Izumi Tanaka is living with her father (the Crown Prince of Japan) and trying to make sense of her life. There are familial pressures, societal pressures, and social pressures weighing on her as she decides her path. If Izumi doesn't start meeting expectations, her father's proposal to her mother won't be approved. Determined to support her parents' reunion and engagement, Izumi makes a series of decision to please others and hopes not to get lost along the way. A great follow-up to Tokyo Ever After.

Tokyo Dreaming Audio Review 💖🇯🇵

I didn’t read the first book in this sequel but I still enjoyed this one.

Overall, this was a really cute read - Fake dating, love triangle, and finding out who you are — Plus the cutest dog!

I really enjoyed the storytelling and Izumi’s narration.

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟯𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮

Thank you @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for letting me listen to this audio in return for my honest review. #netgalley #TokyoDreaming

3.5/5 ⭐️

OKAY. I liked this book! I mean I loved Tokyo Ever After but I did not like this book quite as much and lemme explain why… When I read the first book (Tokyo Ever After), I read it under the assumption that it was a stand alone. So when someone told me that there was gonna be a second book I was like ??? But what is it gonna be about? Because the first book read so much like a stand-alone.

That being said I went into this book with an open mind now know that this is a series (or just a duology? I really don’t know lol) and I liked it for what it was! It was exactly what I thought it would be about; Izumi coming into her new Royal role and navigating her relationship with Akio. It just didn’t have the same energy that the first book did.

I did receive an ARC of the Audiobook and it definitely elevated the story in my opinion! With audiobooks the narrator really does make or break the story and in this case they did a great job in brining this story to life!

All and all, good story for what it was! YA contemporary will forever be one of my favourite genres!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Audiobook Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Macmillan Young Listeners in exchange for an honest review.

TOKYO DREAMING not only further explores Izumi Tanaka's experiences as she navigates Japan and royal family politics, but also how friendships change between high school and starting college. While the focal point that drives the narrative of this second book in the Tokyo Ever After series is the engagement of Izumi's parents, the heart of the story is Izumi's struggle to figure out what she wants - both in her next steps after high school, and in a relationship. I really appreciate that Jean tackled the pressure of expecting 18 year olds to declare their future career path before they've even really experienced life along with the pressure that teens feel trying to live up to their parents' expectations.

This novel does not suffer from the troubles of a second book in a series, but rather is builds upon the themes from TOKYO EVER AFTER and makes the narrative its own without solely being a way to carry the plot from the first book into the third book. I liked the love triangle and while I initially thought Izumi chose incorrectly, her reasoning made sense and it did make sense in the end. I'm looking forward to seeing where Jean takes this series next.

Ali Ahn does a great job with the audiobook performance.

This past summer I loved reading Tokyo Ever After it is the Princess Diaries retelling that dreams are made of. There was so much room in Izumi's universe that a continuation of the story feels natural. I loved the exploration of her changing relationships with her family and the world around her. This sequel conveys a beautiful coming of age story while maintaining the integrity of the fantasy of becoming a princess overnight. Emiko Jean is able to write youth in an authentic and non-pandering way that makes the characters feel real and lived in. Overall I enjoyed Tokyo Dreaming and look forward to reading whatever comes next from Emiko Jean.

"Follow your heart...You lead with your heart."
~Izumi

Tokyo Dreaming was a cute sequel to Tokyo Ever After! I had the opportunity to review the first book around the same time last year and was delighted to read the second early as well.

In this sequel, we find Izumi residing in Japan as her parents are rekindling their love for each other and decide to get married. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage stating their “concerns” about Izumi and her mother’s lack of pedigree. This infuriates Izumi and she decides to become “The Perfect Princess” material even if she has to sell her soul.

Read and find out just how far Izumi will go to make everyone happy.

Thank you, NetGalley, Emiko Jean, and Flatiron Books for this advanced audiobook copy for my honest review.

I feel like my review needs two parts - A review of the story and a review of the audiobook version.

First, the story! I was very entertained by the first book, Tokyo Ever After. I was very excited to continue the story. However, I quickly lost interest once I got into the book and the love triangle was introduced. It just didn't work for me. There were a few things I did love though...

- Izumi's growth and self-discovery journey
- Izumi's relationships with her father and mother
- Nora being a great long-distance friend. That's no small feat!

Now, for the audiobook! This book didn't lend itself well to an audio version. It was really hard to tell where Izumi's dialogue and inner-dialogue started and finished. I really had to focus to figure out what she was actually saying or what she was thinking in her mind. Despite that, the narrator did a great job and the audiobook was enjoyable!

