Amy Tasukada

4 Hearts

I’ve quite enjoyed myself regarding this series that Tasukada has put out.

It’s different, it’s super sweet with just a bit of angst, and it’s based in Japan, a place and culture I know very little about.

What started out as a monthly peek at these two - how complete opposites Aoi and Sato meet cute, how they slowly become a couple, how they come out to friends and family - continues to evolve into something deeper and more profound. The monthly vignettes still tell their story in this final installment, and now there’s a new obstacle - a health scare for Aoi...


Aoi has always been the hesitant one, the one with legitimate fears, having been kicked out of his home at the tender age of 15. It’s very hard for him to rely on and trust others, and he wants to remain strong for his boyfriend Sato, to never be a burden. So, when his very livelihood is threatened, he’s paralyzed with indecision.

In turn, Sato continues to be the standout star here. Shy, conservative, and 100% all in, he’s also the more decisive one when it comes to taking a stand on what's important, and that’s his devoted love to Aoi.

If you want something feel good and easy, check out this series. Again, a very sweet journey witnessing these two, and I’m completely satisfied with their wonderful happy ending!

Thank you to the author for a copy in exchange for a honest review

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Pros: well researched setting and depiction of organized crime in Japan. I loved the tea house setting. The entire story was vividly described in visual terms. I always find that enjoyable to read.
The secondary characters were well drawn, so the book didn't read like two lovers in a world of cardboard cutout characters.
I liked the depiction of the Koreans' position in Japanese society and though this was very credible.

Cons: I felt like the main characters weren't emotionally consistent. Both of our heroes are incessant liars, but that alone wouldn't necessarily be a mark against the book, considering their occupation. The part that really threw me is how Nao switches to momentary violent action and enjoys it at a deep visceral level. The combination of this with his usual fearful and shy disposition doesn't come across believable to me. I also think the sense of duty and debt should have been more heavily emphasized in his inner dialogues. A little PTSD would not have been out of place in a guy who's witnessed what Nao has.

I imagine this plot could be written in an entirely different way as a hard-boiled crime novel, where Nao is as cynical and dark as they come. That would perhaps be a more credible depiction of someone who's committed cold blooded murder and seen terrible things. He could still feel sorrow, lust, even love, but all in the context of a sort of brutal realism.… (more)