Eat or Be Eaten (Review)

Eat Or Be Eaten by Yamimaru Enjin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


First read: June 4-6, 2010



*"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." At least that's the case with Masaki Ashizawa. On a search for the perfect chef, he falls in love with the delicious cuisine that Individu's chef-Shuichiro Tsubaki prepares. Elated that he has gotten to the end of his search, he finds himself disappointed when Tsubaki turns his offer down.



Not one to give up, and knowing in his heart that Tsubaki has to be the one-he offers to work as a waiter for one month in order to gain Tsubaki's trust. But even if he convinces Tsubaki to give him a chance; a secret may tear his dream to pieces.



There's a nice 'flavor' to this novel. I felt the author's love of fine cuisine imbued in her descriptive details of each dish; the tiny details and background she tells of what it takes to make a restaurant work, and what makes the grande maison so different from your average restaraunts where fine touches that enhanced the story very well.



The Individu's characters had their own personality and each of their skills meshed flawlessly and warmly it gave me this 'I wish I were there' feeling.



*quote by Fanny Fern



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The Aristocrat and the Desert Prince (review)

The Aristocrat and the Desert Prince by Haruhi Tono

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was an okay read. Although well written, it felt almost distanced or dispassionate to me. There was no connection with the characters, and even the characters' feelings for each other feel superficial. Takeyuki's personality was a little annoying at times-Zayid said it best, 'impetuous airhead'. As the youngest son he was spoiled by all of his family, so his attitude is sort of understandable-he made me want to smack him upside the head every now and then though.



Zayid is definitely an intriguing character, but I didn't get to know him well since the story is in Takeyuki's POV. In his interactions with Takeyuki though I got the sense that Zayid would be a nice influence on him. He was firm and didn't tolerate Takeyuki's bratty tantrums; he didn't accede to Takeyuki's every whim and so it gave me the feeling he could grow into a mature and unselfish man with Zayid. The illustrations are gorgeous and beautifully done, adding that little oomph that I felt the story lacked.



I'm a huge fan of Sheikhs and romance in the desert so that made it worth the read for me.



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I Want to Bite (Review)

I Want To Bite by Isaya Takamori

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm a fan of Kawai-sensei's; so knowing that she had done the illustrations for this novel was what drove me to buy this. I'm not familiar with Takamori-sensei's work, so I didn't know what to expect.



I can now say that I hope to read more of her works in the future. This was a nice read; well written and with great characters. I liked the vampire world she created, the idea of how werewolves and ghouls came about or are created, and the whole vampire society/hierarchy.



The illustrations were gorgeous, adding an extra spark to a story of grief and loss, of revenge and betrayal, but also of redemption and love. Overall a very satisfying read.







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Pale as a Ghost (Review)

Pale as a Ghost by Stephen Osborne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I had a lot of fun reading this. Duncan is an awesome character-he's such an optimist. No matter what situation he found himself in, he always had a witty remark or tried to see it in a positive light. For a guy who has a sixth sense for the supernatural, is living with the ghost of his long dead boyfriend-Robbie, has a pet who just happens to be a zombie, and whose best friend is a witch-that is no small feat, especially taking into account that he hasn't been with anyone in 10 years.



The chance for something new comes along just as he takes on 2 cases; one is that of a ghost who might have ties to his client's husband, and the other is a missing person case. Nick is a history teacher and Duncan feels attracted to him, yet it's not only his gift that holds him back; it's also the fact that he still loves Robbie.



Robbie's love for Duncan is so sweet, and it was sad but also funny what lengths he's willing to go to, to be with Duncan again. Gina, Duncan's friend is a mystery since there's not much that's revealed about her life-except that she's lived for a loooong time. Daisy the zombie bulldog is a cutie, though her meal of choice is not exactly puppy chow.



The story was engaging, as well as all characters involved; both cases where intriguing for me, as well as the triangle forming between Duncan, Nick, and Robbie-although the latter felt unresolved at the end; which gives me the hope that maybe, possibly, (really crossing my fingers here) there might be more of these guys in the future.

















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Intense Rain (Review)

Intense Rain by Shinri Fuwa

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Five years after a very painful breakup Ryuuji finds himself working in the same school his philandering ex, Takaaki is currently teaching. But he soon realizes that the Takaaki he knew has changed and matured; and though Ryuuji fears pain and betrayal again if he gives in to his lingering feelings for Takaaki-this time he's willing to take the risk and not run away again.





Bonus story: Because I Said I Definitely Like You



Kei, a high schooler, has a one night stand with Satoshi, a businessman in his 30's. Thinking he's found the one, he gets a rude wake up call-literally-when he finds himself alone in bed the next morning. It turns out that Kei's older brother is Satoshi's colleague and friend; but the bigger surprise is when he discovers Satoshi harbors feelings for his older brother. But that isn't the only obstacle in Kei's path to attain Satoshi as his own; b/c Satoshi has known the heartbreak that love can bring and he isn't willing to go through it again.



These were nice stories about giving love a second chance. This manga was sad, sweet, and funny at times and definitely a nice addition to my ever growing yaoi collection.





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Downtime (Review)

Downtime by Tamara Allen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The story was a treat to read, but I felt that for a few chapters the focus strayed and centered on a notorious crime that Nash becomes embroiled in and feels compelled to solve. It doesn't affect the major plot line in any way but it sort of felt that I was reading a story within a story; the outcome of the crime is favorable (although the culprit's history is tragic and painful). I wish it would have been the case in real life, instead of the mystery it remains.



Ezra is a kind and sensitive man, and I loved how well he clicked with Nash although their first interactions where a little...a lot strained, especially Nash's skepticism regarding Ezra's gift. Their relationship develops slowly and beautifully as they work together to solve a crime and try to find the book required to send Nash home. Derry is one of my favorites; his friendship and loyalty as well as his open acceptance of Ezra's homosexuality and ability made him a very endearing character.



For me this was one of those kinds of novels, where the characters become so familiar I was left with the yearning to learn more about them and their lives. It would be wonderful to see how they are faring as Nash settles permanently into Ezra's century; or what mischief they might get into solving crimes. This novel is definitely going into my list of favorites.





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Go Fish (Review)

Go Fish by H.T. Murray

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Ian realizes he has feelings for his friend Cal. What follows is a hilarous and sometimes embarrassing comedy of errors as he goes about trying to make his feelings known.



This novella definitely hit the spot. I loved the fact that instead of a drama about a straight man falling for his gay friend and coming to terms with his sexuality, it was just a fun and sweet story about a guy falling in love with a dear friend-that this friend was male wasn't even the issue. I totally loved this...Ian was just so much fun and Marcy is the coolest friend ever!





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