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edgybutfemme's reviews
74 reviews
The Dragon's Betrothed, Vol. 1 by Meguru Hinohara
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
After reading Secret XXX and Therapy Game, I was really looking forward to reading this creator's take on a dragon romance and I was quite pleased with the first volume. I was surprised there was no spice in the first volume since I've read Megaru Hinohara's other work, but this one is definitely slower burn than the other ones due to the characters and their personalities.
Rin and Chiharu are a very fun couple! Rin is extremely earnest, and it's very fun to watch him try to figure out basic human things. Rin is incredibly persistent in attempting to court Chiharu despite Chiharu trying to drive him away, but it's so clearly a case of orange/blue morality of a god that has never been told no before and it's plays out quite humorously. Since he isn't an aggressive guy and isn't pushy about sex, it doesn't come off as creepy or difficult to read for me, but definitely keep in mind the premise if you are uncomfortable with this sort of set up! Chiharu starts to melt to Rin's affection rather quickly, and by the end of volume onehe is even actively stops trying to get rid of him and gets sad when he isn't around . Chiharu really seems to push people away because he doesn't feel worthy of love, so honestly they feel like a perfect match. If you like danmei and enjoy Scum Villain, Rin has extremely strong Luo Binghe energy and I love it.
I am looking forward to rolling right into the second volume! In comparison to most manga, I appreciate Megaru Hinohara's work so much partially because all of her stories wrap up nicely in just a few volumes. I am crossing my fingers that we get proper monsterfucking in the next volume(we know Rin can shapeshift individual body parts so 👀)
Rin and Chiharu are a very fun couple! Rin is extremely earnest, and it's very fun to watch him try to figure out basic human things. Rin is incredibly persistent in attempting to court Chiharu despite Chiharu trying to drive him away, but it's so clearly a case of orange/blue morality of a god that has never been told no before and it's plays out quite humorously. Since he isn't an aggressive guy and isn't pushy about sex, it doesn't come off as creepy or difficult to read for me, but definitely keep in mind the premise if you are uncomfortable with this sort of set up! Chiharu starts to melt to Rin's affection rather quickly, and by the end of volume one
I am looking forward to rolling right into the second volume! In comparison to most manga, I appreciate Megaru Hinohara's work so much partially because all of her stories wrap up nicely in just a few volumes. I am crossing my fingers that we get proper monsterfucking in the next volume
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
The Dangerous Convenience Store, Vol. 3 by 945
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Truly I'm so bad at remembering to review manga volumes when I eat multiple ones in one sitting. I just realized I never left a review here. I basically have the same feelings as with volume two, so I've copy and pasted it here with some tweaks in case you want to know what I think about this series but don't want to click around more and find my other review:
I enjoyed this volume quite a lot! This really falls into the category of gay relationship dynamics that I enjoy, in this case: intense top / bottom who likes to complain and be a little bullied. Absolutely no complaints from me! The smut was fun as always. I understand why Eui-joon doesn't think Gunwoo is serious about him, but I hope next volume Gunwoo will be able to show Eui-joon that he does really like him! This is a fun manga I am definitely going to try to stay up to date with. The dynamic is fun, the art is full color and gorgeous, and the relationship feels like it's moving at a solid pace.
I enjoyed this volume quite a lot! This really falls into the category of gay relationship dynamics that I enjoy, in this case: intense top / bottom who likes to complain and be a little bullied. Absolutely no complaints from me! The smut was fun as always. I understand why Eui-joon doesn't think Gunwoo is serious about him, but I hope next volume Gunwoo will be able to show Eui-joon that he does really like him! This is a fun manga I am definitely going to try to stay up to date with. The dynamic is fun, the art is full color and gorgeous, and the relationship feels like it's moving at a solid pace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Toxic relationship, Blood, and Death of parent
Dragon Falls by Davis Lavender
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
If you are looking for a sweet and funny gay romcom in a fantasy setting, I highly recommend this book! It manages to deliver an interesting isekai / transmigration narrative with a cast of incredibly lovable characters. This is exactly the sort of novel I had wanted when I was growing up looking for queer romance in a fantasy setting. Added to that just a little bit of spice and a whole lot of humor. It's technically an adult novel, but it's a lighthearted one that is also light on the smut. Overall, a delightful indie book that I am very glad I got, and I really love the Rainbow Crate edition that I got in their Cozy Fantasy box.
