Swimming to Tokyo

Let me just start off by saying what a wonderful surprise this book was. I picked this book up and didn't put it down again until I turned the last page! Swimming To Tokyo is Brenda St. John Brown’s debut title, and I was completely blown away by it. I apologize in advance if my review gets a little flaily!

Zosia Easton, (or Zoe to the people who are NOT near and dear to her heart) is 19 and living at home with her father who works too much and attending classes at the local college. She’s still dealing with the death of her mother from 3 years ago and trying to hold on to the memories of the time before she was gone… She keeps everyone except her best friend at a safe distance and never really puts her heart on the line for anyone. Her life has become stagnant. That is until her father breaks the news that he’s gotten a promotion that includes a move to Tokyo, and he wants to go… he needs to go. He wants her to come and spend the summer and even though she struggles emotionally with letting go of the home she grew up in and the memories they created there, she agrees with her father and decides to join him.

Finn O’Leary has a past he’s not proud of, and demons he battles every day. But he’s turned things around and has spent the last year at MIT, making the Dean’s List and applying himself… When his mom suggests he spend the summer with her, he realizes it might be an opportunity skim through the summer and also experience something he wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to do.

Neither one expects the other… in more ways than one.

So… what did I love besides everything? First and foremost it was the characters for me. Both Zosia and Finn were so wonderfully developed that I completely fell in love with them. I can’t think of a single thing about them that bothered me or I would have changed. They are both at that time in life where you’re still sort of a kid but now also sort of an adult and where Zosia has always had an amazing relationship with her family, Finn is the complete opposite. They have a connection to each other prior to arriving in Tokyo and it definitely added to the situation between them.

I really loved Zosia’s relationship with her grandmother. Without her mother to lean on, especially for those milestones we all have growing up, it was nice to know she had Babci. And even though it isn’t the ideal, she had some amazing advice for her and a lifetime of experiences to help her through some of her issues. Plus – bonus points for the added Polish in the story. But I also have to say that I really loved her relationship with her father. Even at the beginning when I was worried he worked too much and maybe didn’t worry about his daughter enough, I still liked him. But when we got to see their interactions together in Tokyo, I really enjoyed the respect that they showed each other and the trust they had in each other. Was everything perfect? No… I mean, He definitely does work too much and he isn’t completely honest with her about a few things up front. But when they were coming clean with each other and sharing their feelings about things, you could get a sense of their love for each other and that was really perfect to see.

And Zosia herself was snarky, and for the most part pretty self-assured and knows who she is. And I really liked her friendship with Mindy. Though we don’t see a ton of it, what you do see is them supporting each other and I always love that.

The setting of this story is like it’s very own character! While I’ve never been to Tokyo I feel like I was transported there with this story. I loved being a tourist through this book – hearing about the different cities and the transportation and the temples and the food (not that I would eat any of it!)… as a reader I got to experience all of those amazing things through these characters experiences and it was really well done.

So… let’s talk about Finn. You guys – this boy. Do you love the tattoo having, guitar playing, song writing, lover of books, attempting reform, bad boy? I don’t always, but holy crap do I love this one!!

He so brings the swoons I can’t even tell you!!

“This summer has been so much more than I ever thought it would be. You… someone like you… was never supposed to be here. That night on the swings, I remember thinking I wished I knew you. You were so beautiful. So genuine. And then you were here. And all I’ve wanted is more and more and more of you.”

BUT … but but but he also has a lot of drama and some issues and he’s not perfect. Everything is definitely not smooth sailing for these two. They struggle with being honest about their feelings, they struggle about being honest about their pasts and they struggle with what is in store for their futures. And it is a BIG struggle I can’t lie to you. There are things that they are both dealing with that causes some friction between them and while their chemistry together is combustible… they have to continue to work at building the trust and opening up and putting down the walls they’ve both built up over time.

If you’re looking for a fun, sexy, entertaining read and a great new voice in the New Adult world, then I definitely recommend Swimming to Tokyo when it is released! Thank you to Spencer Hill Contemporary for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

First I had to read this book because I love the cover, second not many notes because I was to into the story to make any. My heart broke when Zo talked about Finn like he's available, "yeah, he's...I don't know. He's available as far as I know." My stomach churns a little as I say it. It's true. He is. And aside from an occasional sizzle, things between us are totally platonic." When things heat up between Zo and Finn it's totally hot, "and when Finn cups my butt and my leg wraps around his, I feel the bulge in his shorts pressing against my pelvis. Knowing he has that reaction to me makes me feel powerful. And hot." There's one word to describe Finn and that's sexy no matter what he does it's just sexy, "that's what they're calling them now? They look like eff-me heels to me." I really enjoyed reading this book.

Swimming to Tokyo by Brenda St John Brown really blew me away. I fell in love with it from the very beginning and found it to be a very addicting read. It’s definitely one of my favorite contemporary novels. The writing is fantastic and the plot is terrific. The characters in this book are not perfect and they are not trying to be perfect. I felt like so many things that are normally glossed over are not and it gives it a gritty real feel. At the same time it’s fun, swoony and sexy.

I have always had a fascination with Japan. I was a huge Manga/Anime nerd from middle school until, well I don’t think I’ve ever stopped. Just ebbed a bit. So I absolutely loved the setting. There were lots of places that I recognized and have heard of from my own dive into the culture, even though I’ve never been there. (my cousin has so jealous). It was so fun to read, I love reading books that happen in a different country. It’s hard not to be interesting. Plus Brenda did such a wonderful job of making you feel like you are really there.

Zo is such a great character and completely makes me laugh most of the time. I love that she asks a million questions because I’ve been accused of that myself. I’m not alone in this world! I just like how she was so no nonsense about the things she thought and said. Zosia isn’t going to be the one that pities you. Nope, she’s gone through her own crap and she might be sympathetic to your situation but she is no means going to sugar coat something. She has learned that sometimes something really sucks and people telling you it will get better isn’t going to make it suck any less in that moment. She isn't going to fix you but she will be there to hold you up while you try to fix yourself. It made me want to reach into the book and high five her then ask if she wants to hang out. She is also a swimmer which I think is cool. I love girls who are athletic but still have that flirty cute girl in them.

Finn is such a sweet and swoony guy but the poor boy is so damaged. He has been hurt in ways that breaks your heart and not just physically. It’s also not just from the things that have gone on between him and his dad but also the fact that he felt like his mom failed him too. I want to cuddle him and his sexy tattoo.

The romance is swoony, intense and filled with chemistry. The thing I like about Zosia and Finn is they are who they are. They don’t expect to change one another either. They are only there to support and love. They see that love is not all flowers and rainbows. It also progresses slowly for them. They start out as sort of strangers (classmates), to best friends and finally to a relationship. We see them go through all the normal stages. I also like how when they get in a fight Zosia doesn’t mope, okay maybe a little, she always picks herself back up quickly though. She decides she won’t go quietly and goes after what she wants. I love the banter between the two of them too. It was such fun dialogue to read.

I’m completely fangirling over Brenda St John Brown now and can not wait to read more of her work. Swimming to Tokyo was well written, interesting and fun. Plus it had the right amount of angst and reality mixed in. Definitely run, flail your arms in excitement and pick up this book!

For a good while I was thinking the only thing that set this book apart from the slew of other New Adult books currently flooding that market, was the location - Tokyo. It's a good hook - a completely different culture, full of interesting customs, to catch the reader's attention. But that's not all Swimming to Tokyo has to offer.

Zosia, with her Polish heritage, is a little gem. Honest and brave, she's been through a lot and come out of the other side stronger. I only wish I had her level of insight and her ability to say exactly the right thing at certain moments.

Finn, with his troubled past is something else. He's damaged goods, and he doesn't mind admitting it, but can Zosia convince him that he's worth more than he thinks? I can't help suspecting the author of melding all her perfect guys together to create Finn - he's the bad boy with the tattoos who plays guitar, but he's also very intelligent and sensitive, even shy at times.

Finn and Zosia have a great chemistry between them that creates sparks as you turn the pages, and the author keeps us on tenterhooks for a while rather than giving in to that chemistry straight away. As Finn and Zosia got to know each other and began to open up, I fell more and more in love with the pair of them. Being in a foreign country for the summer before returning to real life enables them to be honest with each other, knowing they can cut their losses and run and the end of the summer if it doesn't work out. This makes for an interesting dynamic, especially with the demons Finn is fighting.

