The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
lolasreviews's review
4.0
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
I wanted to read this book after hearing some good things about it and because I was intrigued by the cover. This was totally different then I expected, but I still enjoyed it. yes it is about Tokyo and swimming, but mostly it's a romance story set in Tokyo. I did love the setting, although I wished there was some more swimming.
At first i had some trouble getting into this book, the first few chapters where a bit slow and took place in the Us and I just wanted them to get to Tokyo. Later on I did understand why the start in the Us was necessary for this story though. Also the writing style took me some getting used to. When I hesitantly picked up the book the next day after getting only 10% in the first day i actually read most of the rest of the book in one sitting.
I did really enjoy this book, although I can't really pinpoint why. It was a fun story and once the pace picked up I enjoyed it and wanted to keep reading. There are also some more difficult and hard scenes, although I thought they clashed a bit with the rest of the book at times.
I liked Zo and Finn, they are both fleshed out character, although it does take some time before we really get to know Finn. And Finn could be a bit too stubborn at times. There are some frustrating scenes between the two of them, but overall I liked how messy their relationship was, they had their up and downs, but never really let it go too far. I also liked how their relationship developed slowly at first and how they became friends first. Beside the two main character, the side characters weren't that interesting and besides Mindi I often forgot who was who.
I really liked the setting in Tokyo, although I would've liked a bit more focus on the country as sometimes it was easy to forget they actually where in Tokyo. There where some scenes where the differences between the two cultures was really obvious and it was fun to see how different Japan is. Also I had expected for swimming to play a more central point in this book, but while it was mentioned a few times that Zo liked to swim, there wasn't really more focus on that.
To conclude: this was a fun book and once I got past the first 10% I really enjoyed it and read most of it in one sitting. The main characters are nice, although Finn could be a bit stubborn at time and we don't learn much about the side characters. the romance was done well and had a slow build-up to friend first and then more. All in all this was a fun read with a nice setting.
I wanted to read this book after hearing some good things about it and because I was intrigued by the cover. This was totally different then I expected, but I still enjoyed it. yes it is about Tokyo and swimming, but mostly it's a romance story set in Tokyo. I did love the setting, although I wished there was some more swimming.
At first i had some trouble getting into this book, the first few chapters where a bit slow and took place in the Us and I just wanted them to get to Tokyo. Later on I did understand why the start in the Us was necessary for this story though. Also the writing style took me some getting used to. When I hesitantly picked up the book the next day after getting only 10% in the first day i actually read most of the rest of the book in one sitting.
I did really enjoy this book, although I can't really pinpoint why. It was a fun story and once the pace picked up I enjoyed it and wanted to keep reading. There are also some more difficult and hard scenes, although I thought they clashed a bit with the rest of the book at times.
I liked Zo and Finn, they are both fleshed out character, although it does take some time before we really get to know Finn. And Finn could be a bit too stubborn at times. There are some frustrating scenes between the two of them, but overall I liked how messy their relationship was, they had their up and downs, but never really let it go too far. I also liked how their relationship developed slowly at first and how they became friends first. Beside the two main character, the side characters weren't that interesting and besides Mindi I often forgot who was who.
I really liked the setting in Tokyo, although I would've liked a bit more focus on the country as sometimes it was easy to forget they actually where in Tokyo. There where some scenes where the differences between the two cultures was really obvious and it was fun to see how different Japan is. Also I had expected for swimming to play a more central point in this book, but while it was mentioned a few times that Zo liked to swim, there wasn't really more focus on that.
To conclude: this was a fun book and once I got past the first 10% I really enjoyed it and read most of it in one sitting. The main characters are nice, although Finn could be a bit stubborn at time and we don't learn much about the side characters. the romance was done well and had a slow build-up to friend first and then more. All in all this was a fun read with a nice setting.
kate2440's review
3.0
I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I do like this cover as it's very summery exactly what you need for this time of year as well as it's also eye catching especially with the title. I may like this book but I think it's the wrong cover and title it didn't flow into the story.
I felt a little let down by this book because I was expecting more of the swimming involved into the story especially when the reason why I wanted to read it was because of the swimming as I am a huge lover of sports in the books I read at the minute. Once I was able to get over the non-swimming issue I was able to get into the story but not all the way through as there was a lot of moments that just bored me. As for the romance side of the story I just didn't feel it, there was times when I thought here we go but in the end I just didn't feel any spark between the characters more like best friends. The friend side of their relationship was cute and they was there for one another. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending it felt a little forced and not finished, I would've liked it to have gone a few years into the future as I don't believe in Zo and Finn as a couple so I would liked to have seen if they where actually still together and how they sorted through their issue's.
I actually liked the two main character as they both where fighters especially Finn as his childhood wasn't a good one and to still have a smile on your face is amazing. As friends they brought the best in each other but as a couple I wasn't a fan. There was a couple of secondary characters that I liked and would've liked to see more of especially Zo's Grandmother she was a great addition to the story. I didn't like Zo's Dad as he was such a hypocrite. He wasn't there for Zo when she needed him the most and then changes and doesn't want her seeing Finn. I also didn't like Finn's parents, his father was horrible the things he put Finn through unforgivable as for his Mum she just seemed to be background noise I don't feel as though she was needed in the story.
Overall if I didn't know about the synopsis and cover before hand I would have enjoyed it more than what I did do.
