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Brewed With Love #1
Matcha & Matches
Not yet published
Expected 26 Jan 27One cup of matcha, a splash of rivalry, an unforgettable summer in Japan—the recipe for romance. Get your matcha whisk ready for this frothy YA romance with eye-catching designed edges!
Rina’s been helping her mother build up their Matcha Much café empire and eager to learn even more from her estranged father in Japan. But as soon as she arrives, she’s completely thrown off her game. Instead of learning how the matcha farm works, she’s stuck behind the counter of his traditional tea house—taking orders from Takashi, star employee and the most irritatingly attractive boy she’s ever met.
Takashi’s a matcha prodigy, a tea ceremony master, and basically perfect at everything. The easy bond he shares with Rina’s father? Absolutely not something that bothers her… not even a little. But Rina was raised to win; Takashi is just another rival to beat. Unless, of course, the real danger isn’t losing to him—but falling for him.
Pack your Japan, matcha, and a barista who about becomes the real destination await.Rivals catching feelings? Behind the counter, the real heat isn’t from the matcha—it’s from the simmering rivals-to-lovers tension.More to A brand-new romance is brewing in Horchata & Hearts!
Rina’s been helping her mother build up their Matcha Much café empire and eager to learn even more from her estranged father in Japan. But as soon as she arrives, she’s completely thrown off her game. Instead of learning how the matcha farm works, she’s stuck behind the counter of his traditional tea house—taking orders from Takashi, star employee and the most irritatingly attractive boy she’s ever met.
Takashi’s a matcha prodigy, a tea ceremony master, and basically perfect at everything. The easy bond he shares with Rina’s father? Absolutely not something that bothers her… not even a little. But Rina was raised to win; Takashi is just another rival to beat. Unless, of course, the real danger isn’t losing to him—but falling for him.
Pack your Japan, matcha, and a barista who about becomes the real destination await.Rivals catching feelings? Behind the counter, the real heat isn’t from the matcha—it’s from the simmering rivals-to-lovers tension.More to A brand-new romance is brewing in Horchata & Hearts!
- GenresYoung AdultRomance
320 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 27, 2027
About the author
Cara Tanamachi
4 books252 followersCara Tanamachi is an award-winning USA Today bestselling author who writes under two names, Cara Tanamachi and Cara Lockwood. She's a romance author, breast cancer survivor, women's health advocate and editor who lives in Chicagoland with her husband and their blended family.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
im getting around to making that new format for my reviews, so for right now a basic review will have to suffice ☹️ i need more energy in life tbh like formatting takes so much effort... i will forever complain about the amount of times slang was used in this book because, personally, lets keep slang out of our books!! i don't know what im feeling for this book at the moment because all of a sudden two stars feels a bit too generous.
to start, this book read like it was middle grade. if i was 10 i think i'd crown this as my favorite book, so definitely take that as you will. the slang use will forever make me mad. i fault both the editor and the author because the author was definitely trying to appeal to younger generations, i mean as is ya, but this should not have made out of the editing stage. the overuse of phrases like "lowkey fire," "opp," and "brah," was unnecessary. if i had a dollar for every time gen alpha/gen z slang was used in this book i would be rich. it got even worse towards the end, where i couldnt even flip a page without spotting slang. it was everywhere, and i mean everywhere. i dont think i'm the right reader for this book, or her target audience, which is funny because i naturally gravitate towards ya books. i wish i could put into words the problem i have with the writing, so i'll just leave it at middle grade. this was definitely meant to be advertised towards teens but i don't think teens would enjoy reading it either.. (i'm qualified to say that, im a minor myself!)
