Lenni reviews: “Pink Heart Jam” Vol. 2, by Shikke

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

After a camp trip, Haiga realizes his feelings for Kanae but since his finances took a hit, Haiga has to take as many work hours as he can get to try and see Kanae at the brothel. But Kanae doesn’t want Haiga at his brothel anymore and he is also grappling with his developing feelings.

While the official summary implies a lot of drama, this is actually pretty wholesome and honest, even with the smut. I like when stories have some suspense for the couple but don’t lean on repeated misunderstandings or other contrived conflicts. Those can be entertaining but can also grow tiresome so it’s interesting to see characters talk things through. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Dragon’s Betrothed” Vol. 2, by Meguru Hinohara

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

Angry that Rin is attached to a human, a fox spirit named Tenko attacks Chiharu; leaving Rin scared he will scare off his beloved bride.

Now, in this volume we earn out 18+ rating. There is also the issue of the prophesy and what sort of future a human can have with a god. There’s a mutual understanding and it was nice to see Rin back to his goofy self; even with the intensity of his actions in smexy times. And the art is really pretty. I love the style as it alternates between the fantastical and the mundane. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Coyote” Vol. 4, by Ranmaru Zaria

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

Now that Coyote knows who Marleen really is, Marleen is put on house arrest to keep him away from Coyote while the wolves and wolf hunters conspire with their respective groups behind the scenes. Coyote takes a huge risk to try and rescue the man he loves.

While Coyote and Marleen are sweet and they have their spicy scenes, I am all about what is going on with the wolves gearing up to take on the mafia family that’s hunting them down. I am super excited to see all this come to a head (no dirty pun intended) in the next volume. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Midnight Rain” by CTK

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

Ethan is working hard to pay down his debt and comes across Mike in the laundromat one night. Intrigued by the man, Ethan tries to talk to him but is rebuffed, only for Mike to show up at Ethan’s door injured from a fight. Ethan offers to let Mike stay with him to recover, giving the pair time to grow closer.

This is the classic dynamic of one super loving and emotive partner and one brusque and stubborn partner. It’s not bad for a quick read. This tells the story well, has some heat, and is pretty low on the angst. The main couple has good chemistry but it’s a little shallow in the way that more pages to tell their stories and get together would have really helped this out. 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: “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: “Dick Fight Island” by Reibun Ike

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

When it’s time to pick a new king, eight remote islands send their best warriors to compete to decide who will ascend to the throne. The nature of the battle is they have sex and the first one to orgasm loses.

If you think I’m reading this based on the title alone, you’re absolutely correct. The story also includes Matthew and Harto. Harto travels away from his island into the wider world where he meets Matthew as a roommate in school. Harto wants Matthew to help him train for this competition and it turns into a more romantic relationship. In fact, there’s more to every match in the series so despite the clear gratuitous sex scenes in this series. There is some heart and some laughs here, too. If you’re looking for an explicit yaoi that also makes you laugh, this is a book to consider. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Black or White” Vol. 3, by Sachimo

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

Shin, who is so reserved he is typically typecast as a bad guy, is getting closer with a veteran actor, Tatara, who he has admired for some time. Shige, Shin’s boyfriend, is filled with jealousy at this growing friendship but still has to keep his relationship with Shin a secret.

They synopsis made this volume sound more dramatic than it actually is. There’s a lot of feels and exploring the character’s hang ups and Shige and Shin navigating their relationship around their jobs. This volume wasn’t bad but I expected a huge drama that didn’t happen. It’s pretty chill, actually; so if you’re into heavy angst, this isn’t it. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Scattering His Virgin Bloom” Vol 1, by Aya Sakyo

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

In this world, alphas are at the top of society, betas live a comfortable life in the middle, but omegas are viewed as lesser than anyone else. Hana is usually assumed to be an alpha so he keeps his omega status a secret to avoid being forced to mate with anyone. Renjaku is an alpha and a regular customer at the café where Hana works and while Hana has a crush on him; Renjaku is a rude, demanding man who doesn’t believe in fated mates. But when Hana’s first heat comes, his cover is broken and Renjaku begrudgingly offers to help him.

And that help comes in explicit sex. This is an adult comic.

I thought this was going to be a typical alpha/omega story but then we have Hana’s brother drop in and my jaw dropped. I did NOT expect that. I can’t say I like this twist but it does give Renjaku added motivation to help Hanna other than the inevitable coming to terms with the idea of a fated mate. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Change World” Vol. 1, by Yuu Minaduki

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

In this sequel to Sayonara Game, Ito and Arimura are growing closer but Arimura wants Ito to move in with him.

This was cute but fleeting. I like the contrast between the stoic Ito and outgoing Arimura but having a third character, Hozumi, appear as an antagonist to interfere with them is really cliche. I am aware this is cliche for a reason but this seems particularly generic. It’s obvious the main couple is too devoted to be fooled by this person, if they even bother to deal with him at all. Fun but we’ve seen all this before. 3.7 out of 5.

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