Item: Tokyo Dreaming
Rating: 3.5
Author: The Candid Cover

Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean is sweet story about staying true to yourself that revolves around the main character’s determination to give her parents a happily ever after. As a big fan of Tokyo Ever After, I was highly anticipating this sequel, and I was thrilled to see that Izumi is just as entertaining and relatable as I remembered. While I struggled with the love triangle and some of the plot points, I still enjoyed this upbeat story and the chance to return to Izumi’s world.

Title: Tokyo Dreaming
Series: Tokyo Ever After #2
Author: Emiko Jean
Also by this author: We'll Never Be Apart
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: May 31, 2022
Rating: three-half-stars

Series Rating: four-stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Return to Tokyo for a royal wedding in Emiko Jean's Tokyo Dreaming, the sequel to the Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Tokyo Ever After

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?

❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃

Review: Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean

Following the events of Tokyo Ever After, Izumi has settled into her new life as a princess in Japan, and her parents have gotten engaged. While she is thrilled for her family, the Imperial Household Council is not as supportive of the wedding and refuses to approve the marriage. Determined to help her parents achieve their own happily ever after, Izumi vows to become the perfect princess, breaking up with her boyfriend and applying to university, but as she focuses on portraying the perfect image of herself, she loses her true self in the process. As life at the palace becomes even more complicated, Izumi must choose her own path and follow her own dreams.

❀ Realistic Main Character

Izumi is just as entertaining as I remembered, and I enjoyed reading about each of her mishaps and mistakes, which make her a realistic character. In this sequel, her big heart really shines through, and I admired her willingness to do whatever she can to ensure her mom’s happy ending. While Izumi grows a lot in book one, I was thrilled to see even more growth in this instalment as she learns to make her own decisions and stay true to herself. I found myself falling even more in love with her character, and I enjoyed the direction her story takes in the end.

❀ Sequel Isn’t Necessary

As is typically the case with sequels, this one isn’t as strong as book one. While I still enjoyed the story, I found myself disappointed to see so little of Akio, one of my favourite characters from the first book. As the two decide to spend some time apart, this story introduces a love triangle, which is a trope I always struggle with. To me, this sequel doesn’t feel very necessary, and even though I still adore the premise and the characters, some of these turns in the story almost made me wish that I had stopped reading after book one.

❀ A Fun Series

Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean is a cute continuation to Tokyo Ever After that is centred around following one’s own heart. Just like in the first book, I enjoyed reading about Izumi’s journey to discovering her true self, and she is a relatable main character. While the story is entertaining, I struggled with the love triangle and some of the directions the author takes the story, but I still think that this is a fun series that is perfect for fans of The Princess Diaries.

About Emiko Jean

Emiko Jean is an elementary school math teacher, whose work with children in foster care inspired her debut novel, We'll Never Be Apart. Aside from reading, writing, and teaching, Emiko is passionate about bugs. She can often be found in the remote forests of the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband, hunting giant moths and cataloguing rare insect colonies.

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