Hello, Limerence

by Momo Yamaguchi

For anyone who has ever had a crush, welcome to your new personal obsession.

Mika is about to turn twenty-five, and all she has to show for it is a soul-sucking office job and a terminal case of virginity. Between the pervy salarymen she works with and the pretty boys she pines after, Mika is ready to explode.

But it's summer in Tokyo, AKA peacock season. Time to strut her stuff. So when her certified Hot Girl bestie sends her the invite for an upcoming beach party, Mika clicks 'attending'. Just when she thinks real life is never going to live up to the wild fantasies her imagination cooks up, someone new catches her eye. It could be limerence, or the beginning of something much less one-sided . . .

Genres: Fiction, Japan, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Novella, Japanese Literature, Humor

176 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2026

About the author

Momo Yamaguchi was born in Tokyo, educated in the US, and is currently based in London.

Reviews

[Carm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Man... this book is a whole vibe. Mika is 24 years old with a soul-sucking corporate job and a “love life” that consists of unwanted advances at work, being groped on the train and being strung along by Tai, a Japanese-American expat who keeps her at arm’s length (and doesn’t know how condom sizing works), and Jojo, a man-whore who hands out toothbrushes like he’s the oral care aisle at CVS (but can’t locate the human female clitoris). In the case of the latter two prospects, she’s desperately infatuated. Completely obsessed. Hence the title. Her inner monologues are horny and violent. Harrowing and vapid. At any given moment, I wasn’t sure if I loved her or hated her. It’s still unclear. Reply hazy. Ask again later.

Every relationship in this book is toxic and every character is living in a vacuum, dripping with venom or inadequacy or obliviousness... or hell, all three. Somewhere toward the middle of the book, it takes a weird turn. We’re treated to a parallel universe version of Covid… but it’s violent, explosive diarrhea. Then we logically segue into coronalingus, job applications, bisexuality and tasty, tasty pasta recipes. Well… one tasty pasta recipe.

This was kind of a blast. Mika is infuriating. She feels superior to everyone while somehow having an inferiority complex. She thinks being in one’s early thirties is equivalent to having one foot in the grave. She pushes everyone away… unless she actually should. Then she’s like a dog doing tricks for scraps. But honestly… I kinda loved this. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

Sadly this wasn't for me. I'm either the wrong age or the wrong generation or just the wrong reader.

The synopsis sounded interesting and I usually enjoy YA type books but this one bored me for most of the repetitive storyline.

Mika is a young woman doing a dull job who falls in love/lust with the wrong men. She overestimated her attractiveness to the opposite and same sex and to prospective employers. She then stays in love/lust with the men even though they are not interested and regularly declares herself over them even though she isn't.

If you repeat this plus add some graphic sex scenes, a few strange recipes and a lot of moaning about everything wrong with her life then you have the 212 pages of Hello, Limerence.

I still have to figure out what the difference between limerence and obsession/crush/unrequited love is. I honestly can't see it.

This book may be okay for late teen/twenties age group but I was bored and skim read a lot of the later pages.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Faber & Faber for the digital review copy.

[Mai H.]

Japanuary TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books

[jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly enjoyed this. Mika is a refreshing narrator and very realistic. The ending felt very sudden, and the plot jumped all over the place, but it was still a good read. Thanks to NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

[Abigaëlle · Rating 5 out of 5]

En réalité ça serait plutôt du 4,75/5 (la relou du coin bonjour) parce qu’il y a un passage un peu dystopique que j’ai un peu moins apprécié que le reste.
Mais sinon…. Génialissime !
Mika est la représentation même de nos questionnements, nos insécurités, notre recherche de soi. Ses raisonnements et ses actions, que l’on trouve parfois stupides, sont rassurants, puisqu’ils peuvent tout à fait faire écho aux nôtres parfois parce qu’on aime, qu’on espère, souvent, tout aussi stupidement. (Pas sûre que cette phrase soit claire)
C’est crue, c’est vrai, ça ne plairait pas à tout le monde. Pourtant ce côté tranchant correspond tout à fait aux vingtenaires actuels et leur approche de l’amour, du sexe, de l’amitié. Elle aborde aussi la question du travail, du patriarcat et du racisme en imaginant des petits scénarios vengeance absolument satisfaisant à lire.
Bref c’est décalé et honnêtement c’est une lecture qui fait du bien.

