M/M Romance

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Lenni Reviews: “A Strange and Mystifying Story” by Tsuta Suzuki

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

*This review is cross-posted to Otakus and Geeks.

After the unfortunate death of his grandfather, Akio Yamane has no family left and believes he will soon join them. The Yamane family is cursed and Akio is indeed terminally ill. Delirious with fever, Akio desperately prays to a talisman his grandfather said would protect him and summons a demon he names Setsu. Akio begs Setsu to cure his illness and never dreamed how intimate Setsu’s “treatments” would be.

Setsu is a straightforward character and he’s written in a way that his brusque nature doesn’t come off assholeish like Eiri Yuki from Gravitation. You can tell he cares for Akio yet since he isn’t human he doesn’t bother with the niceties or waste time yet remains likable. Setsu and Akio play off each other well and the story doesn’t waste too much time on the typical slapstick. The sex scenes are mildly censored; naughty bits kept in shadow or vague outline and strategically placed word bubbles abound. But it’s still hot and the story is cute. 3.5 out of 5.

Note: There are also two side stories: Nylon Vinyl and The God’s Don’t Exist. The first is a contemporary teacher/student relationship and the second is a historical romance. They are pretty short so there isn’t much time for development but they were amusing sides to the main story. It would have been interesting to have them tie into Setsu somehow; as he has been bound to Akio’s family for many years. But they’re still cool.

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Release Announcement: “A Strange and Mystifying Story” by Tsuta Suzuki

The awesome folks over at SuBLime have announced the release of a new title: A Strange and Mystifying Story. The lovely cover and press release are below! 😀

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

GLOBAL YAOI MANGA PUBLISHER SUBLIME RELEASES THE FAN FAVORITE SERIES

A STRANGE AND MYSTIFYING STORY

Fantasy Series About A Japanese God And A Cursed Man From Renowned Creator Tsuta Suzuki Returns To Print

 

San Francisco, CA, November 15, 2017– SuBLime, the leading global English-language yaoi manga publisher, delivers the launch of new series A STRANGE AND MYSTIFYING STORY, available now after being previously out of print.

The series, by creator Tsuta Suzuki, is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers. Print editions carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN each. The digital versions carry an MSRP of $6.99 U.S. Readers have two methods of digital access to the series on SuBLimeManga.com – via a DRM-free downloadable PDF, viewable on any enabled eReader device and computer, as well as via the online manga viewer. Readers can also purchase a digital version through the NOOK, Kindle and Kobo eReaders as well as on Google Play. SuBLime will publish subsequent volumes of the seven-volume series on a quarterly basis.

In A STRANGE AND MYSTIFYING STORY a man named Akio Yamane falls terminally ill, presumably from his family’s curse. Remembering his grandfather’s final words about their family protector, he looks to where his grandfather pointed and finds a tooth. Upon holding it, he accidentally summons a god who promises to cure him, albeit in a rather odd and intimate manner!

“Fans have requested that SuBLime pick up and finish releasing all volumes of this series, and we are excited to add A STRANGE AND MYSTIFYING STORY to the SuBLime catalog. We will make the series available in its entirety,” says Hope Donovan, Managing Editor. “Readers will not want to miss what happens as the relationship heats up between a deity and this seemingly cursed, but decidedly handsome, man.”

A STRANGE AND MYSTIFYING STORY is Tsuta Suzuki’s second English-language release, with her first being Your Story I’ve Known. Formerly working under the penname, “Yogore,” she has also published doujinshi (independent comics) under the circle name “Muddy Pool.” Readers can find out more about Tsuta Suzuki on her Pixiv page: Pixiv.net.

Visit SuBLimeManga.com for a complete array of additional yaoi manga titles that are available digitally in a download-to-own format for $6.99 (U.S. / CAN) each and are viewable as a PDF on any enabled eReader device or computer or accessed via the online manga viewer found on the web site.

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at SubBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga, Facebook at facebook.com/SuBLimeManga, Tumblr at http://sublimemanga.tumblr.com/, and Instagram at @sublimemanga/.

About SuBLime

SuBLime is a global yaoi/boys’ love manga publisher presenting English-speaking fans everywhere with a broad selection of high quality titles. SuBLime offers titles digitally worldwide at SuBLimeManga.com, with many available in a Download-to-Own format, and selections in print also available in English-language editions worldwide.

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Lenni Reviews: “Dirty Deeds” by HelenKay Dimon

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

Alec Drummond, a hard-assed billionaire, catches Gaige Owens trying to hack into his computers. After it is revealed Gaige is working for the government as it is suspected someone working for Alec may be tampering with the seed vault Alec meticulously runs. Rightfully suspicious of government monitoring, Alec agrees to let Gaige stay undercover for free access to investigate the tampering but Gaige will be under Alec’s consistent watch the entire time. And it doesn’t help that Gaige is exactly Alec’s type.

