Loved this just as much, if not more than, Tokyo Ever After. My perfect mash-up of my childhood favorites (Princess Diaries, What a Girl Wants, The Parent Trap, and First Daughter) with a well-done cultural education. The characters are well thought out, the descriptions juicy, and the plot engaging. I personally would have liked a little more Akio in the middle section of the book. His re-entrance just to write a few poems, go radio silent, and then have a magical reunion felt a little like whiplash. But I'm a sucker for him and first love so I won't dwell on it 😂. But I would absolutely read more from the author, and if a third book with these characters comes out, or we get spin-offs with the cousins, I would read in a heart beat.

*formal review coming to my blog in the next 5 days.

This was a fabulous follow-up to Tokyo ever after. I loved how the mc grew and how there was still such a great focus on familial relationships. The romance and drama were so good! reminiscent of the princess diaries 2 in the best way and still wholly unique <3

I loved this second book! It's like if The Princess Diaries 2 was mashed up with What a Girl Wants and Always and Forever, Lara Jean! Ugh! So good! I hope everyone reads it!

⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is second in the Tokyo Ever After (TEA) series.
When Izumi Tanaka returns to Tokyo for a wedding she learns that her father was the Crown Prince of Japan. She is now adjusting to her role as Princess, including having a bodyguard.
I am not a romance fan but this story is so adorable stated with me going ‘Awww’ when I saw Izumi wearing her crown on the book cover.

Narrator Ali Ahn did a great job performing the characters which made the story even more enjoyable.

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 31, 2022.

Ohhhhhhmygod. Tokyo Ever After was the first audiobook that I'd ever listened to and it's fitting that Tokyo Dreaming is what gets me back on an audiobook kick. I loved hearing the Japanese language throughout and how the narrator's inflections changed as she portrayed each character. (Don't get me started on how some narrators do "boy" voices...) This book is devastating, amazing, and every early 2000's princess movie wrapped into one. It even nails the love triangle trope, which is usually not my favorite. All I want to do now is hop on a flight to Tokyo so I can see all of the gorgeous scenery Emiko Jean presents with my own eyes. I was emotionally invested from the get go - to the point of actually SCREAMING at the Act I twist - and can't wait to read more from her. I don't know if there will be a third book, but I'm SO down for one. She does so well in making both books self-contained, yet with potential to grow further.

But seriously if you ever wanted to be a princess or want to learn more about Japanese culture, this is the book for you.

*Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review*

Back in Japan, it's time for Izumi to start thinking about the future. Her parents are back together, her former bodyguard now boyfriend is amazing, and her stinky lil. pup Tamagotchi is with her through it all. But when the engagement is brought to a standstill because of the pedigree of Izumi and her mother, she needs to dust off the tiara and really get her princess game together.

Listen, a bodyguard romance but make it the Princess Diaries in Tokyo? I was absolutely hooked by book one and the premise of this one. While it didn't live up to the original for me, I still had a lot of fun!

I am one of the few who are down for a good old-fashioned love triangle, and I was hoping we'd go full out with that, but it didn't really hit for me. I was still happy with the romance, but I wish that this book was longer so we could have really dug into it more.

Where this book truly shines is in the relationship between Izumi and the Shining Twins. They develop so much more than in the last book, and the scenes where they are forced to spend time together were some of my favourites.

Ali Ahn is a fantastic narrator and this work is no exception. Great performance, and I hope to listen to her more!

The sequel was just as cute as the original book! Izzy continues to be a relatable and positive MC who would be perfect for some of my female high schoolers. Although I don't always love the fake dating or love triangle tropes, they worked in this book. Also, there are many themes that will resonate with readers/listeners of all ages. Definitely a fun pick for fans of The Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians!

This audiobook was provided by NetGalley for my honest review. :)

I adored the first book in this series, and I was BEYOND excited to be chosen for this read. It’s the second installment about Izumi and her adventures as a new princess. Think Japanese culture meets Princess Diaries.

