Sinful Book Reviews

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For some reason when I read books in a series like this, with each friend finding his mate, I feel like I have to choose my favorite. I think Ben and Cavin will probably remain my favorites, but Oscar and Julian were pretty great.

Oscar is the sweetest guy. He’s always smiling and happy. He’s spent a lot of his life alone, so his top priority is being social. He loves going out and being with people. The problem is that he’s filthy rich. People have a tendency to use him for his money, privilege, and status. He’s never minded very much because everyone got what they wanted. That is, until he met Julian. Julian came back to London with the intention of marrying himself into society. He wants to be part of the ton. He’s spent most of his life listening to whispers about his gambling father and being cut by his peers. He believes if he can find a wealthy wife, he can buy his way to happiness. When he meets Oscar he suspects he’s found someone who shares his attraction for the same sex. Soon he finds that Oscar might also be his ticket to getting in with society.

Julian can be a little difficult to like, at first. He’s so blinded by his plan to marry rich, he has a hard time seeing what’s right in front of him. Obviously, being with Oscar won’t fix his monetary problems. It takes a huge mistake and an enormous fight with Oscar to make him understand how important making it on his own is. I felt like that part of the story was a little rushed. One minute he was too worried about his reputation to think of Oscar’s feelings; the next minute he was flipping out about his relationship with Oscar and seeing the error of his ways. It was a little convenient. It actually took a little more time than that, but the book skips over that period of miserable waiting. A peek into that part of the story might have made the overall story a little stronger.

All in all, I really loved this book. It was almost as good as the last. This is possibly a little spoilery, but I really loved when Julian found out about Ben and Cavin. I’d been hoping all the guys would figure out they’re all gay. They’re all trying so hard to hide it that they’re even careful of speaking to each other about it. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes MM. Start with My True Love Gave to Me. I still haven’t read it, but that’s the prequel short.

I love historical romance and I love MM romance. Put them together? Yes, please! This is actually a re-read. Ava March was just on my mind and I decided I would pick this series back up and read through it. I get so into her historical MM books, that I just can’t stop reading. I could read them all in one sitting if I had the time.

In a time when status was everything, being gay was dangerous. Just to throw a little history your way, it wasn’t until 1861 that England abolished the death sentence for sodomy. They decided 10 years in prison was more appropriate. According to the synopsis, Ben and Cavin’s story takes place in the 1820s. The possibility of death is there, though I think that punishment was more often enforced on poor men who found themselves in bad situations than rich men in serious relationships. My understanding is that gay men were safe, for the most part, as long as they kept their relationships secret. That’s the kind of world Ben and Cavin are dealing with. For Ben, he’s content to be himself and be with Cavin. He does understand the importance of secrecy, but he’s accepted his attraction to men and prefers to embrace it. Cavin, too, is very sure of who he is and the fact that he’s attracted to men. His issues have much more to do with Ben’s status than anything else. Cavin has spent his entire life being told that he’s nothing, and he almost believes it. His struggles are less with himself as a gay man and more with himself as man with nothing who came from nothing (at least, by society’s standards). I think the notion that Ben would care so much for someone like Cavin could have been unrealistic. It wasn’t, though. Ben is the type of man who cares about everyone. Even when he talks of his reasons for not marrying, he makes it sound as if it’s more for the lady’s sake than his.

“That would be cruel, condemning some poor woman to a husband who can’t feel true attraction toward her… I plan to remain a bachelor indefinitely.”

Such a gentleman! March did such a great job writing a character with the caring, sweet personality required to make that sort of leap. It probably helps that Ben went through the doubt and confusion of feel “other” around other boys. I guess I should talk about what you’re really interested in: the sexy times. Together, Ben and Cavin are passionate and sweet all at once. They burn up the sheets with intense sex scenes, but there’s a kind of tenderness between them that draws them closer to each other. They find a kind of intimacy with each other that makes them such a great couple.

I loved this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys MM romances. Keep a lookout for my upcoming reviews of the rest of the series.

Remember that romance blog I posted about? Well, I found a few co-bloggers, and the blog is live! Please go check it out if you love romance or erotica. Also, there's still room for another blogger or two if you're interested. 

So, this was a result of a settlement Kobo had with some publisher. I don’t even remember the details, I just know I got store credit. I immediately went for one of the books I’d been salivating over since it came out. What a great purchase!