Overall, I was glad to spend some time with these fun characters!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio, NetGalley, and Emiko Jean for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

This was a cute follow up though I sort of feel like I would have been okay with just the first book. Good discussion of turning 18 and feeling like you’ve got nothing figured out. Why do we act like teenagers should? So I enjoyed the characters journey in this book. Also a well done love triangle.

Following on the heels of Tokyo Ever After, Tokyo Dreaming follows Izumi as she adapts to life in Japan, balancing school, the demands of court, her tricky cousins the Shining Twins, and love, both hers and her parents'.

Izumi is delightful, showing growth throughout the book as she navigates a number of tricky situations. And while I am often a bit leery of love triangles, the relative lack of drama involved in hers was refreshing and showed maturity. Her ability to navigate the constant demands of court life and ever-present press is admirable, and her visit from Nora shows just how far she has come in dealing with her new life.

This book ties everything up neatly at the end, and for that I am grateful. I would love to hear more from Izumi, or just read more of Emiko Jean's work, but I appreciate that the book didn't leave us on a cliffhanger. Sometimes you just want a happy ending.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit, which isn't surprising, because I also enjoyed Tokyo Ever After quite a bit.

I enjoyed watching izumi grow up a little bit more, and figure out how to make things work while still staying true to what was in her heart. It took her a while to figure it out, but she got there in the end. I love that family played such a big part in this book, and that she was able to figure out the situation with the Shining Twins.

Also, when Izumi knocked over the fancy pants vase that was a bazillion dollars (I'm exaggerating... but not really) I laughed out loud and said "oh boy, she just pulled a Haruhi Fujioka" and then thought about it far too much during the rest of the book, which was fine.

I was a little bit distressed at the thought of a love triangle (which is surprising because I love Love Triangles) Because I was not looking forward to the drama and heartache I was sure was going to happen. But the drama didn't happen. Izumi handled herself and the situation very well.

My choice would have been the opposite of hers, but I understand why she made the choice that she did, and I'm also very glad that she was able to stay friends with *spoiler redacted*

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to an audio ARC

*This review can also be found on my blog Randomly Kait on 5/1/2022 https://randomlykait.blogspot.com/
and on Amazon on Release Day

Tokyo Dreaming is the sequel to the absolutely marvelous bestseller Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean. This second installment is just as refreshing and eventful, especially after listening to the first audio version of this book and wanting to know even more about Izumi's life as a royal. The narrator is absolutely flawless! After deciding to stay in Japan and remain as a princess, Izumi feels like everything has fallen into place, including watching her parents rekindle their romance. But things turn sour when plans take a turn for the worse. When the royal council decides against her parents, Izumi must decide if the life she is enjoying is worth it.

Izumi obviously has a lot on her plate, and everything she decides and does is scrutinized by the entire population of Japan. This dictates much of what happens in the book. We expected this, to be sure, but we are still captivated by the magic of her world, and Emiko Jean gives us so much of that. Jean makes everything sound alluring and glamorous, while also displaying how stifling a life in the public eye can be. We can only want the absolute best for our Izumi and I, for one, would have wanted any choice for her. But we see her battle with the decisions and this goes on for much of the book. Yes these are big commitments she must make but I would have loved to see a little less of the devastation she feels while going through the processes. How many would love to be waited on, having restaurants open just for us, and unlimited shopping at the premier stores? Izumi makes it all feel like torture.

Despite this, the book is still captivating, and I couldn't stop listening to each and every word. I definitely recommend listening to this, as the narrator makes it all come to life so easily. Definitely worth becoming invested Izumi's Tokyo dreams!

Tokyo Dreaming is a refreshing coming of age story of a young woman learning to find what she wants in her life without having to make everyone in her life happy first. The narrator is authentic and believable and the ending brought the joy to my heart and a smile to my lips. Who doesn’t enjoy a happy ending where everyone gets what they want.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

If you were a fan of the first book in this series, Tokyo Ever After, I think you’ll be satisfied with this sequel.


Izumi develops a lot as a character in this one. She faces PLENTY of obstacles and she becomes highly conscious of how they affect those around her as a public figure and member of the Imperial family. While I’m sure most readers aren’t rich and famous Japanese royals, Izumi’s struggles still feel mostly relatable: her long-term friendships are changing, she’s developing quite a complicated love life, and she’s trying to change herself to fit other people’s standards. I really like her as a character.

