only the Crown Prince of Japan.

In a whirlwind, Izumi travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discovers the country she always dreamed of calling home. I have gone to Japan myself and being able to go again through Izumi was so much fun and honestly kept my attention. Not only is she discovering who her birth father is, but she's also discovering family she didn't know about. Her small quiet life just became something even bigger. While traveling to Japan, she is introduced to conniving cousins and press that can't get enough of finding out the Prince of Japan has a daughter and other life. A K-drama can't be complete without a scowling male character. The handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate steps into the story and all readers will immediately fall in love. Coming to Japan means that Izumi has to learn and become familiar with thousands of years of tradition and customs and practically learn them overnight.

Izumi soon finds herself caught between worlds of who she once was and who she wants to become. Her life in America verse Japan is complete opposites. She either needs to accept her life in America or make new grounds in Japan by following her destiny. Izumi is constantly reminding herself that back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough.

Going on this journey with Izumi was so entertaining. I found myself giggling, smiling, and even at times, my eyes became teary with the hardships she has to overcome. I loved seeing the growth between Izumi and her mother as Izzy takes this live changing journey to discover the other side of her life.

If you're a fan of a traveling romance k-drama with family growth and everything in between, I definitely think you should pick up this story! Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillian for the arc audiobook!

This was such a cute book! All of the characters were well developed and I loved Izzy, she had such a good, easy to like personality. The story was interesting and sweet with some added drama. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, I really enjoyed this one!

A "surprise, you're a princess!" story is going to get me every single time. It's inevitable when Anastasia was my favorite film one summer and I watched it every day. These lyrics may have run through my head randomly throughout the entire time I listened:

"Heart don't fail me now
Courage don't desert me
Don't turn back now that we're here"

Izzy has known nothing but a single, hard-working mom and - in her own words - an aptitude for mediocrity. Her mother refuses to tell her anything about her father. With the help of friends and Google, Izzy finds out her father is heir to Japan. Izzy is a delightful MC. She's curious and balances confidence and insecurity as well as any eighteen year old would.
I enjoyed the narrator, Ali Ahn. Her tone and pacing were a perfect accompaniment for Emiko Jean's writing.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

The Princess Diaries meets The Bodyguard is this refreshing new take of a long lost princess returning home, this time as part of the empirial family of Japan.

Izumi is a Japanese American who has always struggled to find her place in the world, never being japanese enough or american enough. That's something any BIPOC or immigrant can relate to and I certainly did. I loved the author's take on it, while we learned more about the japanese traditions, royalty, and saw a cute love story develope.

I loved the characters, everyone played their roles very well and the chemistry was amazing. Izumi's friends were supportive and never jealous which I apprecite, the book battles between tradition and feminism just like the characters do.

My only complaint was the ending felt a bit rushed and I wanted more... perhaps a book 2? I listened ro the advance copy of the audiobook and the ending looped so maybe I missed some important information, which I will check as soon as the book comes out on the 18th of May.

Oh this book was so wonderful.

Izzy and her mom have always been a pair, just them against the world. But Izzy has never really felt like she knew who she was, or that she fit in. Being Japanese American in a small, mostly white town in Northern California has been really difficult. But when some sleuthing by her best friend uncovers who Izzy’s father is she starts to see how the pieces might fit together. There’s just one catch…her father is the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means….Izzy is a princess.

At first, it seems like a dream come true, the chance to meet her dad, and visit Japan where she assumes she’ll seamlessly fit in. Turns out being a princess is hard work, and she is criticized for being ‘too American’ and not royal enough. Add a sexy bodyguard, evil twin cousins (she calls them The Shining Twins) who are constantly trying to trip her up, unrelenting press and paparazzi, and Izzy is left feeling more confused than ever.

I just loved all the characters in this book, Izzy was kind and funny and I thought she was very self-aware for her age. I particularly enjoyed Izzy’s friend group too. They called themselves the Asian Girl Gang (or AGG) and their banter was so funny. Even the baddy characters were pretty great.

I could have used a little more build-up on the romance side, although I do love an enemies-to-lovers story. Was it predictable, sure, did I love it anyway, yes, yes I did.

The audiobook was performed by Ali Ahn who did an amazing job of bringing the characters to life. You might recognize her from the All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. The audio is 9 hours and 33 minutes and I binged it in a day.

And guess what?! There is going to be a second book in this series, coming in 2022. I can’t wait!