Alice Clayton is hilarious and I’ll be reading more of her books in the future. I loved this story and adored all the characters. Caroline won me over from the start. She has a sense of humor that I could really appreciate. I wish I were that funny. Her cat is also pretty amazing; with a name like Clive he has to be. I also knew the moment Caroline met Simon that I was going to love him. This is the classic girl hates boy until girl realizes boy isn’t so bad until girl falls for boy. It’s a classic formula for a reason, too. Clayton puts a fresh face on it too. It never felt like the same old story. It was more like a really fun variation on a tune we all know really well, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

I only had two little issues with it, and one of them was more my issue than the book’s issue. I was expecting the sex way sooner than it happened. I guess I’ve been reading a lot of erotica and erotic romance, so I’m used to a lot of sex. I had to wait for it in this book. It didn’t make me like it any less; it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I also wasn’t particularly happy that Simon was pretty much independently wealthy. It seems like a lot of contemporary romances are full of young billionaires. Not that Simon was really comparable to those characters, but I know very few people at his age that are as comfortable as he is. That’s all I’m saying. It wasn’t a huge deal for me because at least he still worked.

These two are worth the read. They’re funny and adorable. It was just… really good. Recommended!

Is anyone interested in coming on board as a co-blogger for a new romance blog. I want to start one, but I can't do it alone. I have two interested co-bloggers so far, but I would love more. You would not be required to do anything more than read and post reviews. You can post as little as two per month. It's no stress, no pressure. Just reading and reviewing for fun. Of course, you can be more involved if you want, but it is not a requirement. I'll set up the blog and everything. 

If you're interested please comment below or send me a message.

In case you didn’t figure it out from the synopsis, the main characters in this manga are gay men. I’ll go ahead a give a couple of little warnings for those interested in manga. This one has a whole lot of sexual references, but it’s not terribly graphic or anything. There’s also a good bit of language, which makes sense since it’s about the mafia and all.

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this series. The first three volumes didn’t impress me too much. They were funny, but kind of weird. It seemed like they were more about sex than anything else, but there were a couple of little things that kept me reading. One was Mookyul’s relationship with the chairman, who he claims is a father figure, but has really been molesting him since he was a child. Well, I guess it’s really never confirmed that he was molesting him as a child. I suppose that could have started when he got older, but still. He was supposed to be his guardian, not his lover. It was just sickening and I wanted to see how it got resolved. The other thing that hooked me was the past encounter between Mookyul and Ewon. Ewon’s words when they were in middle school really changed Mookyul’s life. I thought after all that the series might get a little deeper, so I kept reading. And I was right!

The last three volumes were exciting and fast-paced. With the mafia involved in the plot, things got really intense and out of hand at times, but it only brought more excitement into the story. I really loved the last volume, in particular. There was a lot more depth to it than the others. There was a emotional look into Ewon’s past and how it shaped him into the hardworking person he is. By the end, I felt like it was worth enduring some of the less appealing parts of the manga to finish the story. Though there was more sex than I normally come across in the manga I read, it wasn’t graphic. It was mostly some drawings of them in bed under the covers or just discussion about sex. The humor was good. There wasn’t too much of it, but it made me giggle whenever it did pop up. The art was really great. It’s very crisp and sharp, but I liked it. I liked watching Mookyul’s character soften and Ewon’s character tear down the walls around his heart.

In the last volume, everything seemed to be working against Tomoyuki and Akihito. Akihito was making arrangements for marriage, though never exactly willingly. The head of the Ishizaki family requested Tomoyuki’s service in exchange for help with the marriage arrangements. It seems a lot went on behind the scenes between that volume and this one. Volume 4 opens with Akihito shopping at the market (which would have been unheard of for someone of his rank). He’s moved to a small apartment, and is trying out life without titles or society. When Tomoyuki finds out about this, he’s furious. He’s been working for the Ishizaki family, but hasn’t been able to get Akihito out of his head. Akihito has called off the wedding and is planning to abandon his title in hopes that Tomoyuki can take his place.

