m/m

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Lenni Reviews: “The Metalhead Next Door” by Mamita

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

Kento is a broke college student who moves out of the dorms to abnormally cheap apartment to save money knowing the place has no heat or hot water. When he almost freezes to death outside, his neighbor, Soushi, saves him. They become friends but the outgoing Kento hasn’t told Soushi he’s gay. After a year of friendship, Kento vanishes; leaving Soushi to deal with some confusing feelings.

This manga takes place over three  years and at 200 or so pages, there are some time skips that are pretty clear. I would classify their relationship as a slow burn but there’s not enough pages to get bogged in that. Since Kento works with kids, there’s some funny interactions he has with them and while it’s probably not the best to get relationship advice from a kid, their interaction was pretty funny. You have to get to the end to see any smut which is not overly detailed but you absolutely get what’s going on. And I’m not even going to pretend the metal head in me wasn’t biased towards the misunderstood shy guy who likes metal music. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “My Dearest Patrolman” Vol. 2, by Niyama

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

Shin and Seiji are now living together and while Shin is over the moon to finally be with his long time crush, Seiji wonders if he’s able to satisfy his younger partner.

Now that they’re together, this volume is them learning more about each other and getting used to being a couple. It’s sweet and spicy the way a new couple should be and it’s just adorable how besotted Shin is. Seiji’s insecurities are relatable and handled well but quickly since there are a bunch of scenes to get through: an overnight trip, Shin working on New Year’s, Seiji getting a cold; the usual quick little plot points. Also, cats make well timed appearances and add to all the cuteness. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Engage” 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+

Mei works had his family’s business, a taiyaki shop that gets really busy around an event called the Star Festival and has a long standing crush on a repeat customer named Naru. While Mai would love to confess his feelings, Naru may be more connected to Mei than he ever thought.

There’s a lot of intrigue going on here so if you’re looking for some quick smut, this isn’t it. Naru has a bunch of secrets and can’t seem to leave Mei alone; doing that strange thing of ‘I know I’m bad for this person and should leave them alone but I’m going to bring them close to me’ and not actually doing what could possibly be best for Mei. I was just left with this confusion thinking ‘where exactly is this going and do I care enough to keep reading and find out?’ But, we shall see. The first volume isn’t always the strongest start but there’s always the feeling of wanting the resolution. 3 out of 5.

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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: “Old-Fashioned Cupcake” by Sagan Sagan

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

Nozue is feeling like he’s in a rut. He may be the oldest and most popular person in his office job but all he does is go to work and come home. When speaking with his coworker, Togawa, the younger man decides to help with what he calls “andropause” by helping Nozue experience more of life. Togawa’s intentions are kind but it is clear he has a crush on the older man.

This is a fun May/December romance. There are some intimate scenes but they’re not super graphic. Togawa is the stern type, doing a poor job at hiding his feelings, and Nozue is the oblivious one who needs a roadmap to see he’s the target of a crush. As they come together, we get some nice slice of life moments. It’s nice to see older characters – even though 40 is hardly “old” – and it’s a quick read that makes you smile. 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: “My Love Mix-Up!” Vol. 6, by Wataru Hinekure &Aruko

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

Aoki is working hard at his part time job in order to buy his boyfriend, Ida, a present. They are spending more time together but Aoki is curious about being more intimate as for as long as they’ve been dating, they’ve only held hands.

Even though the super-deformed drawings can still get creepy, the story and the characters are so charming and adorable that this is still a warm, comfortable read. Aoki and Ida are slowly growing in a natural way that is nice to experience as we go through this journey with them. 4.7 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: “Young Men in Love” by Joe Glass & Matt Miner

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

This graphic novel is a collection of stories of m/m relationships in a variety of different genres; including pirates, spies, knights and more.

Each story is pretty short but they pack a punch. I didn’t end up feeling as if the stories were incomplete or poorly paced. And you get so many different types of stories; ghosts, heroes, regular guys, all different races are represented; the works. The art styles are also varied and it all comes together in a very enjoyable anthology. If you like gay comics you will enjoy this collection. 4.7 out of 5.

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