pastelwriter's reviews
1099 reviews

I’m gonna have to fight Akkun for his crimes in this volume 😩 Like I get it, the series is called My Love Mix-Up…but things were going well until he opened his big mouth! 😭 I can’t live like this! 

Literally in the first half of this Aoki and Ida are getting closer and clearly developing further their crushes on each other…with many adorable moments between them…and then Akkun blocks them with heteronormativity 😭

At least Hashimoto has the decency to slap Akkun and later explain to him why she did. And at least Akkun has the decency to realize he was in the wrong for assuming Aoki was straight and assuming it’d be weird if he wasn’t straight. At least now he’s team Aoki and Ida…but we really didn’t need his intervention 😭

I’m glad though that because Ida goes on this quasi date with a girl, he begins to realize his own feelings for Aoki…and maybe even potentially begins to understand that despite their conversation with Akkun…Aoki is still very much interested in him!

I, of course, will continue reading the series and being a victim to the miscommunication 🥲

This series is finally over 🥺 My poor little heart! 

I love Jade Daniels so much 💖😭💖 I’m so glad this conclusion to the series truly centered her again. She’s a hot mess, and rightfully so. I adore her. She’s iconic in each book, and it warmed my heart that she’s a teacher here 🥺 The dynamic between her and Lemmy had me 😭😭😭 That kid is an odd one…but he was still in her corner helping her out. Love to see it!

Letha Mondragon continues to be an icon in this. I love that woman. I would marry that woman. The way she fights for her baby girl every single time? Be still my heart! She’s everything 💖😭💖 Her friendship with Jade is also lovely. They both root for each other and support each other, and I love them! 

I have to say the only reason this doesn’t get 4+ stars is because the pacing became abysmal 💀 After a certain point that I won’t mention because of spoilers, I was kind of like 🧍🏻‍♀️ Okay why are we still going? I knew there were other loose ends that could be tied up, but to me that scene was THE confrontation. Everything after felt like extra stuff that took too long to resolve.

Still. I’m glad I finished this trilogy. I notoriously don’t finish series, so I impressed myself by finishing this one 😂 

This was so sweet! I had a lovely time reading this 💖

Despite me not being into two major points about the premise (1. age gap 2. smoking), I was still very much able to enjoy this! The dynamic between Sasaki and Yamada makes my heart melt. They make each other’s days happier, and that’s all I care about. 

I also have to say I just love Sasaki’s vibe 🤩 Love me a tired man who looks like he hasn’t slept in days. Sign me up 🙏🏼  He’s also super respectful and tries to treat everyone with kindness and care…and I fuck with that hard. What a man! 

Yamada is also an icon. She is everything. She’s also super sweet and kind despite her tough exterior. She definitely needs to just fess up about her “alter ego,” but I still get why she’s nervous to do it. 

Anyway. Had a great time! I look forward to reading more ✨

This. Fucking. Book. 

I feel like I’ve been torn open. 

When I picked this up, it was because I went to a book festival, and by chance heard the author talk at a panel. I fell absolutely in love with her vibe (despite originally going to the panel for an entirely different author). She’s chaotic and funny and real, and I had a pretty good sense all of that would come across in her writing. And it did. 

I started with this book because the premise seemed to hold the most interest to me. It’s been years since this was published, and years since I went back and forth on whether or not I should pick it up. And I’m glad I did. Even if I don’t like anything else by this author, I won’t regret picking this up after hearing her talk about writing thrillers and horror and characters.

This book was intense. From the beginning, it grips you. It makes it hard to let go or look away. I didn’t exactly read this quickly, between having friends visiting and the subject matter being too heavy for me to read before bed, but that wasn’t a bad choice either. It’s good to sit with this story and what the characters go through. 

I didn’t know this book would be split between three perspectives, and all three felt vital to it. Having all three made the ending all the more painful, all the more raw. It’s significant, too, that all three characters are flawed in their own way. This is something important because despite the characters being so flawed, they were also incredibly lovable. Alex, Claire, and Jack are all incredibly dear to me. They felt real. They made me feel real emotions. 

This book paints an accurate portrait, still accurate, of rape culture. It shows how communities both enable heinous things happening while trying to protect their loved ones from them. It shows the complicated mess that is teens making jokes while also knowing that this they joke about is very real. It shows, as well, how women and girls can come together to protect each other. It’s a lot.

