September 15, 2020 | Never Hollowed By The Stare

RIHT – Isiki

Childhood friends Yuu and Asa used to take for granted that they would always be together. However, one day, that certainty was suddenly proven wrong. Yuu felt it wasn’t something he could continue enduring forever. Gradually, he couldn’t help but realize his feelings went beyond a simple childhood friendship, and that came as a shock. Yuu, who thought that falling for Asa would be a nuisance for the people around him in those changing circumstances, chose to forget his love for him and play the part of an ordinary childhood friend.

The title reads as “light”. This is a manga that dazzles with pretty art but the story execution was all over the place. It tends to jump from present to flashbacks and back again to the point that it leaves the reader confused.

Yuu is a university student who needs to get out of his head more. He is pining for his childhood friend who was in fact actually trying to get close to him. He has a lot of insecurities and is afraid of revealing his true feelings. The internal conflict lack a solid basis and was more tiresome than compelling.

I wish we get Asa’s POV more simply because he was the more interesting of the two. But seeing him from Yuu’s POV also worked because it allows the story to have it’s big eyeopening moment for Yuu.

The best character here is Asahi, their sempai who was instrumental in bringing these two dorks together. I wished he gets a spinoff.

Prime Time: Breaking New – Ella Frank

Breaking News is the continuation of Xander and Sean’s story and should only be read after book one, Inside Affair.

Xander

Sean Bailey, the older brother of my lifelong best friend, has always been a surly, temperamental pain in my ass. But sometime during the last few weeks, I’ve gone and fallen head over heels for him.

Gruff and charming, charismatic in his own way, I’ve found myself looking past my preconceptions and discovered a whole new side to Detective Dick—a side I could fall in love with.

But life isn’t always easy—it can change course in the blink of an eye. Sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. I know this because last night I experienced both sides.

I went to Sean for help in guarding my body; what I didn’t expect was for him to steal my heart.

Like many readers, I was excited to delve into this Prime Time sequel as we were left with one heck of a cliffhanger in Inside Affair. Like some of them, I expected more. This review echos their reactions.

Breaking News picks up right after that momentous awards ceremony where the stalker finally decided to make his move.

While I am ecstatic that Xander and Sean lost none of their magical chemistry, there was really nothing earth-shaking happening in the story. Not that that I was bored, more like the story was ‘just there’ and wasn’t really grabbing me.

I felt it would have done the overall presentation a whole lot of good if the entire series was one book instead of chopping it to 3 volumes. Cliffhangers are Ella Frank‘s thing and which, I believe does work wonders if executed properly. However, Breaking News felt like we were dropped smack in the middle of a story that was just there to set up the next big event.

On the upside, Xander and Sean took their relationship to a higher level. Sean really stepped up his game here! And boy did he ace it. Not only risking his life to save Xander but also making sure he was emotionally okay too after the trauma.

Xander was okay for the most part, but had panic attacks triggered by unexpected noises. Sean takes him to his secret getaway to recuperate and woos him with an outdoor spa and a sky full of stars. It was all very romantic until sophisticated, city boy Xander was jumped on by a teeny tiny frog. All hell broke loose…

So yeah, romance-wise, things are pretty spectacular. Xander and Sean still has one of my favorite gay-for-you stories out there. The way they sync together was almost flawless. I loved the way they continue to discover new things about each other. It’s amazing how a person they knew their whole life could surprise them in so many ways. The book really did a great job highlighting that.

Overall, I got that middle book feels mixed in with a wonderful relationship development. This ends with another cliffhanger but one I already expected so it wasn’t that shocking.

I love this series, most especially the characters so I am looking forward to the third book. Xander and Sean went from fake to real to intense and now they just need to let the rest of the world know. The rest of the world a.k.a. Bailey a.k.a. Sean’s lil bro a.k.a. Xander’s bestfriend a.k.a. ex. If only it’s that easy…

“Thank you for showing me the real you. I had no idea what I was missing.”
“And what was that?”
“Someone truly magnificent.”

P.S.

The books end in cliffhangers so Prime Time is best experienced as a binge read. Find out where it all started and check out my review of Inside Affair, book one of Prime Time, here.

Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

Soundtrack: I’ll Maybe Let You
Artist: The Irrepressibles
Album: Mirror Mirror

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