• manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Ore ga Suki nara Kobitemiro

    Ore ga Suki nara Kobitemiro – Sato Tsubame

    “No one in their right frickin’ mind would fall for you!”

    Matsuda and his rival Katou belong to the sales department at Touto First Bank’s head office, where the competition is cutthroat for its elite employees. But when Matsuda is in a drunken stupor one night, the two end up going at it…on his own bed! And the next morning, Katou kneels on one knee and proposes!!! Matsuda, who’s always been straight, refuses to accept that the two have slept, so there’s absolutely no way he’d develop feelings for the likes of Katou…right? Right?! When passion and stubborn pride are pitted against one another, which will prevail? Find out in the epic conclusion to this battle for love!

    (Source: Taiyo Tosho)

    If You Love Me, Be All Over Me is the sequel to Ore ga Sukinara Hizamazuke.

    In the last chapter of the prequel, there was a proposal. This installment seems to put the two MCs a few steps backward. Matsuda is still in denial and tries to find attraction in girls but can’t get the insufferable Kato out of his mind.

    Kato still dub-cons his way into Matsuda’s pants, which should make him unappealing as a love interest. The mangaka strongly plays Matsuda’s tsundere personality as a foil to Kato’s forwardness. While I don’t approve of Kato’s methods, his feelings for Matsuda are palpable, and I loved how he subtly and overtly supports and admires Matsuda.

    The romance secretly unfolds while the plot focuses on workplace happenings with realistic dialogue. I really glossed over most of them but the manga is far from boring. There is plenty of office drama, and romance is compelling.

    There are lots of supporting characters adding humor or conflict. Also, I am convinced Kato’s and Matsuda’s supervisors are fucking or should have their own manga.

    There is a promise of forever in the end but I wish there was a scene where we see Kato and Matsuda dressed like that in the cover. Flawed as the characters are, it’s not a warm fuzzies kind of relationship. I’m not even sure it would work, but somehow, the manga has me convinced.


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  • book,  Uncategorized

    SERIES REVIEW: Mobsters + Billionaires Books 3 & 4: Attraction & Distraction by Kelly Fox

    Mobsters + Billionaires: Attraction – Kelly Fox

    I run a high-end escort service. And I’m in love with a virgin. It doesn’t make any sense, this attraction between us. I’m a violent Mafia Don, and Ford is a nervous, perfectly bow-tied, sexily bespectacled money nerd.

    But he’s had my heart the first night I laid eyes on him, and while he keeps me at arm’s length, he’s never left my orbit. He’s as bound to me as I am to him.

    Hell, I’m becoming a better man because of him.

    I’ll be as patient as I need to be to win him over. The one thing I’m not willing to do, however, is let the man who put the fear in his eyes get away with it.

    I don’t care how powerful or wealthy he is—I will tear down the world to make Ford feel safe enough to love me.


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

    Soundtrack: I Dare You
    Artist: The XX
    Album: I See You


    Mobsters + Billionaires: Distraction – Kelly Fox

    An MM Murder Swoon Romance

    From USA Today Bestselling Author Kelly Fox comes a uniquely unhinged Mafia romance.

    Look, no one’s ever accused me of being sane, y’know? So when I say that I am crazy over this RICO agent, know that I mean business.

    Sure, I’m responsible for getting him fired from the job he’s wanted his whole life, but his grandfather just died and left him 13.1 billion dollars. Dude deserves a break, is all I’m saying. And yeah, I’m a violent mobster with a savior complex, but that shouldn’t get in the way of our epic love story.

    Besides, a little gunplay in the bedroom is good for the soul.

    Distraction is a Mafia romance that features a frustrated RICO agent-slash-reluctant billionaire, a delightfully deranged mob enforcer with questionable boundaries, and a simple takedown that ends up a little…explosive.
    As with all of my morally gray do-gooder romances, there are no cliffhangers, and the HEA is guaranteed.


    Rating:
    5 Stars – absolutely perfect

    Soundtrack: I See You
    Artist: The Horrors
    Album: Luminous


    Mobsters+Billionaires by Kelly Fox continues with my two most awaited books in the series.