I do like this cover as it's very summery exactly what you need for this time of year as well as it's also eye catching especially with the title. I may like this book but I think it's the wrong cover and title it didn't flow into the story.
I felt a little let down by this book because I was expecting more of the swimming involved into the story especially when the reason why I wanted to read it was because of the swimming as I am a huge lover of sports in the books I read at the minute. Once I was able to get over the non-swimming issue I was able to get into the story but not all the way through as there was a lot of moments that just bored me. As for the romance side of the story I just didn't feel it, there was times when I thought here we go but in the end I just didn't feel any spark between the characters more like best friends. The friend side of their relationship was cute and they was there for one another. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending it felt a little forced and not finished, I would've liked it to have gone a few years into the future as I don't believe in Zo and Finn as a couple so I would liked to have seen if they where actually still together and how they sorted through their issue's.
I actually liked the two main character as they both where fighters especially Finn as his childhood wasn't a good one and to still have a smile on your face is amazing. As friends they brought the best in each other but as a couple I wasn't a fan. There was a couple of secondary characters that I liked and would've liked to see more of especially Zo's Grandmother she was a great addition to the story. I didn't like Zo's Dad as he was such a hypocrite. He wasn't there for Zo when she needed him the most and then changes and doesn't want her seeing Finn. I also didn't like Finn's parents, his father was horrible the things he put Finn through unforgivable as for his Mum she just seemed to be background noise I don't feel as though she was needed in the story.
Overall if I didn't know about the synopsis and cover before hand I would have enjoyed it more than what I did do.
the_cover_contessa's review
5.0
I want to thank Spencer Hill Contemporary for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review. I will let you know that, yes, I do work for Spencer Hill Press as a publicist and no, this did not influence my opinion or review. The book on it's own is fabulous and no matter the publisher it needs to be read!
Blurb from Goodreads:
The rules for swimming are simple:
Rule #1: There is no lifeguard on duty.
Since her mom died three years ago, nineteen-year-old Zosia Eastonās been treading water. Living at home. Community college. Same old Saturday nights. So when her father breaks the news heās taken a job transferāand by the way, it means renting out the house thatās been her refugeāa summer in Tokyo feels like it just might be a chance to start swimming again.
Rule #2: Beware of unexpected currents.
Finn OāLeary has spent God knows how many years trying to drown out his past. Juvenile detention. Bad decisions. Worse choices. Heās managed to turn it around ā MIT, Deanās List, a sexier-than-thou body with a smile to match ā at least on the surface. When his mom asks him to spend the summer with her, Tokyo seems as good a place as any to float through the summer.
Rule #3: Swim at your own risk
To say I was pleasantly surprised by this book is an understatement. I loved the concept from the moment I read the blurb. I'm very into contemporary books right now. But I am also extremely picky about them because they have to have fabulous characters, an interesting plot, and some basis in reality. This book has all three and more.
Zosia (Zo, Zoe) really surprised me in this book. At the start, I was sure she was going to be so resistant to Tokyo that the book would focus on how much she hated her life while there. However, I was happy to see her embrace Tokyo and her situation, as much as she was reluctant to go at first. Zosia is strong minded and independent and can easily take care of herself with no assistance. Not surprising that she adapts fairly well once abroad. She misses her life back in the states, but she's willing to take a chance to figure out what there is for her in Tokyo. She also has quite a bit of snark and there is nothing fake about her at all.
Enter Finn. Yup, this is a boy you are going to LOVE. Does he have demons, oh yes he does. And they keep him closed off from Zosia for many parts of the book. But this just lends to his intrigue (and for me the bad boy status is such a turn on in male characters I am immediately drawn to them). And his connection with Zosia cannot be denied. He's a swoon worthy book boyfriend for sure. I think my favorite thing about Finn is that he comes across as this bad boy, but he's super intelligent and has gone from battling his demons to coming to terms with them and turning his life around. He's not perfect, but believe me, you will overlook it. Just keep in mind that he has good intentions and wants to keep everyone around him, especially those he cares for, safe.
I love how Finn and Zosia explore Japan, while exploring themselves. The way Brown develops the characters makes you fall for them completely. I would imagine anyone would be hard pressed not to connect with them on some level. There was nothing about either character that I did not love.
Having never visited Japan, I can't say that I know where anything is. But that really didn't matter, Brown did a great job with her descriptions and I felt like I was there with the characters exploring the temples and marketplaces, the restaurants and tourist attractions.
I love how Finn and Zosia slowly open up to each other, and let their demons out. Typical of a contemporary is the angst that comes along with their growing relationship: Zosia's uncertainty of letting him in and whether or not he wants to allow it. She keeps almost everyone at a safe distance, fearing heartbreak as she had when her mother died. But she's strong and determined at the same time, and slowly realizes that perhaps Finn is just the person she needs to let in.
Brown's writing is truly great. The flow is easy, her pacing is spot on. There was never a time that I wanted to put this book down. It completely and totally engulfed me. She writes funny scenes, sexy scenes, and heart wrenching scenes with all the emotion you would expect. There's tons of struggling in this book. Prepare to have Brown throw your emotions all about!
Lovers of Colleen Hoover, Cora Carmack, and Katie McGarry will definitely enjoy this fun, funny, sexy and emotional read by Brown!
Blurb from Goodreads:
The rules for swimming are simple:
Rule #1: There is no lifeguard on duty.
