Emiko Jean does it again. The story of Izumi continues with her mom joining her in Japan. The book portrays what I can only imagine as real issues one would face if you were suddenly expected to be a princess. Without spoiling anything, the love story went a little off track for me there for a bit, but I loved how the book (and love story) ended. I hope there is a third instillation coming soon!

I love being back with Izumi in her royal world. Tokyo Dreaming was just as fun as Tokyo Ever After. I enjoyed getting to know the royal family better in this book and was surprised at how much I liked the new character and the surprise fake-dating trope. I wasn't expecting it, but it was a great twist to shake things up for Izumi. Though my heart is always with the body guard ;)

4.5 ⭐️

A natural progression in the life of Princess Izumi did not disappoint. The layers of her life are pulled back and we get a peak into this new life and that of her mother.

I really enjoyed this and hope the series continues.

The cover is even more gorgeous than Tokyo Ever After. If you enjoyed the first book, you will definitely enjoy the sequel.

4 stars for story
5 stars for narration

If you enjoyed Tokyo Ever After, I recommend reading Tokyo Dreaming, which picks up the story with Izumi, back in Japan on Imperial grounds, this time with both her mother and father. Her parents are madly in love, but the Imperial Household Council does not approve of them marrying. Izumi’s relationship with her former bodyguard, Akio, and her current indecision between starting college or taking a gap year are negatively impacting the decision.

Desperate to see her parents happy and to keep her family together, Izumi begins making decisions based on what will please the Imperial Household Council and win the favor of the Japanese public, and Akio, willing to do anything that will ensure Izumi’s happiness, steps aside.

With that heartbreak–for Izumi, Akio, and the reader–Izumi’s journey begins. I enjoyed watching Izumi’s growth in the book, how she learns about herself, cares for others, and strengthens relationships within her extended family. I adored her tutor, the larger role of the Shining Twins, and her parents’ love for each other.

Love triangles are typically not a favorite trope of mine, but this one played out in a way that was more relatable than most. I did expect more tension and interaction once both suitors expressed their intentions, though, and the resolution of which young man she picks and what happens next seems rushed. In a way, Izumi’s romantic relationships become secondary to the plot at some points.

Ali Ahn’s narration brought the story to life and enhanced the comedic moments for me. I definitely recommend popping in some earbuds and listening to this one. I finished it in two days.

I listened to an advance audiobook copy from Macmillan Audio via the NetGalley Shelf app. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy! This is a follow-up to last year's Tokyo Ever After. In this book, Izumi has to choose between following her heart or adhering to the stick codes for the betterment of her new country and home. Fans will love getting to see Izumi continuing her on her journey to become her own royal self.

I requested a copy of this before even reading the first in the series because I just knew I’d love both books. I listened to the audiobookI don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say some exciting romantic developments are made in Izzy’s life and her parents’ lives. I think a lot of people will relate to Izzy’s struggle to figure out what she’s supposed to do with her life and how to do what others expect of her without losing herself. This is excellent, and fans of the first book will not be disappointed!

The perfect sequel to Tokyo Ever After! The book goes into Izumi’s life as she transitions into life in Tokyo. I loved getting more of the Shining Twins and understanding them more. I felt Izumi had matured from the first book. Also, I love the descriptions of the food! Wonderful book and is great as an audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of "Tokyo Dreaming" by Emiko Jean.

When Izumi finds out that her parents need permission to marry she also finds out that she is part of the problem in getting that permission. So her life turns upside down as she tries to get into college, her boyfriend breaks up with her, and she has to rely on her 'shining twins' cousins on figuring out how to fit into the society she is now a princess in.

Izumi has really grown up in this story and made this a much more fun read for me. She shows her care for her mother and her father as well as the whole country of Japan in this story. The growing romance with her tutor was sweet and I liked the contrast between him and Akio. Overall the growth and romance in this story was fun, enjoyable and emotional.

I received this book from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. But I want to preface my review by stating that there are four tropes I struggle to enjoy.

1. Love Triangles. Any and all kinds.
2. Wrongfully accused for a crime you didn't commit, in which the main person is jailed and no one will listen to them. The Final Girl Support Group has a scene that made me really angry.
3. When all of the supposed friends and family turn their backs on the main character. This coincides with 2 above.
4. Amnesia stories, specifically when in the middle of a series. If it is standalone it isn't as upsetting, especially if you know it going in. As a cliffhanger. I struggle.