[Vmndetta 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.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello Limerance is a debut novel by Momo Yamaguchi and I was lucky enough to have an advance copy of the book.

Let me start by saying that I had to look up the meaning of “Limerance” at the outset and it’s defined as “an involuntary state of intense romantic obsession and fixation on another person”. That totally sums up the story.

Mika is a 24 year old girl who is looking for love. When someone new catches her eye, her imagination begins to run wild… That’s all I can say without giving away spoilers.

Please read any Trigger Warnings for this book before reading it. Being Gen X, I couldn’t really relate to Mika, but that having been said, I thought this was the funniest book I’ve ever read. I loved the writing style and the author is hilarious - please write more books!

[Chloe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgally and Faber and Faber for the advanced copy for an honest review.

One thing about me, I enjoy an unhinged female character, but Mika was not the one for me.

My biggest issue with this is that the blurb did not end up matching what this story is about, sadly. I had expected Mika to be an obsessed, deluded woman who stopped at nothing to find love and act out her fantasies. Ultimately though, this fell flat and went nowhere, a big shame as the first half had a decent path and plot to it that I was interested in.

The plot itself isn’t one I can recap well, beyond a woman named Mika who lives in Japan, is extremely male-centred and spends too much time speaking like a Gen Z influencer, who feels rage and imagines moments of acting out that rage, and who one day meets Tai and falls in lust with him after he half takes her virginity.

This felt very scattered as a story, with a very unlikeable main character but not in a good way, and which left me shrugging for the last 50 pages and not caring, and at times I had no real idea what was even happening, whether a chapter was her imagination, set in the future, or her inner monologue ranting.

A shame as I had high hopes for this!

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Fabre & Fabre for this free proof copy!

Unfortunately this was a miss for me, though some things really worked well in it

The true highlight of this book are all the little ways this book is just so relatable in a ‘guilty pleasure’ way. So many sentences jumped out at me, reflecting my own habits in Mika. The writing was funny and I also really enjoyed the little fantasies Mika has of hurting people who have wronged her, but unfortunately they become quite sparse as the book progresses

The book also touches on some serious topics despite the overall humorous and light hearted tone. Toxic work culture, workplace harassment, globalisation. It made it stand out as more than just a funny book, but I wish there was more of this commentary in it

As for what didn’t work - kind of everything else. It felt a bit too immature and I didn’t really care for Mika’s love life problems and obsessions. Her love interests were annoying and everyone in this book treated her so badly? But in the way that I was left angry Mika didn’t respect herself more and end these relationships and friendships sooner. I admit that I started skimming a bit by the end because I just wanted to be finished with it, though the ending was interesting

[Miriam · Rating 2 out of 5]

How else am I supposed to rate a book that contains the word "shooketh".

[Quinty · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ If you love a book with a somewhat unlikable, delusional main character, please do yourself a favor and pick this up.

Ever spiraled over a crush, already fantasized your entire life together before you ever even said ‘hi’ to each other? Yea… so does our main character Mika. She’s 24 years old and tired of her boring life and more importantly, tired of being a virgin. But not for much longer. She’s determined to change this.

Her inner monologue is downright crazy and ridiculous at times, but I can’t help but love her for it. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and boy does she have a lot to say. A Gen Z girl at heart.
She’s just so incredibly funny and relatable while simultaneously being completely delusional. I caught myself giggling, just having so much fun while reading this.

It feels similar in a way to My Year of Rest and Relaxation in the sense that it’s relatable, kind of depressing, humorous and not afraid to mock itself at times. In other words, my kind of book.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the arc. Truly couldn’t have wished for a better arc to start the year with.

[Simon Gonzalez · Rating 2 out of 5]

A slouched novel of desperation and introspection, told through the eyes of a frantic 20-something who doesn’t know how to stop doing anything. Reading this feels like sticking your head out the window of a moving Train of Youth– and you can’t breathe. Momo Yamaguchi employs such a desperate approach to this novel that it almost feels unintelligible and too off-hinged to remain put. I wish to see someone above the age of 40 try to decipher this book out.

As an ARC, the story flows with a relaxed yet cynical and absurd narrative sense, but relying heavily on two things: puzzle-like language and chaotic moves. Yamaguchi is successful at drenching the reader in Mika’s psyche, and her psyche being dizzying from the start could be a sign that Yamaguchi purposefully shakes you – like a bug trapped in a jar – as the narrative progresses. She jumps around, blips about, uses lists and quirks and experimental storytelling that simply reads sensational, but the line of the story is not really there.