The Main Characters / Core Romance
Feliks is an incredibly relatable and very sweet ADHD hot mess. He isn't explicitly neurodivergent, but the way he describes his "brain squirrels" and the everything else about him was deeply relatable to me (my whole household is some flavor of neurodivergent). He is an absolute ray of sunshine, and he gets isekai-ed into a dragon riding warlord with the Ruthless as his moniker. It is incredibly funny to watch him try to do damage control on all the awful things that the old Ryszard did. To differentiate them both in the narrative and for the reader, Feliks has people start to call him Rys. I found him absolutely charming, even though he so often speaks before thinking and puts his foot in his mouth. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him win over everyone, including his husband. Also! He's demisexual and demiromantic! I have literally never read a book before where I saw myself represented like that! It was honestly so wonderful and validating even though its inclusion is very subtle.
Marek is a classic and wonderful example of the grumpy half of the grumpy/sunshine dynamic. He has incredibly good reasons not to trust his husband, who reappeared after being presumed dead for two years. Yet, he can't resist Rys' charm no matter how much he doesn't trust his husband's new polar opposite personality. From his best friend Kasia to the denhands he teaches, I enjoyed how much he cares for everyone despite being so very grumpy. I feel like that personality type tends to be portrayed as a loner, but Marek is at the heart of his community and they all adore him. The relationship between him and his dragon is also incredible, and there is quite a lot of humor in how infuriated he is that his dragon suddenly adores his husband who used to treat them both horribly. Rys calls their dragon Honey Bunny despite there being a Whole Thing (TM) about Dragons not being owned and therefore not being named. It does not at all infuriate Marek that his dragon now only responds to Bunny! Don't be ridiculous!
Their dynamic is everything you'd expect from this sort of grumpy/sunshine pair up, especially with the added component of Rys often saying exactly the wrong thing to Marek since he doesn't know their theoretically "shared" history from before he transmigrated into the story. Rys has absolutely no knowledge of the plot or world he gets thrown into at all, so it leads to quite a lot of unintentional hurt. Still, they have an incredibly sweet romance and both work hard for their happily ever after. For me, this was a very low spice book but I didn't come here for that.
The Worldbuilding
I had to give this it's own section because the worldbuilding is so fun and I want people to immediately adopt this as a new fun AU setting for fanfiction. Only nobility can become Dragon Riders. In order to be a Rider, you have to court and marry yourself a Dragon Tamer. Each Tamer has one Dragon that they tame and train. Tamers can be anyone who earns the position, and they often start out as Denhands (basically, like, squires; they help with upkeep around the Den and help care for your dragon). Denhands get adopted by a Tamer and a Rider, so their entire family structure is based around the dragon riding system and I just think that's such a fun build! Once a Tamer and Rider get married, the Rider starts to bond with their dragon and learns how to ride. Once you are done training as a Rider, you have your final test which is the Claiming Ceremony. You take a leap of faith off the cliff and if your dragon catches you, you are a fully fledged Rider. If they don't, well, you fall to your death. Womp womp. Until their Claiming Ceremony, Tamers must protect their Riders from all harm so you get an extra layer of bodyguard romance. Seriously, I need this as an AU setting for every ship I've ever seen immediately.
The Plot
Very straightforward! Rys thinks his only way back to his world is to survive till his claiming ceremony so he can reuse the whistle at the top of the Falls to reopen the portal. Most of the narrative is a combo of the training leading up to the ceremony, the building romance, and Rys figuring out how to be a good husband (and father lol they adopt a kid. Damon/Demon I adore you). You also see Rys unravel all the harm the character he took over did to all the people of this training camp and home city. It has plenty of found family vibes, and honestly I loved the whole main cast. Overall, this was a very lighthearted plot even though murder / being trapped in another world / falling to his death were all theoretically on the table. The humorous tone keeps the plot from getting dark or serious. It has a good pace and was exactly the right amount of plot based on what I was expecting, which is basically a romcom in a fantasy setting.
The End
Spoilers time!It almost goes without saying, but this is a nice, easy, unequivocal happily ever after. I was pleased that there was still plenty of book left after the climax. We got a really nice falling action with the main characters getting together and figuring out how to stay together. Also, this nicely side-stepped any of the usual portal fantasy or transmigration angst from having to choose between returning to their world and staying with their love interest. Feliks/Rys gets to have the best of both worlds since he has a portal he can open and close with the whistle reforged. I do wish we got to see Marek meet his brother and mother, I am dying to know how that went. Also, my edition had a nice little bonus story, The Trouble With Tybald, about two of the side characters getting together as well as a closer peek at the side romance between Demon (Rys and Marek's son) and the son of the bartender. It was a fun little surprise snack at the end, even though the bonus content wasn't for the main couple!
