The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin was an utter, utter delight, and I absolutely adored this gorgeous tale of adventure, ambition and romance. Captivating to the senses, as well as the imagination, Julie Caplin writes a truly delicious and enchanting story within the pages and I just couldn't get enough of this enriching Japanese escape. I think what I most loved about this novel was how much of a breath of fresh air it was, how unique and stand-out. I am pretty sure this is the only story I've read set in Tokyo and I found every single moment spent within it a pure joy. From the irresistible foodie delights, to the vibrant and boisterous city, I couldn't help but to marvel at the wonderful world delivered to me by the author, and I found myself reading wide-eyed, as if I were wandering around this magical place too, alongside Fiona as she began her discovery of Tokyo with her trusty camera at her side.

The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin follows Fiona, travel-blogger and photographer, as she sets out to Tokyo on an all-expenses paid, competition-won trip, with the chance to exhibit her photographs at the Japan Centre in London being the best part of the prize. Not only is it the most incredible opportunity to experience everything Japan has to offer, Fiona is going to be mentored during her stay, by one of the best photographers in the world, Yutaka Araki. It's a dream come true for Fiona and she's not about to pass it up, even if her quivering self-confidence, and anxious hypochondriac of a mother, are tempting her to do exactly that. So, with her best foot forward, and her curiosity sky-high, Fiona begins her adventure, ready to learn and willing to see the enchantment around every corner. But as is so often the case, things aren't about to go as smoothly as Fiona had hoped, and it turns out her mentor is not the famous Yutaka Araki after all, and is, in fact, rather disappointingly, Gabe Burnett, someone who is already familiar to Fiona, and someone she isn't quite as willing to learn from. At least, not until she's able to push aside the silly teenage infatuation she once felt towards him. Ten years may have passed, but it seems intense embarrassment and foolishness can surpass that amount of time, and then some...

The setting of Tokyo in this story truly held me captive throughout my reading of Fiona's adventures. Julie Caplin delivers this world to her readers in the most effortlessly charming way, and her descriptions were beautiful. I was under the author's spell entirely and found myself entranced by Fiona's surroundings, star-struck and wide-eyed by this new and fascinating place. I can't deny that reading this story certainly sparked an intense sense of wanderlust within me, and that's entirely down to the author's skill at bringing her setting to life. I fell head over heels in love with this setting and found myself marvelling at the very same things as Fiona, in awe of the bold and brash of the city, and fascinated with the simplistic beauty of the Haruka's teashop and the incredible garden, both of which contrasted so beautifully against each other. There was such a delightful sense of serenity in this story, and the urge to take hold of Haruka's wisdom and keep it for myself. The references to a deeper, more enriching way of life spent focused less on materialistic things and more on the heart and soul spoke volumes to me, and had me reading the pages wanting to soak it all up, wanting to be there in Haruka's garden myself, sat in silence, allowing the peace to wash over me and feeling completely at one with the world. It's safe to say that the setting of this story left a lasting impression on me, and I loved every single second spent within it. Caplin writes with the true essence of this place in mind and it shone through in every sentence, and every description I devoured.

Fiona's journey within this book was an exciting and ever-changing one which kept me turning the pages, always wanting more. I particularly enjoyed the scenes where Fiona travelled to new places to capture her photographs, with Gabe at her side. There were so many incredible spots that Fiona visited during her stay in Tokyo and I loved reading about them, almost as if I was visiting the places myself. There were so many, from The Skytree, the tallest building in Japan, to the digital art museum which was absolutely fantastic, Ueno Park to see the blossom falling and the incredible Mount Fuji. This was such an eye-opening read and not only did I love it for the escapism which it gifted to me, but also for the educational factor, as learning about Tokyo and all of the tourist hot-spots was exciting and informative.