This one was a slight backtrack from the engaging third volume. I’ll admit to part of my difficulties owing to the fact that Tomoyuki and Akihito spent so much of this volume apart. Their stories were connected, but they weren’t together, and they spent most of the volume working against each other. I found Akihito’s attempts to make Tomoyuki’s ambitions come true to be romantic, in a dramatic sort of way. He was willing to give up everything just so Tomoyuki could have all the things he ever wanted. Tomoyuki, on the other hand, is finally willing to admit that he cares enough for Akihito to stop him from ruining himself.

One character who’s been a little flat for me throughout this series was Ishizaki, Akihito’s best friend. In the last volume, he gained a little more depth when Akihito and Tomoyuki found out about his relationship with a courtesan. In this volume, Tomoyuki is constantly telling him that if he cares for her, he shouldn’t worry so much about his place; he should be with her if he wants. Ishizaki is quick to point out the hypocrisy in Tomoyuki’s words. I think watching Akihito and Tomoyuki swing back and forth between love and duty has made Ishizaki a little nauseated.

I’ll admit that some of the dealing with social ranks in this one confused me. I’m not completely sure how Akihito was accomplishing his task to give Tomoyuki his title. In the end, I think things were turning out more in their favor. I guess we’ll see for sure in the next volume.

I picked this book up at NetGalley, not thinking too much of it. When I began reading, I fell in love. First of all, I love historical settings. I love the refinement of the period. The way people spoke then just makes for better writing, as far as I’m concerned. Mitchell also leans toward the lyrical side in her writing style, which is fitting for this novel.

I was enamored with Amelia and Nathaniel. Their relationship is an interesting one from the start, and I loved watching it develop from playful games into something real. They’re both great characters, with plenty of depth. Zora, Amelia’s friend, was also one of my favorite characters. She had a lot of life and I hated to see so many sad things happen in her life. Every character, even those the reader doesn’t know as well, was written perfectly into the story.

I was taken away by this story. I really got into it and saw all the scenes, as if I were watching a movie. It also made me soar through different emotions: happiness, excitement, intrigue, horror. I thought she crafted the plot twists well. I never saw them coming. It is obvious from the beginning of the book that things will take a horrible turn, but it’s how they come about that is so genius to me. And I wasn’t quite prepared for the ending, but I loved it. I recommend picking this one up in March. Don’t worry. I’ll remind you. I know I’ll be going to buy my own finished copy.

Just to give a few reminders: Yura is starting her acting career in hopes of showing her parents that she doesn’t need them to be special. She’s hoping to become a better actress than her mother. She’s dating Q-ta, a musician who’s a huge fan of her father’s music. Haruka, Q-ta’s brother, is acting alongside Yura in a television show and he’s developed a thing for Yura. Mizorogi, her manager, wants her to focus on her career and not the two boys vying for her attention, though there seems to be a little more behind his actions. This cover shows Yura and Haruka.

I’m still don’t quite understand why Aihara writes her female characters the way she does. Yura just seems a little weak. I mean, she redeems herself sometimes. I was proud of her a few times in this volume because she didn’t let people get in her way. Still, she cries a lot. She also lets Q-ta dictate her life and that’s never healthy. I guess I should remind myself that I was a teenager once and I probably wasn’t much different.

Haruka has such a hard time talking about his feelings. I’m unsure whether that’s part of his personality or whether he just wants to protect some image he has going for himself. The second seems a little shallow for Haruka. Q-ta on the other hand can be a selfish prick and I wish Yura would open her eyes and see that. Instead she acts like an idiot. He says he would rather her not act if it keeps her from seeing him and I have no doubt she would stop for him… and that’s just stupid. Mizorogi is difficult to figure out. He has a thing for her, that’s for sure. He doesn’t pursue it, probably because he’s her boss and he’s nearly twice her age. Still, he sabotages her meetings with Q-ta and seems really hurt when he catches them alone together.

The plot is keeping me locked into the series. I wasn’t expecting Yura and Q-ta to get so serious so fast. I’m worried about Yura. I think they’re moving too fast. Plus, Haruka seems to genuinely care about her and I kind of like him. I’m also hoping for a fire to get ignited between Yura and her mother. Her mother seemed pretty hurt by some of the things Yura said to her and I’m really hoping Aihara explores that further in the next volume. I imagine Mizorogi’s feelings will be exposed at some point, though I’m not expecting it anytime soon. But who knows? Aihara’s surprised me with the plot so far. I really enjoyed this volume and I’m ready for the next one.

