Manga Review: Kiss of the Rose Princess, Volume 9, by Aya Shouoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4
Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)
Release Date: March 1, 2016
Volumes: 9.
Spoilers?: Light.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Volume: 1. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Anise Yamamoto has been told that if she ever removes the rose choker given to her by her father, a terrible punishment will befall her. Unfortunately she loses that choker when a bat-like being falls from the sky and hits her. Anise is granted four cards representing four knights whom she can summon with a kiss. But now that she has these gorgeous men at her beck and call, what exactly is her quest?!


The identity of the Silver Rose is revealed, and Anise learns that her father has been captured by the Society. In order to rescue him, Anise must confront her true enemy...and choose her fate!

Review:

The final volume! We finally get to see what led up to Anise’s fathers plans, why he’s done what he did, how he fell in love with her mother. It’s a sweet, sad story. And then Mitsuru’s family’s evil plans are exposed and brought to a head.
But I must say that the ending was a little anti-climactic. There isn’t much of a big fight scene. While Kaede becomes open about his feelings for Anise, she doesn’t openly return them. I’m a bit disappointed with all of that, honestly, though I’m not too surprised. I expected some of it.
I’m not surprised by the non-fight ending. The whole series has been doing that so far. But I did want more of a romantic wrap-up. I do like the way that the friendships wrapped up, though, particularly Mitsuru and Mutsuki’s.
I did enjoy this series, and it had an okay ending, even though I wanted more for it.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Novel Review: Walk the Edge (Thunder Road, #2) by Katie McGarry

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: March 29, 2016
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.
Teaser Tuesday. Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life. 

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules. 


And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

The Cover:

I like this cover. I think it's pretty, though not particularly eye-catching. It goes with the first book in the series well. And instead of showing the romance in the book, it's showing a different part of the book, but a very important side as well. I do like that the bridge is actually an important setting.

Review:


“There are lies in life we accept. Whether it’s for the sake of ignorance, bliss or, in my case, survival, we all make our choices.” (Hardback, pg. 7)
“Everyone says the same thing: Breanna’s smart, she’s quiet. On the inside, I’m not at all quiet. Most of the time, I’m screaming.” (Pg. 14)
“Home is supposed to be safe. Home is supposed to be the one place you can go and know that the horrible things people say to you won’t be said to you there. It should be that place that forms a protective shield and it’s okay to be quirky and messed up and… and… accepted.” (Pg. 354)

I did enjoy this book more than the previous one. But it’s not one of my favorites.
I liked Breanna and Razor’s story, and their attraction. Breanna has always been the good girl, and she wants to have a little adventure, she wants to push for more. She’s too smart for her school, and she’s being forced to take care of her siblings instead of going to a better school. And then there’s Razor, who lives adventure and recklessness. He’s looking for answers to what really caused his mothers death.
Their chemistry was nice, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship form. There are definite difficulties, since everyone in town fears the Terror motorcycle gang and especially Razor, so people keep trying to force them apart.
My biggest fault with this series is the motorcycle club. Sometimes I understand the appeal—having a group of people who are there for each other and understand each other—but I also hate the closed-mindedness of it. It’s only men, and the women are seen on the side and don’t hold much power at all. And the way everything is a secret and no one can know anything. It was hard to see why they thought Razor could trust them when they wouldn’t tell him a single thing about his mother. It just frustrates me so much.
This series is just okay for me right now. I’m sure I’ll be picking up the next one, because I usually enjoy McGarry’s stories. I do want to see Addison’s story. I’ll be more excited when she starts a new series though, because motorcycle gangs are just not my thing.

Wishlist Thursday[157]: The Heiress and the Chauffeur by Keiko Ishihara

The Heiress and the Chauffeur 1 by Keiko Ishihara

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 3, 2016

Volumes: 2.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

At an all-girls school during the Taisho era in Japan, rumors swirl that heiress Sayaka Yoshimura is having a forbidden love affair with her chauffeur, Shinobu Narutaki! Sayaka scoffs at the rumors, but could a romance between master and servant actually be brewing?

Sayaka wears a crimson ribbon that signals she is at the top of her class, and her classmates all revere her. So when Narutaki ignores decorum and breaks school rules to protect Sayaka, will she stand by him or dismiss him as the school demands?

Why?:

I pick up pretty much all shojo beat manga, and at this point pretty much all shojo series licensed. I’m not usually a historical fan, but I do seem to have a thing for butler stories… and I’m always willing to try. This one sounds interesting, and I look forward to picking up the first volume.

What's on your list?

Manga Review: Let's Dance a Waltz, Volume 3, by Natsumi Ando

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: August 2015

Volumes: 3.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf

Volume: 1. 2.

Add on Goodreads 

Amazon Synopsis:

When Hime Makimura was young, her mother told her that she could be like a princess someday. Now that Hime is in middle school, overweight and unpopular, life is a cruel disappointment. Tango Minami is a popular high school boy who hides his job as a ballroom dance instructor to maintain his image. But when Tango's mom urges Tango to take Hime as a student, everything gets turned upside down! Will Tango's classmate find out about his embarrassing job? And will Hime find the self-confidence needed to be like a princess on the ballroom floor?

Review:

This is the conclusion to the series. So we get to see what Tango has been hiding, who his old partner was, and Sumire’s feelings are finally revealed.

While I did like the backstory here, and it made a lot of sense given Tango’s stigma of people knowing he dances and Sumire’s feelings for Tango, it was just okay to me. I did like Yusei, though, and was happy with how his feelings for Sumire were realized. He was a sweet guy. And the ending for Tango and Hime was sweet, and I was glad for how they worked out.

But mostly this series was very meh. I didn’t love the characters too much, and Hime’s reactions at the end were a little too over-the-top for me; she ran away too soon. But I did like that Tango didn’t fall for her instantly, at least. I don’t know. It was just okay in the end.

Teaser Tuesday[199]: Midnight Bites: Stories of the Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

-----------------------------

Midnight Bites: Stories of the Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance; Short stories

Publisher: New American Library (Penguin Random House)

Release Date: March 1, 2016

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.
Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine presents a collection of stories—including six new tales—featuring the little Texas town that’s overrun by the undead.
WELCOME TO MORGANVILLE.
YOU’LL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE.
 
By day, Morganville, Texas, is just a typical college town. By night, the vampires emerge and take control....

In a town where it’s not safe to be out after dark, student Claire Danvers and her friends have had their fair share of thrills. But Morganville still has a few secrets left to tell.

Now, in this collection, you can venture down the town’s strange streets, revisit all the tales you’ve come to love, and experience six new stories featuring your favorite Morganville residents—both human and vampire...

Excerpt:

“‘Claire? You need anything?’

‘Better balance? Oh, and Angelina Jolie’s lips?’

‘Cute. Settle for aspirin and a Coke?’” (Paperback, Murdered Out, pg. 214)

What are you reading right now?