Mortal Temptations

Reviewed by Tissie

This review originally appeared at 3 Girl Group.

Patrica Lake’s world is turned upside down when she finds a winged, demi-god unconscious on the floor of her antique store. Her unexpected visitor is Nico, a powerful deity cursed by Hera to be a slave to female sexual desire. As punishment for chasing after one of Hera’s priestesses, he is sentenced to an eternity of heartbreak as he is used by one female after another and tossed aside along with his partner in crime and demi-god Andreas. Patrica, of course, holds the key to ending their enchantment…

I really wanted to like this book. Yes, the story is pretty cookie-cutter – our tortured and cursed hero must commit some great act of sacrifice to save himself and his one true love. Mortal Temptations had all the potential to really be an unique, yet heartwarming story; but it totally fell flat almost from the beginning.

Patrica is psychic and can read the auras off of people and objects, hence her profession as an antiques dealer. You would think her abilities would be almost vital to Andreas and Nico’s quest for clues on how to break the curse. But her psychic abilities are introduced in the beginning and then are almost forgotten over the course of the story.

Nico and Andreas are described as essentially high class gigolos who are tortured by their fate. However, throughout the story, they honestly don’t seem more than slightly annoyed by the whole situation. Andreas seems almost giddy to have a new toy to play with. And Nico doesn’t seem plagued by bouts of depression or melancholy over being a god reduced to a sex slave.

The ending was also nothing special with Nico’s final “test” incredibly uneventful and really not that difficult. Happily ever after was attained a little too easily for me to really feel any emotion for the characters.

Overall this book was a bust. If you are looking for a good tragic hero type, you are better off checking out Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter’s series.

Object of Desire

Review by Jilly Gee

Object of Desire is a collection of five, short love stories for ladies; six, if you count the two-chapter one as two. Five different, unrelated stories, five different leading ladies, three of which are a little ditzy. For the lucky ladies who weren’t ditzy, the guys turned out to be cheaters. Actually, all of them were cheaters with the except of one. I suppose the theme of this graphic novel should be “boyfriends who are jerks”.

Kako wants a guy to admit that he only wants to have sex with her instead of going through the motions of being her boyfriend and trying to hurry their dates along so they can go to a hotel. She finally meets that guy! They have sex, they actually have an amazing date, he tells her about his girlfriend…

Atsushi is constantly sleeping around with women other than Atsuko, she’s even caught him at it, and yet she still clings to him and obsessively texts him. The conclusion may have been sweet, but the premise of this story just doesn’t make any sense. She has threatened to break up with him if he cheats on her, and he actually tries to hide this cheating from her despite the fact that he thinks she is annoying and doesn’t want to be her boyfriend in the first place.

The two chapters of Shizuka and Kimura’s story was the best out of this graphic novel, not just because it was two chapters and had more room to develop the characters and their feelings than the 25 or so pages the other couples got. This first chapter alone had more depth and feeling than the rest of the other love stories put together. Shizuka has always been a smart, cool, cheeky girl. Everyone except Kimura is awed by her, so of course, she is attracted to Kimura. She admits, in the most casual way possible, that she likes him and they actually begin a relationship. The cheekiness she usually shows to him, though, is absent whenever they have sex, which rattles him. He tries to take his mind off of it with another girl, resulting in an unexpected blow-up from the cool Shizuka.

The follow-up chapter leaves behind most of the angst that was in Shizuka and Kimura’s previous story behind and is more comedic, with Shizuka scheming to get what she wants out of the relationship and the two of them playing baseball against a team that practically worships cool Shizuka.

Yuji is the one guy in this book who is not a cheater. Yay for Yuji. His girlfriend, Airi, is a kind, pretty, klutzy…airhead. In other words, she’s like an older version of the typical shoujo manga heroine, except without the incredibly long and awesome coming-of-age story to make her look less idiotic. The problem in this relationship comes when kind and klutzy Airi overhears what Yuji’s coworkers really think of her when they meet her at a party and she concludes that they are right. The story is sweet and makes a hell of a lot more sense than Atsushi and Atsuko’s, but it’s not anything more than that: sweet.

