“Maybe that was the key to parenting: you couldn’t keep your children from being hurt, but you could give them a soft place to land.”
― Emiko Jean, Mika in Real Life
The vibe
I was inspired by Penny’s youth and runner vibe — plus this GORGEOUS cover!
book / shoes / shorts / sports bra / tank / headphones / cap / bracelets / case
The review
Mika is 35, and her life could not be more of a mess. The once aspiring painter has lost her job, is recently broken up, and barely knows how she’s going to make rent. She’s wandering through Target feeling sorry for herself — relatable — when she receives a call. From her daughter. The one she gave up for adoption 16 years ago.
Penny has sought her out, and Mika gets swept away with the possibility of having a relationship with her daughter and she… fibs. Well, outright lies. Penny is so excited to connect with her biological mother, and still mourning from losing her adoptive mom. She eats up the life Mika paints out for her — doting boyfriend, impressive art curator job, and a cute little home in Portland. All of which is not so much true as much as it was idealistic.
As anyone who’s seen The Parent Trap, lies and shenanigans have a way of catching up to you.
I love Mika. I love Penny. I love all the side characters! What a fun little book. I loved the first half so much, but when Mika’s truth was revealed, the plot dragged a bit until the inevitable romance unfolded (which, not going to lie, I liked at first but sounded weird to me the more I thought about it.)
The audiobook was fantastic and Emiko Jean is a new author I MUST read more of. Lucky for me I got Tokyo Ever After on my shelf!
BookNerdalie 