I couldn't get through this title. It ended up not being for me, but I hope it finds a hope with other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I so loved this book! If you are a fan of the Princess Diaries and/or Crazy Rich Asians, this book is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I don't usually opt for romances, but I found myself enjoying this one. It kind of has a Hallmark movie vibe with a long-lost princess discovering her royal heritage, but that didn't detract from the story. I thought it was sweet and cute. I will recommend it to students at my library who enjoy light-hearted romance.

American Royals meets Princess Diaries meets Japanese culture. Add a cast of quirky characters and an unconventional family structure.

I loved this and thought it was so fun! The romance didn’t catch me off guard, but I was surprised by how much I ended up rooting for the half Royal couple. Izzy’s connection with her dad was also really touching and sweet.

I’m excited to read the next book and watch all the relationships develop!

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Tokyo Ever After is a delightfully charming read from start to finish. Engaging and enchanting at the same time. I can't wait for the next book in the series and read more of Izumi's journey!

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Tokyo Ever After is billed as The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians. In this modern fairy tale, Izumi is a Japanese- American girl living with her single mother. She discovers that her father is actually the Crown Prince of Japan, and this catapults her into a completely new world and way of life. There is a hunky bodyguard, jealous royal cousins, and lavish settings.

Fans of fairy tale retellings, Princess Academy, and Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries series will love this young adult romance. I would recommend for grades 7 and up.

Cutest book and so fun to read. Just like many have said ‘Princess Diaries’ meets ‘Crazy Rich Asians’. Izzy and her friends would make fun of me for saying Totes Adorbs but it is!

Fantastic romance with a POV from an Asian American young woman. Loved the story of identity and romance and found parents. Hilarious and funny narrative that totally makes me cheer for the heroine. Fabulous details of Japanese culture and traditions. Loved the writing, new favorite!

This was a cute concept. I liked the idea more than the execution. It is a hard book for those who have a hard time with second-hand embarrassment, which could make this a stressful read. That was my experience with this book. However, this author is one to watch and I could see myself picking up a different story by Emiko Jean.

This was an average read to me. Nothing particular about the characters or the writing stood out. I did enjoy my time reading this but nothing stood out to make it higher than a three-star.

As a diehard fan of the The Princess Diaries, I immediately included Tokyo Ever After on my list of most anticipated 2021 book releases.

It's an honor to be able to read this book early, and it is a shame that I'm writing a less-than-glowing review. Here are my initial thoughts:

📌 My feelings for this book can be summed up with a single emoji: 😬

📌 As much as I hate comparing AOC-authored books to their white counterparts, I think Tokyo Ever After would have greatly benefited if it was expanded into a series, much like The Princess Diaries.

📌 This book had so much potential and it could've really been a game-changer for YA contemporary. But unfortunately, much of this story, especially its plot points, were not fully actualized.
- Izumi's character development felt rushed and heavy-handed.
- Character relationships were weakly established, while others just didn't come across as genuine and organic. Particularly the bodyguard romance.
- Many of the plot resolutions are delivered in a way that makes them contrived and unsatisfactory.
- Generally, the pacing missed its mark.

I'm leaving this unrated for now, because I'm not too sure if I can confidently recommend it to other readers.

Disclosure: I received a digital ARC of Tokyo Ever After from its publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

I started reading this book and found that it was not for me. I didn't want to review a book that I didn't finish.

What worked: This is a refreshing twist on the whole teen finds out she's a Japanese princess. Izumi 'Izzy'Tanaka never felt like she belonged in her mostly white Northern Californian community. When she finds out the truth about her father's identity, that he is in fact the Crown Prince of Japan, she emails to find out the truth. That's when all the fun happens! Izzy finds herself in Tokyo amidst the royal family, paparazzi, and not too nice cousins.