The final couple, Mami and Steve, do not have a sweet story, nor are there passionate, emotional feelings involved. Mami is a horny virgin and Steve is an exchange student staying with Mami’s family for the summer. Passionate, summer love? If only it were so. Just a quick summer fling, in this case. Mami, although disappointed that Steve was just looking for casual sex and not really in love with her, gets over it extremely quickly and is back to lusting over the guy from the beginning of the story.

Desire – Dangerous Feelings

Review by Kris

It seems that many of the yaoi novels that are published are ones that are based on popular yaoi manga. You have Passion: Forbidden Lovers, Only the Ring Finger Knows, and now Desire – Dangerous Feelings. Desire is a yaoi manga written by Maki Kazumi and illustrated by Yukine Honami. If you are interested in reviews for the manga you can check out my review or Ginger Mayerson’s fantastic review of this manga.

Toru Maiki is in quite the quandary. He’s fallen in love with his best friend Ryoji Nakajo. He’s afraid that if he discloses these feelings his friendship with Ryoji will be over. One day at lunch Ryoji blurts out that he gets turned on when he looks at Toru. Toru thinks that Ryoji is playing some sick joke and doesn’t know how to respond. Ryoji wants Toru to forget whatever he said but that’s easier said than done. Time moves forward and Ryoji just can’t seem to get Toru off of his mind. He suggests that the two of them sleep together. Toru is bothered by this development but reluctantly goes along with the plan. Soon the two start sleeping together on a regular basis but is it possible to have sex without love? That’s the emotional roller coaster that Toru is riding on.

When one reads these yaoi novels that are based on manga one can either like them or hate them. I find them to be a great addition to the original manga and make it possible to delve into the story a bit more. It makes it possible to delve deeper into the characters emotions and feelings. With Desire – Dangerous Feelings not only do you get the main story that was featured in the manga but then you get a follow up story and a brief story told from Ryoji’s point of view.

I found that I really appreciate this novel adaptation. The characters stand out in more brilliant hues due to the fact that when reading a novel it has the space needed to flesh the characters out. I found myself on the verge of tears both times I read this story. Whether its because my doctor cut back on the antidepressants or I was just moved by the story I’ll leave that up to the yaoi novel gods. Of course with the story in prose instead of graphic novel format Ryoji’s cruelty seems that much more acute and in your face. It is a somewhat emotionally challenging story so you’ll want to be prepared when you pick up this book.

The quality of the translation and editing seems to be done quite well and I only caught one typo (instead of Toru it was spelled Toto). Other than that I don’t recall catching any other spelling issues. The story flowed well during the first two stories but when you read the story told from Ryoji’s point of view it seems to be a bit halting. It’s not quite as smooth. The quality of the material is higher than that of regular paperbacks and you have the full color cover page. It’s not at all steamy like other cover pages but over at the Digital Manga website they give this a Young Adult rating and say that it’s appropriate for those 16 and up. Because of that they have to keep things a little more vanilla.

If you liked the manga Desire chances are you’ll like Desire – Dangerous Feelings. If you are on the fence about the manga then you might want to pick this up for good reference. If you didn’t like the manga then chances are you won’t like the novel either. I’m going to leave this one up to you. I found that the manga and the novel go together hand in hand and reading both made for a much more pleasant experience.

Wanted

Review by Kris

Pirates are hot, especially ones created by famed mangaka Matsuri Hino (mangaka behind Vampire Knight and Captive Hearts). Thanks to Johnny Depp and popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean pirates are hip once again. Wanted was published in Japan in 2005 after original movie was released. Was that the inducement for creating a pirate manga? I don’t really know, but pirates are definitely cool.

Armeria lost her family while she was young and was adopted into a traveling musical troupe. Armeria possesses a beautiful singing voice. During her travels she meets Luce, the nephew of a rich landowner, and falls in love with him. One evening while performing at their estate the infamous pirate crew led by Skulls kidnaps Luce for ransom. On that night Armeria vows that she will find and rescue Luce. She knew who she had to find due to the unique tattoo that Skulls had.