I don’t know what else to say without spoiling it all. Just know that I loved this. I cried at the end. I cried at what felt like injustice and cried knowing so much of it is real. The characters may not be real, but much of what they go through is. I was overwhelmed by all this novel made me feel. 

I don’t even know what to say anymore 🧍🏻‍♀️

A lot of this volume was about Kouichi and Caius essentially going to sex therapy (though Kouichi carries the blunt of the work)… And then the other major point is that someone is trying to kill Kouichi and orchestrate a coup 🙃 

I’m not necessarily complaining, I’m just at a loss for words 😂 I guess all I have left to say is that I’ll keep reading 🤷🏻‍♀️

This was such a sweet start to a series! I’m absolutely obsessed with the chaos that is Aoki 😂💖

In some ways, this reminds me of my fave BL series (Blue Flag), and the way it handles the (developing) feelings the characters have for each other is ultimately my favorite part. No one is lesser than the other. Everyone is rooting for the happiness and what’s best for the others. It’s lovely 🥺

I have to say that I adore both Ida and Hashimoto 💖 They are both sweethearts. Ida is so earnest and considers things carefully. I love that about him 😭 Hashimoto is sweet and nice. She treats those around her with kindness. I totally get why Aoki likes them both! 

Anyway. I’m so looking forward to continuing this series!

I had a blast reading this! Clio Evans truly never leads me astray 🙏🏼

The insta love in this was powerful, but I don’t care 😂 Toras and Zin were absolutely the best. I loved their competition for Stella. They were trying sooo hard to woo her. Truly just spoiling her from the get go. We love to see it 💖 Once they joined forces? Stella didn’t stand a chance! She was going to be swept off her feet no matter what ✨

I also cracked up so much reading this. I love Clio Evans’ humor 😂 I just cackle every time. I highlighted so much in my physical copy and soooo many quotes were just shit I thought was funny.

As always, Evans always throws a bit of plot at the end to add a little something something to the end of a book. As always, it’s predictable and resolved quickly, but I’m always down for it. 

I can’t wait to continue this series! I already know I’m gonna have a blast with Mari and Max’s books! 💖

Another great volume in this series! Kotaro and Asako are lovely 💖

I’m happy to see both Kotaro and Asako further contemplate and imagine their future together 🥺 I gotta say I’m a total sucker for their imagined visions of each other as parents! Absolutely melted my heart. So sweet! 

I’m also glad we finally got to see Asako’s reaction to the soap Kotaro made just for her 💖 That was another sweet moment. 

If I’m honest, the main reason this didn’t get a higher rating was because Asako did get a little bit on my nerves. There was this little interaction where she thinks to herself, “Will it be weird if I sleep without a bra?” And I’m like GIRL. You are LIVING with this man, and his hands have been all over those titties. He won’t give a shit 😂 And it does annoy me a little the part where she needs to work out to lose a couple pounds, and she’s all like, “You can’t smell me for this whole week!” And I’m like girl 😭 we’ve established that Kotaro has never ONCE thought you stink. Just let him sniff you 😭

Anyway. At the end of the day, they’re both cute and I love their dynamic. I’m just a nitpicky bitch 😅

I absolutely loved this volume 💖🥺💖

Even though I don’t have much to say about it, I had a great time reading this! I’m so happy Asako finally got to meet Kotaro’s family. They were all so lovely 😭 

Kotaro’s sister was iconic. She was in fact The Moment. I loved her genuine interest in getting to know Asako better and understand why Asako likes (loves) her brother. 

Kotaro’s mom was also a delight 😭 I loved this portrayal of a blind woman with independence and ability to support her family in the home 💖 As it should be!

Also. Kotaro’s baby pictures?! Be still my heart! I melt!!! I’m putty!

Everything about this volume was an absolute delight. I’m living the dream ✨

I always forget how much I love these characters until I return to this series! 😭

Natori is bae. I’ll never get sick of saying it. I love that man! He’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close 🥺 What a man! Asako is also a sweetheart 💖 Her looking at cute lingerie for the first time? Slay. Most of their interactions during her birthday were also so cute! My heart melts. That whole scene in the perfume store was lovely ✨

Asako and Natori are living together now, and it sure doesn’t come without complications. Although I couldn’t fully understand Asako’s problems with what was going on, it all clicked more into place once she and Natori were forced to hash it out. I was surprised to see her passionate outburst, but it ultimately lead to good and healthy communication. That’s the best part of this series. It’s not that the characters don’t have problems, it’s that eventually they really do talk about them to resolve them ✨