Tokyo Ever After — Books, Beauty, & Buys

By: Emiko Jean
Published Year: 2021
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 336

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): 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?

First Impressions

This cover is beautiful! I love the art and the colors jus everything about it. Also, it was being advertised as Princess Diaries in Japan so I was sold. I am a sucker for secret royalty.

What I thought

I wanted so much more for this book but it just dragged.

Izumi finds out that her father, who she hasn’t known or known anything about for her entire 18 years, is the Crown Prince of Japan. She contacts a family friend and it immediately gets out causing her father to inviter her to Japan for 2 weeks to get to know each other. This all happens within like the first chapter of the book. It’s so quick and she just gets scooped up and leaves.

While in Japan, her father realizes that two weeks is not enough time to get to know his daughter (duh. Did I also mention this is happening in the second half of her senior year?) and asks her to stay longer. Of course, throw in a super hot imperial guard and some conniving cousins and you have a recipe for disaster.

I wanted to like this book so much but I connected with nothing. Izumi was lazy and apathetic and the insta love was just blech. I also didn’t like that it truly felt like she had nothing going for her in her life until she became a princess and while that makes disconnecting easier it also just felt kind of gross. Add in the amount of information that they intend for her to learn in 2 weeks is insane. She’s going to learn how to speak Japanese fluently in that amount of time? I don’t think so. If she had that capability I’m sure she would have gotten into somewhere other than a small state school she has no interest in going to.

I appreciated the storylines about Izumi dealing with feeling not American enough in American and not Japanese enough in Japan. While it’s not something I have dealt with personally, I felt every second of her struggle with understanding who she was and knowing where she came from

The romance in this book fell so flat to me. Maybe it’s because the imperial guard had no personality or maybe it’s because Izumi decided she liked him because he was cute (and also the only guy her age around) or maybe it’s because it happened instantly, but I did not care for the romance one bit. It played out predictably and I felt more of a spark from the few moments that here mom and dad were in the same room than I did in the many scenes involving Izumi and her guard whose name I already forgot.