Since her mom died three years ago, nineteen-year-old Zosia Eastonās been treading water. Living at home. Community college. Same old Saturday nights. So when her father breaks the news heās taken a job transferāand by the way, it means renting out the house thatās been her refugeāa summer in Tokyo feels like it just might be a chance to start swimming again.
Rule #2: Beware of unexpected currents.
Finn OāLeary has spent God knows how many years trying to drown out his past. Juvenile detention. Bad decisions. Worse choices. Heās managed to turn it around ā MIT, Deanās List, a sexier-than-thou body with a smile to match ā at least on the surface. When his mom asks him to spend the summer with her, Tokyo seems as good a place as any to float through the summer.
Rule #3: Swim at your own risk
To say I was pleasantly surprised by this book is an understatement. I loved the concept from the moment I read the blurb. I'm very into contemporary books right now. But I am also extremely picky about them because they have to have fabulous characters, an interesting plot, and some basis in reality. This book has all three and more.
Zosia (Zo, Zoe) really surprised me in this book. At the start, I was sure she was going to be so resistant to Tokyo that the book would focus on how much she hated her life while there. However, I was happy to see her embrace Tokyo and her situation, as much as she was reluctant to go at first. Zosia is strong minded and independent and can easily take care of herself with no assistance. Not surprising that she adapts fairly well once abroad. She misses her life back in the states, but she's willing to take a chance to figure out what there is for her in Tokyo. She also has quite a bit of snark and there is nothing fake about her at all.
Enter Finn. Yup, this is a boy you are going to LOVE. Does he have demons, oh yes he does. And they keep him closed off from Zosia for many parts of the book. But this just lends to his intrigue (and for me the bad boy status is such a turn on in male characters I am immediately drawn to them). And his connection with Zosia cannot be denied. He's a swoon worthy book boyfriend for sure. I think my favorite thing about Finn is that he comes across as this bad boy, but he's super intelligent and has gone from battling his demons to coming to terms with them and turning his life around. He's not perfect, but believe me, you will overlook it. Just keep in mind that he has good intentions and wants to keep everyone around him, especially those he cares for, safe.
I love how Finn and Zosia explore Japan, while exploring themselves. The way Brown develops the characters makes you fall for them completely. I would imagine anyone would be hard pressed not to connect with them on some level. There was nothing about either character that I did not love.
Having never visited Japan, I can't say that I know where anything is. But that really didn't matter, Brown did a great job with her descriptions and I felt like I was there with the characters exploring the temples and marketplaces, the restaurants and tourist attractions.
I love how Finn and Zosia slowly open up to each other, and let their demons out. Typical of a contemporary is the angst that comes along with their growing relationship: Zosia's uncertainty of letting him in and whether or not he wants to allow it. She keeps almost everyone at a safe distance, fearing heartbreak as she had when her mother died. But she's strong and determined at the same time, and slowly realizes that perhaps Finn is just the person she needs to let in.
Brown's writing is truly great. The flow is easy, her pacing is spot on. There was never a time that I wanted to put this book down. It completely and totally engulfed me. She writes funny scenes, sexy scenes, and heart wrenching scenes with all the emotion you would expect. There's tons of struggling in this book. Prepare to have Brown throw your emotions all about!
Lovers of Colleen Hoover, Cora Carmack, and Katie McGarry will definitely enjoy this fun, funny, sexy and emotional read by Brown!
thiefofcamorr's review
4.0
Zosia has had her world fall apart around her more than once. First it was her motherās death ā cancer ā and now itās her fatherās work transfer ā theyāre off to Tokyo (well, Yokohama to be exact.) Sheās 19 and high school is over, soon sheāll be off to university. Itās a time of change.
To make matters interesting thereās the hot guy, Finn, who the whole school was interested in back in their high school days. Zosia sees him around once or twice but puts thoughts of him behind her now that sheās off to Tokyo for the summer ā until he turns up in Tokyo, too. Itās been three years since her mother passed and her father has started seeing another woman, someone from work. It turns out this āsomeoneā is Finnās mother. So heās come to Tokyo for the summer also.
Thereās more than there initially seemed to this hot guy; heās been in juvie, he has father issues, he has trust issues, and probably a dozen other bits of luggage. Even his mother warns Zosia off him and her father agrees; he doesnāt want to see Zosia hurt. Good luck; most people would agree just how impossible it is to not fall into a relationship when everything seems to draw you into one.
This book would fall in the New Adult genre, which means drama and a turning point in life. Will Zosia and Finn still be the people they were at the end of this particular summer?
The characters within this are well developed and interesting, however neither didnāt manage to grab me entirely ā I didnāt overly care for their wellbeing (as awful as that sounds!) For plot purposes they seemed willing to jump in without really thinking or talking things through, even though it was quite obvious they were hurt from things in their past, and would probably hurt each other along the way also. Theyāre great characters, donāt get me wrong ā I just personally didnāt find them likeable. I did love to see Zosiaās heritage play such a part in her story though ā diversity!
I also loved their dialogue ā it felt real, and I loved their snark and sarcasm as they try to protect themselves (in a prickly way!) from what theyāre falling into.
The plot jumps a little, and it was used well. Many novels these days account for each damn day, whereas this book skips the actual move itself from the US to Japan, and it managed to show the passing of time well.