    The billionaire contingent are Rand Wolfe, star of Extradition, Mads Legari, star of Protection, and Ford Bailey, financial genius and fashion icon.

    The mobsters are Luca Stefano, gentleman mobster, Anthony Edgerton, Mads’s fiance, Joe Portelli, Rand’s husband, and Hopper, the Stefano enforcer.

    The plot involves action, explosions, and a body count but is generally romance-centric. Adding to the chaos are recurring characters Anders and his husband Omar from the Wrecked: Guardian series, Olga, the Ukrainian spec ops, and her wife Ryder, the goth hacker.

    Luca and Ford have been circling each other ever since Luca organized Wednesday night poker. They were ridiculously cute and were probably already in love even before they started attending galas together.

    Attraction is Luca and Ford taking baby steps, but always moving forward in their relationship. Luca owns an escort service and is known to sample the goods. This makes Ford hesitate because, at the ripe old age of 30, he’s still a virgin.

    Major points to the author for handling Ford’s situation respectfully and positively. Ford’s virginity was taken against him in the past. Add to that an attempted sexual assault by a person he knew, and you could understand why the usually confident Ford is anxious.

    I loved how everyone, especially Luca, supported Ford, always making him feel comfortable and reminding him that if they finally became intimate, it would be on Ford’s terms. The story painted Luca with a classic Hollywood leading man charm, and boy, does he ooze that Italian Montgomery Clift vibe. The way he courted his man! He’s so sweet and patient with Ford!

    On the flip side, it’s cheesy and a bit annoying how everyone, the billionaires in particular, gossiped like mahjong aunties, trying to squeeze the juiciest details from Ford. But Mads’s OTT dance reactions were funny.

    I also found the comedic timing was somewhat off when Luca and Ford were talking. Luca would say the swooniest things, then Ford would try to lighten it by saying something funny. Maybe it was because of the narration, but their dialogue didn’t seem to flow well together

    One of my favorite parts is the appearance of Liam Hughes, the RICO agent Hopper stalks. The plot sets Liam even more firmly in the world of the Stefanos and their billionaires. Just like Ford and Luca, we have been teased with Hopper and the object of his obsession, Liam, who was initially stalking Hopper, then Hop reversed-stalk him.

    Liam became a reluctant billionaire after inheriting billions from his grandfather. His death wrecked Liam and he was grieving so hard, he had Hopper worried. Hop tried to help but seemed to make things worse. He’s not giving up though.

    Distraction is Liam finally seeing Hopper. And what a sight it is! Hopper is complex as he is vivid, as deadly as he is gentle. He is the best character in the series. Hopper is everything!

    In the previous books, Luca and Anthony consistently went out of their way to help the RICO agent in various capacities. When Liam questioned their motivations, either Luca or Anthony would respond, “It would break Hopper’s heart if something happened to his favorite RICO agent.” This sentiment always resonates with me because it highlights just how deeply Luca and Anthony care for their brother.

    Here, we learn why Luca and Anthony is so protective of their Hopper.

    Hopper is the most dangerous enforcer for the Stefano family. A serial killer who started when still a teen, he’s wily and cunning and knows a hundred different ways to dispose of dead bodies. He also has the uncanny ability to appear out of nowhere, his intimidating presence frequently scaring away threats from Luca or those he considers family.

    Hopper is surprisingly vulnerable. He feels things too deeply. He has ADHD and FASD, and a gutwrenching childhood left him with trauma and a severe case of claustrophobia. He’s triggered whenever somebody mentions he’s a psychopath or his birth name that he associates with terrible memories.

    Hopper is also a total sweetheart. He loves with all his heart and Liam is his first love. He’s shy, adorably blushy, and endearingly childlike, whose delight at seeing his favorite animals or spotting his favorite RICO agent is pure and contagious. His golden retriever energy gives me life. He’s loyal and protective of his family.

    He’s never malicious, killing only bad guys, especially those who prey on sex workers. And he is incredibly artistic. He shares his creations only with those he trusts.