First, I’ll go over the audiobook qualities. I love Ali Ahn as a narrator. She gives each character it’s own quality that makes things distinguishable, the emotion doesn’t feel contrived or annoying, the Japanese pronunciation of names and certain words is beautiful. She did a great job in the first book and I loved that they kept her for Tokyo Dreaming.

Doing my best to give a spoiler free review is hard, but here goes. I love that we see Izumi sort of fully take on the mantle of princess without fighting it. Yes, there are missteps in her journey, but I love the GROWTH we saw. I also love the way we saw her mom struggle and grow the way Izumi did in the first book. It’s a nice dynamic to see Izumi watch someone else go through it.

The Shining Twins in this were a HIGHLIGHT. I didn’t expect it, and IM 👏 HERE 👏 FOR 👏 IT 👏. I also loved the new trope intro, her tutoring, all of the college stuff. She seems to blossom in a way we didn’t get to see in the last book… and she recognizes it. The difficulty she keeps enduring brings her the opportunities she needs… and the theme of the story is growth. I loved every moment of it.

I wasn’t as invested in this as I was with book 1. In fact, Izumi’s constant whining about Akio and the Shining Twins really grated my nerves and i almost stopped reading further. I feel like this sequel lost its “drama” appeal that was so prominent and exciting in book 1, and my expectations for the same if not better appeal wasn’t met at all. And the romance??? The love triangle that occurs is so unfair to the rebound.. I would have wanted more drama in this triangle then there was but I guess for a YA it had to be clean.

"I don't want to hide the person I am to be the person I'm expected to be."

Tokyo Dreaming was a fantastic follow-up to Toyko Ever After. I was REALLY hoping we'd get the second chance romance storyline in this book, and was thrilled with that. Izumi ends up in a bit of a love triangle, navigates her way figuring out who she is and how to be Japanese royalty, and is such a sweet and supportive daughter in this book. If you enjoyed Tokyo Ever After, this is a must-read! I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook narrated by Ali Ahn.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Macmillan Young Listeners for the copy of this ALC!

I loved Tokyo Forever! I was so excited to be able to read Tokyo Dreaming early. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of the audiobook. Release date is 5/31 so read book one so you are ready for this!
This book was also really good. I didn’t love it more than the first one but it definitely doesn’t have second book syndrome. I could understand if this was the end of the story but I really hope it’s not! I loved getting to see more of her parents and their love story. Izumi had so much growth in this book as well. She has such good intentions and is trying so hard to make everything workout.
I could ramble about the book for ages but I’ll shut up. Tokyo Dreaming is a great sequel and I’m excited to read more from Emiko Jean in the future!
I will post on my Instagram @katebrownreads as well!

This story was so fun. It lived up to book 1 in every way for me. I loved the continuation of Izumi’s story, and the new characters we are introduced to!

In Tokyo Dreaming, Izumi is living in Tokyo, and her mom is there with her, which I was so happy about! When her father, the Crown Prince of Japan, proposes to her mother, it creates quite an uproar in Japan. It is not considered a good match, based on how Izumi behaves. So, Izumi becomes determined to follow rules and turn herself into the perfect Japanese Princess.

Obviously, there are tons of problems with this plan, and I loved seeing how Izumi’s problems bring her closer to people as they work to help her. Two characters I really enjoyed in this story were her cousins. There’s quite a journey in the relationship between them and Izumi, and I was so happy to see it!

Tokyo Dreaming is the second book in the Tokyo Ever After book series. I would highly recommend reading the first book before picking this one up. I think it will be more enjoyable. However, if you do pick it up first, I think it would be okay. The author does a good job of giving some backstory from the first book.

Overall, this was a great book, and I really enjoyed the story. I liked being back in Japan and with these characters, and I am hopeful there will be at least one more book to continue Izumi’s story! I would recommend this one for readers that enjoy YA coming-of-age stories!

4 stars

Izumi is back and living her best life - or trying to - in Emiko Jean's follow-up to _Tokyo Ever After_: _Tokyo Dreaming_!

