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Emiko
A sweet and savory YA romance, this modern-day Japanese-Canadian twist on Emma is just the recipe for fans of Jenny Han, Jane Austen and Gilmore Girls. A busybody foodie avoids questions of her own future as she meddles in the love lives of those around her. Has this matcha-maker met her match?
Self-declared matchmaking GENIUS Emiko Kimori has already found success by helping her aunt find true love, so when the new girl in town becomes her new BFF, it's only natural for Emiko to help set her up for social success with a suitable love match.
Emiko lives with her Ojiichan in a small town on BC's West Coast surrounded by friends and neighbors, including her childhood friend Kenzo Sanada, who wishes she’d spend less time playing matchmaker. But Emiko can so clearly see who belongs together, even when her targets don't know it themselves. She simply has to meddle — for the sake of true love!
As for her own romantic life though . . . who has time for that? Emiko is far too busy with her matchmaking schemes, her brunch recipes, volunteering, her bustling social life, keeping up her grades, eating said brunch recipes and making plans for after graduation. Plans she will absolutely decide on soon. Definitely. Maybe? But when Emiko ends up falling for the last person she expects, she finds herself caught in the tangled web of her own love matches. For the first time, instead of arranging from afar, Emiko has to figure out what it means to be in love herself, and that friendship and romance are more complicated than she ever imagined . . .
Self-declared matchmaking GENIUS Emiko Kimori has already found success by helping her aunt find true love, so when the new girl in town becomes her new BFF, it's only natural for Emiko to help set her up for social success with a suitable love match.
Emiko lives with her Ojiichan in a small town on BC's West Coast surrounded by friends and neighbors, including her childhood friend Kenzo Sanada, who wishes she’d spend less time playing matchmaker. But Emiko can so clearly see who belongs together, even when her targets don't know it themselves. She simply has to meddle — for the sake of true love!
As for her own romantic life though . . . who has time for that? Emiko is far too busy with her matchmaking schemes, her brunch recipes, volunteering, her bustling social life, keeping up her grades, eating said brunch recipes and making plans for after graduation. Plans she will absolutely decide on soon. Definitely. Maybe? But when Emiko ends up falling for the last person she expects, she finds herself caught in the tangled web of her own love matches. For the first time, instead of arranging from afar, Emiko has to figure out what it means to be in love herself, and that friendship and romance are more complicated than she ever imagined . . .
377 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 10, 2025
31 people are currently reading
5137 people want to read
About the author
Chieri Uegaki
8 books46 followersChieri Uegaki is a second-generation Japanese-Canadian who was born in Quesnel, British Columbia. By the age of one, she and her parents had moved to East Vancouver, where she and her two sisters grew up.
Chieri attended Sir John Franklin Elementary School. Initially, she had to take English as a Second Language classes as she spoke mostly Japanese at home. An excellent ESL teacher and an inherited love of books helped develop Chieri's skills quickly, and language arts became one of her favorite subjects.
Chieri then went to Templeton Senior Secondary. As she neared graduation, she was thrilled to discover that the University of British Columbia offered a degree in Creative Writing. She submitted a portfolio of writing samples and was accepted into the program.
Chieri's first picture book, Suki's Kimono, was a result of losing two children's writing competitions. She took a story she'd written at UBC almost a decade earlier, rewrote it as a picture book and submitted it. After being shortlisted in that first competition, Chieri honed the story even more and entered a second competition.
Again, Suki's Kimono did not win. And, again, the story was shortlisted. But this time, the shortlisted titles were passed on to several Canadian publishers. Two publishers requested a copy of Chieri's manuscript, and Kids Can Press came back with an offer to publish.
Suki's Kimono, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch, was released in 2003. Chieri enjoyed working on the picture book so much that she decided to continue writing for children.
Rosie and Buttercup was published by Kids Can Press in 2008. Chieri has also written stories for Chirp and chickaDEE magazines as well as for Pearson Education.
Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin is Chieri's third picture book.
Chieri lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and two dogs, Nika and Rosie.
—from the publisher's website at http://www.kidscanpress.com/creators/...
Chieri attended Sir John Franklin Elementary School. Initially, she had to take English as a Second Language classes as she spoke mostly Japanese at home. An excellent ESL teacher and an inherited love of books helped develop Chieri's skills quickly, and language arts became one of her favorite subjects.
Chieri then went to Templeton Senior Secondary. As she neared graduation, she was thrilled to discover that the University of British Columbia offered a degree in Creative Writing. She submitted a portfolio of writing samples and was accepted into the program.
Chieri's first picture book, Suki's Kimono, was a result of losing two children's writing competitions. She took a story she'd written at UBC almost a decade earlier, rewrote it as a picture book and submitted it. After being shortlisted in that first competition, Chieri honed the story even more and entered a second competition.
Again, Suki's Kimono did not win. And, again, the story was shortlisted. But this time, the shortlisted titles were passed on to several Canadian publishers. Two publishers requested a copy of Chieri's manuscript, and Kids Can Press came back with an offer to publish.
Suki's Kimono, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch, was released in 2003. Chieri enjoyed working on the picture book so much that she decided to continue writing for children.
Rosie and Buttercup was published by Kids Can Press in 2008. Chieri has also written stories for Chirp and chickaDEE magazines as well as for Pearson Education.
Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin is Chieri's third picture book.
Chieri lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and two dogs, Nika and Rosie.
—from the publisher's website at http://www.kidscanpress.com/creators/...
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May 31, 2025
── .✦ 𝑺𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 🩰
𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗇𝖾𝗍𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗅𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖠𝖱𝖢 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝖽𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄.
⋆. 𐙚 ̊ 𝓔𝓶𝓲𝓴𝓸 🤍˚˖⋆
་༘🌷. 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚: 13+, 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜: (𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙮. 𝙊𝙧 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙚)
────୨ৎ────
🍃 now playing: 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 ౨ৎ
𝖢𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗇 𝖦𝗋𝖺𝗒 °🍵⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
1:07 ——◦———— 2:39
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ
────୨ৎ────
⋆˚࿔ " 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣" 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
🍰ˎˊ˗ I will admit when I saw the cover of this I was like "OH MY GOD YES. JUST YES." And knew I had to read it right away!!! And by the time you are reading this review I did exactly just that and finished this cutesy fun little book! I do have a few things I want to touch bases on which aren't all exactly positive though!!!
⋆˚࿔ "𝘽𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙄'𝙢 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜" 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
🍰ˎˊ˗ Starting off with the positives I just want to say how HAPPY I am with the culture representation in this book. I felt like the author had no shame in representing the Japanese culture because in this book we got a lot of it!! From the food the characters eat, to events that happen, to even some Japanese words that are occasionally said!! I felt like the author stayed very true to her origins and I could tell and feel how authentic this writing was!! I also loved the chill laid back home town vibe of this book!! It felt really cozy and fun to engage in and readdddd!!
⋆˚࿔ "𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙄'𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣" 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
🍰ˎˊ˗ Though I do have quite a bit of things that bothered me while I was reading this book one being that the plot was almost EVERYWHERE!! I'm not joking when I say this but the amount of things going on and back in forth in each chapter made me extremely confused when reading. I felt like the author tried to jampack as much into the book as possible which made it kind of hard and maybe even a bit boring to read. Another thing was that the romance for the main character that was supposed to be the main aspect of this book felt more like a sideplot. Because when it did happen I wasn't that all excited for it, and honestly the reveal was kind of rushed and maybe even lame?? I think it felt this way because there was hardly any build up between the two because the plot was so everywhere. ANOTHER THING I want to touch bases on was that the main character kind of bothered and annoyed me just a bit. I felt like she was very worried about everyone else but herself and kind of just being in her mind the entire time. And while she did progress through the story, I just felt like we could have had a more self aware main character. I also don’t think there was even a “matcha-maker” event that occurred in this book either which was disappointing since it was something I was expecting ASWELL.
⋆˚࿔ "𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙄'𝙢 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜" 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
🍰ˎˊ˗ Other than that, I do think this was a somewhat enjoyable read. While I wouldn't read it again, I wouldn't say it was the worst either and I def recommend giving it a try to see if you enjoy it :)
────୨ৎ────
🎀 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: WHAT IS THIS CUTIE OF A BOOK I GOT THE ARC TOO??? 💞 This looks so coquette and cutesy and she’s a MATCHA MAKER?? WHAT IS THISS?!
𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗇𝖾𝗍𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗅𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖠𝖱𝖢 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝖽𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄.
⋆. 𐙚 ̊ 𝓔𝓶𝓲𝓴𝓸 🤍˚˖⋆
་༘🌷. 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚: 13+, 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜: (𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙮. 𝙊𝙧 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙚)
────୨ৎ────
🍃 now playing: 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 ౨ৎ
𝖢𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗇 𝖦𝗋𝖺𝗒 °🍵⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
1:07 ——◦———— 2:39
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ
────୨ৎ────
⋆˚࿔ " 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣" 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
🍰ˎˊ˗ I will admit when I saw the cover of this I was like "OH MY GOD YES. JUST YES." And knew I had to read it right away!!! And by the time you are reading this review I did exactly just that and finished this cutesy fun little book! I do have a few things I want to touch bases on which aren't all exactly positive though!!!
⋆˚࿔ "𝘽𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙄'𝙢 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜" 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
🍰ˎˊ˗ Starting off with the positives I just want to say how HAPPY I am with the culture representation in this book. I felt like the author had no shame in representing the Japanese culture because in this book we got a lot of it!! From the food the characters eat, to events that happen, to even some Japanese words that are occasionally said!! I felt like the author stayed very true to her origins and I could tell and feel how authentic this writing was!! I also loved the chill laid back home town vibe of this book!! It felt really cozy and fun to engage in and readdddd!!