The Tokyo aspects of this novel were fairly decent. Having been there many times before I would have liked to see the actual feel of the place shown more. We get a few descriptions of how humid and busy it is, their attempts at trying the food, a few Japanese words thrown in and such, but it didnāt transport me to the place as well as, say, āOut by Natsuo Kirinoā did.
Overall this is a decent novel. Itās well written, itās steady and reliable, I think I was expecting to love this much more than I resulted in (probably because my expectations were so high! I was so desperate for another excellent novel that captures Tokyo), and I was hoping for a book that has that unexplainable zing to it. I need to put that aside, because overall, this is a great novel.
To read other reviews such as this, please click here
To make matters interesting thereās the hot guy, Finn, who the whole school was interested in back in their high school days. Zosia sees him around once or twice but puts thoughts of him behind her now that sheās off to Tokyo for the summer ā until he turns up in Tokyo, too. Itās been three years since her mother passed and her father has started seeing another woman, someone from work. It turns out this āsomeoneā is Finnās mother. So heās come to Tokyo for the summer also.
Thereās more than there initially seemed to this hot guy; heās been in juvie, he has father issues, he has trust issues, and probably a dozen other bits of luggage. Even his mother warns Zosia off him and her father agrees; he doesnāt want to see Zosia hurt. Good luck; most people would agree just how impossible it is to not fall into a relationship when everything seems to draw you into one.
This book would fall in the New Adult genre, which means drama and a turning point in life. Will Zosia and Finn still be the people they were at the end of this particular summer?
The characters within this are well developed and interesting, however neither didnāt manage to grab me entirely ā I didnāt overly care for their wellbeing (as awful as that sounds!) For plot purposes they seemed willing to jump in without really thinking or talking things through, even though it was quite obvious they were hurt from things in their past, and would probably hurt each other along the way also. Theyāre great characters, donāt get me wrong ā I just personally didnāt find them likeable. I did love to see Zosiaās heritage play such a part in her story though ā diversity!
I also loved their dialogue ā it felt real, and I loved their snark and sarcasm as they try to protect themselves (in a prickly way!) from what theyāre falling into.
The plot jumps a little, and it was used well. Many novels these days account for each damn day, whereas this book skips the actual move itself from the US to Japan, and it managed to show the passing of time well.
The Tokyo aspects of this novel were fairly decent. Having been there many times before I would have liked to see the actual feel of the place shown more. We get a few descriptions of how humid and busy it is, their attempts at trying the food, a few Japanese words thrown in and such, but it didnāt transport me to the place as well as, say, āOut by Natsuo Kirinoā did.
Overall this is a decent novel. Itās well written, itās steady and reliable, I think I was expecting to love this much more than I resulted in (probably because my expectations were so high! I was so desperate for another excellent novel that captures Tokyo), and I was hoping for a book that has that unexplainable zing to it. I need to put that aside, because overall, this is a great novel.
To read other reviews such as this, please click here
denizyildiz's review
4.0
WOW!!
Brown got it exactly right! like absolutely exactly right, for me anyway...
gonna have to let this sink in and ponder a bit before I can rate this... but it 4,5 possibly 5 Stars
Brown got it exactly right! like absolutely exactly right, for me anyway...
gonna have to let this sink in and ponder a bit before I can rate this... but it 4,5 possibly 5 Stars
kayleigh_kbooks's review
5.0
Swimming to Tokyo Review on K-Books
"Honesty's easy. It's trust that's hard."
Holy crap!
Swimming to Tokyo may just be the best NA Contemporary I have ever read in my life. I am already a huge fan of NA Contemporary but I so find some of them so similar that you can completely guess what has happened in the characters past and what is going to happen in the end. Swimming to Tokyo completely and utterly dashed all of my perceptions and blew me away. It is utterly phenomenal!
Zosia is still getting over the death of her mother form 3 years ago. She thinks about her every day. She misses her every day. When her Dad reveals that his job is moving him to Tokyo and she will be spending the summer there before she heads of to University Zosia is devastated. She isn't so sure that she is ready to say goodbye to her house... the house with all of her memories of her mother. When she arrives in Tokyo she runs into Finn. The boy from her school that she had a major crush on. The one boy who is untouchable. As their friendship develops and sparks fly Zosia and Finn have to face their pasts... and face the fact that after the summer they will both be leaving. Can they face their pasts and come out on top or with saying goodbye to Tokyo mean saying goodbye to the one beautiful thing that has happened to them both.
Brenda St John Brown is fast becoming an auto-buy author for me. I know I know this is her debut but I was lucky enough to beta another book that she is working on and it was awesome so this is the second Brena St John Brown that I have read... and it is phenomenal! Brenda's writing style is just so incredible. It really sucks you in from the first paragraph and won't let you go until you have devoured the whole book in one sitting. This is what happened to me! I demolished Swimming to Tokyo in one sitting and I was slightly devastated when I had no more to read. Yeah... I loved it that much!
Swimming to Tokyo is one of the best NA Contemporary novels I have ever read. I think I adore this book so much because it is so different and unique to other books in the genre. I loved that there is no major drama in the girls past. I mean of course it's horrible that her Mom died but in a lot of NA Contemps the girl has always been abused or something like that which is dramatic and damaging. Zosia hasn't had this happen to her and I loved that. A lot of the horrible stuff going on is in the guy's past and I found this so refreshing and awesome. That instead of the guy having to help the girl through her traumatic past the roles were reversed. Add that to the fact that it is set in Tokyo, Japan. I loved it! So many of these books are set in the college somewhere in the US so to have this awesome summer in an exotic place it made me love it even more.
