Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean (Tokyo Ever After book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Tokyo Ever After, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“When Japanese-American Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Now, she’s overcome conniving cousins, salacious press, and an imperial scandal to finally find a place she belongs. She has a perfect bodyguard turned boyfriend. Her stinky dog, Tamagotchi, is living with her in Tokyo. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. A royal wedding is on the horizon! Izumi’s life is a Tokyo dream come true.

Only...

Her parents’ engagement hits a brick wall. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage citing concerns about Izumi and her mother’s lack of pedigree. And on top of it all, her bodyguard turned boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship. At the threat of everything falling apart, Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to help win over the council. Which means upping her newly acquired princess game.

But at what cost? Izumi will do anything to help her parents achieve their happily ever after, but what if playing the perfect princess means sacrificing her own? Will she find a way to forge her own path and follow her heart?” - taken from Goodreads.

Picking up the story from the first book, Izumi is struggling to fit into the role that is expected of her. When parents decide to get married, the news is not well received and the Royal Council denies their request. Determined for her parents to finally have their happily ever after, Izumi decides to become the perfect Japanese princess. Unfortunately, the road to perfection isn’t easy, especially when Aiko calls things off between the two of them. Heartbroken, Izumi finds the courage to play the royal game and even discovers that she has more allies on her side than she thought. Can Izumi become the perfect princess society expects her to become without losing herself?

Visit Emiko Jean’s website.

Faking Reality by Sara Fujimura

 

“Dakota McDonald swore after “The Great Homecoming Disaster” that she’d never allow her romantic life to be a plot line in her parents’ HGTV show again. But when the restaurant run by the family of her best friend (and secret crush), Leo, is on the line, Dakota might end up eating her own words.

Leo Matsuda dreams of escaping his small town Arizona life and the suffocating demands of working in his family’s restaurant, but the closer he gets to his goal—thanks to the help of his best friend (and secret crush) Dakota—the more reasons there are for him to stay.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I had some high hopes for this title after reading another book by this author but unfortunately, it fell short for me. This was not a quick read but took its time before the main love interests found their way to each other. A great premise but a bit long-winded before reaching a satisfying conclusion.

Visit Sara Fujimara’s website.

From Little Tokyo, With Love by Sarah Kuhn

 

“If Rika's life seems like the beginning of a familiar fairy tale--being an orphan with two bossy cousins and working away in her aunts' business--she would be the first to reject that foolish notion. After all, she loves her family (even if her cousins were named after Disney characters), and with her biracial background, amazing judo skills and red-hot temper, she doesn't quite fit the princess mold.

All that changes the instant she locks eyes with Grace Kimura, America's reigning rom-com sweetheart, during the Nikkei Week Festival. From there, Rika embarks on a madcap adventure of hope and happiness--searching for clues that Grace is her long-lost mother, exploring Little Tokyo's hidden treasures with cute actor Hank Chen, and maybe...finally finding a sense of belonging.

But fairy tales are fiction and the real world isn't so kind. Rika knows she's setting herself up for disappointment, because happy endings don't happen to girls like her. Should she walk away before she gets in even deeper, or let herself be swept away?” - taken from Goodreads.com

Rika feels like she doesn't fit in anywhere. Orphaned at birth, she lives with her doting aunts and cousins. Biracial, she is often made to feel out of place in her Japanese American community. When she bumps into a famous movie store at a parade, Rika’s life is turned upside down when she realizes that her mother may be alive after all. With the help of the handsome Henry Chen who just so happens to be filming a movie with her supposed mother, the two go on a quest to uncover the truth. Rika must confront not only her own insecurities but fight against a racist bully and society's preconceived notions in order to uncover her own happily ever after.

Visit Sarah Kuhn’s website.

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean (Tokyo Ever After book 1)

 

“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—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way”—and her mom against the world. But then Izzy discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity… and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess.

In a whirlwind, Izzy travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight.

Izzy 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 fairytale, happily ever after.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book definitely lived up to all of the hype surrounding it. Izumi Tanaka and her mother live in Northern California. A high school senior, her mother doesn't talk about who her birth father is. One night at home with her friend Noora, they discover an inscription in a book by her mother's bed that is signed and dated the same year she was born. Noora decides that she is going to find out who this mystery man is. What Noora uncovers is that Izumi is the spitting image of the Crown Prince of Japan. When Izumi reaches out to her father, little does she know the firestorm her newfound identity causes.

 Definitely one of my top reads of 2021. 

Visit Emiko Jean’s website.