Beautiful story of Rose and Akira. Rose came to Japan after a failed engagement and teaches those
wishing to learn or improve their English. Akira is a widowed business man with two young
daughters. A chance encounter outside of class leads to a growing friendship and the challenges of
different cultures. Thoughtful presentation of possible obstacles to a relationship. Surprise ending.
#TheMakingofUs #BlackRoseWriting #DianeHawleyNagatomo #NetGalley

Thanks to the author for trusting me with an early copy of her work. I had the honour of reading The Making of Us in its earliest form—before revisions reshaped everything from the title to several key scenes. Even then, it was clear this novel had something special. One year later, I was fortunate to receive an ARC from Black Rose Publishing and NetGalley, and I’m so glad I did. The final version is even stronger—finer-tuned, more emotionally layered, and beautifully written.

At its core, The Making of Us is a romance—but it’s also a tender, unflinching exploration of identity, belonging, and what it means to be human. Rose, the protagonist, is smart, sarcastic, and refreshingly real. As a foreigner living in Japan, she navigates daily life with sharp wit and quiet resilience. Her experiences—especially the subtle, often invisible challenges of cross-cultural living—will ring deeply true for anyone who has lived abroad.

The writing is graceful and emotionally resonant, full of moments that sneak up on you with quiet power. Diane Hawley Nagatomo’s voice continues to evolve, and this novel is, in my opinion, her strongest yet. The plot unfolds with the rhythm of real life—unexpected turns, emotional pivots, and hard-won truths. It’s a story about family, friendship, cultural friction, and unexpected love—woven with care and insight.

I devoured this book. I didn’t want to put it down, and once I finished, I wasn’t ready to let it go. It’s not just a story of romance—it’s a story of becoming, in all the messy, beautiful, ordinary ways that matter most.

Highly recommended for readers who appreciate character-driven, multicultural fiction with heart, humour, and emotional depth.

This is my honest review.

This is a book that I was drawn to and it kept me up late reading it. There were things that I loved about the book and things that I didn’t care for. This story is rich in Japanese culture. I thought it was very realistic for the time era of most of the book. It begins in Tokyo in 1985 and ends in 2015. The main character is Rose Millstone who grew up in a small community in Nebraska. Circumstances bought her to Tokyo where she worked at a College that taught English language . Rose enjoyed her life for the most part and she became attracted to a Japanese student in her language class. The book continues with Roses story and her life so far away from Nebraska.
This was my first time reading anything by this Author. The only thing I didn’t care for was that there was some bedroom scenes though not too graphic. Also there were two incidents with mild cussing. Would I read a book by this Author again? Yes I would because she held my attention and I couldn’t put the book down.
I recommend The Making of Us to readers of women’s fiction and contemporary romance. It can be read as a standalone. This book is scheduled for release on 9/4/25.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared here in this review are solely my own.
#TheMakingofUs #NetGalley

The Making of Us is a heartfelt and thought-provoking romance set in 1980s Japan, where love crosses cultural boundaries and defies societal expectations. Diane Hawley Nagatomo weaves a tender story between Rose and Akita—two characters from very different backgrounds—whose connection feels genuine, raw, and deeply emotional.

The setting is richly atmospheric, filled with Japanese language, names, and locations that immerse you completely in the world. It’s not just a love story—it touches on heavy but important themes like race, gender roles, and the difficulties of finding belonging in a culture not your own.

I especially adored the relationship between Rose and Akita. Their dynamic felt natural, and watching them grow together was both heartwarming and inspiring.

My only disappointment was the ending. A major time jump introduces a twist that left me with more questions than answers. It felt rushed compared to the beautifully paced first three-quarters of the book.

Still, this was a moving and memorable read, and I’d recommend it to fans of cross-cultural romances and historical fiction with substance.

Even before I reached the end of the book and read the author's bio, I suspected that it was probably based on her life.

A young woman from small town Nebraska, flees a broken engagement and finds herself in Japan, teaching English to a variety of Japanese people from high school students to housewives to businessmen. Set in the early 80s before sushi and other Japanese foods had planted a flag in the U.S., we actually skip the fish out of water part of her story and instead pick up in the middle of the work day, when she learns that she will be teaching a new group on Friday evenings, the Super Six.

Rose meets the mixed group that includes a couple, a housewife longing to work outside of the home, and a handsome man who is looking to refresh his English skills for work, having previously learned the language as an exchange student in California.

It quickly becomes clear that Rose and Akira are attracted to each other and the book becomes more about overcoming his family situation - widower with two very young daughters living with his mother-in-law - and Rose having to decide if she wants to live in Japan for the rest of her life. She has interest from a prestigious University offering her a teaching position which rapidly leads to an offer of a tenured position which means her visa issues would be handled but Japan is so far away from everything she knows in Nebraska.

Honestly, the few glimpses we get of her life back home, makes clear to the reader long before it's clear to Rose, that she will stay in Japan. A former elementary school teacher, Rose rapidly wins over Akira's daughters who already admit to forgetting what their mother sounded like. Her willingness to keep trying, and her obvious love for Akira eventually wins over, both his mother and his mother-in-law who understands that her dead daughter can't be Akira's last love.

Then the book takes a weird jump forward where now the daughters are adults, one married one engaged and then a man named Julian comes downstairs and kisses Rose. Yeah, not the way we thought this was going to end up. It was very jarring. We spent so much time watching Rose and Akira fall in love, and Rose jump through hoops, to never get to actually see them enjoy their new family feels like robbery.

3.5 stars