• manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Romance ni wa Hodo Tooi

    Romance ni wa Hodo Tooi – Amamiya

    In high school, Arata fell for a British girl. A salaryman now, he’s reunited with that person, but they’re actually a man?!

    There was a time when I was dying to pack my bags, hightail it to Japan, find work, make pilgrimages to anime sites, and have cosplay photoshoots. Alas, lack of resources and poor mental health wouldn’t let it be so.

    Far From Romance is a tale of a British guy doing just that. Luis, an elite systems engineer, surprised everyone when he transferred to a small fishing village to work for a small IT company. Secretly, his mission is to win the man who helped him years before when he first visited the town that was the setting of a popular anime.

    Luis is an otaku and now fluent in Japanese. It was amusing how the story poked good-naturedly at Japanese quirks through the eyes of a gaijin. He doesn’t cosplay but loves photographing places he’s seen from the anime. He even volunteers to photograph their cosplayer co-worker, thrilled to see cosplay from a Japanese.

    In contrast, Arata doesn’t watch anime but soon did after their work involved promoting the town to anime otaku. He’s portrayed as the typical workaholic salaryman and a well-liked boss. The story is mostly from his POV, where he remembers his anonymous blonde, blue-eyed first love from years ago and how they tried to communicate with the language barrier.

    And now, seeing Luis, he couldn’t help but be drawn despite being straight.

    OMG, THE ROMANCE IS THE CUTEST, SWOONIEST THING EVER!!!!

    The gorgeously drawn characters of Luis and Arata and their endearing connection, the gentle but determined way Luis wooed Arata, so pure yet so passionate, just thinking about it, I got happy goosebumps! SQUEE~

    Kommatsu is their female co-worker and a cosplayer. She keeps an eye on the romantic development of the two and dies swooning when she realized Luis and Arata are now officially a couple. Kommatsu is all of us.


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  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: His Fatal Love by Leighton Greene

    West Coast Mobsters: His Fatal Love – Leighton Greene

    Easily bored, completely manipulative, and utterly deadly…and that’s just in bed.

    As an assassin for the Castellani Family, I live for the thrill of the job.
    I’m devoted to my Family and my Don, because they keep me safe.

    To Leo Bernardi, I’m a monster.
    A killing machine.
    And a puppet that his Family can use for their own ends.

    To me, Leo is just a pawn in a game that I’m playing.
    A means to an end.
    And if I have a little fun with him along the way, who cares?

    Leo thinks he can seduce me. Tame me. Use me.
    In this game of cat and mouse, the Bernardi Lion is about to get a big surprise.

    But the more entangled we become, the more I start to feel…

    Things I didn’t think I was capable of feeling.

    Things I’ve never wanted to feel.

    In my line of work, love is a fatal flaw. But the more time we spend together, the harder I fall.

    Leo Bernardi is my greatest enemy…
    Could he also be my greatest love?

    **

    Dive into a forbidden romance between a psychopath assassin and a Mob Enforcer. Get ready for seductions and betrayals, scorching love scenes, and an unforgettable romance as a cold case comes back to haunt two Families sworn to destroy each other.


    If you have read the Morelli Family series, Julian Castellani most likely made himself memorable with his specially made intimate jewelry, attempting to seduce a well-placed Morelli. Unlike Alessandro, who prefers a low-key profile, this Castellani brother embraces the limelight and his notoriety.

    His Fatal Love is Julian investigating the murder of his beloved mother he witnessed when he was five years old. A lil mystery that I didn’t realize until the big twist was revealed was why Julian was questioning the identity of the killer despite seeing the crime happening right before his eyes.

    Julian has been called many names, psychopath being one. To which he is quick to reply, “undiagnosed“. An expert assassin on par with Jack, Julian is practically a ninja the way he can go in and out any tightly guarded place. He either feels nothing or feels too much, no in-betweens.

    Two complicated relationships are with Alessandro and Jack.

    Alessandro and Julian have always been antagonistic. There were even moments I felt Julian was going to kill his brother. Book 2, His Brutal Heart, put that to rest, and happily, Alessandro and Julian have somehow come to a truce, and along with Jack coming back to the fold, it makes for a stronger Castellani Family.

    I think Julian has a teeny-tiny bit of brother complex. Alessandro has a thing for blonds, and light-haired Julian always tries to provoke his brother by mentioning this in his on-going game of notice me, onii-chan.

    Also, the way he describes Alessandro by smell that was somewhat too intimate for brothers, even half-brothers. Turns out, he catalogues everyone’s smell. There’s a reason for this and I loved the stealthy way the story connected it to everything that’s happening.

    Trust is one of the major themes, and Julian is known to be spectacularly untrustworthy. Jack, the top Castellani assassin from His Lethal Desire, wouldn’t let his boyfriend, Miller, anywhere near the younger Castellani.

    When Jack tried to explain what trust is and why he doesn’t trust him, Julian struggled to understand the concept. This psychopath assassin is somebody who will kiss you passionately then, quick as a snap, give you a Sparta kick down an oubliette. 

    As Leo Bernardi discovered.

    Leo is the second son of Don Bernardi and works as the Enforcer. He struggling to gain his father’s respect, which was doubly hard since his father is homophobic. The connection between the Bernardi Lion and Julian is a convoluted scheme cooked up by the don that makes use of the fact that Leo is gay and has to seduce the younger Castellani to the Bernardi side.

    The plot was a thrilling game of seduction, secret identities, double agents, hard bargains and rough sex. It was gripping and twisty turn-y, weaving Julian’s investigation and mafia politics with his character development, relationship with Alessandro, growing feelings between him and Leo, and a surprising secret vulnerability that explains many quirks.

    Leo might be less flashier than Julian, but the Bernardi Lion has a dominant presence, similar ruthlessness, and indomitable will to finish a mission. Used to being the brawn, he’s a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for.

    Leo is loyal to a fault but has no qualms withdrawing that loyalty when a person is no longer worthy of such gift. So when his loyalties shifted to Julian who earned it the hard way, it stayed with him for good.

    I couldn’t imagine before who Leighton Greene would pair Julian with. But now that I’ve meet him, Leo Bernardi is the perfect match. He softens Julian’s rougher edges without stifling the feral wildness that makes Julian who he is.

    We may have come from different worlds, but we fit together perfectly. We have our own secret language—a language of revenge, of love, of passion and violence.

    My favorite parts were the scenes where Julian was confused why his chest feels tight or almost painful. He was so endearingly bewildered, not realizing he was feeling emotions he never felt before. Feelings like concern, fear, happiness, and love. All because of Leo.

    His Fatal Love is a fascinating tale of vendetta, blood ties and Family vows. It is one man’s heart-opening journey and a second son coming into his own. All in all, intensely feral, wildly passionate and fatally emotional!

    Rating:
    4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away

    Soundtrack: Love and War
    Artist: Fleurie
    Album: Love and War

    P.S.

    West Coast Mobsters should be read in order. They’re delicious mafia romances with a fairy tale flavor.

    Witness a Cinderfella hitman style in His Lethal Desire and a darker take on Beauty and the Beast in His Brutal Heart.


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

    HIS FATAL LOVEKindle | Paperback

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  • song,  Uncategorized

    SOUNDTRACK: Love and War by Fleurie

    Soundtrack to West Coast Mobsters: His Fatal Love by Leighton Greene

    Love and War by Fleurie for a book about a mafia twist on the Shakespearean tale full of second-born sons, scheming fathers, warring families, determined stalkers, reluctant allies, and hard-won lovers.

    I’m next in line and my supply is running out
    It’s time to leave, the clouds are hanging low
    The truth begins to show

    Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
    You will always be every one of these
    Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
    You will always be every one of these
    Nothing’s fair in love and war

    In life, in love, this time I can’t afford to lose
    For one, for all, I’ll do what I have to do
    You can’t understand, it’s all part of the plan

  • quote,  Uncategorized

    I’m next in line and my supply is running out
    It’s time to leave, the clouds are hanging low
    The truth begins to show

    Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
    You will always be every one of these
    Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
    You will always be every one of these
    Nothing’s fair in love and war

    In life, in love, this time I can’t afford to lose
    For one, for all, I’ll do what I have to do
    You can’t understand, it’s all part of the plan

    Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
    You will always be every one of these
    Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
    You will always be every one of these
    Nothing’s fair in love and war
    Nothing’s fair in love and war

    Broken pieces of the night
    Sing like hollow lullabies
    You and I, always in disguises

    Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
    You will always be every one of these
    Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
    You will always be every one of these
    Nothing’s fair in love and war (you will always be every one of these)
    Nothing’s fair in love and war (you will always be every one of these)
    Nothing’s fair in love and war (you will always be every one of these)
    Nothing’s fair in love and war

    In love and war

    In love and war

  • featured,  Uncategorized

    FLICKer: Keep On Climbing

    Featuring LGBT short films I found around the interwebz a.k.a Youtube. Okay sucky intro, but yeah, that’s it.


    Set against the backdrop of a sultry summer, Keep on Climbing tells the story of Eli, an ambitious and hopeful teenager who leaves home and travels to a big city in search of a new life. He arrives looking for work, but instead befriends a group of carefree misfits. Amongst this group is Riley, an eccentric nonconformist with no plans for the future. The two quickly bond, and through this newfound connection learn the importance of empathy, the effects of privilege, and the joys of life.

    This coming-of-age tale integrates character studies within wider societal conflicts. Sporting a variety of characters, our story not only looks to accurately represent the LGBTQIA+ community, but actively celebrates the love and friendship within the community.