And of course, the romance! I can't end this review without telling you about the romance. Readers are aware pretty much immediately that there's a history between Fiona and Gabe, and so this adds tension between them right away, especially when we discover that things didn't exactly end on friendly terms between them. The relationships in this story all evolve brilliantly, not only the one between Fiona and Gabe, but the one between Fiona and Haruka and her family who reside in the teashop, too. Caplin captures the essence of family traditions so beautifully, but also the chemistry that still fizzles between Fiona and Gabe. It was teasingly sexy, and Caplin turns up the unbearable heat between the pair, making it all the more exciting and addictive. Even more interesting was the role that Yumi played in Gabe's life, and how this changed over time, funnily enough, after Fiona had stepped on the scene. Gabe's reluctance to mentor and throw his heart into his artwork at the beginning seemed to be the very thing which Fiona had the magic to fix, and this coming together made this a magical pairing, not only romantically but spiritually too. The scenes between Fiona and Gabe truly warmed my heart and when their story reached its end, I felt utterly bereft at having to leave them to their own devices. The emotions were all-consuming and I couldn't bear it when I realised how close I was to finishing this book. I didn't want to let them go! And the ending absolutely blew me away. Caplin pushed me to tears! It was such a memorable way to leave the characters and perhaps one of my favourite book endings of all time.

I cannot give this gorgeously uplifting, beautifully-told story enough praise. It was an enriching, soul-lifting book, full of adventure and warmth and heart. Packed with stunning descriptions and full of emotion, it made me want to pack up my bags and leave for my own Tokyo adventure immediately! Caplin well and truly brought Tokyo to life and her mesmerising descriptions opened up an entirely new world to me while I snuggled deeper into my sofa. Enriching and vibrant, I could not get enough of this romantic tale and it will be receiving a five out of five rating from The Book Babe today. Take me back to Tokyo!

The book flips between two points of view and is engaging from the beginning.

It starts with the main character at Tokyo airport waiting to be met by a stranger, almost straight away I could imagine being there. I could see Tokyo, the crowds, the transport, the plants, the food; all thanks to the amazing writing. I truly felt like I was experiencing it with her.

It was a wonderful journey exploring Japan and a beautiful love story.

At a time when travel is restricted, with Japan being somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit, this book was perfect.

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
First I want to say this was my first book by this author. The things that drew me to this book was the following: the setting, I have been to Japan and loved every minutes there, the breathtaking cover, and the story line about finding love during traveling. This book is about a passionate photographer named Fiona, who wins an all-expense paid trip to Japan in order to create an exhibit that will be shown in an exhibition in London after her trip. While excited to work along side a famous Japanese photographer, Fiona arrives at the Tokyo airport ready to get started, but fate has other plans for her, which becomes apparent when her former university teacher, crush and world famous photographer, Gabe, shows up at the airport to pick her up and inform Fiona he will be her mentor during her stay in Japan. Ten years have passed since Fiona had her heartbroken by Gabe and being the professional she is, Fiona reluctantly agrees to the arrangement, if that is what it will take to help her achieve her goal. Gabe and Fiona set out on the adventure of a lifetime, which will draw both of them into the beauty and tranquility of the Japanese culture. With the passing of ten years, is either one of them ready to pursue the feelings both of them had so long ago or are each of them holding onto the comforts of the familiar?
The characters in this book took me awhile to warm up to especially Fiona. I was not really enjoying all her self doubt and continual lack of self assurance when it came to her photography, but as the story moved forward and Fiona developed a great friendship with the women at the tea shop, I found I understood where her lack of confidence came from and liked her a lot more as her journeys throughout Japan helped her also to have a journey of self discovery and growth. Her relationship with Gabe was bumpy, at times, which I found understandable, due to the fact each of these characters has issues from their past, which caused a stunt in their growth when trying to develop more meaningful relationships especially those of a romantic nature. I loved the chemistry the reader could feel developing between Gabe and Fiona. The pacing of their relationship felt realistic and genuine. The author did a wonderful job capturing the beauty of Japan's most famous scenic sites, foods, and culture. The ending of the book had me in tears, it was wonderful. Needless to say, this book had me wanting to plan another trip to Japan. I would highly recommend this book and can't wait to read more books by this author.

This was an enjoyable read for me. I loved the Tokyo-setting. The descriptions of the scenery is very detailed and beautiful. We learn a lot of things about the culture. I like Fiona, but thought Gabe was self absorbed. Later on I started to like him more. The plot is a little predictable, but still fun. The ending was cute.

What a fantastic read! I was really sad when this book ended.

I have a new obsession with books based in Japan. Caplin manages to describe Tokyo fantastically through her characters use of photography. Her descriptions and details of each image bring Tokyo to life on the page.

All the characters are likeable, even Gabe before he realises who he is in love with.

If you enjoy a love story with some culture, you'll enjoy this book.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book.

This book feels like a love letter to Japan.

Fiona has always wanted to go to Japan and this is her first trip. She has won a photography competition and has a week in Japan with professional mentoring and an exhibition of her photographs when she returns.