Gen Z slang flourishes in this book in a way I haven’t seen before. Where this kind of book would have been deemed too chronically plugged to the nether a couple years back, now we see laid-back modern language becoming more pervasive in a comfortable manner; much to Yamaguchi’s credit for using it right and, at times, funnily, though it is heavily distracting, overutilized, and incorrectly edited, needing some sort of revision to perhaps dial down or at least make real use (satirical, or otherwise) of this new and shiny device.

There’s a sense of “this is a lit-fic novel but it is a COOL lit-fic novel,” and it doesn’t really work that well. It doesn’t stick its landing, delivering quite dismissively. On top of that, Yamaguchi is having so much fun that she chooses all the words and all the quirks for all the pages and all the chapters. Modern slang and Old English and Millennial humor and peculiar turns of phrases– way too many things for its own good, making every component fall to the ground instead of sticking. Each page could be passed over with a fine-toothed comb and keep the essential, maintain that focus that I so kept wishing for as I read.

The story itself is also forgettable. I am already forgetting it now– a very bad sign. Mika is not a character, rather a false speaker amplifying Yamaguchi’s voice. (Isn’t that usually the case with introspective books? Yes, but the trick is not being able to tell. That’s where the magic relies.) I could see the strangeness of the book carrying its weight, sweeping under the rug any inconsistencies and just moving along.

There’s a moment near the end where Mika is explaining to the reader that, unlike women, men are rarely ever both beautiful and charming. She says you cannot be so greedy as to seek both, without backing, to produce a dry chuckle, and it brought me right back to “American Psycho,” where the men are satirically basically saying the same thing as Mika, but the other way around, instead claiming that “there are no girls with good personalities.” Yet, the satire in “Hello, Limerence” is not present, not even close, so it comes off as an honest statement meant to provoke a laugh or at least a reaction, but it lands as flat as Miko’s "plateau of nothingness,” as she calls her own chest. Is the battle of the sexes back?

Anywho, all in all, this book has some golden nuggets that need plenty of room to breathe, if only an editor with a broom and a leaf blower could pass by and help it out.

[Nailya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Momo Yamaguchi is a first generation immigrant, a Japanese woman who currently lives in the UK and writes in English. Unlike many second gen migrant stories, her work does not concern itself with 'good immigrant' or identity crisis narratives. Hello, Limerence follows Mika, a 24-year old Japanese salarywoman who lives in Tokyo. Think all those social media accounts of 'real-life Japan' showing overwork, tiny apartments, unhealthy combini meals every day and workplace sexism. Mika's main woe, however, is her struggles to form a romantic relationship and her obsession with the first guy who sort of looked in her direction.

Hello, Limerence reads like one of those hot mess young woman narratives that have over-saturated the Anglophone book market. Its closest cousin is I am a Fan by Sheena Patel, so if you liked one, you will probably like the other. Hello, Limerence seemed more realistic and relatable to me because of how young Mika is - the sort of obsessions she has in her early 20s are less believable in Patel's 30-something narrator. I think I would have enjoyed this book much more about ten years ago, when the narrator's more explosive emotions would have been more relatable. I do think Yamaguchi captured something very raw and precise about emotional and sexual pressures on young women, and for that, the novel is worth reading. The ending was satisfyingly set up and telegraphed throughout the book.

The writing style is quite interesting. It is clearly inspired both by modern Anglophone and Japanese literature. Despite Japanese authors' willingness to explore sexuality frankly (see Sayaka Murata, in particular), there is something particularly in your face and vulgar about the endless sex scenes in Hello, Limerence, much more reminiscent of the tone taken by Western writers. That vulgarity doesn't quite translate into punk - Yamaguchi is no Ryu Murakami, hovering somewhere around the 'hot mess girl' level throughout. I have never read a book set in Japan written quite like this, and I have never read a book written like this set in Japan.

Despite references to a thinly veiled Covid pandemic, the tone, the narrative and the themes of the book seem quite outdated and out of place in 2026, as if this was written a decade ago (and for the world we had a decade ago). Everything from the macro-narrative to the smaller details (eg the chiselled 2015-style makeup Mika wears to a party) seems like something from another era. It is hard to focus on how obsessed this young woman is with a guy who would never consider actually dating her in the context of the news cycle we live in today.