⋆˚࿔ "𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙄'𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣" 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
🍰ˎˊ˗ Though I do have quite a bit of things that bothered me while I was reading this book one being that the plot was almost EVERYWHERE!! I'm not joking when I say this but the amount of things going on and back in forth in each chapter made me extremely confused when reading. I felt like the author tried to jampack as much into the book as possible which made it kind of hard and maybe even a bit boring to read. Another thing was that the romance for the main character that was supposed to be the main aspect of this book felt more like a sideplot. Because when it did happen I wasn't that all excited for it, and honestly the reveal was kind of rushed and maybe even lame?? I think it felt this way because there was hardly any build up between the two because the plot was so everywhere. ANOTHER THING I want to touch bases on was that the main character kind of bothered and annoyed me just a bit. I felt like she was very worried about everyone else but herself and kind of just being in her mind the entire time. And while she did progress through the story, I just felt like we could have had a more self aware main character. I also don’t think there was even a “matcha-maker” event that occurred in this book either which was disappointing since it was something I was expecting ASWELL.
⋆˚࿔ "𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙄'𝙢 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜" 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
🍰ˎˊ˗ Other than that, I do think this was a somewhat enjoyable read. While I wouldn't read it again, I wouldn't say it was the worst either and I def recommend giving it a try to see if you enjoy it :)
────୨ৎ────
🎀 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: WHAT IS THIS CUTIE OF A BOOK I GOT THE ARC TOO??? 💞 This looks so coquette and cutesy and she’s a MATCHA MAKER?? WHAT IS THISS?!
December 10, 2025
Dnf at 35 pages
🎀🧸🫧
I’m not going to do a full review, but this was… terrible. I’ll start with what I didn’t like about it.
⤷ The writing style felt like a middle grade books trying to be YA while still being extremely boring. The dialogue was so unnatural and he characters acted like characters in those 2010s high school movies (iykyk), and to make things worse there was texting… it’s not great on it’s own but there were EMOJIS?! I’m sorry but I want to read a book not a page of texting where the characters text like 40 year olds and use a million emojis. Also it mentions food EVERY SINGLE PAGE. The writing is extremely boring, there are grammar mistakes, and worst of all, instead of using italic this author uses CAPITAL LETTERS AND ADDS EXTRA LETTERS TO WORDS?!? It was literally driving me insane. I think I need to read at least ten quality books after this to get over how bad it was and get back my motivation to read. Also… it felt like there was potential for a love triangle, which I don’t hate usually but can be horrible if not done right. This is not a book that could pull that off. Idk if that’s what it’ll be but I don’t care at all. Now, moving onto what I did like (spoiler: there’s not much)
⤷ Ok, so first of all, the cover is absolutely adorable. It’s just such a cute, pretty cover and most of the reason I bought it. To be honest, because of that it’s hard to rate it below 2 stars lol. Also, I liked that it takes place in western Canada, which I don’t see enough in books. I also liked learning about the Japanese culture. Aside from that, there’s nothing good. It could have potential to get a bit better, if it completely changes, but it couldn’t be anything more than 3 stars no matter what, and I have a feeling it would have put me into a reading slump.
Anyways, I will never recommend this book. By far the worst book I’ve read this month 😭
🎀🧸🫧
I’m not going to do a full review, but this was… terrible. I’ll start with what I didn’t like about it.
⤷ The writing style felt like a middle grade books trying to be YA while still being extremely boring. The dialogue was so unnatural and he characters acted like characters in those 2010s high school movies (iykyk), and to make things worse there was texting… it’s not great on it’s own but there were EMOJIS?! I’m sorry but I want to read a book not a page of texting where the characters text like 40 year olds and use a million emojis. Also it mentions food EVERY SINGLE PAGE. The writing is extremely boring, there are grammar mistakes, and worst of all, instead of using italic this author uses CAPITAL LETTERS AND ADDS EXTRA LETTERS TO WORDS?!? It was literally driving me insane. I think I need to read at least ten quality books after this to get over how bad it was and get back my motivation to read. Also… it felt like there was potential for a love triangle, which I don’t hate usually but can be horrible if not done right. This is not a book that could pull that off. Idk if that’s what it’ll be but I don’t care at all. Now, moving onto what I did like (spoiler: there’s not much)
⤷ Ok, so first of all, the cover is absolutely adorable. It’s just such a cute, pretty cover and most of the reason I bought it. To be honest, because of that it’s hard to rate it below 2 stars lol. Also, I liked that it takes place in western Canada, which I don’t see enough in books. I also liked learning about the Japanese culture. Aside from that, there’s nothing good. It could have potential to get a bit better, if it completely changes, but it couldn’t be anything more than 3 stars no matter what, and I have a feeling it would have put me into a reading slump.
Anyways, I will never recommend this book. By far the worst book I’ve read this month 😭
2025
October 21, 2025Valentine's Day TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books
July 6, 2025
This was a slower paced, meandering romance. I loved all the Japanese references, the food, the language, the culture and the diverse representation.
I found the story slow and the plot left me wanting more. It has lots of little storylines with friend and family and matchmaking and coming of age decisions but it felt like little snippets that didn’t give us enough of anything.
This was sweet and light and has me wanting another romance read.
Thank you tundra books for including me in your Summer of YA Romance
I found the story slow and the plot left me wanting more. It has lots of little storylines with friend and family and matchmaking and coming of age decisions but it felt like little snippets that didn’t give us enough of anything.
This was sweet and light and has me wanting another romance read.
Thank you tundra books for including me in your Summer of YA Romance
March 9, 2025
A charming retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, geared to MG/teen readers. I absolutely loved it and Janeites of all ages will adore it too!
April 11, 2025
miko by chieri uegaki (ARC out June 10th 2025)
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
first, thank you @netgalley and @tundrabooks for allowing me to read this! it was very cute and i loved how it was easy to read. it is definitely quite middle grade and that is the main reason i didn’t rate it higher. i would’ve LOVED this when i was 12/13! the characters were cute and i think it was the perfect length. there was a lot of good description throughout the story but there were some times that i wanted a bit more detail. however, this is just what i would expect from a middle grade book. so adorable! 😍
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
first, thank you @netgalley and @tundrabooks for allowing me to read this! it was very cute and i loved how it was easy to read. it is definitely quite middle grade and that is the main reason i didn’t rate it higher. i would’ve LOVED this when i was 12/13! the characters were cute and i think it was the perfect length. there was a lot of good description throughout the story but there were some times that i wanted a bit more detail. however, this is just what i would expect from a middle grade book. so adorable! 😍
May 23, 2025
I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review
I’m excited to write this review because I have quite a few thoughts. Ok so first, I need to talk about the romance aspect. I found the entire book really cute (friends to lovers is so underrated) but to be honest it was kind of underdeveloped. Like I feel like Emiko’s relationships with everyone except the person she ended up with were well developed. And I feel like this character was really underdeveloped too. A lot of this book was underdeveloped in general to be honest. The plot was all over the place and no one thing was really focused on.
I’m excited to write this review because I have quite a few thoughts. Ok so first, I need to talk about the romance aspect. I found the entire book really cute (friends to lovers is so underrated) but to be honest it was kind of underdeveloped. Like I feel like Emiko’s relationships with everyone except the person she ended up with were well developed. And I feel like this character was really underdeveloped too. A lot of this book was underdeveloped in general to be honest. The plot was all over the place and no one thing was really focused on.
April 25, 2025
4.5🌟
A sweet and endearing YA/teen contemporary romance novel that explores a girl's relationships with friends, herself, and her grandfather.
Emiko, a senior in high school, isn't quite sure what she wants to do once she graduates. What she does know is that she is one heck of a matchmaker! Just ask her recently married Aunt!
Emiko is hella smart, perhaps a little (or a lot, depending on who you ask) pushy, quite the socialite, and a foodie to boot. But she might just be a bit too smart for her own good, as she thinks she knows how to piece together the perfect pair... her new friend, Harumi, and the new hire, Gareth, at the café she works at. Funny how things don't seem to go quite as she plans. She is so focused on setting them up that she is blind to key details that matter most to them and those around her.
Her oldest friend from childhood, Kenzo, is a beloved thorn in her side. They have a playful banter with teasing jibes, often tormenting each other... yet it's an easy kind of friendship. But he doesn't see her matchmaking in the same light and has a different opinion on her project couple, which infuriates Emiko. But is he right? And if so, can she admit defeat?
Kenzo and Emiko's relationship starts to change, making her a little uncomfortable and unsure of herself. She's not quite sure she likes this change, and the awkwardness she now feels is between them.
Love the author's style of writing, Japanese culture (OMgosh, just reading mention of the food made me crave some! 🤤), and all of the witty references to movies, books, and music. It's present and relevant, amusing, quirky, and cute ~ kawaii. Plus, Emiko's relationship with her grandfather is so sweet and touching! Oh, the heart feels! 💓 Makes me miss my own grandpa.
eARC NetGalley Review.
A sweet and endearing YA/teen contemporary romance novel that explores a girl's relationships with friends, herself, and her grandfather.
Emiko, a senior in high school, isn't quite sure what she wants to do once she graduates. What she does know is that she is one heck of a matchmaker! Just ask her recently married Aunt!