I received this in audiobook version and the narration was great. I feel like Ali Ahn’s voice really suited the book and Izumi’s character.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
I think I enjoyed this book a little more than the first one, it had its cute moments with the parents, and a love triangle.
Some of the decisions that our MC was making sometimes were a bit questionable but she had the best of intentions. The conflict she had with her best friend was nicely done in my opinion. It was not dragged out like many other works I have seen, they had a talk and moved on from the issue.
The ending was quite adorable.

TOKYO DREAMING
● Izumi (18)
● Japanese American teenager
● deciding if she should take a gap year or attend college
● fake dating
● love triangle
● father: Crowned Prince
● mother: “commoner”
● her parents reconnect
● Japenese royalty
● continues on from Tokyo Ever After

**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**
Audiobook source: NetGalley
Narrator: Ali Ahn
Length: 9H 12M

I love the first book in the series and purchased it for my classroom, so I was very excited when the second came out and I received an ALC. The story is charming, but predictable. It definitely wasn’t as engaging as the first book. I enjoyed information about Japanese culture and history.
However… 7/8 of the way through the book there is a reference to the teenage characters having sex. I am definitely not a prude, and this isn’t graphic, certainly, but… it’s not something I could have in my classroom. If the line “the clothes came off” wasn’t in the book, I would be able to ignore “and then we went under the covers.” But the explicit mention of clothes coming off… it would be a no-go in my middle school classroom. Bummer.
The narrator definitely brings the book to a whole other level. Her enthusiasm for each character and variation of voices without ever veering into cartoon makes the audiobook far preferable to the print edition - something I rarely say.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Without giving too much away Toyko Dreaming picks up right here Tokyo Ever After left off. If you haven’t read Toyko Ever After, stop reading this review now and go pick that book up because it is amazing. Izumi has had her Princess Diaries moment, fallen in love with her bodyguard, and now her parents are engaged, making life perfect. But when the Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage, Izumi promises to do whatever it takes to win over the council and vows to become the perfect princess at all costs. 

I adored Tokyo Ever After so I have been eagerly anticipating this follow up and it did not disappoint. I was so engaged and immersed in Izumi’s story that this book flew by. One this that made this book extra special was Izumi’s character development. She grew so much in this book and to see her really grow up and come into her own despite struggling to find herself in the beginning was so sweet. I love these characters and I’m hoping we get more from this series!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. This was a great listen!

Another gem from Emiko Jean - The Tokyo series continues to give me Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians vibes. The Audio narrator is a perfect cast, making the characters come alive, and emphasizing Jean's dreamy descriptions in her writing. Consider me an Emiko Jean fan and I look forward to reading whatever they write!

Tokyo Dreaming (Tokyo Ever After, #2) - by Emiko Jean

I read this Audiobook from Netgalley!

I loved the Narrator, she had a young but strong voice and did brilliant pronunciation of the Japanese Language!

Most YA book i have read are Paranormal or Fantasy, this was a refreshing "Princess Diaries" in Japan!

🏯 Princess story!!!!!!

🏯 Fake Dating (OK im such a sucker for this)

🏯 Isme Is Loyal and Selfless Trying to stay true to who she is!

🏯 Love Triangle (I never read the first book so i kind of loved Ettico) But i could see how Isme Loved Akio too so i was torn where my Loyalties were Laying.

🏯 Isme is having an Identity crisis, trying to Break the Mold and be something shes not to benefit others all while deciding if she should she attend university or take a Gap year.

🏯 Nora was a total BFF i loved her i hope her and Isme stay close!

🏯 The shining twins I saw them as creepy rather than fashionable.

Im so Glad Radish has a Happy ending!

3.75/5

I wasn’t the most into the first book but this book definitely helped out a lot. It was predictable however I did get attached to some characters and then I thoroughly disliked the characters that I loved in the first book. There are moments that this is a five star book and I was sitting in my car listening screaming because I was so excited about what was going to happen but then I got to the end and I was like oh predictability.

The writing was good I thoroughly enjoyed it a lot more than the first book but then again I didn’t need to set up for the plot line. The voice actor was amazing I think that’s why I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first book was because someone was reading it to me and can pronounce the names of the words that I couldn’t because I am a poor white girl who speaks one language. Overall I think this is a book that I’m gonna listen to you and reread again I’m hoping that there’s a third book but it did and nicely in a way that doesn’t need a third book.