Mika often comments on Amercian cultural imperialism, and the narrative details emphasise it, from the microaggressions she faces as a tourist in New York to the KFC Christmas dinner she gobbles by herself when the guy fails to respond to her for the millionth time. It is all well and good (albeit a bit repetitive), but Yamaguchi's utter failure to critically engage with what imperialism means in Japan grated me the wrong way. Mika and her friends go to Korean BBQs all the time - a bit rich to be talking about the incandescent American imperialism as a Japanese woman in a Korean eatery in Tokyo! Read The Pachinko Parlour by Elisa Shua Dusapin for a contrast. This is not whataboutism - this is a comment on how dull, from a literary perspective, Yamaguchi's take on imperialism is (R.F. Kuang's line about 'yet another sob story about how you were bullied because of your lunch box' from Yellowface comes to mind).

Overall, I underlined quite a few bits and enjoyed reading this, but the text would have been more meaningful with more thorough editing and pruning. I also wish that after all that it actually said something a bit more interesting.

[Siqahiqa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows Mika, a 24-year-old virgin whose desperate, obsessive longing is simply to be loved and have her feelings returned. She genuinely believes that Tai, the first man she becomes involved with, is in love with her, and she becomes trapped in the delusion that he feels the same way. On top of that, she struggles to find any meaning in her job while also enduring sexual harassment at work, which makes her loneliness even more heartbreaking.

Around the 60% mark, Mika starts to change. One of my favourite moments was when she finally resigned from her toxic workplace on the spot. I really enjoyed the chapters that followed, especially watching her slowly rebuild her life and find a new job. It felt like she was finally beginning to respect herself and realise that she deserved better.

Because of that character growth, I hoped the ending would focus on Mika finding happiness on her own and no longer seeking validation from men. Unfortunately, the story took a different direction, and I have to admit that I really didn’t like how it ended. It didn’t leave me with the sense of closure I was hoping for. My biggest issue is that the ending felt disconnected from the growth Mika had shown throughout the second half of the book.

That said, I loved Mika’s relationship with her obaachan and her parents. Her scenes with her grandmother were especially heartwarming and reminded me of my own late grandmother. Those moments added so much warmth to an otherwise emotionally messy story.

The writing took a little while to click for me. I was honestly quite confused during the first 50 pages, but once I settled into the story, I became fully immersed. It’s a straightforward, fast-paced novel that can easily be finished in a single sitting or over the course of a day.

Personally, I can’t say I recommend this book, and I also don’t think it will be for everyone. But as I always say, if it’s already sitting on your TBR, it may still be worth reading and deciding for yourself, especially if you’re a fan of Asako Yuzuki.

Thank you, Times Reads, for the review copy!

[fiza nasri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a raw and chaotically honest premise, so explicit with verbose internal monologues spiralling through one’s tale of obsession, loneliness and self-discovery. Not an easy to love plot but somehow I liked how the author managed to lure me with Mika’s sharp, quirky and candid observations following her days as an office worker who was stuck in her monotonous job and unfulfilling life. As she yearns for connection and love drama, Mika was caught in an intense attraction to a guy she met at a beach party. A love obsessiveness unfolds, dragging Mika to explore the lengths she could go in search for intimacy, her self-worth and true romance.

“Life is a tragicomedy, a cheap action film or a murder mystery, anything but a blockbuster rom-com.”

Loved Mika’s way in blabbing on her vulnerability and emotional stress— it can be tiring to follow yet her prose flowed easily in its short chapters, bit comedic and full of self-criticism that captured her anxieties mess. Her flawed character keeps the narrative moving, nothing too happy or green flag on her side with those peek on the harassment at her workplace and the love-hate friendship with her friends. I appreciate how the author did not overdo or romanticize Mika’s obsession towards Tai as much; just a bearable one-sided limerence in between her heartbreak, frustrations and fantasies that running wild inside her head.

The ending was bit unforeseen but cunning— I should have known what I would get after reading that ‘the bff I’ve wanted all my life’ in the short paragraph nearly the end of chapter 4. Fairly enjoyed it overall but won’t go highly recommend it unless you are a fan to womanhood or sexism in modern life backdrop theme and did not mind an explicit or emotionally rant styled storytelling.

(reciew copy courtesy of Times Reads)

[Lily Barna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Momo Yamaguchi, and Mariner Books for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I have so many thoughts about this incredible and emotional journey!

