The Little Teashop in Tokyo

I am always happiest when I get to be whisked away to another fantastic location by Julie Caplin. This series of books is a wonderful mood booster, a great source of cheerfulness and the stories are always fun and full of heart. This latest, The Little Teashop in Tokyo, lives up the same wonderful standard as it’s predecessors. If you haven’t read any of the others in this series, do not worry. They can all be standalone books; the characters sometimes appear in other places, but the stories are different.
Here we have Fiona, who wins the chance to go to Tokyo and experience the Japanese culture whilst being mentored by a top photographer. Cue some changes and she find herself in the very capable (but familiar) hands of famed photographer Gabe. The sparks fly from the off between these two characters and it was fun to see how they pushed each other’s buttons. I have to hand it to Fiona, she certainly gave as good as she got in many ways!
Each location is beautifully described, as I read sat out in the sunshine, I could imagine myself in Fiona’s shoes; gazing at the cherry blossom or being wowed by Mount Fuji. I have never really had any interest in Japan/Tokyo, but I found myself being pulled into wanting to know more about the culture and traditions and Julie incorporates so much of this into the story.
Haruka is possibly one of my favourite characters; fiery yet calm, smart and sensitive – not one to cross, as Gabe found out. If I was to go to Japan, she is exactly the type of person I would like to meet.
This is a story of self-discovery, moving forward from the past and embracing what is meant for you. It shows how to see things from new perspectives, and I think it is a wonderful way to escape the current anxieties and worries.
I cannot recommend this one enough!!

I'm unsure what it is about Julie Caplin's writing but with each and every book she leaves me wondering what I am going to do until she releases her next book.
I inhaled #TheLittleTeashopInTokyo in less than 24 hours, a miracle in my current situation, but her characters are so compelling, even when I want to bash them in the head with a teapot, aka Gabe.
There were so many things about this book that spoke to me, Fiona's relationship with her mother, her sense of peace which comes with nature, how brave she is to try new and strange things and her general curiosity.
Yes, there were moments when I cursed and yelled at the characters, but much like #TheLittleCafeInCopenhagen I am left content and happy, what more could you want from a book.
As always, my thanks to #Netgalley, #HarperCollinsOneMoreCapter (#OneMoreChapter) and @JulieCaplin for the opportunity to read and review a copy of #TheLittleTeashopInTokyo which is released on 11th June 2020.

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Once again another excellent book from this great author ideal for summer can recommend

The Little Teashop in Tokyo, Julie Caplin

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (adult), Romance.

Well, wow, I adored this story. I didn't realise it was one of those complete stories, but connected books series, so I'm off to find the rest when I've time. It didn't matter that I hadn't read the others, but I can see for those who have, getting snippets of the characters in their updated lives will be fun.

Fiona, what a lovely lady. Lives with her widowed mum, its been just the two of them for so long, her dad dying when she was small. Her mum is clearly a bit of a hypochondriac, and even though Fiona is 28 still treats her as if she's 8 much of the time. Fiona understands, chafes at it sometimes, but has found a way to manage her mum's anxieties. Of course now she's off to Japan for two weeks her mum is terrified for her. Fiona is determined not to be put off though and bravely marches in. this could be the makings of a whole new career for her, and will work well with her travel blog.

What she doesn't expect though is Gabe. The man who'd been booked has had to cancel and Gabe is taking his place. He's a well known man, top photographer, and certainly no second rate substitute but......Fiona has a history with him, from when she was 18 and he was taking a half term class at her school. Its didn't go well, she's been affected by the events ever since, and this throws her. Gabe doesn't recognise her, and she's not sure how she feels. That incident affected her ever since, changed her whole way of life and yet he seems t have forgotten it....how, she thinks, can something that was so big for her be nothing, forgettable to him.
,
Gabe was such an obnoxious man to begin, clearly not happy about mentoring her and it shows. Slowly though he changes and became a man I fell in love with a bit too.
The ladies she's staying with are amazing, and teach her so much, taking her in as part of them, showing her some of the traditional Japanese way of life. I loved those parts, could taste the food, smell the teas, see the beautiful kimonos, and the wonderful relaxing garden. It sounded magical, and Fiona really grew in her confidence with their help. She was like a different person at the end, more confident but still with her amazing fascination and enthusiasm for life.

I hated a Certain Person but was so glad she was in the book, I love that sort of character.
I loved that when things fell apart it wasn't a quick solution, that it lasted for some time. I hate when its all off one page, and all on again the next.
I guess my only minor criticism would be the time span, its just two weeks and for the first couple of days they really don't like each other, but then if I take into account the history and how things were then, it makes up for it. A bit. I just have trouble with insta love. Lust I can believe in, love takes a bit longer IMO

Stars: Five. A wonderful, engaging read, transporting me to a country I've always wanted to visit.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more of a crime/thriller reader however this story intrigued me. I absolutely loved it, truly one of the best books I have read. I am extremely pleased and grateful to both for opening up my mind to something totally different.

I've loved every Julie Caplin book I've read and this is up there with the best of them. I spent 3 weeks in Tokyo many years ago and reading The Little Teashop in Tokyo was like returning to see how things have changed. The sense of place was extraordinarily real.

Just as real is Julie's treatment of the romantic relationship of gnarly problems and real people who are flawed and just a tiny bit battered but strong and decent too. The photography angle (see what I did there?) feels well-researched and added to the fascination of the book.

A big, fat five stars from me.