• manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Koko wa YES to Ittekure

    Koko wa YES to Ittekure – Yoshii Haruaki

    Am I a man? No.” “…? Sexual harassment.”
    A love paradox between a boss and his subordinates who have a habit♥

    Motokawa, a non-ceremony man who can work but has no delicacy, I’m concerned about my subordinate Okumura.I usually have a bad mouth and play tinkering. I can appreciate his serious work attitude, and above all, he is cute when he laughs.
    On the other hand, Okumura, who had been isolated after being exposed to gaiety in the company, remained completely unchanged even after learning the truth. Moreover, Motokawa, who nominated me as the person in charge of the large contract, moved me.
    Okumura turns red even with casual physical contact.
    Motokawa almost kissed Okumura…!!?

    I am not a fan of the age-gap trope due to real-world examples of predatory older men preying on much younger, barely legal women. I don’t know how they do it in MF, but in MM romance, writers try to make the trope more balanced by having the younger man as the pursuer.

    Please Say Yes boldly takes the opposite approach by having the older man, and the boss at that, do the pursuing. I felt residual iffyness due to my dislike of the trope, but this manga not only completely won me over, it’s one of the most enjoyable I’ve read this year!

    This is a funny and utterly adorable story of a middle-aged man’s bisexual awakening. Motokawa is pretty laidback, easy-going, and amicably divorced. Suddenly finding his subordinate Okumura’s face cute, he became curious about why the young man is always alone and avoided by his co-workers. Then, they were tasked to handle a client together, and soon the older man found himself falling for his subordinate.

    Motokawa made me laugh. He had such derpy expressions. The manga’s charm lies in those moments that make Motokawa pause and realize things about Okumura he finds attractive. Then he blurts it out loud to Okumura’s embarrassment. And the thing with Motokawa he does it casually like he doesn’t realized he just slayed poor Okumura who goes why the hell is my straight boss saying this to me. It was both a courtship and an awakening, and it was endearing as hell!

    Our sweet, blushy boy, Okumura, has trust issues after a scandal from his previous company. He’s the type of character you’ll want to build blanket forts for. He’s knows his falling for Motokawa but couldn’t trust himself or his boss.

    The story touches upon homophobia in the workplace. Okumura lets himself be the scapegoat in that scandal to help his co-worker save face. Motokawa treating him like he does the rest of the staff, like normal, during their first meeting was memorable to him. Also, the bonus megane moe at the end!

    This manga takes a refreshing approach to age-gap workplace romance, and it was a riot!


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  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: The Necromancer’s Light by Tavia Lark

    Radiance: The Necromancer’s Light – Tavia Lark

    He’ll die without touch.

    As a necromancer, Shae loses a little more of himself every time he uses his magic. Always cold, always touch-starved, the only thing that helps is human contact. But that’s hard to come by when those same dark powers scare everyone away from him. Nobody likes a necromancer.

    Especially a paladin of the Radiant Order.

    Arthur’s still bitter and broken after his last lover stabbed him in the back, and the last thing he needs is another brush with evil. When he agrees to escort the wandering necromancer north, he’s just doing a public service.

    But he never expected Shae to be so clingy. Or distractingly attractive.

    Shae has never felt an aura as warm and safe as Arthur’s. He craves the man’s touch—and more. But everyone he’s ever known has left him, and it’s just a matter of time before Arthur leaves him too.

    Assuming the soul-stealing monsters don’t kill them first.

    The Necromancer’s Light is a gay fantasy romance, with magic, hurt/comfort, and bed sharing for Reasons. First in a series but can be read alone. 56,000 words, HEA guaranteed.


    When I was in college, I was introduced to the Dragonlance books, and predictably, I was drawn to the anti-hero Raistlin. His twin was the golden boy, and so blah, I didn’t bother with him (couldn’t even remember the name).