Several years pass and Armeria has located Skulls’ crew. Concealing her identity Armeria joins the crew as the young cabin boy Arto. Not long after she joins the crew her cover is shot (no pun intended, she actually gets shot) and a female on board a bunch of sex-crazed is dangerous. Once her identity is discovered she asks about Luce’s whereabouts and is told by Skulls that Luce is dead. Armeria isn’t so easily fooled and is determined to find out what happened to him.

There is also a brief one-shot called Spring Cherry Blossoms. It takes place during the Meiji Era. Sho wants to become a doctor but because of customs her marrying a young man of an influential family comes first. She meets a young man at the bookstore. This young man is dressed in traditional Japanese dress but has on one piece of clothing that makes him stick out, a ten-gallon hat.

For a quick read with beautiful artwork Wanted is a great choice. If you want something thought provoking Spring Cherry Blossoms is definitely an interesting look into Meiji era Japan and introducing us to a story that is both similar and foreign all at once. As a whole I enjoyed Wanted as a great diversion. It’s not terribly deep and it moves quickly so if you want something with teeth you might not be too impressed with it. I think that the story would have benefited more by being a series. I wish that there was more character development so we could delve more into the psyches of the characters. The revelation of what happened to Luce and the current situation comes too quickly and then things just become a tad ridiculous. The story of Wanted also doesn’t really wrap up as nicely as Spring Cherry Blossoms. In the brief Afterword Hino-sensei mentions that she doesn’t know if she’ll continue the story of Wanted. I think that it could benefit everything greatly if sometime in the future she decided to add to it. I think that back story would be a good addition to the story.

I must say that one thing this manga has going for it is Hino-sensei’s art. She is really quite gifted. From lush costuming to detailed backgrounds she definitely has some major talent. I’ve had the opportunity to check out some of her other works and it is just as visually amazing. VIZ is a great company to bring us her work because they bring manga titles to the masses and always present them for a reasonable price. It’s no wonder that many of their titles sell a lot of copies. They are always publishing titles that they know will sell which in this economy is always important. Matsuri Hino-sensei is a mangaka that definitely appeals to a wide audience.

If you are looking for a title to distract you from reality for an hour or two set sail with Wanted! Also feel free to check out Linda Yau’s earlier review for Wanted as well.

Make More Love and Peace

Review by Kris

The adventures in and out of the bedroom for Ayame and Koichi continue in Make More Love and Peace. This time around things are a bit more rocky from Ayame’s point of view. After catching a girl shoplifting at a grocery store Ayame invites the girl over for dinner (the girl claimed she hadn’t eaten for two days.) But a surprise is in store for Ayame. The girl, Nono, is just a common trouble making delinquent who had been taken in to the police while Koichi was working. Nono is just looking for attention and plays Ayame for a fool. Because Ayame is such a sweetheart she can’t refuse when Nono begs to tag along on Ayame and Koichi’s date. Nono plants seeds of doubt within Ayame that her kindness is just a front and that Ayame is just a fake.

Of course Ayame struggles with all of these emotions and Koichi tries to be the good boyfriend and reassure her that she’s wonderful. Once everything is back to normal another woman is thrown into the mix. This time around it’s Koichi’s ex-girlfriend from high school, Tamaki. Tamaki is impressed with how Koichi has turned out and makes the comment to Ayame that she wants to steal him away from her. Ayame knows that Koichi is in love with her but she can’t help but worry. Man, being in love is hard.

There are also two brief one-shots included as well. Just Like a Romance Novel is about a librarian who compares her new romance to the romance novels that she loves to read. The Way You Look at Me is the tale of a make-up artist who hides a secret beneath her makeup and frets when she decides to show her new boyfriend what’s behind her makeup.

