e-Audio, 09:59:37
Narrated by: Emily Shelton
Release Date: June 10, 2025
Published by: Tundra Book Group
Read from: June 30-July 1, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Libby
Content Warning: Bullying, Alcohol, Classism
For Readers Interested In: Audio, Sparkly Covers, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (Japanese & Canadian), Realistic Fiction, Classics Retellings, Romance, YAA 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 wants her to spend less time meddling in every else’s love lives. 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 very 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 . . .
*MY THOUGHTS*
This was so much fun! I’m not usually one for Jane Austen retellings, but this one was cute! I do wish there was a bit more character development in the right way, but it was ok the way it was. And I can’t deny, the cover of this is amazing.
OK so the main character in this was so cute! I love that she was trying to set everyone up like the original Emma. What she was doing was cute…. Until it wasn’t. One of them worked and then she thought she could matchmake everyone lol She was hilarious. Untillll she wasn’t. Because let’s face it. That other couple she tried? Yeahhhhh. When I said I wanted more growth from her, I was talking about the way she did what she did at that party. Like what was the reason? She was out of line and then wanted to act like nothing happened and not apologize?! Yeah she was working my nerves.
The romance was cute, but since it was a retelling of Emma it kind of takes a back burner. She wasn’t exactly concerned about her self, just the people she was trying to do her match making abilities on. But even with it being on the back burner, it was obvious who she was going to end up with. And they were cute together. I just thought it was funny that it was obvious to everyone else lol
This was cute, but it was so basic. There was nothing that makes this extra special or differentiate this work from the original work, Emma. Usually when I read a retelling, I like for their to be something that makes it the author’s own work. But it was too much like the other. I thought there was going to be some more about the sister’s wedding, but it wasn’t anything big. I ESPECIALLY wanted this to be different since this was set in Canada and the main character is a different culture. I think if the world building would have been better it would have set up everything else.
This was cute, but I do think it could have been a bit better if the author had included something huge that showed the culture or the world around them. But for what it’s worth, this was cute and I would even give this to the younger crowd. Might be a good pick for our ToB Tournament for next year!
Overall, I give this
