Heart-Shaped Karaoke Box

Culture shock is nothing compared to this.

Recent music production grad Eva Calabrese wants out of her dead end job, so when her former classmate, Tobio, suggests that she move to Japan to teach English, she packs her things and flies to Tobio’s home country. Eva stays with him and his kind parents in Takaishi, Osaka. They introduce her to the Japanese language and culture, all the while Eva tries to discern if there’s a spark between her and hesitant Tobio. 

Things heat up when the intimidatingly hot tattoo artist, Yuya, appears at the back of Eva’s classroom, and he kisses her later at karaoke. Sweet and romantic Yuya removes his mask once he moves in with Eva, and she realizes she fell for the wrong guy. Tobio knows too well that she’s suffering, and he finally reveals the decade-old secret he and Yuya have been keeping from her. 

Devastated, Eva flees from Osaka to the sprawling city of Tokyo where a chance encounter with Japan’s rising female pop star, the effervescent Miriko, changes Eva’s life forever. 

Will Eva figure out who she’s meant to be with? Tobio, Yuya, or Miriko? Will she learn from her floundering and thrive in a foreign country or have to go back home to Canada? 

This fast-paced account of self-discovery through travel examines the power and pain of growing up, celebrity life, and broken hearts.

Perfect for fans of low spice/closed door, anime, light novels, J-pop, TOKYO EVER AFTER and XO, KITTY. Read the full first chapter for free on my website!

Also available as an audiobook.