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beckyyreadss's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I wanted to read this book because I enjoyed Mika in Real Life and wanted to read more of Emiko Jean’s work and decided to read this series. I really enjoyed this book and I love Emiko’s style of writing.
This book is based on Izumi Tanaka, and she has lived an uneventful life for the last seventeen years in her small town, keenly aware of all the ways in which her family is different from most of her classmates. But then Izumi discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity and he is the Crown Prince of Japan. Soon she’s traveling overseas to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she’s only 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 get her fairytale?
I loved the aspect of this, and the Princess Diaries vibes and Izzy was such a fun character, and she was so chaotic, but I wanted to hug her so much during this story. She had such a great character development and I loved how she went from trying to please everyone to standing up for herself and just deciding to be herself. I love her friendship and how brutal and loving they were at the same. I loved that they were like get out of your rut and get the hell back to Japan to fix things. I loved the romance between Izzy’s mum and dad and hoping they get back together in the next book and have a great love story! The love story and the tension between Izzy and Akio was so adorable and I wanted more from them. You could tell instantly that Akio had feelings and connection to Izzy. The poems were also so sweet.
I would have loved for this to be multiple POV with Akio and the side characters especially her mum and dad. The third-act breakup wasn’t needed at all either and especially that it was miscommunication. If the guard said, “he’s gone because he’s quit” rather than “he’s gone” and implying that he had been sacked just drove me nuts a bit. I managed to guess who was involved with the press because I knew the twins were the obvious suspect, but even though it was a bit predictable, I still enjoyed it.
This book was so sweet, and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Racism
Moderate: Vomit, Xenophobia, and Sexism
Minor: Dementia, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
moendchen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual harassment and Sexism
abitbetterbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
So cute so sweet! A perfect YA romance. I loved the Princess Diaries parallels but adored the setting of Japan.
Bonus points for having an awesome character who shared my name! I never get to read about Marikos!
Bonus points for having an awesome character who shared my name! I never get to read about Marikos!
Content Warnings
Minor: Dementia, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Racism, Alcohol, and Sexism
cadybooks's review
inspiring
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia and Sexism
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, Vomit, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
amberinpieces's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Cursing, Alcohol, and Mental illness
peachani's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Bullying, and Xenophobia
Minor: Racism, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Chronic illness, and Classism
marjokat's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Misogyny
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Racism, Vomit, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Dementia, and Sexual harassment
maeganmarie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
AAAA I absolutely loved this book! Its a story of Izumi’s (the mc) journey of discovering the twists and turns of the royal life and figuring out her cultural differences. Stumbling to keep up with her royal status, Izumi gets entangled within the strings of a complicated romance!
Oh. My. God. The fact that Yoshi was the one behind the tabloid stories was utterly shocking. i trusted him TwT I adored the progression of Akio and Izumi relationship, ESPECIALLY THE POEMS 🥺 Akio and Makato are such romantics
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Sexism
Minor: Dementia
jezebelligerent's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia
aargot1's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Vomit
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Dementia, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Minor: Stalking