if you are going to write an entire contemporary romance book, which means romance is one of, if not the main focus, you need to be objectively good at writing romances. the romance in this book in my opinion developed way too fast. we didnt get enough intimate scenes with rina and takashi, so the development of the actual romance felt weird. not to mention, i was not attached to either of them. come to think of it, i wasnt attached to any characters at all, even the side characters. rina was definitely well rounded but we just didnt get enough character development for me to actually care about her personalities and how she changed over the course of the book. in general, there wasnt enough character development for anyone, and the problems that rina faced were really superficial. i always find myself affected when theres like "family issues," but i couldnt care less about rina's problems, because i didnt find it well written. i maybe get her relationship with her mom, but even that wasnt as expanded upon as it should have been. this problem seems to be just a me thing, and im not sure if its because i wasnt full paying attention while reading it, and i dont want to spoil anything but, takashi changed a LOT throughout the book, but not in like the good way. he has a problem, and when that problem gets introduced to the readers, he becomes an entirely different person. this shift happens so suddenly its hard to comprehend that the character two pages ago is the character im reading about right now. i appreciate tanamachi's idea and diversity behind his problem but it just wasnt executed properly, which seems to be the running theme with this book.
the only reason this book isnt a one star for me was at least it was.. entertaining. i don't know if thats the right word for it, but i read through this book in maybe 4 hours, which isn't record time but is still impressive. ive recently been losing the ability to read a book for more than three hours straight, but i finished this in one sitting which was nice.
i despise writing bad reviews for arcs in general, because i will always feel bad, but the execution of this book was sub par. i really, truly wish i could enjoy this one more, especially with how pretty the cover is, but it just wasnt for me. perhaps i wasnt the target audience, but then again, with the way this book is advertised, i dont think it would appease the target audience either. if you are looking for a gift for a 10-12 year old who likes to read then yes, maybe get this one, but otherwise it just wasn't great.
thank you to Netgalley & HarperCollins Children's Books for the chance to read and review this arc!!
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this books was written by a millennial who was born in the wrong era.
it was cute but the use of slang in this was truly so annoying
rtc
update: 3 --> 2 stars because every time i think about my thoughts on this book all that comes to mind is the extreme use of new gen slang like "brah" and "opp" omg im telling you. reading the word opp in a book is the biggest ick ever. idek how i powered through anymore 😭
tbr-but-mine-bc-fck-the-patriarchy
October 19, 2026dubai chocolate matcha tote bag performative male ahh book 💔
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC provided by NetGalley
4/5⭐️
I really enjoyed Matcha & Matches!
Takashi is a sweetheart and must be protected at all costs! I mean, how can you not adore an MMC who says he knows almost as much about the FMC as he does about matcha.…when matcha is literally his sole passion in life?
Without posting any spoilers…I’ll say that I really enjoyed how Rina adjusted her mindset about Takashi when she learned new information about him.
While the plot was interesting, I felt the story almost went at a break neck pace. A few filler scenes with Rina, Takashi doing things together, like going to dinner or on a trip to Takashi’s favourite spots in Uji would have gone a long way to build both intimacy and a deeper connection between the two.
I really enjoyed my time with Rina and Takashi and would love if we got follow up novel about their relationship as adults!
4/5⭐️
I really enjoyed Matcha & Matches!
Takashi is a sweetheart and must be protected at all costs! I mean, how can you not adore an MMC who says he knows almost as much about the FMC as he does about matcha.…when matcha is literally his sole passion in life?
Without posting any spoilers…I’ll say that I really enjoyed how Rina adjusted her mindset about Takashi when she learned new information about him.
While the plot was interesting, I felt the story almost went at a break neck pace. A few filler scenes with Rina, Takashi doing things together, like going to dinner or on a trip to Takashi’s favourite spots in Uji would have gone a long way to build both intimacy and a deeper connection between the two.
I really enjoyed my time with Rina and Takashi and would love if we got follow up novel about their relationship as adults!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC of this novel!
Over the last few years, I've become more interested in Asian-based stories and folklore. I find it both intriguing and fascinating. That's partly why I was interested in reading this novel. Personally, I never understood the love for matcha, especially given how popular it has gotten in the last few years, and I don't enjoy the taste myself, but it was interesting to read about in this novel. I knew there might be different flavors or ways to create matcha, but I did not know that there were different "grades" of matcha, as the book puts it.