First off, I relate to Mika in ways that I am both proud of and embarrassed by. I’m sure many other freshly 25 year olds will feel the same way :) She is so intense with her feelings, simultaneously sure of herself and unsure of so many of her actions. Her sense of self is so grounded in reality and dreams. What I mean by that is she self-deprecates and understands her place in the patriarchal world, while also hoping, planning, and wishing for difference.

I unfortunately just didn’t love the ending, which took a turn that many will enjoy, but I felt no longer reflected a journey that many of my friends and I have been on. It was a fun ending, but there wasn’t the growth or reflection I ultimately craved. Mika has faced many problems other 20-something women have. I would’ve loved to learn more from her resolution.

Still, I found this to be a fun romp of a book, check the TW for language and sexual content, and all that jazz. If you like Girls, you’ll likely enjoy this book too!

[Book Nook · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars!

I think this is a very unique and eye opening book and I think it doesn’t matter whether you love or hate it because you will get something out of it. I went into this book curious, and I came out at peace but in thought. I thought Mika was the version of yourself you don’t want to admit is there, and I feel a bit embarrassed to say I see myself in her in more ways then one, including the reason I read this book in the first place and especially when she talks about wanting to feel wanted. I really liked her relationship with Mei, though I do wish that her bisexuality was explored more because the ending did feel a bit rushed. It still felt like a very fitting end, especially after her many troubles with men throughout the book. The reason I didn’t give it a high rating is because I did get bored sometimes and just thought it got a bit confusing with the switching from reality to imagination. Also my best friend didn’t write this, so it can’t be 5 stars. Would def read if you are interested in being honest with yourself.

[Sorcha Keane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First things first, the cover design by @manonlouart is insaaanne! It’s eye catching and just downright gorgeous. I can’t wait to see what it looks like in person.

Okay now on to the book itself. Reading the blurb this seemed right up my alley and I was in the mood for some juicy literary fiction but when I read the first 10 pages and I won’t lie I was not connecting with it. I was questioning if it was for me. I picked it up again the next day and oh my god I could not put it down!!! I got sucked into Mika’s (FMC) world.

I think what initially threw me off was the formatting but once I got use to it I really enjoyed the book. The entirety of the story is told from Mika’s point of view so we know her most inner thoughts and how she navigates her relationships. I found it hilariously honest. There are moments where you think the FMC is crazy or wild for what she has done or said but honestly that is what limerence is truly like. I really felt for Mika. Where was this book when I was 19? Because giiirlll I was going through it just like Mika.

I enjoyed the fast pace and bite sized chapters,it moved the story along well and at no point did I think the story dragged. Overall I really enjoyed this book once I got used to the formatting. I thought it was funny, relatable and a all-in-all good time

[trixie ⋆⭒˚.⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hello, Limerence follows Mika, an overworked 24yo in Tokyo navigating the frustrations of a dead-end office job and a non-existent love life. When she finally attempts to break out of her unfulfilling routine, she ends up on a chaotic journey through toxic friendships and messy situationships.

Initially, I loved how quirky and raw Mika felt. The book is packed with sharp, funny moments and queer pop culture references, and it doesn't shy away from heavier themes like the exhaustion of capitalism, the patriarchy, the trauma of SA, and many more.

However, while the witty narration hooked me early on, it quickly became insufferable. Mika is delusional to a fault, and her lack of character growth makes the narrative feel incredibly repetitive and, eventually, boring. By the second half, I completely lost interest in her. The last half of this book ultimately derailed the momentum of the first, leaving the plot feeling scattered and rushed just to force some semblance of an ending.

[Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mon amour pour ce livre a grandi au fur et à mesure et même si c’est plus un 3,5, je mets 4 pcq c’était vrmt cool !!! Au début je trouvais le rapport au cul et aux mecs chelou (c’est le but aussi), puis après j’ai appris à découvrir Mika et j’ai vrmt rigolé. Pas trop compris la partie presque dystopique sur la pandémie (le Covid aurait fait l’affaire nn ???). J’ai aimé les thèmes traités et surtout le rapport au taff. La partie chômeuse m’a tuee.

[Nia Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Mika is an unlikeable narrator (which I love) and honestly the more the story went on the more I enjoyed it. I just found the narrative a bit jumpy and the ending a bit rushed. It was a fun read that I would recommend but not a favourite for me! 🤷🏼‍♀️

Thank you Faber and Faber for sending me a copy. All opinions are my own.