✨Review✨

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
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"People are always rooting for those above them to fall."

"I know I'm not the man you or your family need me to be, but I'm on my way. I promise if you give me this chance I'll spend my lifetime being worthy of you."

Izumi (Izzy) is a Japanese American being raised by a single mother. When she gets a hint into who her father may be, she jumps at the chance to meet him and it turns out, Izzy is literally a Japanese Princess.

This book was so cute and definitely had me flashing back to The Princess Diaries as promised. I really liked how there was a mix of everything in this book instant love, self discovery, forbidden love, a multitude of entertaining characters, and a huge multicultural aspect which is always a plus.

I listened to the audio version which was great. I really appreciated listening to this book so that I could hear the correct pronunciation of the Japanese terms. The narrator's pacing was a little too slow for my preferences, but I was able to adjust the speed of the narration up to 2x which kept the book moving at a good pace.

Thank you NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Emiko Jean for the opportunity to listen and review this book in return for an honest review!
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Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4)/5

Though it was a bit cheesy, predictable and required some serious suspension of disbelief, this book was such a fun ride. Who wouldn’t love a combo of The Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians?

The way 1.) Izumi’s friends tracked down her father, 2.) her mother just happened to have a way for her to get in direct contact with him, 3.) the Japanese monarchy didn’t question this illegitimate child and sent an entourage to America to pick her up (before even ordering a DNA test to confirm), 4.) Izumi instantly agreed to join her father in Japan with her mother barely protesting, and 5.) Izumi didn’t even read the documents she was given to prepare her for meeting with monarchs (despite emphasizing how much learning about her family meant to her and how anxious she was to impress them) made me raise my eyebrows. And that was just within the first 15% of the book.

Despite this, once we got to Japan it was fun riding along with Izumi as she discovered the country, culture and her place in the royal family, and see her exploring what it was like fitting in in America vs. Japan. The descriptions of Tokyo and the Japanese countryside were fantastic; I felt like I was there and it did a great job immersing me in the story.

Overall, the main characters were fairly well-developed and memorable. I loved how bold, quirky and self-assured Izumi was, even if some of her decisions were frustrating. The dialogue and humor in the book felt a bit forced (like what an adult thinks teens say and joke about), but it wasn’t so off that it became grating.

Another aspect that didn’t connect with me was how Izumi often spoke of how difficult it was for her to fit in anywhere and how she was often stereotyped and put down; however, she and her friends did the same to others on several occasions.

Unfortunately, I had mixed feelings on the audiobook narrator. While I loved how she voiced the descriptive prose between dialogue—with the right balance of engaging, conversational and energetic—she tended to overemphasize the dialogue of any teenage characters to the point that it was annoying and made the characters feel like vapid, overly perky stereotypes. If she would have voiced them like she did the rest of the audiobook, I would have had no issues.

As an aside, can we take a second to talk about the cover?! Stunning. I absolutely love the paper cut illustration style.

Overall, this was a very fun and enjoyable quick read that I can easily see as a favorite among younger teenagers. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Izumi, the 18 year old protagonist, accidentally discovers who her father is. The only problem is... he just so happens to be the crown prince of Japan. In order to get know him, Izumi has to fly to a foreign country, learn the language and customs, as well as, step into her role as princess of Japan. Luckily, she has the assistance of her cousin and a cute bodyguard; but, even the relationships with her allies end up going awry.

This story was so cute! A great fit for fans of movies like Crazy Rich Asians, The Bodyguard, and The Princess Diaries.

I really really end this book. So cute and the romance was subtle, just how I like it. I absolutely love Izumi, she is so humble, adorable and funny as hell. The narrator did a great job, over all this is a 10/10. I stayed up until 1 am reading , this a great summer read. I highly recommend. Thank you, Flatiron Books for this gifted copy via Netgalley.

Tokyo Ever After is a novelized version of what would happen if you combined the 2000 films The Princess Diaries and What a Girl Wants.
Like, almost exactly. Just, thankfully, much less white.

There was some stiff areas of this novel (particularly the romance...) that made it harder to enjoy. After finishing this, I don't think any characters were fleshed out enough, they seemed very static.

It was a decent read, but I found it hard to stay interested.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an alc of this book!

