I will always be attracted to novels about making a new life for oneself in another country, however, Caplin's "The Little Teashop in Tokyo" was totally predictable and quite dissapointing.

The Little Teashop in Tokyo, Julie Caplin

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (adult), Romance.

Well, wow, I adored this story. I didn't realise it was one of those complete stories, but connected books series, so I'm off to find the rest when I've time. It didn't matter that I hadn't read the others, but I can see for those who have, getting snippets of the characters in their updated lives will be fun.

Fiona, what a lovely lady. Lives with her widowed mum, its been just the two of them for so long, her dad dying when she was small. Her mum is clearly a bit of a hypochondriac, and even though Fiona is 28 still treats her as if she's 8 much of the time. Fiona understands, chafes at it sometimes, but has found a way to manage her mum's anxieties. Of course now she's off to Japan for two weeks her mum is terrified for her. Fiona is determined not to be put off though and bravely marches in. this could be the makings of a whole new career for her, and will work well with her travel blog.

What she doesn't expect though is Gabe. The man who'd been booked has had to cancel and Gabe is taking his place. He's a well known man, top photographer, and certainly no second rate substitute but......Fiona has a history with him, from when she was 18 and he was taking a half term class at her school. Its didn't go well, she's been affected by the events ever since, and this throws her. Gabe doesn't recognise her, and she's not sure how she feels. That incident affected her ever since, changed her whole way of life and yet he seems t have forgotten it....how, she thinks, can something that was so big for her be nothing, forgettable to him.
,
Gabe was such an obnoxious man to begin, clearly not happy about mentoring her and it shows. Slowly though he changes and became a man I fell in love with a bit too.
The ladies she's staying with are amazing, and teach her so much, taking her in as part of them, showing her some of the traditional Japanese way of life. I loved those parts, could taste the food, smell the teas, see the beautiful kimonos, and the wonderful relaxing garden. It sounded magical, and Fiona really grew in her confidence with their help. She was like a different person at the end, more confident but still with her amazing fascination and enthusiasm for life.

I hated a Certain Person but was so glad she was in the book, I love that sort of character.
I loved that when things fell apart it wasn't a quick solution, that it lasted for some time. I hate when its all off one page, and all on again the next.
I guess my only minor criticism would be the time span, its just two weeks and for the first couple of days they really don't like each other, but then if I take into account the history and how things were then, it makes up for it. A bit. I just have trouble with insta love. Lust I can believe in, love takes a bit longer IMO

Stars: Five. A wonderful, engaging read, transporting me to a country I've always wanted to visit.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. I have heard good things about Caplin's previous books and was expecting a magical adventure filled with romance. I will say the descriptions of Japan were wonderful. I could see Caplin's travel background throughout the chapters. The descriptions were written with a lot of detail that made me feel like I was in Japan.

Overall, the plot was good too. A naive photographer, Fiona, wins a once-in-a-lifetime competition to spend two weeks in Japan and be mentored by a world famous photographer. When the mentor is called away for an emergency, his replacement is someone Fiona met ten years earlier... Gabe. Gabe doesn't remember her, Fiona can't really figure out if that's a good thing or too embarrassing to admit. Their romance was predictable and needed more development. For much of the book, Gabe is a complete jerk. Their partnership takes a 180 and doesn't go back. I really needed a bit more character development and interactions between Gabe and Fiona to make this more believable.

Lastly, would be a subtle issue to most readers, but as an Asian woman kind of made me cringe. Especially in the beginning of the book (first 10%), I could not count the amount of times Japanese people were described as tiny and/or reserved. There was a moment when Fiona didn't want a "nasty surprise" when eating an unknown Japanese food. These moments spoke to how new Japan was to Fiona, and I knew the author was trying to portray this. Unfortunately, the phrases used help perpetuate stereotypes of Japanese and Asian people. I would have enjoyed Fiona's first glimpses of Japan a lot more if these phrases didn't keep popping up.

The story lacked character depth and could have problematic phrasing, but it did make me feel like I was in Japan. If you're looking for a quick read and want to take a literary trip to another country, this could be the book for you.

Honestly, words cannot describe how much I have loved every single book in Julie Caplin’s Romantic Escapes series. I’ve read each book as soon as I can get my hands on it and I haven’t been let down yet, with The Little Teashop in Tokyo being no different. You feel the calm and respect of Tokyo, the tension and love between Gabe and Fiona, and the fondness and friendship between all of the characters. It’s the perfect balance of world-building that makes the reader want to visit Tokyo, and plot and relationships to feel at ease. Another job perfectly done by Julie Caplin!
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love these books. They are utterly stunning and this is another that I haven’t been able to put down.
I love this author and this has been a perfect escape.
I definitely recommend this book.

