• manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Boy Meets Maria

    Boy Meets Maria – Peyo

    Taiga’s always worshiped the heroes he’s seen on TV. And now that he’s started high school, his fateful encounter with a certain girl compels him to make her his heroine. And she was known as the Madonna of the drama club, Maria. After seeing her perform on stage, Taiga falls head over heels and confesses his feelings to her and is tragically shot down. And to his surprise, the beautiful lady is actually a beautiful boy…

    A mix of humor and drama, this is a manga that tackled heavy topics like broken families, child abuse and gender identity.

    Aspiring actor Taiga dreamed of playing the hero part on stage. He fell in love at first sight with Maria when he saw what he thought was a beautiful girl dancing on stage. He confessed to her but was turned down. Even after he discovered the true identity of his idol, he refused to give up his pursuit.

    The humor is not the laugh out loud kind. It’s more of the amusing kind courtesy of the energetic Taiga and his dorky friends.

    There is a dark, psychological aspect in relation to Maria a.k.a. Arima. He was forced by his mother to dress up as a girl at a very early age, causing him to question whether he is a girl or a boy. He was later on molested by his teacher (TW here for graphic depiction). He was rescued by a stranger who for some reason reminded him of Taiga.

    The gender identity issue was handled and resolved well. I liked how Arima’s confusion turned into empowerment when he realized what he is capable of. There were no slurs directed towards Arima. The little bit of name calling present was directed towards Taiga and used humorously.

    Taiga’s determination to win over Arima was earnest but Arima was not convinced Taiga was sincere. Taiga never once gave up even after being rejected several times. He learned to speak from the heart and showed everyone, most especially Arima, that he was a true hero.

  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Godfather Wars by Brittany Cournoyer

    52690222. sy475

    Godfather Wars – Brittany Cournoyer

    Dolan versus Everett. Snarky meets stoic.

    Dolan Masters loathes many things: root canals, splinters in his fingers, and people putting toilet paper on the roll wrong—loose end over the top, please. But the one thing he hates more than anything else is Everett freaking Henson.

    Everett Henson spends more time with animals than people, his best friend Eli being the exception. The downside of that friendship means crossing paths with Dolan Masters; the man who rubs Everett wrong in every way possible.

    But a baby changes everything.

    With both men believing they deserve the honor of being the godfather to their best friends’ baby, the only way to settle things is through a competition. Will there be bloodshed, or will these two realize the truth staring them in the face?

    May the best godfather win.

    Godfather Wars is a stand-alone MM romantic comedy, filled with funny mishaps, snarky banter, and colorful language.


    I have only read one other Brittany Cournoyer book and that is the dark stalker story, Captivated. Godfather Wars is her more effervescent offering. It grabbed my attention me because of the cute premise. Which is two guys duking it out to become the godfather of their bestfriends’ first baby.

    I love enemies-to-lovers stories, most especially when the MCs hated each other with a passion. I wouldn’t say Dolan and Everett hated each other with a passion but there’s enough animosity for them to be considered enemies. We later discovered this was due to a miscommunication between the four friends that happened a couple of years ago. The two then went about snarling and snarking at each other whenever they meet.

    To decide who deserves the title of godfather, soon-to-be-parents Tasha and Eli, concocted a series of tests for the two contenders. This was one the best parts of the story. Expect hilarious epic fails, gross chocolate/peanut combinations and killer geese. Competition was fierce. The two men fought hard. They were neck to neck. The clincher is the toughest task of all. Who will come out on top?

    For me, it’s the dogs.

    Delilah is Everett’s dog. She has eyes that stares right into your soul. Lucky found Dolan when the stray pooch injured his hind leg. The two furballs bonded right away. They had front row seats to the two dorks and truth that is staring their humans in the face. If dogs could roll they eyes, they would be rolling them out of their sockets.

    I liked the MCs’ voices and how they were distinct from each other. Dolan had a more serious, level-headed personality while Everett’s thoughts run to the more dramatic and hyperbolic.

    The contest was a brilliant ploy to get the two to see past whatever it is that kept them apart. After the initial hostilities, Dolan and Everett soon discovered how easy it is to talk to one another. The transition from enemies/rivals to lovers happened naturally. I liked the pacing a lot, being a fan of slow burn.

    While the romance was cute and all, I don’t sense that strong a connection between Dolan and Everett. I appreciated the plot veered away from the cliches, like the big fights and the grand gestures, focusing instead on smaller, more intimate moments like bonding over their dogs and splinter removals. However, the whole thing lacked depth somewhat which was unfortunate because the story had all the right ingredients.

    Overall, Godfather Wars is a low-angst, low-steam novel with almost no conflict. It’s a happy book about expectant parents, ridiculous feuds, judgmental dogs, missed encounters and a second chance of sorts. Recommended if you like your MM romance sweet and light with a chick-lit vibe.

    Rating:
    3.5 Stars – that place between like and love

    Soundtrack: Haven’t Had Enough
    Artist: Marianas Trench
    Album: Ever After


    If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to get your copy of Godfather Wars. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.

    Kindle
    Audiobook
  • quote,  Uncategorized

    Testing, Testing
    I’m just suggesting
    You and I might not be the best thing
    X’d it, X’d it
    Somehow I guessed it right
    Right
    But I still
    Want ya, want ya
    Don’t mean to taunt ya
    If you leave me,
    I’ll come back and haunt ya
    Do you remember?
    We turn to center now
    Now

    Well I just wish we could go back
    One more time and begin it
    Back before I lost myself somewhere
    Somewhere in it

    I bitched up
    And it was so fun
    But it’s time to start on
    One more last try
    I’mma get the ending right
    You can’t stop this,
    And you must admit that you
    Haven’t had enough,
    You haven’t had enough

    Stuck, it was so fun
    But it’s time to start from
    One more last place
    Better get your story straight
    You can’t stop this,
    And you must confess that you
    Haven’t had enough,
    You haven’t had enough

    I need ya, need ya
    Don’t mean to tease ya
    If you want me,
    I’ll come back and meet ya
    Whisper, whisper
    You must admit you want it
    You, you want it!

    Well I just wish we could go back
    One more time and begin it
    Back before I lost myself somewhere,
    Somewhere in it

    I bitched up
    And it was so fun
    But it’s time to start on
    One more last time
    I’mma get the ending right
    You can’t stop this
    And you must admit that you
    Haven’t had enough,
    You haven’t had enough

    Stuck, I was so alone
    But it’s time to start from
    One more last place,
    You better get your story straight
    You can’t stop this,
    And you must confess that you
    Haven’t had enough,
    You haven’t had enough

    Don’t you need it?
    Don’t you want this at all?
    (Testing, Testing, I’m just suggesting)
    Don’t you need it?
    Don’t you want this at all?
    (Testing, Testing, I’m just suggesting)
    That oh!

    Stuck, that was so long
    For this gun to start on
    One more last time
    And you!

    You never want it,
    (You haven’t had a)
    You never want it all!
    (One more last place)
    Oh, no baby!
    (You better get your story straight, you can’t stop this)
    Don’t you need it?!
    (And you must confess that you)
    You haven’t at all
    (Had enough)

    Testing, Testing.
    I’m just suggesting
    You and I might just be the best thing