I really liked Izzy. She's spirited, lovable, and determined to find her Japanese father. Her encounters with her father are awkward at first. She really tries to reconcile with her Japanese heritage, but the tabloids and even some within the royal palace aren't too welcoming. The Mean twin cousins go out of their way to make her feel like a 'Gaijin'-foreigner. Then there's the cute guard assigned to her-Akio-who sets her heart a flutter whenever he's close by.

Izzy's struggles trying to find out where she fits in are very realistic. She finds she's too foreign to be Japanese and never American enough back in the states. The relationship between her and Akio starts off as indifferent to one that is much more. I also liked Izzy and her father's bubbling relationship. It's not perfect, but both try to get past things like thousands of years of tradition that stand in the way.

Emiko does a great job showing readers Japanese food, culture, language, and a blossoming romance set amidst court drama and more!

Japanese Princess Diaries with a spunky, endearing heroine whose search to find herself leads her to a royal family and coming to terms with what she really wants out of her life.
Good Points
1. Japanese Princess Diaries
2. Fun, refreshing twist on a teen finding out she's a Japanese princess

One of my favorite movies growing up was "the Princess Diaries", so when I saw that there was a book coming out that promised an Asian-American twist on the classic tale, I knew I had to read it! "Tokyo Ever After" lived up to my expectations, and the focus on the culture and history of Japan gave the story a beautiful amount of depth and heart. The romance was cute, but I think the real strength in the book came from the relationship between Izumi and her parents. Her slow but sure bond with her father, the crown prince of Japan, coupled with her constant and loving relationship with her mother - and the connection and history between her mother and father - was what drew me and kept me interested in the story. The focus on family, along with Izumi's own coming-of-age made this story stand out and apart from any of the media it gets compared to. Overall a sweet and endearing read!

I ADORED THIS BOOK!!! This book was so great! I loved the setting of Tokyo and getting to see Tokyo through Izzy's perspective. I loved getting to know all of the characters in the story. The romance was SO SO SO cute! I can not wait for the next one!

I got an advanced copy of this book (and an advanced audiobook) in exchange for a review. Thanks, NetGalley!

Average Japanese-American teen, Izumi, lives with her single mother in her Northern California town of Mout Shasta (a real town) and enjoys spending time with her friends. But she longs to learn about the father she's never met. So when she learns that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan, she's invited to spend some time with the royal family. She also starts falling for Akio, her hot, young bodyguard, and finds herself swept up into this forgotten side of her family. Very "Princess Diaries" but with a Japanese twist.

"Princess Diaries" was one of my favorite movies as a child, so when I read that this was slightly similar to the movie, I grabbed it up right away. I like that in this version, the father is still around. This book was surprising at times, and I found myself enjoying it.

The characters I didn't like are the "Shining Twins", but I guess there'll be more learned about them in the sequel. Honestly, this book works as a stand-alone or the start of a series.

Fans of teen royalty books, such as "American Royals" series, Japan, and teen romances, and ESPECIALLY the "Princess Bride", you've GOT to pick this one up!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this title. All opinions are my own.

As noted by other reviewers, good for fans of Crazy Rich Asians and The Princess Diaries. Lighthearted romance, set in Japan. Izumi finds out her absent father is the crown-prince of Japan. With so much attention given to royal families in Europe (and fictional American monarchies in American Royal) it's a nice visit to another culture.

What a fun little rom com! Definitely had Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asian vibes. Izumi is a fun and relatable character for sure. Things felt a little far fetched, or maybe just too predictable for me, but overall I really enjoyed this one and I'm positive if you're a fan of rom coms and/or YA that you'd like this one too.

Cover Story: Paper-tastic

YES, OBVIOUSLY; this is ENTIRELY EVERYTHING. This paper cutting design by artist John Ed De Vera is breathtakingly exquisite. (As is the rest of his portfolio!) If ever there existed a series that NEEDED matching covers, this would be it.