Emiko is hella smart, perhaps a little (or a lot, depending on who you ask) pushy, quite the socialite, and a foodie to boot. But she might just be a bit too smart for her own good, as she thinks she knows how to piece together the perfect pair... her new friend, Harumi, and the new hire, Gareth, at the café she works at. Funny how things don't seem to go quite as she plans. She is so focused on setting them up that she is blind to key details that matter most to them and those around her.
Her oldest friend from childhood, Kenzo, is a beloved thorn in her side. They have a playful banter with teasing jibes, often tormenting each other... yet it's an easy kind of friendship. But he doesn't see her matchmaking in the same light and has a different opinion on her project couple, which infuriates Emiko. But is he right? And if so, can she admit defeat?
Kenzo and Emiko's relationship starts to change, making her a little uncomfortable and unsure of herself. She's not quite sure she likes this change, and the awkwardness she now feels is between them.
Love the author's style of writing, Japanese culture (OMgosh, just reading mention of the food made me crave some! 🤤), and all of the witty references to movies, books, and music. It's present and relevant, amusing, quirky, and cute ~ kawaii. Plus, Emiko's relationship with her grandfather is so sweet and touching! Oh, the heart feels! 💓 Makes me miss my own grandpa.
eARC NetGalley Review.
March 31, 2025
2.5 rounded up.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!
I have very underwhelming feelings about this book and that's why I have to give it three stars. I don't dislike it but I also don't like it much. I think my main issue with it is that it has no idea what it wants to be: there is no singular plot. This book feels like a diary of a girl during her senior year and there's not succinct .... ANYTHING. It's all discombobulated and the character motivations are so weird and don't make much sense. I think this book could have used better direction to get it to become a full story instead of just meandering through a life.
That's what this book felt like: wistful meandering. The culture was cool. The characters were okay. But I really didn't feel like there was any ... POINT to the book as a whole? She's a matchmaker? Ok....... except she's NOT for the majority of the book. And her meager attempts at matchmaking are terrible. haha
Oh, also, I have to note that Emiko is an EXTREMELY unlikeable protagonist. I tend to enjoy reading about those but readers are going to REALLY hate her. I feel kind of bad too because she doesn't really go through a large growth period. She just kind of changes her ways on a whim at any point and I'm not really sure why Kenzo likes her except that she's just always been there. Their relationship was like... a cold wet noodle. They didn't feel like a couple and even though I knew they'd be endgame from the getgo because obviously... I never felt any real connection between them. Honestly, at times they did feel like brother and sister.
So, I think I'd recommend this to readers who maybe just want to read about the cultural aspects and the food? I'm not sure who the audience should be here. It's got a whole lot of random weird little tidbit plots that don't amount to much in the grand scheme of wistful meandering. So... if you like the idea of wistful meandering, give it a shot?
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!
I have very underwhelming feelings about this book and that's why I have to give it three stars. I don't dislike it but I also don't like it much. I think my main issue with it is that it has no idea what it wants to be: there is no singular plot. This book feels like a diary of a girl during her senior year and there's not succinct .... ANYTHING. It's all discombobulated and the character motivations are so weird and don't make much sense. I think this book could have used better direction to get it to become a full story instead of just meandering through a life.
That's what this book felt like: wistful meandering. The culture was cool. The characters were okay. But I really didn't feel like there was any ... POINT to the book as a whole? She's a matchmaker? Ok....... except she's NOT for the majority of the book. And her meager attempts at matchmaking are terrible. haha
Oh, also, I have to note that Emiko is an EXTREMELY unlikeable protagonist. I tend to enjoy reading about those but readers are going to REALLY hate her. I feel kind of bad too because she doesn't really go through a large growth period. She just kind of changes her ways on a whim at any point and I'm not really sure why Kenzo likes her except that she's just always been there. Their relationship was like... a cold wet noodle. They didn't feel like a couple and even though I knew they'd be endgame from the getgo because obviously... I never felt any real connection between them. Honestly, at times they did feel like brother and sister.
So, I think I'd recommend this to readers who maybe just want to read about the cultural aspects and the food? I'm not sure who the audience should be here. It's got a whole lot of random weird little tidbit plots that don't amount to much in the grand scheme of wistful meandering. So... if you like the idea of wistful meandering, give it a shot?
May 12, 2025
I was drawn to this title after hearing that it was both a Jane Austen Emma retelling, and set on the west coast of British Columbia. I don't often get to read books set within my own country, and I love Jane Austen and usually enjoy when authors approach her stories from a unique perspective. I went into this one fully expecting to love it.
If you're looking for a title that is basically a love letter to the west coast of British Columbia, including many vivid and colorful descriptions of the beautiful landscapes, then this might just be the book you've been looking for. I also loved getting to learn more about Japanese Canadian traditions, especially the festivals and the food, and the reasons why they celebrate the way they do and when they do. Those bits and pieces ended up being my favorite, and I enjoyed the vivid imagery the author used to bring the descriptions to life.
That being said, if you're looking for a more of a fun loving, well written, young adult contemporary, well then this might not be the book you're looking for. The pacing and style of the novel was hard to follow, and it felt more like reading a girl's diary where nothing really happens, and many important circumstances are skipped right over. This wasn't an epistolary style novel (which I love by the way), but instead was just written in a bit of a different way, and it didn't work for me.
As well, as someone who loves Emma, I thought I would enjoy Emiko's character, but that wasn't the case. She was hard to root for, and honestly, was an extremely unlikeable character. Her family seemed to think she could do no wrong, and she pushes and pushes all of her friends to the point of almost bullying to get exactly what she wants, even when it's not what they want for themselves. I don't feel we saw much growth in her character throughout the story, and that also made the romance completely unbelievable for me as I don't understand what he possibly could have seen in her to be interested enough to want to be with her.
I thought the ending was a bit rushed and didn't wrap up the story in a way I was happy with, and ended up feeling a bit letdown when I finished this one.
Final Rating: 2.5/5
I'm glad I took a try on a book that's a bit different than something I'd normally read, but it's not one I would rush back to reread, and I don't think I'd recommend it if you're a person, like me, who enjoys more plot driven stories.
I do have to mention though how much I love the cover! It's stunning, and truly drew me to wanting to give this title a try.
Thanks so much to Tundra Books for allowing me to advance read and review this title!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Tundra Books) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.
If you're looking for a title that is basically a love letter to the west coast of British Columbia, including many vivid and colorful descriptions of the beautiful landscapes, then this might just be the book you've been looking for. I also loved getting to learn more about Japanese Canadian traditions, especially the festivals and the food, and the reasons why they celebrate the way they do and when they do. Those bits and pieces ended up being my favorite, and I enjoyed the vivid imagery the author used to bring the descriptions to life.
That being said, if you're looking for a more of a fun loving, well written, young adult contemporary, well then this might not be the book you're looking for. The pacing and style of the novel was hard to follow, and it felt more like reading a girl's diary where nothing really happens, and many important circumstances are skipped right over. This wasn't an epistolary style novel (which I love by the way), but instead was just written in a bit of a different way, and it didn't work for me.
As well, as someone who loves Emma, I thought I would enjoy Emiko's character, but that wasn't the case. She was hard to root for, and honestly, was an extremely unlikeable character. Her family seemed to think she could do no wrong, and she pushes and pushes all of her friends to the point of almost bullying to get exactly what she wants, even when it's not what they want for themselves. I don't feel we saw much growth in her character throughout the story, and that also made the romance completely unbelievable for me as I don't understand what he possibly could have seen in her to be interested enough to want to be with her.
I thought the ending was a bit rushed and didn't wrap up the story in a way I was happy with, and ended up feeling a bit letdown when I finished this one.
Final Rating: 2.5/5
I'm glad I took a try on a book that's a bit different than something I'd normally read, but it's not one I would rush back to reread, and I don't think I'd recommend it if you're a person, like me, who enjoys more plot driven stories.
I do have to mention though how much I love the cover! It's stunning, and truly drew me to wanting to give this title a try.
Thanks so much to Tundra Books for allowing me to advance read and review this title!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Tundra Books) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.
July 3, 2025
This is cute YA retelling of Jane Austen's Emma with a twist of Japanese culture. It feels a lot like Clueless meets Tokyo Ever After. I enjoyed the Japanese references and food and it's also nice that the story takes place in the Canadian West Coast and you can feel the author's appreciation for making the setting a part of the plot.
In terms of the story it is quite a faithful retelling so if you are looking for a plot with a new direction that does not seem to be the case here. This is the dilemma with retellings, you know how the story goes so unless there is something fresh the experience of reading a book as well known as Emma will leave you with a feeling of being overly predictable and long. I would have liked more chemistry between Emiko and Kenzo but overall the characters remained quite true to their original counterparts.
This also feels very YA so since I'm not in this age category it does feel a bit juvenile in some parts. Super adorable cover, this would be a good pick for a YA reader as a gateway book before tackling the original Emma by Austen.
In terms of the story it is quite a faithful retelling so if you are looking for a plot with a new direction that does not seem to be the case here. This is the dilemma with retellings, you know how the story goes so unless there is something fresh the experience of reading a book as well known as Emma will leave you with a feeling of being overly predictable and long. I would have liked more chemistry between Emiko and Kenzo but overall the characters remained quite true to their original counterparts.
This also feels very YA so since I'm not in this age category it does feel a bit juvenile in some parts. Super adorable cover, this would be a good pick for a YA reader as a gateway book before tackling the original Emma by Austen.