[Lucy Munnings]

Yeah no this didn’t work for me. Started off on the wrong foot with how the protagonist was consistently experiencing SA in the work place but then proceeds to sa her friends and be pervy towards other men. Found that the mc was far more than ‘unhinged’
I got 70% in before deciding I had no interest continuing. Feel the author was trying to do something but missed

[Lily M ❀]

Thank you to Netgalley, Faber and Faber, and Momo Yamaguchi for the eARC. I love Faber & Faber as a publishing house, to the point where I am always scouring their website to see what new books they are putting out into the world. Unfortunately, Hello, Limerence was not quite the book for me. I do think it has an audience, though, and actually quite a large audience, but it was not necessarily the book for me. Do check it out, though! It was written very well.

[Patty Ramirez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good time and I enjoyed Mika's obsessive behavior. Would love to read more from this author in the future.

Thank you to Mariner Books and the author for providing a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

[Alyssia Higgs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello, Limerance is an unhinged story centering around obsession, and is a good show in what happens when someone lives entirely in their own head. Mika is…not well, in a way that is kind of fascinating, sort of sadly funny and often off-putting. Seeing her spiral outwardly by overanalyzing every situation, fixating and self-justifying her often inappropriate responses is uncomfortable but also kind of relatable.

Yamaguchi nails the feeling of Limerance. The repetitive thoughts and refusal to let go of the story you’ve curated in your mind are just spot on. She writes an acutely self-aware character who is frustrating but still somewhat redeemable.

My only criticisms are that some parts of the story were harshly written, and some transitions feel a little bit choppy. But I think the aggressiveness of the book adds to its charm and is purposefully done.

Overall, I really liked the book. I found myself reading passages to my husband because they were laugh out loud funny to me. I hadn’t read a book with a main character who is just so outwardly and openly flawed, so there was a bit of shock factor initially but my the end of the book I was just cheering her on and hoping she’d find the love and happiness she was looking for.

[ROSA TARIVERDOVA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si vous avez déjà été obsédée en amour, au point de retranscrire tous vos textos dans un fichier Word ou de passer une nuit blanche à les analyser, ce roman est fait pour vous.

À travers Mika, une jeune célibataire, Momo Yamaguchi nous plonge dans une société japonaise sexiste, conservatrice et productiviste, où l’absence de vie personnelle et le harcèlement au travail semblent être la norme. Dans sa quête pour être désirée, exister dans le regard d’un homme et incarner à tout prix la fille cool, Mika se perd dans les filets du patriarcat… avant de se retrouver, loin des hommes médiocres et plus près de ses propres désirs.