The Main Characters / Core Romance
Feliks is an incredibly relatable and very sweet ADHD hot mess. He isn't explicitly neurodivergent, but the way he describes his "brain squirrels" and the everything else about him was deeply relatable to me (my whole household is some flavor of neurodivergent). He is an absolute ray of sunshine, and he gets isekai-ed into a dragon riding warlord with the Ruthless as his moniker. It is incredibly funny to watch him try to do damage control on all the awful things that the old Ryszard did. To differentiate them both in the narrative and for the reader, Feliks has people start to call him Rys. I found him absolutely charming, even though he so often speaks before thinking and puts his foot in his mouth. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him win over everyone, including his husband. Also! He's demisexual and demiromantic! I have literally never read a book before where I saw myself represented like that! It was honestly so wonderful and validating even though its inclusion is very subtle.
Marek is a classic and wonderful example of the grumpy half of the grumpy/sunshine dynamic. He has incredibly good reasons not to trust his husband, who reappeared after being presumed dead for two years. Yet, he can't resist Rys' charm no matter how much he doesn't trust his husband's new polar opposite personality. From his best friend Kasia to the denhands he teaches, I enjoyed how much he cares for everyone despite being so very grumpy. I feel like that personality type tends to be portrayed as a loner, but Marek is at the heart of his community and they all adore him. The relationship between him and his dragon is also incredible, and there is quite a lot of humor in how infuriated he is that his dragon suddenly adores his husband who used to treat them both horribly. Rys calls their dragon Honey Bunny despite there being a Whole Thing (TM) about Dragons not being owned and therefore not being named. It does not at all infuriate Marek that his dragon now only responds to Bunny! Don't be ridiculous!
Their dynamic is everything you'd expect from this sort of grumpy/sunshine pair up, especially with the added component of Rys often saying exactly the wrong thing to Marek since he doesn't know their theoretically "shared" history from before he transmigrated into the story. Rys has absolutely no knowledge of the plot or world he gets thrown into at all, so it leads to quite a lot of unintentional hurt. Still, they have an incredibly sweet romance and both work hard for their happily ever after. For me, this was a very low spice book but I didn't come here for that.
The Worldbuilding
I had to give this it's own section because the worldbuilding is so fun and I want people to immediately adopt this as a new fun AU setting for fanfiction. Only nobility can become Dragon Riders. In order to be a Rider, you have to court and marry yourself a Dragon Tamer. Each Tamer has one Dragon that they tame and train. Tamers can be anyone who earns the position, and they often start out as Denhands (basically, like, squires; they help with upkeep around the Den and help care for your dragon). Denhands get adopted by a Tamer and a Rider, so their entire family structure is based around the dragon riding system and I just think that's such a fun build! Once a Tamer and Rider get married, the Rider starts to bond with their dragon and learns how to ride. Once you are done training as a Rider, you have your final test which is the Claiming Ceremony. You take a leap of faith off the cliff and if your dragon catches you, you are a fully fledged Rider. If they don't, well, you fall to your death. Womp womp. Until their Claiming Ceremony, Tamers must protect their Riders from all harm so you get an extra layer of bodyguard romance. Seriously, I need this as an AU setting for every ship I've ever seen immediately.
The Plot
Very straightforward! Rys thinks his only way back to his world is to survive till his claiming ceremony so he can reuse the whistle at the top of the Falls to reopen the portal. Most of the narrative is a combo of the training leading up to the ceremony, the building romance, and Rys figuring out how to be a good husband (and father lol they adopt a kid. Damon/Demon I adore you). You also see Rys unravel all the harm the character he took over did to all the people of this training camp and home city. It has plenty of found family vibes, and honestly I loved the whole main cast. Overall, this was a very lighthearted plot even though murder / being trapped in another world / falling to his death were all theoretically on the table. The humorous tone keeps the plot from getting dark or serious. It has a good pace and was exactly the right amount of plot based on what I was expecting, which is basically a romcom in a fantasy setting.
The End
Spoilers time!
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
Content Warnings from the front of the book:
- Mentions of cheating
- Manipulation
- Minor Injury
Mercy by Ian Haramaki
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
I put this book down halfway through and kept trying to pick it up for two months (which is not something I typically do, I usually eat a book in 1-2 days, or at most spread out over a week). Then, my spouse read the whole thing, rated it 1.5 stars, and gave me a rundown of the rest of the book, so now I'm DNFing it.