March 10, 2025
Emiko is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma that focuses on a Japanese-Canadian teenager (Emiko) who is strong-willed and intent on matchmaking her new friends. The characters were explored with depth and this feels like a very true retelling of Jane Austen. Although we get a new perspective on this tale through Emiko’s cultural background, so many aspects of what people love about Emma are also here—the connection to family, the complex nature of being a human and making mistakes. If people love the pacing and traditional feeling of Emma, they’ll love this retelling. It was a little slow in places for me, and some of the secondary characters weren’t developed enough for me to truly be invested in their stories, but I think this could be a love match for people who love Austen’s traditional works with a fresh take.
March 12, 2025
Received NetGalley arc.
As a massive fan of Jane Austen's Emma, I immediately knew I had to read this book, and I am exceedingly glad that I did.
"Emiko" has fantastic Japanese and Canadian representation, as well as a fresh perspective to the "Emma" that those of us that have read and watched it know and love.
It was also lovely to see that there was representation for those with different sexual orientations and preferences throughout the story.
I love to see how an author puts their own spin on a classic tale and I think that some of the changes and additions that were made in this book were both smart and added something really special and unique to this version of "Emma".
This book is a wonderful modern "Emma" and I will be recommending it for sure.
As a massive fan of Jane Austen's Emma, I immediately knew I had to read this book, and I am exceedingly glad that I did.
"Emiko" has fantastic Japanese and Canadian representation, as well as a fresh perspective to the "Emma" that those of us that have read and watched it know and love.
It was also lovely to see that there was representation for those with different sexual orientations and preferences throughout the story.
I love to see how an author puts their own spin on a classic tale and I think that some of the changes and additions that were made in this book were both smart and added something really special and unique to this version of "Emma".
This book is a wonderful modern "Emma" and I will be recommending it for sure.
June 19, 2025
Emiko was a sweet, good-intentioned high school read. I loved reading about her small town & the tight-knit community supporting friends & family. The writing was clear and descriptive and I enjoyed the french sprinkled here & there. Tres fantastique.
The beginning took some time getting into the story as it throws you in the middle of a wedding & provides context as the setting unfolds.
I didn't care for acronyms being used outside of messaging as that broke my immersion while reading. Emiko was also meddlesome as a self-proclaimed matchmaker which didn't overturn the story but made me roll my eyes.
Overall though, it was a great coming of age story as Emiko navigates school, her future, family & friends.
Thank you Tundra Books & NetGalley for the ARC.
The beginning took some time getting into the story as it throws you in the middle of a wedding & provides context as the setting unfolds.
I didn't care for acronyms being used outside of messaging as that broke my immersion while reading. Emiko was also meddlesome as a self-proclaimed matchmaker which didn't overturn the story but made me roll my eyes.
Overall though, it was a great coming of age story as Emiko navigates school, her future, family & friends.
Thank you Tundra Books & NetGalley for the ARC.
October 24, 2025
short version:
I hate that I finished this book. I wish I DNF'd.
slightly longer version:
I was excited for this book, hopeful that it might break my reading slump. A cute teen romcom set in Canada? Unfortunately, I think this made my reading slump worse because I don't want to read anything after this.
I hate Emiko. Emiko is the worst friend ever. Like, to everyone, especially Harumi. I hate the writing. It feels very childish AND so much telling and no showing. Why couldn't we have the scenes that matter instead of just being told about them the ENTIRE BOOK. I hate the plot.
I hate that I finished this book. I wish I DNF'd.
slightly longer version:
I was excited for this book, hopeful that it might break my reading slump. A cute teen romcom set in Canada? Unfortunately, I think this made my reading slump worse because I don't want to read anything after this.
I hate Emiko. Emiko is the worst friend ever. Like, to everyone, especially Harumi. I hate the writing. It feels very childish AND so much telling and no showing. Why couldn't we have the scenes that matter instead of just being told about them the ENTIRE BOOK. I hate the plot.
April 15, 2025
4.5/5
This was adorable! As soon as I realized this was a Japanese Canadian YA reimagining of Emma set in BC, I wanted to read it immediately. I fell in love with Emiko immediately and was completely invested in her journey of finding herself and discovering her feelings for her best friend. The only thing I wanted more of was Emiko/Kenzo and that’s simply because they were so flipping swoon worthy once they realized their feelings.
This was adorable! As soon as I realized this was a Japanese Canadian YA reimagining of Emma set in BC, I wanted to read it immediately. I fell in love with Emiko immediately and was completely invested in her journey of finding herself and discovering her feelings for her best friend. The only thing I wanted more of was Emiko/Kenzo and that’s simply because they were so flipping swoon worthy once they realized their feelings.
November 12, 2025
This is a very well done Japanese-Canadian version of Jane Austen's Emma. Emiko loves to match make and feels very capable as she is sure she managed to match her aunt to her new husband. However, her attempts can lead to disaster and may make her lose the one person who was right under her nose. I enjoyed the parallels to the original novel as well as insights into Japanese-Canadian culture, especially the food, and life along the Pacific coast.
May 7, 2025
3.5/5 ⭐️
Beach-side coziness, bad decisions, tea time with friends, a bit of teenage angst, and lots of scrumptious food you wish you could grab off the page. Fans of the original Emma by Jane Austen, or the movie adaptation Clueless, will find delight in picking up all the references in Emiko. I liked how it leaned into the ‘small town story’ potential. It added a comforting warmth. The Japanese seasonal events that Emiko and her Ojiichan hosted for the townspeople seemed so fun, I would love to have some fresh mochi too! The light romance was sweet, Kenzo and Emiko were super cute together in the few scenes they had but it would’ve been nice to have more; it feels like we got more of Gareth and Jun with Emiko. I liked that the author kept the flaws of the original character; Emiko can make some pretty huge mistakes, sometimes at the expense of others’ feelings, she’s especially more prone to messing things up as a teenager, but she has the grace to acknowledge her mistakes, the courage to apologize, and she’s sincere. That’s the charm of Emma, even though many might not appreciate the character. Make sure to have some tea and snacks with you before reading! Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the arc.
Beach-side coziness, bad decisions, tea time with friends, a bit of teenage angst, and lots of scrumptious food you wish you could grab off the page. Fans of the original Emma by Jane Austen, or the movie adaptation Clueless, will find delight in picking up all the references in Emiko. I liked how it leaned into the ‘small town story’ potential. It added a comforting warmth. The Japanese seasonal events that Emiko and her Ojiichan hosted for the townspeople seemed so fun, I would love to have some fresh mochi too! The light romance was sweet, Kenzo and Emiko were super cute together in the few scenes they had but it would’ve been nice to have more; it feels like we got more of Gareth and Jun with Emiko. I liked that the author kept the flaws of the original character; Emiko can make some pretty huge mistakes, sometimes at the expense of others’ feelings, she’s especially more prone to messing things up as a teenager, but she has the grace to acknowledge her mistakes, the courage to apologize, and she’s sincere. That’s the charm of Emma, even though many might not appreciate the character. Make sure to have some tea and snacks with you before reading! Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the arc.
November 13, 2025
Couldn’t finish it unfortunately
April 19, 2025
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
Emiko by Chieri Uegaki is a first person-POV YA contemporary Japanese-Canadian retelling of Emma. Emiko fancies herself a matchmaker after successfully getting her aunt together with her new husband. But when her latest matchmaking attempt for her new friend goes belly up, Emiko is going to have to do a lot of self-exploration.
Emma is one of those books where there is a romantic thread from beginning to end that I would never classify as a romance, whether it’s the original or an adaptation. I have always found Emma to be more of a character study of a young woman who means well but has a lot of growing up to do. That is what I want from an Emma adaptation and Emiko delivers. Emiko keeps trying to find a match for Harumi and she keeps getting it wrong, knocking her confidence. She also has to come to terms that she can be judgemental and focused too much on what other people expect from her.
Kenzo and Emma’s romance is very slowburn and doesn’t take up a ton of space. Again, I want that because Emma is a character study to me. The romance should be more of a C plot, maybe a mid-B plot. Kenzo calls Emiko out early on for how hse reacts to Harumi and Will, a possible love interest, flirting lightly and her instance on Harumi getting together with someone else. Kenzo is looking out for Harumi by saying the other guy is a jerk but Emiko won’t listen. Further into the book, we can see glimpses of Will’s attraction to Emiko, but it really is glimpses because Emiko herself is oblivious to not only her own feelings but also his.
Emiko, Kenzo, and Harumi’s Japanese heritage is allowed a lot of room to shine. There’s yukata, New Years celebrations, smashing a watermelon during summer, and more. Harumi is really into Hello Kitty while Emiko makes mention of Japanese traditions she’s familiar with. Emiko is relatively fluent in Japanese in terms of speaking, but not so much reading and writing and this is reflected in the text as we have the romanization of Japanese words instead of hiragana, katakana, or kanji and there is a decent amount of Japanese threaded through the prose.
I would recommend this to fans of Emma adaptations who love the character study aspects and readers of YA contemporary who went explorations of immigrant communities
Emiko by Chieri Uegaki is a first person-POV YA contemporary Japanese-Canadian retelling of Emma. Emiko fancies herself a matchmaker after successfully getting her aunt together with her new husband. But when her latest matchmaking attempt for her new friend goes belly up, Emiko is going to have to do a lot of self-exploration.