Swimming to Tokyo is the best NA book I have ever read. I loved every moment of it and I can't recommend this enough. If you are a fan of NA Contemporary books then this book is a must-read... if you don't really like NA Contemporary books then this book is still a must-read as it's so unique and different from others. I loved everything about this book. The culture of the setting, the storyline, the emotion, the characters... everything about it is absolutely phenomenal. If there is ONE book that you read this summer make sure that it is this one.
"I don't have relationships and I sure as hell don't fall in love.
But I'm falling for you."
"Honesty's easy. It's trust that's hard."
Holy crap!
Swimming to Tokyo may just be the best NA Contemporary I have ever read in my life. I am already a huge fan of NA Contemporary but I so find some of them so similar that you can completely guess what has happened in the characters past and what is going to happen in the end. Swimming to Tokyo completely and utterly dashed all of my perceptions and blew me away. It is utterly phenomenal!
Zosia is still getting over the death of her mother form 3 years ago. She thinks about her every day. She misses her every day. When her Dad reveals that his job is moving him to Tokyo and she will be spending the summer there before she heads of to University Zosia is devastated. She isn't so sure that she is ready to say goodbye to her house... the house with all of her memories of her mother. When she arrives in Tokyo she runs into Finn. The boy from her school that she had a major crush on. The one boy who is untouchable. As their friendship develops and sparks fly Zosia and Finn have to face their pasts... and face the fact that after the summer they will both be leaving. Can they face their pasts and come out on top or with saying goodbye to Tokyo mean saying goodbye to the one beautiful thing that has happened to them both.
Brenda St John Brown is fast becoming an auto-buy author for me. I know I know this is her debut but I was lucky enough to beta another book that she is working on and it was awesome so this is the second Brena St John Brown that I have read... and it is phenomenal! Brenda's writing style is just so incredible. It really sucks you in from the first paragraph and won't let you go until you have devoured the whole book in one sitting. This is what happened to me! I demolished Swimming to Tokyo in one sitting and I was slightly devastated when I had no more to read. Yeah... I loved it that much!
Swimming to Tokyo is one of the best NA Contemporary novels I have ever read. I think I adore this book so much because it is so different and unique to other books in the genre. I loved that there is no major drama in the girls past. I mean of course it's horrible that her Mom died but in a lot of NA Contemps the girl has always been abused or something like that which is dramatic and damaging. Zosia hasn't had this happen to her and I loved that. A lot of the horrible stuff going on is in the guy's past and I found this so refreshing and awesome. That instead of the guy having to help the girl through her traumatic past the roles were reversed. Add that to the fact that it is set in Tokyo, Japan. I loved it! So many of these books are set in the college somewhere in the US so to have this awesome summer in an exotic place it made me love it even more.
Swimming to Tokyo is the best NA book I have ever read. I loved every moment of it and I can't recommend this enough. If you are a fan of NA Contemporary books then this book is a must-read... if you don't really like NA Contemporary books then this book is still a must-read as it's so unique and different from others. I loved everything about this book. The culture of the setting, the storyline, the emotion, the characters... everything about it is absolutely phenomenal. If there is ONE book that you read this summer make sure that it is this one.
"I don't have relationships and I sure as hell don't fall in love.
But I'm falling for you."
jaimearkin's review
5.0
Let me just start off by saying what a wonderful surprise this book was. I picked this book up and didn't put it down again until I turned the last page! Swimming To Tokyo is Brenda St. John Brownās debut title, and I was completely blown away by it. I apologize in advance if my review gets a little flaily!
Zosia Easton, (or Zoe to the people who are NOT near and dear to her heart) is 19 and living at home with her father who works too much and attending classes at the local college. Sheās still dealing with the death of her mother from 3 years ago and trying to hold on to the memories of the time before she was goneā¦ She keeps everyone except her best friend at a safe distance and never really puts her heart on the line for anyone. Her life has become stagnant. That is until her father breaks the news that heās gotten a promotion that includes a move to Tokyo, and he wants to goā¦ he needs to go. He wants her to come and spend the summer and even though she struggles emotionally with letting go of the home she grew up in and the memories they created there, she agrees with her father and decides to join him.
Finn OāLeary has a past heās not proud of, and demons he battles every day. But heās turned things around and has spent the last year at MIT, making the Deanās List and applying himselfā¦ When his mom suggests he spend the summer with her, he realizes it might be an opportunity skim through the summer and also experience something he wouldnāt have otherwise had the chance to do.
Neither one expects the otherā¦ in more ways than one.
Soā¦ what did I love besides everything? First and foremost it was the characters for me. Both Zosia and Finn were so wonderfully developed that I completely fell in love with them. I canāt think of a single thing about them that bothered me or I would have changed. They are both at that time in life where youāre still sort of a kid but now also sort of an adult and where Zosia has always had an amazing relationship with her family, Finn is the complete opposite. They have a connection to each other prior to arriving in Tokyo and it definitely added to the situation between them.
