February Wrap-Up

Happy Pisces Season 🐟

Here’s to the end of the month of love. I had so much fun participating in the F*cking February Smutathon which was hosted by @bookishly_vintage and @zoereadss. I got so many great smutty recs from the group and I can’t wait to read them all! This was a pretty great reading month for me since I finished 2 audiobooks and 13 books. I’ll probably end up reading more in March now that I’ll be a public transit commuter—RIP to my car 😂 Anyhoo, I had lots of highly rated books this month and I highly recommend you check them out 😊

My Library

Scream for Us by Molly Doyle

Review:

Content Warnings: There are a TON. There’s a lot of violence and murder and sexual content but Molly has a list of warnings on the first page of the book which is great. There’s also a list on her website.

I had mixed feelings about this story. It’s super short so there’s not much time for character building or establishing a backstory. I wish the backstory was a little more fleshed out though because you have no idea what the motivations are for Ghost and his buddies being so obsessed with Quinn. They are also hella violent and it seemed like the violence was just there for shock value. Essentially the spicy parts were good but the story was low-key terrible. I did like how Ghost always asks Quinn what she wants and even asks about birth control. However, there was one part in the book that stuck with me for the entire thing. In the beginning, Quinn gets a beer thrown at her face and she never cleans it up. So she’s essentially having sex and going to party again while being sticky with beer the entire time. You’d think that would be hella uncomfortable? Right?

3/5⭐

Melt for Us by Molly Doyle

Review:

Content Warnings: Again, there are a TON. Still lots of violence but less than the first book and lots of sexual content. There’s a list of warnings at the beginning of the book and you can check out Molly’s website for a more thorough list.

This story was a little bit better than the first one. You still don’t get much backstory about the guys aside from learning their real names. There’s going to be a full-length novel about them and Quinn though, so I’m sure everything will be answered there. There’s a bit more character building in this story and you learn a bit more about Quinn’s past and the guys’ personalities. Micah seems like the cinnamon roll of the group while Damien is the total bad boy. It’s sweet how much they care about Quinn. There’s also a ton of sex scenes lol. I like how they prioritize consent and safe words though. There’s also still some dark content and violence.

3/5⭐

Stalked by the Kraken by Lillian Lark

Review:

Content Warning: Graphic sexual content, kinky sexual content, mention of infertility, breeding, judgement about sexual history and sexual preferences, mild violence.

First of all, THANK YOU to @beautynherbooks for the rec! This book! Omg this book! I wasn’t sure what this would be like at first because I’ve never read a book with tentacle p*rn before, but omg I was impressed. There was actually a storyline with all the smut and the characters were all so great and well-written as well. Even the side characters had a personality! Gideon and Rose were such a fire couple with amazing chemistry! Rose has some trauma from her previous relationship and she’s feeling all this shame about her sexual history and preferences and doesn’t feel safe having sex anymore. She lost that joy from the trauma and Gideon slowly helps her find that joy again. She also takes a lot of initiative in taking back her sexuality which was great to see. The shame she experienced was so relatable and really made me empathize with her character. I really love how respectful and supportive Gideon was of Rose’s sexuality and how he never judged her. I like how he approached their conversations about trying new things sexually with a completely open mind. He is also really respectful of her boundaries especially when she’s too turned on to think straight. Seriously the sexual positivity in this book is really great to see and I love it 💕 The sex scenes seemed really realistic especially when Rose doesn’t want to have sex in the bath because water is terrible lube 😂 The tentacle parts are obvi fantasy, but they were written really well and made sense. Anyhoo, I was a little confused in the beginning with all the worldbuilding and the details about the bath house, but once I kept reading everything made more sense. Overall, this is an AMAZING story and I highly recommend it if you like reading erotica.

6/5⭐

Dekoboko Sugar Days by Atsuko Yusen

Review:

Content Warning: Sexual content.

This was such a cute manga! It has the grumpy x sunshine romance trope and I absolutely loved it! Yuujirou is the short, grumpy guy crushing on his childhood friend Rui, but little does he know Rui has a crush on him as well. Rui and Yuujirou were always thinking similar things and had similar feelings for each other, but they never communicated those feelings because they were too scared to tell each other how they really felt. Yuujirou had the funniest reactions and face expressions in this manga and I really enjoyed the art style. Rui also has some problems with negative thought spirals which was something I could kind of relate to, so it was nice to see how he handled that and how Yuujirou placated his worries. They are just such a sweet couple and I can’t wait to read the next volume!

