Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean (Blog Tour: ARC & Audiobook Review)

Title: Tokyo Dreaming
Author: Emiko Jean
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Flatiron
Date published: May 31, 2022

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When Japanese-American Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Now, she’s overcome conniving cousins, salacious press, and an imperial scandal to finally find a place she belongs. She has a perfect bodyguard turned boyfriend. Her stinky dog, Tamagotchi, is living with her in Tokyo. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. A royal wedding is on the horizon! Izumi’s life is a Tokyo dream come true.

Only…

Her parents’ engagement hits a brick wall. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage citing concerns about Izumi and her mother’s lack of pedigree. And on top of it all, her bodyguard turned boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship. At the threat of everything falling apart, Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to help win over the council. Which means upping her newly acquired princess game.

But at what cost? Izumi will do anything to help her parents achieve their happily ever after, but what if playing the perfect princess means sacrificing her own? Will she find a way to forge her own path and follow her heart?

⤖ My Review ⬻

For those of your newer to my blog, I absolutely love Tokyo (check out my travel series) and I also loved Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Ever After which came out last year. So, when I heard that we were getting a sequel this year, I squealed, and when I received an invite to join the blog tour on the release day for Tokyo Dreaming, I squealed and did a little dance around my apartment! I was very happy to be sent a copy and to be approved for the audiobook version as well and wanted to take a moment to note that the narrator was perfect for Izumi and is a gifted actor and storyteller! I was easily able to differentiate between which characters were speaking, as well as gauge the mood of a scene or setting from the narrator’s tone and inflection.

Diving into Tokyo Dreaming, I was so happy to be transported back to Tokyo—especially since I was doing so to rejoin Izumi and the other characters! I was not only excited about the setting and the characters but also to finally learn where the story would take everyone next. And the author did not disappoint—things were kept interesting as plotlines that I hadn’t anticipated were explored and played out.

I’ve read many young adult contemporary romances which can make it difficult for me to be surprised and engaged throughout some of them. I didn’t have to worry about that with Tokyo Dreaming though because I was barely able to predict anything that happened! I had a lot of fun experiencing everything in real-time (so to speak) alongside Izumi. And the few times that I was able to predict things, they were usually followed by some of my favourite YA contemporary tropes!

I will say that I wish I had gotten more Tokyo from this book, but understand why the author might have chosen to focus on relationships and the progress of the main plot since we got a lot more descriptions about the appearance and vibe of the city. So, I don’t think other readers would find complaints here unless they’re a big Tokyo fan like myself, haha. I just really love that city, okay?! All in all, I loved being taken back there and spending more time with Izumi and her friends and family. I’m not sure if there will be a sequel, but I can say that if there was, I would eat it up, and if there wasn’t, I think that Tokyo Dreaming could work as a finale to the series as well! I had a lot of fun reading this book, and this series as a whole, and definitely recommend!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Emiko Jeanis the author of Tokyo Ever After, Empress of all Seasons, and We’ll Never be Apart. When Emiko is not writing, she is reading. Most of her friends are imaginary. Before she became a writer she was an entomologist (fancy name for bug catcher), a candle maker, a florist, and most recently a teacher. She lives in Washington with her husband and children (unruly twins). She loves the rain.