I really loved Zosiaās relationship with her grandmother. Without her mother to lean on, especially for those milestones we all have growing up, it was nice to know she had Babci. And even though it isnāt the ideal, she had some amazing advice for her and a lifetime of experiences to help her through some of her issues. Plus ā bonus points for the added Polish in the story. But I also have to say that I really loved her relationship with her father. Even at the beginning when I was worried he worked too much and maybe didnāt worry about his daughter enough, I still liked him. But when we got to see their interactions together in Tokyo, I really enjoyed the respect that they showed each other and the trust they had in each other. Was everything perfect? Noā¦ I mean, He definitely does work too much and he isnāt completely honest with her about a few things up front. But when they were coming clean with each other and sharing their feelings about things, you could get a sense of their love for each other and that was really perfect to see.
And Zosia herself was snarky, and for the most part pretty self-assured and knows who she is. And I really liked her friendship with Mindy. Though we donāt see a ton of it, what you do see is them supporting each other and I always love that.
The setting of this story is like itās very own character! While Iāve never been to Tokyo I feel like I was transported there with this story. I loved being a tourist through this book ā hearing about the different cities and the transportation and the temples and the food (not that I would eat any of it!)ā¦ as a reader I got to experience all of those amazing things through these characters experiences and it was really well done.
Soā¦ letās talk about Finn. You guys ā this boy. Do you love the tattoo having, guitar playing, song writing, lover of books, attempting reform, bad boy? I donāt always, but holy crap do I love this one!!
He so brings the swoons I canāt even tell you!!
āThis summer has been so much more than I ever thought it would be. Youā¦ someone like youā¦ was never supposed to be here. That night on the swings, I remember thinking I wished I knew you. You were so beautiful. So genuine. And then you were here. And all Iāve wanted is more and more and more of you.ā
BUT ā¦ but but but he also has a lot of drama and some issues and heās not perfect. Everything is definitely not smooth sailing for these two. They struggle with being honest about their feelings, they struggle about being honest about their pasts and they struggle with what is in store for their futures. And it is a BIG struggle I canāt lie to you. There are things that they are both dealing with that causes some friction between them and while their chemistry together is combustibleā¦ they have to continue to work at building the trust and opening up and putting down the walls theyāve both built up over time.
If youāre looking for a fun, sexy, entertaining read and a great new voice in the New Adult world, then I definitely recommend Swimming to Tokyo when it is released! Thank you to Spencer Hill Contemporary for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!
Zosia Easton, (or Zoe to the people who are NOT near and dear to her heart) is 19 and living at home with her father who works too much and attending classes at the local college. Sheās still dealing with the death of her mother from 3 years ago and trying to hold on to the memories of the time before she was goneā¦ She keeps everyone except her best friend at a safe distance and never really puts her heart on the line for anyone. Her life has become stagnant. That is until her father breaks the news that heās gotten a promotion that includes a move to Tokyo, and he wants to goā¦ he needs to go. He wants her to come and spend the summer and even though she struggles emotionally with letting go of the home she grew up in and the memories they created there, she agrees with her father and decides to join him.
Finn OāLeary has a past heās not proud of, and demons he battles every day. But heās turned things around and has spent the last year at MIT, making the Deanās List and applying himselfā¦ When his mom suggests he spend the summer with her, he realizes it might be an opportunity skim through the summer and also experience something he wouldnāt have otherwise had the chance to do.
Neither one expects the otherā¦ in more ways than one.
Soā¦ what did I love besides everything? First and foremost it was the characters for me. Both Zosia and Finn were so wonderfully developed that I completely fell in love with them. I canāt think of a single thing about them that bothered me or I would have changed. They are both at that time in life where youāre still sort of a kid but now also sort of an adult and where Zosia has always had an amazing relationship with her family, Finn is the complete opposite. They have a connection to each other prior to arriving in Tokyo and it definitely added to the situation between them.
I really loved Zosiaās relationship with her grandmother. Without her mother to lean on, especially for those milestones we all have growing up, it was nice to know she had Babci. And even though it isnāt the ideal, she had some amazing advice for her and a lifetime of experiences to help her through some of her issues. Plus ā bonus points for the added Polish in the story. But I also have to say that I really loved her relationship with her father. Even at the beginning when I was worried he worked too much and maybe didnāt worry about his daughter enough, I still liked him. But when we got to see their interactions together in Tokyo, I really enjoyed the respect that they showed each other and the trust they had in each other. Was everything perfect? Noā¦ I mean, He definitely does work too much and he isnāt completely honest with her about a few things up front. But when they were coming clean with each other and sharing their feelings about things, you could get a sense of their love for each other and that was really perfect to see.
And Zosia herself was snarky, and for the most part pretty self-assured and knows who she is. And I really liked her friendship with Mindy. Though we donāt see a ton of it, what you do see is them supporting each other and I always love that.
The setting of this story is like itās very own character! While Iāve never been to Tokyo I feel like I was transported there with this story. I loved being a tourist through this book ā hearing about the different cities and the transportation and the temples and the food (not that I would eat any of it!)ā¦ as a reader I got to experience all of those amazing things through these characters experiences and it was really well done.
Soā¦ letās talk about Finn. You guys ā this boy. Do you love the tattoo having, guitar playing, song writing, lover of books, attempting reform, bad boy? I donāt always, but holy crap do I love this one!!
He so brings the swoons I canāt even tell you!!