5/5⭐

Netgalley eARCs

I’m Looking for Serious Love by Shoko Rakuta

Review:

TW: Sexual assault, sexual harassment, and graphic sexual content.

I had some mixed feelings about this manga. There are some cute moments and Kyouhei’s granny is definitely the star of the show and is such a sweetheart, but there’s some really problematic content as well. There are multiple scenes in this book that are essentially sexual harassment and sexual assault. However, the main character is too nice or too traumatized to say anything. He seems very hesitant to engage in the sexual activities and there’s a lot of lack of consent in this manga. Takara does seem to want to be a good boyfriend to Kyouhei, but his actions are quite problematic when it comes to sex. His fear of bugs is hilarious and works well with Kyouhei’s countryside upbringing where there’s lots of bugs. Overall, this is a decent manga—granny was the saving grace—but there definitely needs to be some content warnings.

2.5/5⭐

What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga

Review:

I thought this was such an interesting manga. It’s about a lawyer who cooks elaborate dinners for himself and his boyfriend. The manga includes some full recipes of the food he cooks, as well as some semi-recipes where he talks about the ingredients he adds and the cooking steps, but there’s a little less detail about amounts and times. It’s still a great guide though and all the food looks so yummy! I’d love to try some of these dishes, but most of the ingredients are a little hard to find in my local grocery store. Volume 2 looks like it has more recipes that I’d actually be able to try out, so I’m excited to read that volume! Apparently this is also a TV show so I’m going to have to check that out 😍

3.5/5⭐

Lightning and Romance Vol. 1 by Rin Mikimoto

Review:

Content Warning: Contains an age gap romance.

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this manga because the cover art style isn’t something I’m used to picking up, but I loved the synopsis and decided to give it a shot. Boy I’m glad I did because I freaking love this manga. I also ended up really enjoying the art style and thought Sumire’s shocked face expressions were hilarious. This manga is so swoonworthy and it’s all because of Reo. He is an absolute hottie! The stuff he does for Sumire are just so sweet that you can’t help but root for their potential relationship. He’s supposed to be a previous Yakuza and there’s a lot of backstory that we don’t know much about yet, so I’ll definitely have to keep reading to learn more. One thing I liked was how he’s aware of the age gap between him and Sumire, and he always treats her well. There’s a big thing that happens a little after the halfway point of the story that makes him begin to question things, but he still acts in a very mature manner. I feel like he’s going to be such a cinnamon roll though, it’s just hiding under his tough exterior. I’m so excited to see where this manga goes!

6/5⭐

The Transcendent One-Sided Love of Yoshida the Catch Vol. 1 by Shizuki Fujisawa

Review:

Content Warning: Some partial nudity fan service scenes.

I absolutely LOVED this manga. I initially knew it would be about Shimakaze and Yoshida’s “relationship” but I was surprised when some of the story was told through the POV of Rin, the young boy mangaka apprentice. This is also a manga that’s low-key about how to create manga the analog way. It was really interesting to learn about! The highlight of the manga was definitely the mangaka crew though, they are so fun and it’s just so heartwarming because they are like a little family. I love how supportive they are of Yoshida’s crush and how they try so hard to help Yoshida and Shimakaze into situations where she can possibly realize his feelings for her. There’s a bit of fan service as well, but it was portrayed in a very fun way. You also really find yourself rooting for Yoshida along with the rest of the mangaka because it’s so painful to see how Shimakaze is so clueless about his feelings for her🙈 Overall, this is a highly entertaining manga and I need the next volume. This manga definitely made me laugh a ton and I loved the energy and vibe of it.

6/5⭐

Dekoboko Bittersweet Days by Atsuko Yusen

Review:

Content Warning: Some sexual content.

Once again, this was such a cute manga! I love how we get a look at Rui and Yuujirou’s life leading up to graduation, how they pick their careers, and life after uni. This manga packs in a lengthier timeline than the previous volume and I wish there was a bit more content in between their main life events, but I think this volume tied things up nicely. I recently realized that I don’t think there will be a third volume which is so sad because I want more of this couple! They definitely experience a lot of emotional rollercoasters in this volume, but I’m happy with how everything turns out. There’s also some side relationships that seemed to be forming, so I thought it would make for great content in future volumes, but I guess Yusen is leaving the story as an open-ended duology. Either way, I highly recommend this!