I've chosen many times to jump in mid-series, and I don't recommend that in this case. Interested readers will absolutely be able to follow the plot and engage with the characters if they read this as a standalone, but access to these characters' journeys and evolutions from the first book is the best way to get the most out of this follow-up (just in case you, too, Reader, were considering a related situation).

In this round, Izumi, her family members, and her circle are focused on relationships. There is quite a bit of romantic activity (in multiple pairings), but an equally intriguing component is Izumi's growth. Here, she's figuring out her romantic life and her academic future, but for me, the more gripping piece is her sense of duty to her parents (especially her mom) and to her friends. There are some really moving scenes mixed in with the humor and lighthearted antics readers of the first installment will certainly expect (and find).

I was fortunate to receive the audio version and highly recommend it. The narrator adds a lot to Izumi's character and to the balance of hijinks and touching moments. This is a great follow-up to the first book, and I am already looking forward to more from Emiko Jean!

I loved this book even more than Tokyo Ever After! Zoom Zoom is back and trying to find her place in the world! She can be a little frustrating but she pulls through & her decisions make sense in the end.

The Shining twins are also back.

Tropey but tropes I enjoy! A bit predictable but it was a fun read!!

If you’re here reading this it’s probably because you enjoyed the first book and I can tell you that you will enjoy this one too. I don’t want to say any more and give it away . Read the publishers summary, it’s spot on & the narrator’s are great!

Thank you Macmillan Audio & NetGalley, I can’t wait to buy the book!

Thank you Macmillan audio for my advanced listening copy of Tokyo Dreaming!! I absolutely adored Tokyo Ever After and I squealed when I saw the approval for Tokyo Dreaming! I couldn’t put the audiobook down!

I absolutely loved this book! Izumi is still figuring out her life in Japan and trying to achieve her lifelong dream of her parents being married. I loved being in her world as she acclimates to life as a royal. There were times when I laughed out loud at the situations she got into, felt for her when she fell in love and when she and her mom didn’t meet the royal imperial family’s expectations. I’d love more books in this series!

I will update with the link when I share to my bookstagram account.

Tokyo Dreaming is the sequel to Tokyo Ever After, and I would 1000% read that before reading this. The best way to describe the series is a mix between Princess Diaries, Crazy Rich Asians and What a Girl Wants.

I highly recommend if you are interested in:
-YA Romance
-A quick, light read
-Books about royalty
-Second chance romance
-Love triangles
-Japanese culture and setting

Also, the audio is really fun and easy to follow along with!!

First, I read this by paperback then I listened to the audiobook to see if the audiobook made a difference in the story. The story itself was good. I was interested in seeing the side of the royal life and princess wanting more out of her life. The audiobook was truly amazing, truly made the story even better. I would highly suggest the audiobook version! Loved this story and the character development. Was such an interesting story. And that ending!!!!

I received a paperback copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I also received an audiobook of this ARC that was given to me to review from the publishers and NetGalley. All comments above are solely my true opinion after reading this book.

A fun, light follow-up to Emiko Jean’s delightful modern fairytale, Tokyo Ever After.

Since the first book was a spin on Cinderella and largely resolved the full plot at its conclusion, there wasn’t much left for Izumi’s adaptation to her new life in this installment. Jean pivots her focus to Izumi’s parents and their desire to marry, which helps create some plot points for Izumi as she attempts to facilitate their union.

A lot of the conflict in this book feels manufactured, but it still reads like an enjoyable romp and a love letter to Japan. I could have done without the silly (and obviously very temporary from the start) love triangle, but Izumi’s deliberations over college and her future and the evolution of her relationship with The Shining Twins (aka her not-so-nice cousins) made for low-stakes but sweet and fun fodder for a sequel that probably didn’t need to be written, though I enjoyed reading it anyway.

If you’re into audiobooks, this is a really good one for the format. The narrator is measured and lovely, and the book flows well in an auditory sense. The pacing keeps the reader focused (I find a wandering mind to be a perpetual danger with audiobooks, especially if I’m tired or distracted), but the subject matter is light enough that it doesn’t require the kind of intense focus that sometimes merits the need of a print copy.