āThis summer has been so much more than I ever thought it would be. Youā¦ someone like youā¦ was never supposed to be here. That night on the swings, I remember thinking I wished I knew you. You were so beautiful. So genuine. And then you were here. And all Iāve wanted is more and more and more of you.ā
BUT ā¦ but but but he also has a lot of drama and some issues and heās not perfect. Everything is definitely not smooth sailing for these two. They struggle with being honest about their feelings, they struggle about being honest about their pasts and they struggle with what is in store for their futures. And it is a BIG struggle I canāt lie to you. There are things that they are both dealing with that causes some friction between them and while their chemistry together is combustibleā¦ they have to continue to work at building the trust and opening up and putting down the walls theyāve both built up over time.
If youāre looking for a fun, sexy, entertaining read and a great new voice in the New Adult world, then I definitely recommend Swimming to Tokyo when it is released! Thank you to Spencer Hill Contemporary for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!
samwlabb's review
4.0
This book was a pleasant surprise. I felt a kinship with Zosia, the main character. I don't know if it's because she grew up about 10 mins from my home of if it was her Polish roots (made me think of my grandpa), but I really liked her. 3 years later, Zo is still dealing with her mother's death, when her father takes a position in Japan. There, she becomes friends with her high school crush (thank you fate!), who is damaged from his childhood. I loved how they helped each other deal with their past, how their connection allowed them to move past the hurt and start to heal. The most beautiful moments, for me, were when Zosia shared things about her mother, very sweet and heartfelt (I got misty). Many fun moments, many schmexy moments, many sweet moments.
reader_fictions's review
4.0
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Actual rating: 4.5 stars
What brought me to Swimming to Tokyo was Japan. I was so excited at the prospect of a Japanese love interest. Only, it turns out that assumption was wrong wrong wrong. Iāll be looking elsewhere for that. However, despite that little disappointment, Dahlia (author of Behind the Scenes/Last Will and Testament/Under the Lights) believed so deeply that I would like Swimming to Tokyo that she sent me a Kindle copy for the holidays. Well, damn if the recing ball wasnāt right on target. Swimming to Tokyo is such a funny, swoony Christina book.
New adult fiction and I often donāt get along. The funny thing about Swimming for Tokyo is that it does have the āclassicā tropes and format that comprise a lot of new adult novels that I hate. Both Zosia and Finn have tragic pasts, heās more experienced sexually than she is and a bad boy, and Finnās constantly trying to leave her for her own good. None of these are necessarily my preferences, and they tend to be so poorly handled in romance novels, because thereās not enough time for all the character building needed to DEAL with those things. Brenda St. John Brown, though, actually makes all of these things work really well.
I knew Iād love this book on the first page when Zosia was complaining about her allergies. I mean, whenās the last time youāve encountered a fictional person with allergies? She also wipes her nose on her shirt, because she doesnāt have a tissue. She was, from that first, page very real to me. Zosiaās not afraid to be sloppy and, though sheās certainly not exactly like me since she runs, loves math, and hates reading, I loved being in her head. I instaloved all over her narration.
The first thing that really distinguishes Swimming to Tokyo from so much of the new adult I havenāt liked is Zosia. The fact that she has a sense of humor isnāt unique, but her sense of humor is different. A lot of the new adult romances go for a dark, edgy tone, whereas Zosiaās narration makes the novel, even in its darkest moments still not feel depressing or overly angsty. Zosia, though still trying to deal with the death of her mother years before, can still joke about her mom with her grandmother. There are aspects of her mom she doesnāt want to talk about it and it definitely affects her, but she can also remember the good times and appreciate all the wonderful things in her life.
Finnās more troubled than Zosia is for reasons I donāt want to reveal, as they come out as the book goes along. As such, when the two start flirting in Tokyo, Zosiaās dad initially tries to forbid the relationship. What I love is that he doesnāt become the primary obstacle in the relationship. Heās not thrilled, yes, but thatās because he knows about Finnās dark past. However, he ultimately loves his daughter and tries to do the best he can by her. He also recognizes that thereās a point where he really canāt affect her decision and just needs to be there to help her if she does get hurt.
The chemistry between Finn and Zosia is just ridiculous. I also just love the dynamic they have as theyāre getting to know each other and during the light moments when theyāre together. They joke around, but they also very openly address the hard stuff. They acknowledge their trust issues, which doesnāt necessarily solve them, but it does put things out in the open and it encourages them to be even more honest. They do fall in love fairly quickly, over several weeks, but it doesnāt feel at all like instalove, partly because they spend so much time together and partly because they donāt instatrust. I actually think instalove is worse than instalove, and I like that theyāve been separated out here because they so often come in tandem.
The main thing keeping them apart is Finnās lack of trust, mostly in himself. A trope that Swimming to Tokyo avoids is the one where love heals long-standing psychological issues. Finn isnāt healed by the end of the book, though heās healing. Zosia certainly helps and sheās a catalyst for change, but he has to do a lot of it himself and it takes time. I also love that Zosia does research on how she should help and what the right things are to say.
Zosiaās also a very nice person. Sheās rarely judgmental of others and doesnāt slut-shame in the least. She does get jealous imagining Finnās exes, but thatās as far as it goes. Ultimately, though, Zosia understands that the past is the past and thereās no point getting upset about it. Sure, in an ideal world, he might have met her earlier and had sex with less people first, but it canāt unhappen, so she doesnāt hold it against him. While heās much more experienced, he is not the first person Zosiaās ever had sex with and thereās no sense that heās in control of everything in the sexual arena.