    The Necromancer’s Light opens the fantasy series, Radiance by new-to-me author Tavia Lark. The titular character, Shae Nightven, reminded me of Raistlin. Too pale, too thin, and wrestling with the temptation to give himself up totally to dark powers.

    Rather than a twin, Shae is paired with golden boy and devout paladin, Arthur Davorin. Happily, Arthur is much more memorable, an all-around sweetheart who couldn’t resist taking care of prickly marshmallow Shae. The book is told in their dual POV.

    The plot is a quest to slay the demon that played a pivotal role in Shae’s tragic past. He has to travel north to his hometown. To do this, the necromancer has to employ a bodyguard because he needs human contact to replenish his soul. He hires Arthur, who is currently in exile, as penance for a crime his ex-lover committed against the Order.

    There is a play of opposites, as well as themes of religion, betrayal, appearances and building trust. Necromancers acquire their powers by dealing with a demon, while paladins worship the Goddess and her light. People are afraid of necromancers and welcome members of the Radiant Order with open arms.

    Shae is dark and perpetually cold because his magic saps his soul. Arthur has an aura that glows as bright as the sun and has the warmth that Shae craves. And Arthur is very much willing to give, which means lotsa bed sharing!

    The world-building is executed adequately with minimal info-dumps. However, they only scratched the surface of some elements, such as the Radiant Order, guilds, the lay of the land, pantheons, and the different magic systems. The spot-on pacing and great writing did the trick of keeping me engaged because they kept the momentum going, even with flashbacks and internal dialogues.

    LOVED how the romance blossomed! Our golden boy is true as an arrow and kept coming back for his prickly marshmallow. There was one frustrating moment where our necromancer let his insecurities get the better of him, but I totally feel for Shae. Because after a decade of being shunned, double-crossed, and reviled, I’d have massive trust issues too.

    Usually the necromancer is the villain, so I am beyond thrilled to peek inside their head and the inner workings of their magic. It’s nasty business, and I hoped Shae washed his hands after. Sadly, there’s no mentioned of this after he stuck his hands inside a week-old corpse. But germs aside, it’s fascinating stuff! And the darkness tempting him makes it even more exciting!

    The Necromancer’s Light is a magical adventure, a single-minded quest for atonement, and a sweet hurt-comfort love story between two men with traumatic pasts. All in all, well-written, fun, and cuddly!

    Rating:
    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: Sunshine
    Artist: Teenage Wrist
    Album: Still Love


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    THE NECROMANCER’S LIGHTKindle | Audiobook

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  • song,  Uncategorized

    SOUNDTRACK: Sunshine by Teenage Wrist

    Soundtrack to Radiance: The Necromancer’s Light by Tavia Lark

    Sunshine by Teenage Wrist for a book about righting past mistakes and sharing comfort when you can.

    Bless your calloused heart
    But I live to beg your pardon
    Flash that tired smile
    And lay me in your devil’s garden

    Feel a little sunshine
    In spite of your past lives
    And if it feels right
    Give a little of what you got away
    Give a little of what you got away

    I can’t say for sure
    But we’re not who we were before this

  • quote,  Uncategorized

    Bless your calloused heart
    But I live to beg your pardon
    Flash that tired smile
    And lay me in your devil’s garden

    Feel a little sunshine
    In spite of your past lives
    And if it feels right
    Give a little of what you got away
    Give a little of what you got away

    I can’t say for sure
    But we’re not who we were before this
    When you’re feeling small
    Remember that it’s not your fault

    Remember the taste so sweet
    Buzzing like honeybees
    You can’t take too much
    If you go slow

    Feel a little sunshine
    In spite of your past livеs
    And if it feels right
    Give a little of what you got away
    Give a littlе of what you got away

    Remember the taste so sweet
    Buzzing like honeybees
    You can’t take too much
    If you go slow

    Feel a little sunshine
    In spite of your past lives
    And if it feels right
    Give a little of what you got away
    Give a little of what you got away