I had a hard time taking this book in. I enjoyed it, but it was pretty heavy stuff. It’s unusual because I’ve read so many books on heavy stuff lately: Wintergirls, Crank & Glass, Split. But nothing is quite as heavy as suicide. This book takes a very blunt look at suicide and how someone can be driven to end their life. It forces the reader to look at their life and evaluate how their actions effect others.

Clay, one of two main characters, is a nice, straight-laced boy. But when he listens to Hannah’s tapes, he’s forced to face some things that have been swimming in the back of his mind since he first heard of Hannah’s death. Hannah, the other main character, explains on her tapes the snowball effect that brought her life to an end. She holds the people involved in her pain accountable for what they’ve done.

This book focuses more on plot and theme than character development. Yes, we see Hannah decent into sadness and depression, but I felt that was more because it was an important part of the plot than it was development. The theme of thinking before you act, and recognizing your effect on others is an important one, not just for teens, but for everyone. Like Hannah says, you never know what someone is going through. There are hundreds of people out there who need help, but don’t know how to ask. Or people crying for help, but no one listens. Hannah’s tapes make a difference in Clay’s life, just like I think this book can make a difference in other’s lives.

I’m really glad I decided to listen to the audiobooks because the effect was really awesome since Clay’s supposed to be listening to tapes of Hannah telling her story. The narrating was great. I strongly recommend listening to the audiobook version.

I was so surprised by how much I loved this book. This is the first book by Holly Black I’ve read and I have to say she really knows what she’s doing. She’s a master and crafting both character and plot into a page-turner. Well, not literally, in my case, since I was listening to the audiobook. Also, props to Jesse Eisenberg for a terrific narration. He was the only reason I picked up the audiobook to begin with. I mean, I thought the plot sounded cool, but with the disappointment with paranormal books lately I was a little wary of this one. I’m so glad I ended up loving it.

Cassel lives in a world full of curse workers—people who have powers, such as changing emotions, memories, or even killing others with the touch of hand. Everyone in his family are curse workers… except him. Cassel has no powers. He’s just an ordinary boy trying to live an ordinary life. When Cassel begins sleepwalking and dreaming of a white cat, his normal life fades away. His family are keeping secrets, and Cassel starts to worry that they’re conning him.

Cassel was such a great, witty character. His narrative set the perfect tone for the world and the story. His brothers and Lila were equally dynamic characters. I felt some of the smaller characters fell a little flat, but perhaps that’s just due to their lack of presence in the story. Black has an amazing ability to unravel plot like a pro. Black has surpassed the other writers in the YA fantasy/urban fantasy/paranormal trend. She can produce a book that’s interesting, exciting, and well written with characters it’s impossible not to fall in love with. Bravo, Ms. Black. I’m officially impressed. Jesse Eisenberg brought a lot to this character for me. Cassel is the type of guy Eisenberg is always playing in films and his voice gave it so much personality. I’m not sure I’d enjoy the print version half as much as I enjoyed the audiobook.

The final volume! Curses have been broken and the eternal banquet has finally come to a close. But there are still some loose ends to be wrapped up. How will the members of the Zodiac deal with their newfound freedom? Can forgiveness come in the wake of Akito’s past actions and a new surprising revelation?

Ok, let me start by telling you that it took me forever to figure out who was on the cover of this. I was like, who the heck is that? About halfway through the volume I realized it’s Tohru’s mother. I never pictures her with red hair.

The Zodiac have gathered together for the meeting and mouths drop when Akito comes out in a woman’s kimono and a flower in her hair. We get the real story of Shigure’s “goodbye” present. By the way, there’s a lovely drawing of Shigure and Akito at the beginning of the chapter. I just love it! They’re kind of beautiful together. The Sohma housekeepers are not fond of the change in Akito. I have decided this is because they’re all bitches. They play this lame “this is how it’s always been” card, as if that kind of crap actually makes up for their heartlessness.

People are moving on with their lives. Yuki’s going away to college. He’s going to live on his own in an apartment. But don’t worry! Machi has a key and she can come over anytime. Kyo tells Tohru that he wants to go out and see the world and he wants her to come with him. Of course, she accepts. We also get a little glimpse into what was going through Kyoko’s mind as she died. Kyo misinterpreted her last words. Like, Tohru promised, they weren’t said in hatred.

