Summer Haikus
Isa's summer at the Tokyo Olympics was supposed to be fun...
But all her plans are going straight in the trash. Now she must decide what's more important: love or loyalty.
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Read for Free!About Summer Haikus...
“When it comes to fight or flight, I always choose to run like hell.”
Isa planned the perfect summer:
Tokyo and the Summer Olympics — check.
Helping her best friend prepare for the marathon — check.
Forgetting she’s in love with Masa — double check.
But when Isa’s mother is hospitalized, she has to abandon her summer plans to run the family’s Tokyo business. Masa’s offer to help makes it impossible for Isa to ignore him — and the firecracker kiss they shared half a world away. Everyone expects the world of her, but the pressure to please them all is as oppressive as the Tokyo summer heat. The simplest answer to all her problems? Run.
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance / Multicultural Romance
Publication Date: August 6, 2015
Series: The Happily Ever Asia Series, Book #2
Chapters from Summer Haikus...
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Summer Haikus – Chapter 1
Ripples of energy shoot up my legs as my feet hit the pavement, one stride in front of the other. My neck is drenched and rivulets of sweat cascade down...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 2
“Was this Plan B or Plan C?” Masa asks, dumping his bag on the table.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 3
“What the hell am I doing here?” I shout at Halley over the ridiculously loud rap music.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 4
I walk out onto the front lawn and take another deep breath. It’s a beautiful night in East Lansing.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 5
The door to our room clicks open at the ungodly hour of nine the next morning. I don’t remember sleeping, but I must have been unconscious because Halley’s entrance scares...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 6
I double-check my makeup in the mirror, making certain my eyes are no longer puffy and red. They’re fine.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 7
Two weeks at home, and my daily routine has consisted of: sleep in late every day, go for a run, watch TV, pick Jackson, my little half-brother, up from daycare...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 8
I get on a plane to Japan by a sheer miracle. This was not a part of my plans!
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 9
The taxi pulls up outside of my grandparents’ house as the evening light slants into the window and blinds me.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 10
I worried that seeing my mom in the hospital would be hard, and I was so, so right. I’m supposed to be a responsible adult, but I feel like a...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 11
I don’t sleep well in the loft above the kitchen. The room is spotless and comfortable but bright in the morning.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 12
What? I look up from my phone and scan the street to the left and right.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 13
Masa and I divide up the work at the ryokan, and after two weeks, we have a routine. The morning train to Kichijōji from Tokyo Station leaves every five minutes...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 14
“Halley! Are you ready for the Olympics?” “Halley! Can you tell us where you’ve been while you’ve been in town?”
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 15
“You have a good eye for form, Masa,” Kosho says, squeezing Masa’s shoulder and stepping back to tilt his head and gaze at the ikebana arrangement on the stainless steel...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 16
“You know, your mother wears a kimono every day when she works here.” Poor Reiko, roped into helping me get dressed in one of my mother’s kimonos, sighs as she...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 17
I slam my stack of papers down on the front desk next to Reiko. “Ugh. I suck at this,” I mutter, flipping through the calendar to the next month, which...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 18
I run with Halley on Monday morning as usual, then Tuesday morning I text her to let her know I’m going to visit Mom and ask for a salary. She...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 19
I stand off to the side of the stream of people exiting the Kichijōji train station at eight in the morning and crane my neck, standing on my tip-toes, looking...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 20
We take the JR Line into Tokyo Station after getting breakfast at the local bakery and killing an hour’s worth of time so rush hour is completely over. Sitting next...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 21
We eat cold soba noodles and drink beers at lunch in a busy tourist-infested place close to the temple. The beers were Masa’s idea, even though I fear I’m far...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 22
The train ride to Akasaka-Mitsuke is packed with people just off work — no seats and standing room only. Rather than possibly being groped by some hard-up salaryman, I stand...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 23
I sit patiently while my grandfather counts out the salary I’ve earned since I began working. Ten-thousand yen notes pile up high on the desk, and their sheer number starts...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 24
Dinner drags on for two whole hours, in which I witness Masa and Kae flirt with each other relentlessly. The izakaya is too loud for me to hear their conversation,...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 25
I am one of those people that’s really good, exceedingly excellent, at denying myself the things I want until I achieve my goals. I wouldn’t call myself weak-willed except for...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 26
The alarm beeps at 6:30am, and I roll over and knock the alarm clock halfway across the room. I barely slept, too excited and nervous for my day and date...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 27
“Reiko ignored me when I said good night to her. Did I do something to piss her off?”
