The paperback of this version had been out for months now, but I didn't get around to reading it until C.P. Santi released this Kindle edition with a very lovely cover.
Aya Contreras is thrilled to be studying in the land of sakura and sushi. Tokyo is a fascinating city to live in—vending machines, cosplayers, karaoke boxes, and bright, colorful conbinis on every corner. And the architectural design program she’s in is everything she dreamed it to be. The only problem? Her tutor doesn't seem to like her.
Well, she doesn't like him very much either. Sure, Ryohei Mori is talented, and there's no denying he's hot. But he's also a surly, bossy know-it-all who eats too many cookies.
Another annoying thing about him is he's nosy. And when he stumbles upon the crazy bucket list Aya's sisters forced on her, he teases her mercilessly about it.
But when their professor pairs them up for a design competition, things get . . . interesting. Fueled by beer and a whole lot of cookies, can Aya and Ryo cross out some items on her bucket list without killing each other? Or will they realize there's much more to each other than they'd originally thought?
The challenge for those who joined the #SparkNA class was to write an MC who is unique and that she should be brave. Caryn did fulfill that challenge wonderfully by creating Aya. She is a level-headed girl who knows what she wants and what she deserves and I immediately liked her for that. She had her own personality, she didn't mind it even when her sisters were more alike. She also agreed to their bucket list and still went on to study abroad even when that was originally planned with her ex. I mean, she got dumped but still went to Japan, to study in the same university as the ex nonetheless. If that was not brave, I don't know what is.
Ryo Mori seemed like a brooding guy, but he was also funny. His appetite for cookies was crazy and I dunno how he can be fit when he's such a cookie monster. I loved his banter with Aya and how he was supportive of her bucket list even when he teased her about it at first. I liked that he didn't push her to do things and understood her reasons.
This story also had a very lovable group of supporting characters and I especially loved Aya's sisters. I too, have two sisters and in some ways, I was able to relate to her. We're not as adventurous as the Contreras sisters, but the dynamics of tres marias, that I get. I also liked how the conflict about Aya's ex was resolved. Such a mature way of handling things.
Other things I liked : the idea of goukon, brick toast, the Japanese words here and there. Reading this made me think of my Tokyo trip last year. I didn't get to see Sakura because it was summer when I went there, but I visited Meiji-jingu. I even remember Japanese girls who were in costume asked me for a photo because I was wearing a Sailor Moon shirt. All the sushi and quirkiness that is Tokyo was precisely captured by Caryn and I feel that this is her strength. When she writes about the places she's been to and the things she did/does, she gets to translate them into charming stories of love.
I heard that the ebook was an "improved" version (storyline is the same though), so whether you've read the paperback or not, get this copy from Amazon and see Tokyo through by Aya and Ryo's story.
