I Love You So Mochi

by Sarah Kuhn

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Her mother's dream was for Kimi to become the next great Asian American artist. The only problem was it was not HER dream. While standing at a crossroads in her life, Kimi received a plane ticket and an invitation to visit her estranged grandparents in Japan. She saw this as the perfect escape from her mother's crushing disappointment, but it was exactly what she needed to find her passion.

I swear, I didn't stop grinning for hours after reading this book. I simply loved everything about it.

Kimi was fantastic! She was charming, smart, funny, and talented, oh so, talented. I loved her passion for fashion, and her zeal for discovering new things.

Akira was terribly sweet. I was delighted by all his nerdy suaveness, his ambitions, his authenticity, and his love for his family. I was so happy that this life-sized mochi danced his way into Kimi's life, because he absolutely made her time in Japan really special.

Kimi's family played a big role in her journey as well. Her relationship with her mother was complicated. As a matter of fact, there were three generations of women working through their complicated feelings for each other, but underneath it all, you knew there was love. The relationship that developed between Kimi and her grandmother was beautiful, and a step in the right direction for her grandmother to begin mending the bridge between herself and her own daughter. Then, there were the letters Kimi wrote to her mother. They were beyond wonderful, and it was really lovely how Kimi uncovered so many truths about her mother as she was trying to figure herself out. Lots of sweet and touching moments here, folks. I must mention, that her dad and grandfather were also too precious for words.

The romance was like biting into mochi - soft and gooey and so sweet on the inside. I adored Kimi and Akira together, and I wish I had a jump ahead to see what their future held.

Japan and Japanese culture were featured prominently by Kuhn, and I inhaled every site, morsel, and bit of information she sent my way. The places she chose to have us visit were all so wonderful, and they weren't simply backdrops to the action, but rather, Kuhn incorporated them well into the story. And, as for the food, my mouth watered continuously. Bless you, Kimi, and your hearty appetite. You know I am trying to find some sweet potato Kit Kats now too.



Overall: I had an incredible time with Kimi on her journey to finding her passion. It was filled with so many new discoveries, new experiences, and lots of love.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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