Publisher: 11th June 2020 by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter
Pages: 400 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: women’s fiction, romance
My Rating: 4 cups
Synopsis:
Grab your passport and escape to the land of dazzling skycrapers, steaming bowls of comforting noodles, and a page-turning love story that will make you swoon!
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 of the Far East are coming true.
Until she arrives in vibrant, neon-drenched 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 it’s not long before the Japanese art of contentment and a special, traditional tea ceremony work their magic…
Amidst the temples and clouds of soft pink cherry blossoms, Fiona and Gabe start to see life – and each other – differently.
My Thoughts
‘Wabi Sabi,’ murmured Haruka. ‘It is part of Japanese culture. It is an appreciation of things that aren’t perfect or finished, and that is their attraction. It’s accepting the value of things–an old pot, an old person–and understanding that those things have wisdom, that they have seen things.’
This book has a lot going for it - it had me at tea and travel! There is something for everyone - travel, photography and romance - an all up winning combination. With an inviting cover and all set in Japan - a culture with so much to appreciate - I very much enjoyed this armchair travel.
‘It’s a country of contrasts: flash, modern, innovative, ridiculously neon and technological, all of which resides alongside a deep appreciation and respect for art, culture, and tradition. I’ve never lived anywhere quite like it before.’
Firstly, let’s focus on Japan - the writer has certainly done her homework and during these COVID days, provided her readers with some much wished for armchair travel. The sights, sounds and smells are vibrant and leap off the page. It could have read like a travelogue, but no, I found myself soaking up every detail of both the varied modern and traditional sites in this special destination - not to mention staying in a traditional Japanese tea shop!
‘There was a soothing quiet as all three women savoured their tea, and the comforting warmth of the china clasped between her hands made her feel grounded and somehow connected to the other two women.’
Tied in with this is Julie’s writing. I feel she has truly captured the essence of some special traditions in Japanese culture. The philosophy is cleverly weaved throughout and there are some definite pearls of wisdom for both the reader and the characters alike. Speaking of characters, there are many engaging ones to be found in this tale - from the traditional family to the main British female lead with her journey of discovery - both internal and external. The romance is front and centre, however, I am grateful that this was not the sole focus of this read.
“... you face things. No matter how difficult, you try. You do new things. You challenge yourself, even though you don’t think of yourself as bold. You are my kintsugi, the golden glue that healed this jaded, cynical idiot and made him believe in love again.”
A final component of this story worth mentioning is the inclusion of photography as both a passionate hobby and serious business. I appreciated the appraisal of light, focus and natural natural moments captured in time. I was definitely Googling some of the locations to try and gain an awareness of where Fiona was trying to stand to take certain photos.
‘... photography was capturing that one moment in time that might never happen again.’
All up this is a most engaging read on a number of topics. If you find yourself longing for some quality escapism, take the time to spend these couple of weeks in Japan as detailed in The Little Teashop in Tokyo - you won’t be disappointed.
‘I’ve barely scratched the surface. Every time I talk to Setsuko or Haruka they tell me something fascinating about the philosophy or the culture of the country. There’s so much… it’s an amazing place.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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