Emma is one of those books where there is a romantic thread from beginning to end that I would never classify as a romance, whether it’s the original or an adaptation. I have always found Emma to be more of a character study of a young woman who means well but has a lot of growing up to do. That is what I want from an Emma adaptation and Emiko delivers. Emiko keeps trying to find a match for Harumi and she keeps getting it wrong, knocking her confidence. She also has to come to terms that she can be judgemental and focused too much on what other people expect from her.
Kenzo and Emma’s romance is very slowburn and doesn’t take up a ton of space. Again, I want that because Emma is a character study to me. The romance should be more of a C plot, maybe a mid-B plot. Kenzo calls Emiko out early on for how hse reacts to Harumi and Will, a possible love interest, flirting lightly and her instance on Harumi getting together with someone else. Kenzo is looking out for Harumi by saying the other guy is a jerk but Emiko won’t listen. Further into the book, we can see glimpses of Will’s attraction to Emiko, but it really is glimpses because Emiko herself is oblivious to not only her own feelings but also his.
Emiko, Kenzo, and Harumi’s Japanese heritage is allowed a lot of room to shine. There’s yukata, New Years celebrations, smashing a watermelon during summer, and more. Harumi is really into Hello Kitty while Emiko makes mention of Japanese traditions she’s familiar with. Emiko is relatively fluent in Japanese in terms of speaking, but not so much reading and writing and this is reflected in the text as we have the romanization of Japanese words instead of hiragana, katakana, or kanji and there is a decent amount of Japanese threaded through the prose.
I would recommend this to fans of Emma adaptations who love the character study aspects and readers of YA contemporary who went explorations of immigrant communities
June 9, 2025
“Not every decision works; many definitely need tailoring; a few will make you look bad; while others might be worth saving for the future. And some, thankfully, are going to fit exactly right. But you’ll never really know until you try them on.” 🌸
❥•°❀°•༢ “Emiko” was such a delightful YA treat! The stunning cover was what caught my attention, but I really enjoyed this book and thought it was adorable. I loved learning about the Japanese traditions and customs that they undertake. I haven’t had the opportunity to read “Emma” by Jane Austen which this story was based off as a modern retelling so I can’t say for certain if it does the original justice. However, the 90s movie, “Clueless” which was also adapted from “Emma,” bears a very nostalgic resemblance to “Emiko” in terms of the characters and general plot retelling in a way that’s more in tune with teens of this generation now than the 90s 🪞
❥•°❀°•༢ Our heroine, Emiko Kimori, is blessed with a very privileged life living with her Ojichan and Mitsuko. Right away from the get-go, we learn that she has a knack for knowing when two things or people are destined for each other. While clueless and a bit self-centred at times, Emiko has her loved ones’ interests at heart and spends a majority of the book trying to set her friend, Harumi, up with a boy who she might be happy with. Emiko and Harumi’s friendship is similar to Cher and Tai’s, where both Emiko and Cher unknowingly toy with Harumi and Tai’s feelings out of good intentions which ultimately leads to them rethinking the purpose of their friendship. I think Emiko’s heart was in the right place for Harumi and while it did hurt Harumi, it was nice to see how their friendship grew through all their struggles and how Emiko felt that Harumi was one of her closest friends but the end of the book 👘
❥•°❀°•༢ Emiko’s perseverance in trying to connect with Chisato is a great lesson especially for younger readers. For a good portion of the book, Emiko struggles to understand Chisato who’s frequently brushing her off or simply ignoring her. While Emiko misunderstands her and doesn’t treat her with as much dignity and respect as she should have, our heroine learns from her mistakes that not everyone is blessed with the opportunities and families that she has. Chisato has her reasons and it’s okay for Emiko not to know everything about someone in order to make a difference in their life. It took a lot of growth and maturity on Emiko’s part to own up to what she did and shows that doing things that scare us are usually the right actions 🛍️
❥•°❀°•༢ Gareth and Jun are both boys who teach Emiko some very valuable lessons. Although they’re hard to swallow, she learns that not everyone wears their heart on their sleeves as she does and there’s nothing wrong with her doing that. She learns to understand that if someone has to make fun of her or humiliate her to have a good time, their presence in her life isn’t worth it. Emiko learns what it means to be mislead, taken advantage of, and betrayed and does a lot of growing up through her scenes with Jun and Gareth. Life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, and sometimes we go through obstacles like this to re-evaluate what we want in our life and what we want for ourselves 💬
❥•°❀°•༢ Family is an integral part of Emiko’s life and shown numerous times throughout the story. For her aunt’s sake, she tries to befriend Jun and becomes upset for her aunt and her new uncle after Jun’s betrayal. Part of the reason why Emiko is hesitant to pick out her future is because she’s afraid of leaving her Ojichan without anyone and worries that he’ll be alone. She’s a girl with a big heart and even though her meddling does get her into trouble frequently, it makes her lovable and admirable that she would go out of her way to help others find happiness. Ojichan and Mitsuko are very strong and steady influences in her life and Emiko is able to use her life experiences with them to guide herself in her near future 🍡
❥•°❀°•༢ The one thing I wish we got to see more in this book was more scenes with Emiko and Kenzo Sanada, her childhood friend and her main love interest. It was a classic childhood friends-to-lovers romance subplot, and I enjoyed their scenes together. However, I do feel like the majority of their scenes in the beginning and middle of the book were just them butting heads over Emiko’s meddling and we didn’t get to see a deeper look into their connection. It would have been nice to see more scenes where they bond over their childhood or where we see how close their friendship really was. I liked the scenes in particular where they were very vulnerable with each other; I only wish there were more. I loved towards the end how Kenzo and Emiko found their way back to each other and felt so many butterflies with their chemistry 💝
❥•°❀°•༢ Emiko’s main dilemma is that although she enjoys meddling in other people’s lives, she avoids talking about and facing her own future head-on. She’s a twelfth-grader in school who knows she wants to pursue post-secondary school but is afraid of making the wrong choice as to what makes her happy and what she wants to do. It’s a common theme among high schoolers of being scared of the uncertain future and not wanting to have so much pressure on their shoulders. What Emiko goes through is a message to readers around her age to explore what makes you happy, find yourself, lean on support of friends and family, and to know that there isn’t one path that’s easy or set in stone and that’s okay 📚
❥•°❀°•༢ “Emiko” is brimming with a bright and witty voice, rich Japanese culture and traditions that immerse the audience into Emiko’s world, secondary characters that make you feel connected to them, and a coming-of-age story that reminds readers that not having the answers for what path you want to take doesn’t mean that you won’t find yourself on the journey you’re meant to take 🚢
Thank you to Chieri Uegaki, Tundra Book Group, and NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest review!
What to expect:
- Matchmaker FMC x skeptic MMC
- Coming-of-age 💗
- Japanese-Canadian FMC and MMC 🇯🇵
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Japanese culture and traditions 🍱🎎
- Romance subplot
❥•°❀°•༢ “Emiko” was such a delightful YA treat! The stunning cover was what caught my attention, but I really enjoyed this book and thought it was adorable. I loved learning about the Japanese traditions and customs that they undertake. I haven’t had the opportunity to read “Emma” by Jane Austen which this story was based off as a modern retelling so I can’t say for certain if it does the original justice. However, the 90s movie, “Clueless” which was also adapted from “Emma,” bears a very nostalgic resemblance to “Emiko” in terms of the characters and general plot retelling in a way that’s more in tune with teens of this generation now than the 90s 🪞
❥•°❀°•༢ Our heroine, Emiko Kimori, is blessed with a very privileged life living with her Ojichan and Mitsuko. Right away from the get-go, we learn that she has a knack for knowing when two things or people are destined for each other. While clueless and a bit self-centred at times, Emiko has her loved ones’ interests at heart and spends a majority of the book trying to set her friend, Harumi, up with a boy who she might be happy with. Emiko and Harumi’s friendship is similar to Cher and Tai’s, where both Emiko and Cher unknowingly toy with Harumi and Tai’s feelings out of good intentions which ultimately leads to them rethinking the purpose of their friendship. I think Emiko’s heart was in the right place for Harumi and while it did hurt Harumi, it was nice to see how their friendship grew through all their struggles and how Emiko felt that Harumi was one of her closest friends but the end of the book 👘
❥•°❀°•༢ Emiko’s perseverance in trying to connect with Chisato is a great lesson especially for younger readers. For a good portion of the book, Emiko struggles to understand Chisato who’s frequently brushing her off or simply ignoring her. While Emiko misunderstands her and doesn’t treat her with as much dignity and respect as she should have, our heroine learns from her mistakes that not everyone is blessed with the opportunities and families that she has. Chisato has her reasons and it’s okay for Emiko not to know everything about someone in order to make a difference in their life. It took a lot of growth and maturity on Emiko’s part to own up to what she did and shows that doing things that scare us are usually the right actions 🛍️
❥•°❀°•༢ Gareth and Jun are both boys who teach Emiko some very valuable lessons. Although they’re hard to swallow, she learns that not everyone wears their heart on their sleeves as she does and there’s nothing wrong with her doing that. She learns to understand that if someone has to make fun of her or humiliate her to have a good time, their presence in her life isn’t worth it. Emiko learns what it means to be mislead, taken advantage of, and betrayed and does a lot of growing up through her scenes with Jun and Gareth. Life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, and sometimes we go through obstacles like this to re-evaluate what we want in our life and what we want for ourselves 💬
❥•°❀°•༢ Family is an integral part of Emiko’s life and shown numerous times throughout the story. For her aunt’s sake, she tries to befriend Jun and becomes upset for her aunt and her new uncle after Jun’s betrayal. Part of the reason why Emiko is hesitant to pick out her future is because she’s afraid of leaving her Ojichan without anyone and worries that he’ll be alone. She’s a girl with a big heart and even though her meddling does get her into trouble frequently, it makes her lovable and admirable that she would go out of her way to help others find happiness. Ojichan and Mitsuko are very strong and steady influences in her life and Emiko is able to use her life experiences with them to guide herself in her near future 🍡
❥•°❀°•༢ The one thing I wish we got to see more in this book was more scenes with Emiko and Kenzo Sanada, her childhood friend and her main love interest. It was a classic childhood friends-to-lovers romance subplot, and I enjoyed their scenes together. However, I do feel like the majority of their scenes in the beginning and middle of the book were just them butting heads over Emiko’s meddling and we didn’t get to see a deeper look into their connection. It would have been nice to see more scenes where they bond over their childhood or where we see how close their friendship really was. I liked the scenes in particular where they were very vulnerable with each other; I only wish there were more. I loved towards the end how Kenzo and Emiko found their way back to each other and felt so many butterflies with their chemistry 💝
❥•°❀°•༢ Emiko’s main dilemma is that although she enjoys meddling in other people’s lives, she avoids talking about and facing her own future head-on. She’s a twelfth-grader in school who knows she wants to pursue post-secondary school but is afraid of making the wrong choice as to what makes her happy and what she wants to do. It’s a common theme among high schoolers of being scared of the uncertain future and not wanting to have so much pressure on their shoulders. What Emiko goes through is a message to readers around her age to explore what makes you happy, find yourself, lean on support of friends and family, and to know that there isn’t one path that’s easy or set in stone and that’s okay 📚
❥•°❀°•༢ “Emiko” is brimming with a bright and witty voice, rich Japanese culture and traditions that immerse the audience into Emiko’s world, secondary characters that make you feel connected to them, and a coming-of-age story that reminds readers that not having the answers for what path you want to take doesn’t mean that you won’t find yourself on the journey you’re meant to take 🚢
Thank you to Chieri Uegaki, Tundra Book Group, and NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest review!