The Deal:

Japanese American Izumi Tanaka — or Izzy, if you’re going to butcher her real name — lives with her single mom in a predominantly white small town, aka not exactly a hotspot for glitz and glamour. Even though Izumi’s always been curious about her father, she’s never known anything about him. But then she discovers that he’s the freaking Crown Prince of Japan?!? Which makes her a literal PRINCESS?!??!

Soon afterwards, Izumi is whisked off to Japan to get acquainted with her family and everything that goes along with being mothercussing ROYALTY. Obvi, there are perks, but OOF, there are pitfalls. Back home, Izumi wasn’t “American enough”, but now she also has to deal with not being “Japanese enough” in Japan. When expectations are so high, so too is the pressure — and not falling apart under it is definitely not covered in Izumi’s royal training.

BFF Charm: Yay!

Yay BFF Charm
If you’re used to living in place with mostly people who look like you, it’s hard to describe how novel it is to suddenly be somewhere like that for the first time. But you’re not quite like them either, because of that different experience. Which is a pretty common feeling for a person of any kind of diaspora going to a place where they suddenly become part of the visible majority.

Izumi also has the added difficulty of needing to learn a whole language and all the etiquette rules that come with being ROYALTY. Yes, hers might be a charmed life, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy one. Although NO WAY IN HELL would I ever pass up potential sleepovers at an IMPERIAL PALACE. Even if it means joining Izumi’s group of friends who call themselves the Asian Girl Gang, a moniker so cringey that it might circle back around to being endearing.

Swoonworthy Scale: 7

Look, Akio might be a hot bodyguard who’s age appropriate for Izumi, she’s kind of still, like… his boss? Or, at the very least, she’s his charge. There might be plenty of IRL references throughout history for this kind of dynamic, but I’m still apprehensive about the power imbalance because I’m a buzzkill.

However, Izumi and Akio as two attractive young adults who are into each other? The lingering glances, the verbal foreplay sparring, the obvious YEARNING? Much like a life-saving vaccine, JUST HOOK IT INTO MY VEINS.

Talky Talk: Blast from the Past

Once I got into this book, I was INTO IT: a classic fish-out-of-water, middle-class-to-riches story that explores complicated family dynamics and culture shock within, ostensibly, your own culture. But getting to that point of voracious reading certainly didn’t come easy.

I’m totally fine with real-world pop culture references; I don’t care if they get dated. What I do care about is references that make sense for its time, and most of the ones made here felt way too old for a 2020s teen. (To make matters worse, the book also seemed to be front-loaded with them in quick succession.) I mean, do The Teens These Days (or anyone, honestly) care that much about Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel? If you’re name-dropping a celeb couple, at least give me Hailey if you’re shouting out a Justin.

Bonus Factor: Long Lost Royalty

Princess Mia (The Princess Diaries) in a tiara, ballgown, and gloves
I don’t have much appetite for real monarchy these days, but I do love a story about a long lost royal. Asia actually has more monarchies than any other continent, so statistically speaking, there should probably be more WAY more Asian royals in fiction.

Of course, being royalty comes with a lot of baggage and complications. There are paparazzi hounding your every move, your life really isn’t your own, and you never know who you can trust — even within your own family. (Lol at discovering that Emiko Jean is a parent to twins when the ones she included in this novel are, uh, kind of nightmares.)

Bonus Factor: Japan

Fujisan shrine with Mount Fuji in the background, at sunset
For a country that I enjoy visiting as well as partaking in its tasty business, I only have a vague understanding of Japan’s culture and history. But as Izumi demonstrates by reconnecting with her roots, it’s never too late to learn — whether it’s about where you come from or the world around you.

Relationship Status: Royal Courtship

Upon first sight, I knew I had to read this book because HELLO, THAT COVER. It took me a little longer to warm up to the story, but once I did, I definitely got swept up in this modern day fairytale. I’m still not sure if I’m in it for the long haul — after all, royals tend to date FOR KEEPS — but I’ll at least come back to see how the next installment plays out.