The thing is??? I enjoyed part 1 (night) perfectly well. I think I probably would have given this somewhere in the mid 3 star range if the book had ended at the end of part one with the addition of Ilya and Danya choosing to leave the horrible town together. However, I hit a wall with the interlude and nothing about how I've been informed the back half of the book plays out gives me any desire to read it. I think this could have been an good novella with a small tweak to tie things up and an ending before the interlude. As an alternative, it could have been a truly excellent novel with some fairly major overhauls, both in the cohesion of the worldbuild and with more emphasis on setting up/integrating the back half's plot into the first half. Also, more showing things happening on screen rather than telling me something happens a lot.
I think this had incredible potential, and sometimes those are the hardest books both to read or to choose to put down. That said, I really hope this author's success leads to more opportunity for their writing to grow from here! I can't imagine a debut novel blowing up the way this has. It puts an insane amount of scrutiny on an indie book that otherwise wouldn't be there.
The thing is??? I enjoyed part 1 (night) perfectly well. I think I probably would have given this somewhere in the mid 3 star range if the book had ended at the end of part one with the addition of Ilya and Danya choosing to leave the horrible town together. However, I hit a wall with the interlude and nothing about how I've been informed the back half of the book plays out gives me any desire to read it. I think this could have been an good novella with a small tweak to tie things up and an ending before the interlude. As an alternative, it could have been a truly excellent novel with some fairly major overhauls, both in the cohesion of the worldbuild and with more emphasis on setting up/integrating the back half's plot into the first half. Also, more showing things happening on screen rather than telling me something happens a lot.
I think this had incredible potential, and sometimes those are the hardest books both to read or to choose to put down. That said, I really hope this author's success leads to more opportunity for their writing to grow from here! I can't imagine a debut novel blowing up the way this has. It puts an insane amount of scrutiny on an indie book that otherwise wouldn't be there.
The Dangerous Convenience Store, Vol. 2 by 945
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I enjoyed this volume quite a lot! This really falls into the category of gay relationship dynamics that I enjoy, in this case: intense top / bottom who likes to complain and be a little bullied. Absolutely no complaints from me! The smut was fun, and I really enjoyed getting Gunwoo's POV of the story so far at the end of the volumeas a side / bonus story. I understand why Eui-joon doesn't think Gunwoo is serious about him, but I hope next volume Gunwoo will be able to show Eui-joon that he does really like him! This is a fun manga I am definitely going to try to stay up to date with. The dynamic is fun, the art is full color and gorgeous, and the relationship feels like it's moving at a solid pace. I have the next volume already so I'm going to roll right into reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Blood
Moderate: Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Violence
Therapy Game, Vol. 2 by Meguru Hinohara
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is everything I wanted to second volume to be! It would have been fine if it ended here, but I am so glad there is another series exploring more of their relationship because I can't get enough of these boys!
This volume had everything! Getting together! Further backstory drop! Double date at an amusement park with their brothers! More spice!That sex scene with Minato's "punishment"?! Delicious. I can't wait to see where there relationship goes from here.
This volume had everything! Getting together! Further backstory drop! Double date at an amusement park with their brothers! More spice!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Biphobia, Child abuse, and Homophobia
Therapy Game, Vol. 1 by Meguru Hinohara
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
As much as I liked Mito and Shohei from Secret XXX, I think I lik3 this dynamic even more! Minato and Shizuma are kinda messy but in a fun way. Shizuma is incredibly sweet and watching him in real time realize he is into men was so funny. Minato is such a fucked up little guy who is so prickly to keep people out but secretly he just wants to be loved. I adored watching them fall for each other and I'm immediately going to roll right into the next volume as soon as my wife is done with it. This series, just like Secret XXX, is spicy and I enjoyed those scenes very much! The main plot is definitely focused on building the romantic relationship rather than some erotica I've read where the plot is more of an excuse to put people in Situations to justify sex. Not that I don't also love manga like that, but this one very much feels like any sex is just a piece of the overarching romantic plotline.
If relationship obstacles mainly due to misunderstandings bothers you, this series might not be for you, but as someone who is picky about that type of plot device I think this does it well!
Spoilers for how this volume ends:The relationship isn't in a great place at the end of this volume, but you can tell they are right on the verge of fixing things! The misunderstanding has even been realized, now they just need to actually talk to each other.
If relationship obstacles mainly due to misunderstandings bothers you, this series might not be for you, but as someone who is picky about that type of plot device I think this does it well!