We see Japan and it’s culture through her eyes. There’s lots of detailed description of key settings and this is a very atmospheric novel. Fiona explores both the traditional and ultra-modern sides of Japan including tea ceremonies and cherry blossom. Fiona stays with a multi-generational family who run a traditional tea shop so has the opportunity to see Japanese culture up close.

Professional photographer, Gabe is the love interest int the book. He is someone that Fiona had connected with when she was younger. He’s moody, rude and unlikeable to start with. He ditches Fiona at every opportunity and behaves in a really unprofessional way. He views mentoring Fiona as a chore. He’s successful but jaded and feeling uninspired. His former muse is married and he is a bit lost both personally and professionally. As he spends more time with Fiona he starts to see Japan and photography through fresh eyes.

The most interesting character is Haruka who owns the teashop and acts as wise fairy godmother type character. She sees the good in Gabe and helps Fiona’s journey of self-discovery.

This isn’t the most original love story. Fiona is lacking in confidence, Gabe is arrogant but of course opposites attract. Overall it’s an easy enjoyable read with lots of atmospheric description.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book in return for an honest review.

This book was such a delight! I felt like I was visiting Japan myself...tasting the food and seeing the sights. I enjoyed these characters and their love story. I really think I will have to go back and read the previous ones in this series.

I was underwhelmed by this book, it didn't turn out to be what I expected.

Fiona is a blogger who wins a photography competition and a trip to Japan to be mentored by a famous photographer. Unfortunately, the photographer has an emergency and is replaced by the renowned photographer Gabe. Fiona knows Gabe, they have a history from 10 years ago. Unfortunately for Fiona, upon her arrival in Japan, it seems as though Gabe doesn't remember her and what happened. They go on a journey over the next couple of weeks over the beautiful country of Japan, and attempt to experience everything Japan has to offer.

From the beginning this book didn't draw me in. It was confusing and there wasn't enough back story, the story just jumped right in and was everywhere. There was an added mystery of the history between Fiona and Gabe, but it was so lacklustre and her reaction was so dramatic and immature. The whole story presented as very young and "G" rated. I skimmed through but honestly wasn't interested right from the beginning. The awesome part was all the aspects of Japanese culture-that was great. I honestly wish I connected with this book more.

I have loved this whole series and how every book is set in a different country. Especially now when I am stuck in lockdown with my son I have so enjoyed exploring a little part of the world even if it's only in my imagination!

Highly recommend to anyone looking for a bit of escapism!

This book sounded like something I would enjoy since going to Japan is on my bucket list. I did not realize this book was part of a series. I would definitely be interested in reading more from the author. I enjoyed reading about the sights, food and culture of Japan.

This book was amazing!!!!! I loved every second of it. I loved all of the characters and wish I knew them!!!!!!! It desperately made me want to visit Japan, and had me googling all of the places that Fiona and Gabe visited.

A cute little love story that transports you away to another world. I knocked off a star because some phrasing was too repetitive.

I received an e-ARC of The The Little Teashop in Toyko by Julie Caplin from NetGalley, One More Chapter, and the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Romantic Escape book by Julie Caplin. I was drawn in by the title and the opportunity to travel to Japan from my home during this COVID-19 quarantine. Fiona wins a trip to Japan to be mentored by a famous Japanese photographer and then upon her return to London, her photographs will be showcased in an exhibition. However when she arrives in Tokyo, another famous photographer meets her at the airport. Gabe. The same man that broke her heart ten years earlier and he will be her mentor.

Caplin captures the tourist experience: Fiona's exhaustion after her long flight to Tokyo; the disorientation she experiences when taking the train, her panic when she gets lost at Shibuya Crossing and the overall worries when navigating a new city alone for the first time. This is balanced with the joys of travel. Fiona's trip to Meiji Shrine and Mount Fuji and visiting a real ramen house and experiencing an authentic tea ceremony.

Since I haven't read any other books by Caplin, I cannot compare her style. I found Fiona interesting, especially in the first half of the novel, but was disappointed by her limited character development. I read the novel twice, and realized that the character that is most interesting is Haruka and she quickly became my favorite. Fiona and Haruka's relationship is unique and complex compared to the one Fiona has with Gabe, which is predicable. Haruka challenged Fiona to search within her self for her own personal value and confidence, which was empowering. Unfortunately, Fiona still relied on Gabe to truly believe in herself. I would have loved to see Fiona put Gabe in his place, toss him aside, and find romance elsewhere in Tokyo..maybe Haruka has a nephew?