This story has number 1. Having said that, I did enjoy the story. The romance and love story was handled well. But, honestly, this was about more than her liking two guys. This was more about her finding herself. So I didn't find it as hard to read as most books. I liked her character development and felt she has come a long way. It is a good story. Please read the first book to appreciate this one fully.

Emiko Jean strikes again. This book was a stunning sequel to Tokyo Ever After. Izumi's growth was incredible to watch and without spoiling a major plot of this book, the addition of something added so much to the story instead of being a hindrance, which I appreciated. I loved how Izumi was so much more confident now and became Princess IzumiTM—a mix of herself and giving into the customs and traditions of the institution she came into—rather than the stereotypical rags to riches where she completely fights back and does whatever she wants. She stayed true to herself in every aspect and it was so, so wonderful. One of my favorite reads of 2022 for sure. It was the perfect rom com and for lovers of a good cheesy modern romance and if you loved The Princess Diaries at all, you have to read this series. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook. Ali Ahn perfectly captured Izumi and had me hooked from the first minute.

This series is ridiculously cute and fun! I loved the first book and this follow up, Tokyo Dreaming, was a lot of fun as well though not *quite* as much as the first. I absolutely adore Izumi’s sassy snark, her internal dialogue made me laugh so much and she’s honestly so relatable. One of my favorite things is all the interesting bits of Japanese culture woven into the story!

While the first book was so fast paced, this one felt a little slower and not as much happened externally - it was more focused on Izumi’s personal growth and it was really nice to get to see her coming into herself and her role as Princess.

I honestly couldn’t decided during if I wanted her to end up with Akio or Eriku but in the end I think I was actually a little disappointed with who she chose, though not terribly so because it does makes sense for the story and her character growth.

The audiobook narration is fantastic, the narrator’s performance does an amazing job of capturing the feel of the book and makes it even more fun!

Tokyo Dreaming is a solid sequel to last year's Tokyo Ever After, which was one of my favorite YA books of 2021.

This book continues Izumi's story as she navigates her new life as a Japanese princess. It has more character development than the first book, which makes sense for a sequel. It also introduces a love triangle.

I was happy that this book didn't end on a cliffhanger, as I was unable to find any information on whether or not it's a duology or a series. I really enjoyed the ending but would also love to read more!

🎧 This series is incredible on audio. It's quite immersive, and it's helpful to hear the proper pronunciation for the Japanese words and phrases.

Read this if you liked Tokyo Ever After or Majesty.

What an excellent follow up to Tokyo Forever. Emiko Jean does a great job at seamlessly transitioning between the two novels. I loved where this second book went and enjoyed watching the story move along. This was very well written and kept my attention from beginning to end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another sweet story about finding your place and fitting in in the world. I liked the story and the narrator. I will be recommending this to any young adults who are enjoyed the first book in this series.

Thoroughly enjoyed returning to the world of Izumi Tanaka, Imperial Highness of Japan. I found the second book lovely, though the love triangle did not end quite the way I wanted to (alas). Medium paced, such a fun narrator.

Izumi is one of the most frustrating characters I've ever encountered lol like I'm not sure if she's like that to be "quirky" or what but her behaviour did get on my nerves very quickly. But other than that this was overall entertaining and VERY similar to the Princess Diaries by Cabot except instead of a princess of a fake European country, the main is a princess of a Japan,

I really enjoyed Tokyo Ever After and was so excited for Izumi's story to continue. I loved the family elements of the story and getting to know her parents and their love story in this book. I liked seeing the ups and downs Izumi faced and how she decided how she truly wants to live her life. However, I really wish Aiko was in this book like he was in the first! I have a feeling there will be another book and he will be in it more, but he would've made this book that much better.

Can't wait for more on this story. Its sweet and fun. The exact book i needed to be drawn in to. Love this author!

I did not expect this sequel to be as great as the original, but it was! There was plenty of cute romance, but the best parts to me had to do with Izumi's relationships with her family, whether it was her mother, father, or cousins. I also liked the parts of the book with Nora, tackling how people and relationships change, both in a crazy situation like this and with general high school to college transition. I listened to the audiobook for this one, and the reader did a great job. Overall, I loved this book and will be hoping for another sequel!

In Tokyo Ever After, Izumi finds out that her father is the crown prince of Japan. In this sequel, she has to decide how she wants to live her life, especially with the pressures from within the imperial family and from the ever-present press. Sweet, funny, and a little bit angsty, this was so enjoyable on audio!

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!