Spoilers for how this volume ends:
Exposed by H.L. Day
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love this book so very much. I haven't read many stalker romances, and I have a feeling I might be picky about them, but this one absolutely did it for me. It's been a really long time since I've read something set in a dystopia, and this one was properly nightmarish and compelling.
I love X and Tate's dynamic so much. X is absolutely an ice king, but he is so soft for Tate. I love the person who hardly talks / person who compulsively fills silence ship dynamic, and they just fit so well together. The thing is, Tate likes that X is dangerous, it does it for him. Their major kink is knife play (which is deeply unsurprising given X's obsession with his knives), and they occasionally like to add in breath play for spice. I read the gorgeous Rainbow Crate version of this book, and they put the spice level at 4/5, which I feel is accurate. There are several spicy scenes that are fun and well written, and the main characters are extremely horny for each other, but there is a strong plot and the first sex scene is quite a ways into the book and feels like it was built up to and earned.
Spoilers for the end:I was briefly a little worried that they might end up dying in the last few chapters, but I was pretty sure they were going to find the rumored city beyond the desert and get their happily ever after. Thankfully, they did! I loved how everything wrapped up, and I very much enjoyed the epilogue where you get to see them settled into their new life and enjoy one more sex scene.
I am definitely planning to check out this authors other work!
I love X and Tate's dynamic so much. X is absolutely an ice king, but he is so soft for Tate. I love the person who hardly talks / person who compulsively fills silence ship dynamic, and they just fit so well together. The thing is, Tate likes that X is dangerous, it does it for him. Their major kink is knife play (which is deeply unsurprising given X's obsession with his knives), and they occasionally like to add in breath play for spice. I read the gorgeous Rainbow Crate version of this book, and they put the spice level at 4/5, which I feel is accurate. There are several spicy scenes that are fun and well written, and the main characters are extremely horny for each other, but there is a strong plot and the first sex scene is quite a ways into the book and feels like it was built up to and earned.
Spoilers for the end:
I am definitely planning to check out this authors other work!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
Knife play & breath play in the main relationship, enthusiastically consensual
Secret XXX by Meguru Hinohara
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
This is just a sweet little gay time! It's rare I pick up a one off manga, and this one really hit the spot when I was craving a sweet gay romance (that is still very horny!). It was nice because they got together pretty early and you really get to see them figure out their first few relationship hurtles and fall more and more in love. I'm looking forward to reading more manga set in this universe and getting to see these good boys be in their happily ever after together. Also, the art of all the bunnies was SO cute and running a bunny store was a unique setting for this fun contemporary romance.
Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Okay I left a mile long review for the first book so I'm going to (hopefully) keep this one shorter.
I loved this book! Literally all of the characters grew so much and the pliot is really moving. With all the set pieces in place after the first book, this one was really able to shine even brighter. I adored the first volume, but honestly I think this one was even better paced and written (and I didn't have any complaints about the first!) I love Trystan and Evie So Much, and I love the background romances that have also started to develop further in this book.
Truly I mentioned how much I love all the side characters in my last review, but this book is the one that really made me care so very deeply about Becky specifically. I'd already warmed to her by the end of book 1, but this book giving her perspective chapters and dealing with her past as well as her relationship with Blade developing really cemented her as a fav.
Okay, now some yelling behind a spoiler wall:I AM SO GLAD WE GOT TRYSTAN AND EVIE KISSING IN THIS VOLUME BUT I'M SO MAD THEY DIDN'T GET TO FUCK!!! They were So Close. God dammit Malcolm how could you accidentally cock block them!!!! Also, like, I am so glad that even though Trystan is being stupid, Evie is just like Challenge Accepted (I Know he is worried about corrupting her and about fate and prophecy stuff but chill out my guy! Evie is cheerfully corrupting herself! I am pretty sure EVIE is actually the villain from the prophecy!) I love when one character is like "oh I see you actually love me back but you've decided to be stupid about this so I'm going to annoy you into kissing me". It's very fun and the next book literally couldn't come soon enough.
I loved this book! Literally all of the characters grew so much and the pliot is really moving. With all the set pieces in place after the first book, this one was really able to shine even brighter. I adored the first volume, but honestly I think this one was even better paced and written (and I didn't have any complaints about the first!) I love Trystan and Evie So Much, and I love the background romances that have also started to develop further in this book.
Truly I mentioned how much I love all the side characters in my last review, but this book is the one that really made me care so very deeply about Becky specifically. I'd already warmed to her by the end of book 1, but this book giving her perspective chapters and dealing with her past as well as her relationship with Blade developing really cemented her as a fav.
Okay, now some yelling behind a spoiler wall: