Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean

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?

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Normally I prefer the UK cover, but in this instance? No. Sorry. Although Izzy can be thoughtless, the UK cover makes her look vapid and silly. Give me that nice US cover any time.

Ahem. And on the actual story, sorry about that...

You might think this blurb sounds familiar, and you'd be right. A lot of reviews are referring to this as the Asian Princess Diaries. Personally, I didn't think the story went as far indepth as PD, but perhaps as the series goes on things will get better.

So what have we got here? We've got a naive girl catapulted into a world she knows nothing about and expected to shine, a stuffy companion who turns out to be a friend, some instalove, cousins who are variously not what they seem or only in one scene, an absent father trying to do his best, supportive if barely seen friends...you could play YA Bingo with this book. And that's not meant as an insult! This is fluff, but it's entertaining fluff, and Izzy does learn and grow as a character. I'm hoping she'll continue that trend in the next books and not just revert as happens sometimes.

The book is very heavily Japanese; I enjoyed learning along with Izzy, but I did have to look up a few things. Still it's good to push the boundary and I had fun with it. Emiko does explain most things quite well.

I'll definitely be watching out for the next in the series. This was really enjoyable and I'm looking forward to selling it.

Tokyo Ever After publishes on the 18th of May in the US (top image) and on the 27th of May in the UK (lower image). I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.