I also enjoyed the different descriptions of Japan and the teahouse/ceremonial room. It helped me visualize it and feel like I was really there in Japan with the characters, experiencing what was happening alongside them. The banter between Rina and Takashi was fun and silly. I liked seeing their relationship go from mentor and mentee to becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. The way they both stood up for each other throughout the novel was also nice to see and helped solidify their relationship, trust, and respect with one another. Rina's parents, though, could have benefited from better communication, as they acted a bit childish with one another.
My only real complaint about this novel, and why I knocked a star off, was the Gen Alpha language. Now, I knew the story was YA going into this, and I typically enjoy YA stories and can look past things such as the mentions of social media: TikTok, Instagram, Twitter (X), text messages, and simplified language, but the phrases "I am cooked," "lowkey fire," and the countless uses of the word "opp" when Rina was describing Takashi kept pulling me out of the story. I know YA stories are meant to connect to modern teens, but that just felt like a bit too much and kind of annoyed me.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed this novel and had a fun time with it.
Over the last few years, I've become more interested in Asian-based stories and folklore. I find it both intriguing and fascinating. That's partly why I was interested in reading this novel. Personally, I never understood the love for matcha, especially given how popular it has gotten in the last few years, and I don't enjoy the taste myself, but it was interesting to read about in this novel. I knew there might be different flavors or ways to create matcha, but I did not know that there were different "grades" of matcha, as the book puts it.
I also enjoyed the different descriptions of Japan and the teahouse/ceremonial room. It helped me visualize it and feel like I was really there in Japan with the characters, experiencing what was happening alongside them. The banter between Rina and Takashi was fun and silly. I liked seeing their relationship go from mentor and mentee to becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. The way they both stood up for each other throughout the novel was also nice to see and helped solidify their relationship, trust, and respect with one another. Rina's parents, though, could have benefited from better communication, as they acted a bit childish with one another.
My only real complaint about this novel, and why I knocked a star off, was the Gen Alpha language. Now, I knew the story was YA going into this, and I typically enjoy YA stories and can look past things such as the mentions of social media: TikTok, Instagram, Twitter (X), text messages, and simplified language, but the phrases "I am cooked," "lowkey fire," and the countless uses of the word "opp" when Rina was describing Takashi kept pulling me out of the story. I know YA stories are meant to connect to modern teens, but that just felt like a bit too much and kind of annoyed me.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed this novel and had a fun time with it.
September 22, 2026
What a breath of fresh air! This story has me ready to try some real, authentic matcha! The story follows Rina, a seventeen year old girl who was born in Japan, but grew up in California with her mother after her parent’s divorced. The CEO of a very successful Matcha cafe, Rina’s mom is a work-a-holic who loves her daughter but mostly forgets to take care of herself. Rina finds herself on a 12 hour flight to Kyoto to spend the summer with her father who, not only owns a tea house that is centuries old passed down through his family, but the tea farm that supplies “Matcha Much” with the delicious tea that sustains their business. Rina finds herself in competition with a boy who seems to have her father’s undivided attention, while she struggles to feel seen by him at all. As tensions and conflicts arise, Rina finds out exactly who she can count on, and who doesn’t actually have her best interests at heart. She may even have found a spark for this blunt and literal young man, who is nothing on the inside like he might outwardly appear. This story does a wonderful job of showing the difficulties of family dynamics, especially those with vast cultural differences. It also gives insight to how the mind of someone who is on the spectrum works.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Cover: A+
Title: A +
Storyline, plot, and character development: B++
Let's talk cover. A reader who spies this on a bookshelf will be drawn the iconic Japanese architecture in the background framing the two larger than life characters in the foreground. Like that it is a mutual gazing of one another so it strikes an even interest, not just one. Also, like the soft pink contrast with the vibrant green given the starring character is the matcha.
As to the title, it aptly fits the storyline that starts with a not so meet cute. Think the Author did an excellent and realistic job of trading animosity for amor. Neither of the main characters embodied one trait personalities. Rina was not wholly good. Takashi was not blindly obedient. And that worked.
It's a four rather than five as feel Rina's friendship seemed (despite the effort to describe their physical characters and home lives) more of a Greek chorus than a distinct character (see: Takashi's friend).
Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books | Avon a for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.
All opinions are my own.