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 28
Masa opens the door to his quiet and dark apartment and steps aside to let me in first. I reach to my right and flick on the light in the...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 29
I wake up, naked and sprawled in Masa’s bed, half covered with a sheet. That was absolutely the best night of my life.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 30
Breakfast from the bakery, a shower, and short nap later, I head over to the hospital to visit my mom. I thought the day after I had sex with Masa...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 31
Standing and waiting for Masa on Saturday morning, I flick my thumb across the top of the coffee I have for him, back and forth. Flick, flick.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 32
I wake on Sunday morning wearing the same clothes I came home in the previous evening, and my stomach growls loud enough to wake everyone in a two-block radius. I...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 33
Tanabata comes to Japan on a busy Tuesday. While working during the day, I take a few breaks to jump on my phone and research what Tanabata is all about.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 34
“What?” he asks, pulling back from me. His eyes widen in the dim glow of the last fireworks.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 35
Masa and I sleep in the next day, waking up in a tangle of limbs and sighs. He takes the morning off and returns to the ryokan with a suitcase...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 36
When we enter Masa’s grandparents’ house in Kamakura, a young detective sits seiza at their common room small table, awaiting our arrival. His grandfather, a tiny graying man with bushy...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 37
“Nakama wa doko no iru no?” “Huh?” I snap out of another blank stare and realize I didn’t understand a word the baker said to me in Japanese.
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 38
Without Masa, days at the ryokan are getting long and difficult. The Olympics are less than two weeks away, and I’m filling in for the extra tasks Masa used to...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 39
I can’t make it farther than eight miles into the ten mile morning run. I’m sick inside with stress over my inevitable new life, finding a new school, canceling classes...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 40
I’m a bundle of nerves as I pace the sidewalk outside of the restaurant. I know Masa and his parents are in there waiting for me, but I can’t bring...
Read NowSummer Haikus – Chapter 41
Masa’s fingers grip my waist, and I become lost in a haze. My brain shorts out, taking in the world around me, his living room and us on the couch,...
Read NowPraise
“The romance was one of the best parts of this book. Isa and Masa are perfect for each other and there are this little gestures that meant so much and Masa’s haikus which are woven into the story. I loved seeing them go from friends to lovers… This book is exactly what I am looking for in a romance. It had a great story, awesome characters and a setting I fell in love with… If you are looking for a great romance book to read this summer, with focus on Japanese culture, I would certainly recommend you give Summer Haikus a try.” – Lola’s Reviews
“Overall this book is super kawaii cute. The characters felt very lifelike and I felt that by the end of it that I knew them personally. So much so that I even wanted to watch Isa’s YouTube channel and felt a little sad that it only existed within this book. Highly recommended!” – Trish, Between My Lines
“Summer Haikus is an adorable summer read and if you love travelling, reading Isa’s perspective on Japan and the different facets of its culture will be especially enjoyable. The lovely haikus are sweet, too!” – Bibliojunkies
“I definitely recommend this book to anyone who’s even slightly intrigued by this blurb. Isa was such an endearing but strong heroine, and I loved Masa and Halley for being there for her, and just being awesome characters in their own right. In short, S.J. Pajonas has done it again!” – Brianna, Always Books
“I enjoyed reading and learning about Japan & all things Japanese!The ups & downs of Isa & Masa lives and their love for each other was well told. Thanks for a great read, S. J. Pajonas!” – Dianne, Amazon Customer
“I absolutely loved this book. You know a book is good when it makes you feel things, and this book definitely did that. Not only did it have me laughing, I was smiling through 90% of it. The relationships between the characters are relatable and the writing makes you feel like you’re in the book. Definitely a book I would recommend to others, and would read again. The ending was perfect even if some of the characters didn’t get what they wanted.” – Ashley, Amazon Customer
“Loved the characters. The description of Isa’s need to plan everything and anxiety attacks were right on the money. Masa was wonderful, too. Japan came to life and I felt like I was there. Can’t wait to read more of your books!” – Brenda Morrison, Amazon Customer
“Thank you so much for another great book to read.I enjoy reading your stories about Japanese people. The love story in this book is great. I enjoyed reading about the Tokyo area plus learning more about Japan.” – Carl A Maiese, Amazon Customer
“The author captures what it’s like to be young, and in love, in Japan. The story and characters have a certain charm, but the author’s love for the culture really shows. It’s a nice read that brings back memories for me.” – MarkD, Amazon Customer
S. J. Pajonas is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