The Little Teashop in Toyko is a lovely romance novel. I gave it three stars due to Caplin's vibrant and enticing descriptions of Japan. I would recommend the book as it is fun, light reading. I plan on reading another of Caplin's books in this series.

Fiona has won a photography competition but her mentor turns out to be Gabe who was her teacher ten years ago. She also kissed him when he was her teacher and was bullied by her friends so this has made her cautious in love. Fiona doesn't believe in herself but being in Japan opens her eyes to new possibilities and she grows in confidence and falls in love. A sweet romance. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

What a sweet story, my first from this author! Lush with Japanese visuals from tea to art- I literally felt the Japanese spirit infusing me. Fiona and Gabe were the perfect characters to present this lovely read.

This is the story of Fiona, who, in an attempt to push her own boundaries, travels to Japan after winning a photography competition. Unfortunately for her, she's greeted at the airport by the famous photographer, Gabe Burnett, who she crushed on 10 years previous.

Sadly, this book just wasn't my cup of tea (yeah, I went there). My main issue is that this is a love story between two white people in Japan. I feel like it reduces an entire culture to window dressing. Gabe acts as Fiona's tour guide, making broad statements about the country with great confidence, a trait I found endlessly annoying. Orientalist commentary about East meets West and traditional and modern abound.

Fiona's struggling with low self-confidence and Gabe has a bad case of cynicism. I find both of these issues highly relatable, and yet it didn't help me connect to the characters. I remained unsympathetic to their plight throughout. The romance itself wasn't for me, either. Any teacher-student vibe makes my skin crawl as a teacher myself.

The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin (expected publication 6/11/20) - I was fortunate enough to get to read this little gem prior to publication (thanks Netgalley). I selected it solely on the locale. I wanted to get inspired for Japan and this seemed to fit the bill.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. This book is a delightful little romantic comedy about a woman who wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan to work with a world-renowned photographer and create a photography exhibit that will be displayed at a posh London gallery upon her return. Fiona, an blogger and instagrammer, hopes to elevate herself to professional photographer but is completely disappointed when her assigned mentor has to be replaced with Gabe, the photographer she randomly kissed on a lark when she was an eighteen-year old student.

The book is pretty predictable in terms of the relationship between Fiona and Gabe, but the joy of this book was the descriptions of all things Japanese. Fiona lives and learns the culture by staying with a Japanese family with whom she immediately bonds. The descriptions of the tea ceremony, the kimonos, the food, the trains, the scenery, all of it made me immediately start researching my Japan trip. After I finished, I learned that this book is part of a series. You can bet I’ll be picking up the others to inspire my other travelling dreams.

Well that was a whirlwind trip to the past! I was a big fan of the happy ending, rom com, lovey dovey type books in my late teens, however this soon fizzled out and I became a horror / thriller fan in its place.
ALL OF THAT HAS CHANGED NOW!

This book is light and fluffy and frustrating and lovable! If you are looking for a nice little pick me up where you know all is going to end well in the end no matter what bumps in the road occur then I 100% recommend with all my heart this book!

Is it a game changer book? No
Does it have a plot line that has never been seen before? No
Is the story ending predictable? Yes but who cares! Its the journey of getting there that matters.

I found that the characters were relatable and easy the sympathise with following their emotions through their individual journeys. The surroundings and experiences felt vivid and descried with enough detail that it felt like you were in the beautiful places too. Gabe and Fiona were wonderful characters to follow, the supporting characters were just as fantastic and the scenery of Tokyo has now made me want to book a flight there when we finally can!

I am already hunting down the other books in this series (even though all of them are standalones!) to see if they can replicate this enchanting journey that I have just finished.

I’ve always been interested in Japanese culture so I was interested in reading this book which looks at it from a western perspective and I wasn’t disappointed. The way it described the traditions and settings is excellent and it gives a little glimpse into the lives of normal Japanese families as well. I would recommend.

So stinking adorable, and I loved every moment reading this book. I really needed a great happy ending story and this one fits the bill perfectly. Fiona from the first book in the series has finally come out of her shell and into her own, and Gabe is an excellent match for her. Loved the choices of what parts of Japanese culture were referenced. Seriously, Netflix should pick up these and make the series into movies.