#MatchaMatches #NetGalley
Title: A +
Storyline, plot, and character development: B++
Let's talk cover. A reader who spies this on a bookshelf will be drawn the iconic Japanese architecture in the background framing the two larger than life characters in the foreground. Like that it is a mutual gazing of one another so it strikes an even interest, not just one. Also, like the soft pink contrast with the vibrant green given the starring character is the matcha.
As to the title, it aptly fits the storyline that starts with a not so meet cute. Think the Author did an excellent and realistic job of trading animosity for amor. Neither of the main characters embodied one trait personalities. Rina was not wholly good. Takashi was not blindly obedient. And that worked.
It's a four rather than five as feel Rina's friendship seemed (despite the effort to describe their physical characters and home lives) more of a Greek chorus than a distinct character (see: Takashi's friend).
Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books | Avon a for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.
All opinions are my own.
#MatchaMatches #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Aww this was so cute!
4.0!
Huge thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC!
For starters the cover and title really caught my attention from the get go. Matcha is delicious and that’s a hill I will die on. (We’ll talk about this more later)
Plus the cute pinks, greens, and animated style of the cover is so cute!
For the story:
I really enjoyed the setting. I really loved the tea house and all of the Lush descriptions of Japan. As for the characters I appreciated how they were built and developed. Rina and Takashi together were actually tea! (Haha get it? Matcha joke!) Plus the amount of matcha in this story is absolutely amazing. I retained more information about Matcha after this book than 10th grade bio.
Dialogue wise…
Admittedly, I found the humor funny. I’m definitely the target audience. However sometimes the use of slang was a little much even for myself. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, it adds to the experience overall. Just a heads up in case you’re wondering!
4.0!
Huge thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC!
For starters the cover and title really caught my attention from the get go. Matcha is delicious and that’s a hill I will die on. (We’ll talk about this more later)
Plus the cute pinks, greens, and animated style of the cover is so cute!
For the story:
I really enjoyed the setting. I really loved the tea house and all of the Lush descriptions of Japan. As for the characters I appreciated how they were built and developed. Rina and Takashi together were actually tea! (Haha get it? Matcha joke!) Plus the amount of matcha in this story is absolutely amazing. I retained more information about Matcha after this book than 10th grade bio.
Dialogue wise…
Admittedly, I found the humor funny. I’m definitely the target audience. However sometimes the use of slang was a little much even for myself. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, it adds to the experience overall. Just a heads up in case you’re wondering!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Matcha & Matches is a sweet YA romance about Japanese American matcha heiress, Rina, who travels to her family's matcha tea farm to learn the ins and outs of matcha and the traditional tea ceremony. There she meets her estranged father's protégé and tea shop tea master, Takashi. Despite his seemingly indifferent, grumpy demeanor, sparks fly between Rina and Takashi.
The two of them navigate a budding romance, Rina's parents' expectations of her, the future of the family tea farm, and an impending visit to their tea room by the throughly modern Japanese princess.
This was a delightful book to read and I think it would do well in the teen market it is intended for. I'm too unc to know if all the slang used is legit by the author. I have two teenagers myself and am informed I am not up to date with the latest young people vernacular.
The only thing wrong I could find with this book is that Cinnamaroll is a puppy, not a bunny.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
The two of them navigate a budding romance, Rina's parents' expectations of her, the future of the family tea farm, and an impending visit to their tea room by the throughly modern Japanese princess.
This was a delightful book to read and I think it would do well in the teen market it is intended for. I'm too unc to know if all the slang used is legit by the author. I have two teenagers myself and am informed I am not up to date with the latest young people vernacular.
The only thing wrong I could find with this book is that Cinnamaroll is a puppy, not a bunny.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ok 3.8 this was really cute, and it gave me all the feels that I almost wished where I lived was spring instead of fall but I'll always love the fall season...
Characters:
Rina: She came off as unlikeable at first and she kinda came off as quirky to me but of course I would have probably acted even more worse in these situation so props to being realistic
Takahashi: He was so cute! And I will protect him with my life even though he came off as rude at first he's still precious to me
Soma: Carried the whole book on his freaking back and still asked why he's back was hurting. Wish he had more depth to just being comedic relief but what else was I expecting?