The one thing that I didnāt like so much was a plot point near the end that seemed to add needless drama:Finn is taken by the police to be in a line up of suspects in a womanās assault. . Itās intended to be the last straw to make Finn have a freak out, but I really donāt think it was needed. Finn was pretty much there and, as Iāve said before, I really prefer for the issues to be internal to the relationship, rather than external. That said, I do think the overall arc of their relationship is really well done and it ends in a good place, where I feel like they have a good chance of lasting for a while but not like theyāre necessarily going to be together forever.
Also, I adored the Japanese setting. Though Zosia has minimal interaction with the Japanese, she does a lot of touring and people watching. Once again, I love that sheās not judgmental. Iāve not actually been to Japan, but the scenes line up perfectly with what Iāve seen in jdramas and heard from people who have been to Japan. It seemed to me very respectfully done.
If youāre looking for a sexy new adult novel that actually tackles the issues and has an amazing setting, please allow me to shove this into your hands immediately.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
What brought me to Swimming to Tokyo was Japan. I was so excited at the prospect of a Japanese love interest. Only, it turns out that assumption was wrong wrong wrong. Iāll be looking elsewhere for that. However, despite that little disappointment, Dahlia (author of Behind the Scenes/Last Will and Testament/Under the Lights) believed so deeply that I would like Swimming to Tokyo that she sent me a Kindle copy for the holidays. Well, damn if the recing ball wasnāt right on target. Swimming to Tokyo is such a funny, swoony Christina book.
New adult fiction and I often donāt get along. The funny thing about Swimming for Tokyo is that it does have the āclassicā tropes and format that comprise a lot of new adult novels that I hate. Both Zosia and Finn have tragic pasts, heās more experienced sexually than she is and a bad boy, and Finnās constantly trying to leave her for her own good. None of these are necessarily my preferences, and they tend to be so poorly handled in romance novels, because thereās not enough time for all the character building needed to DEAL with those things. Brenda St. John Brown, though, actually makes all of these things work really well.
I knew Iād love this book on the first page when Zosia was complaining about her allergies. I mean, whenās the last time youāve encountered a fictional person with allergies? She also wipes her nose on her shirt, because she doesnāt have a tissue. She was, from that first, page very real to me. Zosiaās not afraid to be sloppy and, though sheās certainly not exactly like me since she runs, loves math, and hates reading, I loved being in her head. I instaloved all over her narration.
The first thing that really distinguishes Swimming to Tokyo from so much of the new adult I havenāt liked is Zosia. The fact that she has a sense of humor isnāt unique, but her sense of humor is different. A lot of the new adult romances go for a dark, edgy tone, whereas Zosiaās narration makes the novel, even in its darkest moments still not feel depressing or overly angsty. Zosia, though still trying to deal with the death of her mother years before, can still joke about her mom with her grandmother. There are aspects of her mom she doesnāt want to talk about it and it definitely affects her, but she can also remember the good times and appreciate all the wonderful things in her life.
Finnās more troubled than Zosia is for reasons I donāt want to reveal, as they come out as the book goes along. As such, when the two start flirting in Tokyo, Zosiaās dad initially tries to forbid the relationship. What I love is that he doesnāt become the primary obstacle in the relationship. Heās not thrilled, yes, but thatās because he knows about Finnās dark past. However, he ultimately loves his daughter and tries to do the best he can by her. He also recognizes that thereās a point where he really canāt affect her decision and just needs to be there to help her if she does get hurt.
The chemistry between Finn and Zosia is just ridiculous. I also just love the dynamic they have as theyāre getting to know each other and during the light moments when theyāre together. They joke around, but they also very openly address the hard stuff. They acknowledge their trust issues, which doesnāt necessarily solve them, but it does put things out in the open and it encourages them to be even more honest. They do fall in love fairly quickly, over several weeks, but it doesnāt feel at all like instalove, partly because they spend so much time together and partly because they donāt instatrust. I actually think instalove is worse than instalove, and I like that theyāve been separated out here because they so often come in tandem.
The main thing keeping them apart is Finnās lack of trust, mostly in himself. A trope that Swimming to Tokyo avoids is the one where love heals long-standing psychological issues. Finn isnāt healed by the end of the book, though heās healing. Zosia certainly helps and sheās a catalyst for change, but he has to do a lot of it himself and it takes time. I also love that Zosia does research on how she should help and what the right things are to say.
Zosiaās also a very nice person. Sheās rarely judgmental of others and doesnāt slut-shame in the least. She does get jealous imagining Finnās exes, but thatās as far as it goes. Ultimately, though, Zosia understands that the past is the past and thereās no point getting upset about it. Sure, in an ideal world, he might have met her earlier and had sex with less people first, but it canāt unhappen, so she doesnāt hold it against him. While heās much more experienced, he is not the first person Zosiaās ever had sex with and thereās no sense that heās in control of everything in the sexual arena.
The one thing that I didnāt like so much was a plot point near the end that seemed to add needless drama:
Also, I adored the Japanese setting. Though Zosia has minimal interaction with the Japanese, she does a lot of touring and people watching. Once again, I love that sheās not judgmental. Iāve not actually been to Japan, but the scenes line up perfectly with what Iāve seen in jdramas and heard from people who have been to Japan. It seemed to me very respectfully done.
If youāre looking for a sexy new adult novel that actually tackles the issues and has an amazing setting, please allow me to shove this into your hands immediately.
bookrambler's review
3.0
The Story was awesome! The concept was amazingly refreshing. I look forward to more works by the author.