Julie Caplin writes an excellent travelogue disguised as a romance novel. She will take you to Japan along with her protagonist, travel-blogger Fiona, who has won a two-week trip to Tokyo to put together a photo exhibition. Caplin captures the first-time tourist's exhaustion of arriving in Tokyo; the disorientation of taking the train; the panic of getting lost at Shibuya Crossing; the flickering confidence of navigating the city alone for the first time. She guides you to significant sites like the Meiji Shrine and Mount Fuji, letting the reader see them through the dazzled eyes of a first-time visitor. Fiona’s experiences in a real ramen house, savoring sizzling tempura, and achieving moments of tranquility in a tea ceremony will make you want to travel to Japan as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, the romance side of the novel was not as successful for me. The romance seemed trite, repetitive, and forced – the tall, leggy blonde who doesn’t realize she’s beautiful until she sees herself through the lens of an older man. Descriptions of the relationship were self-conscious: “Then her heart almost burst when he cupped her face with all the tenderness of a thousand rom-coms.”

Nonetheless, especially now, this novel offers a virtual vacation.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a temporary digital advanced copy of The The Little Teashop in Toyko by Julie Caplin from NetGalley, One More Chapter, and the author in exchange for an honest review.

Fiona wins an all-expense paid trip to Tokyo after winning a photography competition. She is to visit Japan for two weeks in exchange for creating a collection for a Japanese museum in London. Her mentor is unable to meet her due to a family death, and a new mentor is appointed; however, Fiona's new mentor is a one-time professor she had a crush on ten years ago. Their travels around Japan being to bring them back together, but battling the past and the many miles between them, Fiona prepares to have her heart broken...again.

The Little Teashop in Toyko is a charming romance novel. I gave it three stars due to Caplin's descriptions of Japan; they were vibrant, enticing, and truly embedded the culture and traditions of the country. I have a new appreciation for Japan after reading this novel. However, the romance part of the story was slightly mediocre . It did charm the reader, but the beginning felt slow and then the ending felt rushed. I would have liked a chapter or two at the end that went a little further into their successes after Fiona's trip.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more of a crime/thriller reader however this story intrigued me. I absolutely loved it, truly one of the best books I have read. I am extremely pleased and grateful to both for opening up my mind to something totally different.

I've loved the previous books in this series so jumped at the chance of reading an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.
This time the story concerns Fiona, a blogger who won the opportunity to travel to Japan to take photos for an exhibition on her return. Unfortunately the mentor who was meant to look after her whilst over there wasn't available and another professional photographer was asked to look after her. The problem was that she knew this photographer, Gabe, from an embarrassing encounter years before, although he didn't seem to remember her.
The author managed to bring Tokyo to life for me, with the combination of old and new in stark contrast, the calm of the formal gardens against the crowded streets and the formality of a tea ceremony against the exuberance of a karaoke bar. Even the food sounded so delicious that I would love to try the actual experience of eating there.
Fiona is compassionate, Gabe grumpy and I loved the Japanese family that she stayed with.
Overall a great addition to this series and I would definitely recommend reading this if you enjoyed the other books.
Thanks again for the opportunity of reading an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Sometimes the protagonist of a story is so abrasive it ruins everything else. That was the case for me with this book. The writing was decent but the protagonist was just honestly terrible and made me want to pull my hair out.

I’ve loved the previous books in this series and this is probably my favourite destination so far. Not only was Fiona a lovely character - modest, unassuming and low in confidence yet at the same time with a steel core of determination - but the contrasts of new and modern Tokyo and the descriptions of the locations really made it sound like the most amazing place. The tea shop sounded delightful and Haruka, Fiona’s host was an amazingly wise woman. This is a gorgeous read which left me longing to visit Japan and it was lovely to hear a little about previous characters too.

Oh, gosh. It's just a very sweet read. I picked it up because I used to live in Japan and I'm always avid for a book set in Tokyo. This will satisfy a reader on a few different levels. First of all, it's romantic escape lit and though predictable, watching the relationship unwind was a lot of fun. Julie Caplin does romance well! And then the setting--Caplin managed to include a good combination of stereotypical and recognizable Tokyo but with enough small details so that the reader will really "feel" Japan. The Japanese family that Fiona lodges with is a real keeper of a family and having the three generations and their similarities and differences highlighted adds a unique detail to the story.

This isn't a genre that I usually read, but I found it to be quite charming and if this IS your genre, definitely go for it! It will be your cup of tea for sure (pun intended)!

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Once again another excellent book from this great author ideal for summer can recommend

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title The Little Teashop in Tokyo

Author Julie Caplin

Release Date June 11, 2020

Description from Amazon

For travel blogger Fiona, Japan has always been top of her bucket list so when she wins an all-expenses paid trip, it looks like her dreams are coming true.

Until she arrives in vibrant, bustling Tokyo and comes face-to-face with the man who broke her heart ten years ago, gorgeous photographer Gabe.