After living 18 years without knowledge of her father, Izumi stumbles upon a note in her mother's room that reveals her father is crown prince of Japan, and she is secretly a princess. When her father finds out, she is invited on a trip to Tokyo and has a whirlwind two weeks trying to discover who she is.

This book was very adorable. I seriously love Izumi as a main character. She is so funny, and bold, and interesting to read about. I loved her personality, and that was definitely my favorite part of this book. I also really enjoyed how everything happened with her family. We were able to see Izzy's struggles to fit in, the way she was tried and tested, and her spirit and attitude to never give up even when it got rough! I really loved that.

I honestly didn't think this book needed a romance sub-plot. The romance was cute enough, but I thought the characters didn't have enough time together to really develop that relationship enough to make it worth it. I would have enjoyed this book more if the romance was left out and it really just focused on her family and culture and friends instead.

All in all, a great read! And the narration is excellent.

Pub Date: May 18, 2021
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Bullying, Misogyny , Racism, and Sexism

I really loved everything about this book. A 'fairytale' set in the realities of today. So beautifully told. Izumi is such a wonderful character. A strong young girl (or should I say young woman), far from perfect, but full of determination and charisma. I especially loved the realness of the life she was born in to and how it clashed with, and then blended with her exploration in to her culture and experiences in Japan.

So many wonderful characters surround Izumi: from her friends and mother at home, to the new family she discovers, her father and her bodyguard. This story soars with imagination and promise.

Emiko Jean has brought to life a story that I hope finds its way in to many people's lives. So glad it found me.

The audiobook version, narrated by Ali Ahn is perfection. Ahn is the perfect storyteller for this edition.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Izumi "Izzy" Tanaka have never felt like she has fit in. Raised by her single mother, Izzy has always never felt quite at home as a Japanese American in her small, mostly white, Californian town. But with the discovery that Izzy's birth father is none other than the Crown Prince of Japan, Izzy is shocked to learn she's an actual princess. In a whirlwind, Izzy travels to Japan to meet her father, discover where she comes from and to hopefully find herself. Complete with meddling cousins, sneaky tabloids, and a handsome bodyguard, her trip is anything but ordinary.

Tokyo Ever After hooked me from the very first chapter and I could not put the book down. A cross between The Princess Diaries + What a Girl Wants + Crazy Rich Asians, Tokyo Ever After grapples with themes of self discovery, identity and family. This book is perfect for fans of American Royals/Majesty.

Every character was so well developed and I loved experiencing Japan through Izzy's eyes. Izzy is extremely mature for an 18 year old and absolutely hilarious. I loved her inner monologues and the sharp wit she threw at her guard. Her group of friends back in California stole the show for me; their group text messages had me laughing out loud.

I listened to the audiobook and was blown away by the narrator. She does a fantastic job with all the different characters and I appreciated knowing the correct pronunciations of all the Japanese words included in the book. Listening to the book completely immersed me in the story and made it hard for me to stop listening!

This book has it all! Deception, secrets, first love and self discovery. Tokyo Ever After is out May 25. Thank you to MacMillan for advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I received this an audio ARC through Netgalley. Tokyo Ever After I felt did a wonderful job of showing how hard it is to fit into the world you live. Whether you are just a typical teenage girl, with average grades or a princess of Japan, finding your place in life is not always easy and there is no magical formula. Izumi takes us on a journey finding family, friends, and the discovery of what she is really made of, princess or no princess.

Note: the low star rating is mostly for the audio narration, which I could not get past. The narrator sounded like an adult trying to mimic what she thought today's teens sound like. The result was that all the characters in the first few chapters ended up being thoroughly unlikable, vapid, stupid, and just mean. I would recommend anyone getting this book in audio version to listen to a sample first to make sure it doesn't grate on them as it did me.

I would have bought the book version but the characters were also problematic in those first chapters. E.g., at the same time that the main character was upset about being stereotyped she was putting down the gay boy next door for dressing too loudly and for having a crush on her mother, "Like a cat bringing a dead mouse to the door." Her group of friends hate on others just as they are hated on. It made the whole book unlistenable/unreadable for me.

I couldn't get past the first few chapters. Perhaps it gets better and there is character growth and our heroine realizes that she was being just as ugly as the people were to her. I did like that her group of friends were racially diverse and each had to deal with different types of harassment because of it - we need more awareness of this unacceptable situation in books. But it defeats the purpose when those characters are just as bad in their stereotyping. Reviewed from an advanced listenter version provided by the publisher.