Emiko Jean did it again! This novel is a beautiful story of so much: family trauma, rape, adoption, ethnic families, redemption, and healing. I cannot recommend this book enough. Do yourself a favor and read this beautifully written, carefully plotted novel.

Mika's life is not exactly taking off. She's just been let go from yet another job, her Japanese immigrant parents seem to disapprove of everything she does, and she doesn't have enough money to pay her rent. In the midst of all this, she gets a phone call from the now-teenage daughter, Penny, she gave up for adoption at her birth. She wants to meet Mika. In order to get Penny to admire her, Mika tells a little white lie or two about her circumstances. What could possibly go wrong? Well, everything, of course, in this great, great story about families, love, and overcoming the trauma that is all too often a hidden part of the lives of many people. I look forward to recommending this title.

It’s such sweet and love story. This is my first book from this author, and I really like her writing style. I’ll be checking her other books because she surely knows how to keep my attention.

At thirty-five, Mika Suzuki’s life is a mess. Her last relationship ended in flames. Her roommate-slash-best friend might be a hoarder. She’s a perpetual disappointment to her traditional Japanese parents. And, most recently, she’s been fired from her latest dead-end job


Mika basically lies about having this successful job to her 16 year old daughter who she gave up for adoption. The story follows the relationship she is trying to build with said daughter and teaches us many things about mother-daughter relationships. I can't imagine being in this situation but I would hopefully just want to connect with my mom as she truly is and not how she feels she needs to be seen. It is an emotional story so get the kleenex to dab a spot or two but it was a pleasant read.

Thank you Emiko Jean, NetGalley and William Morrow for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book. Part romance, part women's fiction, Mika in Real Life is a tender and beautiful novel. Adoption plays a big part in this story as does past trauma of Mika being raped, but it was addressed in a therapeutic way. Bravo Emiko Jean for this story of family, surviving, and finding yourself!

I LOVE Emiko Jean's YA series Tokyo Ever After and soon-to-be Tokyo Dreaming. Her voice is witty, funny, and bubbly in all the best ways. When I heard about this book, I knew I needed to get my hands on it as soon as possible and it did not disappoint. This book is raw and complicated, but its honesty is alluring. This story isn't about how much Mika suffers, but rather the obstacles she has to overcome and is about growing into her own shoes. I appreciated that Mika was in her mid-thirties and still feeling pretty aimless. As a society, we have this expectation that we are always supposed to at least semi-put together, and if we are going to "try out" aimlessness, childhood and naivety had better be on our side. Throughout this book, we are taken on a journey to discover Mika not just as any one thing, but as a variety of things that make up all of her. She is a daughter, an artist, a mother, a lover, and a woman who is discovering what self-love means. There was so much compassion and love that was given into this book and it felt like such a privilege to read. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC!

Such a sweet and touching story, but I'm mainly impressed with the balance of it all.

It explores a lot of real, complex relationships, but it's done in a way that gives enough attention to everyone. Nothing feels lopsided, or rushed, or overdone. I feel like I was able to fully understand Mika, her new connection to her birth daughter, her strained relationship with her parents, her budding romance with Penny's adoptive dad, and her strong attachment to her best friend.

I also enjoyed the topics the story touches on. There are a fair few, which could have been messy, but I think everything is handled with care and honesty and is exactly what make this story so heartwarming.

So everything is very well-developed and leaves me, as a reader, feeling quite satisfied.

“Mika in Real life” is a lovely book. This is the first novel I’ve read by Emiko Jean and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work. I appreciate that while the protagonist is a BIPOC character, this is not—in the words of poet and memoirist Cathy Park Hong—one of those “sentimental immigrant stories of suffering.” The title character certainly has issues to overcome, but her trauma isn’t the story.

Mika Suzuki is a Japanese-American woman in her mid-thirties who has been stumbling through her life for almost two decades, since she unexpectedly became pregnant while in art school, gave up her baby for adoption, and lost her previous drive. When Penelope, now sixteen years old, reaches out to her with a desire to get to know her and learn more about where she comes from, Mika finds herself fabricating a life that is more interesting and successful than the one she actually has, desperate for Penny’s approval, respect, and love. Luckily, Mika’s awkward charade doesn’t make up the entire novel, since her lies inevitably unravel. The book mainly focuses on her deepening bond with Penny, her unexpected attraction to Penny’s adoptive father Thomas, her tense relationship with her own parents, and her discovery of who she truly is—as a mother, daughter, artist, and woman, in real life.

A plot like this could have easily have become a melodramatic mess, but in Jean’s hands, it is a tender, sincere story about love and self-realization.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted to Goodreads on March 27, 2022: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4620785591.

I was so excited to read this book after reading Emiko's last book, Tokyo Ever After (a YA Reese Bookclub Pick).

I was also instantly sold on this adorable cover, I mean, come on 😍

This is the story about a 35 year old woman, Mika, who gets in touch with the daughter she put up for adoption 16 years prior. Because she wants her daughter to think highly of her, she embellishes the truth about how wonderful her life is. She's absolutely shocked and flabbergasted when her daughter plans a surprise trip to meet her and is terrified that her lies will be revealed and her daughter will be disappointed when she meets "Mika in Real Life".

While this premise sounds great, this one fell short for me. I wanted so badly to like the main character and I just couldn't. It was a quick and easy read though and I think a lot of people will really enjoy it, but it wasn't a favorite for me personally.

Thanks so much to Harper Colins for the chance to read and review this book prior to its release. This book will be available for purchase on August 2nd!

MIKA IN REAL LIFE
by Emiko Jean
William Morrow
Pub date: Aug 9

Loved, loved, loved this newest by author Emiko Jean, about flawed MC Mika, whom you grow to adore and root for as the story unfolds. At 35, she's unlucky in love and career, a failure in the eyes of her Japanese parents, and mother of a baby, Penny, she gave up for adoption.

As she grows up, Penny desperately wants to meet her birth mother, and when she finds her, Mika concocts a much more successful version of her life. Which just might catch up with her after she meets Penny's adoptive father, a widower. At first contentious, their relationship grows and when the truth of Mika's life comes out, watch out!

This is a warm and heart-tugging tale that fans of delightful romantic stories will embrace. And another big win for Emiko!

Thanks to the author, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#MikaInRealLife #EmikoJean
#WilliamMorrow #NetGalley

Wow, this book was seriously phenomenal.
I genuinely couldn’t put it down.
Mika our MC is a sweet, funny, relatable, and super lovable character.
she’s also a very relatable character and I could see myself making many of the same choices as she did here. Also, the side characters was a great addition to this story.
This was such a fun story in so many ways, but also very thought provoking and all around wonderfully done. 
I felt it was joyous and uplifting also funny at times.
The heart warming story of love lost and thing's gained.
This was a really impressive book while still also maintaining a light romantic feel.
A quick and delightful read that had me falling in love and rooting for Mika as she went on her journey!
Emiko Jean knows how to keep a reader glued to her writing.
Overall, this is a really wholesome, cute read that’s easy to indulge in and will definitely put a smile on your face.

William Morrow,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.