What to expect:
- Matchmaker FMC x skeptic MMC
- Coming-of-age 💗
- Japanese-Canadian FMC and MMC 🇯🇵
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Japanese culture and traditions 🍱🎎
- Romance subplot
December 8, 2025
Let's start off with the positive: This was a decent coming-of-age YA romance that definitely understood the Jane Austen's Emma assignment. I didn't realize this was a retelling until she her matchmaking meddling became the main plot. I did finish the book, and it's so much better if you do bc at least you get closure!
The Japanese-Canadian culture was definitely pretty incredible; the details and language really brought this book to life for me--they grounded and solidified the characters as real people (ykwim).
I also loved the details about Hello Kitty in the 80s and the 80s music/prom references, although I honestly doubt this many students understand 80s culture/references. (I'm assuming Chieri Uegaki loves the 80s or grew up during them bc sometimes the dialog was so not teenager--who is this excited to high five?)
Emiko's cooking/baking was obviously a main drive for her, and I wish that had been more of the focus of her matchmaking (rather than the dogs mentioned at the end and beginning only). I can't understand why being a chef or event planner wasn't in her plans for college or post-HS life. (Staying home, creating menus for local businesses that are struggling/wanting to amp up sales; eventually growing this into something else..?)
I thought Satsko(?) was a nice touch, and she was probably the most realistic character besides Kenzo. I Like that her interactions with Emiko were clearly "I don't really like you," and I definitely felt that energy. For such a small book, there were a lot of characters and details about them, so that was nice. I didn't get overwhelmed or bogged down, but I can see how some might feel that way.
The cover is absolutely, amazingly adorable and gives off such cozy vibes, but honestly there was too much drama for me to be fooled! I'll just like at the cover every time I get annoyed.
Childhood friends to lovers - focus more on Kenzo, please!
-
But I am not a fan of Austen's Emma character, and as this is an Emma retelling, I'm not fond of Emiko very much: she's a self-absorbed, judgmental, nosey meddler, and she constantly infuriates me by creating narratives of other people's love lives in her head and pushing others into faux relationship situations. No thanks. Her shallowness reminded me a lot of Cher from Clueless (also an Austen retelling).
I very nearly didn't finish this book, but honestly, I'm glad I did because Emiko's arc is worth the redemption and agony she put me through.
I felt like the queerness in this book wasn't very meaningful; I'm happy to see representation, but it felt a little out of place/forced(?). The counselor is fine, but Harumi's making a last minute "I didn't even know I like girls" ending felt random, but sometimes you don't realize things until you do, and honestly, she's not even the main character. I just feel like Harumi's ending was wrapped up too fast.
And for Emiko to get the guy she likes is wild, esp after time after time of her disappointing him. Why does he like her? Idk. Give me the dog any day.
Oh, people keep saying "Gilmore Girls" vibes, but I didn't get that at all except in the one scene where Emiko wants to run her hand through Kenzo's hair like Lane did to Rich Bloomenfeld before a winter band show. Oops!
The Japanese-Canadian culture was definitely pretty incredible; the details and language really brought this book to life for me--they grounded and solidified the characters as real people (ykwim).
I also loved the details about Hello Kitty in the 80s and the 80s music/prom references, although I honestly doubt this many students understand 80s culture/references. (I'm assuming Chieri Uegaki loves the 80s or grew up during them bc sometimes the dialog was so not teenager--who is this excited to high five?)
Emiko's cooking/baking was obviously a main drive for her, and I wish that had been more of the focus of her matchmaking (rather than the dogs mentioned at the end and beginning only). I can't understand why being a chef or event planner wasn't in her plans for college or post-HS life. (Staying home, creating menus for local businesses that are struggling/wanting to amp up sales; eventually growing this into something else..?)
I thought Satsko(?) was a nice touch, and she was probably the most realistic character besides Kenzo. I Like that her interactions with Emiko were clearly "I don't really like you," and I definitely felt that energy. For such a small book, there were a lot of characters and details about them, so that was nice. I didn't get overwhelmed or bogged down, but I can see how some might feel that way.
The cover is absolutely, amazingly adorable and gives off such cozy vibes, but honestly there was too much drama for me to be fooled! I'll just like at the cover every time I get annoyed.
Childhood friends to lovers - focus more on Kenzo, please!
-
But I am not a fan of Austen's Emma character, and as this is an Emma retelling, I'm not fond of Emiko very much: she's a self-absorbed, judgmental, nosey meddler, and she constantly infuriates me by creating narratives of other people's love lives in her head and pushing others into faux relationship situations. No thanks. Her shallowness reminded me a lot of Cher from Clueless (also an Austen retelling).
I very nearly didn't finish this book, but honestly, I'm glad I did because Emiko's arc is worth the redemption and agony she put me through.
I felt like the queerness in this book wasn't very meaningful; I'm happy to see representation, but it felt a little out of place/forced(?). The counselor is fine, but Harumi's making a last minute "I didn't even know I like girls" ending felt random, but sometimes you don't realize things until you do, and honestly, she's not even the main character. I just feel like Harumi's ending was wrapped up too fast.
And for Emiko to get the guy she likes is wild, esp after time after time of her disappointing him. Why does he like her? Idk. Give me the dog any day.
Oh, people keep saying "Gilmore Girls" vibes, but I didn't get that at all except in the one scene where Emiko wants to run her hand through Kenzo's hair like Lane did to Rich Bloomenfeld before a winter band show. Oops!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2025
3.5 Stars. This modern retelling of Emma sticks fairly close to the original storywise, so not many surprises for those familiar with the Jane Austen tale, save for one romantic twist which to me kind of came out of nowhere. I wasn’t opposed to that twist, however, I couldn’t appreciate it to the degree I might have had there been more hints of that possibility leading up to the reveal, instead, I’d been on board with a different pairing for that character since that was the chemistry (however briefly) on the page.
None of the actual romantic couples were on the page together as much as I would have liked, and I don’t mean I needed to see those couples in romantic moments, I just would have liked them to interract more overall, just see them together so that I maybe would have felt a bit more when they finally do get together romantically, to be fair though, that is in line with Emma, the focus there is also much more on her misguided matchmaking.
With the exception of Will and Ojichan (Emiko’s grandfather), I don’t know that I truly warmed to the male characters, I didn’t hate them, I guess I just felt like I didn’t get to know them quite well enough.
The three main girls on the other hand I enjoyed, Harumi’s adorable but there’s some depth there, and Chisato’s quietly intriguing. People who have issues with Emma will probably have similar issues with main character Emiko, but as frustrating as her actions can be her heart is generally shown as being in the right place. I also thought her reluctance about the future (post-graduation, leaving her grandfather) was endearing and could be relatable to many.
Similar to Emma and classics in general, expect a slower pace here than in the majority of contemporary YA novels, there were times where that felt like a fitting homage, and there were other times where I wished the story would move along a bit more and rely less on misunderstandings and a lack of communication to prolong things.
While this novel didn’t establish its setting (a fictionalized small coastal British Columbia town) as firmly as I’d hoped, this is very detailed in other areas (an upside of that slow pace), there’s tons of food mentioned, so many holidays, celebrations, and get-togethers as well as some crafting on display, too. If cozy vibes are your thing, you’ll savor that aspect of this novel.
I received this book through a giveaway.
None of the actual romantic couples were on the page together as much as I would have liked, and I don’t mean I needed to see those couples in romantic moments, I just would have liked them to interract more overall, just see them together so that I maybe would have felt a bit more when they finally do get together romantically, to be fair though, that is in line with Emma, the focus there is also much more on her misguided matchmaking.
