LGBT romance

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Lenni Reviews: “Hello, Melancholic!” Vol. 2, by Yayoi Ohsawa

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It’s time for the community festival but Hibiki’s hand injury won’t heal in time. So, Minato comes up with a solution so they can still perform. After the show, Minato discovers Chika and Sakiko have a deeper relationship than she’d assumed.

A good chunk of this volume is dedicated to how Chika and Sakiko got together and the nature of their relationship but we also get Minato and Hibiki on a date. Hibiki wants to find out if Minato has any feelings for her or not. There’s a little forward momentum but I’m guessing the big plot points will happen in the next volume. The date is cute and the other couple’s story has some interesting elements to is. This one is spicy but not overly explicit. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “I Think I Turned My Childhood Friend Into a Girl” Vol. 1, by Azusa Banjo

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Midou is one of the most popular boys in his school and his close childhood friend Hiura is considered quiet and glum in comparison. Hiura is also the only one who knows Midou’s secret passion for makeup and allows Midou to practice his skills on him. Midou completely changes Hiura from a plain quiet boy into a beautiful young girl. So beautiful in fact, Midou’s feelings towards Hiura change when Hiura feels more comfortable in the female clothing.

This is absolutely adorable. I like how progressive and understanding everyone is around Midou and Hiura. Not very realistic but in this case, it gives space in the story for the main two to workout their relationship and figure things out.

Since this is about make up mostly (and a bit of fashion) I wish more of this was in color so we get the full effect as readers. But I understand that’s expensive to print and a lot of work. I’ll take the color pages we get. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Catch These Hands!” Vol. 2, by Murata

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Since Soramori got Takebe to go out with her after a bet, Soramori keeps trying to find things they can to together as a proper couple. However, it seems Takebe is just going along with this because she lost that bet meanwhile Soramori has genuine feelings for her.

This volume is Soramori trying different activities to try and bring them closer together. The progression of their relationship here feels natural to me. It’s a bit slow but they’re still in the phase where they’re getting to know each other. They have a nice dynamic that’s pretty entertaining to watch. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Love Nest” Vol. 1, Yuu Minaduki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+.

Nursing a broken heart, Masato takes a friend’s offer to move into his second home. What his friend neglected to mention is someone else is living there; an older man, Asahi. As they get used to living together, they become closet; first as friends then possibly more if Masato can work through the pain of the past.

This is a sweet story about two people in need of healing who find each other and manage to find love again. The end is a little abrupt but it’s nice as has just enough smexy times to be believable. A worthy addition to your yaoi library. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Crema” by Johnnie Christmas, Dante Luiz, Ryan Ferrier & Atla Hrafney

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Esme appears to be a regular woman who works as a barista but when she drinks coffee, she can see ghosts. At a party, she meets Yara, the heir to a coffee plantation that is selling the coffee shop where Esme works. One of the ghosts makes his presence known to Esme who is connected to the plantation Yara’s family owns; begging Esme for help with his unfinished business.

This is fast, well paced, soothingly colored, and really sweet. I like how the ghosts factor into the plot and how they work a little differently from traditional spirits. Esme and Yara are a cute couple and I think anyone who loves coffee, ghosts, and romance will think this is enjoyable. 5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Jealousy” Vol. 5, by Scarlet Beriko

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

This volume concludes Uichi and Akitora’s relationship in the flashback and returns to the present day; where they are both much more mature men. The ending is a perfect conclusion to the ride we go on through the series and it really feels earned. There’s plenty of spice for all of us naughty readers but also a great deal of sentiment. And I really like the way the art style adjusts between the younger and older characters. I’ll kinda miss this series but I’d go back and read it again. 4.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Mizuno and Chayama” by Yuhta Nishio

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Mizuno has to put on a happy face as her father is the mayoral candidate in their small town, Chayama is the daughter of a wealthy family and heir to a tea company that rivals Mizuno’s father. As their families are at odd, they must keep their relationship a secret.

This volume follows them through high school as they fall in love and struggle with the pressures of their familial obligations and small town life Chayama is frequently bullied while Mizuno is put on a pedestal due to her father’s status. It’s a pretty good story but jumps around at the end but it is a tense read. It’s not explicit but there are some suggestive scenes; done tastefully in my opinion. They make a cute couple and the art suits the overall tone. A worthwhile addition to the yuri genre and I’d suggest it for older teens due to to those suggestive scenes. It’s less graphic than what they’re watching on the CW these days. 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Hello, Melancholic!” Vol. 1, by Yayoi Ohsawa

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First year, Minato, is very reserved and self conscious because of her height; towering over the other girls in her class. When upperclassman Hibiki catches sight of Minato with her trombone case, Hibiki is dragged out of her comfort zone when Hibiki insists Minato join the music club and play in her band.

Minato is a very relatable teenager, nervous about tripping up and finally making some friends that won’t mock her for her height. The contrast between her and Hibiki has some classic tropey elements but their individual personalities keep things unique and interesting. They’re a classic odd couple but it’s done well and they’re so sweet together. Even the tertiary characters are entertaining. I think teens looking for more LGBTQ+ content will love this. 4.8 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Sayonara Game” by Yuu Minaduki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Yosuke and Arimura were in the basketball club as teens but grew apart as they came into adulthood. While Yosuke has had an enduring crush on Arimura, Arimura doesn’t remember him until he asks Yosuke to tutor his little sister; who develops a crush of her own.

This story has some great moments with Yosuke being the quiet type and Arimura being more outgoing and overly honest. They have a nice dynamic and it factors into the conflict in the story. It does get explicit and spicy. I liked it but it didn’t stick with me after I was done but I could see myself reading it more than once. 3.7 out of 5.

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