5/5⭐

Other (e)ARCs

From Edelweiss

Summertime Rendering Vol. 1 by Yasuki Tanaka

Review:

Content Warning: Violence and some fan service

I thought this was going to be a type of murder mystery story, but boy was I wrong. This is so much more than that and I’m so fascinated by the plot. This is more of a dramatic sci-fi story and it reminds me of the movie Triangle which I had just watched the night before reading this. There’s 13 volumes total or 6 books, so I want to read them all to see what happens. The font was a little hard to read because it was a bit blurry and cut off in some words, but the story was really interesting so it was still worth reading.

4/5⭐

Summertime Rendering Vol. 2 by Yasuki Tanaka

Review:

Content Warning: Some nudity of the shadow creatures and violence.

I really need the rest of the volumes now because this volume ends on a big reveal cliffhanger and I just cannot handle it. I need to know what happens 😱 This volume is even better than the first one and you get more backstory on the other characters. Apparently it’s being made into an anime as well, so I will definitely be checking that out! This manga kind of gives me similar vibes like the anime Another. It’s more like a sci-fi thriller mystery and I’m just really enjoying it so far.

4/5⭐

From Harper Collins Canada

Beatrice and Croc Harry by Lawrence Hill

Review:

This was a really interesting book! I liked the idea of Beatrice living alone in the forest and having to solve riddles to find her way back home. This book has SO MANY messages about segregation, racism, gun violence, forgiveness, and empathy. It was a really emotional and touching book to read. I thought the difference between the forest of Argilia and her home was really fascinating because she lives in the forest and makes a good life for herself and makes friends etc. but at home she still has to do certain things to fit in and has specific ways to act whereas she was free, in a sense, in the forest. I loved the usage of vocabulary in this book because kids will learn so many new words that adults probably don’t even know 😂 There’s a dictionary at the end which was fun to read as well. Beatrice’s relationship with Croc Harry was also so sweet and it gets even more emotional when you find out who Croc Harry really is. I thought the book ended a little abruptly, but that was really my only complaint lol—I wanted more.

4.5/5⭐

When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill

Review:

Content Warning: Suicide, death of a parent, killing animals, psychopathic tendencies, drug use, abortion, rape, prostitution, gender identity, and some sexual content.

Y’all this book. I can’t even. It’s amazing and so well-written that everyone just needs to read it. It’s so good 😱 It definitely covers some dark topics and it’s very macabre at times. The main girls are also morbid AF in the beginning. This book covers so much about the plight of women like how they have to trade sex to advance in the world, how male doctors fail women, and the difference between how women and men in power are perceived. This book progresses into a women’s revolution that is just so emotional and powerful to read. The writing style of this book just draws you in and entices you to read more. Everything is discussed so matter-of-factly and the characters are amazingly written. There’s 2 plot twists near the end of the story that I was not expecting at all and was absolutely shook when I read them. Like, I can’t even with this book. It’s just amazing and I highly recommend it. Just read it.

6/5⭐

Audiobooks

Beezer and the Creeping Red by Brandon T. Snider

Review:

This was such a fun audiobook. It was over really quickly so it’s nice if you want a quick story. I thought the ending was sweet and I kind of saw that plot twist coming. It was fun to return to the characters in the sequel and the dialogue of all the kids was very entertaining. I would not recommend listening to this while driving though, because there are some honking and siren noises that made me think I was being chased by the cops 😂 There are also lots of random loud noises which scared the crap out of me while I was driving, so again, please listen to this at home 😂

4/5⭐

Starsight by Brandon Sanderson

Review:

This was a re-listen so I could remember what happened before I listen to Cytonic. I loved this book just as much as I did the first time I listened to it! I can’t wait to see what happens next.

5/5⭐

That’s a wrap on my reading this month! I hope to finish my ARCs and Netgalleys in March so I can read more of my personal books 😂 I’ve been loving my ARC selections though and can’t wait to share my reviews with you next month. I would also love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read any of these books or if you have any smutty recs! Leave a comment below 😊

Happy reading and happy birthday month to me!