Fiona can’t help but remember the heartache of their last meeting but amidst the temples and clouds of soft pink cherry blossoms, can Fiona and Gabe start to see life – and each other – differently?

Initial Thoughts

This book sounded super cute. I loved that the main character was a blogger and I also loved that the story centered around a trip to Tokyo. Tokyo is definitely one of my bucket list places to travel so I was excited to read about her experience.

Some Things I Liked

Tokyo as a setting. Julie Caplin did an amazing job describing the details of everything Fiona experienced on her trip. She only makes me want to visit the city more. I also loved the cultural references that Haruka and family introduce Fiona to during the story.
Fiona’s relationship with her mother. I liked this element of the story. Even though Fiona is 28 years old, she still found herself constantly answering to her mother. I liked that, without featuring her mother as a prominent character, she added a lot to the story.
Haruka and her family. I loved her. She was a fun, subtle character but she had so much wisdom to offer. I’d read a sequel about Fiona going back to Tokyo to see Haruka again.
One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

Gabe was kind of a jerk and I wasn’t too happy with what he did. In that vein, I felt like the ending was a bit rushed. Gabe needed to apologize more and I wished that the reader could have seen that.

Series Value

This book is part of a series but they are all independent stories set in different places. I’d read the other books in this series. I like what Julie Caplin has done here and I’d like to see how she describes other countries.

I also like that this series does not need to be read in order.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book. The ending was a smidge rushed but overall I liked it. I’d continue with this series and read the others that came before. This is book #6 and the first I read in the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Christmas at Frozen Falls by Kiley Dunbar – although this is a holiday story, the vibes are so similar. If you like stories about revisiting the past in order to discover what your future has in store, try this holiday story by Kiley Dunbar.
The Move by Whitney Dineen – if you like clean, rom-coms about starting over in a new place with hilarious, sometimes over-bearing parents, try this book by Whitney Dineen.
Coming Home to Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters – if you liked the themes of re-discovering yourself that Fiona experiences in The Little Teashop in Tokyo, try this book by Victoria Walters.

I sadly didn't enjoy this book as much.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me an arc of this title.

I had a rough time connecting to the story. The beginning was very all over the place that I had a hard time finding the structure and the will to read further.

Later on when the story seemed to finally progress into something I found it dull and having a lack of action and found myself very bored in the process of reading.

There were some things that I did like. I loved how they described the scenery like for instance how the cherry blossoms were blooming and I liked the romance aspect of the story however even that felt a bit dull and unconnected from the story somehow.

I really wish I could have loved this but sadly not every book is for me.

I'm unsure what it is about Julie Caplin's writing but with each and every book she leaves me wondering what I am going to do until she releases her next book.
I inhaled #TheLittleTeashopInTokyo in less than 24 hours, a miracle in my current situation, but her characters are so compelling, even when I want to bash them in the head with a teapot, aka Gabe.
There were so many things about this book that spoke to me, Fiona's relationship with her mother, her sense of peace which comes with nature, how brave she is to try new and strange things and her general curiosity.
Yes, there were moments when I cursed and yelled at the characters, but much like #TheLittleCafeInCopenhagen I am left content and happy, what more could you want from a book.
As always, my thanks to #Netgalley, #HarperCollinsOneMoreCapter (#OneMoreChapter) and @JulieCaplin for the opportunity to read and review a copy of #TheLittleTeashopInTokyo which is released on 11th June 2020.

I am always happiest when I get to be whisked away to another fantastic location by Julie Caplin. This series of books is a wonderful mood booster, a great source of cheerfulness and the stories are always fun and full of heart. This latest, The Little Teashop in Tokyo, lives up the same wonderful standard as it’s predecessors. If you haven’t read any of the others in this series, do not worry. They can all be standalone books; the characters sometimes appear in other places, but the stories are different.
Here we have Fiona, who wins the chance to go to Tokyo and experience the Japanese culture whilst being mentored by a top photographer. Cue some changes and she find herself in the very capable (but familiar) hands of famed photographer Gabe. The sparks fly from the off between these two characters and it was fun to see how they pushed each other’s buttons. I have to hand it to Fiona, she certainly gave as good as she got in many ways!
Each location is beautifully described, as I read sat out in the sunshine, I could imagine myself in Fiona’s shoes; gazing at the cherry blossom or being wowed by Mount Fuji. I have never really had any interest in Japan/Tokyo, but I found myself being pulled into wanting to know more about the culture and traditions and Julie incorporates so much of this into the story.
Haruka is possibly one of my favourite characters; fiery yet calm, smart and sensitive – not one to cross, as Gabe found out. If I was to go to Japan, she is exactly the type of person I would like to meet.
This is a story of self-discovery, moving forward from the past and embracing what is meant for you. It shows how to see things from new perspectives, and I think it is a wonderful way to escape the current anxieties and worries.
I cannot recommend this one enough!!