As a sequel to Make Love and Peace, Make More Love and Peace is more of the same. I really enjoyed the first one but this volume just adds more smut to the mix. Don’t get me wrong I liked it but it wasn’t groundbreaking or earth shattering. It’s a fluffy, sugary manga that is a great to read when you want something quick and light to read. I must say though that I really liked the one-shot Just Like a Romance Novel. It was a really sweet story where the girl loves books and compares life to books. It’s a fun mix of sweetness and creativity. I was a bit disappointed with The Way You Look at Me. The character is much more shallow than she tries to let on and the way I see it she wanted to put the blame on her boyfriend. Oh well, you win some you lose some!

The art in Make More Love and Peace is definitely beautiful. It has the look of a high quality shojo title but the sex thrown in to make it an adult title. If you have an aversion to sex scenes in your josei titles then you’ll probably want to skip this title because there is a whole lotta sex going on with our couples. As a whole I did like the manga but I still prefer the first one. But I’m still going to recommend it to those who like fluffy adult manga. Keep up the good work Luv Luv Press!

If you are interested here are some other review links from this series:

Make Love and Peace – review written by Kris
Make Love and Peace – review written by Linda Yau
Make More Love and Peace – review written by Linda Yau.

One Last Dance: It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love

Review by Linda Yau

Finding love is never an easy thing to do. But what happens if you are 89 and walk into a women, ten years your junior? Insults, broken cakes, and bruised self esteems were the impression that Morgan and Dixie was left with from their first meeting. However as the plot forms, eventually these two seniors started to date Morgan moves in with Dixie, and her elderly dog Jiggs. These two seniors attempt to settle into some domestic normalcy, with much protests from Morgan on his part of doing household chores. The past eventually catches up with Morgan though. Now then how would the two deal with Morgan’s estranged grandson?

I received this book as a review copy much like Hymie and the Angel from the Indie & Small Press Book Fair. After months of being on my bookshelf, I finally had the time to read One Last Dance. I can honestly say, that I was not disappointed, and the fact that I couldn’t put the book down until I finish meant something. I was assured of months previously by Ms. Kay Williams that this book was great, and now I heartily give it two thumbs up. This has my stamp of approval for its realistic situations, and rich character development.

While there are some sad parts, there are also exciting parts in the book – with a need to find out what would happen next. Toward the ending of the book I thought of how difficult it is to love someone, that everything is not as apparent as it is from the public view. But with understanding, and to definitely look with an acceptance of the person’s faults, and fears is to rationalize human nature.

People may want to want to live, and enjoy life – but what would happen if age gets to be a problem? To read of this age group, as a group that would still feel the passions, and desires, exhibit the fact that the elder generation is a generation that shouldn’t be forgotten.

This book is an ideal book to be used as a reading group, as there are in depth discussion questions. This book is also great for a romance fan, without the talk of much sex, but much love between two strong individuals who learn to love each other through time and trials.

Seize The Night

Review by Linda Yau

In a world that reminds me of various vampire series, Seize The Night is book seven in Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series. This book features Tabitha Deveraux, a human who lives in New Orleans and owns a sex shop. By night, she is a experienced hunter of vampires and Damions.

One night, she encounters Valerius Magnus, a shunned Dark Hunter and their relationship develops. Valerius has ample reason to avoid Tabitha. She is the twin sister of his mortal enemy’s wife. During Valerius’s mortal life, he was a Roman general, whose family had murdered Kyrian during his own mortal life.

Dark Hunters are immortal warriors, that sold their souls to the Greek goddess Aretmis for revenge. They protect mankind from Daimons who feeds on human souls. Daimons are originally from the Apollite, a race cursed by the Greek god Apollo, who must live on blood, and die a painful death.

As a light read, Seize The Night is quite easy to digest as a stand alone paranormal romance story. Because it is being part of a larger series, readers may be drawn to the other books in the series. There are going to be some terms that are known, and the author has a website that explains more about the series. There are recurring characters, and if there is to be a chronological reading order, then Seize The Night should be the tenth book in a series of what is currently at 25 books.