Une romance à la japonaise, drôle, mordante et terriblement addictive.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce livre m’a fait rire, fascinée mais aussi terrifiée. Malgré le « plot twist happy end » de la fin, il m’a surtout terrifiée, je crois.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello, limerance is not for the faint of heart. If you’re one of those people who are uncomfortable reading about the topic of sex, of the patriarchy, of the downsides of living in Japan, of fleeting youth, of grief, of rape and assault, of violent intrusive thoughts, and American imperialism, do not read.
The book follows Mika and her life as a 9-5 worker in Japan, with a heart that is longing to be loved. We follow her through a few years of her life, from 24-26, as she loses half of her virginity, gets caught in two situationships, a global pandemic surges, and she questions her sexuality. All this chaos in 212 pages. Not once did I feel the pacing was too slow or too fast.
Mika is a very fascinating narrator. I really enjoyed reading this book from her point of view, and go to know her so well. I find myself relating her to other narrators like Holden Caulfield and how they are unabashedly unafraid to say what they are thinking or what they believe. In the case of Mika, it’s the things she’d like to do to the people who have wronged her. Many violent things that both she and I would not dare to actually do. But honestly, most of them I can understand and are pretty justified in thinking. She is also not afraid to talk about her own sexuality, sex life, and body. This may be a bit jarring to some readers, as this is something that most literature does not include. Although it took a bit to get used to Mika’s unabashedness, I found myself being proud of how brave the author is to voice some of these thoughts in Mika, things that I’m certain most people would, but would never dare to say, due to so much stigma around keeping the topic of sex as private as possible.
What scares me the most about this book is how much I relate to Mika, and how I’m afraid of becoming her. Mika is far from a perfect person; in fact, we watch as she hopelessly falls in and out of love with no avail, never finding a way out of her monotonous life, utterly lonely. All my life, I have been the one who has wanted to be wanted. And like Mika says, “I wanted so much to be wanted the way I wanted him.” It’s something that I resonate with very deeply, and it made me feel seen. I’m not the only hopeless dreamer out there.
In this book, Yamaguchi does not shy away from exposing the dark side of Japanese culture. There has been a large increase in the glamorization of Japan online in recent years, showcasing this peaceful life that many long for. Yet for the working class in Japan, most would do anything to get out of their monotonous life, from unwanted attention on the subway, where it is common for women to get groped or objectified, to the workplace, where Mika cannot escape the same treatment from most of her coworkers. It gets so bad that she has to stab someone with a pushpin to stop them from touching her. Her boss essentially flashes her and another female worker during a party, yet due to the work culture in Japan, she decides not to report any of the harassment that she receives in her job because no one would believe her. It’s truly heartbreaking to see. Life for the average middle-class person is just a repeat of going to work, eating, sleeping, and repeating for the rest of their lives. It’s very rare to ever get promotions, and people have to be complacent with working overtime unpaid, and doing things that in the US would be crazy. It really shows that the grass is always greener on the other side and that life isn’t as perfect as you think it is.
The writing in the book is absolutely amazing. It’s flowery, but not flowery to the point of discomfort. There was absolutely no point where I couldn’t understand what Mika was trying to say, nor a place where I thought that the author just put a fancy word, making it seem all phony. There are points when Mika refers to random situations that relate to what’s happening. In one case, it’s when she’s making a friend, and she talks about the feeling of going to the bathroom in a pool. Though it always takes a second to comprehend after you read it, it hits so hard. Honestly, just getting through a chapter is so satisfying; I always have a sentence that I chuckle at, or I totally relate to. I’ve actually found so many cool quotes in Hello, Limerence that I thought I’d share with all of you, to convince you to read it!
“Very little matters when you are in love.”
“Sometimes, I feel so lonely I could die,”
“Every time I see him, I think of all the ways he is not you.”
“I like you so much, I can’t stand it. You will never know how much I like you. How happy and sad you make me, all at once.”
“When I drift in and out of sleep, those are the hours when he comes to me again. He looks at me silently with those dark eyes of his, he draws ever closer and kisses me softly, twining tongues, and he wraps himself around me and holds me in his arms; I am held (I am held).”
“I imagine a universe in which we sleep entangled in blankets and each other, where we walk the streets with his fingers laced with mine, where we shop for groceries together, where he caresses me in public when our friends aren’t looking, where we count each other’s wrinkles, where we pluck each other’s white hairs, where we laugh until we cry, so happy are we.”
“It’s a little past 7:00 p.m., and I ponder my fleeting youth as I edit the client report for the sixteenth time.”
“All I want is for the people that I love most dearly to be abundant in both health and happiness and outlive me forever, so that I may never know life without them-is that too much to ask?”
“I eat and I eat. I cling onto this life in spite of it all.”
My biggest issue with the book is that I wish the ending were a bit longer. It is very open-ended and up to the reader to interpret what happens. Though I liked the twist that happened, I think that I wanted more from it. Honestly, I would eat up a whole 500-page story with Mika as the main character, so maybe I’m biased. This review is actually really skewed towards liking Mika because of how much I relate to her and the story, but maybe that’s the point.
If you were to ask me whether or not I would recommend this to a fellow reader, it would depend on what type of reader they are. If they are open to new genres, experimental writing, and banger line after banger line, you should read it! If you like staying in your comfort zone and would not enjoy graphic descriptions of certain scenes that make you uncomfortable, maybe check out the trigger warnings that I gave earlier. But if you’re fine with that, then this is going to be one of the best books that you’ve read this year!
And to end the review, a little message:
“My darling boy, we could’ve had it all.”

[Alexandra Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

1.5 stars rounded up

This was strange and not necessarily in a good way. I was expecting more from it but it just felt off. This is a book alllllll about miscommunication and obsessiveness and just a complete lack of understanding others.

I also did not like the fact that the FMC suddenly turns to women at the end of the book when "men don't work out". That felt almost like a "I'm being inclusive" moment to me but didn't make sense.

[Minsoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meilleur livre de 2026 and I take no criticism