Hello, Limerence

by Momo Yamaguchi

For fans of Asako Yuzuki and Fleabag, an audacious, unhinged debut following the major humiliations and minor triumphs of an overworked, undersexed young woman in Tokyo who must save herself from the hazards of her own lust, obsession, and delusion.

limerence. [li-mer-uhns] noun

the state of being obsessively infatuated with someone, usually accompanied by delusions of or a desire for an intense romantic relationship with that person; e.g., her limerence lasted for around three months before she actually met him

Mika is about to turn 25, and all she has to show for it is a soul-sucking office job and a terminal case of virginity. Between unwanted advances from co-workers and subway commuters, and love-bombing from unappealing fuckboys, Mika’s ready to explode. Her only therapeutic outlet is her imagination, which manifests in a series of comically violent and horny fantasies.

Determined to change her fate, and with the encouragement of Nana, her certified “Hot Girl” best friend, Mika loses half of her virginity to Tyler, a Japanese-American boy with an allergy to commitment. The other half is taken by a man with a drawer full of red flags, all while Mika indulges in fantasies of women much to her titillation and confusion.

Caught in a love(less) triangle, Mika also must weather a mysterious outbreak spurred by the unhygienic bathroom practices of white male westerners. Will she emerge from quarantine a new woman? Or, spurred by a reunion with an estranged friend, can she shift her life in a new direction? Could this be yet again limerence, or might it be the beginning of something a bit less one-sided?

Scathingly funny, delightfully profane, and surprisingly heartfelt, Hello, Limerence is a story for the unloved and the unhinged—a madcap spin through the frenzy of one woman’s desire.

Genres: Fiction, Japanese Literature, Literary Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 2, 2026

About the author

Momo Yamaguchi was born in Tokyo, educated in the U.S., and lives and works in London. Hello, Limerence is her first novel.

Reviews

[Mai H.]

Japanuary TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books

[Vmndetta (V) ᛑᛗᛛ · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a reader, I personally don't mind having an unhinged female main character. In this case, Mika. Especially since the blurb promised something more frontal or even vulgar. To be honest, the blurb itself was the reason I picked up this book. I was expecting obsession and delusion from her.

But unfortunately, the more I read, the more I felt like this book didn't really have a clear plot or direction, so it didn't match the blurb. I don't mind book that aren't very plot-driven, but here it felt like Mika spent most of the time just talking and yapping about herself and her own thoughts, ignoring what really happens around her. Everything was too focused on her opinions and her inner monologues. Until that became too much and felt unnecessary. The story didn't really go anywhere. I wan't even sure what actually happened in that chapters. This made the book feel boring to read.

I also felt like the time skips or shifts were'nt clear. Sometimes I got confused about when things were happening or how much time had passed. The same goes for the setting. At the beginning, I thought the story was set in Japan, Tokyo, but later I wasn't really sure anymore because of the unclear time jumps and transitions. And unfortunately, this leads to my next point;

The characters, especially Mika. Isn't she supposed to be Japanese? She works in Tokyo, but while reading, I never really felt like she was Japanese at all. I don't know if this is because of the writing style or her behavior, but she has absolutely no 'Japanese' characteristics at all (like how they speak or the culture etc. ykwim). I noticed this a lot because I'm quite familiar with Japan. And, well, then I realized that this book isn't a translation from a Japanese book, which is fine. But if the story is set in Japan, shouldn't it feel like Japan? Because this one really dosen't. And that bothered me a lot.

The frontal and unhinged elements I was hoping for ended up just making me feel bored and lost instead. It felt like too much yapping that never failed to make me sigh and roll my eyes. In the end, I couldn't really get into the story. I wouldn't recommend this book if you're hoping for more.

[elana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had such high hopes. The premise seemed like it would be just the kind of story I'd like.

I usually like these weirdo girl protagonists but Mikako's chronically online dialect irks me. I was drawn to the story thinking she would be a loser, underdog but she's a functioning working woman who just gets no play. Till the story starts and she suddenly does...?

At least the ending was sweet.

This book will resonate with someone else.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Mariner Books for the Advanced Review Copy.

[Natalia Ammons · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl who is desperate to lose her virginity mistakes the intentions of two different men. She fantazises about her desires to be in relationships with both, but things don't pan out how she hopes. Interesting choice for Momo Yamaguchi's debut and looking forward to more books from her :)

For more details and spoilers, please visit my blog: https://natzreadsbook.wordpress.com/2...

3.9/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[J R · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty fun book though at points it isn't particularly directed. the plotting is really good and it worked really well. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wild read! Raunchy and messy and overall a very entertaining and offbeat read. I can't wait to read more from Momo Yamaguchi in the future. Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!