Brown doesn't concentrate all her talent on the two main characters though - they have a good supporting cast of friends and family. It always bodes well when an author puts as much effort into the minor characters as the main ones.

I want to thank Spencer Hill Contemporary for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review. I will let you know that, yes, I do work for Spencer Hill Press as a publicist and no, this did not influence my opinion or review. The book on it's own is fabulous and no matter the publisher it needs to be read!

Blurb from Goodreads:
The rules for swimming are simple:
Rule #1: There is no lifeguard on duty.
Since her mom died three years ago, nineteen-year-old Zosia Easton’s been treading water. Living at home. Community college. Same old Saturday nights. So when her father breaks the news he’s taken a job transfer—and by the way, it means renting out the house that’s been her refuge—a summer in Tokyo feels like it just might be a chance to start swimming again.
Rule #2: Beware of unexpected currents.
Finn O’Leary has spent God knows how many years trying to drown out his past. Juvenile detention. Bad decisions. Worse choices. He’s managed to turn it around – MIT, Dean’s List, a sexier-than-thou body with a smile to match – at least on the surface. When his mom asks him to spend the summer with her, Tokyo seems as good a place as any to float through the summer.
Rule #3: Swim at your own risk

To say I was pleasantly surprised by this book is an understatement. I loved the concept from the moment I read the blurb. I'm very into contemporary books right now. But I am also extremely picky about them because they have to have fabulous characters, an interesting plot, and some basis in reality. This book has all three and more.

Zosia (Zo, Zoe) really surprised me in this book. At the start, I was sure she was going to be so resistant to Tokyo that the book would focus on how much she hated her life while there. However, I was happy to see her embrace Tokyo and her situation, as much as she was reluctant to go at first. Zosia is strong minded and independent and can easily take care of herself with no assistance. Not surprising that she adapts fairly well once abroad. She misses her life back in the states, but she's willing to take a chance to figure out what there is for her in Tokyo. She also has quite a bit of snark and there is nothing fake about her at all.

Enter Finn. Yup, this is a boy you are going to LOVE. Does he have demons, oh yes he does. And they keep him closed off from Zosia for many parts of the book. But this just lends to his intrigue (and for me the bad boy status is such a turn on in male characters I am immediately drawn to them). And his connection with Zosia cannot be denied. He's a swoon worthy book boyfriend for sure. I think my favorite thing about Finn is that he comes across as this bad boy, but he's super intelligent and has gone from battling his demons to coming to terms with them and turning his life around. He's not perfect, but believe me, you will overlook it. Just keep in mind that he has good intentions and wants to keep everyone around him, especially those he cares for, safe.

I love how Finn and Zosia explore Japan, while exploring themselves. The way Brown develops the characters makes you fall for them completely. I would imagine anyone would be hard pressed not to connect with them on some level. There was nothing about either character that I did not love.

Having never visited Japan, I can't say that I know where anything is. But that really didn't matter, Brown did a great job with her descriptions and I felt like I was there with the characters exploring the temples and marketplaces, the restaurants and tourist attractions.

I love how Finn and Zosia slowly open up to each other, and let their demons out. Typical of a contemporary is the angst that comes along with their growing relationship: Zosia's uncertainty of letting him in and whether or not he wants to allow it. She keeps almost everyone at a safe distance, fearing heartbreak as she had when her mother died. But she's strong and determined at the same time, and slowly realizes that perhaps Finn is just the person she needs to let in.

Brown's writing is truly great. The flow is easy, her pacing is spot on. There was never a time that I wanted to put this book down. It completely and totally engulfed me. She writes funny scenes, sexy scenes, and heart wrenching scenes with all the emotion you would expect. There's tons of struggling in this book. Prepare to have Brown throw your emotions all about!

Lovers of Colleen Hoover and Cora Carmack will definitely enjoy this fun, funny, sexy and emotional read by Brown!

Review to be published on the website 7/28/2014 at this link: http://www.thecovercontessa.com/2014/07/blog-tour-swimming-to-tokyo-by-brenda.html