With the exception of Will and Ojichan (Emiko’s grandfather), I don’t know that I truly warmed to the male characters, I didn’t hate them, I guess I just felt like I didn’t get to know them quite well enough.
The three main girls on the other hand I enjoyed, Harumi’s adorable but there’s some depth there, and Chisato’s quietly intriguing. People who have issues with Emma will probably have similar issues with main character Emiko, but as frustrating as her actions can be her heart is generally shown as being in the right place. I also thought her reluctance about the future (post-graduation, leaving her grandfather) was endearing and could be relatable to many.
Similar to Emma and classics in general, expect a slower pace here than in the majority of contemporary YA novels, there were times where that felt like a fitting homage, and there were other times where I wished the story would move along a bit more and rely less on misunderstandings and a lack of communication to prolong things.
While this novel didn’t establish its setting (a fictionalized small coastal British Columbia town) as firmly as I’d hoped, this is very detailed in other areas (an upside of that slow pace), there’s tons of food mentioned, so many holidays, celebrations, and get-togethers as well as some crafting on display, too. If cozy vibes are your thing, you’ll savor that aspect of this novel.
I received this book through a giveaway.
March 8, 2025
I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book!
This book was perfect! This is a coming of age story (not marketed as such but it really needs to be) that needs to be around for generations. I honestly wish this book was around when I was highschool I really could have used this in my life back then.
This book could also be a modern retelling of Emma. If you believe the main character can come off maybe snobby, please read 'Emma' and you'll understand where that comes from. I've read Emma and from the minute I opened this book, I could see the personality and story comparisons so clearly. This wasn't a copy-paste fluff it up situation though. This was truly it's only book and could be completely taken also as one of the best modern retellings of a classic I've ever read, but it's still it's own book.
This is completely fair warning more middle school, ya than ya, new adult. However it could be read as an adult and might be a helpful if you feel a little lost in life. It would honestly make the perfect gift for a middle school graduate for someone going into their last year of high school. This book is more than a retelling, more than a story it's also a slight guiding tool about trusting in yourself and finding your own path in life no matter how that might look. I loved the quote referencing that sometimes our choices in life are like trying on an outfit to find what fits us best. It's a perfect anthology of life.
I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved the beautiful descriptions of parts of my own country. I really loved getting to put myself back in time to when I was a child obsessed with learning Japanese and learning about the culture and relationships. I loved seeing it here for me again. I can't wait for more that this author puts out I would love to read her work again. When this novel is published I will also be bringing it home! As much as I would love to say it's for me, it won't exactly be it will be a middle school grad present for my daughter. This will be the perfect reminder to stay true to herself as she goes into high school.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this truly wonderful read, I'm really grateful to have been able to experience it, and I'm so grateful to be able to share it!
This book was perfect! This is a coming of age story (not marketed as such but it really needs to be) that needs to be around for generations. I honestly wish this book was around when I was highschool I really could have used this in my life back then.
This book could also be a modern retelling of Emma. If you believe the main character can come off maybe snobby, please read 'Emma' and you'll understand where that comes from. I've read Emma and from the minute I opened this book, I could see the personality and story comparisons so clearly. This wasn't a copy-paste fluff it up situation though. This was truly it's only book and could be completely taken also as one of the best modern retellings of a classic I've ever read, but it's still it's own book.
This is completely fair warning more middle school, ya than ya, new adult. However it could be read as an adult and might be a helpful if you feel a little lost in life. It would honestly make the perfect gift for a middle school graduate for someone going into their last year of high school. This book is more than a retelling, more than a story it's also a slight guiding tool about trusting in yourself and finding your own path in life no matter how that might look. I loved the quote referencing that sometimes our choices in life are like trying on an outfit to find what fits us best. It's a perfect anthology of life.
I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved the beautiful descriptions of parts of my own country. I really loved getting to put myself back in time to when I was a child obsessed with learning Japanese and learning about the culture and relationships. I loved seeing it here for me again. I can't wait for more that this author puts out I would love to read her work again. When this novel is published I will also be bringing it home! As much as I would love to say it's for me, it won't exactly be it will be a middle school grad present for my daughter. This will be the perfect reminder to stay true to herself as she goes into high school.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this truly wonderful read, I'm really grateful to have been able to experience it, and I'm so grateful to be able to share it!
May 16, 2025
📚 Book Review: The Matcha-Maker 💚🍵✨
If you're craving a sweet and cozy YA romance with just the right amount of meddling, mischief, and matcha, then The Matcha-Maker is the perfect read for you! 😍📖 Think Emma with a Japanese-Canadian twist, set against the charming backdrop of a coastal BC town—and with brunch! 🥞🍓
Our heroine, Emiko Kimori, is a self-proclaimed matchmaking prodigy 💘👩🏻🍳 who’s already scored a love win for her aunt and is ready to take on her newest project: helping the new girl find the perfect match. What Emiko lacks in self-awareness she makes up for in heart, energy, and enthusiasm. She juggles school 📚, volunteering 🤝, friends 💬, and crafting picture-perfect brunches 🍳🥑 while dodging any serious thoughts about her own future or love life. That is, until love sneaks up on her. 😳💓
The romance is swoony and slow-burn in the best way, especially with childhood friend Kenzo Sanada quietly waiting in the wings 🫢🧡. Their chemistry gives major Gilmore Girls vibes (Team Jess, anyone? 😉) and the whole story is seasoned with delightful family moments, community warmth, and cultural flavor that feels both fresh and comforting. 🎎🌊
What makes this book extra special is how it blends classic Jane Austen wit with Jenny Han-style feels 🥺💌. Emiko’s journey of realizing that love isn’t a puzzle to solve but something to experience hits just right. You’ll laugh at her matchmaking blunders, cheer for her as she figures things out, and maybe even tear up a little as she finally lets herself be vulnerable. 💭❤️
Final Thoughts:
A charming, heartfelt rom-com with a lovable cast, delicious brunch scenes 🍩🍓, and a heroine who’s learning that sometimes the best match is the one you never planned for. Perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Emma, and anyone who believes that love and food make the best pair. 💌🍱👫
If you're craving a sweet and cozy YA romance with just the right amount of meddling, mischief, and matcha, then The Matcha-Maker is the perfect read for you! 😍📖 Think Emma with a Japanese-Canadian twist, set against the charming backdrop of a coastal BC town—and with brunch! 🥞🍓
Our heroine, Emiko Kimori, is a self-proclaimed matchmaking prodigy 💘👩🏻🍳 who’s already scored a love win for her aunt and is ready to take on her newest project: helping the new girl find the perfect match. What Emiko lacks in self-awareness she makes up for in heart, energy, and enthusiasm. She juggles school 📚, volunteering 🤝, friends 💬, and crafting picture-perfect brunches 🍳🥑 while dodging any serious thoughts about her own future or love life. That is, until love sneaks up on her. 😳💓
The romance is swoony and slow-burn in the best way, especially with childhood friend Kenzo Sanada quietly waiting in the wings 🫢🧡. Their chemistry gives major Gilmore Girls vibes (Team Jess, anyone? 😉) and the whole story is seasoned with delightful family moments, community warmth, and cultural flavor that feels both fresh and comforting. 🎎🌊
What makes this book extra special is how it blends classic Jane Austen wit with Jenny Han-style feels 🥺💌. Emiko’s journey of realizing that love isn’t a puzzle to solve but something to experience hits just right. You’ll laugh at her matchmaking blunders, cheer for her as she figures things out, and maybe even tear up a little as she finally lets herself be vulnerable. 💭❤️
Final Thoughts:
A charming, heartfelt rom-com with a lovable cast, delicious brunch scenes 🍩🍓, and a heroine who’s learning that sometimes the best match is the one you never planned for. Perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Emma, and anyone who believes that love and food make the best pair. 💌🍱👫
June 9, 2025
Quick Summary: A before and after YA romance
My Review: Emiko by Chieri Uegaki is a "sweet and savory YA romance." It is scheduled for release on 6/10/25.
About the Book: "...this modern-day Japanese-Canadian twist on Emma is just the recipe for fans of Jenny Han, Jane Austen and Gilmore Girls. A busybody foodie avoids questions of her own future as she meddles in the love lives of those around her. Has this matcha-maker met her match?"
In My Own Words: A young woman who is on the verge of adulthood considers herself to be a matchmaker extraordinaire. Sometimes she seemingly gets it right and other times, not so much. As she endeavors to work her special brand of magic on her family, friends, and peer group, she soon learns more than she ever bargained for about herself and about someone who has always been very present in her life.
My Final Say: Emiko was a lighthearted contemporary YA that did indeed have an Emma-esque vibe. I found it to be refreshingly easy to follow and uniquely written in such a way that highlighted the beautiful Japanese culture. The slow burn and impactful realization of feelings that Emiko and Kenzo had made me love their story. I adored that the leads got their chance to find happiness.
Other: Young readers or even young at heart readers who enjoy reading classic to contemporary retellings should like this book.
Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: YA
Status/Level: 💘
Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for providing access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. I truly enjoyed reading this work, and I look forward to reading more from this writer. I am grateful for the opportunity.
My Review: Emiko by Chieri Uegaki is a "sweet and savory YA romance." It is scheduled for release on 6/10/25.