Everyone talks about Tohru and prepares to go see her and Kyo off. It’s obvious how much she has touched their lives. Yuki decides she needs to know, so he tells her how they all care for her. He thanks her for the difference she made in his life, as well as the rest of the Sohmas’ lives. Finally, we’re left with a precious look into Kyo and Tohru’s future. Such a good series!

Kyo is standing up for himself! Yay! So, I’m not sure why exactly Kyo was puking in this volume, but I have a theory about it having to do with the curse breaking. This theory was never confirmed, but I’m sticking to it!

Arisa visits Kureno and cuteness ensues. Hanajima has been spending a lot of time with Shishou and it’s freaking Kyo out. What’s freaking me out are the age differences by some of the people in this series. I mean, Shishou isn’t young and Hanajimi hasn’t even graduated from high school yet. Is this just a culture difference in Japan? Do people care about ages there?

Akito calls all the Zodiac to the estate for a meeting. She’s releasing everyone and revealing the truth about herself. We see every Zodiac’s reaction as their curse is lifted. It’s emotional for all of them. Like I said before, they’re losing a part of them they’ve had their entire lives. The most emotional being Kyo’s since he only realizes it when he holds Tohru and doesn’t transform. They both burst into tears when he rips the beads from his wrist. We get to read the story of the Zodiac and God. The volume ends with Akito embracing Tohru. I’m so sad the series is ending!

We start back where we left off, which is unusual for this manga. Kyo finishes his story about his childhood friendship with Tohru’s mother. He tells more about her death and how he couldn’t deal with the grief. He admits he moved on by blaming everything on Yuki. It’s unclear to me whether Yuki overhears this or not. He sees them talking, but I could never decide if he could hear them. After he’s done with his story, Tohru tells him she loves him. Being Kyo, he says the wrong thing and she runs off crying. Yuki is furious with Kyo for making her cry.

Akito finds Tohru on the cliff, where they’ve both run away to. Akito has some little fit about things coming to an end and hurts Tohru. But Tohru, of course, just offers her friendship. Akito is ready to accept it. Then, inconveniently, the cliff crumbles and Tohru falls. Akito calls for help. Yuki and Kyo find Tohru, and Kyo freaks out and kisses her. It’s so cute and it’s been my desktop background for months. Anyway, Tohru has to go to the hospital. Again, I’m amazed by the crazy shit going on in this volume. Akito has a chat with Momiji, and I think it really helps her turn herself around. It’s amazing how I’ve gone from hating her, to feeling sorry for her, to kind of liking her.

Kyo and Yuki get into it about Tohru. It’s about time some of that was said. I’ve been waiting for this argument for the past few volumes. It was great. I appreciated Haru stepping in with Shigure as the comic relief. Also, there’s some major cuteness going on with Yuki and Machi.

This is definitely one of the best books I read this year. I noticed it was nominated on the Goodreads 2010 book awards for best teen fiction. I totally agree. Not only was it good in general, but it was a terrific audiobook. Two thumbs up for Joshua Swanson. He was the perfect Jace.

The characters are so wonderful and complex. Jace, being the most complicated of the whole novel. There’s so much there. His angst runs deeper than most teens because of his experiences with domestic abuse. He’s also terrified of becoming his father since they share the same short fuse. He runs from his actions as if he’ll actually be able to escape them. The things is, you can’t run away from your own memory. Jace finds this out pretty quickly. He allows one bad decision to dictate his new life. Christian isn’t much better. He’s allowed the past to dictate his life for years. He’s still stuck there, afraid of what his father can do. I find him to be a truly sad character. What’s great about both of them is that they can learn from each other. It’s so entertaining to watch both characters develop as they try to figure out how to start over as brothers after so many years apart. Miriam, Christian’s girlfriend, is also a crucial character. In times of need, when Jace and Christian are ready to kill each other or cut the other out of their life again, Miriam is there to rescue their relationship.

The plot is spectacular. There are things you see coming and things you don’t. Either way, I was never frustrated with how it went. Avasthi has proven herself as a very capable writer. I’m ready to read anything she publishes. This is the kind of voice the young adult genre needs: someone who understands the struggles some teens go through and conveys them with biting reality. I am definitely a fan. Please write more books! This is getting added to my list of books I should own.