joysbookcase 's review for:

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Takuya Asakura

3.0

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Japanese healing fiction is my go-to when I want something cosy and comforting, often after a heavier read.

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop definitely ticks the boxes: beautiful Ghibli-esque setting, whimsical MC, anthropomorphic cat, emotional healing for everyone etc etc…but it didn’t bring anything new and just felt like more of the same. Perhaps I’ve just ready too many similar books at this point, but I found this rather boring even at >200 pages long. The only story I really enjoyed was that of Shingo, the retired train driver.

Still, the cover is beautiful and I loved the additional illustrations of Kobako at the start of each chapter. For someone who’s read fewer Japanese healing novels and/or has an inexhaustible appetite for them, I’m sure this would be a great read.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the eARC.