    Among the couples in the series, Hopper and Liam’s journey from opposing sides, one-sided infatuation to mutual love, was perhaps the hardest won, the swooniest, and the most satisfying. Their chemistry has always been fantastic, and they were even more explosive and hella kinky! Their book was an emotional roller-coaster, breaking your heart into pieces, putting it back together again, then making it soar,

    “Thank you,” I whisper. “I’m sorry it took me so long to see you, Hop.”
    “But you see me now?” he asks, his vulnerability wrapping itself around my heart.
    “I do, Hop. Worse,” I say, chuckling as I nibble his ear. “I can’t unsee you. And I don’t want to.”

    The shift in Liam’s perspective and his growing feelings for Hopper was a joy to witness! It took a while but Liam completely won me over at the end. I loved how he allowed Hopper be himself and understood him at a soul-deep level. He gave Hopper the world!

    A romance between a federal agent and a serial killer is a recipe for disaster. Hopper and Liam shouldn’t have worked together. But they did, and they were unstoppable!

    Overall, Mobsters+Billionaires is about morally grey love interests, ethical billionaires, and bad guys getting their comeuppance. Packed full of found family magic, hurt comfort goodness, and intense touch-him-and-die vibes to tickle you pink!

    P.S.

    Mobsters+Billionaires should be read in order. Witness a conservative billionaire get kinky with a Brooklyn boy in Extradition. Be charmed by a sunshiney billionaire and his serious bodyguard in Protection.


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    MOBSTERS + BILLIONAIRESKindle | Audiobook

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  • song,  Uncategorized

    SOUNDTRACK: I Dare You by The XX & I See You by The Horrors

    Soundtrack to Mobsters + Billionaires: Attraction by Kelly Fox

    I Dare You by The XX for a book about an intense attraction and a long awaited romance

    I’m in love with it
    Intoxicated
    I’m enraptured
    From the inside I can feel that you want to
    Wake up high on it
    Feel it suspending
    I’m enamored
    Way up in the sky I could see that you want to

    I’ve been a romantic for so long
    All I’ve ever had are love songs

    Soundtrack to Mobsters + Billionaires: Distraction by Kelly Fox

    I See You by The Horrors for a book about truly seeing a person, a possibility and a future.

    Through the summer
    You will soon forget
    Days get longer
    But the sun still sets
    You’re so fair while
    Love is yours to choose
    Life is fragile
    Don’t you let it go
    I can see your future in it
    I can see it there

    I see you

    And all the things you might do

  • quote,  Uncategorized

    I’m in love with it
    Intoxicated
    I’m enraptured
    From the inside I can feel that you want to
    Wake up high on it
    Feel it suspending
    I’m enamored
    Way up in the sky I could see that you want to

    I’ve been a romantic for so long
    All I’ve ever had are love songs

    Singing oh-oh-oh
    Go on, I dare you
    Oh-oh-oh
    I dare you

    I got chills
    Heartbreak multiplies
    I’m on a different kind of high
    A rush of blood is not enough
    I need my feelings set on fire
    Now I’m deep in it
    Infatuated
    Strong attraction
    Side by side, and I know that you want to

    I’ve been a romantic for so long
    All I’ve ever had are love songs

    Singing oh-oh-oh
    Go on, I dare you
    Oh-oh-oh
    I dare you

    I can hear it now like I heard it then
    I can hear it now like I heard it then
    I can hear it now like I heard it then
    I can hear it now like I heard it then

    Singing oh-oh-oh
    Go on, I dare you
    Oh-oh-oh
    I dare you
    Oh-oh-oh
    Go on, I dare you
    Oh-oh-oh
    I dare you

    Through the summer
    You can breathe the air
    Rest forever

    Because there’s nothing else
    See the way the valley
    Starts to grow
    Every movement
    Seems to be for you
    I can see your future in it
    I can see it there
    I can see your future in it
    I can see it there

    I see you
    I see you
    I see you
    I see you

    And all the things you might do
    And all the things you might do
    And all the things you might do

    I see you
    I see you
    I see you
    I see you

    Through the summer
    You will soon forget
    Days get longer
    But the sun still sets
    You’re so fair while
    Love is yours to choose
    Life is fragile
    Don’t you let it go
    I can see your future in it
    I can see it there

    I see you
    I see you
    I see you
    I see you

    And all the things you might do
    And all the things you might do
    And all the things you might do

    I see you
    I see you
    I see you
    I see you