Rina's Family: Ok the mom pissed me off near the ending. And her dad jeez again I wish he had more debt, Her Grandmother and Grandfather were also very heart warming
Rina's friends: Underrated but needing more depth
So set backs wise the only complaint I have is the lack of depth in characters but i guess its because I'm too much of a fantasy reader what was I expecting?
Characters:
Rina: She came off as unlikeable at first and she kinda came off as quirky to me but of course I would have probably acted even more worse in these situation so props to being realistic
Takahashi: He was so cute! And I will protect him with my life even though he came off as rude at first he's still precious to me
Soma: Carried the whole book on his freaking back and still asked why he's back was hurting. Wish he had more depth to just being comedic relief but what else was I expecting?
Rina's Family: Ok the mom pissed me off near the ending. And her dad jeez again I wish he had more debt, Her Grandmother and Grandfather were also very heart warming
Rina's friends: Underrated but needing more depth
So set backs wise the only complaint I have is the lack of depth in characters but i guess its because I'm too much of a fantasy reader what was I expecting?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I thought this was a cute novel! We follow Rina as she starts helping out at her estranged father's teahouse in Japan while also going on a journey of self-growth. I thought the setting was really great, and I enjoyed getting to learn more about traditional tea ceremonies! Did the main character make decisions that really frustrated me... yes... yes she did. Overall, I liked that the characters felt flawed and you definitely get to see the main character grow through her choices. A clean young adult read!
Thank you to Net Galley and Publisher for an arc of this book.
Thank you to Net Galley and Publisher for an arc of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Reading this felt like being taught by Takashi alongside Rina. The tea house and ceremonies were described so vividly that I could picture being there. It just feel so quiet and cozy.
But most of the characters frustrated me at times. Soma, and Rina’s best friends really carried this one.
And some issues were not properly addressed. Like everything seemed okay after Tate’s actions, which felt unresolved.
Overall, the book felt flat. It lacked depth in many areas except for the tea ceremony scenes which were beautifully described.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC.
But most of the characters frustrated me at times. Soma, and Rina’s best friends really carried this one.
And some issues were not properly addressed. Like everything seemed okay after Tate’s actions, which felt unresolved.
Overall, the book felt flat. It lacked depth in many areas except for the tea ceremony scenes which were beautifully described.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book had me at “matcha and Japan,” and I thoroughly enjoyed it. *Matcha & Matches* was such a fun, charming, and cozy read. I especially loved how beautifully detailed the story was when exploring Japan and its rich tea culture. The combination of culture, atmosphere, and romance made this such an enjoyable read from beginning to end.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a cute read but bit hard to get into because of the extremely slow start. I was more than half way in before there was any sense of romance.
Rina came across as unlikeable at first, but I understood her reactions and appreciated how realistic she felt as the story progressed. Takashi was adorable, even if he seemed rude initially. Soma carried the book on his back with his comedic energy, though I wish he had been given more depth. All other characters were decently developed though i wish we got more of Rina’s interaction and relationship with her father.
My biggest issue was the lack development overall. I would have liked more moments of Rina and Takashi getting to know each other and the resolution with her parents felt underdeveloped. Ultimately i wish the first par of the novel was shorter or more progressive and the last part was longer .
Overall, I enjoyed the cozy atmosphere, but I wish this story had been more captivating.
Rina came across as unlikeable at first, but I understood her reactions and appreciated how realistic she felt as the story progressed. Takashi was adorable, even if he seemed rude initially. Soma carried the book on his back with his comedic energy, though I wish he had been given more depth. All other characters were decently developed though i wish we got more of Rina’s interaction and relationship with her father.
My biggest issue was the lack development overall. I would have liked more moments of Rina and Takashi getting to know each other and the resolution with her parents felt underdeveloped. Ultimately i wish the first par of the novel was shorter or more progressive and the last part was longer .
Overall, I enjoyed the cozy atmosphere, but I wish this story had been more captivating.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This was a cute young-love story!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is YA?? Not MG?? Brah. (Iykyk)
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