Gaige and Alec make an enjoyable couple and, like in Pathogen, they are smart, logical characters. Given the premise, it was nice to see such competency in a genre where it would be very easy to fluff your way to getting the pair in bed. Despite this, there are several places where more description was necessary and more subtlety was needed. I was able to guess who the villain was the second they were introduced and thus it made the rest of the book less suspenseful for me. All I ended up really caring about is how Alec and Gaige were going to work out their mistrust and get together. Their relationship is hot and sweet, the sex scenes are blush-worthy and don’t linger too long, but in the end, I can’t say this will leave much of an impact on me. I had fun reading it, though. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Jackass” vol 1 by Scarlet Beriko

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

*This review is cross-posted to Otakus and Geeks.

Keisuke lives with his sister boisterous sister, Akiko, and walks to school with his best friend Katsumi. Katsumi is openly gay and scandalously dating the school nurse and Keisuke finds this out when he accidentally stumbles upon them kissing in the nurses’ office. Akiko’s pantyhose had gotten tangled up in Keisuke’s school uniform so Shinoda, Keisuke’s best friend, offers to cover for him by taking him to the nurses’ office but when Shinoda sees Keisuke’s runner’s legs in the pantyhose, he can’t help but touch them. But what starts off as simple touching turns to more for Keisuke.

This is a very sexy friends to lovers story with asides to some other relationships; including a boy who bullies Katsumi for being gay who of course is doing so because he has a crush. All the conflicts are handled logically and nothing ever blows up into horrid dramatics; like the whole school turning on Katsumi because he’s in a relationship with a staff member. And for an uke, Katsumi is a strong, assertive character. He may be young and sweet but when backed into a corner, Katsumi doesn’t wait for a savior. Things play out in ways where you can see real people making these decisions.

The art is well done and all the sex scenes are so detailed you will blush while reading. And all the encounters are CONSENSUAL! So, you actually can connect with these pairings and want to see them happy. Great manga, despite being a little confusing when it starts out. 3.7 out of 5 and keep em coming!

This title is scheduled for release on October 10th, 2017 from SuBLime.

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Lenni Reviews: “Conflict Management” by Rachel White

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

*This review is cross-posted at Otakus and Geeks.

When Morgan’s boss, Lawrence, makes a pass at him one too many time, Morgan tells him he will sue Law if he doesn’t knock it off. Law obliges and Morgan can finally have normal workdays. That is until Law’s brother ends up in the hospital after a suicide attempt, Morgan learns his boss is more than just a former creeper. As they get more friendly, Law’s pet project – a merger with another company – has major problems and Morgan may have to be the whistle blower that costs Law his job.

Morgan and Law are so delightfully awkward, I found myself identifying with them right away. White doesn’t make her characters overly perfect or overly evil; as evidenced my Morgan’s ill-fated relationship with Harvey and the way Law’s brother Christopher’s schizophrenia is handled. Racism and mental illness can be tricky to include without being preachy or over-exaggerated to the point of ridiculousness. The realistic way the characters are presented made reading through this book enjoyable.

Since the romance takes its time, this is not a book peppered with sex scenes. The focus is more on Morgan and Law’s feelings for each other and how the mess going on in the company impacts their professional and private relationships. The smut IS there so this book earns its 18+ status.

My only real gripe would be with Morgan’s roommate, Anita. She’s the only character who came off cartoonish to me. Luckily she isn’t as distracting as a character like that can get. She says her spiel then the plot resumes.

Without blithering on further, I enjoyed the premise and the slow burn romance. I give it a solid 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Don’t Be Cruel” vol 5 by Yonezou Nekota

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

*This review is cross-posted to Otakus and Geeks.

Maya and Nemugasa have grown since the first volume and now are at the point in their relationship where they even wear couples rings. But Maya is getting some interesting networking contacts and Nemugasa finds himself getting jealous. At the same time, Shimakawa, who knew Maya as a child, sees an opportunity to make a move on Nemugasa behind Maya’s back.

Our main pair is a cute couple trying to figure out how their relationship is going now that they’re in college and if you forget how they started out, they are a couple you root for and want to see happy. The art is soft and flowy and I have to admit they toned down the sex scenes as compared to the first volume. It’s still explicit but more time is spent about their thoughts and search for jobs than boning. It’s still an ok series, though! 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Angel Fever” by May Ridge

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

*This review is cross-poted at Otakus and Geeks.

Malachi is the most talented male angel healer in a generation but despite his inflated ego about his talents, one thing still bothers him. Mal is an orphan and he’s on the search for his mother. He returns to his childhood orphanage and the current priest working there, Tobias, tells him that despite it not being exactly within the rules, he will let Mal look at his records. However, it seems this mother’s name is missing. As they dig deeper, Mal and Tobias discover a dark secret hidden among the priests which will put both their lives in danger.

The whole thing could have been an interesting longer book but as a short story; it feels rushed. If given more time, the world could have had more time to build and thusly would have been better understood. The relationship between Mal and Tobias would have had more time to develop so they have real chemistry instead of just a line drop about how they’ve been working together for two months. A concept with potential but not enough room to grow, I give this a 3 out of 5.

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