Review – The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin

**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.