About the Book: "...this modern-day Japanese-Canadian twist on Emma is just the recipe for fans of Jenny Han, Jane Austen and Gilmore Girls. A busybody foodie avoids questions of her own future as she meddles in the love lives of those around her. Has this matcha-maker met her match?"
In My Own Words: A young woman who is on the verge of adulthood considers herself to be a matchmaker extraordinaire. Sometimes she seemingly gets it right and other times, not so much. As she endeavors to work her special brand of magic on her family, friends, and peer group, she soon learns more than she ever bargained for about herself and about someone who has always been very present in her life.
My Final Say: Emiko was a lighthearted contemporary YA that did indeed have an Emma-esque vibe. I found it to be refreshingly easy to follow and uniquely written in such a way that highlighted the beautiful Japanese culture. The slow burn and impactful realization of feelings that Emiko and Kenzo had made me love their story. I adored that the leads got their chance to find happiness.
Other: Young readers or even young at heart readers who enjoy reading classic to contemporary retellings should like this book.
Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: YA
Status/Level: 💘
Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for providing access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. I truly enjoyed reading this work, and I look forward to reading more from this writer. I am grateful for the opportunity.
May 10, 2025
Emiko by Chieri Uegaki is a charming, culturally rich YA retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, reimagined through a Japanese Canadian lens. Set in a contemporary high school, the novel brings familiar characters and plot lines into a modern setting—while adding emotional warmth and cultural texture that give the story a fresh, endearing tone.
Fans of Emma will enjoy identifying the clever parallels: from Emiko’s well-meaning meddling to the modern-day figures. The characters’ Japanese names and family dynamics are easy to connect to their Austenian counterparts, yet they also stand firmly on their own, thanks to Uegaki’s heartfelt storytelling.
What sets Emiko apart is how much more likeable Emiko is than Austen’s Emma. While she still possesses the classic traits of youthful pride and a bit of matchmaking mischief, Emiko is written with a gentle sincerity and genuine desire to help others that makes her journey toward self-awareness feel more grounded and relatable.
Uegaki also skillfully blends Japanese and Canadian traditions throughout the narrative—from food and festivals to the nuances of intergenerational relationships—adding a delightful cross-cultural layer that enriches the story without overwhelming it.
This book is a lovely, accessible introduction to Austen for younger readers, especially those curious about Japanese Canadian culture. It's a sweet, thoughtful tale about friendship, growing up, and learning that sometimes, the best intentions still require a bit of self-reflection.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.
Fans of Emma will enjoy identifying the clever parallels: from Emiko’s well-meaning meddling to the modern-day figures. The characters’ Japanese names and family dynamics are easy to connect to their Austenian counterparts, yet they also stand firmly on their own, thanks to Uegaki’s heartfelt storytelling.
What sets Emiko apart is how much more likeable Emiko is than Austen’s Emma. While she still possesses the classic traits of youthful pride and a bit of matchmaking mischief, Emiko is written with a gentle sincerity and genuine desire to help others that makes her journey toward self-awareness feel more grounded and relatable.
Uegaki also skillfully blends Japanese and Canadian traditions throughout the narrative—from food and festivals to the nuances of intergenerational relationships—adding a delightful cross-cultural layer that enriches the story without overwhelming it.
This book is a lovely, accessible introduction to Austen for younger readers, especially those curious about Japanese Canadian culture. It's a sweet, thoughtful tale about friendship, growing up, and learning that sometimes, the best intentions still require a bit of self-reflection.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.
July 4, 2025
A straightforward retelling of Jane Austen's "Emma," set in modern small-coastal-town British Columbia, and featuring characters mostly of Japanese descent. Emiko (Emma) is a rising high school senior. Having lost her parents as a baby, she's been raised by her grandfather/Ojichan (Mr. Woodhouse) and aunt (governess Miss Taylor). Her neighbor and bestie is Kenzo (Knightley), and her new best female friend is Harumi (Harriet). Convinced she's a stellar matchmaker, Emiko steers Harumi away from the younger Will Rivers (Robert Martin) and towards the Hollywood-handsome Gareth (Mr. Elliott), with whom Emiko now works at her aunt's bakery. But is Gareth really interested? Also new in town, at least as a permanent resident, is Chisato (sp? Jane Fairfax), an oddball musical virtuoso who avoids most people, especially Emiko. As the year moves on, another new visitor is Emiko's aunt's stepson, Jun (Frank Churchill), who seems to have his eye on Emiko.
This faithfully follows Austen's plot to the point at which there's almost zero surprise for anyone who is familiar with "Emma." I found myself anticipating plot point after plot point, only being slightly surprised at the end with a couple of small deviations. The real strength of this is in the world-building, from the Salish Sea coastal location (so near me!) to some incredible food (though if it's Emiko's passion, she doesn't spend a ton of time on it, surprisingly), to all the Japanese heritage. So, I enjoyed this, and enjoyed how the author fit each of Austen's plot points into the modern world, but I didn't love it. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.
This faithfully follows Austen's plot to the point at which there's almost zero surprise for anyone who is familiar with "Emma." I found myself anticipating plot point after plot point, only being slightly surprised at the end with a couple of small deviations. The real strength of this is in the world-building, from the Salish Sea coastal location (so near me!) to some incredible food (though if it's Emiko's passion, she doesn't spend a ton of time on it, surprisingly), to all the Japanese heritage. So, I enjoyed this, and enjoyed how the author fit each of Austen's plot points into the modern world, but I didn't love it. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.
June 5, 2025
Emiko is a matchmaker. She takes 100% credit for her aunt's wedding. So when she takes the new girl under her wing, she will match her up with any/every new boy in town except the one her friend shows interest in!
As an Emma retelling, this one is very faithful to the original. I just re-read Emma, so I could see how this mirrored every major plot point. Readers unfamiliar with the original work may feel Emiko is going from one party/event to the next, but this didn't bother me since that's how it was in Emma! Sometimes retellings are billed as "reimaginings" that tend to try to "fix" the original, so I appreciated how respectful this is to its source material.
I also enjoyed the Japanese cultural aspect to this retelling. Near the start, the characters hold a Obon festival, which is part family reunion and part celebrating the ancestors. I'd never heard of this before and it was interesting to learn about. There is also a lot of food involved throughout that made me hungry; maybe don't read on an empty stomach!
Emiko, like her namesake, did come across as a little self-centered and immature but honestly, what 17-year-old isn't? The plot also takes place over the entire school year, which made the pacing drag a bit for my tastes. But overall, I enjoyed the read.
Recommended for fans of Jane Austen, coming of age tales, and Japanese culture.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.
As an Emma retelling, this one is very faithful to the original. I just re-read Emma, so I could see how this mirrored every major plot point. Readers unfamiliar with the original work may feel Emiko is going from one party/event to the next, but this didn't bother me since that's how it was in Emma! Sometimes retellings are billed as "reimaginings" that tend to try to "fix" the original, so I appreciated how respectful this is to its source material.
I also enjoyed the Japanese cultural aspect to this retelling. Near the start, the characters hold a Obon festival, which is part family reunion and part celebrating the ancestors. I'd never heard of this before and it was interesting to learn about. There is also a lot of food involved throughout that made me hungry; maybe don't read on an empty stomach!
Emiko, like her namesake, did come across as a little self-centered and immature but honestly, what 17-year-old isn't? The plot also takes place over the entire school year, which made the pacing drag a bit for my tastes. But overall, I enjoyed the read.
Recommended for fans of Jane Austen, coming of age tales, and Japanese culture.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.
July 28, 2025
In this modern day retelling of Emma we meet Emiko a Japanese-Canadian who lives on the Vancouver Coast who loves all things food. She is about to start her graduation year when a new girl comes to live nearby whom she immediately befriends.
Emiko gets caught up wanting Harumi's introduction to her school to go well. She wants her to have the best year ever and thinks she knows the perfect boyfriend for her to set her apart from everyone else. As the school year goes on Emiko continues to insert herself in Harumi's love life. She fancies herself to be a match maker, but things don't often go as she expects.
Emiko's childhood friend Kenzo cautions her to leave well enough alone. But, she doesn't want to back down, insisting she knows what's best.
As we follow Emiko, Harumi, and Kenzo through their graduation year there's more than just the complication of high school romances, but also what to do after graduation. Emiko is an excellent student, but is university what she wants? She has a lot of thinking to do and as time goes by she feels more and more pressure to make a decision.
I really enjoyed this, and would have loved it even more when I was closer to my own graduation days. There's also so much amazing food in this book! Like I wish I could eat the pages if they'd taste as good as the food she describes!
Thanks to NetGalley and Tundra Book Group for a digital copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review!
Emiko gets caught up wanting Harumi's introduction to her school to go well. She wants her to have the best year ever and thinks she knows the perfect boyfriend for her to set her apart from everyone else. As the school year goes on Emiko continues to insert herself in Harumi's love life. She fancies herself to be a match maker, but things don't often go as she expects.
Emiko's childhood friend Kenzo cautions her to leave well enough alone. But, she doesn't want to back down, insisting she knows what's best.
As we follow Emiko, Harumi, and Kenzo through their graduation year there's more than just the complication of high school romances, but also what to do after graduation. Emiko is an excellent student, but is university what she wants? She has a lot of thinking to do and as time goes by she feels more and more pressure to make a decision.
I really enjoyed this, and would have loved it even more when I was closer to my own graduation days. There's also so much amazing food in this book! Like I wish I could eat the pages if they'd taste as good as the food she describes!
Thanks to NetGalley and Tundra Book Group for a digital copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review!
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